BoldMove Nation, the new vendor-independent service for the entertainment market, has announced the launch of Houba City, a new LBE solution that addresses market needs in the wake of the pandemic. This Urban Experience Centre (UEC) is designed to attract visitors, increasing both footfall and retention.
Houba City features an exciting combination of attractions, including VR, AR and mixed reality, with an engaging storyline and characters that immerse visitors in the themed environment.
Scalable format
Houba City is the first UEC, a new scalable and flexible pop-up format, launched by BoldMove and partner Mediatoon Licensing. The plan covers 1200 – 1500 square metres with 12 media-based attractions, but can also be scaled up or down to fit different space’s needs.
This distributed pop-up format means that venues, such as shopping malls, can spread attractions over any empty spaces, which can then be enjoyed individually by visitors or as part of an adventure trail across the venue. The different attractions can also be swapped out to keep things fresh.
BoldMove offers a turnkey service for this new innovation, including master planning, technical and experience design and implementation.
“With Houba City we offer the ideal mix of fun, action and personal growth,” says Benoit Cornet, CEO of BoldMove Nation. “We re-activate people with new but proven technologies, challenging and stimulating them in the most engaging way.
“Marsupilami is a strong and universal IP with interesting multi-faceted characters and an extensive visual library. Not only are they cute and instantly lovable but with their strong personality they are perfectly hosting our guests in Houba City.”
Guests can work on skills and discover their urban style
Houba City encourages guests to work on their personal and creative skills. Their journey begins with a virtual portal that takes them to the Palombian Forest, where they meet the Marsupilami. Adventures include fishing from a raft on a VR, piranha-infested river, catching food in a dark ride and a VR escape from dangerous wild animals.
Afterwards, they are shown to the Marsupilami city where they can enjoy interactive climbing, fun dancing, singing, visiting the 4D theatre and bringing drawings alive. Through this journey, which features cutting-edge technology behind the scenes, visitors are challenged to discover their own urban style and creative voice.
Furthermore, in the Houba Academy, which can take place through weekly sessions to encourage return visits, visitors can learn how to design comic strips or animated short movies, discover wildlife, take baking classes and more. BoldMove works with experts in Integrated Storytelling and Experience Design to develop Houba Academy programmes with local organisations.
“We have been working with the BoldMove team for some time and we are very pleased they created the ideal transmedia solution to unite and mobilize people,” says Jerome Leclercq, CEO of Mediatoon Licensing.
“Houba City perfectly fits the evolution of our Marsupilami IP, with new games and animation series being internationally released, as well as an extensive merchandising range. Our Marsupilami friends look forward to challenging and entertaining many guests at Houba Cities around the world.”
BoldMove launched Houba City during a virtual press conference on Thursday 10th June. Benoit Cornet was joined by Michel Commerman, Jerome Leclercq, Fabrice Guichard, Klaus Sommer Paulsen and Sven Riegl at the conference.
BoldMove also recently created a humorous new IP, TooMush, designed to complement the Smash & Reload dark ride family.
