BoldMove launches new Urban Experience Centre with Houba City

BoldMove Nation has created a Location-Based solution poised to addresses real market needs. With its new Urban Experience Centre (UEC) BoldMove wants to attract visitors, increasing footfall and retention with fun experiences that cannot be matched from home. A combination of VR, AR and mixed-reality attractions will enable families and friends to spend a few exciting hours in a fun, action-based and immersive themed environment. BoldMove is going for an all-integrated approach with an engaging storyline and characters. “This is not just reflected in the decor and theming but in each individual attraction and challenging gameplays, drawing visitors into the action,” said a spokesperson.

Scalable and flexible POP-UP format
Houba City is the first Urban Experience Centre proudly launched by BoldMove in close cooperation with partner Mediatoon Licensing. The presented Houba City concept plan features 1200 to 1500 square meters and comprises 12 media-based attractions, but is fully scalable to fit smaller or larger spaces. Furthermore, the mix of attractions can be adjusted to each location and audience. A new and innovative approach is the distributed pop-up format, allowing shopping malls or other venues to spread attractions over different available or empty spaces. The attractions can be experienced individually but also as part of an exciting adventure trail across the premises. After a certain period, attractions can be replaced or easily moved to other locations, similar to a traveling interactive Expo. The BoldMove expert team offers a turnkey service, from master planning, technical and experience design up to implementation, always adhering to the highest quality and safety standards.

Benoit Cornet, CEO of BoldMove Nation, comments: “With Houba City we offer the ideal mix of fun, action and personal growth. We re-activate people with new but proven technologies, challenging and stimulating them in the most engaging way. Marsupilami is a strong and universal IP with interesting multi-faceted characters and an extensive visual library. Not only are they cute and instantly lovable but with their strong personality they are perfectly hosting our guests in Houba City.”

Benoit continues: “Houba City is designed to challenge visitors in improving personal and creative skills. Upon entering the Palombian Forest via a virtual portal, guests are welcomed by our Marsupilami friends. Together they fish from a raft on a rapid VR-river inbetween piranhas, catch exotic food supplies in a dark ride and VR-escape from dangerous wild animals. Next, the Marsupilami clan discovers the city with the visitor and learns all kind of human creative skills like interactive climbing, fun dancing , singing in karaoke style, visiting the 4D theatre and bringing drawings alive. The most innovative, yet fully proven, VR, AR and Mixed-Reality technologies are applied. However, wiring and technical details are all hidden from the eye of the guests, who can fully enjoy the gameplays and themed city environment.”

Challenge yourself to discover your urban style, bolstering personal skills! 
The focus of the Urban Experience Centre is on challenging oneself and developing personal and creative skills through activation and education in the most fun way. Guests are stimulated to discover their own urban style and creative voice. Houba Academy is an important element where participants can learn how to design comic strips or animated short movies, discover wildlife, take baking classes and much more. This can be organised in weekly sessions so guests are more frequently passing by the venue. Meanwhile, other family members can enjoy the Centre’s exciting attractions. BoldMove works with experts in Integrated Storytelling and Experience Design to develop Houba Academy programmes with local organisation.

Jerome Leclercq, CEO of Mediatoon Licensing, concludes: “We have been working with the BoldMove team for some time and we are very pleased they created the ideal transmedia solution to unite and mobilise people. Houba City perfectly fits the evolution of our Marsupilami IP, with new games and animation series being internationally released, as well as an extensive merchandising range. Our Marsupilami friends look forward to challenge and entertain many guests at Houba Cities around the world.”