interview by Becci Knowles
| Luoman’s acquisition of Holovis is a game changer for immersive experience |
When Stuart Hetherington founded Holovis in 2003 along with Joe Jurado, it was the classic tech startup story. Starting small, Holovis quickly established roots in the dome and projection cave environments. The company soon expanded and evolved, focusing on incorporating and adapting new technologies into immersive experiences, with pioneering applications of AR, VR, projection mapping and more. The company also grew geographically. In addition to its headquarters in the U.K., Holovis opened offices in Orlando, Shanghai and Abu Dhabi. Now, 20+ years later, Holovis is recognized in the industry for its innovative approach and delivery of complex AV and interactive installations worldwide.
In 2021, Holovis entered into a partnership with Shanghai Luoman Lighting Technologies Inc., an urban lighting design and integration company established in China since 1999. The agreement allowed Holovis easier access to the Chinese market and provided Luoman the opportunity to expand into the leisure and entertainment sectors.
Luoman announced the acquisition of Holovis in 2024, transforming Luoman into a major international player in entertainment technologies while building on the global reputation and client list Holovis has established.
InPark asked CEO Stuart Hetherington to delve into the details of this game-changing acquisition and what it signals for the future of immersive experiences.
What are the benefits of being part of the Luoman Lighting group?
With the architectural and outdoor lighting solutions from the Luoman teams now being part of our portfolio, we have significantly expanded our turnkey capabilities and offerings to both new and existing clients. The Holovis and Luoman teams can also share resources, capabilities, and experience – not just in China, but globally.
Additionally, we are jointly working on several confidential development projects to take immersive experiences and attractions to the next level using XR technology for the creation of unique immersive storytelling solutions, and these will be announced in due course.
How will your role and the overall leadership structure of Holovis change?
One of the essential aspects of a successful acquisition is to maintain stability and continuity in both businesses while leveraging the synergies and expertise from both companies and their executives for mutual gain, something that we worked very hard on throughout the process. We spent nearly three years working in partnership with Luoman under a joint venture before deciding to go ahead with the acquisition, to prove the relationship and the operating requirements of both businesses. Since the acquisition, there has been no change in the core leadership and operations of Holovis, with our VP team continuing to drive the daily operations and strategy of the business under my leadership as CEO of Holovis, and with the full support of the Luoman team and its CEO, Claire Sun.
How is the company growing as a result of the acquisition?
Luoman has a significant client base across China, the Far East, and the Middle East. Holovis has operated in China for the past 12 years and also has a notable presence in other themed entertainment hot spots, including the United States, Western Europe and the Middle East. We are investing in the further expansion of the group, with an initial focus on our latest offices and expanding team in Saudi Arabia, and in our innovation and development programs to create some unique solutions and products to enhance our offerings and portfolio. This puts Holovis and Luoman in a strong position to address the evolving entertainment and experiential sector in China and the opportunities we see, as well as globally with both existing and new clients.
What are the key strategic priorities for Holovis in the Chinese market?
While we already have a large team, innovation, and demo center set up in Shanghai, our priorities are to continue to grow the multidisciplined team and skillsets locally, as these are needed to deliver major ongoing and future projects in China, while also using these resources to support our wider operations and projects in other countries. We are also investing in dedicated software and game development teams and strategic partnerships in China to support our global operations.
What exciting new developments or projects can we expect to see from the combined teams of Holovis and Luoman?
We are already seeing the major benefits in the coming together of both companies, with major new joint projects being won in the Middle East that require Holovis’s core immersive, complex AV, and attractions design capabilities, as well as major packages of work for the Luoman team in designing and delivering all lighting aspects of the projects.
We have also just signed several turnkey projects in both China and Europe that will be co-invested in by the group as joint owner-operators and in partnership with several major IP owners who are licensing their IP to these specific projects. This is a very exciting position for Holovis and Luoman to be in, and we’re thrilled to be taking the business into new ventures and even greater opportunities where we are investing in the unique experiences and attractions we will be building alongside our other partners. •
