Join us at 12 pm GMT on Thursday 16 January for our session exploring Innovation in Inclusion, as part of the Festival of Innovation.
Our guest speaker is Gordon Hartman, founder of Morgan’s Wonderland.
He will discuss the $6m new attractions opening this year, as well as plans for an ultra-accommodating hotel and the recently announced Morgan’s Inclusion Institute.
As an inspirational trailblazer who is constantly pushing the boundaries of inclusivity, Hartman offers useful insights into successful innovation including nurturing an innovative mindset, teams and partnerships. This session is a must for anyone looking to improve accessibility in any aspect of their business, and for those trying to build a nimble creative team, innovating with maximum impact.
The session will be available on demand for 30 days.
blooloop’s Festival of Innovation is a free online event taking place from 15 to 16 January 2025. It gathers the global visitor attractions sector to explore the most innovative projects, products, and organisations that are driving the advancement of the industry.
About the speaker
Gordon Hartman is a philanthropist and former homebuilder. He began his career aged just 15, when he launched his own landscaping business. Among other ventures, he established Gordon Hartman Homes in 1983 to provide housing for low- to moderate-income families. In the following decades, this has become the biggest locally-owned homebuilding and land-development enterprise in San Antonio.
Hartman sold his businesses in 2005 and founded the Gordon Hartman Family Foundation. This organisation enables Hartman and his wife, Maggie, to support children and adults with special needs. It was inspired by Morgan, their 30-year-old daughter who was born with cognitive and physical special needs.
The family recognised the need for accessible outdoor recreational facilities and opened Morgan’s Wonderland, the world’s first Ultra-Accessible theme park, in 2010. The park is designed for individuals with special needs and can be enjoyed by all. In 2017, it was joined by the critically acclaimed and multi-award-winning Morgan’s Inspiration Island, the world’s first Ultra-Accessible, fully inclusive splash park.
In 2021, Hartman launched two further Ultra-Accessible, fully inclusive facilities; Morgan’s Sports, which offers three acres of sports activities including adaptive and Paralympic-style
sports for those with physical disabilities and visual impairments; and Morgan’s Camp, a 102-acre recreational oasis that provides a year-round summer-camp-style experience for those with and without special needs.
Furthermore, the three-story, 165,000-square-foot Morgan’s MAC (Multi-Assistance Center) is located near Morgan’s Wonderland. This facility represents a holistic approach to providing care for people with special needs and addresses both medical and non-medical factors that contribute to health issues. It serves over 30 community-based organisations and is the headquarters of Morgan’s, a non-profit founded by Hartman in 2021.
The Hartman family was recently admitted into the IAAPA Hall of Fame for its work at Morgan’s Wonderland. Among Hartman’s accolades are his induction into the Texas and the San Antonio Business Halls of Fame, an honorary doctor of social work from San Antonio’s Our Lady of the Lake University, The Governor’s Trophy, the highest accolade for lifetime service to Texans with disabilities, and the Outstanding Philanthropist accolade by the Association of Fundraising Professionals of San Antonio and South Texas.
In total, the Hartman family has contributed over $271 million to furthering inclusion through their commitments and fundraising efforts.
The Innovation Awards
The blooloop Innovation Awards presented with AREA15 celebrate the incredible dynamism, imagination and creativity that power the attractions industry.
The winners of the 2024 Inclusion category will be revealed at this session. Attendees can browse all the entries during the event, and vote for their favourite to win our Public Choice Award.
Register to attend here.
