2024 blooloop Innovation Awards: Defining Tomorrow’s Industry
With less than a month remaining until the early bird pricing concludes for the 2024 blooloop Innovation Awards, presented in collaboration with AREA15, we had a chat with the judges for this year about their expectations and the reasons you should consider entering.
“Studying the Innovation Awards is akin to having your eyes opened to a brilliant future,” remarks Sam Bompas, director of Bompas & Parr. Having judged the 2023 Awards, he returns this year, noting that they “pay close attention to the Innovation Awards as it shapes the industry of tomorrow.”
For Chris Grap, vice president of experiential entertainment at Mall of America, the Awards signify “creative collaboration” within the industry. “Look, blooloop is the premier source for themed entertainment information and is uniquely positioned to usher in the next wave of brilliance for the sector,” he elaborated.
Eddie Kemsley, CEO of Dreamland, views the Awards as an ideal opportunity for “the industry to learn from one another in such a forward-thinking environment.” She relishes judging as it allows her to “witness the most imaginative ideas and their evolution from concept to reality… I can’t wait to immerse myself in all the creativity!”
Judges Seek Partners Through the Awards
Our judges turn to the Awards to identify the next innovators within the industry.
For Michael Casper, vice president of business development at AREA15, the Awards provide a “fantastic way for AREA15 to connect with the brightest minds in experiential entertainment and gives us an initial glimpse at new experiences to explore potential collaborations.”
Bompas concurs, stating, “The Awards are where our team seeks out the leading attractions of tomorrow and those we’d like to partner with.” Entering the Awards is “an excellent way to showcase ideas to a broad spectrum of industry leaders (including myself),” Grap adds.
What Are the Judges Looking For?
All judges agree they are on the lookout for the most innovative entries that propel the industry forward. June Ko, executive director of InfoComm, is eager to see how technology can enhance visitor experiences. “Professional Audio Visual and technology breathe life into innovations for people to experience. I am excited to see submissions that explore advancements in immersive experiences, new technologies, and solutions for customer engagement,” she expressed.
Steve Alcorn, CEO of Alcorn McBride Inc, is also “seeking innovations that emotionally connect with guests and are best realised in a themed entertainment context.”
For Nick Laister, director of Fairytale Farm, the Awards present an opportunity to discover “new concepts and attractions that will enrich visitor experiences and extend their time at attractions. For anyone or any company pushing forward new ideas, these awards are the perfect platform to elevate the profile of their innovative product, ride, or attraction.”
Winning “Gave Us Tremendous Exposure”
Michael Libby, founder & CEO of Worldbuildr, who won the 2021 Rise Award and secured second place in the Digital category that same year, states that entering the Awards was “one of the best decisions I’ve made for my company,” as winning provided “tremendous exposure” within the visitor attraction sector.
He noted a surge in traffic to the company’s website post-win and mentioned that it “instantly elevated the credibility and perceived legitimacy of our groundbreaking software.” Since then, the company has “developed a closer relationship with the team at AREA15, enabling us to pursue larger and more ambitious projects.”
Winning an Award also serves as a celebration for your team. For Eatrenalin, “winning the ‘Blue Sky’ category [in 2023] showcases the collaborative efforts of our talented team in creating Eatrenalin – a unique, multi-sensory fine dining experience.”
Enter the Awards Now
Don’t miss your chance to present your innovations to our 2024 judges and demonstrate your creativity to the industry. Take advantage of our early bird rates by submitting your entry before 2nd September 2024. You can continue to edit your submission until the entry deadline of 30th September.
Check out the judges’ rubric and other FAQs here to assist you in crafting your entry. Explore the categories and entry types here.
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