Layout
How to think through room flow, working zones, guest paths, sightlines, service reach, and overall spatial planning before you buy materials or start building.
June 3–4, 2026 • Pre-Event Symposium
Build Your
Own Tiki Bar
Conference
Two-day pre-event symposium on design/build tiki bars.
Build Your Own Tiki Bar Conference is a two-day pre-event symposium on design/build tiki bars, featuring an all-star lineup of guest speakers, fabricators, and visionaries. Designed for serious builders and dreamers alike, the series dives into layout, lighting, decor, materials, workflow, and how to create fully immersive tropical environments that actually function as bars.
June 3–4, 2026
Design / Build
Fabrication
Immersive Environments
Guest Speakers
Overview
What The Will Series Cover
Lighting
Ambient glow, practical lighting, hidden fixtures, mood control, and how to shape atmosphere without killing function behind the bar.
Decor
How to layer visual storytelling with carving, signs, textures, artifacts, and scenic details so the room feels cohesive instead of cluttered.
Materials
Wood, thatch, bamboo, laminates, coatings, trim systems, specialty finishes, and practical trade-offs between authenticity, cost, and durability.
Workflow
Bar ergonomics, glassware storage, bottle placement, sink and prep logic, cleanup, and how to build something that actually works during service.
Drink Program
Menu shape, batching, garnish strategy, spirit storage, service rhythm, and how to make your bar more than just a good-looking room.
Two-Day Format
Scheduled Program Flow
- Day One • Vision to Build Plan (Starts 1:00 PM • June 3) Opening orientation, room assessment, design intent, layout case studies, lighting theory, decor planning, and material strategy.
- Panel One • From Blank Room to Tiki Destination How experienced builders evaluate space, set priorities, solve ugly constraints, and keep a project from collapsing under its own ambition.
- Panel Two • Build Choices That Matter Construction, surfacing, moisture resistance, durability, trim, electrical planning, and practical lessons learned the hard way.
- Day Two • Bar Function & Atmosphere (Starts 10:00 AM • June 4) Service logic, workflow, drink program design, display strategy, finishing touches, troubleshooting, and audience Q&A.
- Panel Three • Running the Bar You Built What changes once you start hosting: batching, garnish management, guest flow, inventory, cleanup, and menu design.
- Final Takeaway Attendees leave with a better roadmap for building, styling, and operating a home tiki bar that looks right and works right.
Presenters
Featured Presenters
HeadHunter Props, Billy Crud, Frank Simotics, and Ignacio “Notch” Gonzalez bring together scenic fabrication, tiki carving, construction, atmosphere, and immersive hospitality design from some of the most respected build shops and destinations in the field.
Rodney “HeadHunter” Ray
HeadHunter Props & Fabrication
HeadHunter Props & Fabrication is a premier design-build-install firm specializing in fully immersive, escapist environments. Their team spans sculpting, molding, casting, scenic painting, mural work, design, and more, with decades of experience in commercial and residential projects and deep roots in global theme park fabrication. At the helm is Rodney Ray — Concept Designer, Creative Director, and Lead Fabricator — whose expertise in material formulation, chemistry, scenic fabrication, and prop design has made him a trusted consultant on major theme park projects in Florida, California, and abroad.
Ignacio “Notch” Gonzalez
Top Notch Kustoms • Immersive Fabrication
Ignacio “Notch” Gonzalez is a visionary in immersive theming and industrial fabrication whose San Jose workshop, Top Notch Kustoms, has spent more than 15 years producing some of the most iconic escapist environments in the field. His work blends Polynesian pop, steampunk, Latin modernism, and sci-fi nostalgia into cinematic destinations rather than simple decor. Featured in The New York Times, Esquire, and Architectural Digest, and seen on History Channel’s Assembly Required, Notch has contributed to destinations including Smuggler’s Cove, False Idol, Hale Pele, Inside Passage, Mothership, Trader Vic’s, The Royal Hawaiian, and many more.
Frank Simotics
Tiki Rancher • Carver • Contractor
Known throughout the tiki community as Tiki Rancher, Frank Simotics has been creating immersive tropical escapes since 2010. A master tiki carver and concept designer, he has transformed residential and commercial spaces nationwide, with projects in Atlanta, Boston, St. Petersburg, Charlotte, Savannah, Miami, Palm Springs, and beyond. With more than 50 custom sculptures in wood, foam, and mixed materials, plus formal bamboo construction training at Bamboo U in Bali, Frank combines carving, architecture, construction knowledge, and code-compliant execution into unforgettable themed environments.
Billy Crud
Tiki Carver • Environment Builder
Billy Crud has been carving tikis for more than 20 years and crafting immersive tropical environments for both homes and commercial venues for over a decade. His work focuses on authentic Polynesian‑pop atmosphere, blending carving, construction, and layered decor to create transportive spaces that feel lived‑in rather than staged. After honing his craft in the legendary backyard art jams of Southern California’s tiki revival, Billy has gone on to build residential escapes and contribute to commercial tiki bars across the country.
Devon “Kitty” Lopez
Bar Tiki • Clearwater Beach
Devon “Kitty” Lopez is the Beverage Director for Baystar Restaurant Group and the driving force behind the cocktail program at Bar Tiki on Clearwater Beach. With more than two decades in hospitality, she specializes in tropical cocktails and experiential bar service that blends classic tiki traditions with modern creativity. At Bar Tiki’s rooftop location overlooking the marina, Devon leads the beverage program and helps shape the immersive guest experience that has made the venue one of Florida’s standout modern tiki destinations.
Richard Barnes
Lighting Expert • East Brookfield, MA
Richard Barnes is a Massachusetts photographer based in East Brookfield and the owner of Barnes Portrait Design. Known for portrait, wedding, family, senior, and branding photography, his work centers on controlled lighting, mood, and composition. Drawing on decades behind the camera, he brings a photographer’s eye to shaping atmosphere with light—understanding how illumination defines texture, depth, and focal emphasis. That experience translates directly into practical insight for builders looking to turn a decorated room into a fully immersive tiki environment.
FAQ
Common Questions
Who Is This For?
Home & Commercial bar builders, tiki room designers, seasoned DIYers, scenic hobbyists, bartenders, lighting planners and anyone serious about building a space with both atmosphere and function.
Do I Need Building Experience?
No. The ideal audience ranges from first-time planners to experienced makers. The point is to leave smarter about process, priorities, and avoidable mistakes.
Will Registration Be Separate?
Hukilau Passholders can register for the separate BYOB Symposium Series at discounted rates, but the series is also open to Non-Hukilau Weekender Attendees.
What Should Attendees Leave With?
A clearer concept, a smarter plan, a practical workflow checklist, better material decisions and a stronger sense of how to make their build feel complete.