To Infinity and Beyond
- By: Louis Alfieri
Taking Inspiration from Joe Rohde
When I learned late last year that Joe Rohde was drawing his storied four-decade career as a Walt Disney imagineer to a close, the news came as something of a blow. I saw his departure as a huge loss for the experiential entertainment industry. First, Joe exemplifies so many of the qualities that I believe we need more of in our field. His work and career as an imagineer have long been a major source of inspiration for me. Also, Joe is a creative of deep artistic integrity who has always demonstrated an exceptional ability to navigate the challenging intersection between art and commerce. He is a person of vision, and so was saddened to see him step away.
That’s why I was so heartened to learn that Joe was joining Virgin Galactic as the spaceflight company’s Experience Architect. He wasn’t stepping away, but rather he was stepping up for all new adventure–and what an adventure–to be one of the individuals shaping the experience of spaceflight for a new generation of astronauts and passengers. I find his career move to be deeply inspiring.
Leading the Way
As an industry, there’s a lot we can learn from this. I hope the location-based entertainment industry is paying attention, and I recently shared some of my thoughts on the subject with the readers of Blooloop.
Finally, for me, Joe’s move is about being on the forefront of human potential. The world is changing fast. The boundaries of possibility are being pushed ever outwards. I want our industry to join the call and be pioneers of the possible. The stars are the limit.
