Attraktion! wows UAE #75 • volume 14, issue 5 • 2018 www.inparkmagazine.com guests with Cinesplash 5D Markus Beyr CEO of Attraktion! GmbH New attractions Chinese tourists WWA in Vegas From Disney’s Toy Story Land to a VR Who they are, What to expect from the annual hunt for Jack the Ripper, we look at how they travel and waterpark symposium & expo the latest themed experiences how to serve them Join us at Booth #1686 at IAAPA 2018 to find out more about powerful tools for powerful experiences inparkmagazine.com Evolve or perish! Happy anniversary! Martin Palicki, Judith Rubin, IPM publisher IPM editor usiness 101 stresses that companies must change have been reporting on the world of visitor attractions Bto meet the needs of an evolving marketplace. Our I for three decades. I’ve been on staff with InPark since industry is no exception. From Attraktion!’s product 2010, but my start was at World’s Fair magazine in 1987. rollouts to WhiteWater’s branding initiative, new ideas have A world’s fair is a major land development conceived, to be backed up periodically with fresh business models designed and built on a compressed schedule, with and strategies. entertaining and educational exhibits, corporate sponsors, hospitality components, transportation, food and beverage The principle also applies to people. Folks like Jumana and an international audience. Ideally, it’s innovative in Brodersen, Mark Andrew, Yves Pépin and Geoff Thatcher design, guest experience and placemaking, with significant, all have impressive skillsets, but their success relies on long-term positive impact on its region… you see the being able to adapt to different environments, including connection… navigating from being part of a corporate team to becoming an entrepreneur. Thirty years in one industry is long enough to create a lot of relationships. It’s also long enough for new generations Magazines evolve also. InPark certainly looks different than to pop up who don’t know you from Eve. The industry is a it did 14 years ago – for one thing, this is our largest issue better place when we are able to pause and get acquainted - ever – and I think we have learned to serve the industry in to learn from and appreciate one another. a way that is helpful, timely and differentiated from other media outlets. Today’s technology simplifies the job. Someone can quickly research who you are and what you have done. That is We also are taking the good news of themed entertainment assuming you’ve taken steps to ensure there is something into different markets, particularly tech and A/V arenas. to find – your profile, case studies, photos, industry ties, Towards that end, we have shuffled our calendar around awards, rebrands and milestones. for next year in order to provide additional distribution at the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) conference in InPark is a resource for creating such records – we’re a Amsterdam. That issue will publish in December, shortly vehicle of institutional memory for the industry. We’ve after the IAAPA expo and will also have distribution at even got our own archives project going – re-publishing Dubai’s DEAL show. online InPark’s vintage issues. As we all keep evolving and moving forward, don’t rest on your laurels - but do make We will be working on stories for that end-of-year issue in sure they are documented and published somewhere. Orlando during IAAPA, so please come see us at booth #1771 if you have a good story for that issue. We’ll have back issues from the year available and a friendly ear listening to ideas and suggestions from you. team & contributors PUBLISHER CONTRIBUTORS Martin Palicki Mark Eades Joe Kleiman is News Editor for the Maris Ensing InPark website. He has 25+ years EDITOR Rona Gindin Judith Rubin Scott Harkless management experience: in tourism, Philip Hernandez CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Jessica Mahoney museums and attractions, in the giant Joe Kleiman, Freddy Martin screen industries and as a zookeeper. News Editor Cliff Reeves Jim Ogul, Jay Rottinghaus World’s Fair Editor George Walker COVER: This summer, Attraktion! opened a Cinesplash Rick West 5D theater at Yas Waterpark in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Markus DESIGN Cindy Emerick Whitson Joshua Ayala Beyr, CEO at Attraktion!, talks about the evolution of the Martin Palicki company and its various products. Join us at Booth #1686 at IAAPA 2018 to find out Full story on p. 26 more about powerful tools for powerful experiences 3 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com #75 • volume 14, issue 5 A Lotte water Chinese tourists 6 Creating an underwater themed playland in Seoul 71 A primary and growing market for visitor attractions by Martin Palicki by Rona Gindin Character building Project management methodology 8 How Animax is driving innovation in animatronics 76 nFusion’s program management process designed for by Jay Rottinghaus success • by Rona Gindin Redefining play in Disney parks Giving back 12 Toy Story Land comes to Orlando • by Martin Palicki 82 Michael Mercadante prepares to take the helm as TEA’s new president • by Joe Kleiman Mad Systems’ paradigm shift Creating magic with light 16 Audience targeted media delivery and LookingGlass 86 Focusing attention on Mark Andrew and Remarkable Concierge • by Maris Ensing Light • by Philip Hernandez From cave tours to spinning coasters Photo printing snapshot 20 A look inside Herschend Enterprises 90 A conversation with DNP’s Cliff Reeves on adding by Philip Hernandez photographic value for park guests The pearls and pixels of Attraktion! Looking back on looking forward 26 Cinesplash 5D opens in Abu Dhabi, highlighting the 92 Eight takeaways from eight years of ‘Design Trends’ company’s attraction capabilities • by Martin Palicki presentations • by George Walker FEATURE COVER Envisioning Enjoyland A Desperado, with pirates 32 A development and placemaking discussion with the 98 Benoit Cornet’s ride from corporate finance to Alterface team from Stantec and interactivity • by Joe Kleiman TPG tackles Orlando Cut the ribbon! 36 The Producers Group expands around the world, 102 Lexington employs its design-build process to bring including Orlando • by Rick West Idaho’s past into the future • by Joe Kleiman Fire and water Breaking waves 40 Yves Pépin, artist of the spectacular • by Judith Rubin 106 ADG’s new wave technologies and integrated features by Jessica Mahoney Cinematic-style Virtual Reality Theming beyond the theme park 48 Jack the Ripper is virtually back in Hollow Studios’ new 110 Jumana Brodersen and JCO - Ten years of creating VR world • by Mark Eades immersive environments • by Joe Kleiman Entertaining the possibilities Miziker’s momentum 54 A look inside WhiteWater’s creative process and new 114 Miziker Entertainment celebrates 35 years of branding • by Martin Palicki showmanship • by Freddy Martin Fly us to the moon Inside the experience designer’s studio 58 nWave’s bold journey continues • by Judith Rubin 120 The Hettema Group keeps the creative spark alive by David Paul Green Everyone loves a parade Moving and grooving 63 Technology that makes parades flow through a park 128 Dynamic Attractions’ endless possibilities, pioneering with ease • by Scott Harkless rides • by Cindy Emerick Whitson Gordo at the park 67 Geoff Thatcher on the experiences that led him to pen his first novel • by Martin Palicki InPark Magazine (ISSN 1553-1767) is published five times a year by Martin Chronicles Publishing, LLC. 2349 E Ohio Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53207, USA. Shipping address: 2349 E Ohio Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53207, USA. Phone: +1-262-412-7107. Printing by Johnson Press of America. Contents © 2018 InPark Magazine. All rights reserved. Nothing in the magazine may be reproduced or used in any manner without the prior written permission of the magazine. InPark Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations. Such material must be accompanied by a self-adressed and stamped envelope to be returned. Postmaster: Send address changes to InPark Magazine 2349 E Ohio Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53207, USA. Subscriptions are available annually for $45 per year ($70 international). Opinions expressed in editorial matter are not necessarily those of InPark Magazine or its publishers, Martin Chronicles Publishing, LLC. 5 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com A Lotte water Rethink Leisure and Entertainment helps create an underwater-themed playland for children in South Korea By Martin Palicki otte World Undersea Kingdom began when South Lotte wanted an interactive, deeply immersive facility. LKorea-based, multi-national conglomerate Lotte They wanted to transport their guests to a unique place, Corporation turned their attention to the growing kids’ well differentiated from a normal everyday environment. leisure market. According to Cara Park, Assistant of That led Rethink to explore a number of possible ideas, Operation and Management for Lotte, industries catering including: to children in South Korea experienced a growth rate of 70% from 2009 to 2014. Like many other places in • A forest setting that would allow children to view the the world, kids (and their parents) were seeking quality world from the viewpoint of woodland creatures entertainment experiences, and they were willing to pay for it. • A fantastic city where architecture is exaggerated and out of the ordinary With that in mind, Lotte Corp. - perhaps best known for the indoor/outdoor amusement park in Seoul, Lotte • A superhero training camp where each child becomes World - began to develop what Park calls “a special theme the star of the show park at the level of Lotte World, but only for kids.” • An immersive underwater adventure Lotte turned to Rethink Leisure and Entertainment to come up with concept designs for the park. Mike Pharr, The last idea is the one that most appealed to Lotte, and now Interim CEO at Rethink, was Rethink’s producer on Lotte World Undersea Kingdom was born.