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Thanks to technological developments, there is an increasing number of exciting possibilities in the attractions industry year after year. For example virtual reality is worth to watch out for in 2018. I asked Gabriella Sóvágó, the Director of Marketing and Communications about the topic.

You have the opportunity to meet the novelty of amusement and attractions industry as director of marketing and communications at Eleven. Which trends are the most important to watch out for according to your opinion?

In 2017 many VR developments were released and published on the market. Visitors could meet a lot of new products that used VR experiences and this trend will also continue in 2018. With regard to world market, it has begun to establish itself as a part of the attractions industry. There are many roller coasters, games and other attractions with VR experience in several amusement parks, and this option is available even on the water slides. Due to continuous developments, VR headsets will be much smaller and wireless. It will ensure greater opportunities for developers and it’s a more convenient solution for users. In addition there are multiplayer solutions on more and more sites, that provide more fun and take this experience to the next level.

In 2018 the growth of AR (augmented reality) is likely to continue. For now, it is behind VR technology, but let’s just think about the fact that AR can provide a more personal experience than VR. The users not only see the world they are in, but they become the actors themselves, then they can share their experiences with others on social media.

The industry has started to experiment with using bots and artificial intelligence, but so far it seems that the number of accommodations using this option will increase. For now the goal is not to replace the entire staff and it is quite unlikely that this will ever be the case. Operators and service providers can access more information about their Visitors’ consumption habits with the help of these developments. It is also interesting that researches show that visitors would prefer to be verified using AI technology than by person.

How does Eleven take care of its domestic and regional market leader position in this area?

With continuous development.Luckily, we are not only attending these trade shows, but we are also exhibitors. And as an exhibitor, we always try to show something new to the market. In September 2017 we promoted our new water park concept using a Virtual Reality demonstration, but VR was not the best feature of the SplashWare Galaxy. This innovation makes water slide rides possible in any season and in any kind of weather conditions. You don’t even need to put on your swim suit to ride in Galaxy. Due to the many versions of Galaxy, such as different sound- and light effect, VR or an interactive game versions, every ride is different and they provide the visitor with an adventure that goes beyond the usual water slide experience.

This year, we will continue the development of our products and we will launch new ones in order to provide more innovative products and services. Moreover we will start to work with a product, that is not only for water parks, so we are looking forward to a very exciting year.

Why is it worth choosing these products?

These products require smaller investment compared to a new water slide, but they are also able to give an entirely new experience to the visitors. It will never be boring, since the integration of the new features to the basic product is very simple.

There is another reason why Hungary should catch up on international trends. With new features the accommodations can offer new adventures and adrenaline shots, as well as the medical and healthcare tourism. There are some outstanding parks and their turnover confirms that it is totally worth investing in products that target another audience: adventurers and the youth.

What is the advantage of Eleven compared to similar companies?

Since 2006, we have been in a strategic partnership with Polin Waterparks, one of the largest water slide manufacturers in the world and there are more than 40 years of experience behind them. In addition, Polin has extended its service and product range, hence our profile has also changed, and now we can help our new and old partners not only with water slides and water play equipment, but we have some offers for zoos, aquariums and adventure- or amusement parks.

On the other hand Eleven is constantly developing new products and services. We are watching the most recent trends in Hungary and globally and care about all the needs and dreams of our customers. But the biggest advantage in choosing us is that we know the Visitors. Whether we design an extreme waterslide or upgrade a kid’s pool to an interactive, custom designed Spraypark or launch a completely new product on the market, we can ensure the maximum level of experiences and fun, thanks to our experts and the playfulness of our childlike soul. We also help the marketing activity of our customers, so that visitors can hear about the new attractions as soon as possible in both domestic and international markets.