Family entertainment centres need to be exciting, immersive worlds that combine both an enticing environment and games that deliver entertaining experiences – above all, they need to provide a compelling reason to leave the home. KCC’s Reinhart Viane explains the key considerations.
InterGame: Please provide an overview of the design services your company provides.
Reinhart Viane: KCC provides the complete scope of design services, from concept design over schematic design to detailed design and even supervision during the realisation. With our broad knowledge and connection base, we can also assist the client during the procurement process for attractions, rides and all other elements involved in the entertainment project.
In your opinion, what have been some of your company’s most significant ‘milestone’ design projects and what did they entail?
We have created a lot of designs and have been involved in a lot of projects on which we are very proud. It’s hard to pick some without not giving enough credit to the others. Off course, winning the IAAPA award for best family entertainment centre twice in the last four years has given those two projects an extra glance!
What are the key considerations when developing a themed concept? Is accessibility now a major factor?
The main element in creating a themed environment is making sure the environment is attractive and brings the visitor into another wonderful world in which they can enjoy themselves. This world is created by being consistent during each element of the entertainment venue and maintaining the theming and conceptual idea you have in mind. This will make the experience for the visitors more unique and fun and this is the base of a sustainable project. Off course this is all influenced by real-life limitations and necessities. Accessibility, a good public flow, strong setup and architectural logic are all elements that are, as well, vital at adding to the unique experience.
What does a themed location offer that one without does not? What are the principle advantages of creating a themed experience?
In short, creating a themed entertainment area is like creating an ‘ideal’ world. Whether this is a fairytale world or a super-realistic future city, the basic principle is that each element must be a part of the world you would like to create and attract the visitor with. This also involves taking care of the visitor’s needs on each moment and let them experience something new after every corner. The goal is to give each visitor the feeling of great fun and create positive memories making him wanting to come back. In short you can say, creating a themed location makes your project unique and more attractive, which leads to more visitors and more returning visitors.
What type of themes lend themselves to family-orientated attractions to make them as widely inclusive as possible?
Besides all popular IP’s based on movies, books, games, etc., there are a lot of options in this field. Nature-inspired environments (jungle, underwater) or history-inspired environments (Inca, western, future) stay popular and will continue to attract people. However, it is the job of each design company to reinvent itself and find new themes that attract families.
Do you select games on the basis of their performance or in how well they integrate within the location’s overall theme?
Games and rides are primary chosen to address the expected target audience and the local preferences (some attractions are popular in one country and not popular at all in another). Of course, the available investment budget also plays a role in this selection. After first selection, we indeed verify whether they can be integrated in a way to fit the concept and theme and in most cases this is done through custom theming or even adjustments to the ride.
Finally, can you provide any details of any projects that are currently under way or that you have in the pipeline?
It is a busy time for KCC. We are working on numerous projects in China and several projects in CIS and the Middle East. Meanwhile, Africa is also coming strong and KCC is designing one indoor and one outdoor park in that continent.
