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.
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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…
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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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…
We’ve all longed for a close look behind the scenes in a creative studio to see how theme park projects are conceived, planned and built. Here’s such an opportunity.
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…
8 in 10 UK consumers reluctant to visit attractions in 2021 Covid concerns mean 1 in 4 Brits won’t be visiting at all 03 February 2021: New research has revealed that almost 8 in 10 (78%) UK consumers are concerned about visiting attractions in 2021 as a result of the on-going Covid-19 pandemic. Just…
Dreaming up and building incredible, themed experiences that will be enjoyed by millions of people all over the world is truly an amazing experience. It’s one that requires the dedicated work of passionate individuals who collaborate as a team to deliver the business goals of a client. It’s important to understand how ‘the presentation’ fits into the project process and how to assemble and deliver one successfully.
Water parks are one of themed tourism products that have become more popular in recent years and are easy to attract money. Generally speaking, the construction period of the water park is 6 to 18 months. The first and second years are the payback period, and the third year is the profit period. If the…
1.Investment planning: Investigate the market, economy, and peer competition of the project, determine the market positioning of the project, determine the reasonable investment quota of the project and the investment ratio of each functional module. 2.Brand planning: According to investment planning ideas, based on market positioning and attractiveness, determine the project brand strategy and competition…
Dimensionalizing Brand design by Theron Skees. Theron is the Chief Creative Officer of Designer’s Creative Studio. He also currently oversees Disney Cruise Lines as the Vice President, Creative Portfolio Executive with Walt Disney Imagineering. “Story” as Branding Experience Telling a story is at the heart of every one of our projects. We understand this as…
As legend has it, in 1896, when the Lumière Brothers premiered their short film The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station, audiences were so shocked by the locomotive moving towards them on the screen that they screamed and leapt out of their seats. Whether this is entirely true or not, Auguste and Louis…
Bring The Fun! Themed Attraction zoom Pitchfest will happen Friday, May 29th @11am to 1pm PST. (2 PM Eastern until 4pm Eastern) All are welcome to watch, pitch, participate, and join in the show! It’s “Imagineering” meets Sharktank – without the heartbreak! What happens? Our open minded forum will allow YOU the people with ideas…
My First Introduction to Walk Through Attractions My family took a summer vacation to Disneyland in the Summer of 1995. I was just returning home from my first semester of art school. All the joys of visiting “the happiest place on earth”, Disneyland, for the first time were exactly as I expected. But it was…
How the Location-Based Entertainment Industry Can—and Should—Do More to Ensure a Brighter and More Prosperous Future We live in an age of unprecedented change. A host of converging forces—technological, social, cultural, environmental, economic—are transforming the world around us at a pace never before seen in human history. The world is getting smaller and more interconnected.…
The last installment introduced the idea of Genius Loci and its need. Just like one will know a person by the friends they keep or what kind of tree it is by its fruit, one can trace the Genuis Loci or, Spirit of a Place by its accompanied features. How to find the Genius Loci…
Read Changing Paradigms for China, Part 2 The last installment of “Paradigms” touched on Eco-tourism. The mere hearing of this term makes me think of a Dirty Harry movie, in which Clint Eastwood aims his magnum at a crook and threatens him to “make my day”. So much meaningless banter runs rampant on this subject,…
I’ve had the good fortune to be invited to tour a variety of prop building companies since I began writing on the subject of animatronics. Each caters to a different segment of the entertainment sector, and it has given me a unique insight on how the philosophy of building animatronics varies between them. In one…
Read Changing Paradigms for China, Part one Examining Trends (Or the bait and switch): The Theme Park Literally hundreds of theme parks have been created in China by a process of “upgrading value”, which is actually a means to acquire land rights by developers, who in turn have made deals with the Chinese government. This…