Independent Creative Leadership for Themed Entertainment

Four diagonal colored stripes in purple, pink, orange, and yellow.

Byerley Experience Studio (ByerleyXPS) partners with owners, brands, agencies, and project teams to shape attractions and experiences from concept through opening.

Neon geometric abstract art with colorful spheres and a tilted cube, incorporating bright pink, orange, purple, and yellow hues, with a black circular base and radiant light effects.
START A CONVERSATION
Gradient line, used for dividing sections.

HOW WE HELP PROJECTS SUCCEED

Engagements can focus on one area or span all four, depending on what the project needs.

Graphic design with a hexagon shape containing a colorful sphere in the center, with the words 'CREATE', 'DIRECTION', and 'P' visible, suggesting a creative or artistic theme.
Graphic design with a hexagon shape containing a colorful sphere in the center, with the words 'CREATE', 'DIRECTION', and 'P' visible, suggesting a creative or artistic theme.

Shape the vision, story, design direction, and guest experience from early ideas through execution.

A circular logo with the words "Experience Strategy" around the inner circle and a multi-colored sphere in the center, all on a black background.
A circular logo with the words "Experience Strategy" around the inner circle and a multi-colored sphere in the center, all on a black background.

Align creative intent with guest needs, brand goals, operations, and project realities.

Logo with a stylized house and a multicolored sphere in the center, with the text 'OWENS REPRESE...'
Logo with a stylized house and a multicolored sphere in the center, with the text 'OWENS REPRESE...'

Protect the owner’s vision across creative decisions, scope, budget, schedule, and delivery.

Black and white graphic with a colorful gradient sphere in the center, and the words 'PROJECT' and 'INTERGRATION' partially visible at the bottom.
Black and white graphic with a colorful gradient sphere in the center, and the words 'PROJECT' and 'INTERGRATION' partially visible at the bottom.

Connect disciplines, teams, and decisions to keep the work aligned and moving toward opening.

Gradient line, used for dividing sections.

SELECTED WORK

A few examples of how ByerleyXPS helps shape themed attractions and guest experiences from early development through opening.

Four connected parallelograms in purple, pink, orange, and yellow.

HERSHEY’S Great Candy Expedition

The Hershey Company | Hershey’s Chocolate World

CREATIVE DIRECTION · OWNER’S REPRESENTATION · PROJECT INTEGRATION

An immersive, interactive theater experience developed from early concept through opening. ByerleyXPS led the creative vision, experience development, vendor coordination, and show integration while keeping story, operations, and the guest experience aligned.

A wave of black, purple, and orange lines with a light purple border at the top
Four colorful parallelograms in purple, pink, orange, and yellow arranged in a row.
A dimly lit theater or performance venue stage with purple and blue lighting. There are several large bags or bundles labeled 'SUGAR' on the stage, and a sign that reads 'PLATFORM 73' is hanging above.
A large audience watching a stage performance with colorful fireworks and a full moon projected on a digital screen background.

HERSHEY’S Chocolate Tour Ride

The Hershey Company | Hershey’s Chocolate World

CREATIVE DIRECTION · EXPERIENCE STRATEGY · OWNER’S REPRESENTATION

Creative stewardship for one of Hershey’s most recognizable guest experiences, including attraction refreshes, seasonal overlays, and long-term show development. ByerleyXPS helps guide creative decisions while connecting design, production, operations, and delivery.

A close-up of a cocoa bean dryer, with dark surroundings and a part of a vehicle visible on the right.
A Tour Ride vehicle inside a tunnel illuminated by colorful LED lights in red, blue, and purple, creating a vibrant, immersive visual display.
A Tour Ride vehicle inside a tunnel illuminated by colorful LED lights in red, blue, and purple, creating a vibrant, immersive visual display.

FEATURED: SEASONAL OVERLAYS

Seasonal overlays that introduce new story, characters, scenic, media, lighting, music, and guest moments while building on the existing attraction.

Line of festive animatronic cow figures on a Christmas-themed display, each wearing a Santa hat, with decorative poinsettia flowers and greenery in the background.
A Hershey's gnome figurine with a beard, yellow and brown striped shirt, holding a chocolate coin, standing among colorful holiday lights on a dark background.
A Halloween display featuring a small red barn with festive decorations, including pumpkins with painted faces, Halloween figurines, cobweb decorations, colorful string lights, and faux hay bales. The scene is lit with ambient lighting for nighttime.

Career and project experience includes work with The Walt Disney Company, Universal Creative, Universal Studios Hollywood, ICONSIAM / SookSiam, SeaWorld Orlando, Lotte World, and other owner and design teams.

ADDITIONAL PROJECTS

Gradient line, used for dividing sections.

Current and upcoming ByerleyXPS work includes projects that are confidential or not yet public. Relevant project experience and case studies are available to share in conversation.

START A CONVERSATION
Gradient line, used for dividing sections.

ABOUT DANNY BYERLEY

Creative leadership that stays with the work.

Selfie of Owner in front of Hersheyland Express mural.

Hello, I’m Danny Byerley, Principal & Creative Director of Byerley Experience Studio. I help turn early ideas into places and experiences that mean something to guests.

Over the past 20 years, I’ve worked on both the owner and vendor sides of themed entertainment, with experience spanning operations, creative direction, show production, project strategy, and delivery. That range lets me move comfortably between the big creative idea and the practical decisions that make it real.

Today, I partner with owners, brands, agencies, and project teams. I can join an existing team as a creative lead, guide a specific phase, or represent an owner through development and delivery.

I care about strong ideas, teams that work well together, and protecting the creative vision all the way through opening.

A sequence of four parallelograms in purple, pink, orange, and yellow, arranged diagonally.

20+ YEARS
Experience across attractions, entertainment + guest experiences

OWNER + VENDOR SIDE
Perspective from both sides of the table

CONCEPT THROUGH OPENING
Creative leadership across the project lifecycle

BURLINGTON, VERMONT
Available for national + international projects

Text reading 'TEA PROUD MEMBER' with a starburst design around the word 'TEA'
Black and white logo of the World of Asphalt Expo with a stylized geometric globe on the left and text to the right.
Gradient line, used for dividing sections.

COMMON QUESTIONS

A few practical things about working with ByerleyXPS.

  • ByerleyXPS works on themed attractions, branded experiences, visitor destinations, interactive experiences, and enhancements to existing attractions. Projects can range from early creative development through design, production, installation, and opening.

  • Yes. I regularly work alongside owners, agencies, designers, producers, architects, fabricators, and other project partners. I can join for a specific phase or need, or stay involved across the broader project lifecycle.

  • Yes. Owner’s representation can include creative advocacy, design review, stakeholder and vendor coordination, and helping keep the project aligned across creative vision, scope, budget, schedule, operations, and delivery.

  • Yes. I can develop and lead workshops, charrettes, and collaborative working sessions to explore opportunities, establish a creative direction, solve project challenges, or bring different stakeholders into alignment. The format can be tailored to the project, from focused working sessions to larger multi-day development workshops.

  • Absolutely. Early-stage work can include defining the guest experience, developing the creative premise, identifying opportunities and constraints, facilitating ideation, and establishing a direction the larger project team can build from.

  • Yes. ByerleyXPS supports attraction refreshes, seasonal experiences, show enhancements, and longer-term creative development for existing attractions. The goal can be anything from a focused update to rethinking how an existing experience works for today’s guests.

  • Earlier is often helpful, but it isn’t required. I can help shape an idea from the beginning or step into an established project when additional creative leadership, alignment, problem-solving, or owner-side support is needed.

  • Yes. ByerleyXPS can work as an independent creative partner within an agency or design team, providing senior creative leadership, project integration, workshop facilitation, or additional capacity for a particular phase of work or entire project.

  • Yes. Part of my role can be helping a brand, owner, or organization navigate the themed-entertainment development process, identify the right partners, establish a clear creative direction, and translate internal goals into something a design and production team can execute.

  • Yes. ByerleyXPS is based in Burlington, Vermont and works with clients and project teams across the U.S. and internationally.

START A CONVERSATION