2025 SEGD Wayfinding + Placemaking: Meet the Visionaries Shaping Our Spaces

March 12, 2025

The world around us is changing rapidly—from how we move through cities to the way public spaces tell stories and shape identities. As designers, planners, and visionaries, we play a critical role in crafting environments that guide, connect, and inspire.

The 2025 SEGD Wayfinding + Placemaking event, taking place Wednesday, April 23, at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, is your opportunity to explore how signage, accessibility, branding, and storytelling influence our interactions with the built world. This year’s event brings together renowned designers, strategists, and industry leaders to showcase bold ideas, innovative solutions, and real-world applications that redefine how people navigate and experience spaces.

From innovative wayfinding strategies to the power of inclusive design, our lineup of speakers will challenge conventional thinking and offer insights that shape the future of placemaking.

Explore the sessions and featured speakers below, and secure your spot today!

Wayfinding + Placemaking Speakers

We are excited to announce our featured 2025 SEGD Wayfinding + Placemaking speakers, each bringing unique perspectives and transformative ideas to the conversation.

Neon, Nostalgia, and the New Frontiers

Aaron Berger, Executive Director, The Neon Museum

From the flickering glow of old-school neon to today’s cutting-edge digital displays, Las Vegas has always been a city defined by its signs. Aaron Berger explores how signage has shaped the city’s transformation from a desert outpost to a global entertainment hub. Through stories of iconic signs, lost landmarks, and evolving visual storytelling, this session delves into how Vegas’ wayfinding and placemaking influence worldwide design innovation.

The Power of Diverse Perspectives

Jessica Lo Ibarra, President, GV Group
Jaclyn Marlo, Design Director, GV Group
Jesse Wetherill, Director of Sales, GV Group

Las Vegas is a world of spectacle, where wayfinding must be as seamless as it is stunning. As a local WMBE design firm, GV Group has built a reputation for delivering high-caliber wayfinding solutions for legendary casino destinations like Bellagio and The Cosmopolitan. But their success is about more than design—it’s about the power of diverse perspectives. This session explores how different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences lead to stronger, more inclusive design solutions, ensuring signage is both functional and memorable.

From Blank Slate to Immersive Place

Ethan David Kent, Executive Creative Director, Freeman

How do you turn an empty space into a meaningful place? Whether amplifying the cultural identity of cities like New Orleans or transforming a convention hall into a dynamic brand experience, Freeman’s Ethan Kent knows how to make spaces come alive. In this session, we will explore how environmental design, signage, and experiential storytelling create powerful, memorable places that engage audiences and leave lasting impressions.

A Walk Through the Forest

Kathy Fry, Principal, Owner, Mayer/Reed, Consultant to ZGF Architects
Sara Schmidt, Designer + Artist, Sara Schmidt Design; Consultant to ZGF Architects 

Portland International Airport (PDX) is more than a transit hub—it’s an immersive experience of the Pacific Northwest. Led by ZGF Architects with Sara Schmidt Design, LLC as the environmental graphic design firm and Mayer/Reed as the signage and wayfinding design firm, this transformation harnesses biophilic design, mass timber architecture, and integrated wayfinding to create a seamless, nature-inspired journey. This session explores how placemaking and environmental design at PDX redefine what an airport can be—calm, connected, and distinctly PDX. Read the case study.

Enhancing the Lumen Field Experience

Jeff Lancaster, Creative Director, Experience Design, HOK

How do you transform a stadium without changing its architecture? When the Seattle Seahawks set out to revitalize Lumen Field after 15+ years, HOK took on the challenge—using environmental graphic design and placemaking strategies to redefine the fan experience. This session explores how thoughtful design can turn a sports venue into a more immersive, high-end destination, blending branding, wayfinding, and storytelling to honor the team’s history and create an unforgettable game-day experience.

Transformational Transit: Designing for the Next 50 Years

Chantal Frances, Architecture Lead, Michael Baker International
Muhammad Rahman, Assistant Professor, College of DAAP, School of Design, University of Cincinnati
Moderator: Justin Molloy, Manager, Wayfinding and Signs, Metra

Public transit systems undergo major redesigns only once in a generation, making each transformation a high-stakes endeavor. This panel brings together designers, transit agencies, and strategic partners to discuss the complexities of long-term transit planning. From balancing evolving technology and accessibility needs to ensuring clarity, efficiency, and a sense of place, panelists will explore what it takes to future-proof transit systems that serve millions—seamlessly guiding people through cities today and for decades to come.

Breaking Barriers to Accessible Design

George Lim, Founding Partner and Creative Director, Tangram Design
Simon Majarian, Associate Principal, SKA Design
Jessica Schrader, Project Director/Associate, Entro

Creating accessible signage is about more than compliance—it’s about designing environments that empower all users. SEGD’s Accessible Design Task Force members share insights from their work on the A117.1 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities Committee, discussing successful efforts to drive inclusive design practices that improve navigation for people of all abilities. Read the case study.

Accessible by Design

Taekyeom Lee, Associate Professor of Graphic Design, Indiana University Bloomington

Wayfinding isn’t just about navigation—it’s about inclusion. Designer, artist, and educator Taekyeom Lee brings a deeply personal and innovative perspective to accessibility in wayfinding, exploring how design can empower users with vision impairments and create more equitable experiences. Through his work with tactile design, 3D-printed typography, and multi-sensory solutions, Lee challenges conventional approaches and inspires new ways of thinking about accessibility. Read the case study.

Placemaking as Community Building: The Lavender Hill Cultural District

Zach Kotel, Senior Designer, Ashton; Co-Founder and Executive Director, Lavender Hill Cultural District

How can design reclaim space, honor history, and foster belonging? Zach Kotel shares the story of Denver’s Lavender Hill Cultural District—a pro bono placemaking initiative celebrating LGBTQ+ history while strengthening community connections. Through storytelling, environmental graphics, and cultural preservation, this project demonstrates how placemaking can shape more inclusive public spaces and ensure that history is not only remembered but lived.

Empathy-Driven Public Spaces

David A. Rubin, PLA, CPRP, FASLA, FAAR,  Founding Principal, Land Collective

Public spaces are more than landscapes—they are reflections of culture, community, and identity. In this powerful keynote, David Rubin explores how empathy-driven design reshapes civic environments to be more inclusive, equitable, and responsive to social and environmental challenges. From the National World War I Memorial to urban riverfronts and city plazas, Rubin’s work demonstrates how public spaces can foster connection, reinforce identity, and serve as platforms for meaningful dialogue.

Meet the Minds Behind the Event

SEGD Wayfinding + Placemaking is shaped by industry experts redefining how we navigate, experience, and interact with space. Our Event Co-Chairs, Emily Payne and Jonny Peterson, bring decades of expertise in wayfinding, experiential graphics, and brand storytelling, ensuring this event delivers the most cutting-edge insights, case studies, and strategies.

Event Co-Chairs

Don’t Miss This Unparalleled Experience!

The 2025 SEGD Wayfinding + Placemaking event is co-located with the International Sign Association (ISA) International Sign Expo, offering an exclusive opportunity to connect with top industry leaders across wayfinding, signage, branding, and experiential design.

Maximize Your Experience! Purchase a two-day package for discounted access to both SEGD Wayfinding + Placemaking on April 23 and SEGD Branded Environments on April 24. Plus, two-day tickets also get full access to all ISA Educational Programming!

Explore Las Vegas Before and After the Event! Join exclusive pre-event tours and experience the city’s most innovative wayfinding and branding environments. Plus, don’t miss The Neon Museum’s Duck Duck Shed events.

Secure Your Spot Today! With an incredible lineup of speakers, networking opportunities, and exclusive access to groundbreaking projects, this is the premier event for anyone shaping the future of wayfinding and placemaking.