Adirondack Studios (ADKS), a company that provides creative solutions for designers, artists, producers, and owners in the themed entertainment industry, is preparing to attend this year’s IAAPA Expo Asia in Shanghai, with many reasons to celebrate.
In addition to marking the company’s 50th anniversary, 2025 is also the 12th Anniversary of ADK China, Adirondack Studios’ wholly foreign-owned enterprise (WFOE) based in Shanghai.
While 12 years may not seem significant to those outside of Asia, the number holds deep resonance within Chinese culture.
“The number 12 is derived from Jupiter’s cycles and the movement patterns of the sun and the moon,” says Yi Zhou (“Joey”), ADK China business administration officer.
“It has become the basic unit for dividing time in terms of years, months, and days. It is not merely a number, but a convergence point of ancient Chinese astronomical wisdom: the concept of time, social systems, cosmology and beliefs (such as the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac), carrying profound cultural connotations.
“By celebrating 12 years of ADK China, we are celebrating that Adirondack Studios has presented in China for one full cycle.”
A significant number
ADK China is one of six Adirondack Studios locations. These include its 12,600-square-meter headquarters in upstate New York, production facilities in Orlando, Florida, and Dubai, UAE, a design and project delivery studio in Pasadena, California, and a business office in Singapore.
The Shanghai entity started much like many of ADKS’ other locations — by engaging with clients and their projects on their terms. Clients such as Universal Parks & Resorts, Walt Disney Imagineering, Wanda Group, WALSIN, Chimelong Group, Legend, and many more have collaborated with the company, leading to the development of several projects that have received Thea Awards.
“ADK China was formed to find better and easier ways to allow clients to contract with a Chinese entity,” says Michael Blau, Adirondack Studios president/principal. “As a WFOE, we can work directly with Chinese businesses, assist in requesting work visas and follow the government regulations with greater ease. We also serve our clients in the same time zone and locale.”
It was a unique encounter with Blau and ADKS that prompted Joey to join the company.
“I was preparing my lawyer qualification exam and had some spare time,” she says. “One day, my supervisor said there was an American company looking for someone to help with meeting and contract translation and asked if I would be interested. I said I’d love to, as long as the position was part-time and didn’t involve too much travel since I needed time to prepare for my exam.
“Once I started working for ADKS, I enjoyed it so much that I transitioned from part-time to full-time, traveled all around, and failed my exam! But through the process, I developed a love for the themed entertainment industry that continues today.”
Thinking outside the box
Joey and other global team members remember several instances when ADK China had to think quickly to meet a client’s needs.
For one project, a client in Changbai asked ADKS to create a single-story walkthrough attraction. The theme involved guests journeying through mountain caverns to see a legendary battle between good and evil mythical giants. The challenge was that the descent had to be without stairs, elevators, or ramps.
ADKS’s creative team designed a thematic construction elevator experience that combines low-fi effects, lighting, media, and scenic elements. This creates the illusion of a rumbling, shaking construction elevator that free-falls into the mountain’s core, where guests encounter the climactic monster battle.
For a cultural resort in Huangling, ADKS had to craft an accessible and engaging experience that traversed multiple mountain passes and peaks. In collaboration with an architectural partner, the team designed a solution that integrated the village’s pathways and vistas with cable-car transit, leveraging the mountain’s summit for “peak” experiences and including a winding river ride in the valley below.
The design incorporated the site’s distinctive natural topography and reflected the creative themes of a fantasy environment.
Serving the project, the client, and the community
When asked why ADK China has endured for 12 years, even through a global pandemic that caused prolonged shutdowns, Joey credits solutions like these. She and Blau agree that success ultimately depends on honest communication, consistent engagement, and a healthy dose of trial and error.
“We’ve been honest and down to earth,” says Joey. “We’re also practical and learn from all of our experiences, even the challenging ones.”
“When ADKS chooses to enter a market – we work very hard to stay,” adds Blau. “Through the highs and lows, our goal is to always serve the project, the client and the community that we are in.”
Blau’s top advice for anyone planning to start a WFOE is to do their research. “Find trusted in-country legal and accounting partners to help you navigate China’s various government regulations, and develop a very clear statement of what your scope and range of activities will be. Most importantly, get to know the nuances of China’s various regions, including their climate, terrain, culture, customs and people.”
After celebrating in its upstate New York and Dubai locations, Joey and Blau are excited to toast in Shanghai with clients, colleagues, and friends who have contributed to the company’s milestone. Both believe that ADK China’s core values of teamwork and adaptability will continue to guide the Shanghai branch as it plans for the coming years and cycles ahead.
“China is a sophisticated, growing market that needs ways to entertain, engage and educate its population,” says Blau. “As we show how we create, we learn new ways of creating. It’s a relationship based on collaboration that benefits everyone.”
Joey adds: “As we continue to gain experience in the region, we will build additional strong local resources, develop fresh innovations and adapt to the ever-changing market. We’ll see you in the next cycle!”
Michael Blau and Joey will be attending IAAPA Expo Asia from 30 June to 3 July 2025. To schedule a meeting in Shanghai, email joey@adkstudios.com.
Adirondack Studios has recently shared exclusive excerpts from Fifty Years of Making a Scene: Adirondack Studios, 1975-2025.
