Great IP-led experiences & why they make sense – a UK road-trip

by Graham Speak, Speak Consulting

Over the past decade, the use of IP in the global attractions and experiences industry has increased significantly – helping to create millions of memorable experiences for guests. With an ever-expanding diversity of brands being leveraged, in a whole plethora of new and evolving ways, it’s not slowing down anytime soon.

The most successful brand IP partnerships don’t happen by accident. They come from clearly understanding objectives (you’d be surprised how often businesses don’t understand the outcome they’re trying to achieve!); finding a great match from the thousands of IPs out there – and then delivering an appropriate and meaningful execution. It’s easier said than done!

Success can also come in different forms as IP partnerships can create value in many ways, whether that’s enhancing your brand by association or endorsement, creating differentiation and appeal by drawing on unique assets, characters or stories, leveraging a partner’s expertise, or using an IP’s appeal and ecosystem to access new audiences.

The best collaborations often layer multiple forms of value in a way that feels authentic, is guest-centric and commercially sustainable. At the heart of this is a need for synergy and clear alignment of objectives, whilst ensuring something incremental is unlocked that couldn’t have been accessed without the IP.

So, let’s head out on a road trip to explore some great IP-led, UK experiences – and explore some of the reasons these partnerships make sense.

CBeebies Land (Alton Towers Resort): A trusted brand with longevity and a stable of well-loved characters

What it is: A complete land at the iconic Staffordshire-based park dedicated to CBeebies shows and characters – included in the price of admission. Full of bright theming, catchy music and playful characters, the land brings to life a wide range of CBeebies classics, including Octonauts, In the Night Garden and Bing.

The area balances first roller coasters for kids alongside undercover dance parties and interactive shows. Opening in 2026 is the world’s-first Bluey roller coaster – with even more chances to meet the super-popular Heeler family.

Alongside the park itself is the CBeebies hotel – with themed bedrooms and CBeebies-themed experiences exclusively for guests.

Why it works: CBeebies, as part of the BBC, is a trusted and known brand with parents in the UK – providing great brand association for Alton Towers when it comes to being a trusted day out for parents with young children. Leveraging an umbrella brand like CBeebies means broader appeal can be unlocked by including many kids’ favourites – rather than focusing on one character alone.

New rides and attractions can be added, keeping the area refreshed and updated.

Monopoly Lifesized & Crystal Maze Live (London & Manchester): Multi-generational, repeatable real-life games

What it is: Your opportunity to step inside real-life board games and TV shows you know and love, in actor-led, immersive branded environments. Battle your family and friends in real life – experience the brand worlds and gameplay you (and the generations before and after you) grew up with.

Will you drive your fellow gamers into bankruptcy? Or how long will you get inside the Crystal Dome? Once you’ve played the game, you can have pictures with the famous Dome, or enjoy Monopoly-themed cocktails and dinner in the Top Hat Restaurant.

Why it works: Competitive socialising has long been on the rise – and what better way to differentiate than to create larger-than-life experiences based around the games people have enjoyed in their home for decades (90 years in the case of Monopoly!). Whilst both IPs are steeped in nostalgia and memories, both formats have been brought to life in new, addictive (and therefore repeatable), exciting ways.

They also appeal to broad audiences, including being a great option for the corporate events market as well.

The Snowman ‘Wild in Art’ Trail – (Clumber Park & Various locations) : Shorter term, but authentic IP activations, layering value to your offering

What it is: What could be more exciting in the run-up to Christmas than going to search for festively decorated versions of the iconic Snowman?

Last Christmas, whilst exploring the National Trust’s beautiful Clumber Park, guests could discover twelve giant sculptures of The Snowman – decorated with designs inspired by the Twelve Days of Christmas. Trail maps were available to help guests track down the Snowman sculptures whilst enjoying Clumber Park’s Christmas offering (alongside the ability to buy The Snowman merchandise, of course!).

In a growing and competitive Christmas market, leveraging known stories can be a great way to instantly connect with audiences, reducing perceived risk at a time of year when they want to guarantee great memories.

It's not just a Christmas opportunity – Shaun the Sheep, Elmer and ‘We’re Going on a Bearhunt’ trails have all featured in towns, parks and palaces over recent months – creating reasons to visit and explore!

Why it works: IP partnerships don’t always need to be permanent – but they always need to make sense. Partnering with a business like Wild in Art (or other companies that create short-term, IP-led experiences) can help you tap into brand-licensed opportunities without having to make long-term commitments or understand the finer details of how the Brand Licensing industry operates.

Combining IP-led exhibitions with your unique location and assets can lead to adventures and trails tailored to your place, objective, and audience – often allowing for flexible time periods/seasons without high OPEX or CAPEX investment.

Alongside trails, there are many other ways to activate shorter-term IP activations, including character meet-and-greets, touring museum exhibitions, live shows, and story times.

Peppa Pig World (Paultons Park): An iconic IP as a recruitment tool for new audiences at the start of their theme-park-going lifecycle

What it is: A 5-acre world dedicated to Peppa Pig – including nine rides, meet & greets, dining options and the world’s biggest Peppa Pig Shop. Peppa Pig World put Paultons firmly on the map back in 2011 and has since become synonymous with Peppa and her friends.

Why it works: Paultons have continually used Peppa to differentiate in the pre-school market and recruit new, young audiences year after year. They’ve gone big, committed to the brand and created a true destination and reason to visit. Once on-site, guests experience a well-rounded, well-executed theme park that is pleasant to visit as a parent and grows with your children.

Recent additions such as Tornado Springs, Ghostly Manor and the soon-to-open Valgard: Realm of the Vikings – make sure kids want to keep coming back to Paultons even when they’re ready to move on from the pig domination years!

And of course, any road trip of IP-based UK attractions wouldn’t be complete without a visit to…

The Making of Harry Potter (Warner Bros. Studio Tour, London): Balancing casual and super fan needs with an over-the-top, blockbuster tour of the iconic multi-billion dollar movie franchise

Whilst The Making of Harry Potter may be different to the other examples on this list - being owned and operated by the broader Warner Bros. Discovery family itself – it is without doubt one of the best IP-based attractions in the UK.

The ultimate destination for anyone interested (or obsessed) with the Harry Potter franchise, this attraction features full-scale, iconic set pieces and countless photo opportunities. It is packed with details about the movie-making processes for the Harry Potter films.

Alongside this, it features some of the most impressive IP-inspired F&B (Hogwarts Afternoon Tea or a quick Butterbeer, anyone?), and possibly the most immersive IP-based retail store in the UK.

Why it works: There are endless examples of why this is such a great IP-led attraction. One that stands out is how the attraction effectively balances the needs of casual fans with those of hardcore Harry Potter enthusiasts.

There is so much detail, so many easter eggs, and a richness of knowledge with staff members, at the same time not being overwhelming if you’re just there to be wowed by iconic sets and replicas from the movies.

Many tour and museum-style attractions struggle with repeat visits, but by leveraging the masses of content available with the IP, this experience is continually updated with new offerings. This guarantees fans will want to come back to dive into new content (and enjoy another chocolate frog).

The solution isn’t always brand licensing

Whilst brand licensing partnerships can often unlock lots of value – as illustrated with the examples above – sometimes the solution may be to develop your own stories and brands.

We’ll explore some of these in a future article – but great examples include Lillidorei at the Alnwick Garden, and of course, Nemesis at Alton Towers Resort.

Partnering with an IP can unlock value that you can’t reach alone

Whether reaching new audiences, driving differentiation, building brand attributes, unlocking secondary spend, or bringing newness and fresh experiences, brand licensing experiences can (when built strategically) deliver immense value in the leisure and attractions sector.

One thing that all these examples have in common is the clarity around why leveraging IP makes sense, and what the objective(s) are. It’s not just about finding an IP. It's about understanding how to partner to create something that neither business could do alone.