Themed entertainment is a term that came into usage in the 1990s with the formation of the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) which is a nonprofit alliance of vendors who help to design, create and operate themed entertainment attractions (which can also be educational).
Themed entertainment refers to the creation of an artificial environment in which the various elements – which can include scenics, props, media, audiovisuals and live characters in costume or uniform – all conform to a theme or story, in order to give the space a certain flavor and impart to the visitor the feeling of being in a very specific and strongly identified or "branded" setting.
Well-done themed entertainment will transport visitors from the everyday, and the benefits to the operator of the themed entertainment attraction are that themed entertainment induces many visitors to stay longer, enjoy themselves more, and spend more money during their visit (increased per caps) and are likely to make repeat visits. Themed entertainment markets are not just theme parks and amusement parks, but also casinos and retail centers. Themed entertainment techniques can also be applied to serve educational missions and are therefore applicable to museums, science centers and heritage centers who draw on themed entertainment professionals to make their venues have appeal to today’s younger more technologically savvy visitor community.
A well-known example of successful themed entertainment is the recently shuttered Star Trek: The Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton. Disneyland is widely considered to be the birthplace of themed entertainment, and every March the Themed Entertainment Association presents awards to honor selected themed entertainment attractions, themed entertainment technologies and themed entertainment industry leaders at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, California.
Such awards have been given to SeaWorld San Diego and Madame Tussauds London as themed entertainment classics, and awards for outstanding achievement in the field have been presented to Kidspace children’s museum in Pasadena, Zoomazium in Washington state, CSI: The Experience, Peter Pan’s Neverland at Universal Studios Japan, Walking With Dinosaurs, the Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure Playtest at Epcot, the MagiQuest technology, Battle Stations 21, and Songs of the Sea at Sentosa Village.
