Articles.
Kids & Cats: Inspiring Interactive Play (InPark Magazine, 2023)
What children and felines teach us about play can be applied to game design
by Jenny Lim and Erica McCay
How do you make something fun? As interactive designers, we know that winning – while rewarding – is not enough to make a game engaging. Nor are points, nor timers, nor any of the other shorthand tricks that designers use to amp up a game. A game must have a fun activity at its core. If it does not, no amount of points and “gamification” will get players hooked.
Our source of inspiration starts at home…
7 Principles for Creating Immersive Worlds (Medium, 2022)
Enter the story with an award-winning theme park designer
by Erica McCay
Whether you are a professional in the industry, aspire to join it, or love seeing how Themed Entertainment experiences come to be, I invite you to join me on a tour through the main principles that guide me as a designer who connects people and place…
Presentations.
Innovation in Immersive Attractions (Blooloop Festival of Innovation, 2023)
Live Recorded Discussions
Dan Pelson, Deana Taylor, & Erica McCay
Erica McCay, creative director at Valtech, hosts discussions with Deana Taylor, general manager of Ferrari World Yas Island, Abu Dhabi and Dan Pelson, chief operating officer of @AREA15. They look at what makes a good immersive attraction, from the staff members to the attraction itself. They all talk about how the story has to be the heart of the attraction, whether that’s a personalised story for the visitor or someone else’s story that the visitor follows.
10 Leadership Lessons: The Origins of Inspiration (TEA SATE North America, 2023)
Live Presentation
Erica McCay
Join Erica as she shares the story of her former boss and current mentor, Bill Whitcomb, who once played Doc Brown in the opening ceremony for Universal Studios Florida. With a wealth of knowledge from three decades at Universal Creative, Bill inspired his teams to be their best. Woven into the story, Erica presents 10 valuable leadership lessons distilled from their time working together.
Redos, Pivots, & Repairs: Transforming Your Networking Story (TEA SATE North America, 2023)
Live Presentation with Audience Participation
Lisa Lowe & Erica McCay
Our industry is about storytelling, and one of the most well known forms of story is the Hero’s Journey. What if that applies to more than what we create, but our own career journeys? Become the hero of your networking adventure as we act out redos, pivots, and repairs to transform awkward moments into masterful connections.
Kids & Cats: Inspiring Interactive Play (TEA SATE North America, 2023)
Live Presentation with Audience Participation
Jenny Lim & Erica McCay
Who shapes the people who shape our industry? Our families (human and animal) influence us through the joy of play. Explore the wisdom of our younger and/or furrier muses, and what we can learn from their pure appreciation of fun.
From Zero to Hero: IDEA in the Project Lifespan (TEA SATE North America, 2022)
Live “Table Read” Presentation
Jesse Cannady, Wendy Heimann-Nunes, Sina Bahram, Corey Timpson, Nicola Rossini, Cynthia Sharpe, & Erica McCay
A staged reading of “From Zero to Hero”, a darkly comedic one-act play about how themed experience can better embed IDEA in the project pipeline, and how some simple but radical changes in approach can pay huge financial, emotional, and experiential dividends.
Reading Performance (Stetson University, 2022)
Live Presentation
Erica McCay
Performance of two original short stories written by Erica at the “Hot Florida" MFA of the Americas Alumni Reading event.
Interviews.
Blooloop 50 Theme Park Influencer List (Blooloop, 2023)
Featured Judge
by Blooloop
“Our industry is a kaleidoscope of talented people—combining, shifting, and adapting to create amazing experiences. The Blooloop 50 Theme Park Influencer List is a chance to celebrate the people who keep our kaleidoscope in motion. We at Valtech are excited to help highlight the inspirational people who shape our industry with poise, purpose, and passion.” — Erica McCay, Creative Director, Themed Entertainment
A Day in the Life @ Valtech Themed Entertainment Studio (Themed Experience TV, 2022)
Live Virtual Interview
Eric Soto, Stash Noga, & Erica McCay
TETV hosts, Kelly Bailey and Kathy Dixon, chat with three experts from Valtech Themed Entertainment Studio, a company leading the industry in connected, physical interactive experiences. Join us as we deep dive into fascinating projects, career journeys, and more!