Location-Based Entertainment Consultants Archives

Virtual Reality LBE – Owner Representation

Tyffon Inc. | Confidential assignment in progress. Virtual reality location-based entertainment venue. In association with 64North Architects and Sturdy Built general contractors.

Ideation Charrette for Mixed-use Redevelopment

01.12.2022 Design Charrette Facilitation, Highest-and-Best-Use, Land Development Consultants, Location-Based Entertainment Consultants, Mixed-Use Development Consultants, Outdoor Recreation Facility Consultants, Placemaking Consultants and Designers, Project Consultants for China, Redevelopment Project Consultants, Tourism Destination Strategy Consultants

With a major Xi’an-based development company, we convened a several-day ideation charrette for mixed-use redevelopment of a land assembly in Xi’an, China. The core focus of the session was property at Shaanxi Weiyang Lake, a unique water body in metropolitan Xi’an. The Xi’an prefecture’s Weiyang District is one of 11 urban districts of in Xi’an, which is the capital city of Shaanxi Province in Northwest China.

This project ideation charrette for mixed-use redevelopment included the client’s development team (Shirong Investments, the Xi’an World Financial Group, and its affiliates) and additional location-based entertainment consultants based in China. In addition to the site’s physical development potential and market factors, the charrette also included consideration of the PRC’s national tourism strategy, PRC statistical tourism data, Xi’an’s cultural identify, and likely changes in PRC strategies for preferred in-country travel destinations. As part of the process, the charrette team toured shopping districts, cultural areas, existing tourism destinations, and the sites for expected competitive offerings.

The Xi’an region is known to many for its archaeological sites situated outside the core metro area, including Bingmayong (the “Terra Cotta Army”), where thousands of life-size, hand-molded figures were discovered buried with Qin Shi Huang – the first emperor of China. Xi’an was also a major departure point for the Silk Road, a network of caravan routes that in ancient times connected China with countries in the Mediterranean and greater Europe.

This is an update to a previously posted article.

Concept Design for Mystery Trail

01.10.2022 all Adventure Entertainment Cos. News, Event Producer, Experiential Design, Location-Based Entertainment Consultants, Media Producer, Place Technologies, Project Consultants for China, Rapid Prototyping, Site Planner

Concept design for mystery trail, in a forested setting, as part of location-based entertainment programming at mixed-use regional center. The densely-planted forest is the format for a small “pocket park” situated at or about a “river walk” within this destination project. All manner of technologies and audience show theatrics are part of the forested Mystery Trail. Like all parts of the project, the Forest Mystery Trail is a beautiful place, with the breeze carrying the smells of flowers and the woods, along with programmed experiential aromatics.

We envision this to be a mysterious forest of spirits, a place of curious circumstances and puzzles to be contemplated and solved – a cognitive trail for all areas. An alternative for such an area in exploration may be a “sculpture garden” featuring highly creative kinetic works of national and international sculptures.

Posted information and images regarding this assignment are limited at client’s request. This concept design for mystery trail was prepared as part of our experiential design consultant input to project master planning.

Prepared by China Fortune Land Development at Guangyang Town Center. At one time, CFLD was among the largest industrial and commercial real estate developers in China. This article reposted from prior version.

The forested Mystery Trail at Guangyang Town Center, in concepting.

Mall Redevelopment for Entertainment

01.11.2020 Adventure Parks & Extreme Venues, Experiential Design, Family Entertainment Center Consultants, Location-Based Entertainment Consultants, Malls and Shopping Center Consultants, Mixed-Use Development Consultants, Project Consultants for North America, Rapid Prototyping, Redevelopment Project Consultants, Retail-Entertainment Consultants

AEC was retained by this regional mall owner to explore the mall’s redevelopment for entertainment use, in Niagara Falls (New York). As the design consultant for the project, we considered all manner of repurposing options that could best utilize the existing physical configuration and infrastructure of the shopping center.

The starting point established by client Cocov Destinations, was to provide an all-weather “participatory sports” and recreation facility, serving league and sports club enthusiasts of all age groups. One competitive advantage for the property was the substantial grounds at or about the former shopping center and the potential for using additional nearby land also owned by the developer.

Formerly operated as the Summit Mall, the newly-dubbed Niagara International Sports & Entertainment Center (“NISE Center”) transforms a derelict 850,000-square foot shopping mall into a world-class sports facility. More than 900,000 annual visitors are estimated to participate in or view the athletic functions currently committed in the facility’s first years. This estimate includes the athletes, coaches, friend s, families and other walk in event related (coaches, administrators etc.) traffic. The attendance number is expected to increase as additional leagues and events are booked.

Confidential – At client request, the rapid-prototyping (previsualization) image for this exploration of mall redevelopment for entertainment use, includes limited details only. Shown below, a view of the defunct mall prior to commencement of revitalization effort by Cocov Destinations. Note – this is an update to a prior post.

Defunct regional shopping mall, slated for redevelopment.

Water City Niagara Falls, a Cocov Destinations Niagara property

The Artificial Ski and Snow Era Begins, as New Venues Open in the U.S.

19.09.2020 Location-Based Entertainment Consultants, Mega Projects Tracking and Monitor, News about location-based entertainment, News about themed entertainment and attractions

Elsewhere in the world, the artificial ski and snow era began in the 1990's.

The artificial ski and snow era begins in the U.S., as man-made facilities begin to open. These facilities featuring artificial snow and ice have become common throughout Europe, China, and other regions of the world.

The opening of Big Snow at American Dream Mall in East Rutherford (New Jersey) may be venue that marks the beginning of this new era in the U.S. American Dream Mall is a development of Triple Five Worldwide, the developer of mega-malls such as West Edmonton and Mall of America. Triple Five also has a next mega-mall in planning, the American Dream Mall in Miami, Florida. Although such places as Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre (opened 2009) at Liberty University, Pigeon Forge Snow (opened 2018), SnoBahn Colorado (2018), and Buck Hill in Burnsville, Minnesota (2016), each opened well before Big Snow, the U.S. retail and outdoor recreation industry may have needed to see Triple Five’s more large-scale examples in operation.

Outside the U.S., artificial ski and snow facilities are common throughout Europe, the UAE, Egypt, Turkey, Russia, India, Japan, and in particular, China. Between 2010 and 2019, at least 42 of these man-made projects have been completed. The European “artificial” era got its start in the 1990’s with such facilities as Vuokatti Ski Tunnel (Finland), Montana Snowcenter Westerhoven (The Netherlands), and Noeux Les Mines (Pas de Calais, France).

For real estate, retail mall, and municipalities, these artificial ski and snow venues can take many forms, and can act as an effective anchor “gathering place.” Indoor and outdoor “all weather” operation are a possibility. Recreation sports such as downhill and cross-country skiing are a popular format, but non-sport artificial environments can include all forms of immersive attractions and themed entertainment.