Vienna, Austria (October 21, 2015) —The EAS show in Gothenburg, held in the Svenska Mässan Exhibition Center from 6th to 8th of October, was a very fruitful exhibition for Attraktion! The cutting edge inventor and supplier of new media based attraction formats signed a major attraction sale & cooperation deal with Only World Group of Malaysia. Attraktion! will install three of its media-based attractions in the new tourist attraction ‘The Top’ on Penang Island, Malaysia. A 5D Dome theater, Playoke Dance & Kids and the newest attraction format, Sea Explorer 5D, will feature as the new attractions within the entertainment areas of The Top.
Attraktion! confirmed a general collaboration agreement with OWG to work together in the region. OWG is a leading developer and operator of leisure venues in Malaysia.
The first project within this collaboration is the delivery of 3 media based attractions on OWG’s newest upcoming tourist destination called The Top. A huge entertainment & leisure attraction, The Top is located in the heart of the Malaysian island Penang. The venue features 300,000 sq ft. floor space with attractions, F&B as well as retail. Aesthetic highlights are The Ground Stairs which range from the ground level to the 5th floor as well as the 360 degrees Observation Deck on level 64. Moreover the world’s highest open-sky bar will open on level 66. The opening of the tourist hotspot The Top will be at the end of this year. Mr. Richard Koh, CEO of OWG and its subsidiary Magnificent Empire who will operate The Top said “we are delighted to bring innovative new attractions to our market and collaborate with Attraktion!”.
OWG is investing approximately $100M USD in the latest state of the art interactive attractions within two years. The company decided to equip the new entertainment and leisure complex with Attraktion!’s high-end experience products. Visitors can explore a captivating 5D Dome with 48 seats and experience an immersive virtual Sea Explorer 5D tour. In addition kids, teenager and adults are invited to dance along Playoke Dance & Kids’ popular music clips as well as to play with The Top’s mascots George & Pearl. Projection hardware for this project is delivered by Barco, a Belgian projector manufacturer. Markus Beyr, CEO of Attraktion! said “we see The Top as the bright start of our collaboration with OWG for the region”.
El Segundo, CA, USA — Round 1 recently collaborated with Edwards Technologies Inc. to re-invent their already popular bowling zones at several sites in their portfolio. ETI provided experience, expertise, and guidance in the engineering, installation, and integration of the audio-visual components to create a family friendly atmosphere that would complement their other offerings including an arcade, billiards, private karaoke rooms, darts, ping-pong, food, and drinks. ETI envisioned then oversaw the selection and implementation of quality products that would create an unmatched consumer experience including elements like the sound system, video system, light shows for Cosmic Bowling, and the control systems to manage the various daily shows
ETI teamed with Round 1 at the following locations: Main Place Mall, Santa Ana, CA, Westfield Southcenter, Seattle, WA, Stratford Square Mall, Bloomingdale, IL, and Arlington Parks, Arlington, TX.
“Our goal was to help Round 1 deliver a fun and dynamic environment for all guests who visit the bowling lanes at these Round 1 locations, especially their exclusive Moon Light Strike Game where everyone bowls at once with the lights down,” commented Guy O’Hazza, Senior Project Manager for Edwards Technologies Inc. who oversaw the work completed for Round 1.
Round 1 is currently rapidly expanding nationwide with eight locations already open in the US and an additional location slated to open soon in Massachusetts.
Warsaw Poland — IPS 2016 looks forward to your active contribution in the conference by submitting the abstract. Proposals can be submitted on-line via registration form on our website www.ips2016.org.
In the program section of the website you will find info on the Conference Theme and proposed Session Subjects.
During IPS 2016 Conference organizers intend to devote a large amount of attention to working under the dome. They will show interesting commercial presentations involving new technologies, as well as typical planetarium productions (both fulldome animations and live shows) during sessions. All of these demonstrations will be inspiring and provoke the exchanging of experiences and ideas for the future. They look forward to your innovative, fresh and smart session proposals in line with the theme and proposed session subjects.
Should you have any questions regarding sessions, email us: [email protected]
ABOVE: Lightning Rod under construction at Dollywood. Courtesy Rocky Mountain Construction.
[quote]We are re-launching the Hall of Fame Panel with some significant improvements in the hope of making it relevant and extremely useful to IAAPA attendees. The new focus will focus on the future. Hall of Fame inductees have tremendous knowledge, which will still be deeply true years from now. The panel will deliver timeless leadership wisdom that will help our audience create the future of our industry. The future will not be a repeat of the past, but many of the leadership secrets to be shared in this session will be profoundly valuable in the years to come.” – Bob Rogers, Founder of BRC Imagination Arts[/quote]
Alexandria, VA, USA —At IAAPA’s 2015 Hall of Fame Panel, industry legends will share their hard won wisdom with tomorrow’s leaders with the aim of delivering practical, applicable leadership insights that can be used today and tomorrow.
When: Tuesday, November 17th, 2015 at 5:00 pm in Orlando, Florida.
Participants include:
IAAPA Hall of Famer Bob Masterson, Former President of Ripley’s Entertainment joins the panel. In Masterson’s 36 years with Ripley’s (25 of those years as president) Ripley’s Entertainment grew from just 11 locations to more than 73 museum attractions, aquariums and theaters in 13 countries, a publishing company and a TV series.
“I have worked in the themed entertainment industry for over 35 years during a time of unprecedented international growth and diversification for Ripley Entertainment. I’m very excited to share my background and history to the future of our industry,” says Masterson.
IAAPA Hall of Famer Peter Herschend, Co-Founder of Herschend Family Entertainment will join the panel as well. Herschend’s extensive family organization is well-known for their efforts to help set the direction of tourism and education in Missouri, develop roads, improve environmental awareness and extend the annual tourism in the Branson area. With his brother, Jack, they combined their skills to develop several major attractions throughout the United States including Silver Dollar City, Dollywood theme park, and Stone Mountain.
“As co-founder and co-owner of Herschend Family Entertainment, our professional service to tourism and the themed entertainment industry stretches across many areas including, environmental awareness, tourism, and operations,” says Herschend. “I’m thrilled to share valuable leadership principles to the future pioneers of our industry.
Also joining the panel will be the living 2015 inductee(s) whose name(s) will be announced, earlier that day, Tuesday, November 17th.
The panel will be moderated by Bob Rogers, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of BRC Imagination Arts (also a Hall of Fame inductee).
Following the session, the panelists will remain in the room to sign autographs.
Orlando, FL, USA – Starline Tours offers Los Angeles visitors a new way to be star struck. The Movie Locations Tour in partnership with TCM visits more than 50 spots around town while passengers view related movie clips on a 65-inch HDTV. The tour is presented in conjunction with cable network TCM.
Movie Locations Tour is expertly guided by film aficionados who delight in teasing passengers with little-known facts and anecdotes, and giving TCM-infused context to the movie clips being shown.
Two custom Movie Location Tour buses are outfitted with video playback equipment from Alcorn McBride. This enables tour guides to link locations with their on-screen counterparts. Panoramic windows and skylights afford great views of movie locations that include famous streets, the iconic Union Station and Bradbury Building, and notable parks. Stadium seating ensures every passenger has a clear view of the 65-inch HDTV screen at the front of the bus. Guides offer behind-the-scenes insight and expert commentary on the movie clips and locations. Additional video segments feature popular TCM host Ben Mankiewicz.
“The buses are a real marvel – they’re quite unique,” says Starline IT Director Kian Farhadi. “There are windows everywhere and as we go by a location we play scenes from the movies that pertain to it. Passengers are completely immersed in what’s going on.”
Each bus features an Alcorn McBride DVM8500 Digital Video Machine HD. The HD video player is paired with an Alcorn McBride VCore controller, which works seamlessly with the Alcorn McBride ShowTouch control panel. The system drives the big screen for the passengers plus a 7-inch screen for the tour guide.
“We had a very particular set of requirements and Alcorn McBride was able to meet them,” says Kian Farhadi. “The guide has to have complete control over the media during the tour. He needs to be able to adapt the itinerary as the tour goes along; there’s an array of buttons on the touchscreen to select locations from. The system also has to be powered through an inverter. Alcorn McBride was the only company that could deliver on all these points.”
Kamrouz Farhadi, Chairman of Starline Tours of Hollywood, notes that the company has been using Alcorn McBride products for half-a-dozen years. “We first used the AM4 Digital Audio Machine for the sound in our tours,” he says. “That has worked very well, so we had Alcorn McBride in mind when we began to plan the Movie Locations tour. We did look at other systems but felt that Alcorn McBride’s DVM-8500 was the best fit and would do a good job.”
Kian Farhadi reports that the Alcorn McBride systems are “working very, very well” on the Movie Locations Tours. He gives kudos to Alcorn McBride’s customer support – even if he hasn’t had to make much use of it. “It was excellent when we were in touch the first couple of days. But since then we haven’t had to call them. The equipment just works!” he says.
Salou, Spain (October 15, 2015) —PortAventura Resort has been transformed for yet another year of monstrously good fun. The start of the new Halloween season builds on the park’s existing 15-year legacy of eerie entertainment and promises to be the best yet.
Halloween has become one of the annual highlights of the resort and is a must for families and young people looking for a ghoulishly good time. Each year the park is decorated with pumpkins, bats and spiders, and filled with zombies, vampires and other monstrous creatures to guarantee an unforgettable experience. As a result, more than 5.5 million visitors have enjoyed Halloween at PortAventura over the last 15 years, of whom 1.3 million were foreign visitors, predominantly French, English, Irish and Russian nationals.
A lot has been achieved during the last 15 years to create this success. Milestones include “Selva del Miedo” – the longest terror walk in Europe and the home-grown supply of more than 12,000 pumpkins required for the entire season.
PortAventura returns with a special seasonal schedule full of surprises to mark the 20th Anniversary of the park. Until 15th November, fun is guaranteed thanks to new attractions and about 150 weekly performances of numerous shows that have been transformed by the spirit of Halloween. Up to 160 professional actors, dancers, acrobats, and stunt performers who will combine their talents to put on an unforgettable season of monster magic.
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The other areas of the park will also be filled with hair-raising special effects. In México, visitors will enjoy the new show “La Muerte Viva” (The Living Dead), based on the remarkable folklore of “Day of the Dead”. In China lovers of mystery and music won’t want to miss the incredible “Halloween Escape”, starring World Champion Skipping Rope Performer, Adrienn Banhegyi. Rising from the grave again is the now-legendary show “Vampires”, while the new “Old Wild Halloween” in the Far Westarea will see Emma’s House restaurant temporarily converted to “La Posada de la Familia Halloween”, giving diners the opportunity to enjoy a spine-chilling dinner show while getting to know the ghoulish family.
Mediterrània will host the “Halloween Parade” at the close of each day, featuring crazy vehicles and creepy characters; and “Horror en el lago”, which will once again turn the PortAventura Lake into the stage for a spectacular display of fire, fireworks and music from beyond the grave, starring a monstrous dragon and the sinister character of Death.
The infamous terror walks are also back, including the outstanding “REC EXPERIENCE” passage inspired by the famous film franchise. Guests will walk through an inhospitable passage and, whilst running for their lives with special effects, petrifying noises and atmospheric scenery.
ABOVE (L to R): Paul Fraser of Blaze Digital Cinema Works, Steve Schklair of 3ality Technica, Charlotte Huggins of Rhythm & Hues, Mark Katz at 2012 IAAPA Attractions Expo. Photo by Judy Rubin.
[quote]GSF and D3D are proven leaders in the giant screen and museum cinema industry and are poised to take their business to the next level while at the same time continuing to contribute to the growth of the industry overall. I look forward to working closely with Don Kempf and the entire GSF/D3D team to help make this a reality in the most strategic and impactful way possible.” – Mark Katz[/quote]
Evanston, IL, USA —Giant Screen Films and D3D Cinema are thrilled to announce that industry veteran Mark Katz is joining the company as Senior Vice President, Film Distribution and Theater Development. Mark will be spearheading GSF’s worldwide film distribution business and will play a key strategic role in driving D3D’s growth into new museum and other venues.
“We are all elated that Mark is joining the GSF/D3D team,” said Don Kempf, President. “Mark brings a wealth of experience in sales and marketing as well as a keen customer insight, and his reputation in our industry is second to none. Given the strength and diversity of our current film catalog and pipeline, the timing of his arrival couldn’t be better.”
For nearly 30 years, Mark has handled a more diverse and original film catalog than anyone in the industry, most recently as President of Distribution for National Geographic Studios since 2006, representing a wide array of specialty, art and independent films, including the award-winning films “Jerusalem”, “U2 3D” and “Sea Monsters”, as well as box-office greatest hits “Forces of Nature,” “Lewis & Clark,” “Mysteries of Egypt,” “Shackleton’s Antarctic Adventure” “The Human Body” and the highly acclaimed feature films, “Restrepo,” “Amreeka,” “Life in a Day,” and “The Last Lions.”
Prior to joining National Geographic, Katz headed up distribution for nWave Pictures from 1998 to 2005, and was Vice President of Sales for Sony Pictures Classics from 1994-98, where he released the original films “Wings of Courage” and “Across the Sea of Time.” Prior to Sony, he worked for IMAX Corporation, where he released the ground-breaking film “Rolling Stones at the Max” and the Academy Award-nominated “Fires of Kuwait.”
Katz is also a past Chairman of the Board for the Giant Screen Cinema Association (GSCA).
Antibes, France (October 15, 2015) — French newspaper Nice-Matin reports on the senior management change at Marineland:
“The Parques Reunidos group management announced Wednesday the departure of Giampaolo Bernard, general manager of Marineland.
“After 9 years at Marineland, Bernard Giampolo, will become CEO of Mirabilandia in Ravenna in Italy on November 2, 2015, succeeding Giovanni Cavalli.
“Jesus Fernandez Moran, director of the zoological division of the Parques Reunidos Group Europe will become acting director of the park pending the appointment of a new Director General in the coming weeks.
“Director of the zoological division of the Parques Reunidos Group Europe, Jesus Fernandez Moran joined the Parques Reunidos Group in January 2006.
“A veterinarian, he also holds a Master in Public Administration. He has worked with animal parks since 1990. Jesus Fernandez Moran and Bernard Giampaolo worked closely together for nine years and will work together on the transition.
“This replacement occurs with a full controversy over the management of the site after the bad weather that hit the French Riviera and the death of Valentin, an orca at the park.”
EAS 2015 has come and gone, but it provided many great memories for the 7,000 exhibitors and buyers at the Gothenburg, Sweden show October 6-8. This was the first time EAS had traveled to Scandinavia, and also the first time the conference center, host hotel and a major theme park were all located together.
Liseberg at night
Gothenburg provided a convenience and centrality that many visitors appreciated. Although slightly off the typical European travel route, EAS 2015 allowed guests to immerse themselves in their craft, enjoying ample networking and client development time along with opportunity to explore Liseberg, one of Scandinavia’s premier theme parks.
The park was open two nights for EAS visitors. The first night, Liseberg hosted the EAS Opening Reception, a special ticketed event featuring several of the park’s premier attractions along with nearly a dozen restaurants offering samples of the best food Sweden and the surrounding region has to offer. Without a doubt, Liseberg provided one of the best spreads in recent mixer history.
The second night, the park opened its doors to everyone at the conference, providing the entire facility for exploration and enjoyment. Many found the park’s Helix roller coaster, a 2014 Mack Rides installation, to be a highlight. The coaster provides nonstop thrills, two thrilling launches, and a smooth ride that guests raved about.
Others preferred the park’s Ghost Hotel walk through haunted house for its elaborate theming and creepy thrills. A flooded ballroom scene impressed many attendees, with “floating” objects such as bookcases and a grand piano providing a path for guests to traverse the room, while something mysterious swam in the water.
Guests at the TEA Mixer included Paul Noland, IAAPA CEO and Jennie Nevin, TEA COO (right two).
But the true star of both evenings was the networking opportunities available at the park. Companies and organizations like Mack Rides, Eleventh Hour and the Themed Entertainment Association reserved corners of the park to hold mixers or entertain clients. The concept was exceptionally brilliant in that it kept attendees in one location, rather than splitting up groups into private venues spread across the city.
On the show floor
Initial attendance reports indicate about 7,000 visitors, a decrease from the 2014 show in Amsterdam. While many exhibitors commented on the reduced show traffic, others noted that the show drew a different crowd than usual. “I noticed a larger group of Scandinavian buyers than in previous years,” said Tami Dean of RDC Bumper Cars. “And it only takes a couple of the right people to make the event worth it.”
Stuart Hetherington and Mike Ross show off Holovis’ Pocket Ride View and its capabilities
Exhibitors mostly were talking about their plans for IAAPA Orlando next month, revealing tidbits about the news they would be announcing in November. Holovis showcased their Pocket Ride View suite of products, designed to give attraction developers the ability to preview plans on their personal smart devices. But they also were previewing Crimson Wing, a multi-player 3D dome shooting attraction debuting at the IAAPA Expo.
Alterface Projects’ Guillaume Gallant and Valentin Chareyre demo gesture-based technology
Triotech and Alterface Projects both will be premiering their respective progress on gesture-based dark ride attractions.
Similarly, Sally Corporation talked about their Volcanikus 4D dark ride concept but also hinted at a big announcement during the IAAPA Expo.
Attraktion!’s Carina Kaltenleithner, Kevin Murphy and Markus Beyr
Others, like Attraktion!, with a large European and Asian clientele, used the show to announce projects opening soon in the region. Attraktion! plans to open versions of their 5D Dome Ride, Playoke Dance and Kids, and Sea Explorer 5D in phases prior to February 2016 at The Top, an entertainment concept currently in development in Malaysia.
Polin staff pose in their EAS booth
Polin Waterparks presented plans for their new Space Race waterslide. Riders compete along separate slides that launch them into divided bowl element where they can see one another as they race to the finish.
A panel responds to questions on Intellectual Property
The Education Track
Parallel to the Expo an extensive educational program provided over 30 hours of seminars. Leading speakers from the industry shared their visions on topics including attractions management, revenue operations and profit generation, customer satisfaction, marketing, and leadership and developments in emerging markets. There were specialty day-long programmes for specific groups such as the IAAPA Institute for Attractions Managers, the IAAPA Safety Institute, the Young Professionals Forum, a forum for waterpark managers, and a symposium for family entertainment centres (FEC) and indoor arcades. Attendees also took part in excursions to several parks in Sweden and Denmark where learned from behind the scenes tours. On Wednesday, the capacity-filled Leadership Breakfast featured a keynote address from Björn Ulvaeus, former member of the famous pop group ABBA, on intellectual property.
Euro Attractions Show 2016 will take place at the Fira Barcelona Gran Via Convention Center, 20 to 22 September 2016.
[quote]We truly owe a debt of gratitude to the park owners who put their faith in us to deliver waterslides that create such dedicated fans – fans who come back over and over to be able to experience our rides. We rely on our partners to help us continually innovate our products to meet their and their guests’ highest expectations. We congratulate them all and all the winners” — Sohret Pakis, Director of Marketing and Communications for Polin[/quote]
Istanbul, Turkey (October 10, 2015) — For the third time in four years, Polin Waterparks‘s innovative King Cobra waterslide earned the First Place European Star Award in the category of Best Waterslide in Europe. Polin received the impressive recognition at the annual Euro Attractions Show (EAS) during a special evening event at Liseberg Amusement Park in Gothenburg, Sweden on October 6th. Unending accolades
King Cobra has won numerous awards since its debut. The waterslide is unique not only for its appearance but also for its thrilling ride. It is a game changing waterslide. It is the first waterslide in the World that offers its own theming built in its fiberglass. Regarding its compelling looks, when maintaining its original theme, it features bold red, black and white scales that create an imposing veneer over both its exterior and interior. Its sheer size also gains respect: It reaches a massive height of 50 feet (15.24 meters) with a length of 260 feet (790 meters). Plus, the theming does not need to be a King Cobra. It is compatible with different themes. Total of Seven Awards
Polin’s awards didn’t end with its singular accolade, however. Polin also was honored with seven additional awards in partnership with waterparks that feature its waterslides. Polin gave kudos to these parks in providing them with the perfect facilities in which to showcase its waterslides.
The partners who were also recognized at the event and received awards were:
Aqualand Frejus in France for First Place in “Europe’s Best Water Slides” for Polin’s King Cobra. Aqualand Frejus was the first park in France at which a King Cobra was installed. Other Aqualand facilities at which Polin has installed attractions are Aqualand Cap d’Agde, Aqualand St. Cyprien, Aqualand St. Cyr Sur Mer and Aqualand Bassin d’Arcachon.
Aqua Fantasy in Turkey for Third Place in “Europe’s Best Water Parks” and Seventh Place for “Europe’s Best Water Slides” for Polin’s Super Combo. Aqua Fantasy has the special honor of launching one of Polin’s newest signature attractions: its first Sphere, another innovative product that is gaining growing popularity. Please see the video.
Istralandia in Croatia for Fifth Place in “Europe’s Best Water Parks.” Istralandia was the first waterpark ever built in Croatia. And they did expand with two new waterslides again by Polin this year. Please see the video.
Rixos Premium Tekirova in Turkey for Fifth Place in “Europe’s Best Water Slides” for Polin’s new waterslide Surf Safari and Tenth Place for “Europe’s Best New Attractions,” also for Polin’s Surf Safari. Rixos is where the very first Surf Safari was installed. The park also features several other Polin attractions: a Looping Rocket, Spheres and a giant water-play structure. Please see the video.
Riviera Aquapark at Maxx Royal Resort in Turkey for Tenth Place in “Europe’s Best Water Parks.” Maxx Royal Resort is one of the most prestigious waterpark resorts in Turkey.
More on European Star Award:
On the occasion of the trade exhibition Euro Attractions Show, this year taking place from the 6th to 8th October in the Swedish city of Gothenburg, the most noteworthy theme parks, the best novelties, and the most spectacular attractions and coasters were honored.In the run-up, an international and independent trade jury voted the Top 10 winners in 13 categories.All renowned park operators and manufacturers received their prizes personally. The European Star Award was launched by the trade magazine Kirmes & Park Revue in order to bring attention to innovative ideas and entrepreneurial courage within the industry.
