London, UK — The 8th annual TiLEzone London will be at the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden Piazza on Wednesday 27th March. This one-day seminar programme starts at 09:15 and ends at 17:30, and on the previous evening there will be the 8th TiLEzone London Reception at Shaka Zulu in Camden, which is free to all pre-registered paying delegates, speakers & exhibitors/sponsors.
TiLE events present the latest in products and design; provides an opportunity for the leaders in the industry, from around the world, to meet; and shows how attractions can increase visitor numbers and revenue. There is so much crossover between leisure and entertainment attractions; museums and other educational and cultural venues; and retail and corporate facilities that the dividing lines between the individual sectors have blurred, with all areas able to learn from each other.
TUESDAY 26th MARCH
Shaka Zulu, Camden Lock
by invitation only
19:00 – 21:00 – This networking reception is included for 8th TiLEzone London Seminar registered delegates, speakers, committee, sponsors & exhibitors, and invited guests from operators and developers of leisure attractions and museums in the UK and overseas. Tickets for the “Reception only” can be purchased separately for £30/€36 per person.
WEDNESDAY 27th MARCH
8th TiLEzone London Seminar
London Transport Museum, Covent Garden Piazza
08:45 – Collection of badges and coffee
09:15 – Welcome: Richard Curtis, Managing Director, Andrich International Ltd (TiLE)
Olympic Legacy
Session Chairman: David Camp, Partner, D & J International Consulting
This session will addresses the legacy of London 2012 and its influence on leisure venues. It will give key statistics on Olympic volumes & attendance; short-term & long-term impact on attractions; lessons for other Olympic locations; and East End Renaissance.
2012 and beyond
James Bulley, Partner, Trivandi & former Director of Venues and Infrastructure at LOCOG
A major aim of London 2012 was to leave the East End with a positive legacy after the games. James will discuss the planning and operation of the games, the impact on the area, what other cities can learn from London and the long-term plans for the Olympic Park.
East End Renaissance
Danny Price, Head of Emirates Air Line
The Emirates Air Line was opened in time for the Olympics and was immensely popular with event-goers. But it was planned to be a core component of a wider renaissance plan for the East End. Danny Price will discuss the Air Line, the impact it has had on Docklands and plans for the future of the area.
Olympics and Visitor Attractions in 2012 – the short & the long term impact
Lesley Morisetti, Director, Morisetti Associates
At the start of the Olympics, London attractions experienced a major downturn in attendance. But what has the long term impact of the Olympics been on the wider attractions sector? Findings from the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions and other industry bodies provide an overview of how the Olympics impacted attractions in 2012.
10:30 BREAK
11:00 Make it Personal, Make it Real
Session Chairman: Juliana Delaney, CEO, Continuum Group
This session is about the emerging trend of ‘real’ experiences and human interaction in leisure attractions and museums – as opposed to the purely media based or virtual. Some projects are doing this already and with success. Designers increasingly are being briefed to include greater space for personal interaction between visitors and the content; to include interactivity (both human & technological) as a storytelling layer in the interpretation/entertainment mix. Dimensions for discussion include the different perceptions and expectations of the diverse customers: young audiences (the iPhone and gaming generation), the family audiences (short attention spans and the “seen that done that before” attitude) and traditional markets. The modern visitor wants to be engaged in ways which are different whether visiting a museum, heritage site or an entertainment facility; and they are increasingly expecting the experience to be more personalised for them.
Living Interactives
Peter Karn, Design Director, MET Studio Design Ltd
In the business of interactive and experiential design, we are constantly trying to find new ways of engaging and informing visitors through interactive activities but seem to more and more stumble across the same problem; How can we compete with the multi-billion pounds worth of R&D that sits in the visitors pocket as their smart phone or under their television at home as their PS3? The modern interactive experience needs to offer something different and be ‘interactive’ in the true sense of the word on a number of different levels, one of these being on a human level. Over the past 5 years, MET Studio has been exploring concepts where the visitor and their behaviour become the exhibit either on an individual or collaborative scale so messages are conveyed though human activity and interaction. The following examples will be used to convey this idea: Manchester United Experience – Interactive skill pods and score board; War Horse – Remembrance wall; EDF Pavilion London 2012 – Interactive zone (together we can make a difference); Chocolate: York’s Sweet Story – Chocolate tasting; LEGO brand house – Your ideas shape the experience; and Road Safety Centre – Distraction activity.
Truly personal: the power of live participative events
Sarah Punshon, Curator, Darwin Centre Arts Events Programme, Natural History Museum London
Live interactions with performers are not new: we know they can provide engaging, memorable experiences for visitors. But recently, a few ground-breaking organisations have been pushing this work in new directions, turning visitors into active participants. At Kensington, Wildworks created the “Enchanted Palace”, an immersive environment which reached thousands of new visitors over two years. At the Natural History Museum London we’ve created arts events which provide personalised experiences for hundreds of families each day. What are the advantages and challenges of this kind of work? And how might learning from them allow us to think differently about designing attractions?
Transformative Venues
Blair Parkin and Damian Andrews, Visual Acuity
Almost every client and operator requests that all venues and facilities they build or refurbish are as “flexible” as possible. When the consultant, the architect or the designer hear that “F” word it sends a shiver down their spine. Flexibility is often a code word for committee driven design, for average functionality, making the space or place mediocre at everything and excellent at nothing. Using practical examples of venue refurbishments, upgrades and new construction we will look at design and technology techniques that can make a venue truly transformative and excellent at the things it has been created for. The journey of transformation will start with the Theatron performance space in Athens then travel by cruise ship to New York to visit Radio City Music Hall and stop off in Miami to look at the spectacular new Grimshaw designed Miami Science Center building.
Special Presentation: Designing sustainable, world-class structures for the leisure industry
Ben Morris, Managing Director, Vector Foiltec Ltd
The presentation will look at rule changing developments including variable light transmission, controlling solar gain and ultraviolet by using specialty coatings, printing and even artificial cloud formation notably for sport and leisure venues. It will also look at ways to enhance plant growth as used at the Eden Project, Centre Parcs chain, and the world’s first permanently enclosed stadium with a natural grass pitch. Furthermore it will address interactive specialist lighting effects, colouring, patterning and fully pixilated LED graphic display to create bespoke venues/marketing opportunities. Texlon® ETFE has successfully been used to clad buildings for over 30 years when it was used to clad the Burger’s Zoo, Arnhem, Netherlands. Since its construction in 1982, the facility surpassed performance expectations and the material itself has shown no visible signs of deterioration.
13:00 LUNCH
14:00 A glimpse of the magic that created the Olympics and other events & venues
Session Chairman: Peter Ed, Managing Director, Light Emissions
People rejoiced in the excitement of the unqualified successes of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebration and the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics games. For example, comments on the ceremonies ranged from “awesome” to “confusing, but amazing!”. Apart from the artists and the artistic direction, the basis of the successful celebrations was the raw talent of designers and the technology to deliver Olympic scale enjoyment and wonderment to the individual in the audience all the way to the viewer on the other side of the world. From the concept and beauty of the Olympic cauldron and Olympic rings to the audience waving the world’s largest video display to the Buckingham Palace exploding in colourful madness, we shall be sharing insights and thoughts of how the magic was created and what we all can learn from that. In addition, this session will present innovative, sustainable structures that are being used for leisure attractions around the world.
Landscape Video at London 2012 Ceremonies
Jessica Allan, Sales Manager Concert Touring, TAIT
An explanation of the new and exciting opportunities are now available with a range of LED products that allow vast expanses to be quickly and cost effectively transformed into the world’s largest video screens, as seen at ceremonies during the London 2012 Games. The discussion will include explanations of the hardware and logistics of installation, how LED can be used to incorporate the audience into the event rather than them being a passive spectator and the unlimited scope for the use of this technology in live events and architectural environments.
Audio for the London 2012 Olympic Games
Roland Hemming, Audio Consultant – manager – manager for all audio except Ceremonies for the London 2012 Olympic Games
Roland Hemming will talk about his experience managing the audio for the London 2012 Olympic Games. He will explain the scale of the project – the largest ever temporary deployment of audio, and the many different elements that had to be considered. He will also then explain his experience using audio more effectively in leisure environments to engage visitors, encourage them stay in your venue longer, get them to spend more and make them want to return. He will also highlight the sometimes forgotten role of using audio for safety in large venues.
London Olympic Infrastructure on Horseguards and the Mall – details to follow
Adam Wildi, Project Director, Overlay & Projects Division, Arena Group
Adam Wildi will discuss the issues surrounding his responsibilities as Arena Group Project Director for the London Olympic Infrastructure on Horseguards and the Mall.
15:30 BREAK
16:00 Opportunities Overseas
Session Chairman: Kevin Murphy, Business Development, Event Communications
Opportunities from large scale cultural infrastructure projects
Adrian Ellis, Director – New York, AEA Consulting and Richard Parry, Head, UKTI’s Experience Economy team
UKTI is already deeply engaged in projects, such as the West Kowloon Cultural District in Hong Kong and Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, and wants to identify the next generation of such projects, using UKTI’s and HMG’s resources to influence project developers, in both the private and public sectors, to look towards the UK. At the same time, it wants to create vehicles to help UK companies to access these opportunities”. UKTI has commissioned Adrian Ellis Associates to undertake extensive market research in this field and is working with the sector to create a short list of the most promising projects. The first tranche of projects is in the cultural development space and the second phase will deal with themed entertainment. Richard Parry and Adrian Ellis will discuss this work and what it could mean for the sector, and identify some specific cultural developments.
Destination Singapore – exploring future developmental opportunities in tourism
Poh Chi Chuan, Director, Cultural Precincts and Tourism Concept Development Division, Singapore Tourism Board
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is an economic development agency that not only markets, but also regulates, plans and facilitates the development of Singapore’s tourism industry. Strategically positioned at the epicentre of Asia, Singapore is the city of choice for tourism-related businesses keen on breaking into the Asian market. Singapore’s thriving tourism industry contains a kaleidoscope of tourism products and experiences that include but are not limited to local and international arts and lifestyle products, events, festivals and exhibitions that promise a unique experience to visitors. This presentation by the STB will offer insights on Singapore as a tourism destination, its current leisure offerings, as well as future developmental opportunities available for companies keen on expanding their businesses in Singapore. If you are a business keen on test-bedding or developing new, novel innovations, concepts or experiences in the fields of tourism, we welcome you to join us at the session.
Opportunities in China especially museums
Karen Cheng, Trade & Investment Manager (Creative Industries Sector lead for China), UK Trade & Investment, British Embassy, Beijing
The presentation will cover museum and theme park opportunities in the China market and the trend for China to build cultural attractions. In particular the presentation will present specific projects (museums and theme park), including Hainan theme park, Zhejiang museum and Shanghai Expo Museum, that will present opportunities for companies in the experience economy sector.
17:30 – 8th TiLEzone London seminar closes
18:00 – TEA Mixer, 21 (formerly the Fuel Bar), Covent Garden Piazza (all TiLEzone delegates and TEA members are welcome – cash bar and food on own account)
For more information on TiLEzone London or to register, visit www.tileweb.org
