In the Maestro’s Shoes
An exclusive, behind-the-scenes journey with the planner of Disney’s ultimate fan experience.
By Michael Pinchera
Between sips of club soda, Barry Jacobson reveals the latest surprises for the D23 Expo: actors Robin Williams, Johnny Depp and maybe a Golden Girl.
As general manager for the Expo, Jacobson wears many hats, from helping attendees during registration to guiding VIPs through busy areas. And then there’s everything in between, which creates a unique challenge when one must split precious onsite time between so many duties.
“I see my role like an orchestra conductor leading a symphony. But instead of talented musicians, I get to work with the best cast members from across Disney. I give them the sheet music. We plan, practice and rehearse. And the end result is—hopefully—a perfect performance,” Jacobson says. “Working on this event is like a 16-month CMP crash course.”
His excitement building exponentially with each sentence, the 30-year Disney cast member has slept few hours this past week, due to the rolling energy of seeing the biggest event he’s ever been involved in come together and alive.
“This week is about putting all the facets of Disney on display—theme parks, film and television, consumer products, Internet, new technology and more,” Jacobson says. “The Disney brand means different things to different people—my team’s job is to ensure that we create an event that reinforces the best of what the company represents: quality, innovation, creativity, great content, legendary service and lots of fun. The only people more Disney-passionate than our fans are our cast members, so we’re trying to exceed some exceptionally high expectations.”
THE DAY BEFORE THE EXPO OPENS
A world is waking up before my eyes. In one day, Disney will be here…the entire universe.
5:30 a.m. Jacobson began a walkthrough and saw, near registration, that 30 motorized scooters available for disabled guests were adorned with logos for non-Disney amusement/theme parks in the region. A unique problem first thing in the morning, the day before the show opens, this was easily corrected to ensure brand continuity thanks to a keen attention to detail.
9:35 a.m. “Thank you, rock star,” Jacobson says to a helpful voice on the other end of the walkie talkie that is now rushing to take care of some shouldn’t-be-locked doors.
Jacobson’s face is already beaming—his voice is getting louder and increasingly enthusiastic as he speaks. This change has developed in the past 35 minutes and appears to be contagious—you can see a happy glow in the eyes of other cast members as they speak with Jacobson.
Discussions of a time for a photo shoot with Mickey begin in earnest as we walk toward the Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives museum to survey how it’s coming together.
10 a.m. Immediately upon stepping out of the museum, Jacobson removes the tarp from Herbie the Love Bug—and curator Becky Cline invites him to take a seat behind the wheel. Jacobson remarks that sitting in a piece of company, brand and pop history is making him break out in a sweat. Someone posits this is simply because it’s an old VW.
Jacobson’s key event manager, Matthew Karimi-Pouiis, appears as we somehow enter the exhibit room again—we’ve been walking around so much already, through elliptical hallways and taking short cuts, that I surely have no clear idea as to our location at any given time. We were just here, yet it’s already morphed…more open boxes…more attention to detail and design.
Plans for photos of Jacobson and Mickey Mouse over the Expo floor in a cherrypicker are dashed with the realization that they’d both need harnesses. Of course, we still get the shots with Jacobson and “Trade Show Willie” just not in as precarious a setting.
The flowing collection of people surveying the site splits up, and everything seems to be getting more hectic as the empire awakens. We step outside, the hot sun beats down.
People are in disbelief as to how this will all magically come together. “Will this come together?” “It always does!” Nervous, yet confident laughter. “Is the mayor coming?”
10:30 a.m. Jacobson leads the way to a Starbucks in the Anaheim Convention Center complex. As we walk, he mentions that cameras will not be permitted at the keynote session led by Disney president and CEO Bob Iger and this means checking all cameras and cell phones from attendees as they enter the arena.
“The event team from the Walt Disney Studios will be managing this for us,” Jacobson says reassuringly, “They do it all the time for movie prescreens.”
Even though they do it all the time, this last-minute adjustment is highly contingent on the content of sessions and for an event with tens of thousands of attendees. The reason for the “no photography” policy in this instance is that Iger’s session will contain a great deal of proprietary first-looks at some highly anticipated upcoming Disney projects—sneak peaks that you can only get by attending D23.
“Would you like a sample of banana vanilla iced coffee?” a wandering Starbucks employee asks.
“No thanks,” Jacobson responds after asking if I’d like anything.
We sit down, Jacobson takes a breath. The first real breath I’ve seen him take today…just relaxed. In between sips of coffee, he is casually explaining how important it is to maintain the Disney brand at the convention center during the Expo.
“Our fans will expect nothing less than a Disney-quality experience, especially given the fact that we are in the backyard of where it all started,” Jacobson says. “The Disneyland team is providing specialty food items like Mickey-shaped soft pretzels, ice cream novelties, as well as Disney-branded apple slices and carrots as healthy alternatives. Turkey legs won’t make the trip over, though.”
Jacobson cites the Shaggy Dog as one of his favorite films—I press further. Jiminy Cricket is his favorite character and Mary Poppins is his all-time favorite movie.
“That’s suitable,” I say, “Since so many people expect event planners to do things as magically and immediately as Mary Poppins.”
Jacobson laughs.
“Magical pixie dust will make this beautiful,” he says to a graphic designer as we head back to the convention center and its transformation into the wonderful world of Disney.
Entering by the registration area, Jacobson points out the 60 registration spots and says there will be 30 cast members available to assist people when registration opens. Here, Jacobson discusses plans for the upcoming pre-con meeting with Steven Clark, head of D23 and Disney’s vice president of corporate communications. Clark suggests bringing the hot-off-the-press guide books. Jacobson smiles at me, “He’s always thinking!”
Moving along to the Expo floor, Jacobson introduces his primary contact with Freeman, Kelly Roberts.
“Kelly has been a big part of this event’s success. She’s held this all together,” Jacobson says proudly while reading and writing e-mails on his BlackBerry and excitedly tells me and subsequently everyone he crossed paths with in the next hour, “We just sold another 1,000 tickets!”
A group of event professionals develops around Jacobson as they discuss handling an exceptional exhibitor situation—an exhibitor showed up with her young child (something not permitted on the show floor). The child was crying, the exhibitor worried. After a brief discussion, Jacobson tells me, “We did a Disney thing,” allowing the child to be with the exhibitor as long as they stayed together on the show floor. “‘Safe D’ first is a priority for us.”
Jacobson excuses himself and steps aside to help several misdirected people entering the under-construction show floor and then politely walks them through the restricted area to make sure that they get properly credentialed. He’s being human and helpful. I suspect this, too, is an example of the Disney spirit and how that spirit brings the brand to life.
11:30 a.m. Thirty people were expected at the pre-con meeting, but according to Jacobson, that number is growing—he says as we wait for essential attendees to show up.
He’s beaming.
“I’m trying my best to not get emotional about this,” Jacobson shares with a whisper, followed by laughter. “Seeing this team of people who have worked tirelessly over the past 16 months poised to deliver the biggest thing I’ve ever been involved in is somewhat overwhelming.”
Indeed, he’s come a long way from his entrance into the meeting and event world at age 8 operating charity extravaganzas in his backyard thanks to mail-order fundraising event kits. Yes, a meeting industry play set for children that gave to those in need.
He takes a seat at the head of the U-shape arrangement of tables as attendees speak with one another and nibble on brunch.
Chatter throughout the room is positive, jovial. “This is history in the making—the first time in more than 85 years that we’ve had so much of Disney all under one roof!” D23’s Clark says.
Each person sitting in this room represents scores of workers onsite.
“I’m with crowd control,” a gentleman says to laughter in the room.
With each person introduced, smiles build.
The man responsible for the air conditioning is introduced to applause.
I’m the only journalist in the room.
Discussions about this event bubbled to the surface almost two years ago following a fan question that Iger received during the company’s shareholders meeting. Thanks to the hard work put forth by fans (Disney cast members and civilians alike) the Expo feels very much like a grassroots effort.
After noon, I break away from Jacobson to view some photos taken by a staff photographer.
Overheard in the Core Team Production Office:
“Carmen wants to make it clear that if Debbie is doing something with Nick Cage…” “I’ll call her and give the phone to you and you can hug it out…”
EXPO DAY ONE
The palpable feel of surprise, adding to the growing excitement, is very real. In fact, yesterday Jacobson was still getting notifications of major Disney-family celebrities that would be appearing at the Expo.
Yet, it’s no surprise to see Jacobson’s genuine excitement—less important that big-name stars are being added—as the event is actually coming together. Soon we’ll see if the pixie dust worked and how much was applied.
7:30 a.m. After a few hours of sleep, Jacobson is at the convention center and has been working for three hours. All the while, fans have been queuing up to get a first glimpse of the Expo and secure great seats for the opening session—when Jacobson arrived, there were eight people in line; a half-hour later, almost 200.
Registration opens and there are already more than 1,000 people in line to get into the arena for Iger’s 10 a.m. session.
Jacobson just ran off to announce that everyone must be show-ready in 10 minutes. He re-appears on the other side of a window overlooking the Expo floor watching Iger being interviewed by CNBC below.
9:40 a.m. The arena is filling up for Iger’s session, but Jacobson ponders the need to make another announcement and ensure that no one misses the event.
Just then, Jacobson runs into a group of Marvel executives in jeans and casual shirts and guides them past security and the camera-checking lines into the arena.
Next, Jacobson gets a call that a guest at registration has a letter with his name on it and is requesting admission.
We’re about to get on an elevator as Jacobson responds, “Yes, please let Stacia Martin in.” Laughter. Martin is a well-respected Disney historian, character artist and, of course, an unparalleled Disney fan.
“Come see our war room,” Jacobson invites. He’s speedwalking faster than anyone I’ve ever seen in business shoes. “Rockports,” he says confidently before revealing his back-up pair of presentable and comfortable black ECCO shoes. I look down at my own black ECCOs and smile.
In a small room with several empty tables and chairs and a Lilliputian window that looks out onto the Expo floor, Jacobson leans into a microphone and deftly speaks to the masses—his voice filling the Anaheim Convention Center like a call from the heavens, showering knowledge and enlightenment upon the faithful below.
Following Iger’s successful opening session and the Disney Legends Ceremony, the day’s pace falls back to its regular caffeinated speed. I leave Jacobson as he heads to his hotel for a quick shower and fresh clothes—swapping his suit for D23 Expo staff shirt and comfortable black dress ECCOs. One+
MICHAEL PINCHERA is associate editor of One+.
Post-Con Talk
What were your biggest challenges on site?
We had to make adjustments on the fly to accommodate sessions that were very popular, including the use of satellite broadcasts to open up sessions to larger groups. For instance, [Pixar and Disney Animation Studio’s chief creative officer] John Lasseter’s presentation on the final day had to be moved from a 750-seat venue to the 4,000-capacity arena.
Immediately at show close, exhibitors wanted to sign up for the next D23 Expo. So, we’ll need more space for exhibitors, popular seminars and autograph sessions—we knew that after one signing, we actually went to see if stars from ABC’s LOST needed help with guest control.
This was a learning curve for a new event. I think the capacities were an issue, not knowing some seminars and presentations were going to be as popular as they were.
We also added the voice of Disneyland as our official voice for announcements on the Expo floor. We realized we needed an emcee to move guests throughout the show floor, but we also needed a voice.
What did this event mean to you?
I’ve had the good fortune to be a corporate planner for the opening of five of our theme parks, the launch of Disney Cruise Line and numerous corporate-driven events, but this was by far the largest. It was the quintessential event for me because you saw it through the fans’ eyes. Our company delivers an emotional connection to our fans and here we had our most ardent fans that gave us the opportunity to create something very special.
What was your sleep schedule like?
My sleep time was maybe four to five hours per night throughout the event. But the energy from the fans and our cast members provided the boost to keep me going. We heard from cast members that participated in the show how much they enjoyed being a part of this, in touch with the fans and seeing their reactions.