Insights.

Industry news and thoughts from our talented team.

13 September 2021 // Thoughts

Keith James Shares Career Insights with University of Cincinnati Students

JRA Owner/CEO Keith James recently had an opportunity to return to his alma mater, University of Cincinnati, and share insights…
27 July 2021 // Thoughts

American Alliance of Museum Virtual Conference Asks the Tough Questions

For the second year in a row, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced museum professionals to gather virtually for the American Alliance…
24 May 2021 // Thoughts

“Learning How to Win” From Over 20 Industry Leaders

As part of our Host Sponsorship of the recent IAAPA Virtual Conference, JRA was honored to present the session “Learning How…
17 May 2021 // Thoughts

Five Small Museums Generating Big Impact for Their Communities

You don't always need a big budget to make a big impact. For the past 13 years, JRA has been…
12 October 2020 // Thoughts

Attraction Design and the Art of Art Direction

by David Ferguson and Tony Schmidt The keystone of successful attraction design process is a strong team. Together, we push…
02 July 2020 // Thoughts

ACM and JRA Collaborate on Images of Hope Storytelling Project

Albert Einstein wrote, “play is the highest form of research.” For over a decade, JRA has enjoyed collaborating with the…
13 June 2020 // Thoughts

AAM Virtual Annual Meeting | Radical Re-Imagining

“Are we on the edge of making change we haven’t seen before?” This question, posed by Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole of…
08 April 2020 // Thoughts

Through “Uncharted Territory”: A Message from Keith James

Lately, we all have had quite a bit of time on our hands to think about our current difficult situation,…
19 December 2019 // JRA Culture

JRA’s 2019 Year in Review

What do you get when you mix fast cars, football stars and mascot mayhem? One amazing year! From opening ten…
04 November 2019 // Thoughts

Fan Fare – The Three Keys to Creating Epic Sports Attractions

The Three Keys to Sports Attraction Design The Immaculate Reception. Babe Ruth’s walk-off Grand Slam. The mischievous escapades of a…
23 August 2019 // JRA Culture

JRA Team Members to Speak at Conferences Around the World This Fall

Members of the JRA team will be keeping busy this fall, participating in six conference sessions from Paris to Seattle.…
09 July 2019 // Thoughts

Shawn McCoy Shares the Ten Attributes of Memorable Attractions at IAAPA Expo Asia

JRA Vice President Shawn McCoy presented "The DNA of Memorable Attractions: Trends, Technologies and Techniques" to a capacity crowd at…
28 May 2019 // JRA Culture

JRA TEAM MEMBERS TO HOST SESSIONS AT IAAPA ASIA – JRA团队成员在IAAPA亚洲博览会主持讲座

JRA’s Vice President, Shawn McCoy, and Director, Marketing and Business Development, Chloe James Hausfeld, will host sessions at the upcoming…
30 April 2019 // Thoughts

Theme Park Planning: Seven Keys to Exceeding Expectations

With so much entertainment available at people's fingertips, how can theme park operators employ thoughtful theme park planning to create…
27 April 2019 // Thoughts

Taking Risks and Creating Heroes: Seven Lessons from the 2019 TEA Thea Awards

Recently, the JRA team joined several hundred Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) colleagues for the 16th Annual TEA Summit and 25th…
18 December 2017 // Thoughts

Emerging Trends in Immersive Design – Shawn McCoy’s 2017 IAAPA Presentation

What differentiates a fad from a trend? How are VR, AR, AI, and IP transforming the experiential design landscape? JRA…
21 July 2017 // Thoughts

Pop Culture Shorthand Part 3 – Creating the IP-Based Experience

We’ve touched on the history of IP usage and how it has become such a pervasive part of theme park…
20 July 2017 // Thoughts

Pop Culture Shorthand Part 2 – Why IP?

Last week, we re-capped some of the bigger IP-based projects of the past several years, and how the “IP movement” is…
19 July 2017 // Thoughts

Pop Culture Shorthand – An Inside Look at IP with Colin Cronin

Here at JRA Insights, we love handing over the posting reigns to our “folks in the trenches” – the designers…
26 June 2017 // Thoughts

The Arts Mean Business: Breaking Down the Arts and Economic Prosperity V Report

The numbers are in, and they are staggering. In 2015, the arts and culture sector brought in $166.3 billion in economic activity.…
12 June 2017 // Thoughts

Past Reflections and Future Strategies: Five Years of the TEA/AECOM Museum Index

Last week, we analyzed the findings of the 2016 Theme Index, published by the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and economic feasibility firm, AECOM. Today,…
04 April 2017 // Thoughts

Where Are They Now – Celebrating Three Decades of Children’s Museum Design

Over the past 30 years, JRA has had the honor and pleasure of working with children’s museums from Sioux City…
24 March 2017 // JRA Culture

27 Inches to Life Size – Transforming a Design Into a Built Reality

We've have a special treat for our blog readers today as designer Rachel Daheim shares the experience of her first…