Conferencias de prensa IAAPA Expo Asia 2025 - Cloned

Mack Rides to Soar Again with Plopsa for Major New Addition 

Plopsaland Belgium is set to soar in 2027 with the opening of a new flying theater attraction. Plopsa CEO Carl Lenaerts joined MACK Rides CEO Christian von Elverfeldt in making the announcement on the trade show floor. Plopsa will use MACK’s Airific theater system that boasts a ride vehicle with duel forward-backward loading on three levels to boost capacity.  
 
“It’s part of a very big investment; it’s unique as an attraction and it’s unique in Belgium,” Lenaerts shared with the crowd assembled to learn the news. “This shows the very good cooperation between two big and important companies.” MACK Rides was also tapped by Plopsa to manufacture a new Xtreme Spinning Coaster for Plopsaland Deutschland, slated to open in 2028.  
 
Located near the park’s entry plaza, the new flying theater will help redefine Plopsaland Belgium. “We always start with a white paper … and then we discuss ‘What do we want?’ “Then we start looking at who can build this,” says Lenaerts of the partnership with MACK Rides, adding they looked at several suppliers. “We can speak very openly with MACK. There are very short lines [of communication]” 

Lenaerts promises more details of the new attraction’s storyline will be shared soon, adding Plopsaland has access to a deep well of characters thanks to Studio 100, a Dutch television production company.  
 
Gain thought leadership from Carl Lenaerts and learn more about Plopsa’s New Chapter in the current edition of Funworld.  Read Lenaerts’ cover story here.
 

Crazy Cube Debuts as Modular Solution for Game Play  

With concepts measuring only 10 meters, the new Crazy Cube from Giant Island Sports & Entertainment is a digital chameleon of sorts.  The cube’s internal walls can support more than two dozen games and activities, driving repeat visitation according to Taylor Xiao. 

“Every player can find something exciting and fresh. Some players will return again and again because there is something new,” explains Xiao of Giant Island Sports & Entertainment. Some games use lights and lasers, while others rely on guests exerting a certain level of physicality to climb and dodge.  And while the games are different, they can be reconfigured at the flip of switch. 

“All of the games are managed on one platform by one intelligent system,” he says.  

The Crazy Cube is designed to fit into existing retail space in a mall or sit on the game floor inside an FEC’s arcade. Programming can also be customized for zoos, museums, or science centers. Giant Island Sports & Entertainment offers turnkey solutions for former storefronts. The product is targeted to FEC owners and operators, as well as real estate developers looking to fill a vacancy.

Vekoma to Deliver Two Family Boomerang Coasters for Karls Erlebnis-Dorf

Vekoma Rides announced the delivery of two custom-designed Family Boomerang coasters to Karls Erlebnis-Dorf, with openings planned for summer 2026. One of the coasters is confirmed for the Döbeln location, while the second site will be announced soon. 

Vekoma unveiled the front coach of the new train, featuring Karls’ signature strawberry-themed design. The playful look reflects the park’s brand identity and complements the dynamic coaster experience.  

“This major expansion marks a bold step forward in delivering unforgettable experiences to our visitors,” says Robert Dahl, founder of Karls Erlebnis-Dorf. “We’re constantly looking for ways to surprise and delight our guests. These new coasters will bring a fresh level of excitement for families and coaster fans alike.” 

BoldMove Introduces Rogue Rides and Spinfinity Coaster Splash

BoldMove Nation announced two major product developments at IAAPA Expo Europe—the debut of its Rogue Rides brand of trackless vehicle systems at Hunderfossen Family Park in Norway, and the unveiling of the Spinfinity Coaster Splash, a new concept blending roller coaster dynamics with the fun of a water ride, set to debut in France in 2028. 

Rogue Rides plans to use Mecanum wheels—with pneumatic suspension—for a smooth, responsive motion of its new dark ride vehicles. The ride headed to Hunderfossen Family Park will use Kamino, BoldMove’s Unreal Engine-based platform, to sync ride movement with media and effects. 

Looking ahead, the Spinfinity Coaster Splash offers a 450-meter-long family coaster with immersive water effects. Developed with E&S Rides and Soho Playtime, the new ride will rise 17 meters tall and 61.5 km/h, with controlled spinning, face-to-face seating, and adjustable water features for seasonal flexibility. 

DOF Debuts New Original Content  

Mirsat Satis, director of sales and marketing for DOF Robotics, announced Phantom City, a new racing adventure that blends immersive storytelling with DOF’s flying theater simulators. New digital content includes well-known IPs, such as The Smurfs, Dog Fight, and Guardian Challenge.  

Visitors at the booth on the IAAPA Expo Europe trade show floor continue to enjoy Hurricane 360 VR, a motion simulator that combines the thrill of a roller coaster with virtual reality, Angry Birds Fury Road, and AIQ, an AI-driven photo system that will help guests capture lasting memories.

In addition, DOF recently became a publicly traded company in Borsa Istanbul. The initial public offering (IPO) was just over $40+ million, equivalent to 29% of the company’s value on Sept. 15 when the IPO took place. “Going public will help us invest more in research and development and have a global presence in different countries,” says Satis, adding DOF will also add international hardware centers to support facilities using their attractions.

Brogent Technologies Announces New Ride System

V Ride Explorer Plus is Brogent Technologies new grounded ride experience that prompts guests to feel as if they’re riding through rough desert terrain in ATV-style vehicles. Stefan Rothaug, director of sales and marketing, says each 12-seat vehicle will sit on its own motion base, allowing specific vehicles to customize the amount of thrill. The modular set up also allows facility owners to choose the number of vehicles they install based on available space and capacity needs. 

The V Ride Explorer Plus is Brogent’s first omni-directional ride system, with vehicles capable of full 360-degree rotation (yaw), raising and lowering (heave), and moving back and forth and side to side (pitch and roll respectively). To keep guests immersed while rotating 360 degrees, this ride also features a 360-degree screen.

Themics Creates Figures for New Theme Park 

Carlo Goertjes, president and CEO at Themics Philippines Inc.; Gilles Rousel, executive producer at Van Hoorne Studios; and Han Kuijpers, business development manager at Petro Art Production, came together to unveil the figurines of Woozle and Pip headed to the new Family Resort & Adventure Park ‘de Tovertuin’ in Hoogerheide, Netherlands. These three creative companies partnered to create thematic elements that will allow families to feel as though they have entered the magical garden themselves. There will be more than 300 figures and animatronics across the park, truly immersing guests in De Tovertuin. Family Resort & Adventure Park ‘de Tovertuin’ is slated to open March 2026. 

Roller Announces Acquisition of BookNow 

Together, Luke Finn, the CEO of Roller and Luke Sims, theCEO of BookNow,  announced the acquisition of BookNow Software by Roller. Based in the United Kingdom, BookNow is a customer relationship management system-based booking and operations platform. The acquisition will allow Roller to continue to expand their presence in the European region.  

There are long-term plans for BookNow users to move over to the Roller platform, but Finn says the company is aware of the importance of Salesforce integration for many of these users. For the time being, it will be “business as usual,” says Finn. Hoping to make the transition simple for customers, Roller plans on transitioning overtime and will not be rushing an integration.

LDP Releases New Regional Study 

Yael Coifman, senior partner, and Natalia Bakhlina, partner, of Leisure Development Partners (LDP) announced the second edition of the company’s Experience Economist report. Experience Economist is a series of reports focusing on the impact the experience economy has on different global regions and key trends within those regions. 

The second edition focuses on the European attractions market. The edition provides a general overview of the experience economy in Europe and proceeds to compare different countries and regions. LDP found that there is an average of 325 visits to theme parks and water parks per every 1,000 residents. With their summer travel trends and love of repeat park visits, it is unsurprising that Denmark leads the pack with more than 2,000 visits to theme parks per every 1,000 residents. To see more insights on the European region, including reports on domestic tourism locations, view the Experience Economist Second Edition here. 

Outdoor Factory Announces Isla Aventura Theme Park in Venezuela 

Outdoor Factory has revealed plans for Isla Aventura, a 110-acre theme park scheduled to open in December 2026 on Isla Margarita, Venezuela. The US$50 million development will feature 29 attractions and is designed to welcome 500,000 guests annually. Positioned as the island’s first major theme park, Isla Aventura will operate year-round, drawing on the region’s tropical climate.  

The master plan integrates local culture and immersive storytelling with a lineup of family-oriented attractions. Confirmed highlights include roller coasters from Vekoma, a Gerstlauer Sky Fly, and a Ferris wheel by Technical Park. Additional offerings will feature SBF rides; climbing and adventure structures from Walltopia; attractions from Sunkid and Metallbau Emmeln; two Lagotronics dark rides; and a fun house and bumper cars by Gosetto. Eurogames will supply bumper boats and children’s vehicles, rounding out a diverse portfolio designed to appeal to multiple age groups. 

"Isla Aventura represents everything we've learned over our 15 years in themed entertainment. This project will not only create an unforgettable destination for families but also celebrate the rich culture and beauty of Venezuela's Caribbean region." says Suphi Aydiner, managing partner of Outdoor Factory.