Now in its third year, the 2023 blooloop Innovation Awards, in presentation with AREA15, saw 160 entries in 16 categories. New categories this year included Exhibit and Game On! The Awards recognise and celebrate the imagination and creativity that drive the visitor attractions industry forward.
A panel of industry experts has judged the Awards to find the most innovative projects and products that will drive the industry forward and effect real change.
AREA15 is the world’s first purpose-built experiential entertainment district located minutes from the Las Vegas Strip. The complex is an imagination box and a place of wonder. Here, creativity and content flourish through best-in-class experiential entertainment companies such as Meow Wolf, Lost Spirits Distillery, Wink World, and Illuminarium.
Showcasing innovation across the industry
The winners of the blooloop Innovation Awards 2023 will be announced at the Festival of Innovation, taking place online between 6 – 8 December. Registration is now open and is free.
Attendees will be able to see each award entry in our Innovation Showcase. By voting for each entry out of 5 stars, they can also choose the 2023 Public Vote Award. The panel sessions at the Festival of Innovation will showcase leading operators and some of the people behind the Award entries.
Ahead of next week’s event, here’s a sneak peek of some of the Innovation Award entries that will be on show at blooloop’s Festival of Innovation.
360: An Extraordinary Experience
Princess Cruises entered its immersive dining experience in the Blue Sky and Immersive Experience categories.
Found on the Enchanted Princess and Discovery Princess cruise ships, 360: An Extraordinary Experience allows twenty guests to take an immersive dining journey through the Mediterranean. There is a live host who introduces guests to a living travel journal that appears through a blend of physical and digital enchantment.
Guests experience vibrant imagery, projected onto curved LED walls, and there is a bespoke soundtrack with scented fragrances. A 7-course menu using authentic ingredients and cultural traditions allows guests to savour a blend of traditional flavours and products.
Abrahamic Family House
Squint/Opera entered its work on the Abrahamic Family House into the Storytelling and Experiential Technology categories in blooloop’s Innovation Awards 2023.
This project includes a mosque, a church, a synagogue and a Forum that invites visitors to participate in a unique environment to foster knowledge exchange. Its goal is to create a harmonious environment where ideas and beliefs are shared and respected. Squint/Opera produces immersive media for three installations: Faith, Word and Place.
These installations are immersive and feature specially commissioned films that show insight into the rites, rituals, texts and faiths of Islam, Christianity and Judaism.
AdventHealth ER at Flamingo Crossings Town Center
AOA submitted this entry into the Guest Journey category.
The project brings together emergency care and an enhanced patient experience for the Central Florida community and Walt Disney World guests and cast members. AOA provided concept design, show set design, architecture and interior design, scenic design and production as well as technical direction for the project.
There are Disney-inspired touches that enhance the patient experience, such as monitors displaying exclusive animations from Disney Live Entertainment. It integrates patient well-being and staff purpose into every facet of its design and operation. Patients undergo a transformative experience. Targeted design solutions that join the healing power of nature with meaningful human-centred support.
BATAVIA – The Floating City
A next-generation retail, dining and entertainment destination, BATAVIA was entered by Legacy Entertainment into the Themed Environment category of the Innovation Awards 2023.
Located in Indonesia at the PIK 2 mega-development, BATAVIA transports visitors to a world that is familiar and exotic. It takes inspiration from Jakarta’s history and features a series of overwater, interconnected structures that are a metaphorical link between the city’s past and future. This theme is evident in the combination of colonial-style windows and arches with rattan weaves and indigenous building materials.
There are over 53 retail, entertainment and dining facilities over 28,000 square meters.
Batman Escape
Dama Dreams submitted Batman Escape, a new leisure destination in France, into the Immersive Experience and Brand Realisation categories.
This collaboration between Dama Dreams and Warner Bros Global Themed Experiences has created a new immersive experience. It is now the largest escape game in France with a series of realistic settings inspired by the world of the Dark Knight. There are three live experiences, an immersive bar and the first exclusive DC Comics store in Paris.
Main characters like Batman and the Joker are represented through CGI creations and video mapping. Visitors are placed at the centre of the story and must act in order to make the story move forward.
Beat the Storm
Entered by Storm Adventures into the Immersive Attraction and Thrills categories of the Innovation Awards 2023, Beat the Storm is an attraction that allows visitors from ages 4-80 to discover the invisible force of the wind.
Created for a variety of locations, visitors put on the goggles and discover wind, storm and hurricane winds for 30 seconds. You can experience how the wind holds you and how changing your posture and angle can change your interaction with the wind. There is further educational content depending on the venue and theme.
Two units are currently in place at Universe Science Park in Denmark where it is one of the top attractions of the park. Since its installation in July 2022, it has had 80,000 visitors so far.
BERLIN’S ODYSSEY
In the Spectacular and Storytelling categories, MAGNICITY’s entry takes visitors on a journey through the history of Berlin.
Located in the iconic Berliner TV Tower, in Berlin’s Odyssey visitors are taken back in time to explore how Berlin has developed. The 15-minute VR experience is accessible to all, including children aged six and over.
A new VR experience opened in 2023, ‘The Berliner TV Tower Discovery’ which explores the technological challenge of the tower’s construction. Over 60,000 visitors have experienced these two VR films which take edutainment to another level.
Chaos Karts
Chaos Karts has been entered into the Game On and Experiential Technology categories.
In partnership with Panasonic Connect, Chaos Karts merges the thrill of go-karting with the excitement of video games using state-of-the-art technology to create an immersive gaming experience.
Guests don’t need to use a headset or personal screen. Instead, they are surrounded by the virtual world to make it an inclusive and social experience. Using digital projection, visitors aren’t confined to a physical track and can instead race through fantastical landscapes.
The game experience is further enhanced with in-kart power-ups and weapons, creating a competitive element to the game.
Connect & GO’s Virtual Wallet Technology
Connect & Go submitted its Virtual Wallet Technology into the Guest Journey category at the blooloop Innovation Awards 2023.
By unifying guest data and credentials including tickets, passes, cashless and waivers, the Virtual Wallet gives guests a better experience whilst giving operators the tools they need to optimise operations, drive revenue and maximise guest engagement. Operations teams can gain real-time insight into their guests’ journey through their attraction.
This technology is also the driving force behind Connect & Go’s flexible and integrated attractions management platform, Konnect. This combines eCommerce, POS, access control, payment systems and more. It centralises guest transactions into Virtual Wallets to facilitate seamless operations.
Deutschlandmuseum
In the Immersive Experience and Exhibit categories, Deutschlandmuseum is an immersive, one-hour experience that tells the story of two thousand years of German history.
Combining interactive, educational museums with immersive theme park storytelling, the museum absorbs guests into twelve pivotal eras of German history. Visitors can explore an ancient forest, a medieval castle, a Berlin S-Bahn and more.
Each area is immersive, with creaking floorboards, the smell of gunpowder and more alongside historical artefacts, detailed graphics, text and educational films. There are seven immersive rooms that use scenery and five more abstract spaces that use videos to create a sense of time and place.
The museum was envisioned by Robert Rückel and helped by Creative Studio Berlin’s Chris Lange.
Divr Labs Pop-Up VR Arena
Divr Labs entered its Pop-Up VR Arena into the Game On and Immersive Attraction categories.
It is a self-supporting enclosure that is ideal for temporary installations or existing entertainment centres. Designed to fit into any indoor space of 110 square metres with a free-roam play area of 60 square metres, it has an hourly throughput of 24 players. Players experience a 20-minute VR game with PC-quality graphics thanks to the use of WiFi 6E streaming technology. 4D effects such as heat, wind and vibration enhance the experience.
Dr. H.H. Holmes’ FREAKSHOW
WOW! ENTERTAINMENT Inc. entered this show into the Storytelling and Thrills categories for the 2023 blooloop Innovation Awards.
A brand new show, Dr H.H Holmes’ Freakshow was shown exclusively at Six Flags Over Texas over the Halloween season this year. It is a horror musical based around the notorious serial killer, Dr. H.H. Holmes. It features three speciality acts with actors, singers and dancers. WOW! ENTERTAINMENT worked with a Broadway-based creative team on the show.
“Draw Me the Planet”
In the Creative Technology category, CRYSTAL submitted the world’s first water show with AI-generated content.
On the iconic Swan Lake in Metz, France, CRYSTAL delivered 68 performances between June and September. “Draw Me the Planet” took the theme of ‘Water and Nature’ over seven scenes that showed a unique interplay between water and landscapes, colours and animals. The water show included projections on water screens, aquatic choreography, lighting effects and audio for a full sensory experience.
AI was used to generate approximately 12 minutes and 15 seconds of the 27-minute show. AI was used to generate relevant ideas, it accelerated the production of details and textures in 3D, processed 300 GB and generated around 20,000 images in only two months. It was therefore very efficient and helped reduce the costs of the project.
Eatrenalin
Entered into the Blue Sky and Immersive Experience categories, Eatrenalin is an immersive, thrilling dining experience at Europa-Park.
The experience took five years to develop and opened in November 2022. Guests are immersed in a unique world, with 11 differently themed rooms that use scents, tastes, visuals, acoustics and haptics. There is an eight-course menu influenced by a variety of cuisines that match the ambience of the scenery of each room.
Guests can even experience an innovative floating chair, developed by MACK Rides, that moves them in a choreographed formation. MACK Animation produced the media elements that use LED screens and projections.
Fever
Fever was submitted into the Guest Journey category in the Innovation Awards 2023.
A leading global live entertainment discovery platform, Fever has helped millions of people discover experiences since 2014. After completing a new funding round in February 2023, Fever can now attract new partners and talent, expand its operations and launch products and services to boost its guest’s journey.
Fever’s proprietary platform bridges the digital space with real-life entertainment. Fever is also actively engaged in on-the-ground co-production to ensure the guest journey is seamlessly integrated into the entire event lifecycle. The platform can be highly personalised and Fever’s partners are given a greater insight into ROI.
FXMOTION – AI-Driven Interaction Control System
Luminous Show Technology Ltd entered FXMOTION into the Experiential Technology and Blue Sky categories.
This is an interactive show control system that reads guest movements, gestures and poses to trigger show equipment. It can do this anonymously and without the need for wearables. This allows for more interactive and engaging activities within entertainment venues, interactive art, live performances and virtual reality spaces. It has been engineered to ensure real-time responsiveness and can be scaled as necessary.
FXMOTION uses algorithms to identify users’ skeletal frames and movements. This provides an intuitive user interface for visitors to interact in a new way with park or entertainment elements.
Generations Strong: Inspiring African Americans of Hattiesburg
This project was entered into the Exhibit category of blooloop’s Innovation Awards 2023 by the Hattiesburg Convention Commission (HCC).
The HCC needed to replace the fencing around the parking lot of its Historic Eureka School Museum in 2019. Instead of simple fencing, they created a statement wall to commemorate and tell the stories of historic figures from the Sixth Street Museum District in Hattiesburg.
The resulting 375-foot-long backlit wall highlights 167 African Americans from Hattiesburg who have inspired others through their work and service from the 1880s to the present day.
Ana Louro, a Portuguese artist, was commissioned to hand draw all of the images on the wall. HCC graphic designer Kari Zendejas then designed the wall using these images. Each panel features a unique QR code allowing visitors to find out more about the person.
Hero Zone VR Hangout
Submitted into the Game On and Immersive Attraction categories, Hero Zone VR Hangout is a space that allows for earlier immersion in the VR world for group players.
When playing in a group VR game, the first person to receive their headset often waits in the dark while the other players get ready. With Hero Zone’s VR Hangout, they instead go straight into a VR arcade, themed as an 80s retro arcade.
The Hangout gives players an immersive playground before the main VR game starts, which also explains how everything functions in Hero Zone. Operators no longer need to teach players how the controls work, as everything is taught in a gamified way. By learning how the controls work in The Hangout, they understand the controls for every game within the Hero Zone library.
The branding within The Hangout can be changed by the venue and it allows players to vote for which games they want to play.
Illuminarium at The Distillery District, Toronto
Christie submitted Illuminarium at the Distillery District into the Creative Technology and Immersive Experience categories.
In partnership with Secret Location, Illuminarium Experiences opened its first Canadian location in the Distillery Historic District of Toronto. It is a permanent entertainment venue that puts guests inside the narrative so they can see, feel, hear and affect the space around them. The venue uses a blend of technology such as projection mapping, VR and AR.
Christie projectors have been used alongside 360-degree cinematic screens, LIDAR sensors, and over 100 speakers to create 3D digital sound and the latest video game engines so visitors feel as though they are inside a game or film.
Illumix
In the Guest Journey and Immersive Experience category, Illumix is an immersive AR technology that brings a theme park’s environment to life.
Chosen for the Disney Accelerator program, Illumix allows visitors to experience stories in completely new ways. Their favourite character can say hello when they enter a park, they can take part in a social AR experience while in a queue or engage with interactive AR. Visitors don’t have to scan a code or stand in a particular location thanks to its accurate precision level to the centimetre.
The technology can also cope with complicated and evolving elements, such as trees, as it doesn’t rely on pre-scanning these objects. This means a more realistic experience for visitors who see the digital and physical together in real-time.
Infinity Master Blaster
WhiteWater submitted Infinity Master Blaster into the Splash and Thrills categories in the 2023 Innovation Awards.
This new iteration of the Master Blaster uses a vehicle conveyor so that the ride can begin without a tall tower. Riders are transported in 1-2 person inner tubes to the first hill where they pause before going down 6 metres, the biggest drop in the industry. They are then launched into a high-velocity uphill blast before another drop. There are further twists and turns, drops and highs before they finish at the start to create a roller coaster experience in a water park.
The ride conveyor is a more energy-efficient way of bringing guests to greater heights. It also requires a lower tower height, saving money on building a tall tower.
Journey of the Pioneers
The Museum of the Future’s Journey of the Pioneers exhibition has been submitted into the Exhibit and Immersive Experience categories.
Set over three floors, this 32,000-square-foot exhibition integrates elements of immersive theatre, themed attractions and exhibitions to transport its visitors on a voyage to the year 2071. Through individual choices, every visitor becomes part of a unified mission to create an enhanced future for humanity.
These choices construct a distinctive arc for each visitor whilst maintaining a cohesive trajectory. The aim is to empower visitors, extending the experience beyond the Museum to contribute to a more promising future for the individual and the global community,
Markerless Tracking Technology
Realmotion entered its Markerless Tracking Technology into the Experiential Technology and Creative Technology categories.
At Orlando International Airport’s new South Terminal Complex, there is an Experiential Media Environment. Smart Monkey’s Inc. developed and managed the technology for the Moment Vault which uses Realmotion’s media server that has generative content capabilities and proprietary AI-powered 3D markerless tracking technology.
Using six cameras placed around the three LED screens, Realmotion’s technology offers a comprehensive solution for up to 25 individuals within the space. The interactive elements of the scenes are able to mirror and follow visitor’s movements regardless of their placement or distance within the space.
Mars: The Next Giant Leap at the Carnegie Science Center
In the Immersive Experience and Experiential Technology categories of blooloop’s Innovation Awards 2023, Electrosonic entered Mars: The Next Giant Leap exhibition.
Found at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, Electrosonic used edge-blended projection, special effects, dynamic content and speciality integration to create immersive experiences that are ‘out of this world’. Over five experiential and interactive zones, visitors go through a 300-million-mile space journey that allows them to explore and influence aspects of inhabiting and maintaining a habitable climate on Mars.
In the final room of the exhibition, ‘Dream Big: Space’, a large-scale interactive physical model of Mars recreates what a colony on the planet could look like. It also shows how it could evolve based on visitor’s decisions.
Met 81st Street Studio
Bluecadet submitted Met 81st Street Studio into the Exhibit and Experiential Technology categories.
Met 81st Street Studio is a new, immersive children’s space at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It has open-ended digital interactive experiences. The technology used includes projection, gesture, computer vision and physio-digital making. Bluecadet worked on several interactive moments within the exhibition.
At the Art Tech Tree, children create real objects and then combine them with projected digital layers. In the Ramble section, children learn about light’s unique properties and experiment with colour, shadow and distortion.
Mission Ferrari at Ferrari World Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
Submitted into the Immersive Attraction and Thrills categories is Mission Ferrari, a new rollercoaster at Ferrari World.
Guests are surrounded by technology, such as AV effects and holograms, that help to blur the line between fiction and reality while on the ride. Unlike the other rides at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, this is fully outdoors. Its AV integration allows for full immersion. Guests are given a mission to transport a prototype car to Ferrari’s hidden headquarters and protect it from rival spies.
Whilst on the rollercoaster there is audio, screens, light effects and more to engage all the senses. It also features the world’s first sideways rollercoaster drop and forces of up to 3.9g during the ride.
Nautilus
DOF Robotics entered Nautilus into the Experiential Technology and Immersive Attraction categories at the Innovation Awards 2023.
In Nautilus, guests enter the Submarine Discover Center to start a special mission to unravel the secrets of deep-sea life. It is a VR AR-Submarine that moves as real submarines move, thanks to its vertical lifting platform that sinks into the water. This creates a thrilling experience for guests as well as those watching outside. The content will be changeable, from a smooth underwater journey to shark attacks.
PARIS TIME TRAVEL
Magnicity – Paris Montparnasse Observatory submitted Paris Time Travel into the Spectacular and Storytelling categories.
The Montparnasse Tower welcomes nearly one million visitors each year. This VR experience reveals the past 2,000 years of Parisian history.
Over four VR terminals along the tour route at the Montparnasse Tower, visitors learn about the history of Paris. It starts with the construction of the Tower, then goes back to the Roman city, then the medieval city in 1419. Finally, visitors see the red Eiffel Tower when it was opened in 1889. Finally, visitors watch a seven-minute video on a giant screen that shows the city’s skyline through the centuries.
Peaky Blinders: The Rise
Entered by The Everywhere Group into the Brand Realisation and Immersive Experience categories, Peaky Blinders: The Rise was a live, immersive, theatrical show based on the BBC One/iPlayer and Netflix TV series Peaky Blinders.
Guests step into the world of the gangsters, taking part in the action. Based on the audience’s actions, there were three different endings, offering 89 possible ways to experience the show.
Amongst realistic 1920s London sets, audience members could advise Tommy on his business affairs in his office, drink with the Italians in the Eden Club with live music, place bets or even march for women’s rights. The show had a new storyline that remained true to the original series and retained core characters. Pre-event communications also invited guests to find out which family they were in before attending.
Planet Word
Solomon Group and Local Projects submitted Planet Word into the Exhibit and Experiential Technology categories.
Planet Word is the world’s first voice-activated museum of language. Visitors use their voices to interact with the immersive galleries, such as the introductory ‘Where Do Words Come From’ gallery. Over 1,000 3D words come to life when visitors speak. The exhibit narrator responds with sounds and animation that show the origins of certain words. This needed precise projection mapping onto the physical letters which are different depths.
In The Library visitors can take an RFID-tagged book from a shelf and place it into a special cradle to see important moments and characters from the book come to life.
SeaTREK Helmet Diving
Entered by Sub Sea Systems into the Inclusion and Splash categories for the Innovation Awards 2023, SeaTREK Helmet Diving is now open at SeaWorld Abu Dhabi.
The SeaTREK experience (SeaVenture in SeaWorld) takes visitors on a guided underwater walk. It is located in the Endless Ocean realm at SeaWorld, a 6.6-million-gallon exhibit with more than 68,000 marine species. It is designed to be an accessible way for people to explore underwater; it is as simple as walking and breathing. Participants can wear contact lenses or glasses as their face and hair remain dry.
There is also a custom underwater wheelchair and a special aquatic lift that lowers it to the seafloor from the deck. This allows those with limited mobility to take part in the experience.
SeaWorld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
Miral Destinations submitted the new SeaWorld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi into the Immersive Experience and Themed Environment categories.
This new SeaWorld is the MENA region’s first Marine Life Theme Park and tells the story of ‘One Ocean’, where everyone is connected to the ocean and the ocean connects everyone. There are over 15 interactive rides and experiences, over 20 live characters and performances, 17 food and beverage outlets and 13 retail options.
There are several themed realms, such as The Endless Ocean habitat. This is designed so that guests can see the aquarium from several vantage points. At Rocky Point, visitors enjoy a San Francisco Pier theming where sea lions lounge on rocks.
Sensorium by The Spirit Circle
Sensorium has been entered by The Spirit Circle into the Immersive Experience and Blue Sky categories.
An interactive, sensory cocktail experience, Sensorium redefines how you experience your favourite drinks by challenging preconceived notions. It is a two-and-a-half-hour experience that starts with a challenge to identify the five pillars of flavour. The Sensorium Aroma Box then challenges guests to identify scents taken from everyday ingredients.
The experience explores the relationship between sound and taste and culminates in two bespoke drinks that are served on the venue’s rooftop garden.
The Bastille Day Fireworks
Disneyland Paris submitted its Bastille Day Fireworks into the Spectacular category.
On 14 July 2023, Disneyland Paris broke the European record for the largest drone show featuring 1,495 drones soaring simultaneously as part of its Bastille Day Fireworks celebration. The spectacular used pyrotechnics, lights and drone choreography. The drones represented symbols of French culture, such as the French flag, the Eiffel Tower and the rose window of the Notre Dame Cathedral.
Disneyland Paris’ entertainment teams and Dronisos, its official technology supplier, collaborated for more than four months on this show.
The Chamber of Horrors
Merlin Magic Making entered The Chamber of Horrors into the Immersive Experience and Creative Technology category in 2023’s Innovation Awards.
Found in the basement of Madame Tussauds London, The Chamber of Horrors was an exhibition of waxworks of infamous historical figures and notorious murderers. It was closed for five years and reopened in 2023 with a focus on the dark streets of London and some of the city’s most notorious killers.
Guests visit different eras to encounter the Kray twins, John Christie, Dennis Nilsen, Ruth Ellis and more. A variety of technology was used such as animatronic heads, ‘smart glass’, audio and more.
The Curse at Alton Manor
In the Storytelling category, Merlin Magic Making submitted The Curse at Alton Manor.
This is a reimagined haunted dark ride that originally opened in 1992 and was redesigned in September 2022. The laser guns were removed and replaced with a Victorian-themed haunted house narrative with a new storyline, set design and special effects. After consumer research, the team found that guests always remembered the girl in the dollhouse and so they expanded upon her story, her dolls and the spirits that possess the Manor.
An immersive experience is created through classic Victorian illusions like Pepper’s ghosts and technology like projection mapping.
The Titanic Experience at Titanic Belfast
Titanic Belfast entered The Titanic Experience in the Storytelling and Exhibit categories.
Since it opened in 2012, The Titanic Belfast Museum has welcomed over 7.5 million global visitors. Alongside their in-house team, OPERA Amsterdam and Studio Louter created an immersive experience with less reading and more untold stories. It combines innovative technology with a unique collection of rare Titanic artefacts and emotional storytelling.
The reimagined experience starts with the aftermath of the sinking, exploring the chain reaction of events that caused it to sink. Then, they explore what it took to find the wreckage. It ends with The Pursuit of Dreams, an emotional finale that looks at the hopes and dreams of the people who worked and travelled on the ship.
TwinkleTwinkleStar
Entered into the Game On and Blue Sky categories by Fortyfivegames, TwinkleTwinkleStar allows guests to customise a party room.
By using a push button activated or touch-sensitive panel, guests can change the lighting scheme of a party room to static or interactive to music, or even change the colours. They are even able to change the scent of a room.
There are pre-programmed events, such as a Happy Birthday Event that offer a template of possibilities to celebrate a birthday. When the event is triggered, a scent dispenser will fill the room with a vanilla cake scent. The settings can also be changed to avoid moving lights, select ambient sounds and more. This means that those with sensory sensitivities can enjoy the experience.
U.S. Marshals Museum
Thinkwell (a TAIT Company) entered the U.S. Marshals Museum into the Storytelling and Inclusion categories at the Innovation Awards 2023.
The museum explores the history of the U.S. Marshals, the country’s oldest federal law enforcement agency. It uses placemaking, interactive technologies and even humour to tell this story, which at times can be a difficult subject.
In the Goingsnake Theater visitors learn about the complex relationship between the federal government and different Cherokee factions which led to the deadliest shootout in U.S. Marshal history in 1872. Thinkwell worked with members of the Cherokee Nation to understand this story in more detail.
View Boston
Electrosonic submitted its work on View Boston in the Immersive Experience and Experiential Technology categories.
A 59,000-square-foot immersive observation deck, View Boston blends incredible views of Boston with experiential elements. These include immersive elevators, a projection-mapped 3D model and a 270-degree immersive theatre.
On the 50th floor of the building, guests see Boston 365, a 3D scale model of the city. Projection mapping and looped animations bring the model to life and are synchronised with audio from 10 speakers. Electrosonic took responsibility for system integration, detailed engineering and speciality projection.
View Boston Observatory: Immersive Experience
Float4 entered its work on View Boston into the Guest Journey, Inclusion and Storytelling categories.
Float4 designed, produced and delivered eight immersive, multi-media exhibits for View Boston, in collaboration with JRA. The exhibits were complemented by a data-driven microsite, an audio guide and a content management system. These interactive exhibits were the principal storytelling tools of the observatory.
Float4 also developed the Audio Guide that takes visitors on a journey of Boston’s skyline, exhibits and multimedia presentations. Accessibility was key during the project. For example, text-to-speech is integrated into each content piece and the height of interfaces can be adjusted.
VUIX AI
VUIX AI has been entered into the Inclusion, Guest Journey and Experiential Technology categories.
It is a visitor user interface experience that is designed for operators of visitor attraction locations by AI professionals and attraction industry experts. Its experiential digital avatar drives guest engagement and can answer questions by speech or text message in over 20 languages.
Operators can use its AI technology to integrate wayfinding, information, point-of-sale, reservations and management systems into its interactive kiosks. The avatar can also be customised to leverage an existing IP to fully immerse guests.
Warner Bros, Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter – Retail & Restaurants
Lumsden submitted its work on the Retail & Restaurants at the Warner Bros, Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter into the Themed Environment and Brand Realisation categories.
These retail and restaurant spaces connect seamlessly with the Studio Tour journey and continue the storytelling. The main shop is the largest Harry Potter store in the world at 13,000 square feet. It has 11 themed areas inspired by Wizarding World locations.
The Food Hall is inspired by Hogwarts Great Hall. This allows visitors to eat at their house table for the first time. Guests can also eat inside a Chocolate Frog packaging booth at the Frog Café.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter
The Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter was submitted by Thinkwell (a TAIT company) into both the Experiential Technology and Brand Realisation categories.
Thinkwell worked on more than 20 new media moments and interactives compared to the Leavesden Studio Tour. Guests can experience the moving staircase in Hogwarts and pose for a custom moving portrait that then appears on the walls. They can also learn to duel like witches and wizards in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.
Dementors track the visitor’s movements in the Forbidden Forest and begin to perform the Dementor’s kiss if visitors stay still. These immersive interactives allow visitors to step into iconic Wizarding World scenes like never before.
WhaleShark Icon
Balich Wonder Studio entered WhaleShark Icon into the Spectacular category at the Innovation Awards 2023.
A 20-ton artwork hanging 130 feet above the ground, WhaleShark Icon hangs between the Lusail Towers in Doha. It was commissioned to commemorate the FIFA World Cup. During the day the Icon is a landmark. Then, at night it alights several times for a 10-minute light and sound show. Over 100,000 visitors saw the show during the World Cup, and new activations are in development.
Register now for the Festival of Innovation
See all these entries and more at the Festival of Innovation 2023. We will be announcing the Award winners and hearing from top speakers about key trends. Plus, you will be able to take part in the Public Vote Award.
Join us for a live launch of blooloop’s Innovation Awards 2023
Tickets are now on sale for the first blooloop in-person event since the pandemic. Join us in London to launch the 2023 Festival of Innovation and also to celebrate five years of the blooloop 50 Influencer Lists.
Tickets will include food and drink, and an informal discussion of key trends from our Innovation Awards with AREA15’s Winston Fisher. There will also be opportunities for networking with industry leaders. Tickets are just £50 plus VAT including food and drink from 6:30-10:00 pm.
