There is no escaping the fact that the world has been on a rollercoaster in the last few years and that the leisure sector has felt the full force of these changes. However this year some level of normality has begun to return and people are again craving unique and alternative experiences as they strive to make up for lost time and return to normal. Ahead of LeisurUp by MAPIC, RLI takes a look at a selection of concepts on show at the event and those making great strides around the world.
LeisurUp has been created by MAPIC in order to provide our clients with the right platform to turn traditional sites in modern lifestyle destinations by building vibrant location-based entertainment experiences. It is the new leisure event dedicated to accelerating location-based attractions in lifestyle destinations including retail sites, urban areas, transport hubs and travel destinations. This year LeisurUp will be hosted by MAPIC in Cannes from 29 November until 1 December.
People who attend LeisurUp this year will be in a better position to identify their next business partner, find new business models and create unique leisure experiences. From indoor to outdoor experiences attendees can find the most dynamic leisure partners to create unique location-based entertainment attractions for retail, urban & leisure destinations.
Originally launched back in 2020, AREA 15 is an experiential retail and entertainment complex that is situated in Las Vegas, Nevada and it houses several major experiential entertainment residencies and includes sculptures and other art displays. As part of the experiential retail and entertainment complex AREA 15 the new “Liftoff” Aerobar by French manufacturer Aerophile opened in February 2022. It’s the first attraction of this kind in the US. A total of 16 people can be transported into a height of almost 130ft during one ride, whilst guest are able to enjoy the 360-degree view over the shiny gambling city with fresh drinks. During evening hours, the Liftoff helix construction is colourfully illuminated. In the coming months Aerophile are planning three sites in the US and one in France.
Jungle Entertainment by Green Spirit represents a successful retailtainment solution, a concept made to give a space for all children and their families to create memories for life introducing the most amazing nature atmospheres. It is an innovative project that mixes the fun entertainment part with a learning educational environment in a very immersive approach. An extremely themed location, characterised by the Jungle scenography and organised in different themed areas, reproduces a real small indoor theme park, where physical play and virtual entertainment create an original mix suitable for all ages. The company currently operates five sites throughout China with one set to launch in Istanbul in the coming months.
Drone Interactive make flying drones easy, fun and profitable with their new interactive attraction Arcadrone evo, a fully autonomous drone flying arena with a reduced footprint and a high capacity. Arcadrone evo is the only turnkey gaming platform with drones. The players are situated around an arena in which their respective drone flies. Thanks to anti-collision system, playing Arcadrone evo is safe and guarantees without crashes. The company plan to install over 50 Arcadrone’s in the next two years as they look to expand the concept after initially opening sites in Lyon, France and Montreux, Switzerland.
Gansu Xirong Cultural Tourism Co., Ltd and French showmakers ECA2 have joined forces to create the first multimedia spectacular in Lanzhou, “The Legend of Pangu”. It’s immersive, it’s inspired, it’s putting Lanzhou back at the centre of the world stage! In this dazzling experience of spectacular combined effects, both indoor and outdoor, cutting edge architecture and custom technology meet China’s ancient storytelling tradition. This show is the flagship attraction of the Hekou Ancient Town, a mixed-use area developed by the Chinese central government which was developed to generate social and economic improvements while enriching the local cultural panorama.
SpeedPark has continued its development in France and Spain with the introduction of three new parks in the last 18 months (Strasbourg, Madrid, Claye-Souilly). Speedpark, the French leader in multi-activity leisure parks, is aiming to expand in new territories, with fresh news and improvements within its walls. Located within Oasiz Madrid shopping centre, Torrejon de Ardoz, by Compagnie de Phalsbourg, this new venue shows renewed activities and customer experience as well as a great design. Karting and bowling are at the core, but guests will discover more activities when they arrive there, such as laser tag, or karaoke music boxes.
In cooperation with the Donau-Mall, citywave brought the ultimate summer experience to Regensburg. An unprecedented attraction: urban surfing on the standing wave with adjustable conditions for beginners, advanced surfers and pros. The lifestyle platform offers urban surf culture, cool drinks and a beach lounge to relax, enjoy and watch. In addition, the supporting program guaranteed that there was something in the mix for everyone: live music, surf yoga, kids camps, movie nights, workshops and professional competitions of the world’s top surf league. Citywave beach is a vacation oasis for everyone and leaves nothing to be desired! The company currently operates 14 sites in nine countries and has plans for five more around the world in the next two years.
EmotionHall is located in the context of Tiare Shopping, a “Meeting Place” in the North-East of Italy. A unique and engaging place; it is the first permanent immersive arena in Italy. Modular and interactive, the site is dedicated to art, culture and entertainment with spaces that can be set up for exhibitions, musical events, different courses and stages and tasting events. Positioned over 2,000sq m, the visitor finds contents and experiences in constant motion, where the space can assume multiple forms thanks to the modularity of the sliding walls. EmotionHall is equipped with the most advanced audio-video technologies and able to offer highly engaging content.
Kinder Joy of moving Park is a 1,700sq m leisure and educational park for children, unique in Italy, developed in Vicolungo The Style Outlets. Designed by the Industrial Engineering department of the Federico II University of Naples, it offers eight play areas that promote an active lifestyle and stimulate children’s life skills in a fun and didactic way. This innovative and one-of-a-kind park in an outlet centre results from a successful public private partnership between Kinder, Vicolungo The Style Outlets (managed by NEINVER) and the Vicolungo Municipality, united by shared values in a social responsibility project focused on children and families.
TOCA Social is the world’s first interactive football and dining experience, combining immersive gaming and world-class food and drink. It has been designed for both football lovers and haters alike, whether guests can kick a ball or not. Away from the fun games there is a modern Americana-inspired menu that has been created by a Michelin-trained creative chef and the overall venue caters for events of all shapes and sizes, from corporate nights to hen dos. The accessible and interactive football-based games provide players of all ages and abilities with the chance to ‘kick it’ with their friends. Gensler previously collaborated with TOCA Social to establish a Concept Blueprint for a ‘first-of-its-kind’ football-based entertainment offering. Components of the prototype were applied to their flagship space which is located in London’s iconic O2 Arena. A second site is due to launch in Dallas, US in 2023.
Immersive Gamebox is a leading immersive gaming experience in the UK and US that focuses on shared gameplay and socialising. The ‘Gameboxes’ use a unique range of technologies including projection mapping, touch screens, motion tracking and surround sound to deliver a hyper-immersive experience for up to six players. A new genre of group entertainment, players tackle a series of immersive games and challenges through teamwork and collaboration. Immersive Gamebox boasts a portfolio of 15, 30 and 60 minute games created in-house including 3rd party IPs such as Aardman’s Shaun the Sheep and Rovio’s Angry Birds and Netflix’s Squid Game. The company currently operate 12 sites across the UK and US, with 96 more in the pipeline.
Launched in August 2021, Gravity at Southside at 80,000sq ft was the largest UK leisure lease in 2020. It was a pivotal transaction for the market as it demonstrated the potential that can be unlocked in former department stores. Gravity’s leisure hub includes e-karting, virtual reality gaming, bowling, crazy golf and arcade gaming, as well as extensive F&B. Many were a first for Gravity, and were chosen to reflect the needs and character of the Wandsworth catchment. The innovative concepts that Gravity delivers at Southside also highlights how Landsec are redefining the role of our places, supporting brands to create something that guests crave.
Liverpool-based hospitality operators are planning to open their latest Golf Fang site on Cardiff’s Mary Ann Street in Q1 2023. Each Golf Fang venue offers an 18-hole crazy golf experience, combined with themed cocktails and DJs in a ‘sprayground’ environment where the venue features work from selected graffiti artists. The brand’s goal is to create a unique set of courses that provide guests with an experience that both inspires and positions graffiti as an art form. The company now owns and operates across five cities in the UK, including Birmingham, Newcastle, Liverpool, Sheffield and Glasgow. Golf Fang Cardiff will be their sixth location following a successful launch in Sheffield. The Big Fang Collective now has plans to expand further across the UK, with seven already planned to launch before 2025.
EXTREME is a unique brand, community and purpose driven company that lives at the nexus of sports, entertainment and lifestyle. Their vision is to drive positive change through extreme and adventure sports. This is realised through their integrated approach that encompasses strategy, design, development, and management of some of the world’s most innovative destinations, spectacular events, entertaining media, and engaging brand campaigns.
