Blooloop Talks New Tech for Attractions at InfoComm 2019
The entertainment and attractions industry has always been at the
forefront of AV technology. To keep InfoComm attendees on top of the latest developments, this year AVIXA and partner Blooloop are introducing dedicated education sessions for the entertainment and attractions industry. Join us June 8–14 in Orlando to
explore the latest technology and trends fueling the fast-growing attractions industry.
Below, Charles Read, managing director of Blooloop, shares a preview of the all-new seminars on AV technology in attractions.
As the world’s leading online resource for professionals in the attractions industry, Blooloop has been documenting news, trends and developments in the visitor attractions business for over a decade.
Following on from our successful attractionsTECH conference with ISE in Amsterdam this February, we are delighted to be working with AVIXA to deliver a series of educational sessions at InfoComm 2019. Our six sessions will cover a range of topics, each of which highlights an area of great technology-super-charged change in the attractions business.
The attractions industry is much wider than theme parks. Visitor attractions cover all out-of-home entertainment destinations from VRcades to zoos, museums, aquariums, water parks and even malls.
Retailers are increasingly looking to attractions to enhance the retail experience. Interactivity, personalization and entertainment are key trends facilitated by the latest technologies. Sophisticated new experiences are creating a new kind of mall, where retail blends with entertainment to create a unique out-of-home experience. We’ll explore new developments in that space with experts in our session “Retailtainment: Attractions are Bringing Customers to the Mall.”
A key driver for change in the industry is technology, as attractions from museums to zoos and from theme parks to visitor centers try to keep pace with rapidly developing visitor expectations. We know that exhibits in museums are no longer passive experiences, art works are no longer static and each guest’s journey in a theme park is becoming both personalized and unique. Today’s visitor, with immersive technologies at home and on their smart phones, expects attractions to be up to speed with the very latest technologies.
From buying tickets and merchandise, to the latest rides themselves and even the queue line, operators must deliver seamless, integrated and engaging experiences for their tech-savvy guests. The discussion on “Using Interactivity to Engage Visitors” will cover how embracing smart phones and working with the technology is essential to ensure that visitors can enjoy and share their experiences. We will look at the technologies enabling attractions to provide visitors with a personalized, interactive and shareable experience.
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are also delivering new experiences to visitors looking for a deeper level of engagement. However, with technology developing so rapidly how can we create experiences that will
tempt visitors away from their home gaming systems and be sufficiently entertaining to encourage a repeat visit? In “Next Generation Reality Experiences for Attractions,” we consider where the technology might take us next, the influence
of gaming and in practice how can we create next gen reality location-based entertainment (LBE) to engage both visitors and operators.
Theme parks still make up much of the attractions industry, and we’ll cover the latest tech to create immersive experiences for their visitors in “Trends in Theme Park Attraction Experiences.” Major players like Disney, Universal and SeaWorld are developing ground-breaking levels of immersion and storytelling.For attractions operators, immersion, interactivity and personalization are key demands that must be met. We look at the most exciting new theme park developments, the technology behind them and wonder where the creatives can take us next.
Themed attractions, engaging museum exhibits and spectacular shows take visitors to another world. In “Storytelling with Sound for Attractions,” we’ll cover why the best and most memorable visitor experiences rely on not just the latest ride and display technologies, but on also audio to create an immersive soundscape.
Night-time spectaculars have been a continuing trend at visitor attractions, increasing dwell time and revenue and often featuring projection mapping, drones and lasers. During “Trends in Display and Light Technology at Attractions,” we explore how increasingly sophisticated projection and display technologies are enabling a whole new breed of spectacular multimedia shows and attractions. Ultra-sharp images across vast surfaces are creating ground-breaking exhibits and even new forms of ultra-immersive art experiences. With projectors becoming increasingly powerful, where can the technology and the attractions it creates go next?
Senior executives from leading operators, creatives, integrators and suppliers at the cutting edge of attractions technology will speak on each session, including:
Traci Klainer, Creative Director at SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment
Bradford Benn, Manager Audio Video Systems at Universal Creative
Louis Alfieri, Principal and Chief Creative Officer, Raven Sun Creative
Dana Duran, Director of Content, Guru
TJ Christensen, EVP, accesso
Dave Elton, General Manager, DreamCraft Attractions
Bart Kresa, Master Projection Designer, Bartkresa Design
Mike Wallace, Creative Director, Falcons Treehouse
John Stine, General Manager, Director of Business Development, ICON Park
I’m looking forward to information-packed sessions in which attendees can both hear from and discuss the future of attractions technology with the speakers.
Add these sessions to your InfoComm schedule.
Charles Read is the Managing Director of Blooloop Ltd. Blooloop is the world's leading online resource for professionals working in the visitor attractions sector, www.blooloop.com. The site has been highlighting trends and developments in the sector for over a decade Blooloop covers theme parks, museums, zoos, waterparks, aquariums, science centres and other visitor attractions. It also reports on emerging trends in technology, retail and themed entertainment and runs high profile conferences in the UK, Europe and Asia.
