The grown-ups in charge of play.

Alicia Zur-Szpiro is the co-founder and Managing Director of Wanderland, a consultancy specialising in kids and family hospitality. With a background spanning game design, toy invention, advertising, communications and entrepreneurship, she has spent her career creating products, experiences and brands that children love and families remember. Alicia is a seasoned designer, creative, strategist and communicator.

Alicia combines creative imagination with commercial and operational thinking. Her work ranges from developing signature experiences and hospitality touchpoints to shaping brand propositions, playbooks and go-to-market strategies for hotels and family-focused businesses.

She brings deep knowledge of children, families and the wider kids industries to her work with Wanderland clients, alongside a strong network of partners across hospitality, toys, play, publishing and design. She leads projects from initial insight and concept development through to launch, activation and practical delivery.

Saar Shai is the co-founder and Creative Director of Wanderland. Saar is an inventor, product designer and creative problem-solver who specialises in turning unconventional ideas into products, experiences and businesses. His work spans toys, games, publishing, technology and hospitality, with a particular focus on making innovation engaging, useful and commercially viable.

Saar has worked across many product categories and industries. As inventor-in-residence for Igloo and Autumn Publishing, part of Bonnier, he developed innovative novelty-book formats for major licences including Disney, Marvel and Star Wars. He has developed and sold his patent portfolios to leading global tech companies.

Saar works with Wanderland clients on product and experience innovation, helping hotels translate insights about children, teenagers and families into tangible ideas people want to use, remember and share. His work ranges from physical amenities and collectible loyalty concepts to digital and location-based experiences, taking ideas from first observation and concept development through prototyping, testing and launch. Saar also researched and wrote The Global Kids Hospitality Report 2025.

Simon Meeke has spent most of his career shaping and leading award-winning luxury travel brands that specialise in exclusive family experiences and lifestyle programmes – the kind that build powerful loyalty and raving fans.

Simon spent 24 years at Powder Byrne, first in sales and operational roles, then in executive roles that culminated in his leading the business as Managing Director from 2016 to 2024. During his tenure, Condé Nast Traveler and Spear’s 500 recognised his expertise with awards that reflect his deep knowledge of the luxury travel industry.

After consultancy work with Worldwide Kids, a leading provider of childcare concept, design and operational expertise for luxury hotels and resorts around the world, he worked on the proposition and launch of the Luxury Childcare Association.

Simon then spent a year with Scott Dunn, overseeing its family programme, including Scott Dunn Explorers (ages 0–12). As Head of Family Growth, he sat on the steering group responsible for Scott Dunn’s new global family proposition for teens, reporting to the Global CEO.

Simon works with Wanderland on selected projects, bringing extensive operational knowledge of luxury travel and hospitality and a deep understanding of the needs and expectations of high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth families.

Michael Zur-Szpiro is Wanderland’s strategy director. He spent the 1980s at The Boston Consulting Group as a strategy adviser to consumer goods and retail clients, and the 1990s building, running and marketing Aroma, the VC-backed coffee-shop chain he sold to McDonald’s in 1999.

From the 2000s to the present, he has founded and co-directed venturethree, the brand agency that positioned enterprises including Sky, Comcast, Just Eat, Penguin and Hearst, as well as insurance, banking and tech businesses, for exceptional growth and value. For the last ten years he has also created and advised Nomad Studio on its rapid rise in sports, media, retail and leisure brand excellence.

Michael works with Wanderland and selected personal clients on knotty strategy challenges. A native of Switzerland, he runs his family’s retail and leisure business there, taking the management lead on Herblingermarkt, the premier shopping centre in northern Switzerland. As a personal investor, he is involved in bakery, wine, music and games businesses. His degrees are from the LSE, Columbia University and MIT.