ThisPlays International, a leading provider of photo booths for attractions, zoos, aquariums and shopping centres, is rapidly expanding into the world of waterparks.
ThisPlays has partnered for multiple years with Tropical Islands near Berlin, Germany. The company recently closed a long-term agreement with the award winning Scandinavian water park chain Lalandia, as well as Suntago Water World near Warsaw, the largest indoor water park in Europe.
The firm’s simple business model proved itself already with zoos, attractions and museums all over Europe. “With over 200 installations we have such a wide range of experience and reference which has made us decide to expand to other niches within the leisure industry” says Mark van der Weide, owner and founder of the company.
After entering the cruise line industry in 2023 and its first PicCity shops going live in 2024, the firm is further expanding in the water park industry this year.
“Of course these are strategic decisions that are not taken overnight. Besides the overlap within the different niches, we should not overcomplicate things. Without exception real success comes with a deep understanding within the niche and we take action on the challenges that no one ever thought about, or never actioned to perfection” Van der Weide adds.
To aid this expansion into water parks, ThisPlays has developed a special sealing technique for its equipment so that its booths can be placed in the wet area of the park. While safety is the firm’s utmost priority, it is the first company to be able to operate photo booths within wet areas, creating a unique selling point for both the firm and its partners, which it shares revenue with.
The setup is ideal for larger parks and resorts that use barcode or RFID wristband payment methods while water park guests enjoy the attraction in their swimsuits.
All investments, R&D related and investment in the physical setup itself, are covered by ThisPlays in its unique revenue share model program. ThisPlays covers the entire investment and all costs, and the revenue is shared with their partners. Practically, partners only need to provide a few metres squared of space and a power socket, and ThisPlays covers the rest.
Because it places its photo booths for free, meaning that its partners have zero risk, ThisPlays guarantees a profitable, fully themed activation. This allows attractions to add a new revenue stream and social media activator in one without any investment.
New AI integrations
ThisPlays has also added its new AI integrations to its water park offering. “The possibilities are endless,” says Van der Weide. “From digital character meet and greets to morphing, it opens an entirely new era in the world of photo booths. While the potential of AI is not new, the real key is to integrate it logically, with a wow effect, and above all, it is 100 percent stable.”
“We’ll soon be revealing some real game changers” Van der Weide adds.
“Whilst we are rewarded for our zero downtime promise, we also keep this promise when launching new features”.
ThisPlays also recently revealed details of its new PicCity shop openings, which are set to launch in five metropolitan cities in Europe over the next year. PicCity is an experiential, on-trend photo souvenir shop with a compact footprint of between 10 and 20 square metres. Its self-service approach enables visitors to purchase souvenir images of the city in print and digital formats. The new shop openings are a separate addition to the company’s portfolio.
Read more on the company’s work across the zoo and aquarium industry.
Lead image: Tropical Islands, Berlin
