XOrdinary by Crucial FX, a UK-based creative studio, will make its exhibitor debut at IAAPA Expo Europe 2026 next week, showcasing its innovative approach to immersive attractions and creative technology at booth #N4714.
Attendees will gain insight into how XOrdinary operates throughout the entire attraction experience, from initial creative and narrative development to content creation, interactivity, audiovisual elements, technical design, and live execution.
Rather than viewing these areas as separate disciplines, the team integrates them from the start, blending creative and technical approaches across dark rides, immersive walkthroughs, interactive experiences, and spectaculars.
See also: Collapsing the creative–technical divide in visitor attractions
That integrated approach also underpins XOrdinary’s Innovation Lab, where the team creates custom tools and technology whenever a project requires something new.
Discover Shift, Prism and more
At IAAPA Expo Europe, the centrepiece interactive showcase will be Shift, XOrdinary’s intelligent experience engine. It enables attractions to respond and adapt instantly by using live inputs, enhancing personalisation and re-rideability, all while keeping the creative team in control.
Attendees can also explore Prism, XOrdinary’s platform for monitoring attractions, and try a Spatial Audio demo, providing insights into some of the specialised tools and technologies used in the studio’s broader attraction projects.
Recent projects include Bluey the Ride: Here Come the Grannies! at Alton Towers Resort, where XOrdinary handled the design and integration of audio, lighting, and media systems surrounding the coaster experience. The attraction was awarded Bronze for Best New Attraction at the UK Theme Park Awards 2026.
In 2025, the studio revamped Animal Treasure Island at Gardaland, introducing fresh storytelling, media, and technical enhancements to the dark ride. This attraction was awarded Best New Ride at the 2025 Parksmania Awards.
Although 2026 is XOrdinary’s first appearance at IAAPA Expo Europe, the studio's team, with nearly twenty years of experience from Crucial FX, specialises in creating intricate live, immersive, and location-based experiences.
“What we’re really hoping to do with the stand is give people a much clearer sense of the full scope of what XOrdinary can deliver," says Mark Rivkin, director.
"We can work across the whole attraction, from the creative idea and content through to the interactive and technical design and delivery, and there’s a really broad mix of skills within the team that we can draw on.
“We’ve then got technology like Shift, Prism and Spatial Audio that we can bring into the right projects when it adds something. It’s all part of the same package. Hopefully people get a feel for that on the stand and come away with a few new ideas about what might be possible for their own attractions.”
Rivkin will be joined at the booth by director Lorna Jones, alongside Emma Bashford, strategic partnerships lead; Sam Young, head of projects; and Phoebe Jones, marketing manager. Meetings can be booked at this link.
Charlotte Blanco Coates is blooloop's editor. She is from Brighton, UK and previously worked as a librarian. She has a strong interest in arts, culture and information and graduated from the University of Sussex with a degree in English Literature. Charlotte can usually be found either with her head in a book or planning her next travel adventure.
