The ninth TiLEzone, held at the London Transport Museum, attracted a solid crowd with more than 100 delegates attending the day of seminars.
The first seminar session focused on the use of licensed brands in attractions. June Kirkwood, project manager for live events and attractions at HIT Entertainment, discussed the potential benefits and costs of incorporating successful brands, such as the Thomas and Friends train engine brand, into amusement complexes.
Taking UK amusement park Drayton Manor as a case study, she illustrated how its decision to revive an ageing section of the park with a new Thomas Land had significantly boosted overall visitor numbers and revenue by pulling in the pre-school age group.
Click here to see InterGame’s gallery of images from the event.
Rick Matthews, creative director at RMA Themed Attractions, spoke about the challenges and practicalities of developing new amusements and attractions based on licensed brands. He emphasised the importance of making sure characters’ visual representations and their stories were carefully adhered to in order to stay “on brand.”
Next followed a series of seminars from various speakers discussing the role of technology and social media in creating engaging experiences and events for visitors. Drawing on examples from major retail stores and brands, Emma Titchener, marketing and innovation consultant at 3T Consultants, discussed the benefits of moving existing attractions to new locations, such as retail environments, to boost awareness and consumer engagement.
The third seminar session looked at applications of immersive media, including digital domes and augmented reality, with speakers from NSC Creative, Bright White, Haley Sharpe, the Nimbus Centre for Embedded Systems Research and Appshaker.
Finally, experts from the UK Trade and Investment team offered a series of regional overviews of the different opportunities open to British firms seeking to sell to overseas markets. Among the various sectors they discussed, they highlighted the current scope of opportunities within the gaming, entertainment and resort sector in Macau as well as strong growth within the family entertainment centre and amusement complex sector in Russia.
