Location-Based Entertainment Consultants Archives

Water City Niagara Falls, a Cocov Destinations Niagara property

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

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.

Outdoor recreation consultants and designers - The Artificial Ski and Snow Era Begins

Artificial snowtubing hill, conceptual design.

Directory of Artificial Ski & Snow Facilities

Feature Film Promotion – LBE Activation

05.05.2019 Location-Based Entertainment Consultants, Traveling Exhibits and Pop-Up Stores, Virtual and Augmented Reality

aec Confidential Client | Initial conceptual design for immersive exhibit about the Apollo space program, intended for travel to museums, science centers, and major shopping malls. Illustration work shown here is a product of aec‘s Rapid Prototyping Unit, combining feasibility results with preliminary project scaling, layout, and overall guest experiential design – created to assist Ownership group in confirming design intent and project budgets.

Posted information and images regarding this assignment is limited at client’s request.

Immersive environment designers - project experiential design consultants

Conceptual Design for Travelling Exhibit

01.05.2019 Experiential Design, Location-Based Entertainment Consultants, Traveling Exhibits and Pop-Up Stores

aec Performance Exhibits, LLC | Conceptual design for travelling exhibit, about American football. The “big idea” for this exhibit focuses on the sport’s role in American culture and history, its traditions, youth participation, and the sports technology involved in making the sport safer for players.

The design includes 10 freestanding immersive modules gathered around a central gathering area. An augmented reality overlay was integrated with the experiential design, to allow exhibit guests to customize their exhibit experience. A popular licensed intellectual property (brand) was identified as a promotional tactic, and several national youth sports sanctioning organizations signed on as strategic partners. The freestanding modules were intended for flexible arrangement, all or in part, allowing for different kinds of display environments.

The exhibit is intended for roll-out among U.S. museums and science centers. The conceptual design for travelling exhibit is a first such product among a portfolio of planned travelling and pop-up exhibits for museums.

Illustration work shown here is a product of aec‘s Rapid Prototyping unit, combining feasibility results with preliminary project scaling, layout, and overall guest experiential design – created to assist Ownership group in confirming design intent and project budgets.

Graphic for ideation session to support experiential design for travelling museum exhibit.

Water City Resort Niagara Falls (Ontario) – Conceptual Design

01.05.2019 Adventure Parks & Extreme Venues, Location-Based Entertainment Consultants

aec Cocov Destinations (Toronto) | Location based entertainment consultants for massing and vertical structure organization for year-round ski structure with interior sports and recreation venues, major hotel and fractional residence towers, in planning. An indoor water park and play area is a major component of the project.

Water City Niagara Falls consists of 51 acres situated in the heart of downtown Niagara Falls (Ontario) and proximate to the Niagara River. The land is relative flat and suitable for development without significant mitigation required. The scale of the Project site is somewhat unique given the urbanized nature of much of the city of Niagara Falls. The site is a former Canadian National Railway (“CNR”) property. Canadian National Railroad’s operation at the Subject Property and the bridge, dates to predecessor rail companies beginning with a grant of charter in 1834 (to London & Gore Railroad). That rail charter became the first railway across southern Ontario.

The Property was acquired by Cocov Development Co. in 2015, through two special purpose legal entities formed for this purpose.

At client request, the images shown here include limited details only. a product of aec‘s Rapid Prototyping Unit, combining feasibility results with preliminary project scaling, layout, and overall guest experiential design – created to assist Ownership group in confirming design intent and project budgets.

Facilities Management – Sport Center Las Vegas

01.09.2018 Family Entertainment Center Consultants, Location-Based Entertainment Consultants, Owner Representation Consultants, Strategic Marketing Consultants

Urban Land of Nevada | Owner representative consultant, facilities manager, and event producer for Sport Center Las Vegas, including daily operation of family entertainment center activities associated with the facility.

Events included all manner of spectator sports, concerts, major private team-building events, and corporate incentive meetings. Restaurant offerings and catering coordinated with on-site food provider, Delaware North.