Tom Zaller of Imagine Exhibitions On How To Create A Travel Experience That Keeps People Coming Back For More

An Interview With Savio P. Clemente

As part of my series about “How To Create A Travel Experience That Keeps People Coming Back For More”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Tom Zaller. Tom is a 30+ year veteran of the entertainment and exhibition industries and has been instrumental in creating, producing, and marketing some of the world’s most popular exhibitions and attractions seen by more than 50 million people worldwide.

Beginning with his work in the late 90’s at SFX/Clear Channel Exhibitions and continuing today with Imagine Exhibitions, Inc., Tom has created, produced, and marketed more than 50 unique educational and entertaining exhibitions and touring shows to over 250 venues across hundreds of cities and over 30 countries in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. Tom has worked with countless of the industry’s leading science centers, museums, zoos, aquariums, promoters, casinos, and integrated resorts to increase attendance and achieve mission goals through sophisticated, high-quality exhibitions. Earning a reputation as a trusted partner in delivering the world’s most compelling story-driven immersive experiences, Tom has worked with a number of internationally recognized brands in the development of ground-breaking exhibitions, including Warner Bros. (Harry Potter: The Exhibition) , Lionsgate (The Hunger Games: The Exhibition), Universal Brand Development (Jurassic World: The Exhibition), and NBCU International (Downtown Abbey: The Exhibition) Rovio (Angry Birds Universe: The Art & Science Behind a Global Phenomenon). His work on innovative exhibitions like Jurassic World: The Exhibition, Downton Abbey: The Exhibition, REAL BODIES The Exhibition, Dinosaurs in Motion, The Hunger Games: The Exhibition, and Titanic: The Exhibition (to name a few) transformed the exhibition industry by introducing priceless objects and their stories to the world in a fully engaging, content-rich environment unlike anything seen before.

In addition to producing traveling exhibitions, Tom also designs, opens, and operates permanent installations and venues, and consults on building, expanding, and directing museums and attractions. In this capacity, Tom served as the Founding Director of Singapore’s ArtScience Museum, where he collaborated with multiple local and global teams to carefully craft the museum’s identity and structure as well as developing overall programming, staffing, marketing, and operations for the museum which is now a premier destination and a notable feature in the Singapore skyline.

As President and CEO of Imagine Exhibitions, a leader in global traveling entertainment, Tom and his team are leaders in the fields of immersive design, attractions, and entertainment who consistently create and implement memorable and thought-provoking environments. Tom intimately understands the requirements for creating groundbreaking attractions and has overseen all aspects of numerous sell-out exhibitions.

Tom consistently delivers the highest quality exhibitions through a deep passion and firm dedication to every project. His extensive network of worldwide partners coupled with his drive for success make Imagine Exhibitions, Inc. a top player in the museum and exhibition industries. He was named one of the top 50 museum influencers in 2020 by Blooloop for his significant contributions to cultural institutions worldwide.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I grew up working for my brother’s production company in Cleveland Ohio as a rigger and stagehand. I then wanted to follow my cousin’s footsteps and become a forest ranger and EMT who specializes in high angle and swift water rescue, but the entertainment business bug had already bit me. I started touring with bands and theatre shows and did that for almost 10 years when my boss said to me, “Why don’t you go work on that Titanic thing we are developing,” which was 23 years ago. The rest is history. I’ve been working in the traveling exhibition world ever since, bringing compelling stories and experiences to people globally.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
I have been fortunate to work on some incredible projects in my career. I think that Titanic: The Exhibition will always be near and dear to my heart, as it was the first traveling exhibition project I was ever a part of. If I had not been involved with creating and producing the “Titanic” exhibits, I never would have had the chance to dive two and a half miles below the ocean surface to see the Titanic first-hand — that was an unforgettable experience.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I often say that one of the best reasons to work with Imagine Exhibitions if you are interested in developing a new touring experience is that I have been a part of the business of touring exhibitions since the beginning. Along the way, I’ve made every mistake I think you can make. But the beautiful thing about that is that I’ve made those mistakes and learned from them so our partners don’t have to. I’m sure we’ll continue to make mistakes, as nothing that is worthwhile comes without some risk. But our team of the industry’s leading experts bring a depth of knowledge that is unique to traveling entertainment which allows us to guide our partners and clients to avoid making those classic first-timer mistakes we see all the time!

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
Although there have been hundreds if not thousands of people who have influenced me over the years there are two that stand out. One is my brother Paul, who I started working for when I was 13; he gave me my start, taught me so many things and encouraged me to take risks and go for it. The other is my former boss and business partner Arnie Geller. Arnie was maybe 30 years older than me and a much more seasoned executive who gave me my next big chance to build and run a business. We were like best friends when we started a company together and grew it exponentially. I think overall what each of these very influential people did was believe in me and push me to take chances and grow.

Thank you for that. Let’s jump to the core of our discussion. Can you share with our readers about the innovations that you are bringing to the travel and hospitality industries?
At the end of the day, I strive to be a storyteller and create great experiences. Connection and personalization are key, whether they come in the form of an authentic object, a media display, or a great piece of scenery. In the end, they are nothing without an approachable and revealing story. Our space is unique because we get to engage with people in an interactive, 3-dimensional physical space; it is not passive like many other forms of entertainment. With Dino Safari: A Walk-Thru Adventure located in Boston, we created a unique experience in which guests can learn about the world these dinosaurs lived in while surrounded by over 20 full scale moving dinosaurs as well as real fossils that they can interact with. I believe our industry is perfectly positioned to provide ways for people to connect and learn and grow while having fun.

Which “pain point” are you trying to address by introducing this innovation and how do you envision that this might disrupt the status quo?
The pain point is isolation and disconnectedness. The status quo has been disrupted in ways we never imagined. We will continue to be a part of the ways people seek to experience things together and share them with their circles of friends and family. The innovation comes from the compelling stories told using technology and tools that personalize the experience and allow them to share it with anyone.

As you know, COVID19 changed the world as we know it. Can you share a few examples of how travel and hospitality companies will be adjusting over the next five years to the new ways that consumers will prefer to travel?
Although COVID19 changed the world, people still want and need to connect and travel. Honestly, I think when we look back in 10 years, we will realize that Covid caused all of us to adapt and be more efficient and maybe a little healthier and smarter about how we travel but for sure will still travel. Oh yeah, the QR code finally stuck!

You are a “travel insider”. How would you describe your “perfect vacation experience”?
I am so very lucky to have had the opportunity to travel extensively so all I can say is that I will always be in search of the perfect vacation because I am not sure I will get to every corner of the earth. Having said that, when I have free time, I love to spend time outdoors, particularly whitewater kayaking, climbing, scuba diving, and snow skiing. I also am a wine lover and enjoy any opportunity I can to share a great bottle with friends and loved ones.

Travel is not always about escaping, but about connecting. Have you made efforts to cultivate a more wellness driven experience? We’d love to hear about it.
We recently premiered a brand-new show — Survival: The Exhibition. It invites guests on a journey of bravery and brains where they experience the thrill of exploration, gain an appreciation for the wonders of nature, and prepare for the unexpected — all within an interactive, informative, and safe space. It includes a zip line and ropes course and combines STEM concepts with hands-on challenges to empower guests with the skills, know-how, and confidence to survive any scenario. Also, our Real Bodies Exhibition is not only an incredible lesson in human anatomy but also connects people to the history and various cultural celebrations and traditions around the world related to our body and its many complex systems and our own human evolution.

Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things one should know in order to create a travel experience that keeps bringing people back for more? Please share a story or an example for each.
Story, story, story, and a bit of execution. I guess that is only four. Guests are looking for immersive, shareable, and interactive story-driven experiences. I want guests to be a part of the story and discover things they didn’t know before, then provide an opportunity to share it with others. With Dino Safari: A Walk-Thru Adventure, we created an experience that really allows guests of all ages to be fully immersed in the story of the dinosaurs. Their involvement in the story aspect leads to learning more than any ordinary experience. As Ben Franklin said, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” Maybe number 5 is an awesome selfie moment!

Can you share with our readers how you have used your success to bring goodness to the world?
One of the things I love about my job is that we not only provide people a moment to escape from their daily lives and provide rich, immersive and entertaining experiences but we also provide a layer of education. It is always my hope that you leave one of our experiences knowing a little more than you did when you walked into it. It does not always have to be science or math related; it may be geographical or cultural but you leave knowing more and hopefully being open to more in this incredible world we live in. So I guess in some way, I hope that the stories we tell provide a spark or an inspiration to our visitors to be more open and therefore bring more goodness into the world.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
To quote other important figures from history, “All you need is love.” Love is feeling included and connected to your community. When you feel that, you can do anything. I’d love to be the catalyst of a movement that provides people with that confidence in how they are connected and how they are loved so they feel empowered to accomplish great things. I think we do that.
We provide the opportunity for people to come together to share in something they care about with others around them.