The Innovation Awards are presented in partnership with AREA15, the world’s first purpose-built experiential entertainment district in Las Vegas.
This year, we received over 140 entries across 21 categories. The winners were selected by a panel of expert judges from leading organisations, including Walt Disney Imagineering, The British Museum, MSC Cruises, Merlin Entertainment, Qiddiya, Toronto Zoo, Mattel, Universal Creative, V&A, and many others.
We are pleased to share the first, second, and third place winners in the 2025 Innovation Awards:
Accessibility
The winner is Accessible Multimedia Guide with Synced Audio Descriptions at Caesarea Visitor Center, one of Israel’s most inclusive heritage sites, which has used Nubart Sync to enhance accessibility in its multimedia exhibition.
In second place is Miral Destinations' Ferrari World Esports Arena at Ferrari World Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. This dynamic, live experience features custom-designed simulators that ensure the thrill of racing is open to all. Third place goes to Deferred Happiness at Hidrodoe, in which visitors can gift drinks or snacks to others in need.
Blue Sky, sponsored by FORREC
The winner of the Blue Sky category is The Giant, the world’s tallest moving 3D human-shaped statue.
Second place is awarded to AccessPro from Etholle Holmes, a system that seeks to minimise miscommunication about restrictions for attraction visitors with accessibility needs. The third-place winner is Porviva's Magic Carpet, a product that makes it easier to maintain and renovate walkways in high-traffic water parks and theme parks.
Brand Realisation
The first-place winner in the Brand Realisation category is Arcade Arena Manchester – PAC-MAN LIVE EXPERIENCE from Little Lion Entertainment, a living games console that brings the iconic PAC-MAN IP to life.
In second place, we have Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical from Secret Cinema, which took an innovative new approach to working with IP holders to bring beloved brands to life. Third place goes to Lionsgate's JOHN WICK EXPERIENCE Las Vegas, which plunges guests into the IP's intense, enigmatic world.
Creative Technology, sponsored by Holovis
First place is awarded to Whisper Box, an immersive bone-conduction sound device from Losonnante.
Christie's Sapphire 4K40-RGBH, the world’s first high-brightness hybrid RGB pure laser and laser phosphor projector, is the second-place winner. Our third-place recipient is Quicksand Effect from CRYSTAL, a true artificial quicksand pit integrated into L'Épée du Roi Arthur at Puy du Fou, France.
Exhibit - Animals
National Geographic, Photo Ark: Animals of Earth takes first place in Exhibit - Animals, the first of our exhibit categories. A collaboration with Moment Factory and featuring interactives from NeoPangea, this exhibition uses the power of photography to inspire visitors to help protect species at risk.
Second place goes to SeaWorld San Diego – “Jewels of the Sea: The Jellyfish Experience” with AVI-SPL, which integrates immersive AV technology with live animals.
In third place is L'Aquarium Barcelona - TRISON, which transformed how visitors interact with nature through a fully integrated digital ecosystem.
Exhibit - Culture, sponsored by Museum Studio
In our next Exhibit category, first place goes to Of the Oak at Kew Gardens with Marshmallow Laser Feast. This immersive installation translates complex scientific data into a multisensory experience that reveals the oak tree beyond ordinary human perception.
In second place, we have Uzbekistan Pavilion – Expo 2025 Osaka with ATELIER BRÜCKNER, presented under the title Garden of Knowledge – A Laboratory for a Future Society. Third place is awarded to Portlantis, a fully integrated experience designed by Kossmanndejong that merges architecture, interior, and content.
Experiential Technology
The first-place winner in our Experiential Technology category is Beyond Endings Metahumans from MOD., in which three AI-powered Metahumans engage visitors in a job interview unlike any other.
Second place goes to American Wave Machines, Inc.'s PerfectSwell Gen 6, an advanced surf pool technology that creates authentic, ocean-quality waves in a fully programmable, high-frequency format. In third place, we have ScreamScore, which gamifies fear while delivering real-time insights.
Family, sponsored by Huitt-Zollars
SeaWorld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi: SeaSub, the world’s first classed submersible designed, built and certified specifically for use within an aquarium environment, wins first place in the Family category.
Game On
First place in the Game On category is awarded to Miral Destinations' Ferrari World Esports Arena at Ferrari World Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. This dynamic, live experience invites visitors take centre stage as competitors.
Arcade Arena Manchester – PAC-MAN LIVE EXPERIENCE is in second place, and uses proprietary systems to blend physical activity with augmented reality. Our third-place winner, Arcade Battle Experience by Beat The Bomb, mixes the fun of video games with the energy of live, in-person play in a competitive tournament format.
Guest Journey, sponsored by SSA Group
The first-place winner in Guest Journey is Musa Guide, which brings state-of-the-art audio guides to visitors at attractions of all sizes by removing operational and cost barriers.
Attractions.io's GX Pulse is awarded second place. This consolidates review data from platforms like Google Reviews, TripAdvisor, and others into actionable insights. In third place, we have SmartPay, a secure, connected commerce and engagement ecosystem from Vantage.
Immersive Attraction, sponsored by Christie
The Immersive Attraction first-place winner is Ghostly Manor at Paultons Park, which is regarded as one of the UK's most ambitious dark ride experiences. The attraction, developed by Lagotronics Projects and Mack Rides, marks the debut of the Gameplay Theatre format.
In second place is the new Disneyland attraction, “Walt Disney – A Magical Life” Audio-Animatronic, which features the most lifelike figure Walt Disney Imagineering has ever created. RPM Raceway's Kart Klash wins third place and combines real go-karting and arcade gaming in an immersive combat track experience.
Immersive Experience
Our first-place winner is Secret Cinema's Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical, which transforms the iconic film into a fully participatory experience, designed so audiences could engage with the story at their preferred levels of immersion.
Second place goes to JOHN WICK EXPERIENCE Las Vegas, a mix of opulence, storytelling, and action. Pixar Adventurous Journey at Shanghai Disneyland Resort wins third place, and takes visitors on a narrative-driven walk through seven worlds inspired by Pixar Animation Studios’ beloved films.
Immersive Experience - Culture
First place is awarded to teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, a 17,000-square-metre, purpose-built destination where the art is alive, generated in real time through sophisticated algorithms, digital technologies, and environmental data.
ART MASTERS: A Virtual Reality Experience from ACCIONA Cultura wins second place, and presents key works from the Prado collection as explorable worlds using free roam VR. In third place is Balloon Museum, which exhibits works by leading contemporary artists that are designed to be seen, touched, entered, and shared.
Marketing
SeaWorld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi – Draw Me the Sea wins first place in the Marketing category. This campaign explored how a visit to the attraction could transform children’s perspectives on the ocean, receiving 100% positive sentiment and resulting in record website traffic.
Our second-place winner is San Diego Lego-Con at San Diego Comic-Con 2025, a “Con within the Con” which meticulously recreated the event in bricks. Third place goes to La Fenêtre Immersive sur le Futuroscope, the world’s first experiential advertising display conceived and developed by DigitaLandmarks.
Retail & Dining, sponsored by Lumsden
The first-place winner in the Retail & Dining category is Haunted Mansion Parlor from Walt Disney Imagineering, a Disney cruise line lounge like no other. Here, special effects, illusions and stories create a séance-like atmosphere a guests hang out with the spirits and enjoy a cocktail.
dan pearlman's concept, Loop5 Retailtainment, is in second place and offers experiences for all age groups with a fun factor never before seen in German shopping centres. The third-place award winner is Dassai Blue Sake Brewery from Local Projects. Here, visitors learn the sake brewing process through four multisensory chapters.
Spectacular
The winner of our Spectacular category is Symphony of the Green Island, Cát Bà, created by Sun Group, Laservision & H2O Events. A Guinness World Record–breaking live water show, Symphony of the Green Island brings mythology to life through storytelling, technology and large-scale performance in an open coastal environment.
Second place goes to Leva's Outdoor Kinetic Sculpture for the Puy du Fou Theme Park, a 12-metre tall installation that combines precision mechanics, artistic vision, and theatrical storytelling. In third place is Under The Midnight Rainbow from ECA2, a performance for the Water Plaza at Expo 2025 Osaka.
Splash
First place is awarded to Les Abysses de Lumière at Aquascope by Moment Factory, a cavernous aquatic environment featuring an enveloping surround-sound environment and high-definition video mapping that engages visitors and encourages active participation.
In second place is ProSlide HIVE, the world’s first immersive helix water ride, which features high speed, high-G helix dynamics, immersive storytelling, and panoramic sightlines. VVater Beach at Steyn City takes third place, and turns wastewater from a nearby treatment facility into a crystal-clear, chemical-free, swimmable lagoon.
Storytelling, sponsored by Blue Telescope
First place in the Storytelling category is awarded to
The Cortège. This outdoor theatre experience offers a collective rite of passage, narrated through symbolic visuals, archetypal characters, emotive choreography, and an evocative soundtrack.
In second place is Felix & Paul Studios' Interstellar Arc, an immersive experience set aboard a vast interstellar spaceship. Third place goes to the Disney Treasure stage show, Disney Tale of Moana, which uses a combination of cutting-edge and traditional techniques, with live performers, impressive scenery, immersive projection and puppetry. Storytelling - Culture, sponsored by QSAS
First place in our Storytelling - Culture category goes to the National WWI Museum and Memorial - Encounters Exhibition, an interactive exhibit that uses immersive technology to share stories from 16 individuals, drawn from their diaries, letters, and photos.
Our second-place winner is the immersive walk-through production Bob Marley: Hope Road, featuring outstanding choreography, stunning visual storytelling, and dynamic performances. Third place is awarded to BRC Imagination Arts' SCADstory Atlanta, the first 4D immersive brand story ever produced by a university.
Sustainability
The first-place winner in the Sustainability category is MAGIC FX ECO2JET, the first-ever professional jet effect that produces the same iconic blast of white smoke as a CO2 jet, minus the gas.
Conservation in Action: Houston Zoo's Sustainable Operations is awarded second place, and reflects a decade-long journey and partnership with SSA Group. In third place, we have Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, which provides a blueprint for sustainable tourism.
Thrills
Ghost Boat (at Dells Boat Tours) takes first place in our Thrills category. Created by Moment Factory, this after-dark boat ride and canyon walk uses digital and physical elements to draw visitors into alternate realities.
The second-place winner is Spike Add-ons, a Maurer Rides innovation that augments the physical intensity and interactivity of roller coaster experiences. Third place is awarded to Yas Waterworld, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, which combines thrilling aquatic elements with immersive storytelling, interactivity and cultural connection.
Best in Show and the Public Choice Award
Best in Show goes to Of the Oak, created by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, with Marshmallow Laser Feast.
Attendees at the Festival of Innovation could view all of the award entries and vote for their favourite.
The Public Choice Award winner is Symphony of the Green Island, Cát Bà from Sun Group, Laservision & H2O Events.
Our Innovation Award website is now live. Click here to view all of the entries. Festival of Innovation attendees can watch all sessions on demand for 30 days.
blooloop would like to thank the sponsors of our 2025 Awards: AREA15, Blue Telescope, Christie, Lumsden, FORREC, QSAS, Huitt-Zollars, Holovis, Museum Studio and SSA Group.
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