[ AAAEXPO Speakers ]
Meet the minds
shaping the industry.
Meet the speakers at AAAEXPO 2026—experts, thought leaders, and innovators from the leisure and attractions industry. Through lectures and panel discussions, they will share their visions, experiences, and insights on trends, immersive technologies, and the future of entertainment in Africa and around the world.
Klaus Sommer Paulsen
CEO & Founder, AdventureLAB
Klaus Sommer Paulsen is an internationally renowned expert in merging narratives with experience design for themed and branded experiences. As the CEO and founder of AdventureLAB, he focuses on how storytelling, experience design, creative development, and hybrid use of technology can strengthen brands, organisations, and communities. As a lecturer and instructor in both the academic and professional realms, he brings three decades of experience in training at multiple levels and career stages. He has worked with storytelling and media for more than 30 years and with strategies, concepts, and designs for several award-winning projects since the mid-1990s. His 2021 book, “Integrated Storytelling by Design,” addresses storytelling as an audience-centric design process and is used worldwide to create story-based experiences. The highly anticipated second edition of the book will be published in summer 2026. Klaus is an experienced speaker and facilitator who has delivered presentations and worked with brands worldwide. On stage, he strives to present food for thought and action that is innovative, highly relevant, and immediately applicable. As a facilitator, he applies original, tried-and-tested design models to anchor workshops and other participatory activities with the teams he works with globally.
Paul Osterhout
Creative Director • Former Disney Imagineer • Storytelling Strategist
Paul Osterhout is one of the creators behind some of the world's most iconic theme parks and immersive experiences. A former Imagineer at Walt Disney and executive at Universal Creative, Paul has spent over 40 years coming up with billion-dollar ideas… and bringing them to life. From the overall design of resort complexes to the creation of attractions that thrill millions, his talent lies in his ability to transform bold visions into unforgettable stories. Today, he teaches creatives, entrepreneurs, and executives how to develop presentations that spark the imagination and captivate audiences. Whether you're selling a product, an idea, or yourself, Paul will show you how to present it in a powerful way.
Gerard Pastor
Composer, Pianist, Conductor & Artistic Director
Gerard Pastor is a composer, pianist, conductor and artistic director, working at the intersection of music, storytelling and thematic entertainment. As an artistic director at Entertainment Development, he participates in the design of themed experiences, cultural heritage projects, immersive environments, audiovisual media and entertainment linked to a specific location, paying particular attention to how music can become a narrative and emotional vector within the visitor experience, while reinforcing a distinctive identity. He is the creator of the Park Scoring concept, which explores how music in theme parks and immersive spaces can be designed with the same narrative intent and emotional precision as that found in film, video games and live performances, in order to enhance the visitor experience while facilitating their movement.
Manuel Faria
Founder & CEO, Indigo
Manuel Faria is a renowned Portuguese musician, composer, and producer, as well as an international expert in sound design and immersive experiences. Founder and CEO of Indigo, he has been developing innovative solutions at the intersection of music, technology, and communication for over two decades. In 1996, he created Indigo with the ambition of structuring cutting-edge expertise in sound production and the creation of audio identities for brands and immersive experiences. His work covers a wide spectrum: advertising, film, theatre, museums and immersive installations, with particular attention to the emotional impact of sound and its integration into narrative environments. Awarded internationally, notably with major distinctions such as the Cannes Lions, he is now recognized for his ability to transform sound into a strategic lever for experience and differentiation.
Amine Takhmi
Expert in Event Logistics & Business Tourism
With over 35 years of expertise in the luxury and strategic events sector, Amine Takhmi is a recognized figure in the business tourism industry in Morocco and internationally. He began his career in 1988 with prestigious Moroccan hotel chains (KTH, PLM, Pullman) and the Palais des Congrès in Marrakech. As Director of the European representative office and the Paris-based travel agency, he led business development in the European market for a decade. An entrepreneur at heart, he founded the Orchid Tours agency in Marrakech in 1997, specializing in the organization of international conventions and large-scale incentive trips throughout the Kingdom. In parallel, Amine collaborates as Logistics Director for Richard Attias & Associates. In this role, he orchestrates the operational complexity of state summits and global conferences (bringing together 1,000 to 5,000 participants) across Africa and the Middle East. A graduate of a hotel management school in Paris and multilingual, he brings a multicultural perspective and unparalleled operational rigor to every large-scale project. He recently founded an event communication agency in Rabat to share his experience in the world of business tourism: Bluebay Events.
Dr Nada Azzouzi
Psychiatrist • Psychotherapist • Hypnotherapist • Corporate Trainer
With more than 11 years of experience, Dr Nada Azzouzi supports executives, managers and employees in developing their human, relational and managerial skills. At the crossroads of psychiatry, psychotherapy and professional coaching, she brings a deep reading of human behaviour and organisational dynamics to help companies better respond to the transformations of the working world. Her talks and training programmes are designed around strategic challenges such as leadership, emotional intelligence, stress management, communication, the prevention of psychosocial risks, the quality of professional relationships and supporting change. Her approach combines scientific expertise, an understanding of human mechanisms and concrete methods that can be applied directly in the workplace — with one goal: to durably strengthen individual and collective performance while fostering more balanced, engaged and resilient working environments.
Dr Wissal Daoudi
Presales Consultant – HP Inc. | Digital Transformation, AI & Technology
Dr Wissal Daoudi holds a PhD in computer science and is a Presales Consultant at HP Inc., where she supports companies and institutions in their digital transformation and technology innovation projects across Africa. With nearly ten years of experience in engineering, consulting and solution architecture, she has developed expertise at the intersection of technology, artificial intelligence and digital strategy. A graduate of ENSIAS – Mohammed V University in Rabat, she focuses in particular on enterprise architecture, AI, EdTech and new digital uses. She is also a member of the HP Cambridge Partnership for Education EdTech Fellowship. Her career at HP is part of a technology ecosystem that also covers new digital experiences and gaming, notably through the HyperX and OMEN universes.
Omar Ouhdani
Expert Auditor & Managing Director, Cabinet Wiham CWC
Omar Ouhdani is an expert auditor and managing director of Cabinet Wiham CWC, specialising in audit, certification, consulting and business support. His expertise covers quality, occupational health and safety, the prevention of occupational risks, industrial risk analysis, fire safety and regulatory compliance. He supports organisations in setting up and improving their management systems, in particular ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001, ISO 50002 and ISO 13485. He also works in the transport, logistics, customs, energy, industry, healthcare and medical device sectors. Through Cabinet Wiham CWC, Omar Ouhdani offers audit, consulting, certification, training and risk prevention services, with an approach focused on compliance, performance and the lasting safety of organisations.
Saad Bassy
Board Member, Xprojekt Esports
As a board member of Xprojekt Esports, Saad Bassy works in team management, talent support and partnership development in esports. Former head coach of the Moroccan national EA FC team, he also managed the Rocket League national team, ranked in the top 3 of the FIFAe World Cup 2024. His journey combines competitive performance, strategy and the international reach of Moroccan esports.
Mahja Nait Barka
Founder, CitizOn
Mahja Nait Barka is the founder of CitizOn, a Moroccan startup reinventing how people discover the cities, heritage and culture of Morocco. Passionate about innovation and new ways of discovery, she has been developing since 2024 a platform offering audio guides, guided tours, podcasts and interactive, gamified trails. Her ambition? To make culture more accessible and more playful, and to give young and old, locals and international visitors, the desire to explore Morocco differently. Certified Jeune Entreprise Innovante (JEI) and Made in Morocco, CitizOn is supported by the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Tourism and SMIT.