Several Orlando-based businesses are among the many firms exhibiting at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Expo, which opened Nov. 13 at the Orange County Convention Center and where one can’t walk 10 feet without seeing a booth that hawks simulation technology.
They’re here at the event, which runs through Nov. 17, because this is the premier time and place — in the world — for buyers to find what they need to get their businesses started or keep them relevant.
Immersive Experiences on display at IAAPA
“A large portion of people here have family entertainment centers and are looking for things they can put into their entertainment center,” said Phil Bias, CEO of Steamroller Technologies of Mount Dora.
“They might have a random empty factory out in the middle of Iowa, and they want to put a great entertainment center in there, so they're coming around trying to find all the pieces they need. Park owners from small to large are here to buy something interesting or different that stands out.”
Immersive experiences are an ever more important part of the themed entertainment industry, according to Chief Technology Officer Jordan Griffin of Talon Simulations in Altamonte Springs.
“The entertainment centers that we work with have decided that they want to update everything,” he said. “You can't get away with updating to just a flat-screen experience anymore — if you're trying to go for something next-level, you really need to have virtual reality and you need to have extra customization on top of that.”
Why simulation business matters for Orlando
Orlando is considered the global center of simulation technology. While tourism is the biggest industry in the region, simulation is constantly growing and trillions of dollars are tied to the emerging tech.
Simulation's popularity also has a direct bearing on the Orlando economy. Visit Orlando data shows there are 26,300 employees in the simulation sector here — accounting for $744 million in annual payroll — and 230 companies that develop simulations, as well as other tech products and services.
Griffin said that, before 2015, he hadn’t seen much innovation in arcade games. Arcades are a significant chunk of the themed entertainment industry and are now being impacted by virtual and augmented reality.
“AR and VR have opened the door to a new style of entertainment," he said. "The major players like Dave & Buster's and Andretti [Indoor Karting & Games] have been making these updates. They have a lot of locations, so if we connect with them at this event it can lead to a lot of work."
In fact, Griffin said his team previously met decision-makers from Dave & Busters at IAAPA in 2016.
“We saw them again in 2017, and then in 2018 we did a project for them,” he said.
The project he's referring to is the Jurassic World VR Experience arcade game, which debuted at more than 100 Dave & Busters entertainment centers in June 2018.
Talon Simulations sells its out-of-the-box racing simulator, which can be set up as-is, though Griffin said the bigger companies want custom simulators made for them.
Meanwhile, Steamroller Technologies teamed up with playground equipment manufacturer Soft Play, of Huntersville, North Carolina, to exhibit at IAAPA Expo. Together the companies are showcasing their GameParx experience, which incorporates a series of rooms with interactive screens for interior walls.
“We create real-time content for the theme park industry,” said Bias.
Such content is a key element of the VR experience at an entertainment center — and so is the hardware, he explained, keeping firms like his busy.
“Everybody at home can use a VR headset — but they also want to go to a place and experience a simulator, so they can feel like they’re really driving the race car or like they’re really inside of a video game fighting monsters.”
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