Sunday, May 19, 2024
Home Blog Page 839

VOA Associates Leading Redesign of Walt Disney World’s Royal Plaza Hotel into B Resort

Joe Kleiman
-
0

Orlando, FL, USA — The Orlando, FL office of international architecture, planning and interior design firm, VOA Associates Incorporated, announced its contract to serve as Design Architect, Planner and Interior Designer for the upcoming B resort in the Walt Disney World® Resort, the first B Hotels & Resorts® hotel in Central Florida. The firm will oversee and implement design efforts for the renovation of the existing 394-room Royal Plaza Hotel, which was acquired by a joint venture between Weston, FL-based InSite Group and London-based Cube Capital and will debut as a B hotel in the fall of 2013.

The resort is one of four hotel projects associated with the B Hotels & Resorts® brand in less than 18 months, and once completed will join the AAA Four Diamond B Ocean Fort Lauderdale, which opened in March, 2011; the upcoming B South Beach, which is scheduled to open in early 2013; and the value full-service b2 miami downtown, which is scheduled to open at the beginning of 2013. The Royal Plaza Hotel will remain operational throughout the complete renovation and repositioning process.

According to Jonathan F. Douglas, AIA, Managing Principal with VOA, the design plan focuses on engaging guests with inviting concepts for individuals, families and business travelers, with amenities such as in-room game consoles, signature dining venues, expanded pool and family gathering public areas for hotel guests to relax and share their experiences. “VOA is known for creating leisure environments that focus on enhancing the guest experience,” says Douglas. “Our commitment to ‘Create, Inspire + Connect’ meshes perfectly with the B signature elements and experiences created by the new lifestyle brand, and we look forward to being a part of the property’s redesign, transforming it into one of the area’s most desirable resorts.”

“The B in the Walt Disney World® Resort will be a new and exciting venue for visitors who are looking for an upscale lifestyle experience combined with tranquility and relaxation after and between fun-filled days at the adventure parks,” stated Ayelet Weinstein, President and CEO of Weston, FL-based B Hotels & Resorts. “It is being designed to encourage interaction of families, couples, groups and individuals in an inspiring and stylish environment, with great amenities including international culinary concepts and a full service spa, while implementing the approachable B brand service culture.”

VOA’s Orlando office has extensive experience in design and renovation of large scale hotels and resorts throughout the US and the Caribbean, including properties from the $300M Aqua Caliente Casino • Resort • Spa, a 16-story, 340-key, four-diamond property in Rancho Mirage, CA, to the $25M comprehensive remodel, renovation and addition of the Holiday Inn Hotel, Lake Buena Vista, FL. The office is currently engaged in providing full architectural and interior design services for numerous hospitality projects throughout Florida, including a complete renovation of the Radisson Hotel at Celebration (FL), multiple projects for Bluegreen Resorts, as well as several additional retail, restaurant and hotel projects in the Walt Disney World® Resort area.

With a current staff of over 200 worldwide, VOA specializes in creating spaces for people all over the world to work, learn, heal and play. The professional design services organization offers comprehensive services in programming, architecture, interior planning and design, strategic planning, campus master planning and technology integration to clients worldwide and maintains offices in eight locations: Orlando, Florida; Chicago, Illinois; Washington, D.C.; Highland, IN; New York, NY; Sao Paulo Brazil, and Shanghai and Beijing, China.

VOA is consistently ranked among the industry’s top firms, including Hotel Management’s Top Design Firms (#26); Interior Design Magazine’s Giants in Hospitality (#30) and Top 100 Interior Design Giants (#41); Architectural Record’s Top 250 Architectural Firms (#42); Building Design & Construction’s Giants 300 / Top Architectural Firms (#25); and ENR’s Top 100 Green Design Firms (#43) and Top 500 Design Firms (#210). For more information, please visit the firm’s website at www.voa.com

Village Roadshow Announces the Return of Wet ‘n’ Wild to Las Vegas

Joe Kleiman
-
0

Las Vegas NV, USA — The world’s most iconic water park brand, Wet ’n’ Wild, is coming back to Las Vegas with the new $50 million Wet ‘n’ Wild Las Vegas set to open in May 2013.

Located in the entertainment capital of the world, this world class water park will be fun for the whole family, featuring a spectacular line-up of more than 25 slides and attractions including North America’s firstRattler slide.

The strategically positioned parcel of land will be leased from The Howard Hughes Corporation. Investors in the more than $50 million water park include Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, Dr. Steven and Karen Thomas of the Thomas and Mack family, Roger and Scott Bulloch of SPB Capital Partners, Steve Miller and Australian entertainment conglomerate Village Roadshow Limited.

“This will be an incredible water park, the perfect addition for this fun-filled town, featuring a huge range of experiences designed for both families and thrill seekers,” said Agassi.

Set on 41 acres in southwest Las Vegas near the I-215 and Sunset Road, the world class park will feature more than 25 innovative slides and attractions. The park will be managed by theme park experts, Village Roadshow Theme Parks which operates Wet ‘n’ Wild water parks in Arizona and Hawaii. Village Roadshow Theme Parks Australian operations include Warner Bros. Movie World, Sea World and Wet ‘n’ Wild Water World, which collectively entertain more than five million visitors annually. In addition to these world class theme parks, Village Roadshow Theme Parks also is developing a Wet ‘n’ Wild ‘super park’ inSydney, Australia which is set to open in December 2013.

“We are very excited to bring this amazing new water park to the perfect city that is Las Vegas,” said Tim Fisher, chief executive officer of Village Roadshow Theme Parks. “The park will feature some of the world’s most incredible slides and will offer an experience unlike anything Las Vegas residents and visitors have ever seen before.”

“Wet ‘n’ Wild Las Vegas has the potential to entertain more than 650,000 guests annually, providing them with a world class day of family fun. Together with Phoenix and Hawaii, Village Roadshow Theme Parks will soon entertain well over a million guests at our North American water parks each year,” said Fisher. “The local government and business support we have received for this project has been unprecedented. In particular, County Commission Chair Susan Brager has offered her full support to this project, and we are confident this will be another hugely successful attraction for Las Vegas.”

Wet ‘n’ Wild Las Vegas will be a more than $50 million world class attraction perfect for families and thrill seekers alike. Adrenaline junkies can enjoy heart-pounding slides such as the Canyon Cliffs, which will send riders on a gut-wrenching 60-foot freefall racing at speeds of up to 33 feet per second. Kids will love the multi-level interactive children’s aquatic adventure playground, while those seeking a more relaxing time can float around the Colorado Cooler. The park also will feature a host of world class attractions including a giant wave pool,North America’s first Rattler and much, much more!

About Wet ‘n’ WildLas Vegas:
Wet ‘n’ Wild Las Vegas will be Nevada’s largest water park and home to more than 25 exhilarating slides and attractions. The 41-acre park will be located at 7055 S. Fort Apache Rd. ,Las Vegas, NV 89148 in southwest Las Vegas near the I-215 and Sunset Road. The attractions will range from extreme water slides designed to get hearts racing to family friendly interactive play areas. The more than $50 million park will be located on an ideally located parcel of land leased from The Howard Hughes Corporation. Investors in the project include Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, Dr. Steven and Karen Thomas of the Thomas and Mack family of Las Vegas,Roger and Scott Bulloch of SPB Partners and Australian entertainment conglomerate Village Roadshow Limited which also will manage the park along with holding a 51% ownership. Wet ‘n’ Wild Las Vegas is scheduled to open in May 2013. For more information, visit WetnWildLasVegas.com.

About Village Roadshow Limited:
Internationally recognized as one of the largest and most diverse entertainment companies in the world, Village Roadshow Limited (VRL) has investment portfolios in many businesses including cinemas, music production, theme parks and movie production and distribution. To date, VRL has produced 66 films with global box office takings of more than $10 billion, including blockbuster hits such Oceans 11, 12 & 13, Happy Feet, I Am Legend and Sherlock Holmes. VRL is also Australia’s largest theme park operator with Sea World, Warner Bros. Movie World, Warner Roadshow Studios and Sea World Resort among its Gold Coast portfolio. The company’s flagship water park, Wet ‘n’ Wild Water World, also located on Australia’s Gold Coast, consistently is recognized as one of the top water parks in the world and entertains more than one million visitors each year. Village Roadshow also is currently developing a $115 million Wet ‘n’ Wild ‘super park’ in Sydney, Australia.

Miziker Entertainment Brings Resident Evil to Terrorize Universal Studios Japan

Joe Kleiman
-
0

Osaka, Japan — Miziker Entertainment has turned Gramercy Park at Universal Studios Japan into “Raccoon City” from Capcom’s Resident Evil game franchise, and created a live event inside the Terminator 2:3D theater, with all new sound design, video segments, and a horror maze. The cast of 35 includes stunt performers, actors, zombie contortionists, parkour “freerunners”, and costumed creatures that emerge from the darkness.
Outside, there are over 200 feet of animated architectural projection mapping generated by 32 20K projectors mounted on rooftops. The sound design from the Dreams Are Universal stage and parade route is all original.

The park has seen over 40,000 guests at 6pm each night and Biohazard runs from now until November 11 as part of Halloween Horror Nights. The maze is designed for 1600 guests per hour, in groups of 200.
Biohazard has a huge fan base in Japan and Miziker Entertainment worked closely with Capcom to bring the world of the video games to life.

Sally and Warner Bros Movie World Bring the Justice League to Life in Australia

Joe Kleiman
-
0

Oxenford, Australia — Sally Corporation’s new, action-packed interactive dark ride, Justice League: Alien Invasion 3D, was unveiled on September 22 at Warner Bros. Movie World, on Australia’s Gold Coast, bringing the world’s most famous super heroes to life…battling alongside park guests in an epic fight to defeat one of the most feared villains in the DC Universe. A large crowd waited in line for the much-anticipated opening, excitedly participating in the epic battle.

The Sally team worked closely with Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC Entertainment, to create this dynamic adventure featuring Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, and Supergirl in a fight to save Earth from destruction. They are aided by the amazing Cyborg who recruits guests for the volunteer force and demonstrates how to defeat the alien spores that are attacking citizens in cities throughout the world.

Almost two years in production, the ride features state-of-the-art animatronics and 3D video technology, together with numerous special effects. The five minute ride incorporates eight huge 3D screens, twenty custom vehicles equipped with special laser optical blasters, a dramatic custom musical score, numerous animatronic citizens whom riders must fight to save from the alien spores’ evil mind control, and culminates in a dramatic struggle between Superman and the evil villain, in which riders play a decisive role.

The exterior of the 2,000 square meter building is themed as the Hall of Justice. As they enter, visitors are immediately immersed in the story of the alien attack via a “live” newscast anchored by Vicki Vale, who urges viewers to take shelter at Justice League embassies worldwide, and to help defend Earth against the alien threat.

Passing through a high-tech scanning device into the pre-show area, guests discover the animatronic Cyborg in his test lab, and Batman beaming in from the Justice League Watchtower Command Center, in orbit around the Earth. Once aboard their custom tactical assault vehicles, riders are teleported into the dark streets of Gotham City and join the Justice League in an epic battle. Scores are recorded on in-car consoles.

“Our goal was to create a ride based on the Justice League heroes that could be a fun and exciting experience not only for hardcore fans of the franchise, but also those not so familiar with the characters,” says Sally Corporation CEO John Wood. “There’s a lot of action and interaction throughout the ride, and you’re immersed in the experience. There are full-scale three-dimensional sets, scenery, animatronics and special effects throughout, and blended into the city streets and spaceship interiors are high-definition CGI animated sets and characters…allowing us to take the action to new heights.”

Tim Fisher, chief executive officer of Village Roadshow Theme Parks, owner of Warner Bros. Movie World, says, “Justice League: Alien Invasion 3D is the perfect fit for this park as it combines the hugely popular DC Entertainment Justice League franchise with a ride jam-packed with action and 3D thrills the whole family will love.”

To create this one-of-a-kind dark ride, Sally Corporation pulled together an experienced team including Threshold Animation Studios, Alterface, Techni-Lux, RealD, Bose, Bertazzon, Wyatt Design Group, and Sculpt Studios (Australia), among others.

JUSTICE LEAGUE and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC Comics. (s12)

www.sallycorp.com

About Warner Bros. Consumer Products
Warner Bros. Consumer Products, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world.

About DC Entertainment
DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating its content across Warner Bros. Entertainment and Time Warner. DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to un leash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world. In January 2012, DC Entertainment, in collaboration with Warner Bros. and Time-Warner divisions, launched We Can Be Heroes–a giving campaign featuring the iconic Justice League super heroes–to raise awareness and funds to fight the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.

Gaylord Entertainment Renamed Ryman Hospitality; Marriott Now Managing Ryman Hotels and Nashville Attractions

Joe Kleiman
-
0

EDITOR’S NOTE: On Friday, Sept. 26, the Dollywood Company officially backed out of a partnership with Gaylord for a $50 million snow and waterpark in Nashville, following Gaylord shareholders’ decision to convert the company into a real estate trust.  Dolly Parton released the following statement: “Gaylord makes decisions that they feel are good for their company and their stockholders, and I have to make decisions based on what is best for me and the Dollywood Company.  I think everyone knows I love Nashville, and I hope the work we’ve already done will spark more family entertainment in Nashville.” A Herschend Family Entertainment representative confirmed to The Tennessean newspaper that Herschend, Dollywood’s parent company, was only involved in the deal through its Dollywood subsidiary and therefore would not continue to be involved with development of the Nashville park on a corporate level.   -JK

Nashville, TN, USA /BUSINESS WIRE/ — Gaylord Entertainment Company completed the sale on Oct 1 of the Gaylord Hotels brand and the rights to manage its four hotels to Marriott International, Inc. for $210 million. In addition to assuming the management responsibilities for Gaylord’s four hotels, Marriott also assumed the management responsibilities for local Nashville attractions such as the General Jackson Showboat, Gaylord Springs Golf Links and Wildhorse Saloon. Marriott is expected to assume management duties for the Radisson Hotel (to be renamed the Inn at Opryland) on December 1, 2012.

“We are excited that the Marriott transaction is now complete and we are another step closer to officially operating under the REIT structure,” said Colin V. Reed, Ryman Properties chairman and chief executive officer. “We chose Marriott as a partner for this transaction because they share our commitment to building a strong employee culture and delivering a superior customer experience. After completing this transition we are more confident than ever that working with Marriott, we will be able to achieve significant cost synergies within our business and drive additional revenue at our properties, ultimately benefitting our shareholders and positioning our company for sustained growth.”As a restructuring step in its proposed conversion to a REIT, Gaylord also merged with and into its wholly-owned subsidiary, Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. Ryman Properties, the successor to Gaylord’s business, is trading today on the NYSE under the ticker symbol RHP. As a result of the merger, the outstanding shares of Gaylord common stock converted into the right to receive the same number of shares of Ryman Properties common stock. Ryman Properties intends to elect to be taxed as a REIT for federal income tax purposes effective as of January 1, 2013.

Arne Sorenson, Marriott’s president and chief executive officer, said, “We are excited to complete this transaction and begin managing these fantastic properties. All along, our relationship with Colin Reed and his team, as well as the Gaylord organization, has been excellent and the transition process involving the hotels and their STARs has been exceptionally collaborative. We look forward to our Gaylord guests continuing to get the superb service and have the wonderful experiences they expect.”

About Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc.
Ryman Hospitality Properties (NYSE: RHP), formerly known as Gaylord Entertainment Company, a leading hospitality and entertainment company based in Nashville Tennessee, is in the process of restructuring its assets and operations in order to elect to be taxed as a real estate investment trust (REIT) for federal income tax purposes effective as of January 1, 2013, at which time, Ryman Properties intends to specialize in group-oriented, destination hotel assets in urban and resort markets. Ryman Properties’ owned assets include a network of four upscale, meetings-focused resorts totaling 7,795 rooms that are managed by world-class lodging operator Marriott International under the Gaylord Hotels brand (gaylordhotels.com). Other owned assets, managed or to be managed by an independent third-party manager prior to the REIT election, include Gaylord Springs Golf Links, the Wildhorse Saloon, the General Jackson Showboat and the Radisson Hotel Opryland, a 303-room overflow hotel adjacent to Gaylord Opryland. Ryman Properties also owns and operates a number of media and entertainment assets including the Grand Ole Opry (opry.com), the legendary weekly showcase of country music’s finest performers for nearly 90 years; the Ryman Auditorium, the storied former home of the Grand Ole Opry located in downtown Nashville; and WSM-AM, the Opry’s radio home and the only clear-channel station in the U.S. broadcasting music. For additional information about Ryman Properties, visit www.rymanhp.com.

projectiondesign Highlights Fashion Exhibition at Victoria and Albert

Joe Kleiman
-
0

Fredrikstad, Norway — Proving once again its ability to provide projection solutions that are ‘tailor made’ to the application, Norway’s projectiondesign® has supplied four pairs of F32 DLP® projectors to a special exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A).

The design for the exhibition’s AV systems was undertaken by Sysco, with on-site integration and implementation by Electrosonic. “The exhibition is on two levels and occupies a splendid domed space, with four alcoves leading off it,” explains Bob Simpson, Founder of Electrosonic.
The four-alcove walls form curved projection surfaces that are taller than they are wide, necessitating the use of a pair of vertically stacked, edge-blended projectors for each alcove. With no alternative but to use the upper level of the exhibition display as the location for the projectors, the integration team designed special housings for them, colour-matched to the décor and perforated to allow for ventilation.

“In meeting the specific requirements of this installation, we turned to projectiondesign as they were the only manufacturer able to supply us with a stylish and compact F32 projector solution that uses very wide-angle lenses and precision optics, together with a lot of fine-tuning which is very important for a project like this. As well as the their installation flexibility, the F32s are capable of running at a very high resolution, WUXGA, which perfectly conveys the image quality, colour accuracy, sharpness and brilliance of the video sequences. The projectors also have a low cost of ownership which is a very attractive benefit for the V&A.”

“It was a lot of work to get everything running right, but the end result is extremely nice!”

Anders Løkke, Marketing Director, projectiondesign, says: “The ability to provide projectors to match the specific requirements of installations is one of the things that sets projectiondesign apart from other manufacturers. Around 7,500 people per week are visiting the V&A’s Ballgowns exhibition, and we are delighted to have played such a key role in bringing this landmark project to fruition.”

Titled ‘Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950’, the exhibition presents 60 ballgowns from 1950 to the present day. Displayed over two floors, Ballgowns shows specially-made designs for social events such as private parties, royal state occasions, debutante balls, opening nights and red carpet events. Tour de force eveningwear from the V&A’s vast collection by designers such as Norman Hartnell, Victor Stiebel, Zandra Rhodes, Catherine Walker, Jonathan Saunders and Hussein Chalayan are on show, as well as dresses fresh from the catwalk shows of Roland Mouret, Giles, Erdem, Roksanda Illincic, Antonio Berardi and Mary Katrantzou. The result is a stunning display of British fashion design at its most elegant and evocative – made all the more atmospheric by the creative use of AV technology.

“The V&A specially commissioned some very fine photographs of some of the exhibits, by fashion photographer David Hughes, so it seemed natural to try to incorporate them into the exhibition. This was done by Rollo Hollins of production group Fletcher Wilson, who designed video sequences to appear in the alcoves,” adds Simpson.

For further information about this and other leading products please visit projectiondesign.com

About projectiondesign
projectiondesign is a Norwegian company that designs, manufactures and markets a range of high performance projectors for professional, business and consumer applications. Amongst its core markets are high-resolution scientific visualization, visual training and simulation, medical imaging, broadcast and post production, public media and entertainment. Numerous industry milestones that distinguish projectiondesign’s award winning, innovative technology include the introduction of the world’s first single-chip SXGA DLP projector in 2002, the first commercially available 1080p DLP projector in 2006, the first WUXGA resolution DLP projector, and the first portable and high-resolution active 3D stereoscopic projector in 2008. In 2009, projectiondesign introduced its first 3-chip projector and debuted LED illumination. 2010 signified the company’s first image warp and blend product with the Multi Image Processors, as well as the world premiere of the WQXGA resolution (2,560 x 1,600) projector, and revolutionary patented Remote Light Source technology. The entire professional product range is warranted for 24/7 usage.


projectiondesign is located in Fredrikstad, Norway, with representatives in more than 20 offices throughout the world, and regional headquarters in New York and Beijing.

Ballgowns at the V&A

Joe Kleiman
-
0
Linköping, Sweden, 2 October 2012: A spectacular display of over 60 designs for outfits from the last six decades of fashion design, ‘Ballgowns: British Glamour since 1950’ is the first exhibition to use the newly renovated Fashion Galleries at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. An array of flowing gowns, red-carpet evening dresses and catwalk show-stoppers that is as historically fascinating as it is beautiful to see, the exhibition has been given an additional dimension thanks to an AV installation in which Dataton WATCHOUT™ plays a pivotal role.

“The exhibition is designed like a kind of huge wedding cake, with the circular display taking its cue from the splendid domed structure overhead,” says Robert Simpson of Electrosonic, which provided on-site integration of the AV components from an initial system design by Sysco. “The items from the V&A’s permanent collection are on the lower level while dresses that have been loaned to the museum temporarily are on the upper one.”

It is on this upper level that four pairs of vertically stacked projectiondesign® F32 series projectors have been mounted in bespoke enclosures, so that a sequence of photographs from the collection can be displayed on the four big alcoves that run off the Fashion Galleries’ dome.

“These alcoves make an unusual and spectacular projection surface, but because they have a compound curvature, we needed to warp each pair of projected images as well as blendthem seamlessly together. This is what WATCHOUT enables us to do, and the results are very striking,” says Simpson.

Fredrik Svahnberg, Marketing Director, Dataton, adds: “The museum market has always been a strong one for WATCHOUT when it comes to new-build attractions, but now we are also seeinglong-established facilities embracing our technology as a means of exploiting the natural beauty of their traditional architecture.

“The V&A is a great example of this. The seamless blending and geometry correction features of WATCHOUT have allowed the museum to use projection in a way they could not otherwise have imagined, and we are delighted that our long-standing relationship with Electrosonic has created an installation of which all of us on the AV technology side can be extremely proud.”

About Dataton
Renowned Swedish show control developer and manufacturer, Dataton has been established on the international market since the 1980s. The company’s flagship products include the award-winning Dataton WATCHOUT™ multi-display production and presentation system as well as the intuitive Dataton PICKUP™ audio guide. WATCHOUT version 5 is a multi-display, timeline-based software system that comprises stereoscopic playback and 3D effects, and a strong array of groundbreaking features, including enhanced live interaction.

City of Los Angeles Approves Revised Universal Expansion and NFL Stadium Addition to Downtown Urban Entertainment Center

Joe Kleiman
-
0

by Joe Kleiman, IPM News Editor

Los Angeles, CA, USA (October 2, 2012) — On September 27, the Los Angeles City Planning Commission authorized the NBC Universal Evolution Plan Alternative 10 to proceed to the next stage of approval.  According to paperwork filed with the city, this “No Residential Alternative would eliminate all 2,937 residential units  of the proposed Project and 180,000 square feet of neighborhood and community serving commercial uses and would add approximately 307,949 additional net new square feet of Studio Uses of which 50,000 square feet would be located within the City, approximately 647,320 additional net new square feet of Studio Office uses of which 205,000 net new square feet would be located in the City and an additional 1,000 Hotel rooms of which up to 500 rooms would be located in the City within the Entertainment Area. Alternative 10 includes additional parking structures.”

The Los Angeles Times reports that a key provision in allowing the plan to go forward was NBC Universal’s agreement to invest in bike paths on the property:

“The bike path along the L.A. River was a key demand of environmentalists and bicycle enthusiasts, who were among the most vocal opponents of NBCUniversal’s original expansion plan.

“On Thursday, the movie and television production company agreed to commit more than $3.3 million for planning, construction and improvement of future bikeways between the movie studio and the waterway and bike-related facilities on nearby streets.”

One day later, September 28, the Los Angeles City Council approved construction of the $1.2 billion dollar Farmer’s Field, a downtown NFL stadium to be developed at the LA Live Urban Entertainment Center (UEC) by Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG).  No public funding is expected to go into construction of the new stadium.

AEG owns and/or operates a number of arenas, stadiums, convention centers, and concert venues worldwide, as well as two UEC’s, the O2 in London (formerly the Millennium Dome) and LA Live, adjacent to the Los Angeles Convention Center, and which is comprised of two luxury hotels, the Grammy Museum, a movie complex, residential development, shopping and dining options, the Nokia Live theater, and the Staples Center sports arena, home of the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers of the NBA and the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL.

Los Angeles has been given priority by the NFL for a new team as, since the mid-90’s, it has been the largest metropolitan market without a franchise.

The Council’s decision comes two weeks after billionaire Phil Anschutz placed his company, AEG on the auction block.

World Waterpark Association Symposium and Trade Show Set to Begin in Las Vegas

Joe Kleiman
-
0

Vegas, NV, USA — Taking place over four days, Oct. 2-5, 2012, at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, the WWA Symposium is the first choice of water leisure professionals for emerging information and best practices.

Sessions are scheduled on anarray of topics that apply to all segments of the waterpark industry.  The Symposium offers more than 50 seminars and intensive workshops on a vast number of water-leisure topics.

Whether a waterpark in the public sector, affiliated with a hotel/resort, part of a corporate chain, privately owned or international, WWA’s educational program covers topics that will interest operators.

Specific tracks focus on:

• Marketing
• Risk Management
• Maintenance
• Food & Beverage
• Aquatics
• Development
• And other related topics!

The WWA Trade Show, Oct. 3 & 4, 2012, offers opportunities to connect with the industry leading waterpark designers, builders and manufacturers. Attendees will get access to the most up-to-date info on products and services and get your questions answered by industry experts.

The show floor is where exhibitors come to unveil their latest product innovations. In fact, the prototype for the first uphill water coaster was revealed at a WWA Show.

For more information on the WWA Symposium and Trade Show, visit http://www.waterparks.org/convention.asp

Birmingham’s Thinktank Planetarium Reopens as Full Dome LED Experience Courtesy Global Immersion

Joe Kleiman
-
0
Graham Hodgson of Global Immersion installs an LED projector.  Courtesy Thinktank .

West Sussex, England — One of the UK’s busiest planetariums at Thinktank, Birmingham, England, has reopened to the public with a special screening of the industry’s newest and most cutting-edge dome content, shown on a new dome projection display designed and installed by Global Immersion. The new display, featuring six edge-blended projection channels, promises an intensely colorful and resolute immersive experience.

On Wednesday 26 September, the renovated 10-meter/33-feet diameter, 70-seat planetarium at Thinktank opened its doors with a six-channel high performance LED projection system from international planetarium experts, Global Immersion. The upgrade took place over four days while the theater remained in operation.

Thinktank Planetarium is an attraction within Thinktank, Birmingham’s science museum; a state-of-the-art facility opened in 2001 as part of city’s Millennium Point complex. The planetarium itself attracts 100,000 visitors per year and is renowned for showing experimental content in addition to traditional science and educational media.

Nick Dodds, Sales Engineer at Global Immersion explained; “The Thinktank team had a clear vision of what the new dome display would deliver in terms of performance, installation time, compatibility with their existing theater server system, and flexibility – especially since they run such a wide variety of programs from astronomy and earth science through to culture and arts. Their new display is versatile enough for them to present any subject matter, with consistently stunning results.”

Mario Di Maggio, Planetarium Manager at Thinktank commented; “Digital domes are intensely powerful visual theaters, yet only as good as their projection systems. We therefore chose low maintenance, rich-color projectors with a matching high quality blending system.”

Graham Hodgson of Global Immersion, Lead Engineer on the project said; “LED projection technology brings many benefits to planetariums seeking an operationally robust digital display with incredible results. With no lamp replacement and no color wheel change requirements, this system can drastically reduce maintenance costs and provides an energy-efficient solution too with low power consumption and heat output.”

Dodds added; “We are energized by our new partnership with Thinktank. Not only did we supply a robust six LED projector system with our proprietary mounting, alignment and blending technologies, but we transformed the planetarium into one of the few dome theaters in the world with LED-projection technology.”

“We have integrated several LED projection systems into planetariums and are seeing an increase in demand for this technology and its welcomed benefits of low cost of ownership, vivid color saturation and crystal clear display results as an ideal solution for smaller planetariums.”

The planetarium launched with a sell-out special event celebrating international award-winning fulldome arts and experimental fulldome film, screening Mirage 3D’s Dawn of the Space Age and the juried reel from the Domefest 2012 competition held in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA, earlier this year.

For further information about Global Immersion and the Global Immersion range of immersive theater solutions please visit www.globalimmersion.com

About Global Immersion
Global Immersion is an international designer and supplier of high performance digital immersive theater. The award-winning team, with offices in the UK and USA, specializes in the innovation of world-class digital Giant Screen Cinema, 3D, 4D and planetarium environments. Renowned for delivering some of the world’s greatest digital theaters, the company develops and integrates leading-edge technologies exclusively for application, and has worked with some of the finest museums, science centers, digital theaters, theme parks and visitor attractions.

Born from a management buyout in 2007, Global Immersion’s extensive expertise includes planning, design, development, engineering, media & production, integration and through- life support for digital experiences that are built for the future.

1...838839840...1,099Page 839 of 1,099

InPark Magazine (IPM) covers the intersection of themed entertainment and technology. We specialize in creating custom-crafted content designed to appeal to the industry’s top designers, creators, developers, owners and operators.

Contact us: email
Read our privacy policy