Park News
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Applause Award
You have just a matter of weeks to nominate your chosen park for the Applause Award 2016. Presented by Liseberg, the award’s aim is to recognise an amusement/theme park whose management, operations and creative accomplishments have inspired the industry through leadership, foresight, originality and sound business development. Alongside the Thea Classic Award, it’s one of the industry’s most coveted accolades, and the ultimate award for any park. To nominate a park, perhaps even your own
park, send a brief description and how you think it demonstrates the above criteria to
applause@liseberg.se by November 10. The nominating letter/e-mail can include financial information, organisational characteristics, business philosophy, strategy, visitor and market demographics, as well as operating information. The winner will be revealed at IAAPA Attractions Expo, Orlando, in November 2016. Guiding the selection process will a board of
governors including Andreas Andersen (Liseberg), Bob Masterson (Golden Planet Leisure), Peter Herschend (Herschend Family Entertainment), Sascha N Czibulka (Intamin), Tim O´ Brien (industry veteran), Amanda Thompson (Blackpool Pleasure Beach), Ira West (Ira West Inc), John Wood (Sally Corp) and Michael Mack (Europa Park). Liseberg first presented the Applause Award in
1980 to Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Florida. Since then the bronze sculpture has been presented on bi- annual to parks including Opryland, EPCOT, Knott´s Berry Farm, Europa-Park, Efteling, Universal Studios Florida, Cedar Point, Silver Dollar City, Hersheypark, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Holiday World & Splashin´ Safari, Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Xetulul, Dollywood, Ocean Park and, in 2014, Puy du Fou.
applauseaward.liseberg.se Playoke Chinese funding for London Paramount resort
As Xi Jinpeng, president of China, visited Great Britain recently to meet with prime minister David Cameron and the queen, the developers of the London Paramount Entertainment Resort announced that they have attracted investment from the Chinese infrastructure investment group SinoFortone as part of their £3.2 billion ($4.9bn/€4.5bn) funding drive. SinoFortone will invest an initial amount of £100 million ($155m/€140m) in the theme park-based project, which is being developed by London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH). Kleinwort Benson, which was appointed as sole financial adviser to LRCH in May, advised on the deal. As part of its mandate, the firm is responsible for overseeing both debt and equity fundraising for the resort. “SinoFortone Group of China’s decision reflects the
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unique economic and regenerative opportunity provided by this multi-billion pound project, which will employ thousands of people and be a huge additional offering to the UK’s entertainment and tourism industries,” says London Paramount CEO David Testa. “London Paramount is an ideal investment
opportunity given its excellent connectivity to the capital,” adds SinoFortone managing director Peter Zhang. “This investment supports President Xi Jinpeng’s important ‘One Belt One Road’ strategy, which encourages international infrastructure investment and trade relationships. Given the president’s October visit to the UK as a guest of Her Majesty The Queen, it is well-timed.”
Opening of the resort has been pushed back to a
projected date of 2021 following transport and environmental studies and revisions to the
business/masterplan. The final planning application is expected to be made next year. When complete, London Paramount Entertainment Resort will comprise a movie theme park with UK and international IPs, events spaces, hotels and a creative industries hub. Earmarked for a site on the banks of the River Thames in North Kent, it has been designated a “Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project” (NSIP) by the UK Government.
londonparamount.info OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015
The Top
New ‘Attraktions’ confirmed for Malaysian skyscraper
Attraktion!, the Austrian inventor of media-based attraction formats, has confirmed that it is install three of its products at a new tourist attraction in Malaysia. Operated by Magnificent Empire, a subsidiary of
Richard Koh’s Only World Group, The Top will be a 300,000 sq ft floor destination on the 66th floor of Penang Island’s tallest skyscraper. It will comprise a 360º observation deck, the world’s highest sky bar and other features such as the eye-catching “Celebrity Avenue” pictured above, together with food & beverage (F&B) and retail.
As its contribution to the project, Attraktion! will provide a 48-seat 5D Dome, 40-person capacity Sea Explorer 5D tour and also a Playoke Dance & Kids unit where visitors can get fit and have fun as they dance along. The latter will feature popular music clips as well custom content including The Top’s mascots George & Pearl. Projection hardware will be delivered by Barco from Belgium.
Sea Explorer 5D “We are delighted to bring innovative new attractions
to our market and collaborate with Attraktion!,” says Koh, who serves as Only World Group’s (OWG) CEO. His varied portfolio of leisure interests also includes Malaysia’s only Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! outlet, Wet World waterpark, various FECs/play centres, F&B concepts, spas, wellness facilities and other businesses. The deal between OWG and Attraktion! was signed
at the recent Euro Attractions Show in Gothenburg, Sweden, and forms part of a US$100 million general collaboration agreement for the two companies to work together in the region. The first two attractions will open at The Top when it welcomes its first guests at the end of this year, with the 5D Dome expected to follow in February.
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