Immersive Everywhere announces expansion and new hires

The directors of Immersive Everywhere have announced expansion with three new hires: Rich Major joins in July as Group Sales & Marketing Director, Neil Connolly has taken up the post of Creative Director, and Tom Roe has come on board as Head of Global Licensing.

Immersive Everywhere works with world-famous titles to create live theatrical experiences, and also operates the UK’s first dedicated immersive theatre venue, IMMERSIVE|LDN in Mayfair, London, where the UK’s longest running immersive show, The Great Gatsby, is currently playing.

The partnership between Olivier Award-winning theatre producers Louis Hartshorn and Brian Hook (Hartshorn – Hook Enterprises) and Showtime Theatre Productions’ Mark Hurry, Elliot Hargreaves and Mark Hargreaves, opened its inaugural production, Doctor Who: Time Fracture, in Spring 2021, and will be opening Peaky Blinders: The Rise in July 2022. Future projects include the return of Olivier Award-nominated The Choir of Man, the US launch of The Great Gatsby and immersive events featuring major global IP, details of which will be announced later this year.

Rich Major is a technically and commercially minded live entertainment specialist with over 20 years’ experience gained within producers’ offices, venues, marketing agencies and ticket companies. After launching ticketing technology company Ingresso, most recently he has led the build of the theatre and visitor attractions business at See Tickets, while also focusing on growing and developing an industry leading groups, education, travel trade and affiliate programme.

Neil Connolly is a creative leader of design and production teams focused on development, production and installation of live theatre, entertainment, multi-media and attractions for the themed entertainment industry worldwide. In a distinguished career spanning 18 years, Neil has brought passion to every facet of themed entertainment in the creative direction, development and production of attractions such as The Crystal Maze LIVE Experience, Tomb Raider The Live Experience & Chaos Karts, an AR GoKart real-life battle.

Neil is currently working with Immersive Everywhere on creative development of show and attraction content for projects across the U.K, Europe, North America and Asia.

Tom Roe is a brand licensing professional with over 20 years of experience in the sector. He has worked for leading media and licensing companies including ITV, IMG, CPLG and most recently DHX Media/Wildbrain, where he headed up the commercial licensing business on a global scale for five years.

Tom has a wealth of experience across all major brand areas, in particular Entertainment and Sports IP, and has operated as a brand owner, brand licensing agent, and now licensee. As well as bringing in new leading IP, Tom is also overseeing the licensing of Immersive Everywhere’s shows into new territories.

Rich Major says: “I’ve worked with the emerging immersive and location-based experience economy in my role at See Tickets and have been hugely inspired by the creativity, support, imagination and commercial drive on display in this fast-growing sector.

“Immersive Everywhere are leaders in the field, constantly innovating technically while delivering high-quality, engaging events with real heart and humour. They deliver an amazing experience for audiences regardless of how engaged they are in the immersive style. This isn’t purist work, it’s unashamedly and proudly populist. In my role at Immersive Everywhere, I’ll be devising and directing a global marketing and CRM programme and leading on sales and ticketing strategy, audience development and data insight across an international live portfolio of world class IP – I can’t wait to get started!”

“Our expansion is bringing some of the brightest minds in our industry together,” says Brian Hook, Chief Creative Officer of Immersive Everywhere. “Rich Major joins us from a prolific career at See Tickets, bringing expert commercial strategy, direction and heading up their formidable ticketing operation. Neil brings his unique brand of exceptional creative talent from Little Lion Entertainment (Crystal Maze, Tomb Raider, Khaos Karts), and Tom joins us from an exemplary career in licencing – this team will drive our ambition to be at the top table with some of the most exciting brands in the world and placing our current shows in new and exciting homes across the UK, and delivering our work to local partners in many territories. As the immersive sector expands, Immersive Everywhere will be at the forefront for many years to come.”

IMMERSIVE | LDN is a 32,000sq ft historic building in the heart of Mayfair, which was home to the Queen Victoria’s Rifles Association until 2017. It includes three floors of immersive theatre and event spaces designated for performance, live gaming, events, escape rooms and private parties. For information about programming and venue hire visit www.immersiveldn.com

Cityneon wins Lumiere Award for VR Machu Picchu experience

Cityneon‘s VR experience, Machu Picchu and the Spirit of the Condor, has won the Best Use of VR category at the 12th annual Lumiere Awards.

The company was honoured alongside many top industry names in global film, television, and gaming studios in the awards ceremony, held at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, California.

Cityneon’s Machu Picchu and the Spirit of the Condor features the first-ever virtual showcase of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Peru. Through the utilisation of patented VR motion chairs fully equipped with multi-sensory stimulation features such as high-resolution six degrees of freedom (6-DOF) VR headsets, haptic feedback on the backseats, scent dispensers and unlimited 360-degree rotation, the VR experience is featured as the highlight of the company’s Original Artefact IP Experience – Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru.

“We are ecstatic to receive this prestigious award,” says Ron Tan, Executive Chairman & Group CEO of Cityneon Holdings. “This award not only recognises the wonderful potential of virtual reality in capturing the world around us, but it is also a testament to Cityneon’s expertise in innovative technologies that empowers the Group to bring immersive entertainment to a whole new level.”

As a global leader of immersive experiences, Cityneon seeks to capture the imagination of their visitors and deliver compelling experiences that will shape the future of the experience entertainment industry. Their enduring partnerships with global partners such as Disney, Marvel, Hasbro, Universal, Lionsgate, and 20th Century Studios, and the Peruvian and Egyptian governments, drive the company to produce world-class experiences for millions of visitors each year.

Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru launched last October at the Boca Raton Museum of Art in Florida and the experience will be travelling to Paris at the City of Architecture and Heritage, Palais de Chaillot, on 16 April 2022. The Group also launched the world premiere of Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs in Houston, Texas, last November.

Apart from the two artefact IPs, the Group also holds studio IP rights including partnerships with 20th Century Studios for Avatar: The Exhibition, Universal Studios for Jurassic World: The Exhibition, Marvel for Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. – debuting in Tokyo this April – Lionsgate for The Hunger Games: The Exhibition, and Hasbro for Transformers: The Experience.

Cityneon has also recently announced a partnership with Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment to produce two unique global touring themed art experiences inspired by DC Comics and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, slated to launch in 2023.

To support its global endeavours, Cityneon has announced its expansion into Qatar to cater to markets in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa, and the launch of a new R&D facility in Wuxi, China, to further expand its capabilities in entertainment robotics.