Symposium on Education in Entertainment and Engineering

Vice President of Operations, Halo Solutions

Bryan Huneycutt has over 35 years of experience in performing arts safety, including leadings the Entertainment Safety division for Disney Parks and Resorts Live Entertainment, overseeing all U.S. and Asia based entertainment activities. His expertise spans across continents, with significant involvement in projects in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Bryan holds master’s degrees in both Event Management and Psychology and is currently pursuing a Doctorate. Bryan co-founded the Safety Advisors Forum-Live Entertainment and serves on the Event Safety Alliance Board. He is currently Vice-President of Operations (North America) for Halo Solutions and founder of HuneyBadger Entertainment Consulting.

Executive Director, ESTA

Erin Grabe is the Executive Director of ESTA, the Entertainment Services and Technology Association. ESTA is responsible for creating some of the most vital programs in the entertainment and live events industries, including the Technical Standards Program (TSP), the Entertainment Technician Certification Program (ETCP), and the quarterly technical journal, PROTOCOL. Erin’s background is in lighting and live event technical production, with a Bachelor of Technology in Entertainment Technology from New York City College of Technology.

Vice President of the Entertainment Division, McLaren Engineering Group

William Gorlin serves as McLaren Engineering Group’s Vice President – Entertainment Division, is a graduate of Cornell University, and is registered as a Professional Engineer in 26 States. His 38 years of experience include engineering of scenic, entertainment and amusement structures, staging, rigging, theatrical infrastructure, buildings, show action equipment, scenic elements, theme park attractions, architectural theming, sculptures, and other frameworks, worldwide. Mr. Gorlin is a member of the ESTA Rigging Working Group, ASTM Committee F24 for Amusement Rides and Devices, and Structural Engineers Association of New York. 

Bill received the 2024 Backstage Legend and Master Award from the Broadway Technical Theatre History Project and was named “Engineer of the Year” in 2018 by the New York State Society of Professional Engineers. Bill is the author of the “Structural Behavior” chapter in Entertainment Rigging for the 21^st Century, Ed. Bill Sapsis, Focal Press, 2015.

Director, Global Learning and Development, TAIT

In addition to spearheading internal learning, skill-building, and talent development strategy at TAIT, Megan oversees public-facing training endeavors to support both new TAIT projects and existing clients’ teams and venues. She also encourages and enables training for anyone looking to gain new skills in entertainment automation and the TAIT group’s automation platforms – Navigator, iQ, and Vector.

Megan joined TAIT in 2021, leading efforts to enhance the customer training experience and excited to combine her passion for theater and live events with over 15 years of professional experience in Learning and Development. In 2024, her role evolved to include the development of TAIT’s first Learning & Development Center of Excellence, providing additional support and training resources to TAIT team members. She holds an undergraduate degree in Theater and a Master of Arts in Instructional Design and Technology, both from the University of Central Florida. Megan has designed, developed, and implemented programs and coursework on a wide variety of subjects, including software applications, sales methodology, effective communication and leadership skills. Her blended learning approach to solving challenges through training has brought success to customer service, sales, and technical teams.

“When people think about entertainment automation, we want them to instantly think of TAIT,” Megan says, “and a huge part of that is providing the right education and resources for new or established entertainment professionals to be successful.” These resources include self-paced online training, instructor-led classroom and onsite training, and customized, unique training solutions to meet learners where they are.

Director of Project Management, PRG Scenic Technologies

John is the Director of Project Management at PRG Scenic Technologies in New Windsor. Having joined PRG in 2015 as a Technical Designer, he later moved into Project Management where he developed his technical foundation alongside a passion for people, communication & collaboration. In his current role, he leads the project management department in providing scenery & automation to Broadway, Theatrical Tours, Concert Tours, and other live events. John received his M.F.A in Theater Technology from the University of Wisconsin.”

Vice President of Industry Partnerships, Purdue University

Luna Lu is the Indiana ACPA Professor in the Lyles School of Civil Engineering with a courtesy appointment in the School of Materials Engineering. She is vice president of industry partnerships and founding director of the Center for Intelligent Infrastructure at Purdue University.

Her research interests lie in novel nanomaterials and IoT devices for energy harvesting and infrastructure sensing applications. Lu has transferred technologies from her research lab into engineering applications and is a founder and CEO of Wavelogix Inc. a venture-backed, high growth startup company that provides REBEL™ IoT sensors for smart infrastructure solutions.

She has also authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications, two books, six book chapters, and holds 10 published and provisional patents. Lu is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Her work has garnered many prestigious honors, including the 2014 National Science Foundation CAREER Award, 2019 Purdue Faculty Scholar, 2020 Vebleo Scientist Award, 2021 ASCE Gamechanger, 2022 ASCE Alfred Noble Prize, the best invention of 2023 by TIME magazine, the 2024 Edison
Award and more.

Principal, The Shalleck Collaborative

Coming from a family legacy in the broadcast business, Ian has been involved with various forms of production for nearly 30 years, including extensive work in live events and with professional AV rental/production companies.

Ian’s education includes a BA in Theatre Production from Brigham Young University, and an MFA in Sound System Design from Purdue University. Ian’s work in the live production sector is extensive and includes both live and recorded entertainment work. Ian has provided large-scale event production for many national touring live music acts, and has designed and mixed over 100 theatrical productions, in venues ranging from 50-seat cabarets to 2,000-seat outdoor amphitheatres.

Since joining The Shalleck Collaborative in June 2005, Ian has designed facilities, AV systems and provided general project management for hundreds of production, event and meeting facilities, including the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the ACT Strand Theater, the Berkley Rep Theatre, the Paramount Theatre, the Castro Theatre and many many more.

Ian is a Certified Technology Specialist/Design (CTS-D), as administered by AVIXA (Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association), and is a member of the United Stated Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT).

Project Portfolio Director, Adirondack Studios

Matt Jackson is a seasoned professional in the field of project management and technical design, currently serving as the Project Portfolio Director at Adirondack Studios since July 2008. In this role, he has demonstrated exceptional leadership in managing fabrication design teams and overseeing construction management processes for a variety of high-profile projects. His extensive portfolio includes notable attractions such as **Transformers**, **Despicable Me**, and **Mario Kart** for Universal Studios, as well as **Galaxy’s Edge**, **Ratatouille**, and **Frozen** for Disney Worldwide.

Prior to his tenure at Adirondack Studios, Matt excelled as a Senior Project Manager at Big Show Construction Management from July 2000 to July 2008. In this capacity, he honed his skills in costing, technical design, and site supervision, contributing to landmark projects such as **Madame Tussauds New York**, **Toys “R” Us Times Square**, and the **Lake of Dreams** at Wynn Las Vegas.

Matt holds a BFA in Scenic Design from Keene State College and an MFA in Technical Theater from Ohio University. His educational background, combined with his extensive professional experience, positions him as a leader in the realm of technical design and project management within the entertainment and construction industries.