Park News
parkworld-online.com
SIMWORK DOES DARK RIDES
It started off supplying simulators, then moved into the manufacture of 3D/4D effects theatres. Now Simworx is diversifying into dark rides. The British company has developed a range of new products including the Immersive Tunnel, similar in format to King Kong 360 3-D at Universal Studios California. Passengers take their seats in a tramcar-styled vehicle and then, after passing into the tunnel, are taken on an adventure-packed “journey” that assaults the senses.
Equipped with a highly dynamic 3 degrees-of- freedom (DOF) motion base, the vehicle platform drops and performs a series of other movements as blasts of air, water, light and sound effects immerse riders in the on-screen action that
Club 360 offers
surrounds them on all sides. Each tramcar seats 30 people, and up to three can be coupled together in one installation.
One unit has already been sold to a major new European theme park opening next spring, and there is also significant interest from Asia following the Immersive Tunnel’s official launch this summer at Asian Attractions Expo in Singapore. A cordless, trackless dark ride vehicle is also in development featuring 6 DOF movement and Simworx hopes soon to announce a collaboration with another supplier that would allow it to offer yet another exciting ride system, one which managing director Terry Monkton says could transform the business into a leading supplier of media-based simulation attractions.
al fresco fun UK family entertainment centre operator 360 Play has opened a new outdoor play area at its Leicester outlet to complement the indoor offering. Families now have the best of both worlds with a huge sandpit featuring climbs, crawls and slides, paddle boats, a climbing wall and an outdoor 360 Street, where children role play in a variety of miniature shops and businesses.
The design of Club 360, including the play structures, was handled at the headquarters of operator DP Leisure, while the various elements that make up 360 Street were fabricated in the company’s own workshops. Installation of the play structures was carried out by Pure Leisure and the climbing wall was supplied by Innovative Leisure. “We have operated a Club 360 area at our Milton Keynes site for some time,” notes DP managing director Duncan Phillips. “It has proved to be a big success since it opened, even when the weather has not been so good.” Leicester’s 360 Play has been in operation since late last year. A third FEC in the chain is operated by DP Leisure in
Stevenage. As is the case at the other two sites, it offers a wide range of creative and imaginary play opportunities, all of which have been designed so parents can take part too.
360play.co.uk 16
OmniTicket offers Best
Solution OmniTicket Network and its parent company the Best Union Group have released a new ticketing and sales solution called Best Overview Solution (BOS). Already in
use at leading international venues as varied as Ocean Park in Hong Kong and the Louvre in Paris, it offers many features.
Customised sale screens (as pictured) can be produced incorporating logos, attraction information, links and more. A “Build a Ticket” feature allows staff to offer such variations as adult or child, one or two-day etc, and then up-sell extras including meals, shows etc. An unlimited number of discounts or promotions can also be incorporated, including either a direct currency discount or a percentage saving – or a combination of the two. Gift cards can be issued with any pre-loaded value, with the balance checked at any time or refunded as needed using the BOS system.
BOS can support the use of paper tickets, receipts, home-printed tickets. season passes, RFID, wristbands and 2D barcodes for smart phones. The system can be installed at multiple sites or sales locations using a single database. A built-in report writer and marketing/data collection capabilities are also included.
omniticket.com
4D cinemas, however, remain a steady seller for Simworx. New installations were made this season at Paulton Park and Needles Park (Isle of Wight) in the UK and Vialand in Turkey.
simworx.co.uk Immersive Tunnel
Bertus bids farewell to
Club van Elf Jeff Bertus is to step down as secretary of the Dutch trade association Club van Elf (CvE) as its reaches its 40th anniversary. Currently
representing 18 leading visitor attractions within the Netherlands, CvE was founded in August
Jeff Bertus
1973 in response to issues affecting the industry such as petrol rationing and car-free Sundays. At the time, Bertus concedes, “day- out attractions weren’t really taken seriously.” He went on to help found the umbrella organisation Hospitable Holland, and later set up the European office of IAAPA in Brussels, where he served as vice-president from 2001 to 2007, as well as working with Europarks lobby group. Although it wasn’t always his intention to enter the recreation sector, four decades later, Bertus says he’s glad he did. “It has been hugely rewarding. I have been privileged to learn from some visionary men and women but now, as the Club van Elf reaches this great milestone it is the right moment for me to say, ‘Enough is enough’. This marks the end of a fascinating task, one which I could not have completed without the very real co-operation of Donna and my daughters Floortje and Ceciel.” Set to leave on 31 December, Bertus will continue with his own company Jeff Bertus Leisure as CvE seek a replacement secretary.
khn.nl/web/club-van-elf
SEPTEMBER 2013
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