Katapult has become the world’s first themed attraction design company to be awarded the coveted B Corp Certification, for its high standards for social and environmental impact. Speaking on the announcement, Co-Founder and CEO of Katapult, Dawn Foote said, “We are incredibly proud to be part of the B Corp community of businesses that are…
PASSENGER 28: Walt Disney Animation director (“Oliver & Company,” “The Prince & the Pauper”), Walt Disney Imagineer (“Mickey’s PhilharMagic,” “Gran Fiesta Starring the Three Caballeros”), and fine artist (Panama Canal Expansion, Shanghai Disneyland, Disney Cruise Lines”), George Scribner! Renaissance artist George Scribner lives three distinct lives: traditional animator and former Walt Disney Animation director, responsible…
Boomers Parks announces today that eight of its Family Entertainment Centers (FEC) and Water Parks have achieved the Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) designation, accredited by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES). This milestone sets a new standard, as Boomers Parks becomes the first family of FECs to earn this certification at…
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 22ND at 12PM PST! PASSENGER 28: Industry icon, Thea Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient, Professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of the Arts, tutor of 3rd grade reading at an underserved inner-city school, and the founder and namesake of Cincinnati’s JRA , part of RWS Global, Dr. Jack Rouse. Jack Rouse rides a motorcycle, holds…
Please join us Friday August 25th at 12pm PST! PASSENGER 26: Thirty-three year veteran of Universal Destinations & Experiences who served as creative lead on dozens of groundbreaking parks and attractions, including Universal’s Islands of Adventure, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, and the upcoming Universal’s Epic Universe, Dale Mason. And…
PASSENGER 24: 40+ year former Walt Disney Imagineer who served as a creative leader on such classic attractions as The Great Movie Ride, Muppet*Vision 3D, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Toy Story Midway Mania!, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, and many, many more: Eric Jacobson. If time is the most valuable thing that a man can spend,…
Where we were once connected to the natural world, we now find ourselves desperate to “rewild” our cities, reconnect our communities and recover our health. Our need for nature connectedness has come full circle. The question remains what theme parks, resorts, and attractions can do to put nature regeneration at the heart of their designs…
PASSENGER 23: Award-winning live entertainment producer with over $1 billion in produced live spectaculars and events over 40 years for Disney, Universal, and arenas and stadiums around the world, Mike Davis. Mike Davis is the only immersive entertainment industry executive ever to spend two decades each leading live entertainment teams at both Disney and Universal.…
The themed entertainment industry has always been about creating immersive experiences that transport guests to a different world, and video games have proven to be a powerful tool in achieving this goal. The ability of video games to transport players into another world has translated well into the creation of theme park attractions, museum exhibits,…
For decades, the attractions industry has relied on annual or season passes to deliver value to loyal guests. These passes have been a great way to generate additional revenue that encourages guests to visit more frequently than they otherwise would have if they purchased a general admission ticket on each visit. Better yet, parks often…
2022 Prayer Networking Event during IAAPA on Thursday, November 17 from 8:30 am to 10 am. Featuring Guest Speaker: Anthony Esparza, 30+ year Industry Veteran of Themed Guest Experiences and most recently the Chief of Guest Experiences for Carnival Cruise Line and former Chief Creative Officer of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment.
CelebriDucks, considered the top custom rubber duck manufacture in the industry is creating a series of new creations for Cedar Fair’s theme parks beginning with the upcoming Boysenberry Festival at Knotts Berry Farm. They will also be creating Woodstock themed floating collectibles for the Halloween and Christamas festivals.
The company has worked with Cedar Fair in the past creating a floating Woodstock for Knotts and they have also created Pink Flamingos and Manta Rays for SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment. Craig Wolfe, CelebriDuck’s president said that, “people come to us from all over the world to create the finest and most unique floating collectibles for their companies and theme parks and we just love these projects.”
Apart from being voted one of the top 100 Gifts by Entertainment Weekly, the company has been featured on The Tonight Show, Late Night With Conan, CNN, ABC, NBC,TNT, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, CBS Evening Magazine, The N.Y. Times, Chicago Sun Times, The LA Times, and hundreds and hundreds of other media outlets worldwide. They sell thousands of their Blues Brothers rubber ducks at all the House of Blues and even developed the first floating Pink Flamingo for Caesars that is one of their top gift products. They also create products for The NBA, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, and the NCAA and won the ESPN poll for the fan’s favorite give-a-way.
CelebriDucks also just released their new line of celebrity inspired Costume Quackers which celebrate the most popular themes of American pop culture and have quickly become their top selling rubber ducks. You can learn more at CelebriDucks.com or by writing to info@celebriducks.com or calling 530-446-5231.
I have been so fortunate to have many people support my journey as a woman. With that said, I decided to find a new way to pay it forward. I recently co-founded the not-for-profit A Lady Macbeth Initiative 501(c)(3) (ALMI). ALMI was created to provide mentorship, connections, and resources for funding to produce short films…
JRA – Part of RWS Entertainment Group has tapped zoo and museum industry veteran Robby Gilbert as its new Global Director, Business Development. Gilbert joins the team as JRA and parent company RWS expand their planning, design, implementation and operations capabilities for zoos, aquariums, science centers and botanical gardens worldwide, and as RWS Entertainment Group offers custom leased experiences and merchandise featuring iconic brands, including all-new Hershey’s and Guinness World Records™ attractions.
Immersion has been the buzzword of the themed entertainment industry for a little over a decade or so. We’re in an arms race where every new project attempts to one-up the last by increasing the ‘immersiveness’ by another factor. Bigger, more enveloping, more detailed, and especially: more real. While some of the projects this has…
The themed entertainment industry has made itself more accessible than ever for members of
Generation Z, born approximately 1997-2012. Whether it be through theme park strategy games, vocational courses, workshops, panels, or documentaries, a vast well of knowledge serves to nourish our interests. Continue reading for an overview of how Gen Z’s theme park strengths can benefit the future of storytelling.
Amersham, England, UK – International experience design and production firm Storyland Studios is welcoming themed entertainment professional Jonathan Bonner to its UK team as Executive Producer.
In the age of social media, podcast interviews, and streaming services, fans of almost all forms of popular entertainment are constantly granted exclusive first looks, ‘making of’ documentaries, and numerous other peeks behind the curtain of their favourite television shows, films, albums, music videos, and even theme park attractions. How much is too much?
Photo Credit: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/26/theater/stephen-sondheim-dead.html Stephen Sondheim, famed musical theatre composer, lyricist, genius, and a personal idol of mine recently passed away. His death has recently caused me to reexamine a thought I’ve had from time to time: that rides are akin to songs. It might sound a bit strange at first to suggest that rides and…
IAAPA Legends Panel reveals startling secrets behind the groundbreaking attraction “Just over 20 years ago, “The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man” ride opened at Universal’s Islands of Adventure and changed our world, inspiring both visitors and would-be imitations. Meet four amazing super-star legends of our industry as they explain how they convinced others to let them…
As public discourse about the frequently misunderstood, so-called ‘metaverse’ becomes more common, the conversation will naturally extend to the world of themed and immersive entertainment. While large-scale brands and organisations will almost certainly seek to own as much of the consumer’s attention within this new set of spaces as possible, it may be best to look upon its development as an addition to the storytelling toolkit. Along with skills like architecture, landscaping, attraction design, writing and so many more, we now have a means of crafting virtual spaces which can serve guests by extending narrative beyond the boundaries of the physical environment.
Sparkling lights, cheery music, the smell of popcorn, cotton candy, and crisp churros floating through the air — bright colors, immersive worlds, elaborate spectacles from dawn past dusk. This is the imagery that’s conjured up when theme parks and other immersive experiences are discussed: fun, frivolity, and above all a disconnection from the real world.…
COVID-19 safety measures, smart tech, personalisation, and loyalty apps tops list 16 November 2021: New research reveals that despite COVID-19 rules easing, only 50% of Brits have visited an attraction since the start of the pandemic, with nearly half admitting they are still hesitant to visit due to safety concerns. According to the latest research…
THOUSANDS OF REASONS TO VISIT BOOTH# 1000
Absolute Efficiency is the first ever book about managing queues in theme parks. It uses almost 400 sources, and looks at parks from around the world. We know that queuing is the biggest cause of complaints, and this book will provide you with hundreds of solutions. How do you shift visits from busy days to…
JRA Vice President Shawn McCoy will offer his thoughts on “Emerging Trends in Immersive Design” at the 2021 IAAPA Expo. The session, co-presented with Cynthia Sharpe, Principal, Cultural Attractions & Research at Thinkwell Group, takes place on Monday, November 15, 2021 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The production method of fiberglass animal sculpture sculpture refers to the use of various plastic materials (such as gypsum, resin, clay, etc.) or hard materials that can be carved or sculpted, such as wood, stone, metal, jade, etc. , agate, aluminum, FRP, sandstone, copper, etc.), to create a certain space visible and tangible art image, to…
Halloween is an annual holiday celebrated on October 31, and in 2021 it will take place on Sunday, October 31. The tradition originated during the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people lit bonfires and wore costumes to ward off ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as the day to…
Flowrider is water park ride system with submersible propeller pumps that inject a three-inch sheet of water over a smooth, composite membrane riding surface. As a result, it produces a stationary wave – or sheet wave – that allows riders to surf its continuously flowing face. Contrary to popular opinion, the Flowrider is not a…
The future is more immersive, more experiential, and more storytelling! The creed of our profession today – but the stories we tell are seldom other than those of happiness or fear. I was born in 1987. Reborn in 1994. Disney’s The Lion King was such a life changing moment for many of us 90’s kids.…
What I want to share with you in this issue is: An man bought a luxury villa covering an area of 4,000 square meters 15 years ago for 50 million. Now this mansion has become his family’s private water park, he build a water park, and the price has also changed. It is nine times…
Designing a guest experience can be a fun and innovative exercise. Whether you are starting from scratch, revamping an existing attraction, or fine-tuning your operating model, this is the chance to be creative and provide something that you genuinely want your guests to experience.
But here’s the question… do they want to experience what you want them to experience?
Given the vast, seemingly universal popularity of sketch comedy, here’s a thought experiment to mull on — could some of the better known characters or skits from television ever be brought into a theme park attraction?
Over the course of the last couple of decades, increasingly easy and inexpensive international travel has made the world feel smaller; making the appeal of such ideas limited, even as recently as five or ten years ago. Why would I want to look at Orlando through a window, when I could just fly there tomorrow? But as we all begin to finally wake up to the evidence climate scientists have been waving in our faces for several generations — perhaps flying to Orlando tomorrow isn’t the best idea — and the separate realisation that something like Covid-19 can ground flights without much warning, the idea of seeing the world without actually travelling very far may become more appealing. The future of themed entertainment may well be a hybrid, combining in-person visits with virtual experiences set in far flung locations.
The water park is not only one of the most popular vacation paradises for all ages all over the world but also a wholesome place to learn and grow. It is a huge deal and inclusive business program with great profit-earning potential. Besides, it is a diverse deal and designed into any form and scale…
Featured Photo Credit: https://orlandoinformer.com/blog/rides-at-universal-for-larger-guests/ This essay contains mentions of weight numbers, percentiles, and size-related traumatic experiences and may be triggering to those with such experiences or eating disorders. You’re 12. You’re excited. You’ve waited all year for the summer to come and school is finally out! You and your friends are headed down on a…
JRA recently presented the session “Learning to Win by Learning How to Lose” at the 2021 IAAPA Visual Conference. The video is now available for public viewing and features over 20 industry leaders sharing their thoughts on adversity, adaptability, resilience, and hope.
The nature of modern employment, particularly in the experiential entertainment industry, is incredibly fluid–and becoming more so all the time. Few people can expect to be in one job for life. In many ways, that’s a positive thing. You can look forward to a long and rewarding career. You just need to embrace a continuous state of learning, upskilling, and reskilling.
The ÄEONXP™ ecosystem redefines traditional brick and mortar entertainment by introducing guests to multifaceted levels of engagement that allow them to personalize their experiences across theme parks, live events, branded destinations, location-based entertainment venues, or individual attractions. A key feature is its ability to be networked across multiple sites and experiences, connecting guests to a larger universe of play and possibility.
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AromaPrime is totally thrilled to see guests returning to outdoor venues in the U.K.! These include theme parks like Alton Towers and Chessington World of Adventures, who have used our smells in helping welcome people back. Attractions in other locations are also preparing to open their doors once more, introducing scents like Popcorn or Sea…
Relive the Medieval time period with these fiberglass items made by Tabreti! Wanna have a Medieval Theme set-up like no other? Then, what are you waiting for? Send us a message now at tabreti03@gmail.com. If you are in need of custom made decors at affordable price please feel free to email us. me. #medievaltheme #fiberglassitems #tabreti
I tell my students consistently that if you want to succeed in industry (any industry) you have to have more than the technical ability to work within a specific skillset. You must continually practice and develop dispositional skills such as the ability to community with others, be adaptable to different situations and be willing to learn and grow. In education, we call this having a growth mindset.
While many of the world’s attractions unfortunately remain closed, their loyal visitors have been reflecting on what makes them great – including AromaPrime’s immersive scents. We hope you enjoy seeing their reactions as much as we have! We are sure these folks will show lots of support when attractions are ready to reopen. To start…
You may have known this, but did you know that smell is the strongest memory trigger that we have as humans?
It’s the scent of realism that sells the experience… not just a ‘perfume’.
A client comes to me because I can supply them with very realistic scents used in their applications and scentual experiences
Hunger, talent, timing and experience are all gathered now, and are brewing greatness in the midst of this crisis. Keep your eyes open, great things are birthed from the hottest fires. If you’re not looking at the Themed entertainment industry, you may just miss out on the most transformative experiences this decade has to offer.
At first glance it may not seem like there is that much in common between film editing and theme park design – but it turns out there’s a lot in common.
Reimaging the Theme Park Experience I thought it would be interesting to give what my very limited thoughts are on redesigning the them park experience – being that my “professional career” in the themed entertainment industry, is, well, short. Almost 2 and a half years to be exact – not counting the years I worked…