Attractionswww.attractionsmanagement.com management MFC(,H()'('
J@DNFIOKF9I@E> +;JBLCC;L>> Attractionswww.attractionsmanagement.com management MFC(,H()'(' BDG:96H=!A:HH86H= =dli]ZbZeVg`hXVcgZ[gZh] i]Z^gd[[ZgdcVWjY\Zi 8=G>HI>6C E:G9G>:G C7:7C;JKII7K:I 6acl^X`8VhiaZVcY @JEFNK?< K? EDUCATION PASSION PEOPLE Stay connected. Stay informed. Stay ahead. egdYjXZYWn The conference and tradeshow for the attractions and leisure industry in Europe. Update your profile on www.IAAPA.org/EAS and we will keep you informed. ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT EDITOR’S LETTER REFRESH AND REJUVENATE ON THE COVER: ttractions need to be regularly refreshed to ensure visitors keep coming Madame Tussauds Hollywood, p22 back and also pass on recommendations to friends to ensure a fl ow of new business. Those which are allowed to fossilise and stagnate eventually need READER SERVICES A radical and extensive overhauls, which are far more costly and disruptive. SUBSCRIPTIONS The recession has left many operators unable or unwilling to risk large-scale invest- Julie Albone +44 (0)1462 471915 ments, but with guests hungry for improvements and something new, we asked our CIRCULATION MANAGER panel of designers how upgrades can be done on a tight budget (see page 32). Michael Emmerson +44 (0)1462 471932 In addition to larger capital investment programmes, operators are advised to iden- EDITORIAL TEAM tify the weakest area of the attraction every three to six months and formulate a plan EDITOR to improve it using available resources. This approach keeps a healthy, sustainable Liz Terry +44 (0)1462 431385 level of energy focused on product development – evolution rather than revolution. MANAGING EDITOR Changes may involve nothing more than a really thorough spring clean and a Kathleen Whyman +44 (0)1462 471918 lick of paint, a useful software upgrade or just a simple change in the way staff deal NEWSDESK with specifi c issues or situations. However, even the most simple adjustments and Tom Walker +44 (0)1462 471917 improvements can signifi cantly increase guests’ satisfaction and intention to return. Pete Hayman +44 (0)1462 471931 Operators are also advised to take time to really dig into any complaints received Sarah Todd +44 (0)1462 471927 – they’re invaluable and must be taken seriously. You may think some grumbles are Martin Nash +44 (0)1462 471933 ADVERTISING TEAM The best advice is to re-energise your people. Staff with a great PUBLISHER attitude can transform a visitor’s experience and after a year of Julie Badrick +44 (0)1462 471919 recession, some may be fi nding it harder to raise a smile ADVERTISING SALES John Challinor +44 (0)1582 607970 petty, but it’s amazing how little niggles can really bother people and undermine the Jan Williams +44 (0)1462 471909 success of a visit. If you can remove the problem easily, it makes sense to do so. ATTRACTIONS RECRUITMENT We can learn a thing or two from top retailers who use touch points with custom- Annie Lovell +44 (0)1462 471901 ers to ensure things are going well, with questions like ‘have you found everything ADVERTISING PRODUCTION you needed today?’ ‘Is there anything more we can do to help?’ and, most usefully, Ed Gallagher +44 (0)1462 431385 ‘do you have any feedback which can help us improve our service?’. Responses WEB TEAM they get are logged, analysed and fed back into the business and action is taken. INTERNET In all my decades of visiting attractions, I don’t think I’ve ever Michael Paramore +44 (0)1462 471926 been asked questions of this type, yet I clearly recall how Dean Fox +44 (0)1462 471900 defensive staff can be when given, with the best possible Tim Nash +44 (0)1462 471917 intentions, even the mildest of suggestions. Katie Eldridge +44 (0)1462 471913 The best advice though is to re-energise your people Emma Harris +44 (0)1462 471921 – staff with a great attitude can totally transform a visi- FUN-KIT.NET/MUSEUM-KIT.NET tor’s experience. At this time of the season, with a year PRODUCT SEARCH ENGINE of recession behind us, some may be fi nding it harder to Sarah Todd +44 (0)1462 471927 raise a smile. One of my favourite visits ever still has to be Martin Nash +44 (0)1462 471933 one made to the Blue Planet aquarium near Chester. The Mark Edmonds +44 (0)1462 471933 success of it was all down to the fantastic interaction with DESIGN the staff who were – without exception – welcoming, inter- Andy Bundy +44 (0)1462 471924 esting, fun and engaging. It will stick in my mind forever. Claire Toplis +44 (0)1462 471910 FINANCE Liz Terry, editor, [email protected] Sue Davis +44 (0)1395 519318 Denise Gildea +44 (0)1462 471930 THE LEISURE MEDIA COMPANY PUBLISHES Attractions health club SPORTS management management MANAGEMENT A NEW BDG:96H=!A:HH86H= 3D DIMENSION FOR CINEMA The Leisure Media Company Ltd, Maurice Kelly Bringing fencing to BANKSY DAVID BRAME a wider audience THE SCARLET VS BRISTOL children’s fi tness MUSEUM Portmill House, Portmill Lane, Getting Wigan Active 8=G>HI>6C E:G9G>:G C7:7C;JKII7K:I Hitchin, Hertfordshire SG5 1DJ UK =DAANLDD9 MICHAL KREJZA How many 50m swimming pools Tel: +44 (0)1462 431385 Do we need a tourism bank? TACKLING DEMENTIA do we need? Fax: +44 (0)1462 433909 e-mail: [email protected] ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT IS THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF SUPPORTED BY www.attractionsmanagement.com © Cybertrek 2010 AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 5 ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT IN THIS ISSUE ISSUE 1 2010 22 MYSTERY SHOPPER: 32 THEME PARK DESIGN: MADAME TUSSAUDS MORE DASH, LESS CASH 5 EDITOR’S LETTER HOLLYWOOD Find out how theme park operators can 8 MUSEUM NEWS We go undercover to fi nd out if the lat- update their offer on a budget 9 HERITAGE NEWS est wax fi gures attraction possesses that star quality or if it’s more C-list than A-list MOVIES: 10 SCIENCE CENTRE NEWS 36 DOUBLE BILL 12 THEME PARK NEWS SHOW REVIEW: We speak to the creators of two muse- 14 26 BALPPA NEWS IAAPA 2009 ums dedicated to movies 15 ZOO & AQUARIUM NEWS Industry experts give us their verdict on 16 WATERPARK NEWS the expo and conference, which was 40 NEW OPENING: 17 GALLERY NEWS held in Las Vegas in November SOCIAL SCIENCES The new Darwin Centre displays the 18 PROFILE: 30 TALKING POINT: Natural History Museum’s archives CHRISTIAN PERDRIER IS NOW THE RIGHT TIME FOR which were previously in storage For the fi rst time, a joint CEO for Alnwick PLANETARIUMS TO INVEST? Castle and Garden has been appointed. With new technology being launched all 44 EXPO: Christian Perdrier talks about his plans the time, how do planetarium operators BETTER CITY, BETTER LIFE in his new role and how he intends to know whether to invest now or wait for A look at the 2010 World Expo in turn the attraction into a destination the next product? We ask the experts Shanghai featuring 200 countries! 6 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 ISSUE 1 2010 DIGITAL MAGAZINE: Read Attractions Management online: attractionsmanagement.com/digital TODAY’S NEWS AND JOBS: For the latest opportunities in the attractions industry, plus global market news, check out our daily website: www.attractionsmanagement.com or sign up for e-news on www.leisuresubs.com ATTENTION PHOTO: ©HOLLIS PHOTO: BUYERS! Wherever you are in the world, fi nd suppliers 24/7 using Attractions Management’s dedicated leisure search engine: www.fun-kit.net SUBSCRIBE: Be a part of the bigger picture and subscribe to Attractions Management. To sign up, call: +44 (0)1462 471915 BUYERS’ GUIDE: For suppliers of products and services in the worldwide attractions industry, turn to page 81 48 MUSEUMS: 63 PRODUCT SPECIAL: 75 CONFERENCE REPORT: SHARJAH MARITIME MUSEUM FUN-KIT AZA Keith Gray of Haley Sharpe Design The latest products for the industry A report of the 85th conference for the explains how they worked with the Ruler Association of Zoos and Aquariums of Sharjah to detail the region’s heritage 64 AQUARIUMS: THE BIG BLUE 76 SIMULATION: 52 AUDIOGUIDES: Blue Reef Aquarium has opened on CLASS ACT ADVENTURES IN AUDIO the former site of Millennium project We explore some of the simulation A look at the latest features and technol- Wildwalk in Bristol. We take a look projects aimed at educating children ogies available for audioguides with a hands-on approach 68 WATER RIDES: 56 TOP TEAM: SURF’S UP 80 FUN-KIT SPECIAL: THE ASHMOLEAN A summary of the latest wave and surf TICKETING The museum’s top team tells us about products available to the industry A fun-kit/museum-kit focus on ticketing it’s £61m transformation systems available for attractions 72 ECO: 60 SHOW PREVIEWS: FUGLSANG ART MUSEUM 82 ODD JOB: SNEAK PREVIEW This award-winning gallery uses the land- PRESSING JOB A round up of the conferences and scape as part of its artwork and protects Grooming Hoover’s wax fi gure is just expos happening in the next six months the environment by having natural light one of the unusual jobs at Newseum AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 7 ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT MUSEUM NEWS £22m Polish WWII museum planned A 100m zlotych (£22m, %25m, US$36m) museum commemorating World War II is being planned to open in Gdansk, Poland. The Museum of the Second World War will depict the tragic fate of Poland between 1939 and 1945, set against the experiences of other nations – conquered and occupied, putting up resistance, fi ghting on military fronts, underground and by means of civilian revolt. Along with Polish experts, the muse- Beatlesmania is housed in the former Erotic Art Museum um’s programming board will feature Beatles museum opens in Hamburg war historians from all over Europe. IMA art park to A museum dedicated to The Beatles has Backstage Area where they are shown opened in Hamburg, Germany. a fi lmed interview with the artist of the open in June The former Erotic Art Museum now Revolver album, Klaus Voormann. houses 1,300sq m (14,000sq ft) of exhi- The Bravo Blitz Tour celebrates the out- The Indianapolis Museum of Art’s bition space split into eleven rooms break of Beatlemania, with videobeamers (IMA) art and nature park is due to documenting the story of the band’s rise to transporting visitors into the centre of a open to the public in June 2010. stardom, beginning with the signing of their 1,000-strong crowd of screaming fans. The 100 Acres: The Virginia B. Fairbanks fi rst record deal in Hamburg in the 1960s. next room, the Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Art & Nature Park – adjacent to IMA’s Visitors begin their trip down memory Club Band, houses an oversized cover of 52-acre campus – used to be a quarry, lane at the Port of Entry, where a photo can the LP and replicas of the four costumes but now features woodlands, wet- be taken using the 1960s passport photo worn by The Beatles for the album cover. lands, meadows and a 35-acre lake. machine for insertion into an entrance The tour ends at the White Album, where When it opens, the park will present ticket resembling a passport. a fi rst pressing of the actual record can be art projects, exhibitions and discus- The next area features a reproduced viewed in a replica of a teenage fan’s bed- sions, which – according to the IMA street from the St Pauli nightclub district, room. The museum, which took 10 months – are designed to “strengthen the where original photographs, contracts, to construct, cost owner FKP Ausstellungs- public’s understanding of the unique, drinks menus, fl yers and receipts are dis- und Betriebsgesellschaft mbH around reciprocal relationships between con- played. Visitors are then led to a replica %2.5m (£2.2m, US$3.5m). temporary art and the natural world”. British Museum expansion approved The London Borough of Camden Council existing buildings and “diminish the muse- in London, UK, has awarded planning per- um’s existing architectural delights”. mission to the £135m (US$210m, %154m) The rejigged plans, drawn up by archi- expansion of the British Museum. tects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, The plans were given the green light at include sinking part of the extension below the second time of trying, after the council ground. This will be done in an attempt to had turned down an initial application for solve criticism that the extension will block the redevelopment work in June 2009. views of the Grade I-listed Reading Room. The previous plans, which were rejected, RSHP’s original plans include a 1,000 had angered a local conservation group, sq m (10,760sq ft) building at the rear of Bloomsbury Conservation Area Advisory the museum, replacing the former offi ces Committee (BCAAC). of the British Library on Montague Place, In its complaint, BCAAC claimed the as well as a conservation centre to train development would block daylight from the museum conservators. The museum will be expanded 8 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT HERITAGE NEWS New gallery for Texas war museum The new US$15.5m (£1m, %11.3m) George HW Bush Gallery at the National Museum of the Pacifi c War in Fredericksburg, Texas has been opened by the former US President. The 32,500sq ft expansion boasts multimedia presentations and artefacts including a Japanese mini- submarine, fi ghter planes, various tanks and a dive bomber. Exhibits focus on the Pearl Harbour The centre is located at the National Stadium in Grenada attack and famous battles such as Midway, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima and Cricket heritage centre for Grenada Okinawa, as well as the atom bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. A new cricket heritage centre – a private bats, caps and letters, as well as medals, George Bush Snr, who was a naval venture developed by West Indies cricket photos and tour brochures to explore the aviator during the Pacifi c war, said: fanatic and entrepreneur Philip Daniels – social history of the sport in the Caribbean. “It’s right and important that we hon- has opened its doors to the public at the Tillman Thomas, the prime minister of our the genuine valour of men and National Stadium in Grenada. Grenada, opened the attraction in October women who, throughout our history, Located on the ground fl oor of the 2009 at a special event attended by the made the ultimate sacrifi ce for their venue’s South Stand, the attraction will governor general, Sir Carlyle Glean, the country, for the cause of freedom. operate under the High Five brand after island’s sports minister, Patrick Simmons, “It’s in the act of telling the full story Daniels secured a strategic alliance with and tourism minister Glynis Roberts. of war, the heroism, the moral justice the West Indies Players’ Association Daniels said: “We are now embarking on of a cause, as well as the great suf- (WIPA). The heritage centre boasts a range our regional and international marketing fering that makes this remarkable of rare West Indies cricket artefacts dat- plans as part of a strategy to place High museum such a special place and a ing back to the late 19th century, including Five fi rmly on the cricket map.” vital contribution to our country.” Protection scheme launched by UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientifi c At the partnership’s launch, TripAdvisor and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has founder and chief executive offi cer, teamed up with online travel company Stephen Kaufer, pledged to donate up TripAdvisor in a move designed to mobilise to US$1.5m (£920,400, %1.02m) of sup- travellers’ support in preserving the natural port over the next two years to UNESCO’s and cultural sites on its World Heritage List. World Heritage Centre. The castle was used as a backdrop The donation will help the Centre handle in the Harry Potter movies the task of monitoring the conservation of the 890 natural and cultural sites which are Wizard makeover inscribed on the World Heritage List. for Alnwick Castle The Centre provides both technical and administrative support for states which Former Disneyland Paris VP Christian have ratifi ed the 1972 World Heritage Perdrier is the new chief executive at Convention, therefore enabling them to Alnwick Castle and Alnwick Garden in translate its provisions into action. Northumberland, UK. The two-year agreement envisages His appointment is part of a move TripAdvisor helping to raise awareness of by the attraction’s owners, the Duke World Heritage sites and their safeguarding and Duchess of Northumberland, to among the more than 25 million online visi- increase visitor numbers and revenue Machu Picchu, Peru, one of the sites tors who use its websites every month to at one of the UK’s largest inhabited that Unesco is keen to preserve fi nd and share travel information. castles. (See interview on p18) AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 9 ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT SCIENCE CENTRE NEWS Dr Gerhard Kilger The challenges of The opening of Powerhouse has been put back to 2013 exhibit communication Sacramento science museum still on ASA science centre is hosting the Ecsite Annual Conference Offi cials at the Discovery Museum of etarium and a new Challenger Learning D 2010 from June 3rd to 5th Sacramento (DMS) are still looking for Center – an educational facility exploring 2010.in Dortmund, Germany. Based investors to get the Powerhouse Science the NASA space shuttle programme, which on an innovative exhibition design, all Center project off the ground. is named in honour of the seven astronauts senses are challenged at DASA while Due to the lack of progress, the open- in the 1986 Challenger shuttle tragedy. experiencing yesterday’s, today’s and ing of the new centre has been pushed A spokesperson for the project said: “The tomorrow’s world of work. back until at least 2013. A site has yet to be Powerhouse Science Center will feature The focus is man, his health, his offi cially chosen, although DMS has identi- generous exhibit space for current and trav- physical, mental and spiritual well- fi ed the historic P&E Power Station on the elling exhibits as well as a newly expanded being. DASA provides a wide range of banks of the Sacramento River as the ideal and updated Planetarium & Challenger activities aiming to incorporate the con- location for the new science centre. Learning Center. Movies and astronomy cept of safety and health at work in an Plans for Powerhouse Science Center programs and a café with outdoor seating all-embracing sense. DASA does this include large exhibition galleries, a plan- will also be part of the centre.” by sharpening public awareness of the need for an improved world of work. The specifi c link between traditional museum design and modern educa- New science centre for Calgary tional didactics distinguishes DASA from other museums. Using commu- A new CAN$160m (£95m, US$155m, atrium, a Learning & Leadership Centre, nication methods which address the %107m) science is to open in Calgary, four themed galleries (Energy & Innovation; intellect, feelings and all the senses, Alberta, Canada later this year. Earth, Space & Our Environment, Human DASA presents topics and issues in Work began on the TELUS World of Body and Technology, Style & Art), a scenic situations, in settings depicting Science in July 2008 and the project is Creative Kids Museum, a travelling exhibition activity in various branches of industry. being funded by the City of Calgary, the gallery, a dome theatre and an observatory. DASA, as a centre, will never be Government of Alberta, the Government of The 153,000sq ft (14,210sq m) science completed. The rapid pace of change Canada and various community donations. centre was designed by lead architects in the world of work will always call for The attraction will feature a large open Cohos Evamy. Exhibit and program new presentations for professionals, development is being led by schools and the general public. an in-house team of science Therefore, it’s even more important centre professionals. Kasian that we, together with our Ecsite col- Architecture Interior Design & leagues, work on the challenges of Planning is the lead fi rm design- contemporary exhibition communica- ing the dome theatre as well as tion. We’re looking forward to hosting the interior spaces. Landscape the conference which promises fruitful architecture is being led by O2 sessions and lively discussions. Planning + Design. CANA is lead- ing the construction of the new Dr. Gerhard Kilger is the director of the facility. The centre is expected to DASA science centre in Dortmund, Germany TELUS World of Science opens in the autumn open in the autumn. 10 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 EUROPEAN NETWORK OF SCIENCE CENTRES AND MUSEUMS Ecsite Annual Conference 2010 DASA, DORTMUND, GERMANY, 3-5 JUNE WWW.ECSITE-CONFERENCE.EU In 2010, the Ecsite Annual Conference meets the Euro- Whether you come from a science centre or museum, pean Capital of Culture in Dortmund, Germany’s green a natural history museum, a university, an aquarium, metropolis. a zoo, a research institute or a private company, the network’s 21st Annual Conference is the date for your The year’s most important European gathering for sci- calendar. ence centres and museums will be hosted by DASA, a unique institution combining a traditional museum and We look forward to meeting you in Dortmund, to make modern science centre with a distinct creative flair, to the most of the atmosphere of creativity and culture for provide an innovative experience of yesterday‘s, today‘s our 21st Annual Conference. and tomorrow‘s world of work. We will take this opportunity to look at the world of our own work, with three days of challenging sessions and heated discussion, social events and business opportu- nities, preceded by two days of in-depth pre-conference meetings and workshops. ORGANISED BY CONFERENCE PARTNERS CORPORATE DONORS ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT THEME PARK NEWS Malaysian group plans theme park Themed Attractions & Resorts Sdn Bhd (TAR) – a wholly owned sub- sidiary of state investment agency Khazanah Nasional Bhd – is building six theme parks in Malaysia. TAR will develop and operate each RM200-300m (£35-53m, US$59- 89m, %39-59m) attraction. The fi rst is scheduled to open in 2012 and is the 60,000sq ft (5,575sq m) KidZania theme park in Kuala Lumpur. Cedar Fair currently operates 11 theme parks and 15 waterparks Cedar Fair to be acquired by Apollo Bible theme park Theme park operator Cedar Fair, in Ohio, years. After considering these strategic planned for China US, is to be acquired by an affi liate of alternatives, we have concluded that the Apollo Global Management, a leading glo- transaction with Apollo is in the best inter- A US$569m (£365.5m, %416.6m) bal alternative asset manager. est of our unitholders. theme park based on the Bible is The transaction, unanimously approved “Apollo has a strong track record of being planned for China’s north-east- by Cedar Fair’s board, is valued at around growing businesses, and its desire to add ern Liaoning province. US$2.4bn (£1.5bn, %1.7m), which includes Cedar Fair to its portfolio serves as a testa- According to the AFP news agency, the refi nancing of the company’s outstand- ment to our solid business model and the Mr Leung Moon-lam – a devout ing indebtedness. talent of our people.” Christian and founder of logistics Cedar Fair chair, president and chief The merger is conditional upon, among fi rm China South City – is behind the executive offi cer Dick Kinzel said: “We other things, the approval of holders of two- plans and has said that the Harmony have considered a wide range of stra- thirds of Cedar Fair’s outstanding units and World park will aim to tell the stories of tegic alternatives over the past several the receipt of regulatory approvals. Chinese and Western civilisation. Abu Dhabi Ferrari Busch Entertainment to change its name park back on track US theme park operator Busch jointly in December 2009 by Anheuser- Entertainment has changed its name to Busch InBev and The Blackstone Group. Aldar Properties has announced the SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment oper- completion of the external structure of The move follows Blackstone Capital’s ates 10 parks across the US, including Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. US$2.7bn (£1.62bn, %1.8bn) purchase of SeaWorlds in Orlando, Florida, San Diego, Located on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island, the company. The sale was announced California, and San Antonio, Texas; Busch the new retail, leisure and entertain- Gardens parks in Tampa, Florida and ment destination and host venue for Williamsburg, Virginia.; Discovery Cove the inaugural Formula One Abu Dhabi and Aquatica in Orlando; Sesame Place Grand Prix, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and water will be the world’s largest indoor theme parks Adventure Island in Tampa and park and the fi rst ever Ferrari theme Water Country USA in Williamsburg. park when it opens later in 2010. The new name is designed to refl ect the A joint venture management con- prominence of the SeaWorld brand in both struction company owned by Aldar and the family travel industry and among the Besix, a Belgian construction group, company’s portfolio of parks. is responsible for the management Meanwhile, the Busch Gardens Tampa of the project, while UK fi rm Benoy Bay park has unveiled four new behind- is the architect and lead consultant. the-scenes tours for 2010 in a bid to allow The park will host more than 20 rides, visitors to learn more about a range of including a super-fast rollercoaster. SeaWorld was acquired by Blackstone attractions at the park. 12 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT Disney’s Shanghai theme park will be the fourth in East Asia Green light for Shanghai Disney park The Walt Disney Company has received Commenting, Robert A Iger, president central government approval for its appli- and CEO of The Walt Disney Company cation to build a Disney theme park in the said: “China is one of the most dynamic, Pudong district of Shanghai, China. exciting and important countries in the The move enables Disney and its part- world, and this approval marks a very ners to move on towards a fi nal agreement signifi cant milestone for The Walt Disney to build and operate the park and begin Company in mainland China.” preliminary development work. The new Shanghai theme park – costing Upon completion of the fi nal agree- US$3.5bn (£2.1bn, %2.3bn, CNY 23.9bn) ment, the project’s initial phase would and with a 2014 projected opening date – include a Magic Kingdom-style theme park will increase Disney’s vacation destinations containing a number of elements tailored in the region to four, joining Tokyo and specifi cally to the Shanghai region. Chiba in Japan and Hong Kong. Merlin to rebrand Cypress Gardens as Legoland UK-based visitor attractions operator Merlin 2011. The park will become Merlin’s second Entertainments will rebrand the Cypress Legoland site in North America and, accord- Gardens theme park in Florida, US, which ing to chief executive Nick Varney, will play it acquired in January 2010, as a Legoland. an important role in the group’s continued The theme park in Winter Haven, Florida, growth in the US. “This acquisition proves US, will undergo a complete redevelop- how serious we are,” he said. ment and will reopen as Legoland Florida in Although exact details will be revealed at a later date, Varney revealed that the 145-acre Florida site will be the biggest Legoland park ever opened, offering more than 50 rides, shows and attractions. Merlin has also announced that it will open its 11th Madame Tussauds wax attrac- tion, and the fourth in Europe, at the Prater Park in Vienna, Austria. Scheduled to open early in 2011, the £10m (US$15.6m, E11.4m) attraction will be designed to refl ect the culture of Vienna. Prater Park is one of the most popular attractions in Austria and currently receives The new Legoland will open in 2011 around three million visitors a year. AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT BALPPA NEWS Colin Dawson Another one The wooden coaster is one of the oldest in the UK bites the dust £3.7m grant for historic Margate ride ust returned from what I believe was my 19th IAAPA Expo, albeit The future of one of Britain’s oldest surviv- Plans for the £12m (US$20,, %13.7m) J my fi fth visit to Las Vegas. ing rollercoasters, a scenic railway ride attraction have been drawn up by the What is there left to say about in Margate, Kent, has been safeguarded Dreamland Trust, which will include the res- Vegas? Personally, it doesn’t work after the Dreamland Trust was given a toration of the Grade II*-listed Dreamland for me. It’s brash, loud, false in every £3.7m (US$5.8m, %4.2m) grant by the Cinema and the installation of an exhibition sense – and yet you can’t help being Department for Culture, Media and Sport. space to outline the project. impressed by some of the things they The grant, facilitated by the DCMS’s Sea Nick Laister, chair of the Dreamland do to entertain you. From the magical Change scheme, will be used to restore Trust, said: “This proposal has the ability to fountains outside the Bellagio Hotel, a the rollercoaster, as well as helping to fund create an outstanding, 21st-century attrac- show every 30 minutes and the sinking the creation of the world’s fi rst amusement tion at Margate, capitalising on the resort’s of a full-size Galleon – all free to view. park exclusively comprising historic rides. unique heritage.” So what of the IAAPA Expo? Held for the fi rst time in Vegas, and in an expo centre that leaves something to be desired in terms of facilities and NVQ training for ease of use. However, when it comes to a show, IAAPA knows how it’s done. ride operators The show appeared to be smaller than usual, but there was no short- Staff at Crealy Great Adventure Park, age of exhibitors or visitors. There near Exeter, are among the fi rst in was a great range of exhibitors and the country to complete an NVQ in visitors can’t help but notice that just Mechanical Rides. about everything you might need in PRP Training of Pembrokeshire, The theatre will show the Skull Rock fi lm the attractions industry will be found South Wales, designed the NVQ to somewhere on the show fl oor. roll out across visitor attractions and 4D theatre for BALPPA members were there in theme parks in the UK. Land’s End attraction strength and we were able to hold Currently, three of Crealy’s Rangers our own get together one evening. have completed the NVQ and more Attractions operator Heritage Great Britain With the drinks costing £8 (US$12.45, have registered to take it in 2010. will open a 4D theatre at its Land’s End visi- %9) each, however, we were all quite The course covers all aspects of tor attraction in Cornwall. restrained in our consumption. mechanical ride responsibility, from Supplied by Simworx, the theatre, which That was my last show and, yes, I’ll opening and closing procedures to will be housed in an existing building at the miss it enormously – not just the show operational best practice. town, offers 3D imagery alongside special but the many friends I meet up with The park also announced that it has effects lighting and Simworx’s Dimensions every year. If you’ve never been and appointed contractors Michael Thorne 4D effects seats. The theatre will show the operate an attraction, try to make it to to undertake a £150,000 (US$234,000, Curse of Skull Rock fi lm and visitors will sometime. You won’t be disappointed. %170,500) project to rebrand its runa- sit in moving seats. Further effects include way mine train as Maximus, a Roman water spray, air blast, leg ticklers, aroma, Colin Dawson chief executive, BALPPA themed rollercoaster. low smoke and bubbles. 14 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT ZOO & AQUARIUM NEWS Monarto Zoo plans safari resort Monarto Zoo in South Australia is cur- rently seeking investors to develop Creatures at the new exhibit will include seahorses a safari experience in the Australian bush boasting both African and US$25m exhibit for Virginia Aquarium Australian wildlife, 4x4 tours, fi ne din- ing and overnight stays. Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Desert & Mediterranean Sea (featuring The 1,000-hectare zoo, which is Centre has recently opened its new seahorses, cuttlefi sh, cobras, scorpions located 70km from Adelaide, has US$25m (£14.9m, %18.3m) exhibit. and hedgehogs), Red Sea (featuring an acquired an additional 500 hectares Restless Planet, which took three years 8,000 gallon aquarium with live coral and a of land and, working with Zoos SA to build, boasts four immersive habitats, 100,000 gallon Red Sea Aquarium featur- and the South Australian Tourism dozens of new exhibitions and 110,000 gal- ing eagle rays, which have 6ft wingspans) Commission, plans to develop a sig- lons of new aquariums. and Indonesian Volcanic Island (featuring nature resort development. The four new habitats are: Malaysian Komodo dragons and Indonesian fi nches). “This presents a huge and exciting Peat Swamp (featuring snakehead fi sh, A special viewing area allows guests opportunity to do something totally Southeast Asian turtles, Malayan Leaf frog to crawl under the exhibit and up into an new and authentic,” said Professor and the rare Tomistoma crocodile), Coastal acrylic dome to see the animals up close. Chris West, CEO of Zoos SA. From the start of our company in 1910 we have been reputation of designing and producing exceptional quality, Hypsos is a global design and specialised in effective 3D communications that positively managed and delivered with care. We have a global fabrication company with 200+ influence the attitudes of our clients’ audiences. Today we perspective that brings new insights to both local and professionals working from are an international company creating content based multinational projects. We take advantage of the efficiency offices in5 different countries. exhibitions, world expo pavilions and visitor attractions. and flexibility of worldwide connections but we make sure the importance of a personal presence is never lost. As we have grown, we have taken on more of the unusual, the never-done-before, and have successfully built our Please visit www.hypsos.com or call us at +31 346 35 75 00. london / amsterdam / moscow / dubai / hong kong ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT WATERPARK NEWS Aleatha Ezra Green is key for The AUD$35m development will open in April 2011 park operators Adventure Waters park approved ven before the rise in popu- larity of “green” building and Plans for a AUD$35m (£19.2m, US$31.4m, Councillor Margaret Cochrane of Cairns E operational practices, water %21.4m) water park have approved h{} w Y y wzP j~{ z{{ { ~w leisure facilities in Europe have led the by councillors in Cairns, northern done all the work in the planning stages way in becoming green. Queensland, Australia. The park will be with respect to creating an environmentally For an example of this, look no fur- built at Smithfi eld, 12km north of the city. sound recreational facility with sensitivity to ther than Center Parcs – one of the Work on the Adventure Waters park is the surrounding agricultural land. leading family leisure brands with 17 planned to start in May this year with a _= y{ w z{{y { wz ~ w locations throughout Europe. Center completion date of April 2011. The plans will give it new life as a functioning, eco- Parcs’ energy and environmental include 16 water slides, a surf simulator, nomically viable and sustainable facility. The conservation focuses on several key pools and lagoons as well as restaurants, plans have been long in the making and it’s areas, including energy use, waste shops and function rooms. time to get on with creating the reality.” production and water use. And they are certainly not alone in their efforts to go green in Europe. Yet, there are still advances to be City council buys made and challenges to face both in Europe and the rest of the world. As Castaway Cove the industry continues to progress, here are several steps to keep in mind: Castaway Cove waterpark in Wichita © h{{ {w w wyy{ Falls, Texas, US is to be acquired by and identify any areas that are lacking the city council to erase the park own- when it comes to your overall environ- er’s US$4m (£2.6m, %3m) of debt. mental plan. Make adjustments when The park, which opened in 2004 at Proslide specialises in water rides and where they make sense. a cost of US$5.8m (£3.7m, %4.2m), © fxy{ {|| {}wD _| is owned by Castaway Cove Limited Chance Morgan and you achieve a special certifi cation or Partnership and operated by AMG, Proslide team up accreditation, make sure your local a California-based water park man- media and your customer knows agement and consulting fi rm. The Chance Morgan, manufacturer of amuse- about it – in print and online. 21.4-acre waterpark boasts 40,000sq ment rides and people movers, and © a{{ {w ~{ } z | ft (3,700sq m) of water areas and fea- ProSlide Technology, which specialises in the latest industry innovations made tures two slide towers, a lazy river, a the custom design and manufacturing of by suppliers and vendors. tidal wave pool, a sport pool, an inter- fi breglass water rides, have formed an alli- Being greener in daily operations active multi-level children’s play system ance with the CDS Group of Detroit. { ~w w x zD _= ~{ and a sand volleyball court. The move follows CDS having been com- means to fi nancial and environmental The council said in a report: “The missioned by various clients in Africa to longevity in a growing global market. operating data and pro forma shows design and develop amusement and water that the waterpark revenues can sup- park master plans. CDS is a consortium of Aleatha Ezra is the membership manager port its annual operating expenses international designers, planners, engi- of the World Waterpark Association and future capital replacement costs.” neers and equipment manufacturers. 16 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT GALLERY NEWS MoMA’s new tower gets the go-ahead Green light for £18m Belfast arts venue New York City Council has approved the Museum of Modern Art’s (MoMA) proposal A major £18m (US$28, %20.5m) arts for a new 82-storey tower. complex is set to open in Belfast in The 1,050ft (320m) mixed-use tower, 2011 after Northern Irish arts minister designed by architect Jean Nouvel, will be Nelson McCausland announced the located on West 53rd Street between Fifth start of construction work. and Sixth avenues, the same Manhattan The Metropolitan Arts Centre block on which the museum already has its (MAC), which will form part of St main exhibition area. A spokesperson for Anne’s Square in the city’s Cathedral MoMA said the museum will gain around Quarter, will replace the existing Old 40,000sq ft (3,716sq m) of new gallery Museum Arts Centre (OMAC) and pro- space, a 30 percent increase. vide a new space for theatre, dance The building plan also calls for 150 resi- and art. Facilities at the new complex dential apartments and 100 hotel rooms. will include two black box perform- A spokesman for the tower’s developer ance spaces with seating capacity for has said that no decision had been taken 120 and 350 spectators respectively, so far on when the project would get under a 1,000sq m (10,764sq ft) art gallery, way, or how long it would take to build. a box offi ce, two rehearsal areas, two The plan is not without its critics, who workshops as well as two white box point out that the structure – the height exhibition spaces. of which has been cut from the 1,250ft Resident company offi ces, a retail (381m) originally proposed – would dwarf unit, full back and front-of-house those buildings around it. facilities and a coffee shop will also be MoMA opened in November 2004, with included in the complex, as part of the architect Yoshio Taniguchi creating a series MAC, which will be delivered and man- of galleries and public spaces designed to aged by OMAC trustees. allow the museum to tell the story of mod- The Department for Culture, Arts ern and contemporary art in an entirely and Leisure has awarded £10.76m new context. Details: www.moma.org The structure will dwarf buildings around it ($16.78, %12.2m) towards the project. Expansion for Opening date set for Tokyo’s art museum St. Louis museum An opening date of 6 April 2010 has directorship of Akiya Takahashi – will been announced for the new Mitsubishi boast a total fl oor area of around 6,000sq The Saint Louis Art Museum in Ichigokan Museum located at the centre of m (65,000sq ft) and exhibition space Missouri, US is to undergo its fi rst the Japanese capital city Tokyo. amounting to about 800sq m (8,600sq major expansion in more than 20 The new museum will occupy the site ft). It will also feature a shop and a cafe. years. Designed by London-based of a three-storey, red brick, Queen Anne Details: www.mimt.jp architect David Chipperfi eld, the style building on Babasaki-dori Avenue, expansion – in excess of 200,000sq designed by British architect, Josiah ft (18,580sq m) – will provide new Conder. Originally completed in 1894 and galleries, public space, a 300-space subsequently demolished in 1968, the underground car park, as well as an building was the fi rst offi ce building in the entrance on Fine Arts Drive. city’s Marunouchi area, which is now part The project will result in a 30 per- of Tokyo’s fi nancial district. cent increase in the museum’s gallery The project has aimed to replicate the and public space, and will more than original building of the Meiji (October double its current parking capacity. 1868 – July 1912) and Taisho (July 1912 – As part of the project, the historic December 1926) periods by using parts of Cass Gilbert building will be improved, the original plans and materials. with 13,000sq ft (1,200sq m) of space Focusing on modern and contempo- renovated for permanent collection rary Western art from the mid-18th to galleries, education, and public use. 20th centuries, the museum – under the The museum will open in April AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 17 PROFILE Actors dressed as characters from the Harry Potter fi lms regularly perform at the castle Christian Perdrier Harry Potter must have lent reathtakingly beautiful gardens his interest was quickly heightened by the where visitors are actively encour- proposition. The castle and garden were, his wand to Christian Perdrier, B aged to walk on the grass and for the fi rst time, being amalgamated into for the new CEO of Alnwick a lovingly preserved 700-year-old castle, one destination and a single CEO was which is home to a certain Harry Potter, are being given sole responsibility for the two Castle and Alnwick Garden is the key attractions that Christian Perdrier sites instead of the traditional format of transforming the fi lm’s setting fell in love with when he visited Alnwick. He separate management teams. Making the admits he hadn’t heard of it initially though. attraction a bigger site puts the CEO in a into a destination. Kathleen “Where’s Alnwick?” was his reaction better position to talk to the tourism indus- Whyman hears how he plans to when fi rst approached for the role of CEO try and fulfi l the aim of becoming more of Alnwick Castle and The Alnwick Garden. than a local and regional attraction. attract tourists from around the And then, “‘Where’s Northumberland?’” “What appealed to me was the dual world and even turn Alnwick the Frenchman recalls. “When they told responsibility of a commercial affair with me it was near Newcastle, I said ‘OK’. the castle and a charity trust with the gar- into the UK’s version of Cannes Newcastle United was a nightmare for den,” Perdrier says. “It’s very rare, as 99 per French football teams 10 to15 years ago, cent of jobs are commercial. I’m covering so I know about the city.” everything from fi nances to marketing to Once Perdrier had established that the fundraising. We’re also creating a dynamic location was in the North East of England, around that to include the town and county and really put Alnwick on the map, so there are three components to the role, which is ABOUT ALNWICK CASTLE AND GARDEN even more unusual. And I always try and fi nd something unusual in the jobs I take.” Built in 1096, Alnwick Castle is the second largest inhabited castle in England, after Windsor Castle. Home of the Percy family for nearly 700 years and now the home of Mediaeval magic the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, Alnwick Castle is open to the public and It wasn’t just the role that attracted Perdrier, has been used as the location for many fi lms, including the famous Harry Potter fi lms. whose previous jobs have been senior The castle has magnifi cent spacious grounds designed by Capability Brown, magnifi - vice-president parks and security for both cent mediaeval towers, a 14th century dungeon, beautiful State Rooms with Italian Disneyland Resort Paris and Tatweer – a renaissance design, paintings by Canaletto, Van Dyck and Titian and there are various member of Dubai Holding, but the place museums covering the region’s military and archaeological history. itself. “The castle and garden are a beauti- The present Duchess of Northumberland initiated the establishment of The Alnwick ful product, they’re unspoiled,” he says. Garden adjacent to the castle in 2001. The 42-acre (17-hectare) garden belongs to a “Alnwick Castle is a place where you leave charitable trust and includes weirs and fountains, The Ornamental Garden with 15,000 the world of today behind and enter the plants, a 6,000 sq ft (560sq m) tree house complex, including a café, a poison garden, mediaeval world of yesterday, while the growing plants such as cannabis and opium poppy, a pavilion and a visitor centre, which garden enables you to experience and can hold up to 1,000 people and has a barrel-vaulted gridshell roof. appreciate nature through the seasons and your fi ve senses. When I came here I found 18 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 As well as enjoying the grounds and the castle itself, visitors can take part in activities such as archery, falconry and Magical History Tours a great mediaeval market town – the area’s on hotel development of the site and con- employees and directors into a strategy a sleeping beauty,” he continues. “It has struction will start soon with a completion – you’re the boss and they have to follow to wake up. I need to attract tourists to the date of two to three years. “Alnwick, as a because they’re paid to. When you talk to north east of England, which isn’t visited a destination, could be on the national map a community, it’s different. You can’t tell lot – most people go directly to Scotland – in three years and the European map in them they have to do something, they need and develop it from a place people visit for fi ve years,” he says confi dently. to believe in it and want to do it. That’s the a few hours to somewhere they’re going to Perdrier’s priority in achieving this is to most diffi cult part – convincing them they spend a few days.” understand the region and the residents. can do it. If there’s one thing I can bring Perdrier believes the greenery, land- “I’m French and coming to a remote area them, it’s the belief that it can be done.” scape and history make Alnwick and in the UK,” he points out. “I need to learn Perdrier’s been impressed by the Northumberland the perfect place to about the people and the Percy family enthusiasm and commitment of the locals. escape to from the city. “There’s huge [who have owned the castle for 700 years]. “Before I came here, many people said potential to attract tourists from London – I can’t do this alone, I need everyone who that the locals wouldn’t want to change this is the castle where Harry Potter was lives here to get involved.” Perdrier is the what they’ve been doing for 50 years, but fi lmed! And we have the gardens.” London fi rst to admit this is very different to any- I haven’t seen these people. Everyone I’ve to Alnwick is only three and a half hours; thing he’s done before. “Although it’s still met has been warm, open-minded and wel- the one drawback is the lack of hotels in people management, I’ve never had to coming. They basically said, ‘tell me what the area, but Perdrier has started discus- involve a town within a certain strategy,” you want and we’ll go for it’.” Their enthu- sions with different stakeholders to work he says. “It’s one thing to bring a team of siasm is being embraced and Perdrier’s AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 19 PROFILE training and developing the already excel- lent staff to ensure they’re on par with the international standard of tourism and service. Communication is a key factor in this and in getting the town stakeholders and private stakeholders to “be around the same table and pull in the same way”. Charity work Part of the role is to work for the gar- den’s charity trust, which has community programmes for families, elderly people, young people and teenagers to experience nature. This is an extremely important ele- ment of the role for Perdrier. “We’re born on the good side of the road and not every- one has that luck,” he says. “It’s important to think about those people and think ‘why them, why me?’ It could be the reverse.” Alnwick Garden’s tree house restaurant is the size of two Olympic swimming pools The Duchess of Northumberland, who resides in the castle, initially had the idea of creating a garden that would bring peo- Alnwick to be like a movie theatre,” he says. The castle has been the setting for many ple pleasure and lift their aspirations in “The movie has to be changed regularly to fi lms. Perdrier has plans to take advantage 2001. Her dream was to develop a beauti- make sure people keep coming back, but of this link by making Alnwick the Cannes ful setting that people could enjoy. Rather here people will be centre stage of the of the UK and hosting the fi rst worldwide than being told to keep off the grass, theme – it will surround them.” Themes will festival of special effects fi lms each year. they’re actively encouraged to walk on it include a blossom festival in April, music in “Cannes is a very small town, no one and to touch the fl owers. August, food in September and Christmas. knows where it is, but everyone’s heard The garden’s being developed in three To ensure Alnwick appeals to all ages of it because of the fi lm festival. Alnwick phases. The fi rst opened in 2001 and as a destination, focus groups have been could become like Cannes, but be the included one of the world’s largest tree set up to understand what different people festival for fi lms with special effects, such house restaurants covering 2,000sq ft want and how much they’re willing to pay. as Harry Potter. It’s the perfect location, (185sq m) and the second phase was com- Perdrier’s 12 years at Disney has proved as this is where those fi lms were made.” pleted in 2006. Fund raising is in process invaluable in this area. “Thirty years ago Perdrier is again drawing on his previous for the fi nal stage, which will include a tree there were three generations, now there experience and is liaising with contacts house play area and more gardens. are four or fi ve. When delivering a service at fi lm maker George Lucas’s company, The Duchess is involved with all creativity, or product, be it to children, teenagers, which does a large percentage of the spe- quality, service and delivery and Perdrier adults or elderly people, ask them what cial effects used in fi lms worldwide, about meets up with her twice a week to discuss they want,” he explains. “When we know the festival. “I can’t snap my fi ngers and developments. A new theme and storyline what interests them, we can provide it.” make it happen, but hopefully in three to each month is among Perdrier’s plans Something that’s of interest to most, four years we’ll have something,” he says. to encourage repeat visits. “I consider regardless of age, is Alnwick’s fi lm history. Changing roles Perdrier’s roles at Disneyland Resort ABOUT CHRISTIAN PERDRIER Paris, at Tatweer and now Alnwick have all been very different and he embraces that Hobbies How would you describe yourself? change. “I like to take on new challenges Sports, wine and meeting people. People, people, people-centric. in every job I do,” he says. “None of these Favourite food How would others describe you? roles have been more or less important. Chinese, Indian, French. Not British for Motivating and charismatic. It’s like when you have several children, What’s the best piece of advice sure – I didn’t come here for that! you can’t say you prefer one to the other, Favourite fi lm you’ve ever received? they’re all great. I had a fantastic time in Out of Africa. Every time I watch it, I cry. Be yourself and not what you think you Paris and Dubai and I’m sure I’m going to It’s a fantastic love story and to make should be. have a fantastic time in Alnwick.” What’s been your high point? people cry when it’s just a movie, that’s He’s also enthusiastic about each loca- something quite amazing. Joining Disney, the number one in the tions. “I really enjoyed myself in Paris. I was What drives you? world in terms of creating a story and working with the number one in the world The thrill of seeing the sparkle in delivering it to the public, was fantastic. in theme parks on storytelling and quality And the low point? someone’s eyes when they suddenly of service. Spending my nights with Minnie understand what I’m saying and realise When Minnie told me she’d only be with and doing the Goofy all day was great,” that they can actually do it. Mickey. That was very hard for me. he laughs. And Dubai? “Ah Dubai, Dubai, Dubai – the craziness of Dubai,” he smiles. 20 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2009 (Above) Fountains and weirs add to the beauty of The Alnwick Garden; (right) Alnwick Castle is the second largest inhabited castle in England “It didn’t last long, but the belief that noth- ing’s impossible, and it’s never big enough or too expensive is so interesting.” Having originally agreed to work for Tatweer for 10 years, Perdrier was disap- pointed when the contract came to an end after two years because of the fi nancial crisis. “When you’re part of something and suddenly, poof, they turn off the lights, it’s diffi cult,” he says, although there was one saving grace. “Coming from Burgundy, division in Paris. He stayed there for three lion tourists all over the world, in the 1990s it was a challenge living in a region that years before being asked to work at the it was 600 million. The World Tourism doesn’t have wine!” Perdrier believes that park. “You cannot resist Minnie [Mouse], Organisation is predicting that there will the current situation in Dubai isn’t that it’s impossible,” he laughs. “It was good to be more than one billion in three years and different to the rest of the world and, like work on the other side of the equation. The in 2020 there will be 1.6 billion tourists all other countries, they’re naturally putting hotel is a place for people to stay, but the over the world. So there’ll be a lot of peo- things on hold. “What they’re doing is nor- real heart of a destination is the attraction.” ple who will want to come, the problem will mal,” he says. “It’s more visible because His hospitality principles are still strong be delivering the service.” its been built on an image of a successful, and he believes staff quality and service This shouldn’t be a problem at Alnwick, charismatic place with a great vision. Many is the main issue in the attractions indus- as training’s an important part of Perdrier’s places are in the same situation as Dubai, try. “The job’s becoming complicated,” he remit to make the area a must-go destina- but no one talks about it. Many things in says. “It’s seven days a week and people tion. At present he doesn’t know exactly Dubai have stopped, but will start again. have to work weekends and late at night how long he’ll be with Alnwick, but is com- Maybe at a slower pace, but after a storm and in all weathers outside. It’s hard to mitted to completing the mission, however there’s always a blue sky. Problem is that attract people because they don’t want long it takes. “Although the mission will after a blue sky there’s always a storm so those types of jobs any more, they all want never end,” he adds. “When you’re devel- you have to be prepared for it.” to be managers in the offi ce. Training peo- oping a destination and creating jobs for ple to become autonomous and motivated, generations, you can’t ever say ‘that’s it, People person deliver a fantastic service and interact with I’ve fi nished’. This job doesn’t belong to As with Alnwick, working with people was customers is going to be very important in me, it’s a relay. I’m just carrying the baton the original appeal of the attractions indus- the future. People don’t just want to visit a for however long and will then pass it on.” try for Perdrier. After 20 years with hotel place, they want an experience.” One thing’s for sure, with Perdrier hold- company Accor, he joined Disney in 1994 Perdrier believes bringing tourists in will ing the baton, there’s no doubt it’ll be to be their vice-president for the hospitality be easy. “In the 1970s there were 250 mil- carried safely to the fi nishing line. ● AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 21 MYSTERY SHOPPER BREAKING THE MOULD? MADAME TUSSAUD’S OPENED ITS NINTH SITE IN HOLLYWOOD LAST SUMMER AND CLAIMS TO BE “THE HOLLYWOOD EXPERIENCE”. MARK HAYWARD OF BRC IMAGINATION ARTS TELLS US IF THE ATTRACTION’S WORTH WAXING LYRICAL ABOUT OR IF THE MODEL’S BELOW PAR Madame Tussaud’s red carpet entrance ollywood! The word itself conjures Entertainments purchased The Tussauds “Hollywood” experience. Other attractions up a universe of magic, drama Group in 2007 and subsequently oversaw include Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museum, H and celebrity. But, like most Los the development in conjunction with JR Kodak Theater, Hollywood Wax Museum Angelenos, I live in fear of out-of-town Miller & Associates and ROTO Architects. and Hollywood History Museum. guests who want to “see Hollywood.” How The total square footage of the attraction is The building was designed as a spec do you explain that most of what they 30,000 sq ft (3000 sq m). The total project project a decade ago by LA architect think they know of Hollywood is created in cost is published at $55M (£32.2m, %36.4). John Ash. Later, architect Michael Rotondi, dressing rooms, back lots, sound stages former Morphosis Architects founder, and secured location shoots? These LOCATION AND BUILDING signed on and helped rework the build- ephemeral places and characters exist for Unlike cities such as West Hollywood, ing into a series of colliding and fractured exquisite moments that are gone before Santa Monica and Beverly Hills, Hollywood forms incorporating rough industrial fi n- the lights fade to black. Star sightings in remains a part of the City of Los Angeles. ishes. The plan of the three-storey building LA are not uncommon, but there are no This has been one of the largest barriers to is U-shaped, wrapping around a plaza that guarantees. Or are there? realising Hollywood’s potential as a holistic opens onto Hollywood Boulevard. The fl ow visitor destination. Madame Tussaud’s is of the overall experience is generally good BACKGROUND located on Hollywood Boulevard’s Walk of despite a few awkward dead-end galleries Few attraction brands are more success- Fame. Developed in the 1920s and includ- and fl oor-grade transitions. ful or established than Madame Tussaud’s. ing landmarks such as Grauman’s Chinese The exterior plaza echoes the famous Tussaud’s infamous exhibitions of wax fi g- Theatre, Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre, and foot and handprint-laden court of the ures predated the founding of most public the El Capitan Theatre (now operated by adjacent Grauman’s Chinese Theatre that museums. Today, there are nine Madame The Walt Disney Company), the area has, receives an estimated seven million visitors Tussaud’s locations on three continents. after being very run down, experienced a a year. The contemporary character of the The agreement for the Hollywood public and private funded renaissance in building could have seemed out of place location was made in 2005. Merlin the past decade, offering a newly sanitised in the context of Old Hollywood’s revival Interacting with the wax fi gures, including Jamie Foxx, Justin Timberlake and Uma Thurman is a big part of the guest’s experience 22 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 MYSTERY SHOPPER Visitors can sit next to Steven Spielberg in Making Movies and meet the legends in Spirit of Hollywood, including Ingrid Bergman architecture. But the architects have cre- Storm Troopers to ated an inviting pedestrian-friendly building Captain Jack Sparrow for Hollywood’s newest attraction. to Sponge Bob. The austere design of THE OFFER the Tussaud’s façade An audio track promotes the experience focuses attention on as, “The world’s most exciting and immer- the bold and simple sive celebrity experience.” The promise of exterior graphics. A this claim is delivered through 18 themed large-scale exterior zones spread over three fl oors. Staff mem- LED screen activates bers are positioned throughout to engage the plaza with motion guests and photograph them posing with and colour. Marilyn many of the more iconic fi gures. Monroe, mounted on a What they chose not to show seems rolling platform, can be just as important as what they do show. moved into the plaza The focus is pure celebrity – pop icons, to lure potential guests with a preview and actors, fi lmmakers and sports super- window shoppers with a free photo oppor- stars. You’ll fi nd one politician, President tunity. Two glazed showcase galleries Barack Obama, but you won’t fi nd any protrude from the second and third stories historical fi gures or Tussaud’s classics like of the façade and draw the eye upward. the Chamber of Horrors. The phrase wax These galleries feature limited engage- museum is de-emphasised in favour of ment specialty fi gures, currently the Jonas messages that reinforce interactivity, emo- Brothers and Ironman. tion and open access to the fi gures. DESIGN AND LAYOUT ACCESS AND SIGNAGE In typical Tussaud’s fashion, the produc- Hollywood Boulevard is a cacophony tion value of the fi gures and environments of advertising signage, tour promot- is very high quality, utilising stylised ers, celebrity look-alikes and costumed environmental graphics, theatrical light- street performers ranging from Imperial ing, projected media, set pieces, props, AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 23 TITLEMYSTERY SHOPPER touch-screen interactives, music and Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, charges comparable to the many other sound effects to vignette each fi gure. Staff Britney Spears and Beyoncé wait to meet parking structures in the area. The Metro members capture digital images of guests visitors in the A-list party room Red Line subway station is one block away. with key iconic fi gures at strategic points along the way. These images are available habit to pose with Whoopie Goldberg. In THE VERDICT for purchase at the exit or can be accessed Making Movies, you can help Quentin The draw for tourists is clear. Guests are online using a code on your ticket stub. Tarantino compose his next shot or have guaranteed an up-close and personal a seat in the director’s chair to consult encounter with some of the biggest stars THE EXPERIENCE with Steven Spielberg. In the American ever. Even the most jaded Hollywood The journey begins with an offi cial photo- Idol zone, guests can sing karaoke while insider couldn’t resist sharing breakfast op with President Barack Obama. From their friends sit next to Simon Cowell and with Audrey Hepburn or receiving an offer there guests ascend a ramp to the Red judge the performance. One of my favour- you can’t refuse from Marlon Brando. Carpet zone where, under a strobe of ite moments was in the Awards Ceremony I made the mistake of going through the camera fl ashes, Joan Rivers asks: “Who zone when you can take a seat in the audi- experience by myself. The eerily lifelike are you wearing?”, then an elevator takes ence next to Jack Nicholson. quality of the fi gures coupled with the “up guests to the third fl oor. In the Behind the Scenes zone, Beyoncé close and personal” access makes for a Emerging from the lift you enter the larg- Knowles takes you through the step-by- fun experience that’s best enjoyed with est of the thematic zones, the A-List Party. step process of creating one of Tussaud’s others. I probably had more fun watching The environment is a Hollywood nightclub amazingly life-like fi gures. Here you also other guests than I did just on my own. The complete with fl ashing lights, disco balls meet the youthful fi gure of Marie Tussaud fi gures inspire playful social interactions and dance music. Celebrities like Beyoncé, and learn about her life in the court of and all the galleries benefi t from the activ- Elton John and Michael Jackson are posed Louis XVI. There’s a facilitated activity area ity of lots of guests interacting with them. performing. Guests are invited to join the where staff help guests make a simple wax Timing is everything. The economics action and strike a pose as if they’re in a mould of their hand as a souvenir. of the last year have put a great deal of duet. Other super-stars, such as George pressure on even the most established Clooney and Jennifer Aniston are casually RETAIL AND AMENITIES Hollywood attractions – and everywhere seated or standing, so guests can pose The exit retail space features a station else for that matter. It’s a tough time to be with them like old friends. where photos taken can be viewed and launching any new leisure business. The Guests can take an elevator or stairs ordered. These images can be purchased Tussaud’s brand needs to establish itself down to the second fl oor. The stairwells as prints or incorporated into a variety of and justify the added value of its ticket, throughout the building are treated with souvenirs such as magnets and key chains. which is roughly twice the price of most bold super graphics. At several points, There’s an ample selection of Tussaud’s area attractions. In the long run, the quality guests in wheelchairs are required to use Hollywood-branded merchandise in the of the attraction, coupled with Tussaud’s lifts between fl oor-grade changes. shop as well as general Hollywood souve- operational expertise should prove a win- In the Spirit of Hollywood zone guests nirs. Tussaud’s features only a small snack ning formula for the newest attraction on can pose with classic stars such as Charlie bar on the second fl oor. This comes as no Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. ● Chaplin and Marlene Dietrich. They are surprise given the number and variety of then led through a sequence of immersive restaurants in the immediate vicinity. WHAT’S THE SCORE thematic zones including Westerns, Crime, The restrooms were clean and well main- Action Heroes and Sports. tained. They featured graphics that showed SCORES OUT OF 10 One highlight occurs in Modern Classics life-sized silhouettes of selected stars and Toilets 8 when Charlton Heston parts a video Red toilet stalls themed like dressing rooms. Staff 8 Sea projected on the fl oor. A somewhat The restrooms were equipped with chang- Cleanliness 10 jarring sequence involves posing with a ing tables and other family-friendly features. Experience 8 shovel next to Steve McQueen, tempt- Parking in the neighbourhood is legen- Value for Money 7 ing the young Dustin Hoffman with “your” darily bad. There’s a subterranean parking Overall Experience 8 stockinged leg and then donning a nun’s structure underneath the museum with 24 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Gamma LeisurePOS MEMBERSHIP gamma dataware Complete business solutions Modular integrated management information systems for visitor attractions, museums, heritage sites and ADMISSIONS RETAIL CATERING BOOKINGS ACCOUNTS theme parks Gamma Dataware Limited Gamma LeisurePOS provides visitor attractions of all types and sizes with a complete end-to-end operational management system from admissions to back office reporting, analysis and accounting. The system’s modular approach allows operators to implement any combination of modules to meet their specific requirements. While the integration between modules ensures that operators can easily produce cross departmental reports such as visitor spend analysis. LeisurePOS modules include: Admissions and Ticketing Bookings and Event Management Membership Retail and Catering Point of Sale Stock Control Purchase Order Processing Mail Order Gift Aid Integrated Chip and PIN Web Interfaces Gamma Dataware Ltd Accounting and Payroll Wright Business Centre Reporting and Back Office Management 1 Lonmay Road Glasgow LeisurePOS options include: G33 4EL = #,4(.(55$0'4(/16(+$0'+(.' !70,65 Telephone: +44 (0)141 773 6273 = ",&-(65$.(5$0'&1..(&6,10-,15-5 $: = (/1*4$2+,&'$6$&$2674( +44 (0)141 773 6283 = !+,2$0' )141))5,6(5$.(5 E-mail: = 19(%64$05$&6,10)((5 [email protected] = "+($64(1: )),&(5$.(5 Bertazzon 3B SRL, 31020 Sernaglia (treviso) Italy Phone +39.0438.966291 Fax +39.0438.966165 E-mail: [email protected] www.gammadata.com AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 25 SHOW REVIEW IAAPA 2009 An air of optimisim dominated the IAAPA – International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions – Expo 2009. Held in Las Vegas last November, Kathleen Whyman asks some of the attendees about their experience at the show on hold and the attractions industry was facing very uncertain C 26 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Visitors to the 2009 show experienced a feeling of optimisim about the industry and saw a lot of smiling faces the experience depends on your point of view. For those experienc- 9F9IF> a number of sessions that touched on this rapidly growing and :?@G:C<8IP complex issue, which were heavily attended. Online registration J\e`fim`Z\gi\j`[\ek#GXcXZ\ continues to grow exponentially for IAAPA, which I believe is refl ec- AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 27 SHOW REVIEW 89FLK@88G8)''0 Preliminary estimates indicate 24,000 people, including approxi- mately 14,700 buyers, from 108 nations, participated in the IAAPA Attractions Expo 2009. It was the fi rst time the 91-year-old Expo had been held in Las Vegas. IAAPA Attractions Expo is the world’s largest conference and trade show for the attractions industry. It’s owned and produced by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) and serves as the market- place for amusement parks and attractions industry leaders, decision- makers and visionaries who gather to network, view the latest innova- IAAPA president Charlie Bray and 2009 IAAPA tions and plan for the future. chair Darrell Metzger open the show in Vegas Æ>C'%%.DE:G6IDGHA:6GC:9L=6II=:NC::9ID9DIDHJGK>K:6C9EGDHE:G>CI=>H :8DCDBN#I=:G:L6H6CJE7:6IIDC:6I>66E6L=:G:BDHIE:DEA:;:AII=6IE:G=6EH I=:A><=I6II=::C9D;I=:IJCC:AL6HCDI6IG6>C8DB>C<6II=:BÇ8=>E8A:6GN ;8II We took IAAPA to Las Vegas this year so our participants As with each IAAPA expo we attend, our goals for 2009 were could experience the world-class entertainment offered by to connect with both potential and current clients, learn the city and to make the Expo more accessible to industry profes- about new technologies and techniques, meet with current or sionals on the West Coast and in Asia. I think the strategy paid potential suppliers and learn about trends in the industry through off. We were very pleased with the number of attendees, espe- formal sessions and informal conversations with our peers. cially given the concerns over the economy. Plus, we saw marked The expo and its location attracted a strong number of potential increases in attendance from fi rst-time attendees, the West Coast, and existing clients. The sessions we attended were very informative and from people outside the United States. I think those statistics and the events provided plenty of networking opportunities. We were illustrate taking the show to Las Vegas was a good decision. pleased with the fl oor traffi c in the exhibit hall and the number of The issue for our operators is fi guring out the best way to adjust new contacts that we met. It was a good change of pace to have the their business models in these tough economic times. The exhibit conference in Las Vegas. In addition to the multitude of themed envi- fl oor featured some innovative new products to help drive revenue ronments and attractions to see, the city provides a nice atmosphere and save expenses. Manufacturers and suppliers are faced with with plenty of energy and excitement. Given that we’re all in the the challenge of penetrating new markets, such as museums and leisure industry, it was great to experience this fi rsthand.● casinos. This is where they’ll fi nd much of their future business. In 2008, the mood at IAAPA was quite reserved. People were concerned about the economy and its impact on business. That @88G8)'(' uncertainty made people generally hesitant – hesitant to invest in new Venue: Orange County Convention Center, products and hesitant about how to adjust their business plans. In Orlando, Florida, USA 2009 there was a noticeable sense of optimism throughout all aspects Conference: Monday - Friday, November 15-19, 2010 of the show, from the social events, to the education sessions, to the Trade Show: Tuesday - Friday, November 16-19, 2010 show fl oor itself. People are starting to see some light at the end of Information about exhibiting or attending is available at the tunnel of economic concerns and that infl uenced the over- www.IAAPA.org/IAAPAAttractionsExpo all mood at the show. I saw a lot of smiling faces! 28 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 TALKING POINT everybody’s talking about IS NOW THE RIGHT TIME FOR PLANETARIUMS INVESTMENT? QAdvances in technology, such as the development into large format fi lm, enable planetariums to compete with large format fi lm distributors. So, is this the right time for them to upgrade? Should operators invest now or will there be newer, even more cutting-edge technology coming out soon which will quickly date their investment? Kathleen Whyman asks the experts make sense to see what might bilities that improve visual performance. E & S DIGITAL be coming just over the horizon? Strangely enough, the planetarium market THEATER The truth is we can never be sure has migrated to digital capability sooner what’s coming next, but comput- than the IMAX/giant screen industry has. Michael Daut, director of show ers can be upgraded and future Many of the giant screen folks are still a production/marketing software updates can be easily fi lm-based 15/70 or 8/70 market and while installed. Sometimes the cost of newer movies will have digital versions waiting is greater than the cost of available, the installed base is fi lm. here’s never been a better time to having this amazing medium in your hands Digital planetariums have the capability consider a digital fulldome theatre/ right now. With so much content and such to show digital movies. Advancements in T digital planetarium for your facility. a dynamic and powerfully immersive can- technology aren’t needed. Today’s dome Advances in video projection technology, vas using state-of-the-art video projection, requires 4K x 4K resolution, which is avail- in terms of resolution and contrast, have digital fulldome theatres represent the able in multi-channel solutions. Attaining allowed fulldome image quality that now ultimate medium for surrounding audi- 4K x 4K with only one device isn’t expected rivals giant screen fi lm theatres. ences with images and sounds. Viewers to happen for the foreseeable future and New technology introduced by Evans & are effectively transported directly into the when it does, 4K x 4K will no longer be Sutherland (E&S) opens the door for giant experiences on the screen. good enough. The digital infrastructure for screen fi lms to play in digital fulldome thea- playback of uncompressed video tres and the availability of original fulldome already exists. programming is at an all-time high, dra- GLOBAL Technology life will always have matically expanding the choice of shows to IMMERSION limitations. While display technol- play on the dome. ogy may be serviceable for up to 10 Alan Caskey, Giant screen fi lms and original program- years, practically speaking, an oper- sales director, ming for fulldome theatres are abundant. ator should plan on a four- to six-year Americas Digital planetarium systems, such as horizon for technology upgrades, Digistar 4, allow audiences to travel driven by visitor expectations. through space in a 3D universe fi lled with Digital cinema technology is now proven Technology is an evolution, not a revolu- galaxies, stars, planets and moons, letting and digital capability is in every cineplex. tion. We advise our clients not to wait for them explore the universe with a fl exibility Over time, the fi lm-based theatres will the latest cutting-edge technology for two and immediacy never before possible. almost certainly change to a digital solution. main reasons. Firstly, cutting-edge technol- Of course, the big question is when to The future advancements in projec- ogy imposes inherent risk and secondly, implement this exciting technology in your tion technology will revolve around higher the typical visitor to institutional theatres theatre. Given the number of advance- resolution and brightness, lower cost wants a cutting-edge experience, which is ments in the last few years, doesn’t it illumination and technological capa- already possible with today’s technology. 30 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 PICTURE: WWW.CLAIRETOPLIS.COM PICTURE: Is now the right time for planetarium operators to upgrade? Email [email protected] mainstream content. Planetariums Our problem was, which to choose? In SKY SCAN want to keep their unique nature 2008 we visited other planetariums, took Marcus Weedle, and not merely become giant- note of the latest trends and tested several marketing director screen theatres. Planetariums manufacturer’s projectors. We had a lim- with great real-time content offer ited budget, so the cost of the installation something that no video pro- and ownership was a driving force. But, duced months or years prior can with an in-house production team, perform- do, which is to stay up-to-date ance couldn’t be seriously compromised, It’s a great time to upgrade in our opinion and offer an interaction with the audience. as it’s their home demonstration system. and many customers seem to agree. There’s a real value there that customers Ultimately we agreed with our prelimi- Providing giant-screen quality in digital are now forced to balance against show- nary research that the PD performance is no longer a “when?” question. The tech- ing linear videos. So we’re seeing the was superior for our application and nology is improving constantly, but we’re technology fade as the biggest factor and selected the PD F32 as our projectors. getting tens of thousands of lumens on the content becoming the most important. So This is a single chip DLP projector, but its screen at 4K and 8K resolution. We just the question then becomes, what are you main strength is that it can be specifi ed demonstrated Sony’s latest projector, the going to show on the screen? with different colour wheels. In our case, T420, which puts out 21,000 lumens. Do one optimised for producing good that with two or six projectors and you’re contrast and black levels albeit looking at a very bright, high-resolution pic- NATIONAL SPACE at lower ultimate brightness. This ture. 3D stereos also taking hold – we’ve CENTRE, UK is the PD VisSIM option typically installed a Defi niti 3D 8K in Macao that has used for night time fl ight simula- Graham Law, higher resolution and is brighter than giant- head of tors and proved very capable. screen fi lm, with 3D. Sites with older 70mm technical services We teamed up with Global systems have gone to digital-only, such as Immersion (GI) to colour match Heureka, the Finnish Science Centre. the units. They supplied the For 2010, we expect the Sony T420 to be We upgraded our system in 2009 as our mechanical blending masks to blend one of the brightest projectors at 21,000 circa 2000 Electrohome CRT Fulldome pro- DLPs, but in all other respects we installed lumens. While projectors are in the works jection system needed replacing, primarily ourselves with our own design and manu- at higher resolution, we expect them to be due to ageing tubes, high maintenance facture of the projector mounts and blend in the 5,000-20,000 lumen range. If you and a lack of performance by today’s mask frames. GI also confi rmed by CAD need more today, say 30,000-plus lumens, standards. The backend system was, and some of our home grown calculations you can get it from multiple projectors. is, an E&S D3, which we considered to be when it came to lens selection and pro- The real issues are getting the price still serviceable and capable of feeding a jector positioning. We’d never previously down for customers who are showing less higher resolution to a new projection array. attempted such an upgrade on our own. ● AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 31 THEME PARK DESIGN MORE DASH LESS CASH In the current climate, theme park operators need to be careful with local hotels and offer guests a pack- age. But do something special with it. with their cash while still providing something new to ensure My second recommendation is to focus visitors keep coming back. Kathleen Whyman asks designers, on your identity and market that. Parks with a clear identity can do this more eas- architects and operators how this can be achieved within budget ily. Think of Efteling – the fairy tale forest is the soul of Efteling. The only attractions they’ve added in recent years have been ROUSE YOUR SLEEPING ASSETS small additions supporting the core theme, BRC Imagination Arts BV while marketing has reinforced the connec- Bart Dohmen, managing director, The Netherlands tion the Dutch have with the fairy tale forest. My third piece of advice is to think It’s interesting to look at recommendations clear vision of who you are and what you outside the box when it comes to exist- of how operators can refresh their offer do, then deliver on that promise. Great ing assets. How can you leverage them, on a budget at a time when many claim examples of these include Efteling, The put them to work and make them better to have record attendance numbers. This Netherlands, Plopsaland, Belgium, and or more available? Can you extend your implies everything’s going well, but there’s Puy de Fou, France. Attractions like these opening times by doing something extra? something behind these high attendance offer psychological comfort during a crises, Where are your sleeping assets that can be numbers – most have been achieved by as visitors feel comfortable and looked roused and put to work? Thinking this way lowering entrance prices or other forms of after in these environments. led to the development of the successful discounting. This begs the question, what Also at work here is the staycation trend. Winter Efteling celebrations. does 25 per cent more people paying 25 A perfect example is Europapark, Germany, These three recommendations may per cent less do for your profi t margin or which offers a short stay in a hotel or bun- require more thinking and work than the the costs of maintenance and operation? galow with unlimited access to the theme usual off-the-shelf quick fi x, but they build Some attractions, however, achieved park. According to news articles, during long-term value and a stronger brand. Also, improved numbers without special pro- a crises people take a short vacation and never forget that off-the-shelf solutions motions, so what did they do differently? stay in their own area. My fi rst budget are easily copied, which hurts, rather than The answer is in the basics of business recommendation takes advantage of this helps, your competitive advantage. Be your- – distinguish yourself from the rest with a trend – if you don’t have a hotel, partner self, be original and do it with courage.” “HOW CAN YOU LEVERAGE Attractions that deliver on their promise, such as Efteling, offer visitors comfort as YOUR EXISTING ASSETS, they feel looked after PUT THEM TO WORK AND MAKE THEM BETTER? CAN YOU EXTEND YOUR OPENING TIMES? WHERE ARE YOUR SLEEPING ASSETS THAT CAN BE ROUSED AND PUT TO WORK?” 32 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 HARNESS THE POWER OF THE MOVIES DreamWorks Animations SKG Joel Ward, head of theme park & location based entertainment As most parks have learned, one of the most effective ways to create low cost entertainment value and drive incremen- tal attendance is through seasonal events. A way to one-up this strategy is to tie that event to a popular entertainment brand, particularly upcoming fi lm releases. DreamWorks Animation has used sea- sonal promotional campaigns at theme parks since our company started in 1994. Programmes with parks have helped to launch our most successful franchises: Shrek, Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda. Ocean Park in Hong Kong has used our fi lms to create fantastic entertainment. The Entertainment tied in with fi lms, such as characters, stories and settings from the Madagascar benefi t from visitor fi lms provide a wealth of material that have recognition and the fi lm’s marketing been brought to life through games, activi- ties, character interactions and even live delivers characters and stories they already re-enactments of entire scenes. know and like. For the park, it’s at a rela- The environments in a fi lm are perfectly tively low cost with high marketing value. suited to walk-through attractions, parades, The marketing for the fi lm at a location character programmes, street shows or dedicated to fun encourages more people even themed overlays on existing playlands to see the movie. It’s a win all around. and rides. By using some of the same Seasonal entertainment becomes a infrastructure that a park builds for special great test environment to discover if the events, such as Halloween, then creating fi lm and characters could fi nd a permanent content to reach the family demographic, home in the park. When the original Shrek it’s possible to put together a fantastic fi lm opened, Universal Studios theme experience with minimal capital investment. parks created a street show based on the Using a fi lm for seasonal programmes movie, which ultimately led to the highly provides tremendous marketing value for a successful Shrek 4D attraction. park. Movies released at key holiday peri- The power of a strong brand is a proven ods have advertising campaigns that hit way to bring in additional revenue, whether extremely hard, creating maximum aware- it’s for toothpaste, a Broadway musical or ness for a fi lm’s opening. By connecting a theme park attraction. Using a fi lm brand park entertainment to that brand, aware- to create strong guest entertainment pro- ness comes at the same peak periods vides an exciting, fresh experience without Ocean Park in Hong Kong has when parks are looking for attendees. the costs involved in creating and market- created entertainment from fi lms For the guest, the added entertainment ing something from scratch. including Kung Fu Panda AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 33 EXHIBITION DESIGN BRAND IMAGE Kraftwerk Markus Beyr, managing director There are many opportunities to refresh existing attractions in a theme park. Media based attractions are the easiest genre to keep current by just updating the content. Changing fi lm content is easy for screens where the format is 16:9 and many fi lms are available for 3D and 4D theatres. For attractions that don’t have a fi xed theme and need refreshing, I recommend branding. Is there a local IP (intellectual Kraftwerk’s 4D seats enable visitors property) which is famous in your country, to get completely involved with the show but perhaps isn’t big globally? It could be a tv series, a movie, a children’s character the branded characters, which is played The latest refurbishment I’ve worked on or even a music band or song – anything to guests during the ride through small is for Futuroscope in France. It’s an exist- that’s timeless and fi ts in with the style of speakers inserted into each coaster seat. If ing Imax dome theatre with four 25-seater your attraction could work. Licensing the done well, with a story that fi ts and is dra- motion platforms. Luc Besson created a rights shouldn’t be too expensive. matically and artistically presented, it can specialised ride version of his Arthur 2 For long established brands, you don’t enhance the experience tremendously. movie and we designed 4D seats and cre- need to obtain licensing rights, as they can Technical add ons are often a clever ated some exciting new 4D effects, such be freely used 70 years after the death of solution to refresh existing attractions. The as Spiderweb, which gets people very the IP owner. Famous brand uses are tales implementation of video or sound can involved during the show – at one point such as 1001 nights, the Brothers Grimm’s improve your visitors’ experience. I’ve we simulate a spider striking the face of fairy stories and Dracula. For example, a worked a lot in this area to create innova- the guests. It was great to develop this theme park operator could link an exist- tive technical solutions in the last 10 years. attraction with the creative people from ing famous brand to a roller coaster and There’s also an upcoming demand for Futuroscope. Arthur 4D is a completely obtain the rights or take a discontinued implementation of new technologies, such new themed attraction, but almost eve- IP. They then create a themed pre-show as interactivity or human RFID tracking into rything that was in the main show before, plus a customised sound track relating to existing attractions. besides the media, could be reused. attraction should be consistent, colourful building and embellished it to create a fun PIMP YOUR RIDES and, most of all, true to its theme. place people want to visit. Jora Vision Achieving this doesn’t necessarily Attractions searching for family orien- Jan Maarten de Raad, require a large investment. Jora Vision’s tated entertainment could consider our CEO and Park Check-up© is available for leisure Magical Minigolf©. We’ve transformed company founder destinations such as theme parks. This this traditional game into a sensory expe- service includes a check-up of facades, rience where everything the guest sees, We have three specialist products for cre- park signage, street furniture and fencing does, hears and even smells contributes ating new and innovating attractions with to attract visitors. We’ll examine the opera- to a story. At Molenheide in Belgium’s limited budgets. tor’s existing elements then give advice Forgotten Mine, we used a themed envi- Usually an obsolete ride means you on how to enhance them and create an ronment, interactives, startling surprises, have to invest a considerable amount of extraordinary world to dazzle visitors. At sound-effects, scents and animatronics to money to remove that ride and build a Cinemagic Drievliet, we took a fairly basic create the Minigolf of the future! new one. We’ve developed a method of upgrading an existing ride with our Pimp my Ride product, which uses an existing ride system to create a completely new experience for your guests and immerse them in a story complete with sound and special effects. One example of this is the Monorail at Drievliet park in Holland, which we transformed, while retaining the original, basic structure. People visit parks to explore new places. This should be a thrilling journey, in which they leave everyday life behind. To fully immerse visitors in this new world, the Cinemagic Drievliet was transformed into a more interesting place to visit by Jora Vision 34 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Artists impressions of ‘an ecological adventure’ which will be a refi t of an existing area at Gold Reef City, Johannesburg, South Africa by Ray Hole Reassuringly, during this reces- FOCUS ON QUALITY sion, attraction loyalists and Ray Hole Architects potential new visitors still want to Ray Hole, have quality leisure experiences. managing director Therefore, those attractions that maintain or indeed expand their At the beginning of 2009 we had an offer during this period will attract unprecedented set of circumstances which more attention and capture a were very different to those that had con- large part of the visitor market. fronted any of us before. Indeed, the end Any new product that can be quarter of 2008 presented such an oppo- implemented immediately or at site context to the previous nine months of least be shown to be ‘coming the year that it appeared (almost) confus- soon!’ will promote a heightened ing and hence unnerving for us all – not sense of optimism, ambition and least by the rapid onset of the economic commercial robustness. diffi culties that now affect most of the glo- Attention can also be given bal and home economic markets. during this period to overdue Our projects in 2009 obviously devel- maintenance and base level investment that faced us in 2008 will continue. In par- oped within the extraordinary economic in the core assets of the attraction. Often ticular, the volatile international currency context unfolding throughout the year. We these are overlooked when times are good exchange market will make the importing believe this has had an important infl uence when the focus is on maintaining growth and exporting of goods and services a on our thinking, perhaps more than at any and increasing profi ts. mixed bag of winners and losers. Pegging other time in our professional lives. A new term has also been coined to exchange rates through appropriate insur- So, how do you make sense of an eco- refl ect one positive domestic tourism mar- ance policies may be a necessary on-cost, nomic picture that still remains unclear. ket symptom of the recession – staycations. but may protect the contract value. Where business commentators give only Operators that can bring to market and In conclusion, 2010 will be a year of generic predictions and ‘end 2008’ data deliver a quality and enhanced visitor expe- strategy and tenacity. Our mixture of UK and the normal rules no longer exist? rience will benefi t from this (albeit probably and overseas activities will continue to be With the very limited liquidity currently temporary) reaction to the cost of overseas diverse enough to navigate a sustainable available, presenting a coherent business travel and the poor exchange rates cur- path through the recession. Our mixture of case is critical. Therefore, the cyclic rela- rently available in many destinations. projects will be as enjoyable as ever and tionship between optimal capital required For those, like us, who work both in the we aim to introduce our unusual brand for a project and the assured revenue UK and internationally, particularly in the of design and process to a much broader streams that service it must be close. emerging economies, the global issues market. Good luck to everyone in 2010. ● AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 35 MOVIES HT RDT UIESLSUISHLYODPHOTO CREDIT: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD PHOTO CREDIT: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD Costumes from The Mummy, Elizabeth, Seabiscuit and 9DJ7A:7>AA9DJ7A:7>AA The Blues Brothers, “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” said Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca. He may have been talking to his co-star, but he could well have been predicting the relationship between fi lm and attractions. In the fi rst of a new series looking at movies within attractions, Kathleen Whyman talks to the creators of two museums dedicated to the fi lm industry The NBC Universal Experience, Hollywood JOHN MURDY, CREATIVE DIRECTOR earning about the history of fi lm in a studio that dates back L to the birth of movies is the premise for The NBC Universal Experience. Part of Universal Studios Hollywood, the two-year-old museum showcases artefacts from the studio’s fi rst Oscar-winning fi lm in 1930, All Quiet on the Western Front, right through to 2009 fi lms Public Enemies, Milk and Frost Nixon. “Universal has such a rich movie history in LA,” says creative director John Murdy. “There’s an incredible wealth of movie history and props, costumes and artefacts the public’s never seen before.” Costume drama The fi rst half of the exhibit, Onscreen, displays costumes and props Exhibit of Universal’s long history as a working movie studio used in fi lms. Behind The Scenes reveals the designs and tech- nologies that go into making a movie. This includes an extensive Murdy would like to display more but doesn’t have the space. collection of early movie cameras and pre-cinema devices, which “You think miniatures would be small, but they’re getting bigger pre-date projectors, some going back to the mid-1800s. all the time,” he laughs. “Peter Jackson, the director of King Kong, The exhibition has approximately 100 pieces on display, renamed them bigiatures. The castle from Van Helsing is 20ft (6m) which change every few months to make the most of the exten- tall. The Saturn rocket in the launch sequence from Apollo 13 is sive archive. Costumes come from fi lms including Mamma Mia, also 20ft tall. I’d love to showcase them but they’re too large.” Elizabeth – the Golden Age and The Blues Brothers plus Johnny Depp’s John Dillinger wardrobe from Public Enemies. Among Oscar winner the props are Gregory Peck’s briefcase and glasses from To Kill The key attraction is Universal’s best picture Oscar that was won a Mockingbird, the communicator ET phoned home with and for The Sting. “We’ve all seen Oscars on tv, but never up close,” Norman Bates’ taxidermy owl from Psycho. In Behind the Scenes, says Murdy. “For a lot of people that’s a big thrill. ” visitors can see the original concept drawings for Bruce – the great For Murdy, the big thrill was discovering the artefacts, many of white shark from Jaws, dinosaur maquettes from Jurassic Park, Jim them decades old. “It’s gratifying that all these items survived,” Carrey’s prosthetics from The Grinch and a miniature DeLorean says Murdy. “Movie studios never used to think props or cos- [the car modifi ed into a time machine] from Back to the Future. tumes would mean anything to the public, so they were recycled or 36 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 PHOTO CREDIT: DIZDAR LARISA ON BEHALF OF THE MOVIEUM Superman’s iconic costume was donated to the London Film Museum by The Prop Store of London destroyed. We worked with the archives and collections depart- A classic example of this is Jaws,” he continues. “It was the movie ment to retrieve what we could. It was like detective work. We found that launched the summer blockbusters and one of the biggest some old crates in a warehouse at Universal that weren’t part of movies of all times. In researching the fi lm we unearthed stories the archive,” he recalls. “We opened them up and saw the props about how problematic the shark was and have all the mechani- from All Quiet on the Western Front, Errol Flynn’s sword and Shirley cal drawings and designs. In the exhibits you can see what they Temple’s teddy bear. It was a treasure trove of our movie history.” were trying to do with these special effects that the whole picture was riding on. The shark had been tested in LA in fresh water. Shark attack But where they were fi lming – on the East Coast of America – is As part of Universal Studios, the museum is open to all visitors to salt water. When they put the shark in the salt water, it sank to the the park, but Murdy is still very pleased with the number of visitors, bottom of the ocean on the very fi rst day. As a result of the shark “safe to say millions”, and the length of time they spend there. malfunctioning, Steven [Spielberg] got creative. He was three times “Each display area has an interactive video kiosk providing over schedule and wildly over budget so he used his camera to details about the display and behind the scenes stills,” explains be the shark. You don’t see the shark until 45 minutes into the fi lm Murdy. “We went through 20,000 images and researched all the because it wasn’t working, but building up the suspense made it movies to come up with the most thorough information for visitors. the classic fi lm it is today, even though it was an accident. London Film Museum JONATHAN SANDS, CEO, ECM INTERNATIONAL he iconic Rank gong is the fi rst thing visitors see as they T walk down the red carpet at the London Film Museum. Nostalgic and instantly recognisable, it’s part of movie his- tory. But history isn’t the attraction’s main aim, as Jonathan Sands, CEO of operator ECM (London) Limited, is quick to point out. “The collection celebrates the people behind the camera as well as the fi lms themselves,” he explains. “It’s dedicated to all aspects of the fi lm industry in the UK and illustrates that there’s so much more to fi lm making than directors, producers and camera technicians.” Sands’ view is shared by many in the industry including Rick PHOTO CREDIT: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD UNIVERSAL STUDIOS CREDIT: PHOTO Senat, the former vice president of Warner Bros Europe, who is The Oscar® awarded to Universal Pictures in 1973 for The Sting chair for the museum and Lesley Hardcastle, who created MOMI, AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 37 TITLEMOVIESMOVIES ALL PHOTOS THIS PAGE, PHOTO CREDIT: LARISA DIZDAR ON BEHALF OF THE MOVIEUM and has recently joined the muse- (Above) A Charlie Chaplin exhibit um’s advisory panel. Changing has just opened; (left) guests are the name from The Movieum greeted by Rexy, an animatronic of London to The London Film T-Rex from Night at the Museum Museum was one of the fi rst deci- sions the new panel made last Hollywood and his infl uence on November, as it was felt this better musicals. Another display has suited the museum. The museum been created by Terry English, is privately funded and Sands one of the world’s most renowned feels this status has recently armourers, who donated original earned them respect. “When we pieces from the Excalibur fi lm. fi rst opened in 2008 we were Sands has many contacts in the seen as a fun attraction, rather industry who have given pieces to than a high end arts and culture the museum. Film 24 contributed site,” he says. “Due to the credit hundreds of hours of fi lm, which crunch, the government has put guests can watch in a 50-seat a squeeze on everything and now cinema on site, Pinewood Studios people appreciate that, as a private organisation, we don’t take or donated the Rank gong, The Prop Store of London, the BFI (British expect anything. We’re self supporting and people admire that.” Film Industry) and Lucasfi lm are important partners. Education is also an essential component, which is refl ected in the museum’s Best of British school programme, while exciting future projects include hosting Based at County Hall on the South Bank in London and cover- and sponsoring the Evening Standard London Film Awards. ing 30,000sq ft (2,800sq m), the museum covers fi lm genres from period drama through to horror. As well as fi nding out how fi lms are Learning process made – and being taught to make their own in regular workshops – Sands sees the museum as a work in progress. “We’re two years visitors can see fi lm stills, storyboards, props and costumes from a in and have had 150,000 visitors,” he says, “and we’re only just vast array of British fi lms including the Harry Potter series (courtesy getting started.” With a partner in Cineaqua in Paris, a touring of Warner Bros), Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Carry On exhibition planned and a thriving corporate events arm, Sands can collection and many of Peter Sellers’ fi lms. see no end to the museum’s limits and believes it has an impor- The museum also has a Star Wars fi lm set where visitors can tant role. “Film is one of the highest entertainment platforms of the pose for photos with C-3PO and R2-D2, a Sherlock Holmes room world,” he explains. “In the corporate world it’s easy to jump from and a section dedicated to Charlie Chaplin. This display is curated one project to the next without stopping to celebrate what’s been by David Robinson, who wrote Charlie Chaplin’s biography, and done and to award the people that have been part of that process. showcases his rise from the slum in Lamberth to his success in This is the perfect opportunity to reward these unsung artists.” ● 38 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Animatronics Suppliers to Gondwana - Das Praehistorium, Germany and Restless Planet, Dubai. Animatronics designed, developed and created from your imagination especially for: • Theme parks • Attractions • Aquariums • Science centres • Museums • Zoos Planning and Design Consulting, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD. Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 5767 Email: [email protected] www.nhm.ac.uk/planning-design REGISTER SEE THE NOW! ULTIMATE LINE UP IN THE ACCESS SESSIONS Michael Eavis ALL SESSIONS ARE Tuesday FREE 2 TO February ATTEND!* 12:00pm - 1:30pm Celebrate Summer Ahead of Glastonbury’s 40th anniversary, founder and fi gurehead Michael Eavis details the evolution of the world’s most famous festival. *A £10 donation to WaterAid applies toTuesday this session 2 February 2:00pm - 3:15pm Question Time John Probyn Alex Connock, Chief Executive at 10 Alps, and Andy Vinsen, Commercial Sales Director at Keith Prowse, are the fi rst two confi rmed for John ‘Dimbleby’ Probyn’s celebrated round table Session. Tuesday 2 February 3:30pm – 4:30pm Glory Days Hear from the 2015 Rugby World Cup Tournament Director Terry Burwell detailing the process behind winning the pitch and delivering the tournament, set to deliver £2.1bn to the British economy. Wednesday 3 February 2.00pm – 3.00pm Brands On A Run Terry Burwell Join Lee Bailey, senior sponsorship & events manager, Diageo GB, Paul Samuels, executive director of sponsorship, AEG, Relentless rep Les Seddon-Brown and others as they discuss topics including the BMA’s call for a complete ban on alcohol sponsorship, London 2012, football ground naming rights, and the evolution of event sponsorship. DON’T MISS RECEIVETHEM! A £40REGISTERwww.eventproductionshow.co.uk DISCOUNT OFF NOW THE WHITE FOR BOOK FREE! 2010! AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 39 NEW OPENING Sharon Ament :CFJ Seeing scientists at work and fi nding our more about the The centre also houses the Natural History Museum’s collections and research are Attenborough Studio – a large, theatre space where we have activities running the aims of the new Darwin Centre. The director of public every hour – and the Angela Marmont engagement, Sharon Ament, tells Kathleen Whyman how Centre for UK Biodiversity, which is a hub for amateur naturalists, enthusiasts and it’s helping people really understand science other societies to study wildlife. Other offers include tours of our Spirit What is the Darwin Centre? displays throughout the whole building. Collection, which are zoological collections The £78m (US$127m, %87.5m) Darwin Visitors can go through the Darwin Centre stored in alcohol – these are small tours Centre opened in September 2009 after the and see scientists working in their labs and but very in-depth and you really go behind initial idea in 1998. Located in a new seven- walk through a giant cocoon, which is actu- the scenes, and a Climate Change wall, storey wing of London’s Natural History ally a sealed collections store. What they which is an interactive, hugely evocative Museum, the centre is a working scientifi c encounter is perhaps the world’s best exam- way of looking at Earth’s changing climate. space, as well as being a fantastic storage ple of science in action. There’s nothing Inside the cocoon, there are interactive facility for the museum’s collections. It has quite like the Darwin Centre – it’s revolution- stations. Some offer a hands-on experi- state of the art labs and a research base for ary in that it’s rare for people to be able to go ence with the kinds of tools, nets and our scientists, plus integrated public into a science lab and see scientists at work. objects we use to collect specimens, such as great big butterfl y nets and pooters, which are used to suck up insects. We’ve L:BD9:AA:9DJGK>H>IDGCJB7:GH7N6HHJB>C<L: also got a station that helps people get LDJA9DE:CDC6E:6@6C9I=:C9:8A>C:HA><=IAN a better understanding of DNA by giving ID676H:A:K:A#HD;6G!H>MBDCI=H6;I:GDE:C>CH>IDGCJB7:GHI6>AD;;6I6AA old through to adulthood will love it. 40 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 What was the inspiration? with beautiful use of images and graphics. We wanted to show the public our work Clockwise from top left: visitors can There are two elements. One is the use of and get across what scientists do. We see scientists at work; the cocoon evocative imagery drawn from the natu- wanted to tell the story of why collections acts both as a visitor attraction and ral world, such as plants and insects. The are important, how scientists go into the a storehouse for millions of species; other is the use of fi rst person stories: we’ve fi eld to get their collections and build them displays and graphic panels by design chosen four scientists to act as virtual tour up, what it’s like to be a scientist and what company At large explain the web of guides around the site. We recorded them the scientifi c process actually is. life and display rare specimens. telling their stories, so they talk directly to Many people think of us as a museum the visitor. They’re wonderful and bring the with exhibits, but we’re a lot more than personalities of our scientists to life. that. The Natural History Museum is like an as quite radical for the museum. Some iceberg, in that behind the scenes we’ve people see us as a conservative organi- What have the challenges been? got 350 scientists working on some of the sation, but we’re not, we’re at the cutting It’s the largest building biggest issues to do with nature which are edge of many things. What was so inspi- to be added to the currently facing mankind. rational about CF Møller’s design was the museum since it idea for the large cocoon element of the opened in 1881, What’s the design of the new centre? building to keep the specimens in and making it a The design had to be inspirational and which visitors journey through. It’s the accommodate three main functions main feature of the architectural design – housing the collections and scien- – it’s beautiful and evocative and really tifi c research and delivering the public attracted us to the scheme. experience. We held an international architectural competition and Danish com- And the exhibition design? pany CF Møller Architects were appointed. Museum and exhibition designers At large They came up with what some might view created the main exhibition. It’s very clean, AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 41 NEW OPENING massive project. Firstly we had to embark How many visitors? on the biggest fundraising campaign Since the Darwin Centre opened in we’d ever undertaken: we didn’t generate September 2010, overall visitor num- all the £78m needed, but were success- bers for the Natural History Museum ful in raising more than £44m ($71.7m, have gone up by 45 per cent. We %50.5m) from external funds. We’re also had 216,000 visitors to the Darwin very grateful to have had fantastic dona- Centre in the fi rst six weeks of tions from The Wellcome Trust and the opening. The tours of The Spirit Heritage Lottery Fund. Collections are booked out, attendance in The second challenge was moving the The Attenborough Studio is high and our Will you display other stored items? 70 million natural history specimens in school bookings are at 80 per cent capac- With the Darwin Centre we had the luxury the museum’s care. There was a build- ity. Evenings are popular too. of creating a whole new building. We ing on the site that the Darwin Centre Like all visitor attractions, we modelled take people on behind-the-scenes tours now occupies, and we had to relocate the our visitor numbers by assuming we but haven’t got any immediate plans specimens that were in that old, decrepit would open on a peak and then decline to do another revelation of our back of building so we could knock it down and slightly to a steady base line level, but so house storage areas, because the points work could begin on the new building. To far we haven’t seen numbers tail off at all. of access to the main public galleries in achieve this, we refurbished our off-site The new Darwin Centre has really cap- the old building are quite restricted, but storage centre in Wandsworth to accom- tured the public’s imagination. Feedback we’re looking at that in our masterplan. modate all the specimens temporarily. has been hugely positive and there are Logistically it was a big job to get them out lots of positive blogs out there about the What’s the future for the centre? and then put them all back in again. Darwin Centre, which is great. There are all sorts of things we’ll be doing to bring our scientists to the fore and we’ll be using the centre to promote stories of H>C8:I=:C:L96GL>C8:CIG:DE:C:9>CH:EI:B7:G the natural world. Later this year we’ll be '%%.!DK:G6AAK>H>IDGCJB7:GH;DGI=:C6IJG6A launching an interactive fi lm based on =>HIDGNBJH:JB=6K: BNHI:GNH=DEE:G"96GL>C'6II=:C6IJG6A=>HIDGNBJH:JB!ADC9DC#A>OI:GGN he fi rst phase of the Darwin Centre scientists who care for at London’s Natural History Museum, and analyse the collec- T designed by HOK, opened in 2002 tions, by making them and was initially an awkward addition to and their work part of the original Victorian building, accessed the exhibition. as it was by a hodgepodge of winding and To achieve this, archi- normally crowded linking corridors which tects CF Møller have shared access with other galleries. opened up some of the The second phase, which opened last working areas of the November, resolves this temporary awk- Darwin Centre with huge windows, so visi- wardness by linking the two phases and tors can see scientists at work and get a creating a new and dramatic entrance off clearer idea about the equipment they use the main hall of the museum. and the environments in which they work. However, on the day I visited, I was Darwin 2 features a vast, white seven- directed back through the original, tempo- storey cocoon–shaped structure which sits rary entrance and it took me a while to work within a soaring glass atrium (which doesn’t out the new layout. I wondered if I’d asked seem to be used for anything in particular.) for directions from a crusty old curator The cocoon houses the exhibits and is who’d been lost in the bowels of the build- accessed by an adjacent access tower with ing and had missed the opening, or whether automatic glass lifts which take visitors to it was just a matter of old habits die hard. the top storey where they enter by cross- Now both parts of the development are ing a fl oating glass walkway. From there, open, it’s possible to see the vision fully the exhibition space is arranged around a realised. The Darwin Centre was built to series of gently sloping ramps and horizon- Darwin 2 features a giant white cocoon, showcase the museum’s collection of 17 tal fl oors so visitors wind their way down housed within a soaring glass atrium million insect and three million plant speci- through the structure to emerge at the mens and to highlight the work of the many bottom, enjoying the exhibition as they go. 42 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Visitors meet scientists at the new Darwin Centre and learn more about the challenges of their work >8K? The Darwin Centre features new electronic Making a contribution through one of ‘giving points’ – terminals which take debit the branded terminals takes only a cou- or credit cards and enable visitors to make ple of minutes and they are strategically Millions of specimens have been instant donations. The giving points are placed around the museum at points taken out of storage and are now on a great addition and help visitors who are where visitors tend to pause for orienta- display in the Darwin Centre’s Cocoon short of cash to drop to contribute easily. tion or to queue, making giving easy. Timed tickets control the fl ow, but on the hard surfaces of the cocoon. Some buffers desks. I can at least report that scientists day I visited everyone was going straight in. or sound management controls would help are spookily tidy – or they are when they The glass lift opens into an orientation fl atter the voices and control the clashes. know their workspace is being scrutinised! room containing one large display. I have Various touch-screen AV devices give Overall, I really enjoyed the cocoon – the to say that this case is one of the best visitors the chance to customise their expe- graphic design and the displays of speci- designed, most delightful museum exhibits rience and content, as well as gathering mens are among the most compelling and I’ve ever seen, managing to be both beautiful, their own portfolio of memories via a web- exquisite I’ve ever seen. They combine fascinating and elegant all at once. It sets the linked smart card which allows them to seamlessly, so modern graphic panels sit scene for the level of the displays in Darwin send content to personal email addresses. comfortably next to specimens which are 2, which are absolutely world class. hundreds of years old and it’s a joy to be Once inside the cocoon, the essential CHILDREN’S REACTIONS able to see so many amazing things. interpretive devices are introduced. We It will be interesting to see what young If I had one criticism of Darwin 2, it would learn that we’ll be accompanied on our jour- children make of the displays, and whether be give me more, more, more content ney by video projections of real members they nag their parents for a return visit. and a bit less architecture – I could have of the museum’s team and they introduce Although the content has been pitched to enjoyed double the number of displays and themselves via life-sized projections, telling suit all ages, very young children may strug- although it’s impressive, you can’t help feel- us about their work and how this relates to gle to engage with some of the AVs and to ing that an awful lot of money was spent what we’re about to experience. absorb the detail: they may fi nd running up on the building and questioning whether From this area, we move off down the and down the ramps a bit more fun. it was the best use of the cash. For me, it ramps – our guides appear regularly on One of the core concepts of the cocoon looks bulky and one dimensional alongside the AVs that follow and as an interpretive is to allow visitors to see scientists working the fi ne detailing of the original building. method, it works extremely well and gives through large plate glass windows. However, But maybe this is churlish, and the sheer dramatic context. The only slight diffi culty delivering this may turn out to be a bit of an audacity of the concept will make it a well- is that as they’re scientists rather than issue, given that the scientists don’t appear loved London landmark. broadcasters, they don’t have broadcast to work at the weekends. On the Saturday I voices – challenging, given how the sound visited, there wasn’t a scientist in sight and Liz Terry is editor of Attractions recordings overlap and echo around the all we could see were empty rooms and Management. [email protected] AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 43 EXPO BETTER CITY, BETTER LIFE Almost 200 countries are witzerland’s pavilion will have a ski Better City, Better Life is the theme for lift, Saudi Arabia has an unlimited the Expo, representing the worldwide wish exhibiting at the 2010 World S budget and the UK is going for for a better future for those living in urban Expo in Shanghai between 1 one of the biggest pavilions at the Expo. environments. Each of the 192 countries, May and 31 October, making It’s the ultimate neighbourly competition, and 50 international organisations, partici- which is why design teams around the pating have their own take on this theme, it the biggest expo to date. world have been charged with the task of designing a pavilion which they feel best Kath Hudson looks at how creating the most awe-inspiring pavilions to represents what their country is about. tell their country’s story and, most impor- Taking place in a country that’s going to some of the pavilions are tantly, attract trade and investment. be one of the two most important global interpreting the theme of Programme director at the Foreign powers of this century, with one of the larg- Better City, Better Life and Commonwealth Offi ce, Simon est and fastest growing economies in the Featherstone, says potential economic and world, the site spans 5.28sq km on both commercial benefi ts of the Expo are enor- sides of the Huangpu River in Shanghai. mous, and it’s particularly important for the It’s expected to attract a whopping 70 relationship between the UK and China, million visitors in the six month period, especially as it marks the mid-way point between May and October, with 600,000 between the Beijing and London Olympics. guests on the busiest days. “In these diffi cult economic times, we can’t afford not to be involved in the A WORLD LEADING PAVILION Shanghai Expo,” says Featherstone, who In February 2007, the Foreign and is in charge of the UK’s involvement. “Our Commonwealth Offi ce launched a competi- ability to compete for business overseas tion to fi nd a team of architects, designers and to attract the best investment to the UK and curators to create the UK pavilion. The is crucial to our economic success.” Prime Minister at the time, Tony Blair, said 44 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 “The UK pavilion encourages visitors to look again at the role of nature and wonder whether it could be used to solve the current social, economic and environmental challenges of our cities.” Thomas Heatherwick, UK pavilion designer he wanted the UK presence to “highlight The UK’s role in conservation is played HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN British creativity, diversity and innovation, upon inside, with Kew’s Millennium Seed underpinned by the values of a dynamic, Bank partnership, the largest collection of The world’s fi rst theme park dedi- knowledge-based economy based on the wild plant seeds in the world on display. By cated to Danish children’s writer, Hans principles of sustainable development.” encasing tens of thousands of seeds to the Christian Andersen, will be launched in London-based Heatherwick Studio won. ends of the transparent rods, visitors will Shanghai at the same time as the Expo. Thomas Heatherwick’s design is six-sto- be able to view examples of seeds of plant Details of the rides and attractions reys high and formed from 60,000 slender species, which contribute to national and have yet to revealed, but the 20-acre transparent rods, which extend from the global conservation programmes. site will feature experiences based structure and quiver in the breeze. By day According to Featherstone, it was impor- on some of the writer’s most famous the rods will act like fi bre optic fi laments, tant that the UK pavilion positioned the stories, including The Ugly Duckling, drawing on the sunlight to illuminate the UK as an innovative nation and a leading The Little Mermaid and The Emperor’s interior and create a contemplative space. provider of expertise and knowledge in the New Clothes. At night, light sources at the end of each creative industries. “From our recent focus Denmark will donate a replica of the rod will allow the whole structure to glow. group work in China, we know that many Andersen statue which stands outside The pavilion will sit on a landscape look- Chinese people have more traditional, even Copenhagen city hall and the Little ing like paper which once wrapped the old-fashioned and out-dated views of the Mermaid statue will be shipped over to building and which now lies unfolded on UK,” he says. “This design will challenge Shanghai to be on show at the Danish the site. This landscape will provide an traditional perceptions of the UK among pavilion throughout the Expo. open space for public events and shelter the Chinese people.” The design will not The project has been funded mainly for visitors making their way into the pavil- use traditional British icons, although there by the Shanghai Gujing Investment ion structure. Visitors will access the Seed will be a number of Union Jacks to ensure and Development Co Ltd and marks Cathedral by a series of walkways, the con- there is no confusion about the location. 60 years of diplomatic relations tent of which will depict the role of nature The events programme will be a live between Denmark and China. in UK cities in the past, present and future. showcase refl ecting the UK’s excellence AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 45 EXPO wz z{ ~{ wB x{B yC {w ~D _= wx { w { {B y{y{ wz {zyw B w}} | The US Pavilion will present a story y~w{}{D Wy w xw w x{ | B {| wy{ that radiates powerful core values |w w{ ¤ w {w~ | y wx w B x | { w y w{B {~x B shared by the Chinese and American ~ } W{yw | z||{{ {~y ~ wz {y{ D e {{ xwy} z } }{~{ wz }w{ ||{ w y{C ~ ~w { y z wy~{{ w {C {xw{ ~{ w w{~ x{{{ ~{ { x{ | ~{ ki w D j~{ ki w w yw{ | { w }{~{D Wy ka wz Y~w ~{ y{w} { wz C z {= ~w{ w x} yw w}{zw ~{{B ~{{ }{ ~{ ~{ wwx{ B¬ w \{w~{ {D = wy w { {w}{ wz {w z{y wz ~w{ ~{ ~{ w ~{| ~wz | wz{D¬ ~} ~{={ {y{z wx D¬ US PAVILION h }{ z{yx{ ~{ w w w j~{ xz} w {£ {y ~{ wz j~{ ki ~ yw{ wwxB {wC {{B ~ ~{{ wyP j~{{= w }w~C w z{ | } wwxB ~ w B ~{w~B }}{ wz wy~{{{B {} w{w {y { }{ ~ ~{ w{B }~ }wz{B w{ yw{ wz w wz ~}~}~ ki w B wyw yyw w w{wwy{ | ^w Y ~{w wx x} {xw{D { {w w{ wz ~w{ z{w wz Xwwy exwwD y{w} x{{ y{ wz y {D Wy { wx w ¤ w { |wy{ OTHER PAVILIONS Y~w= ~ } w w wz ~{ ki y~w{}{ | ~{ HG y{B { {{z iwz Wwxw y z {z ~ ~{ w{z ~ wz x} w |w 7¬ { w B {y~ }{ wz w | {{{ w B ~ ~{ x}}{ y{w w X x h }{B | z{ wz y~{| y{wC } }{~{D j~ wx w y{{ {w~ ¤ GBLFF >GMBHFF |? { |¢ y{ | XhY _w}w WB ~y~ B w wz ~w wz {w w wz GKF zw{ w w{z ~{ |D PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES AFRICA © Libya © Xw \w © Zx © Panama © Uruguay © Malawi © Ghana © i ~ W|yw © Togo © Belize © Guatemala © Botswana © Liberia © Somalia © Gambia © W}w < Xwxzw © X w © Chad © Niger © Guinea-Bissau © Mexico © Canada © Mozambique © Uganda © Mauritius AMERICAS © Ecuador © Bahamas © Ethiopia © i{w b{ { © j~{ Z{ ywy © [ iwwz © Haiti © Honduras © Madagascar © Cameroon h{xy © Nicaragua © Chile © j~{ \{z{w | © Rwanda © Kenya | Y } © l{{{w © jzwz < j xw} i a wz d{ © Morocco © Zambia © Tunisia © Jamaica © US © Namibia © Tanzania © Gabon © Peru © Cuba EUROPE © Senegal © Y { z=_ { © Sudan © iw ly{ < © Barbados © Malta © Angola © j~{ iw{ | © Zimbabwe ~{ ]{wz{ © Paraguay © Estonia © Seychelles Eritrea © Egypt © Argentina © iw byw © iw cw © Lesotho © Mauritiana © j~{ h{xy © Y w hyw © Colombia © Austria © Guinea © Nigeria | Y } © Y {w~ © Brazil © Romania © Benin © [w w ]{w © Comoros | Z yw © Grenada © Greece © Burundi © j~{ Y{w © Mali © Z yw © Suriname © Portugal © Algeria W|yw h{xy © Yw{ l{z{ Republic © Guyana © c z w 46 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 ^ } a }= ~{{C { {wy yC ~}{ xw y{ wz {{ w w { x { ~{ w}w wz Sustainability, team work, health {7 _ ~}~}~ ~{ y y{ | }{{ y{w | ^ } a } { { wz ~{ and diversity will be represented in {y wz {wy~ {{ w zw z x{ ~z £ ~w{ w z {wz wB dynamic, emotional story by the US }{ w B zw x {D xw{z ~{ ^ } a } m{wz fwD h ww= ]{{ w }{{ w{B i}w {= w B kxw i~ B {£ {y} ~{ wy{ | ~{w~B wC { w ~}{ y x B ~ ~{ c{y = a{ \ { ~ GIF z||{{ wx{ z{{ { wz {z}{Cxw{z |wÌwz{ |{w} {yw | ~{ y = { {{{ { {= ww | | w z{ y{D |w xz}D mw{ wz }wz{ w x{{ |{D W { }w{z Y~wB i{wz ~w{ w y~w |B w} x{ ~{ w {{{B ~ w | }wz{ ~ x yw { ~{ y {D w {}~C{ { ~{ wz {y yw wD Xw= w x{ { w Xz= }{{ {wz ~{ |D i yy{ j~wwz= ~{{ x{ j~w{P d{ ~ }{{B {{y} z{ { x{ z w IZ y{{ wz ~{ iwwx{ mw | b|{D j~{ ~{{ j~wC wy{D _ yw x{B z{ ~{ w}{ _cWn ¢ j~{ W x{ ~ D { w x{ zz{z ~{{ w wz {wy~ | | _w{= w { yw{z {y B ~ w zw yw {| wy{D wwx{ z{{ {B x{ { {zD ~wzB ~ ~{ ~{{ _ w | X{{ d{w= w w{ ~{ | | w hw z{y w{ w { w b|{D _ ~w{ w }{{ y~wz ~ {{ wy{ Xzz~ {{ aw~wzB |wCw{ z |{w} GH ~{ {B ~y~ ~{ [}~ wz Y~{{ wz z{z x wz w d{w{{ {z x hw {= y {D ~ ¢ wx ~{ y = w ~ {B {£ {y} ~{ wy~{ywB wy X{}= C { w y C wz {y~ }yw wy~{{{B w { w wz yw y{{ ~{ y ~w x{y {D w{ ~{ [k {~x D Y{{{y{ w _w{= { wz ~ { | ~{ |{D ● © Belgium © Russia © Albania © Malaysia © i bww OCEANIA © Luxembourg © Montenegro © Bulgaria © Balivam © Tajikistan © cw~w _wz © k{z a}z © Turkey © Germany © Vietnam © China © axw © Ukraine © Poland © j~{ d{~{wz © Pakistan © Jordan © Niue © Spain © Croatia © Switzerland © Timor-Leste © k{z Wwx © Fiji © Hungary © Italy © Slovenia © Philippines Emirates © Micronesia © Azerbaijan © Monaco © Liechtenstein © Israel © Maldives © fww d{ © [ {w k © France © Syria © Iraq Guinea © Iceland © Latvia ASIA © W|}~ww © Georgia © Vanunatu © Slovakia © Armenia © j~{ iw{ | gww © Oman © aw © d{ p{wwz © Sweden © Norway © d ~ a {w © Bhutan © India © i _wz © Cyprus © Denmark © Bangladesh © Brunei © iwz Wwxw © Tuvalu © \ { o} w © Ireland © Iran © Indonesia © Laos © Y _wz h{xy | © j~{ Y{y~ © Thailand © Uzbekistan © Cambodia © Samoa Macedonia Republic © Lebanon © o{{ © aww~w © Tonga © X w wz © Serbia © a {w © a}w © Nepal © Palau Herzegovina © Belarus © Palestine © Myanmar © Singapore © Australia © Finland © Lithuania © Japan © Mongolia © Turkmenistan © Nauru AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 47 MUSEUMS H=6G?6=B6G>I>B:BJH:JB Preserving and interpreting as local a focus as possible, stressing local age destination. The Maritime Museum is stories,” says Alisdair Hinshelwood, HSD housed in a contemporary building over- the stories of rich maritime Director. “We’ve been fortunate to have looking the creek. It was designed by the heritage is the aim of worked on many of Sharjah’s museums, local offi ce of the architects Cansult who Sharjah Maritime Museum. and have been able to ensure that these HSD worked closely with both in terms of local stories are consistent and comple- integrated design and in the coordination Keith Gray explains how the mentary across each project.” and programming of the installation of the importance of the region’s The Emirate of Sharjah, as with most large boats and ships. fi shing and pearling trades Gulf states, has a long maritime herit- The project was initiated before the crea- age, but with its presence on both the tion of Sharjah Museums Department, but have been conveyed Arabian Gulf and the Indian Ocean coasts, when they took ownership of the project it Sharjah’s heritage is richer than most, a greatly strengthened the delivery of a pri- heritage which began 3,000 years ago and mary focus to engage the local audience still continues today. whose maritime heritage is rapidly disap- The original maritime museum was in pearing, and give international visitors a or more than 20 years, His one of the restored buildings in the heart unique perspective on the importance of Highness Sheikh Sultan bin of the old city, but space was limited and fi shing, trade and pearling to Sharjah and F Mohammed Al Qasimi, the ruler care of the collections was extremely dif- all the Gulf states. The sea, as much as the of the Emirate in Sharjah in the UAE, has fi cult. His Highness made the decision to desert and the mountains, has shaped the been investing in the educational and relocate the museum both to protect the culture and history of Sharjah both on the heritage facilities of the Emirate, build- collection and to allow the story of the Gulf and Indian Ocean coasts. ing schools, universities, science centres, country’s maritime heritage to be told in The Maritime Museum’s interpretative museums and wildlife centres and restor- more depth and more visually. scheme has an energetic fl owing design ing the historic heart of the old city. refl ecting the movement, weather and cur- For the last 15 years, Haley Sharpe =:G>I6<:9:HI>C6I>DC rents of the Sharjah marine environment. Design (HSD) has worked with His The Maritime Museum is located in the These fl uid forms are used to open-display Highness on many of these projects and, Al Khan area of Sharjah, a historic fi sh- the local craft and associated objects, with more recently, with the newly-created ing village where the old coral stone each display cluster focused around the Sharjah Museums Department headed houses are currently being restored. His stories of individual Sharjans who have by Manal Ataya, which has professional Highness chose this location for the spent their lives associated with the sea, responsibility for all museum and heritage Sharjah Aquarium too, (also conceptual- from fi shermen, pearlers, and boat build- activities in the Emirate. “From the outset ised, designed and project managed by ers to the director of the Ports Authority. there’s always been an objective to create Haley Sharpe) to create a maritime herit- Exploring the lives of individuals, and work- The museum has an energetic fl owing design (right) and exhibits include scaled models and interpretative displays (left) as well as historical objects depicting the Gulf state’s maritime history (above) 48 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 =>H=><=C:HHB69:I=:9:8>H>DCIDG:AD86I:I=: BJH:JBIDEGDI:8II=:8DAA:8I>DC6C9IDI:AAI=: HIDGND;I=:B6G>I>B:=:G>I6<:BDG:;JAAN AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 49 MUSEUMS Stories unique to Sharjah were researched to ensure the objects were presented as connections to lives, and not merely as working tools and technologies ing with Sharjah Museums Department on an oral archiving programme, has allowed us to make a much stronger connection between the exhibition and the community. The collection, which had been housed in non-conditioned spaces, had to undergo a complete programme of conservation by the Sharjah Museums Department so that it could be safely re-housed in the new building. Both the craft and the sup- porting collections are everyday objects but they are imbued with the history of generations of lives of those who have Sharjah still has a thriving fi shing indus- For centuries pearling had been the lived on the coasts of Sharjah. The value of try – traditional wooden seafaring dhows driving economic force in the Gulf and these objects as connections to lives and used for fi shing and pearling still ply their until its demise in the mid-twentieth cen- not merely as working tools and technolo- trade up and down the Gulf and far out into tury shaped the culture and life of many gies led the design to a solution that was the Indian Ocean. This is not a story of the coastal towns and cities and although this very simple and direct, to give the objects past, but how the sea still plays a vital part story is common to other Emirates, the primacy. To achieve this, stories unique to in the shape and character of the Emirate. project managed to unearth material from Sharjah were researched and local indi- a pearling captain that had never been viduals found who could represent the key H6BÉ66 seen before. First person evidence and themes of the museum. This initiated an At the core of the exhibit there was always historic fi lm footage are vital to telling of oral history project focused on the mari- going to be a major craft that would have the immensely hard life led by the pearlers time heritage of Sharjah, which is now an to be either purchased or built specially and divers but also the profi t and wealth ongoing component of the museums cul- and eventually a sam’aa (a small inshore gained by the boat owners and traders. At tural development. vessel) was chosen to bring scale and the museum, visitors can view genuine The collection is supported by historic drama to the exhibition, which visitors Arabian pearls and fi nd out how they were images and rare fi lm footage of pearling can explore as well as visit the ‘boom’ collected, measured and weighed. and fi shing, as well as video and photog- boat moored on the quayside outside the Interactives in the museum allow the raphy, which form the basis of a growing museum. An exhibition of model boats is visitor to explore why the lateen sail was so archive and collection. HSD was respon- included in the design of the fi rst fl oor edu- important to Arab ships and why Gulf ships sible for researching and fi nding all the cation space as a reference collection. have such large sails to deal with relatively required images. On entering the main area of the exhibi- light winds. An interactive table allows the tion, the visitor can choose to explore each visitor to become a merchant looking to B6G>C:G:HDJG8:H of the different themes that are clustered make a profi t trading goods around the Although the museum isn’t trying to tell on islands around the key craft from the Gulf and the visitor can challenge them- the defi nitive story of maritime history in collection. Each theme has a variety of selves to navigate without a compass but Sharjah and the Gulf, it opens with an media and levels of interactivity to relate by the observation of a star chart. introductory AV explaining Sharjah’s mari- the personal stories and the objects and to The personal stories that elucidate the time heritage from 3,000 years ago to the meet the needs of a multigenerational and themes include a pearl captain, a hauler, present day. Sharjah has been shaped by multicultural audience. the director of the port operations, a dhow fi shing, trade and, on occasions, mari- HSD has sought to fi nd design expres- builder, a reed boat builder, a business time confl ict. The visitor is introduced to sions that are contemporary and which entrepreneur and a fi sherman to bring the very early exhibits loaned from Sharjah resonate with traditional Islamic princi- entire spectrum of maritime activity to life. Archaeological Museum which express ples and values that refl ect His Highness’s HSD acknowledges the commitment how coastal dwelling and the use of marine desire to balance the evolution of a from Sharjah Museums Department which, resources have been key to life. Although modern Emirate with one that values its as a newly founded group, invested such rooted in the ancient past, contemporary heritage, history and environmental. energy and effort in developing collections, undertaking research and creating an oral 6C6K:MEA6>CHH=6G?6=ÉHB6G>I>B:=:G>I6<:# and video history project to ensure that the project met everyone’s aspirations for a H=6G?6==6H7::CH=6E:97N;>H=>CDCH!B6G>I>B:8DC;A>8I the overall Gulf context. ● 50 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 GP1051L35GP1051L35 350 mAh YOU HEAR GP WHAT YOU SEE THE PICKUP AUDIO GUIDE UNITES A SLEEK LOOK WITH A FRESH APPROACH TO AUDIO TOURS. PICKUP offers hours of quality MP3 audio, easily downloaded and updated in a cinch. Light enough for every user, PICKUP is heavy on features: IR technology, built-in loudspeaker, FM receiver, multiple tour versions, and a single, intuitive, control button. NOW SIMPLY POINT, CLICK AND ENJOY THE TOUR! FOR MORE INFO, PLEASE GET IN TOUCH WITH DATATON +46 13 102450 [email protected] www.dataton.com AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 51 AUDIOGUIDES oday’s audioguides are often much more than just audioguides. Some, with their screens and ADVENTURES IN photo and video display capabilities, are better called multimedia guides; some use GPS to help visitors find their way around a site, and others are downloadable, letting guests learn about collections from their iPhones. Some, while sticking to audio only, have advanced just as much as those on the multimedia side, offering attrac- AUDIO tions new ways of engaging with the public. From energy efficient listening posts to virtual notepads, the guide scene is bursting with new technologies that have the potential to From interactive games to virtual note- affect the visitor experience like never before. taking, the latest guides sport all kinds GAMES GALORE of advanced features that go way beyond Interactivity has become an important feature of the latest mul- audio. Andrea Jezovit investigates timedia guides, whether it’s a scrollable map of a site or photos of objects from a collection that visitors can zoom in on. Some guides are taking interactivity even further with interactive games. The Wallace Collection’s new multimedia guide, developed by Acoustiguide using the Opus series of equipment and launched in November 2009, includes interactive games as part of its children’s tour. Games were created by the Wallace Collection for the organi- sation’s eLearning website and then repurposed for the guides, with Acoustiguide adapting software and graphics in-house. The games give children the opportunity to interact with some of the collections’ famous paintings in a fun and educational way – they can change the facial expressions of The Laughing Cavalier to think about how he’s really feeling, play around with the back- ground of Queen Victoria to put the monarch in different settings and relate to her more as an actual person, and match the dogs of several Old Masters paintings with their owners. “One of our international offices has produced interactive con- tent for children before, but it’s our first time doing it in the UK. It’s something you’ll be seeing more of, especially as technology devel- ops,” says Acoustiguide’s Dominic Thurgood. “Kids today are very familiar with this kind of content, having experienced it on the web, and it’s a great way for them to understand and learn about art.” BarZ Adventures has created Ranger Quest, an augmented real- ity adventure gaming system in a guide that allows venues to create CHILDREN CAN CHANGE THE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS OF THE LAUGHING CAVALIER, The Wallace Collection’s multimedia guide PUT QUEEN VICTORIA IN DIFFERENT SETTINGS includes interactive games to help children AND MATCH THE DOGS OF SEVERAL OLD understand art MASTERS PAINTINGS WITH THEIR OWNERS (Above and left) BarZ’s Ranger Quest turns venues into themed adventures; (right) OOKL allows students to view photos and text about objects custom-themed adventures. First launched at the International where guests look for clues and crack codes to complete a mis- Spy Museum in Washington DC, US, in June 2009, Ranger Quest, sion, using the city of Washington as the game board. As users which runs on BarZ’s GPS Ranger multimedia guide, turns the approach landmarks around the city, clues and information in a venue into a game board. Visitors become the game pieces in a wide range of media can be downloaded, including messages by choose-your-own-adventure-style scenario with puzzles, quizzes, fi lmed characters, documents, codes and photos. and clues leading to scavenger hunt items. “We developed Ranger In conjunction with themed entertainment consulting fi rm Quest after observing several new trends in the market,” says BarZ Smithink, BarZ has since developed a Ranger Quest game con- founder and CEO Lee Little. “It’s clear we’re continuing to see cept for zoos called Safari Quest, challenging younger players to increased use of technology in all our daily activities. We’re also explore the zoo while locating animals, solving riddles and collect- seeing game play increasingly becoming a family activity. At the ing information, earning as many points as possible in a timed race. suggestion of one of our customers, we developed Ranger Quest to address these two trends,” he continues. “It’s a natural extension ENGAGING ONLINE for theme parks and attractions – it links a venue with technology OOKL, a handheld multimedia guide developed by Science to create an immersive, entertaining experience for all visitors.” Ecology Art Limited (the SEA), is also taking interactivity in an The game uses GPS technology, and the software framework interesting new direction. The guide, currently in use at UK-based and Adobe Flash-based graphics allow themes and storylines to be venues including Whipsnade Zoo, the National Maritime Museum easily adapted to different venues. The International Spy Museum and Kew Gardens, acts as a virtual note-taking device aimed at in Washington has a version, called Spy in the City, which has been school groups. Using a Nokia smartphone, students can view adapted into a self-guided outdoor city tour for ages 12 and above, photos and text about a venue’s objects, as well as listen to audio. AUDIOGUIDES Specialising in developing themed products, Jora Vision has recently extended its remit to include developing the content for GPS Rangers for attractions operators. Using BarZ software, Jora Vision can incorporate educational videos, sound, text, animation and pic- tures into the handheld device, which can then be rented to visitors. Jora Vision will help develop the concept, script and story, install the system and train staff on how to use it. JORA VISION They can also take photos of objects and make their own notes and multimedia guide, allowing visitors to view the fragile documents audio recordings, all of which are saved onto a website that stu- up close, but they’re also available to fans around the world dents can access back in the classroom, where they can edit their through a blog and an iPhone application. collection into a presentation and view their classmates’ work. The Yours, Vincent blog saw a new letter from the artist released Because venue staff can upload text, photo and audio content daily, allowing visitors to follow the artist’s thought processes. The to the guide themselves via a website, OOKL can also work as a iPhone application, using Antenna’s Pentimento iTouch technology, substitute for a traditional multimedia or audioguide, the SEA’s Dan lets users download a multimedia experience recreating the exhibi- Medicoff says. “However, it’s aimed at venues that can't afford to tion, allowing the visitor to interact with works. “With Pentimento buy audioguides, which need expensive content and are expensive and the Yours, Vincent blog, we’ve created a powerful means for to adapt when the collections change, or venues that don't like the the Van Gogh Museum to reach out and interact with audiences all idea of audioguides because they tend to put visitors into a slightly over the world and a strong marketing and promotional tool,” says passive state, similar to happens when you watch TV.” Antenna’s Christopher Bazley, vice president, account manage- The SEA has just completed an OOKL iPhone application aimed ment, for Europe, the Middle East and Asia. “The buzz around at the public with a more adult look and feel. “You’re learning, but these features has been added to by embracing the power of not so obviously,” Medicoff says. In the future, he hopes to add social networking sites: both Twitter and Facebook have been used a number of new features, including a map view, a cross-venue to create robust communities of followers.” objects search, and ‘crowdsourcing’ – visitors, academics, volun- Antenna is using a similar multi-platform concept in Milan, Italy teers and friends of venues can create content about objects and for the Edward Hopper exhibition at Palazzo Reale. Following ‘push’ it to the venue, which edits the content and publishes it. “It’s a model Antenna premier in London and York for the National like Wikipedia, but exclusively about objects in spaces,” he says. Gallery’s Grand Tour, reproductions of Hopper works have been Antenna Audio has used the web in a different way with a new hung around Milan, with conventional museum labels and a multimedia guide for the Van Gogh’s Letters: The Artist Speaks number to dial to access an audio track. This time, the image of the exhibition at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. The aim was to painting, along with the track, can be texted to friends. “We’re not bring letters written by Van Gogh to thousands of visitors as well as only engaging local people, but encouraging them to take part in a global audience through multi-platform delivery. The letters can the dialogue about Hopper's work and its meaning all across the be accessed at the museum using Antenna’s XP-vision handheld city, as well as augmenting exciting viral marketing in promoting the exhibition,” Bazley says. “WE’VE CREATED A POWERFUL MEANS FOR THE VAN GOGH AUDIO ADVANCES MUSEUM TO INTERACT WITH AUDIENCES ALL OVER THE Not to be outdone by multimedia guides, WORLD AND A STRONG MARKETING AND PROMOTIONAL audioguides have seen advances too. TOOL. TWITTER AND FACEBOOK HAVE CREATED Dataton’s Pickup audioguide offers both MP3 playing and FM radio capa- ROBUST COMMUNITIES OF FOLLOWERS” bilities, so tours can be downloaded or broadcast directly to users. Guests can point at objects and listen to information, and sound messages can be triggered automatically when a visitor passes a trans- ponder. Sound can also be synced with shows created using Dataton’s Watchout multi-display presentation system. Watchout has been used in conjunction with Pickup at the Telecommunications Museum at the Oi Futuro Cultural Center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to help the venue meet its aim of communicating with its visi- tors in an innovative way. Pickup guides are handed out to all visitors, who can use the devices to interact with moving images, trigger movies and jump into sound tracks. Antenna Audio has made VIncent Van Gogh’s letters available to visitors to the Tour-Mate’s new Eco-Box audioguides, a Amsterdam museum and around the world via a blog and iphone series of stationary audio posts designed for the outdoors, might seem low-tech in 54 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Tour-Mate’s Eco-Box audioguides enable visitors to listen to infor- mation in an environmentally friendly way without power comparison, but they’re just as inno- vative. The Eco-Box is designed to provide audio segments to visitors without requiring batteries or an external source of power. It oper- ates like a battery-free crank radio, with users turning a handle on the front of the box and pushing a but- ton to listen to audio. The weather-resistant, energy effi - cient boxes can withstand extreme heat and cold conditions, and have been used in environments Tour-Mate CEO Neil Poch says he believes venues are increas- from Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada to Red Rock Canyon ingly looking for diverse platforms, from hand-held devices to in Nevada, US. Another version of the box has been introduced, products like Eco-Box, to deliver interpretation to a broad range allowing visitors without full appendage use to access audio by of demographics. “The same client that uses Eco-Boxes for out- sliding a forearm under a dual wheel handle. And new from Tour- door interpretation may also use our SC550 Wand system, or an Mate is its EB200 model, which stores energy as the user turns the RF-based group guide system inside their buildings,” he says. wheel, allowing users to stop and listen for 90 seconds after 30 With the increasingly diverse set of technologies in the mul- seconds of cranking. (Energy will be stored on a bank of capaci- timedia guide and audioguide realms, venues looking for more tors to keep the box carbon neutral.) platforms to engage with visitors defi nitely have plenty of choice. ● 3F>3@73<13A 1@3/B3263@3. BSZ""( ) !!$#&$ cY@O\bS\\OOcRW].Q][ eee O\bS\\OOcRW].Q][ TOP TEAM THE ASHMOLEAN Oxford’s Ashmolean has reopened following a £61m transformation, with 39 new galleries, a new display strategy – ‘Crossing Cultures Crossing Time’ – an education centre and rooftop restaurant. Andrea Jezovit asks the management team what this means for the UK’s oldest public museum CHRISTOPHER BROWN, DIRECTOR, THE ASHMOLEAN Why was the museum redeveloped? example, was supported by a Japanese Even before I became director here it benefactor, the Cyprus gallery was sup- had been my opinion that although the ported by the Leventis Foundation, which European fi ne and decorative arts were is based in Nicosia, and so on. It was very displayed well in the museum, we didn’t do ambitious for us – it was our fi rst time rais- justice to the archeological, the Oriental ing these sums of money. and the numismatic collection. What we’ve tried to do is build a substantially new What’s the reaction been so far? building of 100,000sq ft (9,300sq m) to We’ve had very good press and lots of show those collections much better. media attention. The fi rst weekend we When I came here 11 years ago from opened to the public in November, we had the National Gallery in London, I commis- 23,000 visitors, which is a lot of visitors for sioned a masterplan and looked at how the logical work. We had hoped for a rather any museum in two days. That would seem building was working. I felt very strongly lighter touch, but they decided to go for a to suggest people are very enthusiastic. that the part of the museum that wasn’t full excavation, which held us up a bit. It BBC Oxford interviewed people as they working very well was the addition from the revealed what we knew was there – the walked in the museum and there was an 1890s at the back of the 1845 Cockerell remains of some medieval houses, which overwhelmingly positive reaction. Building. After much discussion we weren’t very interesting, but it did take We’re doing our budgets on the basis of resolved to demolish and rebuild that part, quite a long time. visitor numbers going up from 400,000 a which was about 60 per cent of the build- year to 500,000, but I’m really hoping it will ing and showed the archeological, Oriental How was the project funded? be more than that. and numismatic collections. This doubled The project was funded by the largest What’s next for the museum? the space on the footprint and provided single grant we received – £15m (%17.1m, modern museum facilities. US$24m) from the Heritage Lottery Fund. We’re going to rearrange and redisplay our The largest private donor was The Linbury Egyptian collections. This will take place Why was some archeological work Trust, which gave in the region of £10m this year and we’ll reopen them in early completed onsite before building? (%11.4m, $16m). We raised the rest of the 2011. And we’ve got an ambitious tempo- The centre of Oxford has been lived in for money from private individuals and trusts rary exhibition programme launching in a long time, and when we knocked down globally. Because these collections are September. The fi rst will be a big pre-Rap- the building at the back, it’s a legal right from around the world, it made good sense haelite exhibition we’re doing with the City that the city has to commission archeo- that the one of the Japanese galleries, for Art Museum of Ravenna. 56 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 GE © PHILIP VILE GE © ALL PICTURES THIS PA ALL PICTURES SUSAN WALKER, KEEPER OF ANTIQUITIES, THE ASHMOLEAN The Ashmolean’s dramatic transfor- mation took a treasure trove of items What was your role in the work? out of old fashioned galleries and Until the end of 2007 I led the curatorial repositioned them in a 21st century work on the design of the new museum, setting of inspiration and learning. organising the collections under the con- cept ‘Crossing Cultures Crossing Time.’ Some of the galleries on the lower ground storage, which was challenging. Many of fl oor are cross-cultural and we’ve chosen us were recent recruits to the Ashmolean themes such as reading and writing, count- and didn’t know the collections in great ing, textiles and the human image. depth before we started this work. From the ground fl oor upwards we’ve developed a ‘Crossing Time’ sequence, a What’s been the reaction to bit like an archeological dig. The earliest ‘Crossing Cultures Crossing Time’? material is at the bottom and the latest Did you do visitor research? It’s been seen as a genuinely fresh material is at the top. We built a sort of third of a size trial gallery approach. Of course the building is a huge Each fl oor has an introductory gallery two years ago, a Minoan Crete gallery, and help. We have a synergy between the inter- which highlights a number of themes of investigated what people were interested pretation and the space it’s developed in, different cultures on that particular fl oor. in. We also tested a lot of practice issues, which works to a great advantage. These themes reoccur as you go around such as how long it took to build the cases What’s remarkable is that the idea and the galleries. We’ve tried to sequence the and fi ll them, label writing, panel writing, the interpretation came from the curators. galleries In a way that emphasises the con- panel production, the whole process of It’s been developed by working with the nections between the cultures represented building and furnishing galleries. designers and education staff and advi- in the Ashmolean. This means the Oriental sors on interpretation. collections are actually integrated on the What was the biggest challenge? Often when a big museum takes on a circuit. I can’t think of any other museums Moving the entire collection off-site. My project of this scale, they’ll develop a cura- which do that this way. department alone has half a million objects. torial team to do it. We’ve had a project My principle contribution was to apply Everything had to go into storage, and the management team who’ve seen it through, the idea to the building and then negotiate whole lot had to be put onto a computer. but the galleries still have strong curatorial with all the curators how this layout would We didn’t have a collections management voices, which is important. It doesn’t look actually work in terms of space. I think it system when we started this project, but over-managed, it looks fresh and thorough does work and it connects well with the we have now. We had to develop that at the because the people who developed the original Cockerell Building too. same time and retrieve the objects from galleries are experts in each culture. AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 57 TOP TEAM JO RICE, HEAD OF EDUCATION, THE ASHMOLEAN What was your department’s overall role in the redevelopment? The education department was instrumen- tal in the gallery development. We looked at the interpretation approach from a learn- ing point of view and thought about who the galleries are for and how we could best communicate the stories the curators wanted to tell. So we had that educational input at the earliest stage. That’s absolutely fundamental. What we didn’t want was, as happened in the past, to have a gallery completed without educational involve- ment and then be asked to fi nd some programme for post-secondary and post- groups to work in it and encourage people 16-year-olds, both of which are completely to come. If you’ve thought about who’s new sessions. Early years is a different going to use the gallery, how it’s going to approach for us – the Ashmolean has work from very early stages, you’ll have a never traditionally been thought of as a much more effective space from an educa- venue for the under fi ves. tional point of view for different audiences. We’re also doing completely new pro- We were also involved in the develop- grammes for our primary school audience ment of the education centre and worked and completely rethinking how we do our with the architects on the design. sessions. We’re moving into a much more investigative approach for seven- to 11-year- Why was the new education olds with learning by handling objects in centre needed? the gallery, as well as discussions. Before the redevelopment, there was no We’ve been able to give the school side designated education space. We did much a completely dramatic overhaul and we of our teaching in the galleries, which is have great hopes for how that will develop. how it should be, but we didn’t have any- We’re also doing more things for our where to do messier artwork, quiet work, adult audience, we’re being more proactive teacher training sessions or somewhere for with young people outside school educa- a greater range of activities. tion, we’re doing an expanded What’s On (Above) the Ashmolean museum’s programme for individual visitors and we’re collection of Islamic pottery, mainly What do you offer now you expanding the family learning programme. from the Barlow Collection, is said to have your own space? We’re currently recruiting a family learning be one of the most important of its We’ve got a programme for group visits offi cer and will then offer family activities type outside of the Islamic world from early years to key stage 2, and a every day of the school holidays. RICK MATHER, RICK MATHER ARCHITECTS What was your brief for the project? To make sense of the old building and get “THE BIG CHALLENGE WAS as much new space out of it as possible. TRYING TO GET SIX Also, the roof had blown off of the old building and there was no environmental DIFFERENT LEVELS TO control. They knew they had to do a lot of rebuilding, and that’s what we did. They SEEM LIKE ONE BIG SPACE wanted an education centre and a new conservation space and they didn’t have a RATHER THAN A SERIES service entrance either. It was a really modern museum brief. OF FINITE GALLERIES” They didn’t say they needed a new res- taurant, but when it looked as though it the whole building together. The big chal- the different galleries. It makes it seem as would be nice to have one on the roof, they lenge was trying to get six different levels though it’s one continuous thing rather thought that would be a good idea too. to seem like one big space rather than a than a museum that might have lost galler- series of fi nite galleries. So we have this ies up in some corner, which no one can What’s your favourite part? big atrium space that the stair steps up get to. Now you have a continuum through The staircase that steps up to the roof in a through, and then we have similar stairs every gallery and that links into the old series of interlocking curves. Besides the at another corner. People coming around building too, so we have the seamless link fact that it looks pretty nice, it actually ties the corner really feel that they can see into between the old and the new. 58 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 © RICHARD BRYANT STEPHEN GREENBERG, ROBERT BEWLEY, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, METAPHOR – EXHIBITION DESIGNERS HERITAGE LOTTERY FUND (HLF) What was What’s the your brief? background to the When I arrived on the HLF’s involvement? scene fi ve years ago, We put in £15m, so there was already a that was like a build- scheme design for ing block. HLF money the building, and a can help the applicant concept for ‘Crossing have more impact and Cultures Crossing be transformational. Time.’ The building The purpose of our design was an idea donating money has about bridges and to be about learn- interconnecting volumes, and we had to reposition a lot of galler- ing fi rst and foremost, but, if you want to do something really ies and the sequencing. We did a kind of content masterplan and exciting with your building, we can help you do that, as well as made the concept of ‘Crossing Cultures Crossing Time’ work. We conserve it. Christopher Brown’s team’s ‘Crossing Cultures planned this journey and developed the display strategy for the Crossing Time’ concept weaves together an exciting world story whole museum, everything from wayfi nding to the graphic strategy. using the artefacts and the collections that they’ve had since the 17th century, and it’s paid off. What’s your design like? Every room has a special display in the middle. We then put What was your department’s hands-on role? windows and cases in different places so they become views For every project we have a case offi cer ensuring the various to other things. Wherever you are, you see a view to something stages are adhered to because we have to be very careful that our beyond. In an old-fashioned museum, you start at one end, look money’s spent in the way that’s been approved. We also use fund down rows of galleries and think, ‘oh, I’ve got to get through all monitors to make sure there’s total fi nancial integrity. these rooms’. You don’t do that here, you’re always walking in The journalists I went around the museum with in November this sort of free space. on press day said ‘you must be really pleased, because this It’s the cinematic quality of the whole thing that I’m most pleased shows your money’s been well spent.’ For a critical newspaper with. I didn’t start to see it until I walked in a month before opening, writer to say that, that’s something for me to remember. It proved but now it’s the most impressive thing of all to me it was good value for money. I’m very pleased with the result. ● AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 59 SHOW PREVIEW SNEAK PREVIEW With conferences and trade shows to suit everyone in the industry, we look at some that are taking place in the fi rst six months of the year NATIONAL FARM ATTRACTIONS NETWORK Annual Conference & Trade Exhibition 2010 Date: 10 Feb 2010 Venue: Drayton Manor Park, Staffs, UK Ewe’s winning? The NFAN encourages members to diversify into leisure with fun offers imed at farmers wishing to diversify Category A (75,000 plus visitors a year) DEAL EXPO A into leisure and tourism, farm and – Head of Ayr Farm Park, Ayr, Ayrshire; rural attraction operators and NFAN trade Category B (20,000-75,000 visitors a year) and supplier members, annual National – Park Hall - The Countryside Experience; Date: April 25 – 27 2010 Farm Attraction Network (NFAN) confer- and Category C (20,000 and under visitors Venue: Dubai World Trade ences have been held since 2001. a year) – Hall Farm Park, Lincolnshire. Centre, Dubai, UAE The title of this year’s event is Partnering The NFAN is a co-operative group set for Success and several of the speak- up to provide professional assistance and ers will be from organisations which are support to farm and rural diversifi cation ith a theme of Success Breeds able to advise and assist members in a enterprises. As well as promoting rural W Success, the 15th Dubai variety of ways and on a range of differ- tourism, the association offers profes- Entertainment Amusement & Leisure Expo ent, key areas of operation. Highlights of sional advice and guidance. Driven by (originally launched as the Theme Park the conference include the Farm Attraction membership feedback and current issues, and Fun Centre show) aims to provide of the Year Award 2009. The winners are: it provides for the specifi c needs of rural attractions, amusement and associated businesses throughout the UK, businesses within the MENA region with a defi ning the key challenges facing platform to showcase their products. members to ensure they receive More than 200 exhibitors have already the right support to meet their registered, with more than 5,000 visitors individual requirements. expected from family entertainment cen- Members can receive advice on tres, water, amusement and theme parks, a wide range of subjects, includ- heritage centres, museums and zoos. ing planning legislation, business The seminar programme will include rates, health and safety, insurance, the second World Water Park Association grant aid, animal welfare, zoo (WWA) Middle East Symposium and a licensing, accountancy and taxa- workshop presented by Trade Shows tion, among others. International Ltd on behalf of UK amuse- Contact: Sarah Althorpe ment and leisure equipment suppliers. Tel: +44 (0)1536 513397 Contact: Siddarth Nanthur Fun at the farm for NFAN members Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] www.farmattractions.net www.themeparksdubai.com 60 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 MUSEUMS AND HERITAGE SHOW Date: 12 – 13 May 2010 Venue: Earls Court, London, UK ttended by representatives from A museums, galleries, historic houses, cathedrals, heritage visitor attractions, libraries, zoos, gardens, cultural and government organisa- tions and associations from the UK and overseas, the Museums and Heritage Show is a platform for the latest developments. Product launches, current policies and thinking, plus the latest in case studies and practical knowledge- based sessions are offered at the exhibition and seminar. Streamed into six areas of specialism, the pro- gramme includes talks on marketing and insight, education and audience development, income and funding, design and interpretation, collections management and sustainability. www.museumsandheritage.com BALPPA’s summer conference 2009 included a trip to Colchester Zoo Ecsite holds its conference in a different ECSITE ANNUAL CONFERENCE European city every year. Dortmund has BALPPA SUMMER CONFERENCE been chosen as this year’s host because, Date: 3 – 5 June 2010 as part of the Ruhr Area, it’s the European Date: 14 – 17 June Venue: DASA, Dortmund, Germany capital of culture for 2010. Venue: Gardaland, Italy This year, more than 900 science centres and museums’ professionals from Europe csite is the European network for sci- and worldwide are expected to take part in his year, BALPPA (British E ence centres and museums linking a variety of sessions and events. TAssociation of Leisure Parks, Piers professionals in more than 400 institu- The focus of the conference will be and Attractions) is holding its annual tions in 50 countries. Founded 20 years exploring risks. There will be 200 speak- Summer Conference at the Gardaland ago, Ecsite connects member institu- ers, who are prominent fi gures from the hotel in Italy. Members will have the tions through projects and activities and European and world fi eld of science com- opportunity to explore the park over facilitates the exchange of ideas and best munication. The keynote speakers will be the course of their stay. practice on current issues. Ortwin Renn, professor and chair of envi- The event will include a visit to Members include science centres and ronmental sociology at Stuttgart University Minitalia Leolandia, a park owned museums, natural history museums, zoos, and Dan Gardner, journalist and writer. and run by manufacturers Antonio aquariums, universities, research organisa- Contact: Aliki Giannakopoulou Zamperla S.p.A, for a park tour and tions and companies which communicate Email: [email protected] a members meeting. Members will with and engage the public in science. www.ecsite-conference.net also visit Moser Rides at their factory to see their latest projects and go on a tour of Parco Natura Viva, a zoo and Ecsite delegates test the products Getting involved in the seminars safari park in Bussolengo. Members will receive booking information for the event in March. Contact: Hannah Carmichael Tel: +44 (0)20 7403 4455 Email: [email protected] www.balppa.org AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 61 SHOW PREVIEW Visitors to last year’s Asian Attractions Expo enjoy the trade show ASIAN ATTRACTIONS EXPO AALARA 2010 TRADE EXPO Australia. Kuala Lumpur is a cost effective Date: 13 – 16 July 2010 Date: 13 – 16 July 2010 destination to visit and stay for Australians. Venue: The Kuala Lumpur Venue: The Kuala Lumpur This is one of the factors that convinced Convention Centre, Malaysia Convention Centre, Malaysia IAAPA to choose this destination as the 2010 conference venue. There are a number of great theme parks and attrac- or the fi rst time, IAAPA (International orking with IAAPA for the 2010 tions in Kuala Lumpur, making it attractive FAssociation of Amusement Parks WAsia show is a new experi- for behind the scenes visits and the Kuala and Attractions), AALARA (Australian ence. AALARA’s general manager, Kim Lumpur Convention centre is one of the Amusement Leisure and Recreation Hackwood, explains the reasons. best convention centres in south east Asia. Association) and MAAFTA (Malaysian “It was time for a change and an excit- AALARA’s role in the 2010 conference Association of Amusement, Theme Parks ing Asian destination appealed to our will be to organise all Australian delegates and Family Attractions) are working delegates when surveyed in 2009. We and exhibitors. We hope to have our own together to host the premier expo for the wanted to develop and build on the global reception desk, manned by our reception attractions industry in Asia. alliance between AALARA and IAAPA. By staff, who have been the friendly faces More than 3,000 professionals from combining, our delegates will have access behind the desk for many years. Because amusement and theme parks, waterparks, to a wealth of international speakers and it’s a joint venture, all delegates, be they zoos, aquariums, museums, family enter- industry expertise. A joint trade exhibition IAAPA or AALARA, will be attending the tainment centres, casinos, and resorts will provide a larger showcase of rides, functions and have access to the same are expected to attend to develop and attractions, products and services and speakers program and trade show.” purchase new attractions and products for our members will now have networking Contact: Kim Hackwood their facilities, see what’s new in the indus- opportunities on a scale which wouldn’t Email: [email protected] try, learn best practices, network with their be achievable if the show was held in www.iaapa.org/expos/asian colleagues and make new contacts. During the three-day event, more than 150 exhibitors from 25 countries will come IAAPA to Kuala Lumpur to showcase products e look forward to bringing Asian see what’s happening in the industry, in more than 100 categories, including “WAttractions Expo to Malaysia in learn about trends and best practices, amusement and theme park rides, archi- 2010, a location with a rich history and meet, collaborate, and experience amaz- tectural and design services, coin-operated stunning attractions,” says Charles Bray, ing world-class attractions in Asia. We games, skill games, theatrical productions president and CEO of IAAPA. “We’re look forward to working closely with and maintenance services and equip- continually impressed by the growth our friends at AALARA and MAAFTA to ment. The event will also feature a number and development of the Asian attrac- produce an exceptional and productive of educational programs for industry tions industry and see this as the perfect event for everyone involved.” professionals including tours of several place for attractions professionals to www.iaapa.org/expos/asian ● high-profi le attractions in Malaysia. 62 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 fun-kit.net Wherever you are in the world, fi nd the right products and services 24 / 7 by logging on to Attractions Management’s free search engine www.fun-kit.net Chance Morgan’s For more information, or to contact any of these fi rst Unicoaster companies, log on to www.fun-kit.net and type US-based rides company Chance the company name under ‘keyword search’ Morgan has completed construction on its fi rst Unicoaster. Exhibited at the IAAPA Expo in Las Sysco provides AV Vegas, US, the ride features eight rotating arms, all of which can ac- system for new commodate two people at a time. Darwin Centre One main aspect of the Unicoaster UK based system integrator Sysco is the rider’s ability to be able to con- has completed an audio-visual and trol the spin they experience, both in IT installation at the newly-opened a forwards and backwards direction, Darwin Centre at London’s Natural allowing passengers to provide them- History Museum (see p40). selves with a different ride each time. Included within the £78m fun-kit.net keyword (US$126.6m, %89.5m) extension is chance morgan Sysco’s 12m-wide Climate Change Wall, a glass wall of high resolution fun-kit.net keyword screens displaying fi lms and graph- sysco ics, which visitors can interact with, thanks to motion sensor technology. work, with visuals delivered by a Throughout the centre, audio range of NEC LCD displays and Pa- commentary and sound effects nasonic and Mitsubishi projectors. are transmitted from a range of HD This is housed on a mixture of Macs, sources via a BSS Soundweb net- PCs and DVS Blade video servers. Christie’s new digital SCS introduces cinema projector the Cannonball Digital cinema projection technolo- SCS Interactive has unveiled its lat- gies company Christie has debuted est product, the Cannonball, which the Christie CP2220 projector at the is able to project the rider up to 23ft ShowEast convention in Florida, USA. (7m) into a swimming pool. Part of the Christie Solaria™ range, Exhibited at IAAPA, the ride is the projector features Texas Instru- based on the idea of a water can- ments’ DLP Cinema technology as non enabling riders to experience a well as an optional integrated 2K/4K sensation similar to riding a wave. media block. The technology is Once the rider is seated in the designed to work with all external correct position, the attendant hits cinema servers, with the 4K projector the start button, sending the rider displaying at 4096 x 2160 pixels. fl ying into the air on a wave of water. fun-kit.net keyword fun-kit.net keywords Cannonballs of differing heights can christie scs interactive also be installed on a single site. AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 63 AQUARIUMS K?<9@>9CL< 9cl\I\\]8hlXi`ld he opening of the £4m (%4.4m, sum. Blue Reef’s MD, Ian Cunningham, $6.7m) Blue Reef aquarium at the now runs the enlarged Aspro UK operation. i\Z\ekcpfg\e\[fek_\ T centre of Bristol’s regenerated But the opening of the Bristol site in j`k\f]]X`c\[D`cc\ee`ld Harbourside is, in many ways, business November 2009 still represents a leap into gifa\ZkN`c[nXcb%Alc`\ as usual for a management team that has uncharted waters for the brand. It’s the fi rst been developing aquariums for a decade. Blue Reef Aquarium to be situated in the :iXd\id\\kjjfd\f]k_\ The company’s fi rst site launched in heart of a city, and the fi rst in Europe, the `kjleljlXci\j`[\ekjXe[ 1999 in Newquay (a former Sea Life centre), company says, to incorporate an Imax 3D then Portsmouth and Tynemouth (2001) cinema as part of the experience. To add Ôe[jflkn_p\og\ZkXk`fej and Hastings (2007). The company now to the challenges, Blue Reef has taken over Xi\_`^_k_Xkk_\XkkiXZk`fe# sits within a wider portfolio of attractions a 6,000sq m (64,500sq ft)-plus site that has spanning numerous European countries, had a troubled history as a visitor attraction. Xcfe^n`k_k_\\o`jk`e^ after it was acquired by Spanish leisure It occupies the former home of Wildwalk, @D8O#n`ccY\XjlZZ\jj company Aspro in 2008 for an undisclosed an ecological science attraction built 89FLK fter deciding to close two parts of the a medical supplier in the US, the machine Another highly popular exhibition, which original Millennium-funded At-Bristol allows people to “see through” their skin to opened in summer 2009 and is running for A project, the charity has channelled its watch the blood running through their veins. three years, is Animate It!, which has been energies into making Explore a lead- developed in conjunction with ing science and discovery centre. locally-based Aardman Animations In autumn 2009, the drip-feeding of Wallace and Gromit and Morph of new exhibits onto the science fl oor fame. It represents the third collabo- began, which expands on an existing ration with Aardman, but is much area entitled Your Amazing Brain and more advanced in terms of visitor focuses on the wonders of the human interactivity, says Explore’s Zoe Fox. body. Financed by a £1.5m ($2.4m, The exhibition has numerous %1.7m) Wellcome Trust grant, the hands-on stations, where visitors exhibition, All About Us, will be fully can do simple animations sketches, operational by February 2011. control the lighting on the set of The centre’s in-house specialist A Matter of Loaf and Death, and prototype team will, until that time, be produce an animation fi lm that can user-testing a range of new exhibits, Science attraction Explore offers hands be downloaded, via their entrance including a VeinViewer. Sourced from on activities for all age groups ticket, to their computer at home. 64 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 The exhibits are designed to enable visitors to get as close as possible to the fi sh and animals “ONE THING WE KNOW HOW TO DO IS RUN POPULAR, PROFITABLE VISITOR ATTRACTIONS AND WE ARE VERY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE OPENING OF OUR FIRST CITY-BASED AQUARIUM” along with the Imax and Explore-At-Bristol It then fell to Bristol City Council and the is run popular, profi table visitor attractions science centre with a £44m (%48,500m, South West Regional Development Agency and we are very optimistic about the open- $73.3m) Millennium Commission grant in working alongside At-Bristol to fi nd a new ing of our fi rst city-based aquarium.” 2000. The three-part project, operated by tenant for the site. After a search span- Eleiho says the company is projecting registered charity At-Bristol, cost £97m ning the rest of the year, Blue Reef was “conservative” visitor numbers of 250,000 (%107m, $162m) including regeneration awarded the contract after a closed tender in the fi rst year. “I think we’ll achieve more of some public spaces and infrastructure. process and work began to redevelop the than this”, she says. Average length of stay But Wildwalk only achieved 95,000 visitors, site in summer 2008. is predicted to be three to four hours. compared with 160,000 at Explore. Blue Reef’s fi nance director Sue Eleiho The company believes the ease of At-Bristol made the decision to close remains unperturbed by the site’s his- motorway access and prime location of Wildwalk and the attached Imax in spring tory, seeing the arrival of the aquarium as the new attraction will draw visitors from 2007, citing an unsustainable mix of high something to breathe new life into a vacant a wide radius – from Birmingham to the operating costs and poor attendances. building. “One thing we know how to do north, London 120 miles to the east and AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 65 AQUARIUMS Sea creatures at the aquarium include nautilus (top left); seahorses (bottom left); and clown fi sh (above), all of which are housed in exhibits which emulate their natural habitat effectively the new landlord for the aquar- Wildwalk was a diffi cult decision, but it ium, which took over the 75-year lease. was something we had to do to ensure the “It is great to see natural history back on long term success of Explore. We defi nitely the whole of the West Country. Bristol has the Harbourside,” says Explore’s director made the right choice,” Murray says. a population of 420,000 and receives up to of learning Rachel Murray. Starting out in 5.5 million day visitors per year. 2000 as an explainer on the fl oor at both DLKL8C8KKI8:K@FE Explore and Wildwalk, Murray has had a As well as a landlord and tenant rela- K?<9@>G@:KLI< ringside seat in both the successes and tionship, Explore and Blue Reef see The 350-seat Imax theatre is, of course, failures of the At-Bristol project. “From the themselves very much as mutually ben- completely new territory for Blue Reef. outset Wildwalk was an extremely diffi cult efi cial neighbours. The science attraction With the circular theatre intrinsically linked project to market. It was called ‘a living and the aquarium fl ank two sides of the to the fabric of the building, the company rainforest in the heart of the city’ and when cobbled Anchor Square, which is a lively was willing to take it on, and now it’s a people visited they absolutely loved it, but space for public events. question of watching and learning, Eleiho the diffi culty was attracting them through When asked, both operators say they’re says. “I believe the Imax used to be on a the doors in the fi rst place.” willing to explore joint marketing opportuni- separate ticket entry to Wildwalk, which Wildwalk, which contained two artifi cial ties “in the near future”. For now, At-Bristol, probably didn’t help drive visits. We’ve rainforest and live animals exhibits, also which has strong working links with large included it in the price of aquarium entry proved an expensive attraction to run. Bristol-based operators such as Airbus, to enhance the visitor experience and Murray said that revenues reached around will run the corporate hospitality side of give people a chance to gain a unique £4.5m ($7.3m, %5.2m) – generated not just Blue Reef’s business. Meanwhile Blue three-dimensional close-up of sea life in its from ticket sales but also from the char- Reef can focus on building visitor numbers natural habitat,” she says. ity’s operation of the nearby Millennium and driving repeat visits. “It’s important to There are four fi lm showings each day. car park as well as from corporate hire and communicate that the aquarium is a living, Currently showing is Dolphins and Whales, sponsorship. “But our operating costs breathing thing that’s constantly changing produced by Jean-Michel Cousteau and were £6m ($9.6m, %7m) and in the time and maturing. There’s always something narrated by actress Darryl Hannah. It’s the Wildwalk was open, we never managed to new to see,’ says Eleiho. fi rst time the 42-minute fi lm, which took plug the gap,” says Murray. Across all Blue Reef sites there’s a busy three years to make, has been available in By contrast, the hands-on science attrac- programme of events to help drive busi- the UK. Two other fi lms, Sharks and Ocean tion Explore, which is housed in a grade ness. Among plans for 2010 are a Pirates Wonderland, will be shown later in 2010. II-listed converted railway goods shed, is Weekend Treasure Trail, educational talks One operator that’s very pleased to see going from strength to strength. Murray about protecting seahorses and saving the arrival of Blue Reef is At-Bristol, which says visitors were up a recession-bust- sharks, and getting people interested in continues to run Explore-At-Bristol and is ing 15,000 last year to 175,000. “Closing taking part in a beach clean. 66 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 (Above) fi lm showings at the IMAX are 89FLK9CL<I<<=9I@JKFC included in the ticket price to the aquarium hrough the entrance aquarium visi- aquatic ‘paintings’ of coral fi sh. Some of Blue Reef’s new parent company Aspro tors will fi nd themselves in a bright, these windows are concave, allowing peo- also has some fi rm links to conservation. It T open space with a large café area ple to lean in and feel closer to the action. runs the Natura Foundation, a not-for-profi t and well-stocked shop. Other exhibits at Blue Reef include a environmental institution which invests in A long arched tunnel makes for a grand very physical ‘crawl-in and pop-up’ glass a wide range of conservation, educational entrance up to the Imax, while before this a bubble helmet where visitors can view sea and research activities. The foundation is smaller, cave-themed entrance directs visi- horses from a unique perspective, and a mainly run from Aspro’s zoological sites in tors to the fi rst of the exhibits – a life-size ‘Wet Lab’ educational space. Spain, but its existence also helps to add recreation of a sunken ship housing fi sh from As visitors continue on their journey they some green credentials to the company’s British coastal waters. The walk-through is come out into the daylight of the former portfolio of nature-based attractions – dark and atmospheric with back-lit informa- Wildwalk glass atrium. The original board- which includes the Blue Planet aquarium in tion displays at both adult and child-height. walk remains, snaking round freshly planted Cheshire, Deep Sea World in Fife and the Themed displays throughout the facil- tropical plants that will take a little while to Barcelona aquarium. ity have been made by Nautilus Aquariums bed down and mature. The walkway contin- In Bristol, there’s no doubt much relief working alongside architect Richard Williams ues around a waterfall, rock work (created by from everyone that the city has fi lled a of Buttress Fuller Alsop Williams. For the fi rst Rockthemes) and open top aquarium tanks highly visible void in an area so success- time, Blue Reef has incorporated LED light- before taking people back into the main fully regenerated in the past decade with ing technology in the displays to cut energy building where there are further exhibits. restaurants, galleries, cinema, casino, consumption by up to 60 per cent. Zahra D’Aronville is the curator for Blue apartments and vibrant public spaces. The centrepiece is the realistic coral reef Reef Aquarium and involved in the fi nely- Head of business development for the that sits within a giant tropical ocean dis- timed co-ordination of arrivals. “All our South West RDA, Ann O’Driscoll, believes play and can be experienced from several species are sustainably sourced or captiv- the new aquarium will greatly add to the viewpoints on different levels. Visitors can ity-bred. They undergo an acclimatisation waterfront’s cultural mix. “It’s a highly look down through the open top tank, wind process to ensure they can immediately prominent site and redeveloping such a around a footbridge and walk through an start to thrive in their new habitat,” she says. specifi c building was always going to be underwater viewing tunnel. “Spaces above She’s particularly excited about the arrival a challenge for any operator,” she says. the main tanks are normally service areas of the tiny, delicate Bangaii Cardinals which “We’re delighted with the new aquarium that the public have no access to. Here, were fi rst successfully bred in captivity at and are confi dent it will bring an even these have been incorporated into the main the Newquay site. “These fi sh only exist on wider mix of people down to Harbourside.” exhibition spaces,” says Williams. one small island in Indonesia and are highly Blue Reef Aquarium’s the new kid on the Another area is themed more like a con- endangered. It’s great that we’ve been able block and the next few seasons should tell temporary gallery space, with white walls to breed them here and give visitors the how much of a splash it will make with the and big round windows creating beautiful chance to learn about such a rare species.” inhabitants of Bristol and beyond. ● AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 67 WATER RIDES HJG;ÉHJE Surfi ng is an undeniably cool pastime, so replicating the sport away from the coast sounds like a winning proposition. Kath Hudson looks at some of the companies creating wave products and discovers that there’s an offer for all surfers, both beginners and experienced and old and young alike aving been king of the waves for in Durban, San Diego, Santiago, Chile and Wave House, for countries not blessed with almost two decades, Wave Loch Singapore and more are in development, year-round sunshine. It will have food and H is facing challengers for a toehold including Spain, which will open in 2011, beverage, retail and some entertainment. in the surfi ng rides market. Launched in and Wembley, UK, which will be the largest The fi rst one opens at Body Flight near 1991 by Californian surfer Tom Lochtefeld, to date, and the fi rst one indoors. Still in the Bedford, UK, in May, complementing the Wave Loch’s core product is the FlowRider, planning stages, it’s due to open in 2012. other adventure sports on offer at the site – which uses sheet fl ow technology: shoot- As there are only four inches of water, a a wind tunnel to simulate sky diving, Vertigo, ing a thin fi lm of water over a stationary bespoke board has to be used. This, and a bungee jump without the bounce, and the surface to create a surfable wave. the fact that the water comes from the UK’s tallest zipwire. Body Flight’s MD, Paul Wave Loch’s products include the front, rather than behind, means it’s not Mayer, expects it to be popular: “Without FlowRider Double for two riders, the an exact copy of surfi ng. The company a doubt, the extreme sports market will FlowBarrel, which has larger, curling waves describes fl owboarding as a sport in its want to use Flow House,” he says. “We’re for more experienced riders, and a mobile own right – “skateboarding without wheels, expecting a core of surf and board sport version. FlowRiders are installed all over surfi ng without a fi n, snowboarding without enthusiasts to use it regularly, but also peo- the world in waterparks, shopping malls the mountain, wakeboarding without the ple who view it as a unique experience to and cruise ships and form the centrepiece boat and skimboarding without the sand.” have a go at. There will be two elements to of Wave Loch’s Californian lifestyle experi- the classes – body boarding, which most ence, Wave House. NEW CONCEPTS people will get the hang of during their fi rst Wave House involves food and bever- More developments are in the pipeline. session, and stand-up riding, which takes age, music and surf retail arranged around Lochtefeld says he wants to build a Flow more balance and practice.” the water. Five are currently in operation, Park, similar to a skate park, with water half Around £1m (%1.1m, US$1.7m) has pipes. And a new concept, Flow House, been invested in this attraction and is about to get off the starting blocks. A Mayer’s hoping it will pay back within three joint venture between Wave Loch and the or four years. Once this site’s up and run- UK-based thrills operator, Body Flight, Flow ning, the partners are planning to look for House is a toned down, indoor version of more opportunities to operate Flow House. Operations development manager for Wave House Europe, Simon Palmer, says this will show the UK market how Flowrider works as a business model. “Flow House will help people understand that it’s not just a ride attraction, there’s more to it, and brands want to be associated with it.” Two more FlowRiders will open in the UK soon. One in Newquay – despite the fact the town is home to seven surf beaches – and a local authority operation near Gateshead. THE CHALLENGER Another Californian surfer, Bruce American Wave Machine’s SurfStream uses a surfboard to offer an authentic experience McFarland, founder of American Wave 68 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 (Left and far left) the FlowRider prod- Machines (AWM), has come up with a dif- opinion, Body Glove Waves SurfStream is uct is evolving into the FlowHouse ferent type of wave, SurfStream, which the most fun, the safest, and has the most attraction; (above) Wave Surfer’s trav- claims to be the world’s fi rst standing wave options to ride different types of waves.” elling wave can go as fast as 70km/hr surf machine and provides an authentic There are a handful of SurfStreams in surfi ng experience, using a real surfboard. operation, which were sold prior to the new Adjustable, gravity-driven waves are pro- agreement, but the partners now plan an THE OTHERS duced, from body boarding and learning aggressive roll out. Body Glove licensees German company, ATV Action Team, diver- waves, to tubular and river waves. It’s an in Asia, Europe, South America, Middle sifi ed from making snow for tv production endless standing wave, made by continu- East and Canada are preparing to promote, companies to creating surfi ng products ously pumping water in a recirculating pool sell and market the product. two years ago. The Wave is a standing and channel system, and is great for learn- “Multiple deals are in the works and wave, which uses endlessly revolving water. ing to surf, as beginners can focus on foot some are under contract,” says Meistrell. Staff at the company studied Munich placement and balance immediately, and “My goal is to have 100 new Body Glove River’s famous wave, The Eisbach, as a get the feeling of gliding over water. Waves up and running in the next fi ve basis for the technology, setting out to For the more accomplished, a second years. Based on our negotiations, I believe create an experience which is as close to product, PerfectSwell, has a larger pool this is not only possible, but is also very surfi ng as possible. The products range in and a wave, which is created at one end likely to exceed my goal.” size from 15m (49ft) to 30m (98ft)-wide and and breaks in the pool so riders must learn to paddle in and pop up. They come in different sizes and prices, and with dif- ferent horsepower to increase the size of the waves. An 8ft (2.4m) tube wave can be created, but 90 per cent of average customers wouldn’t be able to cope with this. The rough price of an installation is $1.2m (£700,000, %800,000), but depends on customer requirements. PerfectSwell also incorporates a wind over water ‘horn’, which makes the wave more like the wind- generated waves of the ocean, rather than the tidal-based products on the market. McFarland signed an agreement with watersports and lifestyle retailer Body Glove in July 2009, which marries AWM’s technology with Body Glove’s branding and marketing experience. Body Glove’s CEO, Robbie Meistrell (another Californian surfer), says he’s never been so excited about a product: “I’ve been in the surf industry my whole life and I’ve ridden many different types of artifi cial waves. In my One hundred Body Glove Waves SurfStream are planned to open over the next fi ve years AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 69 WATER RIDES cost $500,000 (£452,000, $754,000). ATV’s WORLD WATERPARK ASSOCIATION Rainer Klimaschewski believes there’s a great deal of potential for standing waves, Following a tough year for operators, and “This past year was a particularly as they give the opportunity of an authentic with association trade shows suffering from challenging one for our operators and surfi ng experience with less investment dropping attendances, the World Waterpark this year’s educational programme was than big wave pools. An installation was Association worked especially hard to get designed to address those challenges by recently completed at the Alpincenter in new faces and increase fi rst time attendees offering new and innovative ideas and solu- Bottrop, Germany, and more are lined up to its 29th Symposium and Trade Show at tions,” said Aleatha Ezra, director of park for 2010. The product is also available as a Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort at the member development at WWA. mobile construction. end of October 2009. As well as 50 breakout sessions, includ- The Belgian company AFP Technology As a result, attendance matched last ing 30 new topics, attendees had the only started marketing the Wavesurfer year’s show in Las Vegas and reports sug- chance to experience workshops facilitated within the last few months, although the gest there was a lot of purchase planning by Disney, which looked at the core princi- founders have been in the industry much on the fl oor, showing that projects are still ples of Disney’s organisational strength and longer. Wavesurfer is a wave pool, with a developing and there are active plans for took attendees behind the scenes of some travelling wave that has speeds of up to 70 park expansions and new projects. of the company’s most innovative areas. km per hour. According to technical sport and training academy director, Bart Van Kralingen, the best feature of the system to %2m (£1.8m, $3m). Two have been placed on any surface, with no construc- is that it’s modular and easily relocatable. installed in Belgium and more are under- tion work needed. The permanent product The smallest size is 4m (13ft)-wide, suit- way in other western European countries. is also easy to install. Any board without able for one surfer or two body boarders, a fi n can be used, including a wave board but more can be added to create double MOBILE OPTION and a wakeboard and it’s suitable for all or triple pools. Another selling point is that Another newcomer, only having been in levels, including children. It has one pump, the strength of the waves and the slippier the market for a year, is The Wave Booster, which runs between 30 and 50km/hr and base mean it’s easier to ride. It’s made of from Belgium. The USP is its mobility – it prices range from %400,000 (£362,000, soft materials so can be installed anywhere can be ready for use within four hours and $600,000) to `1m (£900,000, $1.5m). and doesn’t need to sit in a concrete pit. It can be moved again a few hours after use. Scottish wave supplier, Murphys Waves, costs from %350,000 (£317,000, $527,000) It can be used indoors and outdoors and has been in the business for 16 years and has around 100 installations, includ- ing a Point Break Surf ride at Tenerife’s new waterpark, Siam Park, which is a large wave pool with a travelling wave. The company has also just created a new surf system using a static wave, called BoardRider. The price and technology var- ies according to the product. Like the sport itself, the artifi cial surfi ng market looks set to be very competitive, but Meistrell thinks the market has a huge amount of untapped potential: “The surf- ing culture has been admired for many years and people all over the world wear surf brand clothing, even though they don’t surf. I’ve seen many people experience surfi ng for the fi rst time and get the stoke [surf-speak for ‘get a buzz from it’]. There is truly nothing else like riding a surfboard. I believe we’re on the cusp of an explosion of the surfi ng experience.” If these products can create the thrill of surfi ng, while making this diffi cult sport easier to learn, there could well be room in The Wave aims to replicate Munich River’s wave and can be adjusted to suit all levels the market for all the players. ● 70 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 An earth-friendly COMMERCIAL solution for POOL VACUUM pristine pool water. • Saves millions of gallons of water and waste • Removes over 99.9% of crypto in a single pass • Delivers pool water quality that’s second to none • Increases UV sanitation efficiency Proud Supplier Lalandia Aquadome, Denmark Blue Lagoon Waterpark, Wales WhiteWater World, Australia AS USED IN THE TRAFALGAR Wild Wadi Waterpark, Dubai SQUARE FOUNTAINS! Adventure Park, Australia L Manually operated L L Completely self contained unit L INDUSTRY L Collects dirt and debris to onboard fi lter bag L BEST NEW PRODUCT INNOVATION AWARD L Suitable for cleaning any size/shape water pool L Call 800-832-8002 for a FREE Savings Audit. Since1956 www.kal-tech.co.uk Visit www.DefenderFilter.com to take a test drive. Call +44 (0)1684 830159 by THE GLOBAL RESOURCE FOR ATTRACTIONS PROFESSIONALS The Attractions Management Handbook, the ultimate reference guide for the international attractions market, will be published for 2010 as a comprehensive resource for operators and suppliers worldwide. The new handbook will be distributed in 2010 to buyers and operators and will also have bonus distribution at key industry events Supplier information Operator information TIONAL Company profiles Key industry statistics and research A C N I R R Multiple listings of industry suppliers 2010 Diary: industry events, E C T U shows and networking opportunities N L I Innovation roundup A T I Web address book Predictions and trends for 2010 O Product selector Features and analysis N Organisation contact book Resource section with contact information Development pipeline Green resources Brought to you by To book your promotion or for further information please contact the sales team Call +44 (0)1462 431385 Email [email protected] AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 71 ECO GDDBM?J>7L?;M ÆIddjih^YZgh^ib^\]ihZZblZÉkZYZX^YZYidWj^aYVbjhZjb ^ci]Zb^YYaZd[cdl]ZgZ!Ç6ccZ=³_ZgEZiZghZc!Y^gZXidgd[ ;j\ahVc\@jchibjhZjb!iZaahIdbLVa`Zg#Æ7jil]Vii]ZnYdcÉi `cdl^hi]Vii]ZVgZV]VhVg^X]igVY^i^dc^cVgihVcYXjaijgZ#Ç he location may indeed have a cul- (27,000sq ft) museum, designed by British tural heritage, but deciding to set up architect Tony Fretton, is thriving. T an art museum, appointing a world- It pulled in more than double its target renowned architect and asking him to of 20,000 visitors in its fi rst year and in design it on a farmyard on a remote island October 2009 was short-listed for the RIBA on the Baltic Sea, was still a brave move. Stirling Prize. Being nominated for the Fuglsang, which means “bird song” in high-profi le architectural prize thrust the old Norse, is located on the Danish island museum onto the world stage and it has of Lolland, which is famous for its agri- since attracted attention and acclaim from culture and only has a population of little all parts of the world. more than 65,000. The closest town to the museum is the curiously named Nykøbing ;JC9>C< F, which sits on the neighbouring island The museum is run by a board of trustees of Falster. Copenhagen, the capital, is with representatives from private institu- more than a two-hour drive away. Despite tions and local government. It receives The scenery is part of the artwork this remoteness, however, the 2,500sq m funding from both central and local govern- ments, but is heavily reliant on sponsorship and donations from private companies and ;J 72 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Using natural light saves on electricity and is better for visitors’ wellbeing aristocratic Neergaard family in 1819. When the last member of the family died childless, the property was bequeathed to a charity, called Refugiet Fuglsang. The area’s rich cultural heritage stems from the Neergaard family’s close links to the Danish musical elite – including the two giants of Danish music, composers Carl Nielsen and Edvard Grieg. The manor house is currently the permanent home of the Danish Chamber Players (Storstrøms Kammerensemble), a nationally-recog- nised chamber orchestra. After agreeing a deal for an art gallery to The framed view has become the icon of Fuglsang be built within the grounds of the Fuglsang estate, the museum trust announced a tation with an advisory architect,” he says. lery featuring nothing but three panoramic design competition for the building. “Our scheme was chosen unanimously, and windows and chairs. The framing of the The brief imposed a number of archi- having selected us the board of trustees and picturesque view and presenting it as an tectural constraints, due to the museum the director respected our professionalism artwork has become the icon of Fuglsang. being built on a plot surrounded by the and let us get on with the project. The UK Fretton’s submission to the brief, how- historic manor house and its agricultural has a great deal to learn from this.” ever, wasn’t entirely rebellious. “Out of the and administration buildings. The trust fi ve bids, Tony’s was the one that actually received fi ve submissions from architects I=:7G>:; concentrated on solving the issues regard- and the one that stood out was, ironically, The brief dictated that the building should ing the day-to-day operations of a museum the one that disregarded some of the pro- integrate with the surrounding architec- that we laid out in the competition brief,” visos laid out in the stringent brief. “That’s ture and landscape. It also included a ‘very Petersen says. what you need architects for,” Petersen strong suggestion’ that access from the “We asked very precise questions. Tony says with a hearty laugh. “Tony clearly museum to the courtyard of the manor seemed to be the one that paid most atten- made us see something that we weren’t house should be closed. This would have tion to answering these questions and able to see ourselves.” obstructed the view from the museum to that’s exactly what we wanted – answers, Fretton adds that the selection proc- the coast and Fretton dismissed this as not fancy new ideas. He did this partly by ess was well organised, which helped to a bad idea, suggesting that rather than neglecting the original brief and partly by produce a coherent design. “The brief shutting the view out, it should become giving more fl exibility to how the different was very well constructed, having been a defi ning feature of the museum. As a rooms and the whole body of the museum’s prepared by a year-long process of consul- result, the museum’s centrepiece is a gal- architecture was laid out. AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 73 ECO “The freedom of space Natural light is used throughout provided by Tony’s design the museum and brings the impressed us and eventually we art works’ colours out in a way all agreed that by choosing the best suited to the human eye layout he suggested, we knew we’d have a building that would presently as green as we’d not only look stunning, but like to be,” she says. “The would also be functional as a museum is heated by oil, but working museum.” we’re working on alternative Fretton’s solutions include solutions. We’d very much a walk through fl oor plan to like to decrease our energy manage visitor fl ow, as well consumption, but there are as the creation of four ‘art currently two main obstacles pockets’ – 7sq m (75sq ft) to this. One is that the initial spaces, each housing a solitary investment in energy saving piece of art. “The pockets are measures is not cheap. All our very little rooms in which you funding has been used in set- can only have one person at ting up the museum so huge a time alone with one piece investments are not possible of art,” says Petersen. “We at the moment. The second wanted to offer an intensive art obstacle is one faced by all experience. It really works too – ;G:IIDCHJ<<:HI:9I=6IG6I=:G arts institutions – we need to people pass by and say ‘what’s I=6CH=JII>C<I=:K>:LDJI!>I maintain heat and humidity at going on in here?’, ‘Why is this levels that avoid damage to the hanging here by itself?’ and 7:8DB:69:;>C>C<;:6IJG:#I=: art works. In a climate such as they decide to have a look”. Denmark’s, where the tempera- ;G6B>C<D;I=:K>:L=6H ture changes wildly over the A><=I>C< year, this is increasingly hard.” Construction work on site 7:8DB:I=:>8DCD;;J 74 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 CONFERENCE REPORT AZA CONFERENCE REPORT Green operations, wildlife conservation and business strategies were the topics discussed at the 85th Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) conference. Melissa Howerton, director of conferences and membership, reports on the event eld in Portland, Oregon, and The fi nale of the conference (right) was a hosted by Oregon Zoo, AZA 2009 day at Oregon Zoo where delegates could H in September embraced the eco- mix networking with a look at the animals friendly environment of Portland with a Green Mission outlining ways the associa- programming themes featured thought-pro- tion and conference suppliers cooperated voking topics on climate change, animal to lower the meeting’s carbon footprint. and guest safety, green operations, doing Materials were available in digital versions more with less, population sustainabil- offering delegates the option to use print or ity, revenue generation and technological electronic formats in planning agendas. advances in the zoo and aquarium fi eld. Attendees were encouraged to take part More than 300 speakers in 64 sessions MEMBER RECOGNITION in this effort by reusing water bottles and participated, providing enlightening discus- AZA announced four newly accredited coffee mugs they received onsite, pur- sions and best practice examples. members — Binghamton Zoo at Ross chasing carbon-offsetting, recycling name More than 120 exhibiting companies and Park in Binghamton, NY, Children’s Zoo at badges and using public light-rail to get the Conservation Endowment Fund Silent Celebration Square in Saginaw, Michigan, from one destination to another. Incentives Auction fi lled the 90,000sq ft (8,360sq m) Steinhart Aquarium in San Francisco, were offered to attendees who registered exhibit hall. To support suppliers, new fea- California, and Tracy Aviary in Salt Lake online before the conference, as opposed tures at the conference included increased City, Utah. This brings AZA-Accredited to mailing in registration forms, with a draw promotional of exhibitors and sponsors, institutions to 221. Many honours and for complimentary hotel stays. a virtual trade show that attendees could awards were also bestowed on individu- search by company or product category, als in the zoo and aquarium community, OPENING MESSAGE and enhanced member benefi ts. including recognition in outstanding serv- The conference was opened by ice and committee work. Dr Jane Goodall, DBE, founder The conference continued AZA CONFERENCE 2010 of the Jane Goodall Institute to the fi nale and closing event, and UN Messenger of Peace. AZA 2010 will run September 11 – 16 and will be hosted Zoo Day, fi lled with hands-on Goodall addressed the audi- by the Houston Zoo, Houston, Texas. The event promises experiences at the Oregon ence with her message of hope to bring together top-notch speakers, engaging program- Zoo. Attendees had access to for the future and her call to ming and events and vibrant exhibitors featuring the behind-the-scenes exhibits and make a difference every day newest products and services to the zoo and aquarium keeper chats. Social events for people, animals and the world. For more information and details about attend- planned throughout the day environment. Keeping her mes- ing, visit www.aza.org/annualconference. The Call for offered delegates extensive sage alive throughout the week, Papers opens early February 2010 on the AZA website. networking opportunities set educational sessions and among the hills of the Zoo. ● AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 75 SIMULATORS CLASS ACT Whether it’s bringing a subject to life or animating complicated issues, simulation offers great educational potential. Kath Hudson looks at new projects made for children plus some inventive case studies wenty children enthralled by a fi lm, The 3D interactive attraction makes cut- educational message. To this end, there wearing 3D glasses, sit inside a ting edge science digestible for nine- to were a lot of test sessions with schools and simulator capsule, which bucks 14-year-olds. The central character of the children, and the experts of the Foundation and rolls on top of an articulated fi lm is Champi, an animated child, who reviewed the script and the production at Tlorry. This science class has been touring takes them on a tour of the human body, various stages, from both a scientifi c and the Iberian peninsula since April 2008. witnessing many contemporary medical an educational point of view. Commissioned by The Champalimaud science issues, such as stem cell research, The show’s completely interactive – the Foundation and created by Belgium-based, nanotechnology, DNA and gene therapy. children have to act together to move the technology company de pinxi, the %1m de pinxi’s co-founder Philippe Chiwy story on. “This creates stronger emotion (£861,000, US$1.4m) Future of Medicine says the main challenges were coming up and memories,” says Chiwy. “The kids aims to explain the future challenge of with characters and a storyline which the shout the name of Champi together to medicine to children in an inspiring way, so children would respond to, and balancing avoid obstacles. They’ll remember this a lot they will consider science as a career. the entertainment and emotion with the more than a linear, passive movie.” The attraction has been constantly touring schools and science museums in THE SUM OF ALL THRILLS ence via a touchscreen. They have the Portugal and Spain since April 2008 and choice of riding a virtual rollercoaster, the response has been overwhelmingly The educational theme is continued at bobsled or a jet and can pick inversions, positive. “I don’t say that very often, but Walt Disney’s new Innoventions Pavilion corkscrews and steep hills. The content the reaction here was huge!” says Chiwy. in Epcot, Florida. US defence contractor chosen determines the ride’s speed. “There’s specifi c local press coverage for Raytheon has sponsored a new ride, The The information is stored on a mag- nearly every destination and as soon as it Sum of all Thrills, which shows children netic strip, which is swiped at the launch reaches a town, the locals are queuing up how maths and engineering make things station. Once inside the simulator, a 3D to experience the show.” they care about happen and come to life. video hood is placed over the rider’s The ride is a rollercoaster simulator. head and upper torso, allowing them to Animated character Champi takes children Guests programme their own experi- experience their ride. on a tour of the human body in de pinxi’s Future of Medicine simulation experience 76 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 The Legend of Apollo 3D fi lm New dimensions The UK-based 4D theatre and simula- tion attraction specialist, Simworx, OTHER NEWS installed two new attractions in 2009, which provide fully immer- sive experiences. At Dutch theme park, Familiepark Drievliet, Simworx remodelled a Cine 180 dome building into a 4D theatre, showing the Curse of Skull Rock on a 3D projection system, complemented with multi- directional seats and a number of special effects, including seat drops, water spray, leg tickers, wind, low smoke, bubbles and aroma. Simworx is also responsible for London’s fi rst 4D theatre at The Science Museum. A combination of multi-directional seats, special effects and Red Star’s 3D fi lm, Legend of Apollo, take visitors on a space adven- ture, telling the story of Colonel David Scott, the commander of the Apollo 15 mission to the moon. THE BEES KNEES ÈKIL<<;L:8K@FED<8EJ Bees - Nature’s Hidden Heroes uses simulation to allow children to learn how German company, Clostermann, has also =FJK AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 77 SIMULATORS OTHER NEWS OTHER Adult only racing Dutch simulator company, Cruden, unveiled two new models of its inter- active racing simulators at IAAPA in November. Its Hexatech system has been redesigned for more accu- rate simulation of racing cars, easier access and lower purchase and operational costs. A new three-seater model has also been designed, intended to increase throughput for operators. Two pas- GET FLOORED IN PARIS fl ashes simulate the fl oor collapsing. sengers sit either side of the driver, Once the fl oor (virtually) collapses, creating what is thought to be the De pinxi is also in the closing stages of an actors playing the people, who suppos- fi rst simulator to combine guest-led attraction, at the Monparnasse Tower in edly live below, start reacting. With each interaction and a passive ride experi- Paris, The Big Hole. The brief was to cre- collapse there’s a new scenario. ence, as two passengers sit either ate an entertaining attraction, while also de pinxi’s Philippe Chiwy says that side of the driver. The seating has educating visitors about the city. building a show, which includes special been recessed into the new motion Screens are integrated into the fl oor, effects and live actors, into the existing system, as opposed to sitting on top which start to vibrate, while surround architecture, with very limited space, of it, which gives the rider a more sound, subwoofer and synchronised was a big challenge. intense experience. DRIVING SCHOOL Children between the ages of fi ve and 11 can complete exercises in mini VW Beetle cars to gain a driver’s licence, at Autostadt in Wolfsburg. The attraction was created by Simtec, with the help of Autostadt and Daywalker-Studio and since its launch in November 2008 has been Autostadt’s most popular children’s attraction. The Children’s Driving School allows children to negotiate driving situations. Simtec CEO Bernd Kaufmann explains: “We’ve developed an interactive video con- trol system, which allows kids to infl uence the driver activities by moving the control wheel or the accelerator pedal. What they do determines the video sequences on the screen, so children feel they’re driving the ations. For example, if they approach a Children move the control wheel and car in the simulation, without having the junction and remove their foot from the accelerator pedal to “drive” the car. Any real task of driving, which is beyond their accelerator, the car will stop. If they don’t, mistakes made are explained to them capabilities and would distract from the there’s an explanation about their mistake. idea. The focus is to learn a driver’s per- When there’s no traffi c, they can put their So, will this focus on children and the spective in traffi c.” foot back on the accelerator, turn the steer- use of simulation for education continue? There are 15 exercises to complete, ing wheel and carry on with their trip. There are compelling reasons to do this: which test how they’d react in traffi c situ- Each run lasts fi ve minutes and the the huge challenge of the environment, results are stored on a chip card, so they as well as the constant need for medi- È:?@C;I 78 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Did you know that you can now receive a FREE subscription to Attractions Management in its new, greener, paper-free, digital format? Change the way you read Attractions Management magazine SIGN UP ONLINE: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/green Reseller Ticket Reconciliation Doesn’t Have to Be Like This. eGalaxy Reseller Web Store is here. • Automated ticket management saves time and money • Accurately track and manage your ticket sales • Dramatically increase operations efficiency GGet started today: Call: 800.487.8587 Or visit: www.gatewayticketing.com AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 79 fun-kit.net TICKETING SYSTEMS Skidata’s Vario.Gate Wherever you are in the world, fi nd the right products and services 24 / 7 by Access systems logging on to Attractions Management’s company Skidata AG has unveiled a free search engine www.fun-kit.net versatile, easy-to- use ticket reader suitable for use within stadiums as For more information, or to contact any of these well as at amuse- companies, log on to www.fun-kit.net and type ment parks and trade shows. the company name under ‘keyword search’ Called Vario. Gate, the entry control system TOR Systems features an intel- unveils Maxim ligent scanning device that accepts Solution software and checks tickets in RFID, Print@ Home and barcode formats at a sin- Leading provider of visitor engage- gle scanning point. The single scan ment solutions, TOR Systems, has point aids both operators, who can unveiled its latest scheme for use sell tickets in a variety of formats, as within the museums, heritage and well as visitors, who can then enter visitor attractions sectors. quickly and easily. Called Maxim Solution and fun-kit.net keyword operating on industry standard skidata platforms, the ‘best of breed solu- tion’ has been designed to combine fun-kit.net keywords stability, speed and resilience with tor systems cutting-edge technology. The product includes integrated fi nancial, catering and CRM soft- touchscreen PC-POS units as well ware as and when required. as the option to integrate real-time TOR Systems’ Ticketstor offers internet sales via MaximWeb, which further web sales capabilities for cli- can then be linked to external retail, ents organising temporary events. Gateway secure IAAPA Time Pursuit books new product award in at BeWILDerwood Gateway Ticketing has won a best Open Frontiers’ Time Pursuit ticket- new product award at IAAPA, thanks ing solution has been deployed at to its eGalaxy Reseller Web store. the children’s tree house adventure A web-based PoS application, the park, BeWILDerwood, Norwich, UK. product allows operators to save The web-based booking sys- time and money thanks to a range of tem not only allows the purchase automated processes, such as rec- of admission, but also to buy onciliation and a print-on-demand merchandise and gift vouchers. function. The application also pro- Meanwhile, full gate admissions vides up-to-the-minute sales reports technology has also been built into to let operators track revenue imme- the Time Pursuit program. On site, diately rather than at the season end. wireless scanners have been in- fun-kit.net keyword fun-kit.net keywords stalled, enabling advance bookers gateway open frontiers to use a fast-track entrance. 80 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Because Gamma moves time is into Chatsworth House valuable... Chatsworth House in Der- byshire has chosen to install a number of integrated modules from Gamma Data- ware’s LeisurePOS platform. At the home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, Gamma will be supplying solutions for admissions and ticketing, gift aid, bookings and event man- agement, membership CRM as well as a web booking interface. In addition to these, Gamma is also providing an Integrated Chip & PIN and back offi ce customer not present credit/debit card software solution. In further news, the company has also completed a Point of Sale installa- tion at the recently-opened BugWorld fun-kit.net keyword Experience in Liverpool. gamma Cashless solutions from National Ticket For places looking to introduce cashless automation solutions, US company National Ticket offers a selection of bar coded wristbands and plastic cards. The wristbands are available in plastic, vinyl and hi-res versions ...choose Time Pursuit, and can be used to allow entry, access lockers and also enable visi- latest generation web tors to add cash on to them to pay based booking system for food and activities. The cards and the wristbands are for gate admissions and suitable for a range of climates and fun-kit.net keyword time based activities. weather conditions. national ticket Multi-channel advanced sales, on-site ticketing and integrated customer Pick-N-Choose management will drive revenues, your own itinerary productivity and customer delight. Omniticket’s Connect program has seen its pick-and-choose technol- ogy used for the fi rst time by the Pikes Peak Country Attractions As- sociation in Colorado, USA. With the Pikes Peak Pick-N- Choose Ticket, visitors can select, online, only the attractions they want to visit. When a visitor has se- lected their venues, an overall price the liesure activity booking system is then calculated. Once payment has been made, Call us on +44 (0)1638 500 400 fun-kit.net keyword visitors print a confi rmation page to Email us at [email protected] omniticket retrieve their all-in-one pass. Visit us at www.timepursuit.com AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Time Pursuit is an Open Frontiers solution ! # % “Everything you want to know about the visitor attractions market. From theme parks, waterparks and zoos to museums, expos and science centres.” SUBSCRIBE ONLINE WWW.LEISURESUBS.COM 82 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT Call +44 (0)1462 471903 to book your space BUYERS GUIDE AMUSEMENT RIDES CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT MULTIMEDIA AV THEMING LIGHT, SOUND & VIDEO SHOW CONTROL SIMULATION THEMED CONSTRUCTION Amusement ride manufacturer since 1952 EXHIBITS ROCKWORK BERTAZZON 3B Srl Sernaglia - Italy WATER FEATURES Tel. +39.0438.966291 FACADES Fax +39.0439.966165 SCULPTURES E-mail: [email protected] Tel: 001-262-677-6060 www.bertazzon.com Email: [email protected] BODY DRYERS DESIGN & THEMING SIMULATION RIDES 5D WATERPARK ATTRACTIONS Specializing in the ultimate waterslides, interactive play structures and more! Tel: +44 (0)1202 890705 [email protected] Your Waterpark Company www.haystack-dryers.com 4EL s WWWWHITEWATERWESTCOM COSTUME CHARACTERS DESIGN & THEMING WATERPLAY RAINBOW PRODUCTIONS Book your advert on our website and be seen by Costume creation & cartoon character appearances over 11,000 buyers Contact Danny Smith: +44 (0)20 8254 5312 every month. [email protected] www.rainbowproductions.co.uk COSTUME CHARACTERS INTERACTIVE & 4-D ATTRACTION WET LEISURE PLAY PRODUCTS WORLD CLASS Amazing Characters! [email protected] +44 (0)8706 268024 www.frenzycreative.co.uk www.3dba.be Call the Sales Team Today to Discuss Your Booking BRANDLANDS/ARCHITECTS/BOTANIC/CULTURAL/MUSEUMS 01462 Hippo Leisure Products Ltd, Unit 18, Estover 431385 Road, Estover, Plymouth PL6 7PY Tel: +44 (0) 1752 313075 E: [email protected] www.attractionsmanagement.co.uk W: www.hippoleisure.com To subscribe to Attractions Management log on to www.leisuresubs.com email: [email protected] tel +44 1462 471913 fax +441462 433909. Annual subscription rates are UK £34, Europe £45 rest of world £65, students UK £17 ...museums brandlands cultural attractions botanic gardens Attractions Management is published each quarter by The Leisure Media Company Limited, Portmill House, Portmill Lane, Hitchin, Herts SG5 1DJ, UK and is distributed in the USA by SPP, 75 Aberdeen Road, Emigsville, PA 17318-0437. zoos safari parks visitor centres themed attractions mixed Periodicals postage paid @ Manchester, PA. POSTMASTER. Send US address changes to Attractions Management, c/o development heritage centres science centres hotels restaurants... PO Box 437, Emigsville, PA 17318-0437 USA The views expressed in print are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the publisher The Leisure Media Company Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system t +44 (0)20 8662 4600 [email protected] www.rayhole-architects.com or transmitted in any form or by means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recorded or otherwise without the prior permission of the copyright holder. Printed by The Manson Group Printers. © Cybertrek Ltd 2010 ISSN 1479/9154 AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 83 O d D J O B Grooming Hoover’s wax fi gure, cleaning a helicopter which is suspended from the ceiling and couriering valuable artifacts are all in a day’s work for Newseum’s Lindsay Waros Marino PRESSING JOB Lindsay Waros Marino, curatorial specialist of artefacts, Newseum, Washington, DC, US What’s your job description? Every so often he’ll get small dents in his face. By I’ve worked at the Newseum for two years as the heating up a metal tool I’m able to shape the wax curatorial specialist of artefacts. I acquire artefacts, back to its original state. conduct research for new exhibitions and care for the Because Hoover's hair is made of real human hair objects both on exhibit and in storage at our Support it can get frizzy and fall out of place, so I comb and Center. I help monitor the environmental conditions style it to keep him looking his best. When Hoover’s and other concerns to ensure the safety of the arte- hair gets really fl aky or dusty, I remove the head from ABOUT THE facts and look after them when they need a little TLC. the body and wash his hair in the sink. Madame NEWSEUM I also work with donors who are interested in giving Tussaud's staff recommended that we only use Paul The Newseum in the museum new pieces. Mitchell products, so I was careful to pick out extra Washington, US, moisturising conditioner and mega-hold hairspray! is a 250,000sq What unusual elements I also make sure his eyes and lips stay glossed with ft (23,000sq m) does your job involve? a special artist’s conservator gloss. This makes his museum, which aims The most unusual task I've had is cleaning the heli- features seem more life-like. to give visitors a bet- copter hanging from our atrium ceiling. We take a lift ter understanding of to the level of the helicopter and clean it with extra What role does Hoover play? news and the impor- long poles with dusters attached. Hoover has been a great ambassador for our exhibit, tant role it plays in our We’ve had to learn how to move really large arte- G-Men and Journalists: Top News Stories of the FBI’s lives. Five centuries of facts into place, such as the guard tower used at the First Century, which explains the history of the FBI news history, tech- Berlin Wall, the steel door that was taped open during and its relationship with the media. nology and hands-on the Watergate break-in and a bullet-ridden truck used The exhibit contains details on J Edgar Hoover’s exhibits are featured by reporters in Sarajevo. I’m also a courier for loaned development of the FBI and highlights the organisa- and visitors are also objects, many of which are priceless. My favourite tion’s top cases with artefacts like the Unabomber’s taken behind the transport was bringing Paul Revere’s [a patriot in the cabin, Patty Hearst’s jacket and gun and the electric scenes to experi- American Revolution] glasses from Boston to the chair used on Bruno Hauptmann, who was convicted ence how news is Newseum for a temporary exhibition. of murdering the Lindbergh baby. made. The exterior’s architectural fea- What TLC do you give artefacts? What are the highs and lows of the job? tures include a 74ft Touching up the wax model of J Edgar Hoover has I love being part of a team that protects and cares (22m)-high marble been a new, exciting opportunity – it certainly wasn’t for artefacts for future generations. The low point is engraving of the First something I was taught in school! If he looks a little cleaning the fi nger and forehead prints off the cases Amendment. mussed, I remove any lint and straighten his clothes. when people get too interested in the artefacts! ● 84 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 azen DESIGN ASSOCIATES For us, inspired design comes naturally... immersive environments, highly naturalistic Conceptual & complete design habitats & landscapes, for zoos, aquariums museums & themed attractions. Detailed visualization & models Creative & technical specification For more information please visit our website www.lazenbydesign.com, or email Interpretive & graphic design us at [email protected] to request a fully illustrated portfolio. Construction art-direction Farnley Park, Farnley, West Yorkshire, LS21 2QF, United Kingdom t.+44 (0)1943 850101