This issue’s bonus distribution diversity reflects our industry
ABOVE PHOTO: Courtesy CityArchRiver
If you are reading this magazine in St. Louis you are likely at the annual conference and trade show of USITT (US Institute of Theater Technology) or the TransWorld Halloween & Attractions Show. If you’re reading it in Dubai, you’re probably attending DEAL.
We’re very pleased to be media partners with USITT, TransWorld, and DEAL. Each of these organizations has a unique and important relationship to the industry. Themed entertainment is essentially a specialized form of theater, and to this day a huge number of industry professionals have a foundation of theatrical training. Several articles in this issue reinforce the connection (see Thomas Megna’s cover story, Ringling Bros., Ken Saba, Gary Goddard). “At our conference, you’re as likely to run into an Imagineer as someone from a regional Shakespeare festival,” said USITT executive director David Grindle.
Haunted attractions are also a form of specialized theater, right down to the zombie makeup, props, lighting and effects – and their sister industry, escape rooms, might be seen as a form of improv. This industry has blossomed internationally over the past decade or so and TransWorld has been there to bring it together. Be sure to check out Rick West’s overview of the state of the industry in Southern California.
DEAL is the foremost industry trade show in the Middle East, an important, growing leisure market like no other, in just about every way you can imagine. In the last year, Dubai Parks and Resorts opened along with IMG Worlds of Adventure. In Abu Dhabi, a Warner Brothers themed park began construction near Ferrari World, which itself is in the midst of opening a steady stream of new attractions. In this issue we look at how Wärtsilä Funa Solutions took their decades of experience with AV integration in theaters and applied it to almost 50 of the venues in the new Dubai Parks and Resorts property.
And those are just some of the bigger players in the United Arab Emirates. The unique theme parks, cultural attractions, resorts and retail developed in the UAE have few counterparts elsewhere in the world. In 2020, Dubai will host a major world’s fair and that too, is proceeding on a unique model. (Check out the InPark website for our coverage of Dubai Expo 2020.)
This convergence of theater, technology and storytelling isn’t new, but it’s getting expanded recognition in larger circles, both geographically and in different market segments. InPark continues to be on the forefront of covering these growing markets not only in our partnerships with leading industry associations, but also in covering the stories and projects wherever they are happening. • • •