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Evan Hall is the Chief of Big Ideas of Forward Thinking Designs. Growing up in a family of touring musicians, Evan followed his parents into technical entertainment before beginning his own career at Disney, where he progressed from selling popcorn to becoming a show technician. After years in themed entertainment and AV integration, he co-founded Forward Thinking Designs to focus on creating immersive experiences through show control and programming for attractions around the world. In this interview, Evan talks about the magic of show control, surprise and delight through A/V, and being the Chief of Big Ideas.
Magic of Show Control
“I've got a conductor, I have a show, we're running it, and I have lots of different characters and actors and musicians all playing in harmony in unison.”
Evan compares show control to an orchestra conductor coordinating every instrument to create a seamless performance. While guests only experience the finished attraction, his team's role is to ensure countless technical systems work together invisibly behind the scenes. Whether synchronizing audio, lighting, safety systems, or special effects, the goal is complete transparency so guests experience only the story and the magic, never the technology powering it.
Surprise and Delight through A/V
“Anything technology, anything AV, anything that is gonna surprise and delight, that's really what gets our team super excited.”
Rather than focusing on traditional AV installations, Forward Thinking Designs specializes in entertainment experiences that create memorable emotional moments. Evan explains that every project begins with the creative vision, asking what guests should see and feel before determining how technology can make it happen. By planning for future expansion, simplifying user interfaces, and embracing emerging tools like AI where appropriate, the company creates systems that are both immersive for guests and intuitive for operators.
Chief of Big Ideas
“It's never been my place to come up with an idea. It's always been my place to come up with a spark of an idea and then honestly get out of the way.”
Evan's unique title reflects his leadership philosophy. Rather than trying to solve every problem himself, he creates the initial spark and empowers his team to develop the best solution. He emphasizes understanding the end user, encouraging creativity, and allowing technical experts the freedom to innovate while keeping everyone focused on delivering experiences that guests will remember. For Evan, leadership is less about having every answer and more about creating an environment where great ideas can grow.
Evan can be reached on LinkedIn, as well as by email at evan@forwardthinkingdesigns.com. He also shared info@forwardthinkingdesigns.com as a general contact email. To learn more about Forward Thinking Designs, visit www.forwardthinkingdesigns.com.
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