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Les Pardew

Artist, Entrepreneur, Author, and owner of Mystery Escape Room

Les Pardew is the co-founder, president, and owner of Mystery Escape Room, a leading escape room company in the United States.13 He founded the company in Utah in 2014, which has since grown to become a popular destination for team-building activities and entertainment.1

Background and Career

Before entering the escape room business, Pardew had a 30-year career in the video game industry, where he contributed to creating some of the world's most beloved video games.1 He also helped found several companies in the gaming and digital art space, including Saffire, Alpine Studios, and Pardew Studios.12

Achievements with Mystery Escape Room

Under Pardew's leadership, Mystery Escape Room has achieved several notable accomplishments:

  • Became the nation's leading escape room company1
  • Won numerous Best of State Awards1
  • Received over 2,000 five-star reviews on TripAdvisor, making it Utah's highest-rated escape room1
  • Installed escape rooms on 20 Air Force bases worldwide1
  • Managed corporate events for half of the Fortune 100 companies1
  • Conducted 8,000 events from May to December 2020, adapting to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic1

Business Philosophy and Approach

Pardew's business philosophy centers on creativity, innovation, and problem-solving. He believes in focusing on unique aspects that others might overlook and finding ways to make them successful.1 This approach has been particularly effective in the escape room business, where constant innovation and puzzle-solving are key to success.

Personal Life

Les Pardew is married with three children. He initially came to Utah to attend Brigham Young University (BYU) and fell in love with the state.1 After a brief stint in Philadelphia, he returned to Utah, where he has since built his career and raised his family.1

Highlights

Aug 28 · linkedin

This artwork was very hard to work on. I knew I had to show Christ on the cross for my interactive map of his life www.gospelsmap.com. I thought a lot about what he went through and felt I had to make the picture seem as real as possible. I show it in the rain with a dark background to emphasize the violent nature of his death and symbolize the heavens weeping for him as he completes his mission here on earth. I hope this touches you as it did me while working on it. Let me know your feelings.

Aug 22 · linkedin

As I approached the challenge of creating pictures of Christ walking on the water, I wanted to do something with power and drama. Here are the three images I did. These are for my www.gospelsmap.com project. Let me know if you like them and which one you like most.

Related Questions

What inspired Les Pardew to transition from video games to escape rooms?
What are some of the most popular themes in Mystery Escape Room?
How did Les Pardew's experience in video game development influence his approach to escape rooms?
What are some of the unique challenges Les Pardew faced when adapting Mystery Escape Room to online experiences?
What are some of the most memorable events hosted by Mystery Escape Room?
Les Pardew
Les Pardew, photo 1
Les Pardew, photo 2
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Location

Salt Lake City, Utah, United States