Image – Stealth, Thorpe Park, UK

Experience and attractions industries

UK companies excel at making visitor attractions more attractive. The UK itself is home to many world-class visitor attractions whose success is built on the imagination, ingenuity and expertise of our companies. They can help plan, design, develop and create all kinds of attractions - theme parks, aquaria, museums, water parks - any space which requires creativity and excellence. These are skills which UK companies are keen to offer attraction developers all around the world.

Planning

The concept of having a new visitor attraction needs to be fully explored and tested, with research carried out into market demand and economic feasibility.

Moreover, the right location needs to be identified, taking into consideration how the new attraction will affect the local economy and fit into any regeneration plans.

When these factors have been decided, appropriate architecture has to be selected and built in order to house the visitor attraction.

The UK boasts a large number of consultancy firms that can carry out economic impact and feasibility studies, offering invaluable market research and advice on such issues as pricing, ticketing, competitor activity, potential customer numbers, financial sustainability, strategic development and legacy.

Designing

The UK is second to none when it comes to exhibition and attraction design.

UK designers are considered to be among the most creative and innovative in the world. The vast array of new exhibition developments in the UK in recent years provides a diverse showcase for their expertise and experience, as does a notable and growing number of visitor attractions overseas.

Engaging

The transformation of displays and the use of increasingly interactive, original and high-tech exhibits, presentations, tours and experiences in visitor attractions throughout the UK is evidence of the world-class ability of UK specialists to meet these objectives in stylish, innovative and memorable ways.

In particular, UK companies are among the leaders in the production of audiovisual and multimedia programmes and aids and the supply of the equipment and software to operate and display them.

They are also an unrivalled source of expertise and advice on how to protect and conserve museum objects and exhibits.

Advising

Thanks to the UK’s position as a world-class centre for visitor attractions, it has built up extensive experience and expertise in advising and training representatives from similar attractions overseas in areas such as marketing, management and curatorial techniques.

UK consultants are in demand worldwide for these skills, helping visitor attractions across the globe develop capacity and enhance performance through their advice and guidance.

Sustaining

The issue of sustainability is at the forefront of government policy and thinking throughout the world.

The implications of sustainability have to be taken on board by every industry – including the visitor-attraction sector. Venue owners, operators and suppliers need products which reduce power consumption, pollution and wastage, and capture carbon. The UK leads the world in low-carbon solutions, proving that sustainable technologies, design and techniques can improve the profitability of leisure venues and attractions, as well as boosting their public image.

Increasingly, visitor-attraction customers, especially younger visitors, expect a “green” experience, which embraces sustainability throughout the management and operation of the venue.

With the right resources, a sustainable approach to the planning, development and operation of visitor attractions can produce the ultimate win-win-win, for customers, owner and, ultimately, the planet.

How can UKTI’s Experience and Attractions team help UK based companies

UKTI’s Experience & Attractions team works closely with colleagues in British embassies and consulates overseas and in the UK regions to identify markets that offer UK industry substantial opportunities, and develop agreed strategies to help them exploit these. Our key objectives are:

• To promote UK excellence in experience and attractions around the world.

• To seek out export opportunities and help UK companies to access them.

• To work with colleagues in the UK regions to encourage companies to export for the first time and to help existing exporters into new markets.

• To work with trade associations and other sector multipliers to develop effective overseas strategies through market-access schemes and support with market research.

ExperienceUK.org

Supported by UKTI, www.experienceuk.org is an online database of UK suppliers in the experience sector. It provides information and contact details of UK companies supplying products and services for leisure venues and attractions.

The website has been promoted to UKTI Experience and Attractions team around the world to use a reference tool to identify UK companies who might participate in local projects.

UK companies are encouraged to register for free on the website.

Attend a trade fair overseas

Taking part in overseas exhibitions is an effective way for you to test markets, attract customers, appoint agents or distributors and make sales. UKTI’s Tradeshow Access Programme (TAP) provides grant support for eligible Small & Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) to attend trade shows overseas. Participation is usually as part of a group of UK businesses led by an Accredited Trade Association that has agreed to help deliver TAP support.

In 2012/13 UKTI will support UK companies to exhibit events such as:

March 2012: Mumbai, India

Indian Association of Amusement Parks & Industries (IAAPI) **

Further information: ales@alesuk.org

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