It’s no longer enough to focus on the ‘Big Five’ senses if you want to fully connect with visitors. Why not engage the senses of danger, balance or justice to create experiences that truly resonate?
Tomas Saraceno’s sensory installation at The Shed, NYC, page 32 / Nicholas Knight
As we emerge from the pandemic, pent up demand is seeing people hungry for the adventures they’ve been missing out on.
Memorable experiences are all about triggering sensations, and that’s something the attractions industry has always excelled at, but could we be doing even more?
Museums and attractions have long described themselves as multi-sensory as a result of including exhibits and interactives that appeal to visitors’ core senses of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste.
However, today, we have far more scientific insight into how we can engage a fuller range of senses and there’s an opportunity to use this knowledge to engage visitors in more profound, unusual and creative ways.
In a fascinating interview on page 32, Roto founder, Joseph Wisne, argues it’s time for us to move beyond the sensory to develop ‘supersensory’ experiences that stimulate the full range of senses in all their depth and diversity.
We know humans have far more than the five ‘basic’ senses we were taught about at school. We can now add a sense of danger or pain, and more complex ‘senses’, such as a sense of humour, justice or empathy to the list. All these can be used to tell powerful stories.
We can also use the science of ‘peak experience’ to play with the sense of time and make an experience feel longer than it really is, or get creative and use the senses of proprioception or balance to ‘wake up’ visitors.
This knowledge is being used by pioneers to create richer and more memorable experiences.
One of the most memorable experiences I’ve had was Punchdrunk’s Masque of the Red Death, in which the audience dressed up, the entire Victorian theatre was transformed and the live music, food and drinks were all part of the experience. We could touch the props, see and smell smoke – we were taken on a journey where we felt curious, excited and at times downright uneasy. The fact I shared the experience with friends only deepened its impact.
The success of attractions such as Superblue Miami, the Van Gogh Immersive Experiences and Meow Wolf and teamLab’s art-based attractions show people’s desire to feel fully engaged and stimulated. Static attractions and museums can learn from this to get supersensory and deepen visitors’ connection with what they’re experiencing.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2022 issue 1
Editor's letter: Supersensory
With our growing insight into how to engage visitors’ more complex senses, it’s time for a new approach, says Magali Robathan
Immersive experiences: Joseph Wisne
Truly ambitious attractions providers need to push the boundaries of immersive design by engaging visitors’ senses of pain, danger, balance, justice and more, argues Roto’s CEO
Interview: Esther Dugdale
As the Burrell Collection relaunches and Eden Qingdao takes shape, Event’s creative director shares her tips for creating experiences that spark joy and curiosity
The arts: Room to grow
Could the space age, ultra flexible design of the new Taipei Performing Arts Center provide a model for future attractions spaces?
Museums: Ones to watch
From an AI museum built by robots to the long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum, we take a look at some exciting 2022 openings
Research: All of history
As demand for growing honesty in relation to links to slavery and colonialism grows, should attractions be open about their history? Jon Young investigates
Opinion: Vince Kadlubek
Art engages and delights visitors. Kadlubek argues that attractions should embrace and support artists and look for shared initiatives
Waterparks: Waves of change
As The Wave inland surf lake announces plans to open six more sites, we go along for a surf and a sit down with CEO Craig Stoddart
Experience economy: Joe Pine
Experience platforms represent one of the biggest growth opportunities in today’s experience economy, argues Joe Pine. Here’s how to get them right
Interview: Cale Heit
With new themed coasters open at Motiongate Dubai and some intruiging projects underway, Forrec is making the most of the pent up demand for shared experiences. CEO Cale Heit tells us more
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
It’s no longer enough to focus on the ‘Big Five’ senses if you want to fully connect with visitors. Why not engage the senses of danger, balance or justice to create experiences that truly resonate?
Tomas Saraceno’s sensory installation at The Shed, NYC, page 32 / Nicholas Knight
As we emerge from the pandemic, pent up demand is seeing people hungry for the adventures they’ve been missing out on.
Memorable experiences are all about triggering sensations, and that’s something the attractions industry has always excelled at, but could we be doing even more?
Museums and attractions have long described themselves as multi-sensory as a result of including exhibits and interactives that appeal to visitors’ core senses of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste.
However, today, we have far more scientific insight into how we can engage a fuller range of senses and there’s an opportunity to use this knowledge to engage visitors in more profound, unusual and creative ways.
In a fascinating interview on page 32, Roto founder, Joseph Wisne, argues it’s time for us to move beyond the sensory to develop ‘supersensory’ experiences that stimulate the full range of senses in all their depth and diversity.
We know humans have far more than the five ‘basic’ senses we were taught about at school. We can now add a sense of danger or pain, and more complex ‘senses’, such as a sense of humour, justice or empathy to the list. All these can be used to tell powerful stories.
We can also use the science of ‘peak experience’ to play with the sense of time and make an experience feel longer than it really is, or get creative and use the senses of proprioception or balance to ‘wake up’ visitors.
This knowledge is being used by pioneers to create richer and more memorable experiences.
One of the most memorable experiences I’ve had was Punchdrunk’s Masque of the Red Death, in which the audience dressed up, the entire Victorian theatre was transformed and the live music, food and drinks were all part of the experience. We could touch the props, see and smell smoke – we were taken on a journey where we felt curious, excited and at times downright uneasy. The fact I shared the experience with friends only deepened its impact.
The success of attractions such as Superblue Miami, the Van Gogh Immersive Experiences and Meow Wolf and teamLab’s art-based attractions show people’s desire to feel fully engaged and stimulated. Static attractions and museums can learn from this to get supersensory and deepen visitors’ connection with what they’re experiencing.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2022 issue 1
Editor's letter: Supersensory
With our growing insight into how to engage visitors’ more complex senses, it’s time for a new approach, says Magali Robathan
Immersive experiences: Joseph Wisne
Truly ambitious attractions providers need to push the boundaries of immersive design by engaging visitors’ senses of pain, danger, balance, justice and more, argues Roto’s CEO
Interview: Esther Dugdale
As the Burrell Collection relaunches and Eden Qingdao takes shape, Event’s creative director shares her tips for creating experiences that spark joy and curiosity
The arts: Room to grow
Could the space age, ultra flexible design of the new Taipei Performing Arts Center provide a model for future attractions spaces?
Museums: Ones to watch
From an AI museum built by robots to the long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum, we take a look at some exciting 2022 openings
Research: All of history
As demand for growing honesty in relation to links to slavery and colonialism grows, should attractions be open about their history? Jon Young investigates
Opinion: Vince Kadlubek
Art engages and delights visitors. Kadlubek argues that attractions should embrace and support artists and look for shared initiatives
Waterparks: Waves of change
As The Wave inland surf lake announces plans to open six more sites, we go along for a surf and a sit down with CEO Craig Stoddart
Experience economy: Joe Pine
Experience platforms represent one of the biggest growth opportunities in today’s experience economy, argues Joe Pine. Here’s how to get them right
Interview: Cale Heit
With new themed coasters open at Motiongate Dubai and some intruiging projects underway, Forrec is making the most of the pent up demand for shared experiences. CEO Cale Heit tells us more
The Toverland theme park in the Netherlands has announced a €98m expansion programme
that will add a resort, new attractions and staff facilities as it pursues plans to become a multi-
day destination.
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii
is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’
planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–
Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism inv
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-
Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional
revenue opportunities.
The UK government has announced a temporary reduction in VAT on visitor attractions and
children’s meals as part of a summer cost-of-living support package designed to stimulate the
visitor economy and encourage family days out.
As designer Yinka Ilori prepares for his first solo gallery show in London, he speaks exclusively
to CLADmag about his mission to spread joy, the power of play, and his bold approach to using
colour (including the colours you won’t see in his work).
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