Imagineear Supports the Thai Media Fund’s “Creative Thai” Competition
Inspiring the next generation of storytellers to bring Thai heritage to life
This year marked the fourth edition of the Thai Media Fund’s (TMF) “Creative Thai” competition, an initiative that highlights the talents of young people and celebrates Thailand’s rich cultural heritage. Working closely with the Ministry of Culture, the TMF emphasises the role of children and youth as “the intellectual power of the nation.”
For this year’s competition, Imagineear joined as a sponsor and key partner, taking an active role in the programme by leading informative sessions sharing its extensive expertise in media and storytelling. Having opened an office in Bangkok in 2025 Imagineear brought both a local and international presence to the partnership.
The competition challenged young people from ages 13 - 25 to create bespoke interpretive content for selected Thai heritage sites and museums. This year there was a particular focus on video content with the final task being to produce a 3–5 minute video at a site. While the videos were to highlight Thai culture, the brief allowed for both factual and fictional interpretations. These videos will also live on as a resource for tourism, helping to showcase Thailand’s cultural heritage to a wider audience.
The contest itself was structured in two stages. Firstly participants chose one of five regions, North, Northeast, East, Central, or South and selected from a curated list of sites provided by TMF and Imagineear Thailand. Each team submitted a storyboard and written script of their video to be shot up at their location.
Local lecturers conducted online sessions using resources provided by Imagineear alongside their own expertise. Ethical heritage interpretation was a key focus, encouraging participants to present authentic, accurate stories while acknowledging complex histories. Imagineear ensured that these sessions were closely linked to Thai cultural sites to make the guidance clear and actionable.
A total of 200 entries were shortlisted, a record high. The first round of the competition was evaluated by 25 judges, five from each region of Thailand. There was then a a one-day site visit to Wat Arun for the Bangkok-based teams as they began filming, further supporting the students’ learning and engagement.
For the second stage in December Imagineear’s Tash O’Connell and Jenna Lee spent a day in Bangkok, Jenna led a session giving an insight into industry standards with a focus on the work Bloomberg Connects is doing and career paths into this industry. Tash covered practical skills in video planning and production, including creating shot lists, determining video tone and audio recording techniques.
The second stage required participants to submit their completed videos. With Imagineear’s guidance and workshops, young creators translated their storyboards into videos showcasing their interpretation of their own Thai culture and heritage. These videos will be judged by 5 people, including the deputy permanent secretary minister of culture. We eagerly await to announcement of the winners in Spring! A series of cash prizes will be awarded to the top entries.
Imagineear’s Vision 
Education is a cornerstone of Imagineear’s mission. By participating in “Creative Thai” Imagineear is furthering their aim of promoting media literacy and raising cultural awareness among young people. Imagineear continues to position itself as a leader in educational initiatives within the media industry, building on previous projects such as Origin, a collaboration with young people aged 16–24 and the University of Oxford.
Introducing TourGuide+ — The Next Level of Stadium Tours
We’re proud to announce the launch of TourGuide+, a first-of-its-kind solution that enhances stadium tours in a whole new way and without ever replacing the real tour guide.
Tour guides in sports stadiums are more than storytellers. They are passionate fans with a deep connection to the club and its history. Their accents, stories and lived experiences echo the stadium itself, bringing authenticity and emotion that technology alone could never replicate. They are vital to keeping the soul of the stadium alive.
TourGuide+ is designed to honour that role while modernising tours for today’s audiences. A live guide continues to lead the experience, supported by Imagineear’s lightweight, durable devices, the Sonato or Maestro. These devices unlock deeper storytelling, from iconic match moments and archive footage to interactive games and behind-the-scenes spaces normally out of reach.
As clubs welcome a growing global audience, TourGuide+ delivers seamless multilingual, fully visual and inclusive content (including sign language) allowing every visitor to follow the same guide in their own language. On-screen prompts support tour flow and wayfinding, while optional content lets visitors explore without disrupting the guide’s narrative.
Built in close collaboration with these tour guides, TourGuide+ strengthens authenticity, showcases club heritage, and creates new opportunities for engagement, sponsorship, and revenue - all through a bespoke experience tailored to each venue.
TourGuide+ empowers the guides and enhances the visitor experience through our devices.
Our American Team Grows: Alexandra Krueger Joins Imagineear
We are pleased to announce that Alexandra (Alex) Krueger has joined Imagineear as Senior Project Manager.
Alex has a wealth of experience and a powerful educational background that is a collaboration of art history and business, bridging creative vision with practical execution. Her resume is impressive as well as extensive, with a decade experience shaping visitor-centered interpretive experiences at major cultural institutions. What a perfect fit with Imagineear!
Most recently Alex served as Director of Museum Administration at the New York Historical where her work spanned overseeing budgets, collaborating on major exhibitions and more. She ensured digital interpretation was fully integrated across the organisation, including the institution’s guide on Bloomberg Connects. Throughout her career, Alex has consistently aligned technological innovation with mission-driven storytelling, expanding access to history both within museum walls and beyond.
Alex is deeply passionate about museums as spaces for education, inspiration and community connection. She was also a 2025Women inPower Fellow at 92NY, a cross-sector leadership programme supporting women leaders through mentorship, professional development, and peer collaboration.
So, what is Alex most looking forward to as she gets started with us?
“What excites me most about Imagineear is the way it thoughtfully integrates innovation with cultural storytelling. Imagineear empowers institutions to connect with audiences through meaningful interpretation that extends beyond physical spaces. I’m eager to collaborate with museum partners and Imagineear’s team to help bring ambitious, visitor-centered projects to life.”
Clare Cooper Hammond, Imagineear’s COO added:
“I am thrilled Alex has joined our team, Alex brings a wealth of experience of working with leading cultural organisations on significant interpretation projects, Alex is a consummate project manager, and I very much look forward to working on projects together. Based in New York, Alex brings additional strength to our growing team in North America.”
Coming to America: Catherine Girardeau Joins Imagineear
We are delighted to announce that Catherine Girardeau has joined Imagineear as Director of Projects, for the US.
This is an exciting moment for Imagineear as we expand our presence across the United States with Catherine leading the charge. She’ll be building partnerships, uncovering new opportunities and working closely with clients to create multimedia experiences that bring stories to life. Catherine brings deep experience in both museum-focused multimedia design and podcasting, a perfect combination for the work ahead!
Her track record speaks for itself. As Creative Lead for Earprint LLC, she partnered with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, SFMOMA, the Dallas Cowboys and other organisations to craft interpretive experiences ranging from classic audio tours to fully immersive, location-based adventures. She was also Executive Producer at Pushkin Industries, where she produced Against the Rules, the acclaimed narrative podcast hosted by bestselling author Michael Lewis (Moneyball, The Big Short). Catherine excels at combining creative leadership with results-driven management to help organisations channel their stories into multimedia experiences that inform, delight and surprise their visitors.
Andrew Nugée, Co-Founder & Co-CEO said:
“We are delighted that Catherine joins us in the US to strengthen and lead our US team. We have worked together for many years, and we are confident that Catherine will bring her combination of proven market development, deep experience in media production, and unparalleled commitment to creative content design and delivery to Imagineear.”
Catherine Girardeau added:
“I’m thrilled to be joining Imagineear, a company with such a strong track record of innovation and leadership in the culture and heritage sector. I’m excited about the opportunity to forge new partnerships with clients in the US market and to help them develop impactful visitor experiences. And I’m delighted to be embarking on this adventure with such a talented group of former and new colleagues.”
Imagineear welcomes John Harte to lead cultural heritage growth in the UK & Ireland
We are pleased to announce that John Harte has joined Imagineear as Development Manager, Culture Heritage.
His appointment strengthens our team and reinforces our commitment to delivering world-class cultural and heritage experiences.
In this role, John will focus on building partnerships with museums, historic sites, cultural institutions and heritage attractions. He will drive new business opportunities, contribute to strategic growth and ensure our clients in the culture and heritage sector continue to deliver immersive and engaging visitor experiences.
John brings over a decade of experience in the cultural and heritage industries. Most recently at 1956 Individuals, he worked at the forefront of AI technology, developing innovative ways for audiences to engage with history and culture. He has a strong track record of forging partnerships, introducing creative approaches to interpretation and delivering multilingual visitor experiences. John excels at combining strategic vision with practical delivery, helping organisations connect audiences more deeply with the stories they tell.
Clare Cooper-Hammond, COO of Imagineear, said:
“I am thrilled that John has joined our growing cultural heritage team. He brings extensive industry experience and a real passion for applying new technologies to the cultural sector.”
John Harte added:
“I’m delighted to be joining Imagineear, a company with such a strong reputation and an incredible client base across the culture and heritage sector. It’s great to be back alongside colleagues I’ve worked with before and to be reconnecting with so many contacts across the industry. The culture and heritage world thrives on collaboration and I’m looking forward to playing my part in creating memorable experiences with Imagineear.”
Imagineear is delighted to announce the appointment of Lord Grade as Chairman
Imagineear is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Grade as non-executive Chairman.
Michael brings a wealth of experience and a wide network of relationships as we embark on our next chapter following the recent investment from Ashridge Capital. He is currently Chair of Ofcom and Chiltern Vital Group. His previous roles include Chair of Ocado, Pinewood Shepperton, ITV, BBC and Camelot, former CEO of First Leisure, Channel 4 and ITV and Controller of BBC1.
Imagineear is a leading international creator and operator of multimedia visitor experiences for sports venues, cultural sites and visitor attractions. Imagineear’s sites include the Houses of Parliament, Natural History Museum, Warner Brothers Studio – Harry Potter, Shakespeare’s Globe, Stonehenge, Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, The Royal Castle in Warsaw, Graceland – The Home of Elvis in Memphis and numerous sport venues, including Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Arsenal Emirates Stadium, Liverpool Anfield Stadium and Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Club.
Imagineear has also partnered with Bloomberg Philanthropies (the charitable venture of Mike Bloomberg, former Mayor of New York City) to accelerate the rollout of the Bloomberg Connects App (digital guides, free to end users and cultural partners) to cultural sites across Europe, USA and Asia, and to support its visionary initiative of bringing the joy of cultural experience to the widest possible audience.
Michael Grade commented: “I was delighted to be asked to be the non-executive Chairman of Imagineear. Its impressive client roster is testament to its success in creating engaging and memorable interactive multimedia experiences and I’m excited to be a part of the journey as it continues to internationalise the business.”
Imagineear Co-CEOs, Andrew Nugée and Ziv Kushnir, commented: “We very much welcome the appointment of Michael Grade to Imagineear’s leadership team. His deep understanding of media and direct experience in museums will strengthen our strategic vision, and we look forward to working with him to shape Imagineear’s evolution.”
David Sherratt, Founder and CEO of Ashridge Capital, added: “We are delighted to welcome Michael as Chairman – he brings a depth and breadth of experience and relationships that will add significant value to Imagineear as we continue our growth story and expand into new markets and geographies.”
Imagineear is delighted to announce investment from Ashridge Capital
Ashridge Capital and Imagineear are happy to announce a £4.15m investment by Ashridge in Imagineear.
Imagineear Co-CEOs, Andrew Nugée and Ziv Kushnir, welcomed Ashridge and their lead investor, David Sherratt: “We are optimistic about the marketplace we serve, and the many technological and geographical opportunities we see in front of us. There has never been a better time to invest in Imagineear, and Ashridge will allow us to develop our ambitious plans faster and with greater determination. We welcome David onto the main board of the company, and look forward to developing the business together”.
David Sherratt, Founder and CEO of Ashridge Capital, added: “We are delighted to invest in and to partner with Imagineear, and I very much look forward to helping Andrew, Ziv and their team realise their goals. They have built a great business, with an excellent team, and operate in a fast-changing, growing and exciting marketplace. Together, I am confident that Imagineear will continue to demonstrate strong growth in shareholder value”.
About Imagineear
Imagineear provides audio and multimedia solutions to sports venues, cultural sites, and visitor attractions. The company creates compelling multilingual content which we publish to multiple platforms, including consumer web apps, big screens, native apps, and our own suite of Android devices. Imagineear has also partnered with Bloomberg Philanthropies (charitable venture of Mike Bloomberg, former mayor of New York City) to accelerate the rollout of the Bloomberg Connects App (digital guides, free to end users and cultural partners) to cultural sites across Europe, USA and Asia and support its visionary initiative of bringing the joy of cultural experience to the widest possible audience. From rich, immersive audio through to interactive multimedia including VR/AR, the Imagineear team helps shape
and deliver exceptional, memorable experiences to our clients’ visitors.
About Ashridge Capital
Ashridge Capital is a private equity firm founded in 2009 by David Sherratt, who has over 30 years of private equity experience in London and New York. Ashridge Capital aims to support growth-oriented businesses. They back experienced, driven management teams with ambitious growth plans for their businesses. Ashridge Capital invests in profitable and cash-generative companies that hold strong positions in growing markets, exhibit good pricing power, and have repeat business and defensive characteristics. Their owner- managed and entrepreneurial culture, flexibility, and responsiveness uniquely position them as a differentiated and value-added investor.
