2026 Show Control Geekout Wrapup—Special Meow Wolf Omega Mart Edition!
On June 16, 2026 Jim Janninck and I coordinated this year’s (mostly) annual show control Geekout. This was the 15th edition (past writeups here), and this one was special. Joseph White, Show Systems Leader at Meow Wolf, reached out last year, offering to host this year’s Geekout in our traditional multiple case study session format at their Omega Mart location at Area 15 in Las Vegas. The logistics of meeting inside the attraction were getting complicated for our typical loose style of meeting, so Jim and I suggested: “Hey, why doesn’t Meow Wolf do a presentation?” Joseph checked with his colleagues and the answer was yes. And Wow!, the end result was fantastic. The Meow Wolf team really pulled out all the stops for a 90 minute deep dive into their unique behind the scenes processes: past, current and future. We had close to 70 attendees, who first spent time exploring Omega Mart (thanks Meow Wolf for the special admission discount!), and then were guided into a special area literally behind the show set.
The night started with Joseph on the overall approach:
Followed by Ryan Tang on Show Networking:
And then Donavin Willis on Show Control and Monitoring:
Next up was Aaron Mueller on Meow Wolf’s “Tave” and Location Engines:
After that was Ben Hagle on the VOCS system and narratives:
And finally Tasia Miles wrapped up the whole thing, discussing the importance of the whole team, Guest Experience and Meow Wol'f’s Vision.
Afterwards, we hung out at Meow Wolf’s in-house bar, but the drinks were flowing and I forgot to take any photos. It was an enlightening and fascinating evening, and special thanks to Nancy Mallette, Keith Manning and Stan Kan for critical behind the scenes help!
Mark your calendar for June 15, 2027 for the next (tentative) event; sign up here if you want to be on the notification email list for more details.
Photo by Tavia Morra