+1 310-795-5765 mike@lutzstrategies.com
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Signature Experiences

for Museums & Cultural Attractions

Mike Lutz headshot

Mike Lutz is an international consultant guiding cultural attractions to technology and signature experiences that breathe new life into their mission and tell their unique stories better than ever before. 

Mike specializes in revitalizing brands and radically expanding relevance via never-before-possible immersive exhibits and theatres.

“If Mike Lutz is on your team, great things are going to happen.”

“A very strategic resource in the entertainment and education space.”

Bringing new

  • Enchantment
  • Authenticity
  • Flexibility
  • Immediacy
  • Diversity

To

  • Art Museums and Centers
  • Aquariums 
  • Botanical Gardens 
  • Children’s Museums
  • Destination Visitor Experiences
  • Natural History Museums
  • Performing Arts Centers 
  • Science Centers and Museums
  • Theme Parks
  • Zoos

What Experts Say

Experience

Lutz moderates a “New Immersive Programming” professional development session co-hosted by the International Planetarium Society (IPS) and GSCA at the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) 2024 conference.

Mike moderate an experts panel at GSCA LED Dome Day
Mike moderate an experts panel at GSCA LED Dome Day

Lutz moderates a panel of world-leading immersive producers and experts at the 2022 industry milestone Giant Screen Cinema Association (GSCA) Film Expo.

Cosm

Director of New Business Development at the pioneering “Shared Reality” entertainment venue network.  Forged new signature experience initiatives with multiple cultural attractions.  Cosm-branded venues feature a recently patented ultra bright and extreme high resolution compound curved LED screen to stream live sports, new immersive art and innovative enrichment experiences.

Evans & Sutherland/Spitz, Inc.

VP of New Business Development at the world’s leading producer of planetarium systems and provider of the most advanced  design and manufacturing services for dome screens. Developed an XR pilot project for exhibitions for cultural attractions expanding community engagement beyond their location. Cosm acquired E&S/Spitz in 2020.

IMAX Corporation

VP, Institutional Sales and Client Services at world’s leading immersive cinema company that first originated in branded cultural attractions such as science centers, natural history museums, aquariums, destination centers. Represented IMAX worldwide to those original kinds of attractions, shepherding their transition from the original 15 perf/70mm film projection format to proprietary digital laser projection systems.

MacGillivray Freeman Films

President of Distribution Company, SVP for Business Development at the world’s leading giant screen film production and distribution company.  Licensed films for 14 years to cultural attractions around the world, including Asia.  In later years, I also led campaigns to attract other film investors into the production pipeline and developed key parts of MFF’s One World One Ocean initiative.

Laser Fantasy International

VP, Theatre Operations at a seminal laser display company.  Led and vastly expanded LFI’s operations, including marketing, programming and employee management.  Specialized in providing off-hours entertainment to science center planetariums in the US and Canada.

ProMedia/Double Tee Concert Promotions

Account Executive  Managed media buying and promotions for Oregon pioneer concert promotions company.

Consulting Projects

Cosmic Picture [current]

Principal Director: Taran Davies, CEO and Producer

Advising founders Taran Davies and Daniel Ferguson on Cosmic Picture’s giant screen business. Working with distribution team members Joanie Philipp and John Wickstrom.

Cosmosphere [current]

Principal Director: Jim Remar, President/CEO 

Advising Cosmosphere on strategic new directions drawing upon its remarkable space flight legacy while advancing new stories about today’s space exploration and industry.

Waypoint Cinema [current]

Principal Director: Christian Fry, Founder and CEO 

Advising Waypoint on developing premium destination theatres in United Kingdom and United States.

Smithsonian Enterprises

Principal Director: Zarth Bertsch, Director, Theaters 

Co-issued a report with Diane Carlson of Giant Screen Consulting on launch for National Museum of American History’s Warner Bros. Theater re-boot for 2018..

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

Principal Director: Therrin Protze, COO (Delaware North) 

Developed selection criteria and made recommendations on conversion of Kennedy Space Center’s IMAX film theater to digital projection.

Destination Cinema

Principal Director: Bob Perkins,  CEO 

Worked with entire Destination Cinema leadership to evaluate strategic expansion plans in 2018 and beyond..

Development Service Expertise

  • Dynamic programming
  • Premium display hardware
  • Story production 
  • Distribution

Trade Association Leadership

Giant Screen Cinema Association (GSCA)
  • 6-term Member, Board of Directors (12 years)
  • Founding Co-Chair, Industry Leadership Committee (Current)

Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC)

American Alliance of Museums (AAM)