Developing a successful costume character programme

Helen Ede at costume character and mascot specialist Rainbow Productions looks at the use of characters in parks and other entertainment venues.

Opportunities for costume character activities within parks and FECs are varied and include meeting guests on arrival, entertaining families queuing for rides, performing in stage shows and attending birthday party packages. However, the starting point of a well-run costume character programme should be the end-audience.

When designing a character, the focus should be through a child’s eyes, thinking from their physical perspective about how the character will look to them. The aim is to create a character which appeals to children, whilst also complementing the venue’s offering and branding.

Design should also be sympathetic to the environment of use. Will it be transported often? Factor in the overall size. Will appearances mainly be made indoors, outdoors, near a swimming pool? Factor in materials and cooling systems.

Another dimension a good costume character programme should consider is engaging guests in the design and naming process. School competitions and social media campaigns help leverage PR; prizes can include season tickets and themed birthday parties featuring the costume character.

A good costume character programme should also invest in a high quality manufacturer, mindful of both the design and the performer’s comfort. Performer training is also a key consideration.

Then there is the inevitable question of whether or not a venue should go for a well-known IP character or a ‘home grown’ character? No one-size-fits-all approach applies when considering a well-known IP character versus a ‘home-grown’ character.

Investment in an IP enables venues to tap into existent brand marketing – often on an international scale – delivering a ready-made audience with a degree of loyalty to the brand. But the IP’s demographic should align as much as possible with the venue’s own audience – and it should possess longevity. While associated licensed merchandise stocked in on-site outlets may generate increased sales, a percentage of these sales must be returned to the brand owner.

Home-grown characters generally offer greater flexibility, are less costly initial investments to develop but need to be widely marketed to bolster the character’s identity. Opportunities to develop merchandise lines will also exist, generating royalty-free revenue streams for the attraction.

A successful home-grown character can also help create its own strong, regional identity. The branding often translates well on corporate communications – websites, business cards, focal points for kids’ clubs – becoming a brand in its own right. Over time, the venue can tap into their own home-grown character’s appeal through the possibility of perhaps introducing a partner/family of characters to complement the existing programme, opening up extra merchandise and branding opportunities.

A licensed IP at Adventure Time, IMG Worlds of Adventure, Dubai

So how long can a costume be expected to last? Factors determining this particular aspect include the environment and frequency of use, how the costume is stored and looked-after in between appearances, maintenance and client expectations.

Typically, a costume can be expected to last around five years, often much longer. In the extremities of Middle Eastern heat, for example, costumes can be adapted for the performer and materials chosen to help prolong the costume’s life-span, although the extreme environment of use, in these cases, means costumes often may not last more than two to three years.

Training is also a very necessary element of a character costumer programme. Performing in costume is a very exclusive performing medium. Often regarded as street theatre, on any one day a costume could meet and interact with up to 2,000 people. Often the photo of a costume character posing alongside a family is considered the keepsake souvenir of their day out.

Therefore, investing in a training programme to complement the actual development of the physical costume should be factored into a successful costume character programme. To not place fully trained staff into the costume character is doing the brand a disservice because – in short – the better the training, the better the performer. As well as learning the art of improvisation, character movement and expression through gesture, training often addresses topics such as the performer’s health and safety and how best to look after the costume to best prolong the life of the investment.

For more information or advice on developing a costume character programme contact Rainbow Productions on +44 (0)20 8254 5300, email

info@rainbowproductions.co.uk

www.rainbowproductions.co.uk

 

DPA provides new designs for 360 Play Milton Keynes refurbishment project

DP Associates (DPA) has recently lent its many years of expertise in the design and creation of a variety of entertainment venues to the refurbishment and upgrading of one of its earliest projects.

Having carried out the design and masterplanning work of the original 360 Play children’s entertainment centre in Milton Keynes, UK, DPA has now provided refreshed layout and design plans for the venue’s recent refurbishment and upgrading.

The hugely successful centre, operated by sister company DP Leisure (DPL) and the very first 360 Play, opened in 2008 and has since entertained over 1.4 million visitors. A refit to maintain standards and provide an updated play experience was therefore due and DPA was called upon to design and create new layout features and other elements.

Since 360 Play MK first opened, the design team at DPA who conceived the first venue have also built additional centres in Stevenage, Leicester and Basildon, building on and improving the offer each time round. And now some of the best elements and enhancements featured in the more recently opened centres can be found at Milton Keynes.

Among these are various new activities in the main play frame, a new play fire station on 360 Street and a new toddler play frame away from the main structure to ensure a more comfortable experience for younger guests and their parents, as well as improved visitor flow. Additionally there is a new party guest area, new carpets throughout, a new look F&B counter with improved queueing area and facilities and new TVs at the main desk to highlight more clearly any current promotions to guests. The centre has also been subject to a fresh coat of paint and a deep clean.

All the design work was carried out in the company’s headquarter premises, also in Milton Keynes, and DPA/DPL Managing Director Duncan Phillips said: “360 Play Milton Keynes was our very first venue and having entertained over 1.4 million visitors over the past eight years it was time for some refurbishment work so that we can continue to give guests a great play opportunity.

“Our centres provide an all-inclusive family experience that promotes the philosophy of the whole family playing together and we have brought in some superb new elements, which have proved hugely popular in our newer venues, to increase the fun at Milton Keynes and enhance overall what we have to offer.”

Play centre operator DP Leisure opens fourth 360 Play site

Milton Keynes, UK, based children’s play centre operator DP Leisure (DPL) has continued the expansion of its 360 Play children’s play centre brand with the opening of its fourth and largest venue, this time in Basildon in Essex.

The company currently operates sites in Milton Keynes, Stevenage and Leicester and following the on-going success of these three sites has continued the roll out of what is one of the UK’s leading children’s play centre brands by opening its largest venue to date at the Festival Leisure Park, Basildon.

As with the existing sites, design and master planning of this latest project, which is housed within a 28,000 sq. ft. building, was carried out by DPL’s sister company, DP Associates (DPA), who also project managed the build.

“We have been looking to open a fourth site for some time,” said 360 Play Managing Director Duncan Phillips, “and having seen the opportunity available in Basildon decided that Festival Leisure Park would be ideal for our next centre. We were also impressed with the plans the landlord, Aviva, had for the site in redeveloping it into even more of a family leisure destination and we have become a key part of this project. I’m confident we’ll enjoy a great deal of success there as we have done at our other three locations over the years.”

360 Play is a recognised expert in children’s and family entertainment. All its centres are carefully designed to ensure a stimulating, creative, imaginative and active play environment for children aged 2 to 12, and with everything also designed so that adults can join in too, the venues offer a genuine family day out opportunity.

At Basildon, the company has maintained its ethos of utilising local companies and trades people for all the on-site building work, while the new centre has also created 50 new jobs for locals in Basildon and the surrounding areas.

“We design each centre at our offices in Milton Keynes and build much of the content for our sites in our own workshops,” Phillips explained. “However, once on site there is obviously a requirement for numerous trades and we always source these from the local area. We’ve had an excellent team working in Basildon and it’s hugely satisfying to see all the hard work everyone has put in now having come to fruition.”

The attractions at 360 Play Basildon, which are spread over two floors, are similar to those at the company’s other centres, while also including some new ones. Among these are a four storey central play frame, supplied by Soft Brick Company and incorporating a host of climbing, sliding, crawling and other activities, a dodgem car track and carousel from IE Park/SOLI Bumper Cars, specially designed climbing walls which utilise auto-belays and climber timers from Innovative Leisure, and the creative play area 360 Street. This features the familiar series of play shops and other ‘buildings,’ including a supermarket, pizza parlour, vets, fire station, garage, post office and more.

A special party zone, messy play and a dedicated toddlers’ area are also on offer, while the Club 360 outdoor play area will be an added attraction in the summer months (weather permitting) and will feature sand play, water play areas, a climb zone and more. A café serving a wide assortment of drinks, refreshments and freshly cooked food choices is also available, as are seating areas throughout the building.

DP Leisure announces development of new 360 Play FEC in Basildon, UK

Following the success of its three existing venues in Milton Keynes, Stevenage and Leicester in the UK, DP Leisure (DPL), operator of the 360 Play children’s entertainment centre brand, has announced that it is to open a fourth UK site later this year, in Basildon, Essex.

Now firmly established as a leading brand name within the UK’s children’s entertainment centre sector, the newest 360 Play site will be located at Basildon’s Festival Leisure Park, located just a short distance from Basildon town centre. The mixed use site is currently home to a wide variety of other leisure businesses, including Empire Cinema, Hollywood Bowl, Fitness First, Festival Wakeboard Park and a host of restaurants, and the 360 Play centre will add further diversity to the mix.

With opening scheduled for the end of 2015, the latest 360 Play venue is a key part of the redevelopment of the leisure park by landlord Aviva, which includes a drive towards catering increasingly to the family market. DP Leisure is developing a bespoke, 24,000 sq. ft. unit which will house its newest operation and become home to all the classic 360 Play elements, which have proved so popular with families with young children over the years, as well as several new components too.

“We are thrilled to announce the planned opening of our fourth 360 Play centre in the UK,” said Managing Director Duncan Phillips, “and are delighted to have secured a site on what is a very popular leisure destination in Basildon with a significant catchment area. Our operation will certainly complement the existing offering and will help to attract more families to the leisure park, something which is clearly the intention of the landlords as they look to redevelop the site.

“We will once again create a fun, stimulating, engaging and entertaining family play facility based on the successful model we have used at our other centres and I’m sure it will be very popular with families with young children from throughout the Basildon area and further afield. We offer a unique product concept which we are continually developing and this latest venture will feature a number of new ideas and elements to further enhance the experience provided to visitors. We can’t wait to get it all up and running!”

On behalf of Aviva, Justin Brand, Director – Real Estate, Head of Out of Town Retail and Leisure, said: “Aviva are delighted to be working with DP Leisure to deliver the fourth 360 Play facility at Festival Leisure Park in Basildon. It will be a fantastic addition to the park offering market leading facilities in family entertainment and will work very well with the current leisure offer.”

Pre-manufacturing of many of the key play elements and structures that will be housed within the Festival Leisure Park building is already underway in workshops at DPL’s headquarters in Milton Keynes, while the design and master planning of this latest project has once again been carried out by DPL’s sister company DP Associates (DPA), which will project manage the build.

The newest 360 Play FEC will follow the company’s tried and tested formula with a wide range of activities for all young children, from toddlers up to age 12, and with everything designed so that adults can join in too, it will be a true family day out offering. There will be both indoor and outdoor areas with the former including the familiar, multi-level play structure, bumper cars, a carousel and the 360 Street creative play zone, a feature at all 360 Play sites. This is made up of individual play units such as a fire station, supermarket, pizza parlour, car garage/body shop and dressing up shop and is designed to stimulate the creativity in young minds, while also providing an opportunity for parents to get involved in play with their children.

A party zone accommodating a dedicated area for children’s parties will be on offer, while various new elements will also be introduced for the first time at a 360 Play venue, details of which will be announced nearer the time of opening.

An outdoor area, Club 360, will also be a key part of the centre and will incorporate features such as a sand play activity area, water boats, climbing attractions, water play, an event area and outdoor seating and catering facilities.