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The Stinger Report #1250 - European Entertainment Bizarre - Part 2
In this second part, the IAAPA Expo Europe 2025 highlighted key trends shaping the entertainment industry, notably the rapid growth of immersive XR technologies like projection mapping and body tracking, with active entertainment platforms expanding across FECs, hotels, and venues. The show underscored the gamification of racing, socializing, and active play, alongside innovations in social darts, mini-golf, and AR-based experiences. Notably, the sector is witnessing significant M&A activity, exemplified by LEGO’s $269 million acquisition of 29 Discovery Centers, signaling strategic shifts in location-based entertainment. These developments point to a dynamic, tech-driven landscape with widespread adoption across diverse venues, foreshadowing robust growth in 2026.
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This is the Stinger Report, issue number twelve fifty, European Entertainment Bazaar, Part 2 by Kevin Williams, continuing the coverage of the IAAPA Expo, Europe EMEA, Europe Middle East, Africa, held at Fira Barcelona Gran Via Convention Center in the city of Barcelona. And we move to cover the other aspects of the XR landscape represented on the show floor, and the active, immersive, and interactive entertainment landscape for the European trade in attendance. XR Mixed Reality. One interesting aspect witnessed during IAAPAEMEA25 was while we saw other examples of VR systems on display. We did not see any augmented reality AR headset platforms. Several developers decided to stay away from this year's show, favoring a showing in November. That did not mean that there was a slowing in the application in the sector. In Japan, it was announced that MeliApp has opened their latest Tokyo Hado Arena facility, the AR headset Next Generation Sport Experience, having players launching virtual fireballs at each other in a fast-paced player versus player game. With over 39 countries round the world with operational Hado arenas and a very popular World Championship live streamed each year, this application of esport AR has proven its bankability. Returning to what was present at this year's IAAP, AEMEA25, and MR was represented via the application of projection mapping, the developer Batfast came to the show with an example of the migration by sports training and coaching. Sports simulation platforms pivot into the entertainment sector. The immersive enclosure with a sports aimment element being deployed across amusement and social entertainment, see our following coverage on this aspect. As covered in the previous entertainment social arena coverage of the sports aimment scene, the Batfast platform has found homes in the Sixes social cricket and Moonshot social competitive socializing venues. The platform has also seen 130 units of their standalone platform deployed across the entertainment scene from Gravity Max to 10pins, just to name two operators. Again at the Spanish event and Active Entertainment regarding the employment of projection-based MR technology, such as Exhibitor Vallo Motion with a crowded booth at the show, presenting their new Valo Arena four-player system launched a few months back, along with Vallo Jump and Vallo Climb platforms in their latest variants. Show Exhibitor X Wall showed their Battlesquire Projection Interactive Gaming Wall with Ball and Bat Sports Wall. While Neo Experience came to Barcelona to promote on their booth their immersive and interactive experience. Spanning two booths, the company, along with their previous Neo Play platform, showed their Neo Move. A body tracking two-player game system, the latest body active platform, entering a crowded market for this style of platform. Projection-based ball and object tracking, combining active entertainment, was also represented at IAAPAEMEA25 from Multiball, with their ball-tracked interactive wool system offering an interactive sport wool sports aimment platform, while well-known CSE Entertainment promoted the Zergaming fitness aspect of the business, showing their latest iWool body tracked two-player system, one of the originators of the Body Active platforms, alongside their popular cyclo-beat pedaling game experience for four players. Rugged Interactive came to the show with their high-tech fitness slash zergaming interactive playgrounds and soft play, including the use of interactive sensors. At the show, the company presented their scores football arena, using interactive goal targets and a scoring feature, what the company liked to call football reimagined. The use of interactive targets throughout their product range, adding a level of gamification needed even in active play. A trend at the show for active entertainment was seen from exhibitors such as OneCraze Multimedia Technologies, promoted their projection mapping, interactive game floor, and walls platform. While the leading illuminated interactive floor platform, Pixel Games, had their latest enclosure version of their interactive game floor, the originator of the latest Craze in LED floor systems, with some 300 locations, across 40 countries, operating their popular game platform. Other developers of interactive floor systems included Lasermax, representing the new M2 Max Interactive LED Pixel Floor System, gamification and interactive active entertainment, a major trend shaping the sector. Though not at the show, Spree Interactive have been in the news with the sale of their VR business and assets to Hero Zone VR. The company continues to innovate, pivoting into the active entertainment scene with their new Spree Play, player tracked game platform. The diversity where active game systems are now being deployed speaks to the changing landscape in the adoption of entertainment in the commercial sector. Operators ranging from adventure parks, trampoline centers, FEC, hotels, resorts, airports, shopping malls, and cruise lines are all clientele for these platforms. Not to mention the deployment into the educational sphere and fitness scene. The entertainment sector needing to be mindful of this growing landscape. Gamification of racing. The Spanish trade event represented the latest trend in gamification regarding adding a new level of interactive entertainment to established activities. Carting with gamification was a trend captured on the IAAPAEMEA 25 show floor Exhibitor Race Parks, promoting their mini karting platform for racers of all ages and configurable for venue size. The versatility of the XLR 8 mini e-carting vehicle has seen it turning towards application alongside a gaming element, such as with MR Exhibitor Ruimove Technology, Yan Cheng, revealed the development of their karting platforms for their Arrow E Racing division, promoting their Cart Wars projection-mapped carting game experience using their smart battlecart platform. While also exhibiting at the show, looking to attract new franchise opportunities, was Battlecart promoting their popular projection-mapped carting experience. Moving from the physical carting exhilaration to the simulation experience and IAAPEEE MEA, 2-5 included exhibitors such as IMSIM simulators showing their latest race rig, alongside Wave Italy and their highly realistic racing experience platforms. Referox Racing Simulators presented at the show their Referox Race Sim installation, with motion and curved LED screen, supported by a dedicated race simulation software support. All these systems are riding on the recent popularity of race sims in the conventional simulator and race lounge market. Along with their growth into the social entertainment landscape, illustrated with the new$130 million funding round announced into the F1 Arcade chain. Speaking of the Spanish market, F1 Arcade announced master franchise agreement with Top Racing Iberia, with its plans for a debut venue set to open in Madrid for 2027. Competitive Socializing. The growing appearance of competitive socializing platforms at the IAAPAEMEA 25 event was telling of the pivot in new customers being attracted to this sphere of the market, and how slow the traditional trade is to embrace this opportunity. Also on the SAI booth was the 501 Fun Competitive Socializing Platform we covered in prototype form at EAG25. Now in its production colours, interactive mini golf was being avidly played by attendees, alongside their interactive darts and alternative reality darts social entertainment mainstays. Social entertainment darts platforms were also seen from Miguel Esquera Ruiz with their ISTEL connection darts. Continued gamification of the darts experience, this time from an amusement and hospitality perspective. Other darts system offering a social entertainment focus was seen at the Spanish show from Dartsy. As well as the popular Low and Dart platform supporting its tournament system. From social darts to other applications, such as from Exhibitor Shuffly, with their social entertainment shuffleboard. A popular platform for gamification, Conduct exhibited their own gamified shuffleboard platform along with news of new developments from the operation. Exhibitor GameSide, promoting their action games and mission room business, offering a franchise package for immersive action gaming. The operation recently launching their sidebar concept, offering a social lounge bar concept with darts, shuffleboard, and archery. From the socialization of the darts and shuffleboard sector to that of mini golf. At IAEPA MA 2025, exhibitors included Holovis promoting their 360 golf was displayed with two course examples of their gamified golf platform, incorporating scoring and player tracking. Alongside the Greenspan Putify Mini Golf Platform, the need for gamification in the social mix for these kinds of experiences underpinned by these platforms, while Exhibitor Simway presenting their social gaming focus with a selection of their shooting experiences under their shootout platform. The company also promoted their new Swingit platform, Sim Golf, both using a touchscreen kiosk launching system for the projection enclosure. The social entertainment trend also promoting the new generation of bowling experiences. At the show Bowling Vision, representing their Brunswick relationship with the new string bowling platform supported by Touchscreen Kiosk and ordering service. Other bowling representation included BES, showing the Kubica AMF range of bowling platforms, with an example of the LED enhanced duckpin bowling unit on display. Also supporting this sector at the show was Funk Bowling, with their duckpin and ninepin bowling lanes in turnkey solutions. Another interesting competitive socializing platform trailed during the show. Amusement Powerhouse Touch Magics had a booth at the show with their latest redemption releases, but the company also revealed their plans to roll out Magic's Pool, a brand new augmented reality pool system using projection mapping and tracked balls. We hope to have more information about this platform during IAAPA Orlando. The company's experience at Projection mapped social entertainment seen with their partnership to develop the Spark immersive bowling environment with Brunswick. Amusement, the previously reported from the AAA 25, April, and GTI 25, September trade events in China, saw our coverage of the new video amusement and trends from the Asian market. How many of these elements would make landfall in the West was a question we all pondered, especially under the confused conditions of the American market. IARPA MIA 2025 gave an idea of some of the products that will be represented. Regarding the leading amusement distributor presence at the European IAAPAEMEA event, and we have already mentioned SEGA, Amusement International SAI. Other exhibitors included Bandai Namco, Amusement Europe had a booth crammed with previously released titles, including representing Raw Thrills, giving European audiences their first chance on Top Gun Maverick. The company also represented FOG Technologies promoting their hyper-grid interactive floor enclosure system. Other well-known amusement sales agent and distribution names exhibiting this year included Electrocoin Sales. The company, along with their redemption and prize releases, also seemed to have entered the active entertainment scene showing the football kicking redemption system Hot Soccer. An example of the Sports Aignment application in Amusement. Having their own booth at the show Stern Pinball had the new Jaws movie Tie-In Pintable marking the blockbuster's anniversary, along with other popular tables cementing the importance of pinball amusement in the European market. Another well-known operation, United Distributing Company, UDC, presented Dance Show, the touchscreen rhythm game, in a twin-player configuration, developed by ARCCER Amusement and part of the Dance Cube series, the touch screen being the orthogonal layout compared to the round variant seen with the Sega JP concept, though the Arker system also includes six physical buttons. That Sega game, MyMaiDX, will in fact be coming over to the Western market as SAI has started shipping the music game release. The UDC import was sitting next to the other popular amusement music game, Step Mania X from Step Revolution. These, the latest new amusement music games, to hit the Western market, underpinning our 2024 speculation on the resurgence of this genre in the Western market, as covered in our Arcade Heroes special feature. UDC also had the eBoxer combo video test of Strength Machine that got some love on social media during the show. UDC also brought over Shooting Carnival, a twin-player shooting redemption title from ACE Amusement. One of many new releases from the company, LMAC presented Racing Extreme, the Chinese dual-screen racer with motion from Ace, who had their own booth on the show floor. Another Chinese powerhouse on the show floor was Warlap Technology, bringing many of the titles we highlighted from the GTI 25 event, including the four-player shooter Monster Eye 3 Unite, alongside their new Speedrider 4DX, the eye-catching Ride-on Motorbike Racer with Motion, Unis Technology had an impressive booth at the European show sporting the latest new wave claw machines, including the impressive Claw Express Tower, along with their emoji range and new videos such as Monster Kart DX, Monster Jet Riders, and Dino Storm, while other Asian representation included Firestone Amusement Technology with their Master Hunter, the four-shotgun Wilderness Blaster. For the first time in many moons, the game offering competition to the Big Buck Hunter platform. In conclusion, the importance of this culmination of the 2025 European season was incredibly telling on what to expect for the Orlando event, but also for the coming 2026 season. Ayapa Emea 2025 had expected a 17,000 attendance during the conference and expo, finally reporting a registration of 18,168, and a claimed 700 companies exhibiting. This would result in an actual attendance reported at 15,877. Spanish media suggesting that the amusement and attraction industry generated some$9.3 billion,$10.9 billion economic value for the nation, marking it fifth in attraction industry revenue against France, Germany, UK, and Italy. The importance of IAAPA Europe was thrown into sharp relief with the news from a few exhibitors. Companies that had previously purchased a booth at both IAAPA Europe and Orlando were faced with shipping difficulties regarding being able to have their new products at the American event. This means they depended on the European event to demonstrate new offerings that will be unable to be shipped to the U.S. show. The current economic conditions impacting the ability to be able to have U.S. representation at Orlando this year. IAAP AEMEA, also previously known in the trade as Euro Attractions Show, EAS. Following Brexit, the Euro element has been retired, especially as the IAAPA, Expo Europe will be returning to the UK in 2026. The momentous 20th anniversary for the IAAPA Expo Europe, established in 2006, will be taking place on the 22nd to the 24th of September of that year. No word on which of London's key convention centres has been selected, either Excel or the recently redeveloped Olympia venue. This will be an important event in more than one way, taking place in the challenging conditions expected for the 2026 industry. New MA developments, the changing LBE and FEC landscape that was revealed during the IAAPAEMEA 2.5 show was the news that Toy Entertainment Transmedia, the LEGO Group, had acquired the Lego Land Discovery Center chain of some 29 facilities from Merlin Entertainments for a reported$269 million. The indoor entertainment venues are active in Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia. This marks a major repositioning of Lego's location-based entertainment business, better controlling the brand. While Merlin will retain access to the Lego brand to continue operating the 11 LEGO Land parks, there is no word if this move by Lego will see them changing this situation in the near term. To break this down regarding its industry ramifications, we had already seen Merlin Entertainments undergoing serious restructuring and management realignment. Reporting on the appointment of a CEO after holding an interim position following the surprise departure of her predecessor, undertaking the role of steering the 140 Merlin attractions across 20 countries. Merlin was undertaking major restructuring following reporting a significant drop in sales and profitability. The question regarding the Lego group's retention of their LEGO Land Discovery Center business started whispers that the operation was also looking at retention of their Legoland resort business. Though at this time no official statement had been made, other than Merlin had retained usage of the Lego brand for the foreseeable future. Whatever the situation, many observers were surprised at the value of the acquisition by Lego, retaining 29 facilities for under$270 million, with questions raised if the low price reflected the clearing of outstanding fees owed or part of a wider negotiation. Whatever the reasoning, this move marks the creation of a major LEGO FEC operation. This comes as a timely development as we hope to know more about this and other transmedia developments during the London Brand Licensing Europe 2025 Expo exclusive coverage following soon.
