The 2023 Legends Panel at IAAPA Zeroes In On The Triumph of Universal Beijing Resort Amidst Trying Times
BRC Imagination Arts Founder and CCO Bob Rogers hosted an entertaining and informative panel with retired Universal Creative President Mike Hightower, Hasbas Entertainment President Sylvia Hase, and Tom Mehrmann, Universal Destinations and Experiences President & COO, Pacific Rim.
One of the biggest highlights of the IAAPA Expo is the Legends panel hosted by BRC Imagination Arts Founder and CCO Bob Rogers. Every year Bob brings together industry legends that provide insights and lessons for the leaders of tomorrow in the themed entertainment industry.
Last year the topic was all about EPCOT, and this year it was about Universal Beijing Resort. The session explored the valuable lessons, tools, and strategies that enabled Universal Beijing Resort to open in spite of COVID quarantines, lockdowns, and more. The three legends were retired Universal Creative President Mike Hightower, Hasbas Entertainment President Sylvia Hase, and Tom Mehrmann, Universal Destinations and Experiences President & COO, Pacific Rim.
Everyone knows the story of 2020 and the global pandemic. Yet did anyone realize that during that time, Universal was building a brand new resort in Beijing? Spoiler alert, Universal would pull it off and Universal Beijing Resort would open in September 2021. Yet, the backstory of how Universal got there is quite fascinating.
Universal Beijing Resort was put in a tough position but it persevered. The motto behind the project was simply “never give up.” Universal’s goal was to continue finding solutions during these trying times. Universal had to get its team members back to China in order to continue building the resort. COVID hit hard after the holidays, and things were starting to shut down in 2020. Universal after several conversations with the Chinese government was able to bring back over 700 team members to China on special visas during the pandemic. A bunch of companies asked Universal how they pulled it off, including the American Chamber of Commerce. (Universal also found a way to get Australian vendors into China during the pandemic on special visas, so Universal’s entire government relations team are rockstars).
700 team members is a lot but Universal Beijing needed more for its resort. Universal had to hire over 13,000 team members for Universal Beijing. This is where crisis is also an opportunity. Due to the conditions of the pandemic, Universal ended up hiring 10,000 team members by résumé or video conference, there were no in-person interviews for these jobs. Universal was hiring for jobs that no one had skills for. Once again all it took for some of these team members was simply an opportunity to work.
Universal Beijing Resort also had to go through high standards from the China Special Equipment Inspection (CSEI). The pressure on Universal Beijing from the CSEI turned out to be a good thing because Universal Beijing has the highest reliability out of any Universal theme park. The constraints made the park even better.
During the construction period of Universal Beijing, then Universal Creative President Mike Hightower noted that he had his temperature taken, 6–8 times per day for over two years. Universal made sure their safety protocols were thorough but they also gave team members the option to not return to Beijing if they didn’t feel comfortable.
Hasbas Entertainment President Sylvia Hase said one of the bright spots in creating Universal Beijing during trying times was that there were fewer layers of management. Hase said it was much easier to get things done and approved. Hase’s role in the Universal Beijing project was directing the parade for the park along with Untrainable, a How to Train Your Dragon stage show.
All three reflected on how the number of team members shrank for its opening. Hundreds became dozens then dozens became handfuls for the opening. Yet, the entire team at Universal Destinations and Experiences and the entire Universal Beijing Resort team pulled it off. A truly triumphant feat during such trying times.
Universal Beijing Resort opened as one of the most digitally advanced resorts in the world. The theme park portion of the resort includes facial recognition at the front gates, QR codes for ordering food, and online tickets.
Universal Beijing Resort includes Kung Fu Panda Land of Awesomeness, Transformers Metrobase, Minion Land, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Jurassic World Isla Nublar, Hollywood, and Waterworld. It also features a CityWalk entertainment district. Beijing is pushing for Universal Beijing expansion to take place in the next three years as well.
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Zach Perilstein is the Editor-in-Chief of the Boardwalk Times
