Author: Adrienne Kellam

A Tale of Two Projects

Thinkwell Group

There are many hours, plans, and ideas that go into the making of any Thinkwell project. This past November, Thinkwell had not one, but TWO major projects open on the same day!

NFL Experience in Times Square and the Wahat Al Karama Memorial Visitor Center in Abu Dhabi both opened to the public on November 30, 2017. Both are vastly different from each other, so we wanted to use this post as a quick comparison of the two.

“Suit Up” interactive experience at the NFL Experience in Times Square

Located in New York City’s Times Square, NFL Experience is a high-tech attraction that lets visitors immerse themselves in America’s favorite sport. In partnership with the NFL and Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, Thinkwell provided a wide range of creative, design, and production services to bring the NFL Experience to life.

Reflection Pool at the Wahat Al Karama Memorial Visitor Center in Abu Dhabi

The Wahat Al Karama Memorial is comprised of 31 massive aluminum-clad, inscribed tablets that support each other and symbolize the unity, solidarity, and mutual values of the nation, its military and civil servicemen, and its fallen heroes. The new Visitor Center experience offers guests from around the world an opportunity to further explore the monument’s message of service and support.
We asked Kate McConnell, Senior Creative Director, and Chris Durmick, Principal, Attractions & Museums, to compare and contrast the two projects, as they led the creative development for each of the respective projects.
“Creating the content for the visitor center at Wahat Al Karama provided a unique opportunity for us to really engage with a story that spans both the national level and the very, very personal,” says McConnell. “We wanted to honor those who had given their lives, while opening up their stories and the national values they embodied to a broad, international audience.”
The visitor center at Wahat Al Karama needed to be engaging and interactive for tourists and schoolchildren, but it also needed to reflect the profound respect and honor that is appropriate for the families of the fallen and heads of state who would be visiting. There is also a cultural difference between the US and the UAE in the mood and attitude toward the deaths of these heroes, with pride in their service and a celebration of their courage coming ahead of a sense of mourning, and the design needed to embody that.
“At first glance, the NFL Experience in Times Square couldn’t be more different than the visitor experience at Wahat Al Karama in Abu Dhabi however, a key objective of this project was to examine a national phenomenon with a uniquely first-person approach,” says Durmick. “In this case, while we knew that many of our visitors would have a passing knowledge of the National Football League, we also had to accommodate an international audience with little or no understanding of the basic rules of the game. The NFL project delivers on several key guest expectations (throwing a football being the first among them) but for this location, the NFL wanted to deliver a show that was unique from all of the other football-related activities they have developed. The Times Square location places the visitor into the shoes of the professional player, and shifts the focus of the NFL away from team affiliation to a more player-centric story, one that specifically showcases teamwork, dedication, and commitment to a single purpose.
“This narrative throughline allowed us to create engaging interactives like vertical jumps, blocking drills, and even on-field practice that intuitively encourages the visitor to improve their skills, to compare their results to actual players, and of course, to have fun. The ultimate goal, however, is for the visitors to have a new appreciation for the players, the coaches, and the amount of work it takes to succeed at the highest level of the sport.”
“We sink ourselves into our projects. It was a humbling honor to be entrusted with the stories of the UAE’s heroes. The NFL project was some serious fan dream-come-true wish fulfillment,” says Cynthia Sharpe, Principal of Cultural Attractions & Research. “We were so very fortunate work on both, even with the stress of each opening on the same day. Ultimately, these seemingly disparate projects embody what Thinkwell is all about: meaningfully connecting people with stories, transforming them through these experiences. ”
Thinkwell is proud of its accomplishment in opening these two projects on the same day, and KUDOS to our teams and vendors that made these projects a reality!

To learn more on the either of these projects, please visit links below for additional details:
http://staging.thinkwellgroup.com/projects/wahat-al-karama-visitor-center/
http://staging.thinkwellgroup.com/projects/nfl-experience/

Thinkwell Group Announces Its Involvement in the Development and Opening of the New Visitor Center Experience at The Wahat Al Karama Memorial for Fallen Heroes in Abu Dhabi

Thinkwell Group

Thinkwell designed and produced the new Visitor Center, which highlights the values and stories of the UAE’s fallen heroes through detailed exhibits, artifact curation, interactive technologies, and digital media experiences.
LOS ANGELES — The Wahat Al Karama Visitor Center offers guests from around the world an opportunity to connect with the deep and powerful stories that are embedded in the Wahat Al Karama Memorial and the lives of the soldiers, civil servants, and Emiratis it honors. Thinkwell Group, a global experience design and production agency, provided a wide range of services to design the new Visitor Center exhibits, including the initial concept development, guest experience design, interior design, artifact curation, and multimedia development as well as production, installation, and technical implementation.
The Wahat Al Karama Memorial is comprised of thirty-one massive aluminum-clad, inscribed tablets that support each other and symbolize the unity, solidarity, and mutual values of the nation, its military and civil servicemen, and its fallen heroes. The new Visitor Center Experience offers an opportunity to further explore the monument’s message of service and support.
While visiting the Center, guests can discover the history of the UAE’s Commemoration Day for fallen heroes and its impact on the creation of Wahat Al Karama through engaging media and digital touch screens with the names, stories, and legacies of the men and women who died in service to the country. An interactive recreation of the Memorial Plaza reflecting pool allows visitors to engage with the values represented by the UAE and its national heroes, while additional exhibits, touch tables, and media elements highlight the UAE’s involvement in numerous peacekeeping and humanitarian outreach programs in the region and around the world. A partial replica of the Memorial comes to life with interactive media stations that allow guests to explore the translations and contextual interpretations of the leaning tablets’ many inscriptions. Visitors can also create their own bas relief rubbings of their favorite tablet inscriptions, sign the Memorial’s digital guest book, and share a photo of their experience with a message of pride that can be sent digitally and shared on social media. An immersive media room concludes the experience, leaving guests with a message of hope and an opportunity to explore the Wahat Al Karama pavilion interior through a final set of interactive touch screen tablets.
For full press release, click here.

Thinkwell Group Introduces Laurie E. Knight as New Vice President of People in Los Angeles

Thinkwell Group

Knight to lead all Human Resources efforts and initiatives, bringing more than 20 years of experience and expertise in the field to Thinkwell’s Los Angeles headquarters.

Los Angeles, CA  — Thinkwell Group, a global experience design and production agency specializing in the creation of theme parks, major attractions, live events, and museum exhibits around the world, has announced the appointment of Laurie E. Knight to Vice President of People. Knight is responsible for the day-to-day management of all Human Resources operations, overseeing the strategy and administration of employee policies, procedures, and programs for the company.
“Laurie joins us with significant experience and a proven track record of success in Human Resources, which will be invaluable in meeting the individual, departmental, and company goals and objectives as we head into 2018,” said Francois Bergeron, COO of Thinkwell. “We’re excited to bring her on board during this time of growth for the company.”
Knight brings over 20 years of experience in Human Resources to Thinkwell, with extensive expertise in a variety of industries and organizational structures. With her comprehensive qualifications in the field, Knight will play a key role in enhancing the development of Thinkwell’s corporate structure and keeping employees and teams informed of all relevant corporate updates. She also brings certifications as a Senior Professional Human Resources (SPHR) through the HRCI and Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) through SHRM to the department at Thinkwell.
Knight previously worked as the Director of Human Resources for Starz Entertainment and Starz Media, where she was involved in all core areas of HR for Starz Media Companies including Film Roman (Animation), Anchor Bay Entertainment, Anchor Bay Films, and Overture Films.  In that role, Knight provided support to Starz Original Programming, Digital Distribution, and Worldwide Distribution operations in both California and New York. She was most recently the Director of Human Resources at Galpin Motors, where she was fully responsible for all core functions of the department including budgeting, payroll monitoring, compliance, performance management, training, development, and recruiting across 12 auto franchises, a full service restaurant, and an aftermarket center.
 
About Thinkwell Group
Headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in Beijing and Abu Dhabi, Thinkwell Group is a global experience design and production agency specializing in the creation and master planning of theme parks, destination resorts, major branded and intellectual property attractions, events & spectaculars, museums & exhibits, expos, and live shows around the world.  Founded in 2001, Thinkwell is a creative, collaborative team with extensive experience in strategy, planning, design and production of location-based entertainment projects worldwide. The award-winning company has become a leader in experiential design by bringing a unique holistic approach to every creative engagement, delivering extraordinary results to notable clients over the years, including Fortune 500 companies, movie studios, museums, theme parks and destination resorts.  For more information visit: www.thinkwellgroup.com.
 
Media Contact:
Katherine Mitchell
[email protected]
 

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Highlights from 2017 TEA SATE conference

Thinkwell Group

Last month, the 2017 TEA SATE conference was hosted at Cal Arts campus in Valencia, CA. With the theme of “The Future of Immersive Realities,” conference attendees were able to listen to and engage with speakers about the future of the location-based entertainment industry. Thinkwell was excited to take part in the conference with Thinkwellians both attending and presenting. Cynthia Sharpe, Principal, Cultural Attractions & Research at Thinkwell, spoke at the conference on the importance of diversity and inclusion. Jason McManus, Art Director, spoke on how millennials tell stories and gave an in-depth look at the evolving audience for themed entertainment.
As we head into IAAPA this week, we wanted to look back at some of the important topics that were addressed and how we can keep these subjects and discussions top of mind moving forward.
We asked Cynthia to share some of her thoughts and key takeaways from the conference, and here’s what she had to say:

  • At one extreme, we had Amy Blackman, from Contend, talking about how “data hacked creative” using AI data-mining to understand what will resonate with potential users/guests. It was fascinating–and to some a little scary (what, a computer can do my job?!)—but as a scientist-by-training, I found it fascinating. I come from a world where the ability to crunch reams of data to find patterns is how discoveries are made and connections unearthed – this is a new application of that.

 

  • At the other, we had Janet T. Planet and her Spy Adventure. A labor of love, a bespoke, boutique experience for a group of people every several years that draws them from all corners of the globe to romp and roleplay as spies—and she does it for free and in her oh-so-copious free time from her real world day job.

 

  • And somewhere in between we had the Westworld panel, which genuinely and authentically wrestled with the “how close are we to this moment?” question, cleverly breaking it down into all the innovations that would have to happen to get us there.

 

  • Woven throughout many of the talks was this sometimes subtle, sometimes blunt call to arms of “doing better.”  We started with a talk that was super honest about the role of theme parks in making a hard reality of a not-picture-perfect childhood better (Danny Byerley) and the value and seriousness of making joy. This notion of how transformative our spaces and experiences can be was touched on time and time again, along with admonitions to not stereotype user groups but instead really understand them (Jason McManus, for example).

 

  • Ultimately, it was great to see so many talks that really tackled the meat of what we do—the joy of it, the love of it, the power of it—and not shy away from the responsibility that comes with that.

Arielle Rassel, Design Manager at Thinkwell, also attended the conference and sent in her thoughts. Her key takeaway was that we can do better. Here are some of the highlights from her:

  • Danny Byerley’s discussion of how we should take our work more seriously. Do we think about it as seriously as film or painting? We should. We’re often seen as a redheaded stepchild of more “intellectual” art forms, but what we do is so detailed and combines so many artistic disciplines. He also focused on the transformative power of stories, a quote I noted was “we have the ability to change the national conversation about joy,” and his overall idea of “lean into joy.” The key takeaway from this discussion was to “do better”, create more joy, and to remember what we do is art—embrace it.

 

  • Cynthia’s discussion of how we, as an industry, are often found wanting in our inclusion of populations across socioeconomic, gender, and racial lines. We should not be an industry only for the privileged. We need to reach people where they are, and even as an industry we need to be more inclusive and diverse. The key takeaway from this discussion was also to “do better” and that we need more diversity, more inclusion, and “fewer walled gardens” (great term, Cynthia!).

 

  • Amy Blackman—how can we use data hacking and machine learning to know our audiences better? Intelligence-driven data will lead to “intelligent solutions.” This will inherently change the design process to be more data-backed.  As the key takeaway from this discussion was to “do better” as well, we were also reminded to stop guessing and make informed decisions. Risks don’t seem as risky when they’re backed by data.

 

  • Janet Planet—Spy Day. Her creation is an amazing overview of how immersion and creating roles for people creates an incredible level of commitment and investment from participants. The main point from this discussion was how important personalization is in immersive experiences

 

  • Jason McManus on millennials and storytelling. We can lean into the constant negative characteristics or we can lean into what makes millennials unique—how much they crave story, connection, and experiences over things. How we tell stories needs to shift to account for what they want. The key takeaway from this discussion was to “do better” [and] stop griping about what you think is wrong with your audience. Lean into what makes them unique and they’ll love your content that much more.

We will update the post with SATE video links once available and are excited for the upcoming speaking engagements at IAAPA. Cynthia will take part in two discussions during the conference. On Monday, 11/13, she will present “2017 in Review: Emerging Trends in Immersive Design” with Shawn McCoy of Jack Rouse Associates, reviewing the latest trends, projects and stand-out experiences of 2017. Cynthia will also be leading a session on Wednesday, 11/15, titled “HR Creates: Techniques to Address Gender Issues in the Workplace” to discuss what role gender plays in the attractions industry. The session will also include Nikky Rossini, Riding Chaos, LLC; Trent Oliver, Blue Telescope; Sarah Cole, Adler Planetarium;  Melody Austin, Austin Creative; and Traci Klainer, Luce Group.
We are looking forward to the upcoming conference sessions at IAAPA—see you in Orlando!

Thinkwell talks with U.S. Marshals Museum

Written by John Lovett of Times Record

With plans to begin site and facility construction work in spring 2018 after a $17 million cost savings was realized from plan augmentations and new ground samples, the museum’s board of directors is being exposed to next level of museum building — artists. The 2016 estimate of site and facility work was $33.5 million. It is now $16.5 million, thanks to resigns and no expected need to dig out 16 feet of “unsuitable soil.”
The entire budget for the 50,000-square-foot museum’s construction and interior is $58.6 million. Completion is expected in September 2019.
Thinkwell: The Experience Co., a Los Angeles-based design house with offices in Bejing and Abu Dhabi, made a presentation [in June] to the U.S. Marshals Museum Board of Directors that prompted a motion to approve the board’s executive committee ability to negotiate a deal.
“In the last year, we’ve talked about ‘experience,’ about how we don’t really need to use the word ‘exhibits,’ because ‘exhibits’ makes you think of things under glass without storytelling,” U.S. Marshals Museum President and CEO Patrick Weeks told the board. “We get to do this once, and we need to do it right.”
Thinkwell Senior Art Director Chuck Roberts and Cynthia Sharpe, Thinkwell’s principal of Cultural Attractions and Research, have worked with Weeks on other projects in his “sordid past,” he joked. Roberts was the head designer on the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, and Sharpe is “one of the smartest people I know in the museum business when it comes to content and what’s good and what really isn’t,” Weeks said.
“I’ve known Thinkwell for a long time. I’ve never worked for them, and I’ve never actually hired Thinkwell for my projects, but they got the right people right now, and the right experience right now,” Weeks told the board.
Thinkwell has designed “innovative and dynamic experiences” for museums, theme parks and studios that include the Smithsonian Institution, National Geographic, Disney, LEGO, Harry Potter, Saturday Night Live, House of Blues, Sea World, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon, Super Bowl XXXVIII, and a host of other brands.
After giving the board an overview of their company history (founded in 2001), projects and philosophy, Sharpe and Roberts answered questions from board members that included one from Judge Jim Spears on how the designers envisioned the museum’s entrance.

“Those really story-rich, pivot moments in the history of the marshals that are the sort of ‘grab somebody by the front of the shirt’ moments,” Sharpe said. “As opposed to leading with something that is simply presentation of facts. … Once you get them in, and get them hooked, you can work in more of the historical fact and figure content.
Sharpe also said she wants to figure out the “key story leads” and have one right up front, and then deepen the story. She advised a “mix of artifact and immersion.”
Click here for full article.

The times they are a changin’

Cynthia Sharpe & Dave Cobb

Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen cultural touchstones undergo earthshaking change. From the announcement—quickly followed by the unveiling at Disneyland Paris — that the Pirates of the Caribbean ride would no longer feature the “Bride Auction” scene to the undeniable diversity in the A Wrinkle in Time trailer to the announcement of Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Dr Who, we’ve seen all manner of assumptions get toppled. And as is de rigueur these days for announcements of this type, we’ve seen an onslaught of reaction, both positive and negative, online. Much of the negative reaction, in all three cases, goes back to remarkably similar foundations: that it’s not how a given creative work was originally envisioned and that this is yet another example of political correctness taken too far.

At Thinkwell, we say: bring it on. We’re delighted to see more mindful and better representation in creative works. Storytelling, in our minds, is better when it’s not exclusionary or needlessly hurtful. Culture changes. Mindsets evolve. This isn’t a matter of being politically correct; it’s a matter of us, as a society, being more mindful, inclusive, and welcoming than we were when an intellectual property was initially developed decades prior. And thus, the things we have grown to love with the warm fuzzy halo of nostalgia may not look as fantastic in the clear light of day when we actually take a step back and think deeply about what these creative works tell people about our values and what’s acceptable.

It’s not how it was created to be, it’s not what Walt made. We get it. We love what we love, we cling to the good ol’ days, the touchstones of our youth. Some of us are still bitter about the removal of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride from the Magic Kingdom in Florida, for instance. Pirates, however, is a great example of needing to change. It’s not a historical treatise on piracy in the Caribbean (if it were, it’s doing a really poor, whitewashed job of it), so the complaints that it’s somehow historically “accurate” to have a bride auction fall flat. It’s meant as escapism, as a created world, not a historical diorama. With the heightened unreality and stylization of the feature films—which prominently have female pirates in them—it’s a created world that Disney is inviting guests to be a part of. We see this beyond the ride and movies, too, from “Pirates in the Caribbean” on the cruise ships to the Pirates League makeover experience at Magic Kingdom to the Jake and the Never Land Pirates TV series. Disney wants guests to envision themselves as part of this world.

By that logic, of course the bride auction is overdue for reinvention. It’s emblematic of violence against women, a moment that many a parent has cringed at and distracted their children away from as, societally, we become more aware of just what this scene is telegraphing. There’s fat shaming, loss of agency, abuse, enslavement, all things that, again, we didn’t think twice about a couple of decades ago. Those things don’t belong in a creative world Disney is inviting everyone to be a part of. We know better now. And so, our experiences need to also be better.
We already see this push to “be better” in action in a variety of ways in other attractions and events at both Disney and Universal. Disney has increased diversity and representation in its IP, from the casting choices in A Wrinkle in Time to the mixed ethnicity in Miles From Tomorrowland, Doc McStuffins embracing of a middle class African American family to the Latina Elena of Avalor. While the Harry Potter movies featured a white lead trio, the “world” of Harry Potter itself is diverse by design; Universal upholds this sense of being welcoming to all, “you can be a part of this world” strategy in its Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Both park empires have become more forward thinking in their marketing and events, too: Universal particularly excels at appealing to the large Latinx market in southern California (even incorporating a maze based on the La Llorona legend into its Hollywood Horror Nights) and Disney has gone from appeasing offended heterosexual men who happened to be in the park on the unofficial “Gay Days” and distancing themselves from the event to embracing it entirely (down to rainbow-themed merch in the stores, of course). These are all great things, which continually expand the worlds of Universal and Disney to let more and more people be right there in the heart of the story, not just on the fringes. And we’re eager to see how this continues to play out, from Universal’s Nintendoland to the potential for full-on immersion in the Star Wars universe at various Disney Parks (especially given the increasing prominence of women and people of color in the IP).
So we see the upgrades—and let us be clear, we see these as upgrades, not changes—to Pirates of the Caribbean as the next step in this march toward being better and doing better. In a world where Disney is encouraging little girls to dream of being a princess, like Elena, or a pediatrician, like Doc McStuffins, or even dress up as a pirate themselves at the Pirates League experience, it only stands to reason that they’d elevate the representation of women from victim to victor, from princess to general. Long live the Redheaded Pirate, long may she reign.
Image courtesy of HarshLight on Flickr

SANAD Capital Names Zenas, Chutter and Jonsson to ‘Power’ ACTVENTURE Advisory Panel

SANAD Capital

Industry leaders to help lead ACTVENTURE into construction phase

SANAD Capital has today named three top global executives who will serve as expert advisors to the company, to bolster the success of its $450m theme park on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Joe Zenas, CEO of Thinkwell Group, Geoff Chutter, President and CEO of Whitewater, and Fredrik Jonsson, Founder and Managing Partner of Mereha will sit on the Advisory Panel for ACTVENTURE.
“We are very excited about these three outstanding individuals joining our advisory panel, who are exceptional leaders and experts in their respective fields,” said SANAD Capital CEO, Bradley P. Sutherland. “As we move into the construction phase of ACTVENTURE, Joe, Geoff and Fredrik’s expertise will add to the success of bringing a first-of-its-kind destination to the country.”
SANAD Capital also confirmed today that it has submitted its application for approval to start bulk earthworks, to the Sunshine Coast Council. Furthermore, the company has put together a short list of companies from within the Sunshine Coast to start a bidding process for the work.
“Naming our ‘Power’ Advisory Panel comes at a time when we are gearing up to begin the construction phase,” continued Sutherland. “We aim to start Bulk Earth Works as soon as we receive this approval from Sunshine Coast Council”.
The members were appointed by SANAD Capital’s Board of Directors and will serve a three-year, renewable term.

 More about the ‘Power’ Advisory Panel members:

JOE ZENAS: As Thinkwell Group’s Chief Executive Officer, Joe Zenas is responsible for leading the direction of the company as well as new growth opportunities, corporate strategies, strategic alliances and intellectual property partnerships. From the magical world of Harry Potter to the historical Smithsonian Institution, his leadership has been instrumental in building Thinkwell’s reputation for masterfully dealing with some of the world’s most cherished brands and intellectual properties. Prior to Thinkwell, Mr. Zenas worked as the Producer & Director of Universal Studios Creative Studio, a Producer for Walt Disney Entertainment & Disneyland, and an Events Producer for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games Ceremonies, Hong Kong 1997 Reunification Spectacular, and 10 Super Bowl Halftime/Pregame shows.
GEOFF CHUTTER: As President & CEO of WhiteWater, Geoff leads 11 operating business units, 650+ full time employees and 20 international offices worldwide. WhiteWater is the largest designer of waterparks globally, and the largest supplier of waterpark products in the world, with over 125 patents and over 100 awards including the B.C. and Canada Export Awards and the Best Managed Canadian Companies Award. Clients include key players in the entertainment industry such as Disney, Universal Studios, Legoland, Atlantis, Sun International, Lotte, Samsung, Paramount, Cedarfair, Six Flags, Carnival Cruise, OCT, Center Parcs and many more. Geoff has been active politically on the federal scene for over 20 years and sits on the boards of Covenant House and the Small Medium Enterprise in Ottawa Board under Minister Freeland. Geoff’s lengthy International experience in the waterpark industry adds exceptional vision to SANAD Capital for the waterpark in Stage 1 of ACTVENTURE.
FREDRIK JONSSON: As the Founder and Managing Partner of Mereha Fredrik provides strategic advice throughout the full hospitality lifecycle. Fredrik has dedicated his career with leading development and real estate companies, international hotel operators and independent hotels. As Senior Vice President of Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) and Head of Asset Management Hospitality he established and lead the hospitality asset management division, including among others the prestigious Atlantis the Palm Dubai, Mandarin Oriental New York and had oversight of the strategic implementation and development of 10 pipeline hotels of approximately 2.500 keys. As Director of Operations – Asset Management of Qatari Diar he was responsible for the portfolio wide asset management function across all asset classes. He is an experienced board member of property and operating companies, including Fairmont Raffles Hotels International (FRHI) and an Advisory Board Member of the HAMA (Hotel Asset Management Association) MEA chapter and a Director of Beaufort Global Partners.
 
For original article, click here.

TripAdvisor Reveals the World's Most Popular Tours and Attractions for 2017

Written by Katie Amey for MailOnline

With the arrival of summer, TripAdvisor recently looked at the top trending tours and attractions around the world, and Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter continues to be one of the top attractions in the UK!   

When it comes to keeping the kids occupied during the school summer break, TripAdvisor’s top trending tours and attractions might just be the ticket.
Jetting off to Italy? Don’t miss out on a Skip the Line tour of the Vatican, which has taken the title of 2017’s most booked on the travel site.

And if you’re in England, why not take in a bit of history with an ever-popular day trip to Stonehenge, Windsor Castle and Bath?

TripAdvisor’s latest findings are based on bookings made since January 2016 to date, measuring the most popular attractions with the greatest increase in traveller interest. In their world top 10, it was the Skip the Line tour of the Vatican Museums, St Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel that took top honors.

During this much-loved three-hour tour, visitors have the opportunity to explore the Vatican as part of a small group led by a knowledgeable guide – and, of course, to jump to the front of the site’s notoriously long queues. In the UK, it was an 11-hour guided tour of Stonehenge, Windsor Castle and Bath that proved to be most popular.
In fact, five of the UK’s top booked tours are located in London, while four of the world’s top 10 booked tours are found in Rome.
And no matter where you visit, Skip the Line and Hop-On-Hop-Off Tours continue to be crowd pleasers.  These tours often feature other added benefits not available to general admission ticket holders, as well as flexibility to choose your own itinerary and pace.

Though it’s the Stonehenge tour that’s the UK’s most booked, it’s Harry Potter who is dominating the UK’s top 10. In at #5 is a Making of Harry Potter tour at the Warner Brothers Studio in Leavesden in Hertfordshire, complete with luxury transportation from London. Two London-based Harry Potter studio tours, meanwhile, rank eighth and ninth.  Despite the fact that it’s been 20 years since the release of Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone, Britain’s favorite wizard shows no signs of losing his magic.

See the full list of the most booked tours in the world and in the UK below:


Click here for full article.

Thinkwell, ECA plan the entertainment for Haseko Group’s ambitious new $300 million Hawaii resort

Written by Charles Read of Blooloop

Los Angeles based experiential design firm Thinkwell Group together with economic and research firm ECA are working on the leisure elements of Haseko Development, Inc.’s ambitious new $300 million integrated entertainment complex in Hawaii.

 
The Haseko group has been developing resort, residential and commercial properties in Hawaii for over forty years. Whilst the bulk of its experience is in Hawaii it also has extensive expertise developing properties across Asia and the US.
Haseko’s initial plans are for a waterside retail, dining and entertainment center at its Hoakalei development on Hawaii’s Oahu Island.
The $300 million complex will be sited within the Wai Kai portion of the resort and is set to “redefine the shopping center experience”.
Haseko is planning to have in the region of 215,000 sq ft of retail space with over 110 shops. There will also be two dozen dining options together with entertainment venues. All of these will overlook the resort’s 52-acre lagoon.
Haseko gives Hawaii its first experiential marketplace
A highlight of Wai Kai at Hoakalei will be the state’s first “experiential marketplace”. Furthermore, as an anchor to the retail development, the resort will feature a 15,000-square-foot health club and spa and a 10,000 sq ft specialty market. In addition there wil be seven major restaurants.
Entertainment, leisure and recreational options are in the early planning stages with Thinkwell and ECA.

A Truly Exciting Concept 

Unlike a standard mall, Wai Kai’s current plan is for 10 iconic buildings designed in a “carefully crafted heritage style”. There will be a “town center” and 26 individual “retail clusters”. The resort will provide all the amenities of a major mall. However, it will also feature water gardens, carefully cultivated lawns and a boardwalk conected to a trail around the lagoon.
Tom Sagawa is president of Haseko Development, Inc. He said, “The culmination of our retail plan will create an exciting new marketplace with brand showcases, live experiences, and culinary theaters in a majestic place at the water’s edge.”
Rick Hill is president of J. Richard Hill & Co. He said, “This is a truly exciting concept. It is one that is being developed at a level and scope never before found in traditional shopping centers.”
Architect and design firm Hart Howerton is in San Francisco and New York. They developed the overall master plan, landscape architecture, and architectural design vision for the development. Seattle-based design consultancy CallisonRTKL is the architect.
 
 
Click here for original article.