Creative leadership for brand experiences, theme parks, museums and more...

What we do

GAME ON! AI EXPERIENCE OPENS

The Chick-Fil-A College Football Hall of Fame's new GAME ON! AI Experience is getting rave reviews as a "revolutionary, wild, must-see, amazing, fantastic, wonderful, next-level and A+ experience." GAME ON! is doing this by putting fans directly into the game with its new AI experience. In partnership with Creative Principals, HyperCinema and The Producers Group, GAME ON! uses generative AI for the first time to make guests the hero.

FM GLOBAL'S CITY OF RISK

"Amazing." "Fun." "Smartly Done." Rave reviews and comments for the latest brand experience at FM Global. We loved working with the amazing team at the company's Learning Center along with lead partners 3Stage Design. As one review put it on LinkedIn, "At the City of Risk, I feel like a big kid!"

H2.O PURIFICATION CENTER

"The Story of Water" coming soon to Jacksonville inside the new JEA H2.O Purification Center. This WE&T article published in the August 2024 issue was co-authored by our Founder & Chief Creative Officer Geoff Thatcher along with Jo Ann Jackson from Black & Veatch and Ryan Popko and the team at JEA.

A sample of our Work from a to z

Our Passion Projects

About us

A Creative Family

Creative Principals is led by a creative family with a love for experiences. From theme parks and museums to brand experiences and visitor centers, we work hard to imagine and create the next great experience for clients around the world!

Geoff Thatcher

Whether it’s envisioning the future of Abu Dhabi’s Samaliyah Island or standing inside Maracanā Stadium at the opening ceremonies of the Rio 2007 Pan American Games, Geoff’s work transcends borders. He is the Founder & Chief Creative Officer at Creative Principals. As he just did for the College Football Hall of Fame's new GAME ON! AI Experience, Geoff is an experienced creative leader who knows how to take a project from concept to reality. These projects are most often about creating world-class experiences in corporate visitor centers, museums and theme parks. He is also the author of "The CEO's Time Machine."

Zoe Shaffer

Zoe is a talented designer and illustrator. Before joining Creative Principals in 2019, Zoe worked designing children's ballet and tap dance costumes in St. Louis. She has distinguished herself as a rising talent in the industry, speaking at events at SCAD, IAAPA and the Themed Entertainment Association's SATE Conference. Zoe has worked on projects around the world, including the Al Ain Zoo, Temple, Square, FM Research Campus, College Football Hall of Fame and Mercedes-AMG Experience Centers. She is also the illustrator of The CEO’s Time Machine and working on her own illustrated book Voyage to King's Cove.

Joel Thatcher

With both a BFA in Writing and a Masters from the Savannah College of Art & Design, Joel delivers research, writing and creative direction for our projects. His work can already be seen at the College Football Hall of Fame, Ozark Mill, FM Global's City of Risk and he just wrapped his work on the renovation of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. Joel also uses his video editing skills to help Creative Principals tell its stories around the world. This includes the YouTube show Park Pals that he hosts with his sister Mia.

Mia Thatcher

Now based in Orlando, Mia Thatcher is 2024 graduate in Sequential Art from the Savannah College of Art & Design and interned for Creative Principals the last three summers. She has worked on storyboards, illustrations and graphic design for several projects, including the College Football Hall of Fame, AMG Experience Centre, Temple Square and Miral. She also is an extreme “coaster nerd” with extensive knowledge on roller coasters that she happily shares with anyone willing to watch and listen to her YouTube show Park Pals that she co-hosts with her brother Joel. In fact, she's a natural on stage and just spoke at the Heritage Rail Alliance's annual convention.

Tanya Thatcher

A veteran of the United States Air Force, an elite runner, nurse, teacher and natural leader. For us, Tanya is the heart of the company. As we are in the business of creating experiences, Tanya is also the only member of our team who can give us the perspective of a mother. That's why you'll see her most often on our site visits and charrettes. Considering that mothers make most of the choices about what experiences families visit, this perspective is invaluable.

The Extended Family