Presenters & Speakers

Co-founder of the non-profit Lake Buena Vista Historical Society, How has spent the last 30 years capturing and archiving the history of Walt Disney World through audio, video, and photography. LBVHS’s popular Retro Disney World podcast and RetroMagic events take deep dives into attractions and resorts with insight from the Imagineers and operations executives who built and ran them. He can also be seen in the documentary “Stolen Kingdom” and is a featured writer in WDW Magazine.

Chris Crump is a former Walt Disney Imagineering production designer and field art director whose credits include The Wonders of Life pavilion at EPCOT, Tokyo DisneySea, Haunted Mansion Holiday, and The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure. The son of Disney Legend Rolly Crump, Chris began his career working alongside his father on Circus World, Knott’s Bear-y Tales, and the Kahuku Sugar Mill project before a distinguished five-decade career in themed entertainment, earning both Emmy and Thea Awards.

Ron Ferrell is a collector, tropical lamp builder, traveler, and educator. He has been a writer for Tiki Magazine, a partner and pot still installer for Sespe Creek Distiller in Oxnard, CA, a project manager for House of Bamboo Tiki Lounge in Camarillo, and builder of The Rincon Room and Drifter’s Reef.

“Todd Beach” Hengge is a South Florida native, Orlando-based artist, builder, and creator of The Liki Lanai. Inspired by a lifelong love of Tiki, Polynesian culture, and immersive design, Todd taught himself woodworking, construction, painting, and Tiki carving. He’ll share lessons from creating his home Tiki paradise and show how creativity, a willingness to learn, and having fun can transform any space, without a huge budget.

Dr. Wayne Hobbs has been the Environmental Horticulture Agent and Master Gardener Coordinator for the University of Florida/IFAS Extension Clay County office since 2016. His goal is to teach adults, youth, and communities about successful gardening while also protecting Florida’s natural resources. Wayne has over 25 years of experience in landscape design and maintenance, production agriculture, integrated pest management, and education. Outside of his extension work, he enjoys working in his home landscape and bar, painting, wood carving, mixology, and restoring classic cars.

Bosko is a central figure in the modern Tiki revival, bringing Tiki back as contemporary 3-D sculpture. After meeting Sven Kirsten in 1993, he began carving Tikis and became the revival’s first artist to create Tiki ceramics and collectible mugs. Featured in the first issue of Tiki News in 1995, Bosko went on to create countless carvings, ceramics, and major Tiki environments, working alongside key figures to help establish the artistic and cultural foundation of the modern Tiki revival.

Born in Merriweather Pleasure’s beloved Pittsburgh, PA, Ian heard the call of adventure at an early age. After graduating from college, he traveled to the wilds of Adventureland to join the Jungle Navigation Co.’s Jungle Cruise where he was dubbed “Right Guard Ian” during his Skipper Training. Ian is also a card-carrying member of Pleasure’s Adventurers Club and the Society of Explorers and Adventurers (S.E.A.) for “Anything less, would be uncivilized”!  Kungaloosh!

Patrick is the creator of what may be the world’s smallest home Tiki bar, Hanalei Hideaway, tucked into just 33 square feet beneath his stairs. He transformed an unconventional space into an immersive tropical retreat, proving you don’t need much room to create something memorable. Patrick will share tropical tips, creative ideas, and inspiration for transforming even the most unlikely spaces into your own tropical paradise.

Ryan Jones is the lead bartender at Morgan’s Cove by Don the Beachcomber and the first U.S. winner of the international Tiki Master competition. Originally from Somerset, Kentucky, Ryan moved to Florida to pursue his passion for tiki, rising from barback to lead bartender under the tutelage of Marie King. His experience at TikItaly introduced him to Aperitiki, inspiring a love for blending tiki traditions with Italian cocktail culture and hospitality.

Marie King is an internationally recognized rum and tropical cocktail specialist with over 30 years in hospitality. As Director of Beverage for 23 Restaurant Services, she’s developing cocktail programs for Don the Beachcomber and the new Morgan’s Cove in Tampa. Previously, Marie was Beverage Director for Tonga Hut and earlier created the first Don the Beachcomber cocktail program in decades at the former Huntington Beach location, reviving the brand’s legendary tropical legacy.

Stewart has always been captivated by adventure and the allure of exotic world cultures. Inspired by Disney’s fictional Society of Explorers and Adventurers, he developed his own character: “Charles Thatcher, Adventurer Extraordinaire.” Embracing this persona, Stewart began dressing as Charles for themed outings, sharing photos and historical fiction-style adventure tales online. His passion and creativity caught the attention of Tiki Tony, who invited Stewart to lead the East Coast Adventureland Day events, a role he continues to fulfill today.

When he’s not behind the bar mixing legendary cocktails at Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar in Disneyland, Kelly “Old Man” Merrell channels his creativity into Rumpus Room Woodworks, his workshop dedicated to crafting custom furniture, décor, and one-of-a-kind pieces.  With a focus on home tiki bars, lounges, and collector’s spaces, Kelly brings the same passion and precision to his woodcraft as he does to his cocktails.

Tiki Tom-Tom (aka Tom Jaynes) is a writer, photographer, artist, sewist, singer, educator, wanderer, Honu’i Moai, and full-time Polynesiac. Tiki Tom-Tom is the author of Polynesiacs: Tiki at Home. His first visit to the Mai-Kai Restaurant and Polynesian Show converted him to a life of Tiki. A former community college administrator turned nomad, you’ll find him mapping out his next road trip at Queequeg’s Coffin, his home Tiki bar in Durham, North Carolina.

Tiki tOny lives in a beach shack in Ventura County, California, where he’s spent over 25 years carving driftwood tikis and toucans and creating art for clients from Disneyland to Tiki bars nationwide.  Since 2006, he and his wife have crafted limited-edition mugs from their home studio, sold through TikiLand Trading.  In 2018, he launched Adventureland Day and is often seen cruising SoCal in his vintage safari-style AdventureLand Rover, living by his motto, “live like a beachcomber.”

Margo Scott – Rocket Betty Designs – is an artist with a tropical soul. She creates beautiful custom resort wear, teaches workshops, presents at Tiki events, creates hair flowers and headpieces, shares aloha, and generally has fun. When she’s not working in her studio, she’s at the beach, hunting for vintage treasures, gardening, or relaxing on her lanai with family and friends. 

Barbara B. Wavell’s adventure into Pacific art began in the 1970s, when flea market finds of Micronesian carvings sparked a lifelong passion.  That curiosity grew into decades of collecting, research, and travel, culminating in books like Arts and Crafts of Micronesia and Hand Fans of Micronesia.  She has curated museum exhibitions and shared her discoveries around the world, inviting audiences to journey with her into the vibrant stories, artistry, and traditions of Micronesia.

As a tiki artist, Skipper Chris designs and builds custom props, decor, and full-scale immersive tiki bars that capture the magic of escapism by blending craftsmanship with storytelling.  Each piece feels like a step into an adventure, part golden age of tiki, part fresh imagination.  For Chris, tiki isn’t just decor.  It’s creating the atmosphere that gives the unmistakable feeling of leaving the everyday behind.