IDEAS Orlando

We recently attended Seatrade Cruise Global 2024, and it It was a blast! The content, attendees, and event details were all top notch. We've gathered some of our takeaways on our blog, covering everything from the latest trends to the hottest destinations in the cruise industry. Here are a few takeaways: - The cruise market is booming, especially among millennials and luxury travelers. - Sustainability, safety, and responsible tourism are top priorities for cruise lines and destinations alike. - Collaboration is key! Cruise lines, ports, tourism, and communities are working together for sustainable growth. Check out the full recap here: https://lnkd.in/ggsfCqbv At IDEAS, we're all about helping destinations and organizations rock it in the cruise world. If you're curious about how we can help you shine, shoot us a DM!

Ever wondered what it takes for a cruise destination to stand out from the rest and become THE destination of choice? Look no further! We recently recorded our latest IDEAS On Webinar “Becoming a Distinctive Destination of Choice", where industry experts delved deep into the world of destination entertainment and transformation. Here's a glimpse of what was discussed: 🌟 Positive guest feedback on Cruise Line private island experiences underscores exceptional standards, emphasizing the importance of cleanliness, management, and enjoyment. To compete effectively, "authentic" destinations must immerse guests in unique cultural and historical experiences, setting themselves apart from others. 🛁 Tourists prioritize spending in environments characterized by cleanliness and safety, which not only attract visitors but also encourage longer stays and increased spending. Investing in cleanliness and safety measures contributes to the economic vitality of the destination as a whole. 🎶 Embracing tactile and unplugged experiences adds a distinct charm that resonates deeply with visitors, fostering a special and shareable connection with the destination. ⛴️ The expansion of the Luxury Cruise segment offers opportunities for destinations to achieve high-value, low-impact visitation through intimate and exclusive excursions. This approach can bolster community revenue while minimizing foot traffic and environmental impact, benefiting all stakeholders involved. 🎵 Tourists appreciate engaging with street music, dance, and “MERCHANtainment”, transcending language and economic barriers. 👮 In more heavily visited areas, Panama's "tourist police" wear polo shirts instead of full uniforms, ride bikes, speak English, and serve like highly-approachable “official concierges” to help support the visitor experience. This destination best-practice offers a highly-evolved security presence centered in hospitality and enjoyable exploration. 🎓 Training, particularly brand enculturation, stands as a powerful strategy for consistently activating a positive destination brand. Equipping every community stakeholder with skills to serve as effective destination brand ambassadors fosters positive interactions and enhances the overall visitor experience. Ready to dive deeper into the world of destination transformation? 1. Click the button below to access the audio recording. 2. Then select "Listen On" for your preferred podcast platform. 3. Unlock a treasure trove of insights and strategies. https://lnkd.in/gKJQv3Ac

𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐞𝐬! 🦸 The Hero’s Journey – it is perhaps humanity’s oldest and most fundamental storytelling tradition. From the Epic of Gilgamesh to Star Wars, it is a narrative formula that consistently captures the human imagination by connecting our emotions to the trials, tribulation, and triumph of a character. This storytelling paradigm is widely used across fiction, but what is the role of this highly efficacious narrative device in self-guided, real-world narrative experiences like exhibits? Here are three key ways to take guests on emotional journeys through exhibits.  1️⃣ Tell your subject’s story authentically. Search for genuine emotional touchpoints that honestly speak to guests. Never contrive human parallels.  2️⃣ Understand your subject’s context. Know as much as you can about the world into which you are calling your guests to enter.  3️⃣ Know your characters and their voices. Make sure each “character” your guest encounters on their journey has something distinctive to say and teach them.  Learn more about creating emotional journeys through immersive exhibit design in our newest blog.  LINK: https://shorturl.at/fktD3

🌐 IDEAS Brand and Experience Design is proud to share a major milestone! 🚀 Joining forces with The Summit, alongside Swagger Agency and Marketeering Group, we're poised for groundbreaking initiatives in branding, marketing, and experience design. Exciting times ahead! 🌟 #IDEAS #TheSummit #BrandInnovation #Collaboration https://lnkd.in/gYABdDnr

True immersive exhibit design engages multiple senses! 👀 Exhibits must reach beyond sight and sound to immerse guests in the stories of their subjects. Experiences that engage the more intimate senses of smell, taste, and touch create memorable, emotional moments that increase the likelihood of knowledge retention. Multisensory elements can also effectively punctuate more traditional, passive exhibits with unexpected moments of surprise and delight. Here are some key considerations in activating the breadth of human senses in your exhibit: 👁️ Establish a defined visual language for your exhibit to ensure that all elements of the environment help support storytelling and communication of key information. 👂 Consider the “voice” of your exhibit and what audio elements help guests understand the first-person experience of the subject matter. Hint: An exhibit’s voice doesn’t always mean a human voice. 👅 Remember that taste is one of the most personal and visceral senses. While every exhibit can’t include F&B to support its story, think about ways you can use other senses like sight and smell to vicariously engage your audiences’ taste buds. 👃 Smell can be the secret weapon of subtle immersion. Atmospheric scents that suggest an important story point or environment can unconsciously deepen a guest’s psychological experience of an exhibit.  🤝 While museums, zoos, and other exhibit-based attractions discourage touching the subject matter, themed textures and surfaces that support the narrative environment create true immersion. Learn more about how industry leaders are contemplating immersive exhibit design in our latest blog! (Image by Kristoffer Trolle)

Day 2 of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums conference is truly incredible! It's inspiring to be part of this dedicated community of professionals, each making a difference in our world by protecting wildlife and wild places. The exhibitors are all set and eager to serve, especially after the inspiring annual awards luncheon recognizing the best in conservation programs, practices, and promotions. 🌍🐾 #AZAConference #ConservationHeroes

Day 1 is almost a wrap! Thrilled to be attending the AZA conference, where we had the honor of listening to Tom Schmidt, CEO of the Columbus Zoo, and Dan Ashe, CEO of AZA. Their perspectives on conservation, education, and the future of zoos and aquariums were incredibly insightful. 🌿 Eagerly anticipating the rest of the conference and the chance to connect with fellow experience design enthusiasts. Together, we can make a real difference in attractions! 🌍❤️ #AZAConference #WildlifeEducation #experiencedesign #attractions

No surprise here: active learning engages guests more than passive observation any day. Destination experiences like aquariums and attractions provide a fundamental level of immersion, coaxing visitors out of their comfort zones and into a whole new realm. But does observing an animal or artifact through glass surpass the impact of a picture in a book or an online video? The real game-changer for museums, zoos, and aquariums lies in their skill to forge emotional ties, transporting visitors into the heart of a subject and creating a context that's vividly alive. 🌍🔍 That concept is on full display at MORPH’D, a new immersive gallery at The Florida Aquarium. With creative direction and story design by IDEAS, guests can explore the world of survival and adaptation while engaging with 20 diverse species in action on a free-flowing tour. #exhibit #aquarium #experiencedesign #guestengagement https://lnkd.in/gN2PSpSU

Thrilled to share that Michael Yager has been appointed as the new Executive VP and Director of Design at IDEAS, a creative experience company known for its innovative work in the entertainment industry. With a proven track record of turning imagination into reality, Mike brings a wealth of expertise and a fresh perspective to this role. As a visionary leader, Mike's creative insights and strategic prowess are set to elevate IDEAS' projects to new heights. His passion for immersive experiences aligns perfectly with IDEAS' commitment to pushing boundaries and delivering unforgettable moments for audiences worldwide. Join us in congratulating Mike on this exciting new chapter! Together, let's provide seamless and immersive branded experiences for all guests that clearly communicate a carefully crafted story. https://lnkd.in/gZU6uqWT #Innovation #Leadership #ImmersiveExperiences #branddesign #storytelling

Happy opening day to our friends and clients at The Florida Aquarium as they unveil MORPH’D - An Adaptation Story. The IDEAS team is proud to have led the story development and design of over two dozen interactive exhibits in this new gallery that features 20 animals who have changed in unique ways to meet the challenges of nature. Be sure to swim over to Tampa to celebrate the weird, wondrous, and universal process of adaptation today! https://lnkd.in/eV9rSgdA #MORPHD #TheFloridaAquarium #IDEAS #exhibitiondesign #aquarium #tampa #themedentertainment #experiencedesign