Wereldhave: From a mall visit to a guest experience

Wereldhave owns and operates several local malls, so called: Full Service Centers. These Full Service Centers should contribute to a more joyful and comfortable everyday life, a one-stop location for groceries, shopping, leisure, relaxation, sports, health, work and other daily needs. Could they learn something from the leisure world to increase attendance and dwell time?

For Wereldhave, TDAC developed a six-step program with the ultimate goal of positively impacting sales by increasing the dwell time and visitor numbers of Wereldhave shopping center visitors.

Based on our extensive experience in creating the perfect guest experience in the theme parks and attraction world, the plan ranged from practical tips in staff training and minor adjustments to an updated mall design. A concrete plan to transform the mall visit a guest experience!

Bart Dohmen

Since the start of his career Bart has been active in the high-end Themed Entertainment world and has worked on many projects in many different executive roles. As an engineer Bart entered the leisure world from the technical side but got really attracted by the multidisciplinary site of the visitor attraction world. After earning a Master Degree at NIMBAS/Bradford university, Bart joined the Executive team of BRC Imagination Arts and became responsible for the European office. In this role Bart was working on projects as as the make-over of Heineken Experience, the EU pavilion at EXPO 2015, 24hr of Le Mans vistor center, World Food Center, Freej Theme Park Dubai, Floriade World fair 2012, and many other brand-center, museum and theme park projects in Europe and the Middle East

Bart has won several awards with projects he worked at. Just to mention a few:THEA Award, AV Award and the Exhibitor EXPO Award.

As a Visitor Experience veteran, Bart is frequently asked to be speaker at international events, and has been on stage at MIPIM, MAPIC, ISE, AHIC Dubai, DEAL, ICSC, IAAPA, TEA and others. Already on a young age, Bart was recognized for his talent and became Chairman of the board at the international Leisure conference TILE in 2005. He got many times interviewed for the industry magazines and recently Bart started to write his own articles.

Coen Bertens

Coen Bertens has more than 23 years of experience at Efteling. Efteling is a leading theme park resort in the world with more than 5 million guests annually and more than 3,000 beds in their accommodations.

The first 10 years Coen worked as a Controller. During these 10 years he earned his post-graduate master in finance. After 10 years he switched to Operations. First as Park Manager, later as Deputy Director. The last 8 years of his career at Efteling Coen was member of the Board of Directors of Efteling. The first 4 years as board member Coen was as COO responsible for the operation of the theme park and all hotel and bungalow park accommodations. The last 4 years he managed the theme park and was responsible for 2,300 employees.

During his career Coen and his team achieved a number of awards

– THEA awards for darkride Symbolica

– Brass Ring award for Polles Keuken restaurant

– Most Guest friendly company in the Netherlands

Coen is very proud of the fact that in the period 2014-2019 under his leadership the number of guests at Efteling increased from 4.4 million to 5.2 million per year, while waiting times at the attractions decreased by 7%.

Coen is regularly attending and speaking at international leisure events around the globe.

Peter van Wijk

With years of experience in the Fitness- and nutrition industry, Peter switched careers in 2012 and started in the leisure industry, focusing on the indoor leisure sector at the Monkey Town Group with an interim job.

After the first successes, Peter joined the Monkey Town Group on a more permanent bases and was held responsible for the expansion and business development of the group. In the years following from 2012-2016 Peter opened more than 30 locations successfully and was responsible for the expansion, funding and (operational) training of these new locations.

In 2017 Peter founded the company, “24Indoor” an international indoor leisure scale-up platform that invests in the indoor leisure sector and acquired the brands Monkey Town, a group with over 55 FEC’s and Streetjump, a group of more than 10 trampoline parks and offers daily recreational activities for more than 6.000.000 visitors per year.

Throughout the years Peter has build-out an organisation of over 65 parks ( combined company owned and franchisees) in 3 countries: The Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany. And the whole organisation counts more 2000 employees. In 2022 24Indoor is still one of the fasted growing companies in the indoor leisure sector in Europe, with a expansion capacity of opening between 8 and 12 successful locations every year, by buy and build strategy.

Peter is specialized in the sectors of FEC’s (family entertainment centres) , indoor playgrounds an trampoline parks and is often asked for advise by suppliers in the leisure industry, landlords and (starting) entrepreneurs for discussions such as: M&A, Business development, Pricing modelling, visitor behaviour, balancing out investment vs turnover, expansions issue’s and the funding of projects throughout Europe.

City Concorde Mall, Leisure Development

The Case

City Concorde is a privately owned shopping centre in Luxembourg. The shopping centre distinguishes itself by focusing mainly on local brands and a relatively large offer of food and beverage outlets. This gives it a unique and exclusive character which makes it one of the most visited malls in Luxembourg.

In the owner’s vision, City Concorde is not a standard shopping centre, but a “Lifestyle Destination”. His goal is for City Concorde to become a destination where people spend their leisure time. In combination with Pleisureworld, TDAC was asked to develop a vision to add leisure, increase the length of stay and attract specific target groups.

The Approach

After researching the Luxembourg market, both through a visit to Luxembourg and desk research, we developed a vision with different scenarios, including SWOT matrices and target group descriptions. Based on this information, a direction was chosen. This vision is currently in development under the supervision of TDAC.

World Food Experience

The Case

The region around the Dutch village Ede is globally known for the food industry. The worldwide renowned agricultural university, Wageningen University is located here.

A former military base, adjacent to the Ede/Wageningen intercity station became available for redevelopment. This site is the perfect location for a long-standing idea: an Experience Centre about the importance of food and the role of the region in this industry.

The World Food Experience chose BRC Imagination Arts as the designer for this prestigious project. TDAC acts as local cultural and business advisor in this project.

The Approach

TDAC advised the project developers on processes, investment levels and budget allocations. The developers were successful in securing the budgets, after which the project entered a new round of bidding.

BRC Imagination Arts was one of the tendering companies for this project. Based on our relationship, TDAC’s knowledge of the project and the local culture, TDAC joined the BRC team as a (cultural) advisor until opening. In early 2021, BRC was awarded the contract to proceed with the project, with a planned opening in late 2023.

Nederlands Watermuseum

The case

The Dutch Water Museum in Arnhem, The Netherlands, focuses on information about all aspects of (fresh) water, such as water management, drinking water and water treatment. The museum opened in 2004 and has been operating without basic government support ever since.

Although still popular, the museum needs an upgrade. The museum entrusted TDAC with the realization of a bid book.

Approach

We began the process with a one-day workshop defining the Mission, Objective and a Theme statement for the renewed museum. Together with the museum’s creative team, we developed an initial vision of what the renewed museum might look like. This vision formed the basis for a feasibility study and, We began the process with a one-day workshop defining the mission and goals for the renewed museum. Together with the museum’s creative team, we developed an initial vision of what the renewed museum might look like. This vision formed the basis for a feasibility study and in collaboration with exhibit builders, a CAPEX estimate.

TDAC then compiled the 35-page bid book, which is now on its way to potential investors, sponsors and other stakeholders.

Bommel Wereld

Located in the east of the Netherlands, in Groenlo, Marveld recreatie is a large resort with a hotel, luxury cottages and campsites. Although the park is very well known to the Dutch, the owner wanted to identify the resort with a real Dutch icon. The idea of creating an attraction around one of the most known comic strips in The Netherlands, Meneer Bommel and Tom Poes was born.

Cultural heritage

Marten Toonder’s 177 stories about their adventures, which ran daily in newspapers for half a century, are part of the Netherlands’ cultural heritage; generations grew up with Meneer Bommel and Tom Poes. Creator Marten Toonder is honoured at the Museum of Literature with a place in the Pantheon, which pays tribute to the 100 greatest Dutch literati.

The plans include a building of around 9000 square meters in which guests can explore the world created by Marten Toonder, with as centrepiece Meneer Bommel’s castle. The world of Meneer Bommel and Tom Poes will be the central theme for all the attractions. The indoor Theme park will include the magical atmosphere of Rommeldam, the Black Mountains and the Dark Trees Forest. Marveld recreation asked TDAC to guide them through the entire process: master planning, implementation and operation.

Prague Experience

The Case:

A private real estate investor acquired a unique building opposite the Prague clock tower, a location that draws millions of tourists every year. Recognizing the potential opportunity of this many tourists to this location, the investor hired TDAC to investigate the potential of the building to house a tourist attraction.

The Approach

After a research phase through desktop research and visits to Prague, TDAC developed a report for this client weighing the potential of the building as a tourist attraction. With this report, the client was able to balance this potential against alternative possibilities, which ultimately led him to conclude that an alternative use would provide a better business case.

Themepark Croatia

The Case:

Our client owns an amazing location in Croatia. On the edge of a canyon, overlooking a steep mountainside, this piece of land was one of the locations where famous films were shot in the past.

These specific movies are still immensely popular, which made our client wonder if there is something to do with this location, or are there other approaches that would improve the feasibility?

Approach:

TDAC, after extensive research in the region, many interviews and of course close cooperation with the client, created a balanced mix of attraction ideas (which still might include the movie theme) and worked them into a business plan, which is now ready to be further elaborated by specific design studios.

TDAC will continue to guide the client through the next phases of the site development.