The Official Magazine of IAAPA
AS SOON AS HE WAS OLD ENOUGH to ride his bicycle, Geoff Thatcher began frequently pedaling over to nearby Lagoon Amusement Park. At the time, the amusement park had an open gate and was a natural gathering place for kids in his hometown of Farmington, Utah.
“I literally grew up at Lagoon,” Thatcher says.
It’s also where he fell in love with parks and attractions, established his career path, and learned important life and work lessons. When he turned 14, he followed in his siblings’ footsteps by working at Lagoon. Among the positions he held during his decade-long tenure were zookeeper and rides manager.
“Our job was to make people happy,” says Thatcher. “That’s what I loved about it. And the longer I’ve been in this career, the more I realize that it’s fun and happiness and smiles that truly change people.”
Thatcher studied journalism in college but discovered it wasn’t his true calling during a brief detour as a newspaper editor in Cincinnati. After working on an article about the merger of Jack Rouse Associates and Wyatt Design Associates, he talked himself into a job as a creative writer at the experiential design shop (now known as JRA) by pitching his journalism skills and parks experience. Working on projects such as the CNN Studio Tour and Kellogg’s Cereal City USA over the course of seven years brought Thatcher the joy and fulfillment he sought.
After working at other companies, he started his own shop, Creative Principals, in 2017. Working with parks, museums, and other clients, Thatcher and his team help develop and advance projects like the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta and the grand opening of Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi.
“We believe in the raw power of creativity and great ideas,” he notes. “But creativity without leadership won’t actually result in change.”
Creative Principals’ sweet spot is organizing and facilitating charettes in which participants build consensus and share a vision. The company’s strengths, according to Thatcher, include crafting stories that lead to successful projects and persuading stakeholders to embrace creativity.
While brainstorming with clients, Thatcher often turns to Buzz Price, the researcher who helped shepherd the development of Disneyland and Walt Disney World, for inspiration. He regularly employs Price’s “Yes, if” philosophy during discussions because it points to what needs to be done to achieve a goal. Thatcher is so enamored by the Disney legend, he helped create “Ask Buzz,” a free app that allows users to crunch numbers for potential theme park and museum projects. In addition to data, it imparts Price’s engaging maxims.
“One of my favorite ‘Buzzisms’ is, ‘You do not build the church for Easter Sunday,’” he shares, laughing.
Driven by the gratification his work affords him, Thatcher enjoys evangelizing about parks and attractions.
“I love motivating young people to come into this industry because I think it’s amazing,” he says, adding that he found it rewarding to share his insights at a workshop with IAAPA Expo Show Ambassadors. Thatcher especially relished returning to Lagoon to speak with its frontline staff. “All I learned about creative leadership at Lagoon as a teenager prepared me for this wonderful, fun career.”
