Bringing my invention to market….Amusement Park Attraction.

[croman]

Hello everyone,

i have been here on fastlane for over a year now, watching, waiting, learning, procrastinating.
Thanks to @AndrewNC (limitless)…i am taking the plunge of going that last 20 percent instead of dropping an idea and jumping to the next. Reading thru his few threads while at a layover in Paris for 7hrs(on way back from Hong Kong trade show) really hit a cord. Andrew, i will be purchasing your course out of respect and also out of need. Thank you.

Also, special thanks to JackEdwards who doesn't seem to be around here anymore. He is a very smart guy who helped me immensely with his phone calls in the early stages.

This awakening happened last weekend prior, and since then, i have resumed speaking with my engineers to finish off the CAD drawings(98percent done), sent out numerous emails to different manufacturers for the different parts of this machine. I feel like now is the time. Something clicked.

I started Drawing out the plans for this attraction over a year ago. It started with a small idea and it creatively blossomed into something that i personally think will do well.

Over the last year, my wife and i who love to travel, travelled to India, Dubai and Honk Kong to take a look at the trade shows where we would sell these units.

There are 3 MAJOR shows that i would display the attraction.
The organization is IAAPA(international association of amusement parks and attractions)
They are held yearly in orlando florida, Asia and europe(iaapa.org)

We went to the india trade show and the one in dubai to determine whether these smaller shows that were not a part of IAAPA were worthwhile or not,…whether it be a good idea to unveil the attraction there….
They were not, but, the trip was great, got to see Mumbai and Delhi, and also Dubai which was incredible.

So we just got back from the Hong Kong show on june 22/2015….

We went there with the intention to see how others used their trade show space on the floor. We also wanted to see what new attractions came to market. This trip was also used to get my motivation back, to see if my product will fit in well.
We learned a lot, and i feel that the ideas we came up with for when we take our product to the trade show will really catch everyones attention.

My attraction is like no other.

There is absolutely nothing like it on the market.

It can also be a mobile unit, fitting on a 40' trailer. It opens up off the base of the trailer(think transformer movie)….and unfolds to a footprint of 72ft x 72ft x 65ft high.

This opens us up HUGE with the midway/carnival market.

I have nearly 6000 potential customers. Probably 2500 that are real deal capable purchasers

NUMBERS OF POTENTIAL WORLDWIDE CUSTOMERS:


Amusement Parks: 1700
Carnivals/Funfairs/Midways: 1100
Waterparks: 360
FEC’s(family entertainment centers): 75
Zoos: 1515
Science Centers: 767
Cruise lines(multiple ships per line): 78
Mega Malls: 67
Hotels and Resorts: 220
Go Cart facilities: 120

Amusement parks, FEC’s and Midway companies will be our primary focus for immediate sales.
The Midway Companies who contract out to the carnivals and funfairs worldwide will be a major source of sales for our mobile units.

I am going to have my unit prototype produced here in Canada. This unit was engineered and a few mm off here or there would be disastrous…the unit will not work unless its produced properly with the steel fabricators. The unit is most all made of steel. Very simple unique design. For this reason i cannot get it made in china. I have to be there to look over every step of the process.

So,
My best estimation at this point, and this is very rough, until i get actual estimates from fabricators, …is that it will cost me approximately 250-300k to produce.

The selling price would be 550k++(still have to work on establishing)

I would also have to spend approximately another 100k to properly do the 3 trade shows. I would do a 20 x 30 booth. Very costly.

So all in all, i would have to invest about 400k…which i do have. I do not need to sell equity for money.

I am not a seasoned vet. I am a work in progress. I found my motivation again. I now have to make sure my steps are mistake free, solid and timely.

My weaknesses at this point are in hiring and assembling a sales team for the trade shows… managing the staff and management. I have zero experience in this. I am open to suggestion.

I will need 4 sales people to work the shows. I need to hire on experienced, hungry competent sales people who i will pay a percentage of sales. This i have not figured out yet. But i would like to pay them very well. The more they sell and prosper….the better.

I don't have any idea how many of these things i can sell. It can be anywhere from 2 units to 20 units++…..i really don't know.
I do know that i need a fabricator that is big enough to do both small and large jobs….to handle the potential volume.

Anyhow, i will keep everyone updated on the project on the daily if possible.

i would appreciate everyones advice and comments.


thanks

croman.

 

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[VegasMan]

Intriguing. Now watching the thread to see where this goes. Good luck!

What did you take away from the shows you attended?

 

[jon.a]

Crap, you put this on the inside. I invited a non-member friend to look.

 

[ZCP]

Do some initial local runs to prove the concept. Festivals, bowl games, state fair, Calgary music, etc. If you can show how many people line up and want to ride, more orders will follow! An unproven commodity is what you currently are......

 

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[ZCP]

So, engineer.....prototype.....run a season...... Improve......sell / franchise........

 

[croman]

Intriguing. Now watching the thread to see where this goes. Good luck!

What did you take away from the shows you attended?

Thanks for the kind words...

Well, for starters, for the asian show, i seen some nice informational pamphlets that are going to put me in the right direction for when i produce them for my attraction.

I will be making this pamphlet with information in mandarin and english to suit the audience in the asian market.
Only a few people did this...which is surprising.

for all three shows(orlando, asia, europe) i will have my brochures in english, mandarin and spanish...this way i can tap into all buyers in said languages..

I will also have to hire an asian who speaks the langauge as one of the salesman for the show...possibly 2.

I realised that i cannot get away with a 10x10 both, not even a 20x20 in order to make the big impact i am planning to make at these shows.
These tradeshows are huge. This is where i make my sales, this is where i need to make a big impact.

A 20x30 booth which is about 20k usd will be a perfect size for my 3d model.

I also got excellent ideas on how to go above and beyond with the 3d model and actually include LED lighting in it if possible. I will go to all lengths and not cut corners on this. One sale means big dollars.

I will go all out with bigscreen tvs strategically situated showing videos of how my attraction folds and unfolds, how it is used etc etc...

There will be models dressed and painted head to toe in red, 4 of them,...devils.

This is the theme of my attraction without giving too much away.

anyhow, lots of little tidbits i learned. It was valuable. I now have a greater understanding on how i will approach the show.

IAAPA gives away awards for best new attraction/product, and also for best both. My goal is to sweep both.

Intriguing. Now watching the thread to see where this goes. Good luck!

What did you take away from the shows you attended?

 

[croman]

So, engineer.....prototype.....run a season...... Improve......sell / franchise........

not sure that franchising is in the cards with this. There are big manufacturers who sell direct to the amusement parks/industry. This is what i will do thru the trade shows.

 

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[croman]

Do some initial local runs to prove the concept. Festivals, bowl games, state fair, Calgary music, etc. If you can show how many people line up and want to ride, more orders will follow! An unproven commodity is what you currently are......

Very true.

My plan is to produce the unit, go to a midway company and offer them free of charge to use my unit. They take all the profits. I will just manage their staff.

The point of this is to have the attraction running, have professional video taken of it in use with customers lining up etc...
then use this edited video and run it continuously on one of the big screens at the trade shows.

 

[croman]

So, the original idea was born from something an associate saw.

He was at an event for kids, there was a small scaled down version of what i later created as an amusement attraction.

He went to this event, and this one thing had lineups galore compared to anything else. Children were tugging at their parents to go try to do this thing.

His own two kids were relentless too.

This thing had a lineup, a growing lineup, for the full 4-5 hrs we were there. It was something so simple.

I saw that this was something that both kids and adults alike gravitated to.

I then put in some major alterations to turn it into something much more complex and different, but with the same principles.

I cannot disclose exactly what this is. I will maybe do so in the near future. I saw a basic yearning in children to want to try this thing. My own childens eyes widen as they see the full 3d drawings of this attraction.

I know this is not real validation but its a start.lol

 

[VegasMan]

Can your design be "re-skinned" to other themes easily? I could see where amusement parks would like attractions that are unique to their property. Or possibly licensed with major brands/artists/movies/shows.

 

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[croman]

Good thought.

Well yes it can somewhat.

Right now the opportunity is there to go after the marvel comic character "daredevil". There is a series on Netflix on daredevil that has renewed interest in the comic character.

I have thought about this but not looked into it in detail with licensing the character etc. for this attraction.
I think that could really give some serious legitimacy to the attraction for sure if it's Viable or feasible situation.

As for other types of "skins"...yes, it can be manipulated to do so.

Just different colours and adjustments to signage.

Appreciate your input.

 

[croman]

So yesterday had a very productive day. Sent out emails that for some reason i procrastinated forever. Not sure why, but, those days are done.

got a hold of a local N.American guy for a machine that i may offer on the attraction as an "extra" or as something that i would sell with unit. It shoots 30 foot fireballs from 4 different heads of the attraction. Impressive.

This fire effect would go very well with this devil theme.

This would create quite the eye-catching scene at nighttime when amusement parks and carnival midways are open also. This would help big time for the carnival midway guys… attracting people from other end of carnival. It can be programmed to shoot every 30 seconds it need be.. Still working out the price to run this thing over a 4-6 hour window. propane costs money.

Problem is that its a 50k unit which is ridiculous. I will keep pricing. There are 2 more companies i have my eye on...

I also sent out 4 detailed emails to LED lighting distributors.

Heres one of my dilemmas, let me know if its a real concern or not…

I hesitate to send these LED light distributors/manufacturers the drawings of my attraction out of fear they are in this industry and share them with other companies…or outright steal the idea.

Thoughts?

Would getting them to sign a non-disclosure agreement be worth anything?? I mean, is that really worth anything? I got my engineers in Serbia to sign one…but those are the engineers….but really am i gonna be even able to enforce that in another country like serbia anyhow?

how would you approach this?

Croman

 

[biophase]

What kind of LED lights do you need? I have a friend who owns an LED light company along with his own factory in China. He is making LED lights for cars, restaurants, hotels, etc... Does your attraction use the same type of lights?

 

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[croman]

I am not very well versed in LED lighting yet.

But, we are looking for LED company that can supply the type of programable LED's that we would see on Ferris wheels or other types of amusement/carnival rides.

We want to create a "breathing or throbbing" effect... All red mostly...to amplify the devil theme.

Any guidance to get me in right direction would be appreciated.

Croman

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Watching! Sounds incredibly exciting (and Fastlane too!)

 

[croman]

I can't thank you enough for your book and this forum.

Thanks again,

Croman

 

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[Gin]

Good luck croman - very much looking forward to seeing your progress.

 

[croman]

Ok, I am in talks with 3 different LED guys(thanks @biophase for one of the contacts in this industry).

Right now we are talking about having some LEDs that are thin and can be mounted on to some 1" galvanized cable that is on the attraction.

Once I determine which guy can best solve this problem, I will then send them only parts of the attraction so I can see if they can do the job.

I still don't feel comfortable sending anyone full drawn out pics of the attraction yet. I rather send bits and pcs of the attraction so that they cannot decipher what it is.

Not till I'm further in the process and actually manufacturing the unit. This is when the design will become more public.

 

[croman]

@MJ DeMarco and other INSIDERS....



I'm wondering whether is is best to keep my amusement attraction thread in the INSIDERS section or out in the general public for more exposure/opinions.

What would you do in my shoes to get the most out of this? To get more solid opinions and interaction?

We just started here, yes I know, and already I have gotten an excellent contact thru an INSIDERS....but what would you advise?
Keep it in the inside? Start new threads on outside when looking for general opinion in certain areas of the process?

Thanks

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

Your idea appears to have large barriers to entry. That means this isn't something "to try" -- its something the requires commitment. That knocks out 99% of most idea seekers.

In the end, its up to you. You also haven't really disclosed exactly what you're doing-- the more specific you can get, the better the advice will be.

Let me know.

 

[croman]

Ok, here goes…..

My attraction is a high wire attraction. This is not some big/little obstacle course/jungle gym. Its much much more.

A human would be walking on 1" line being as high as 5 stories(50ft) plus much more.

Its scary high. There is much more to it than a 50ft line. Sounds very simplistic and basic. It has 40 hydraulic cylinders and is very complex and impressive to look at.

Wont say much more than that at this time.


Ok, heres the thing….

This attraction, with its theming and look, would perfectly match Marvel Comics DAREDEVIL. The character DAREDEVIL walks on telephone wires in the comics/movies/series… perfect.

For a kid or adult to do this attraction is truly a "daredevil" feat.
The sheer size of this attraction is mind-blowing. To see a child or teen or adult suspended up that high on a 1" high wire is a sight to see.
NOW,
getting marvel to license out the character to the attraction would really put this attraction NEXT LEVEL….and create some serious legitimacy….

Question is…. would this be a good move?

I sent marvel an email about the attraction just now and they responded immediately. My issue again is, do i show them the design yet or hold it tight? I am afraid that marvel could take this idea to one of the theme parks they are in business with and just run with it….

Is this a legit concern? how do i avoid this? I may not have a choice but to expose it to them to continue talks, but, maybe i wait till I'm further down the process of almost having my prototype done? What to do?

Am i being paranoid or properly cautious?

What do you guys think of the licensing thing too? This is big with amusement parks now a days having themed comic character rides etc….i would loose probably 10percent of sale to licensing…but would gain much much more with large and small amusement/theme parks wanting to carry my attraction.

please detail out your opinions…

Below is Marvels response to my inquiry, how would you proceed?

thanks

read below:

Hello M**** – This sounds very cool. Please can you provide us with more details about the product – what it’s made of, how many similar products your company has sold in the past during what timespan and a few examples of to whom. This lies somewhere in between the licensed product and live event worlds, so we would have to flesh out some questions. The short term answer is that it is totally possible and unique from what we have licensed previously. Let me know when you have time for a call, either tomorrow before 3 pm EST or next week anytime.


Regards,

***** ******, Marvel Entertainment

 

[Darius]

What do you guys think of the licensing thing too?

If it was me, I'd license it.

It's good to see some more business ideas outside of what I'm used to seeing. Good luck!

 

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[croman]

If it was me, I'd license it.

It's good to see some more business ideas outside of what I'm used to seeing. Good luck!

What is your opinion on protecting the idea or timing the protecting of the idea with talks with marvel?

 

[croman]

Emailed marvel back with some details on the design of the attraction without giving away design details.
His Response:

"M*****– You’ve provided lots of great details – thanks. I have passed along to the head of our themed entertainment division. If you don’t hear back by Tues the 13th, drop me a line and I’ll ask again."

So I guess we are going to the next step.

I've seen companies license products for sale from Marvel..
But from what I've seen, I'm not sure that I would be doing the licensing as an attraction/ride manufacturer.

Not sure it's as simple as that, where I simply give them a percentage of sales from sold units as a licensing deal.

I've seen where huge amusement parks such as six flags etc would pay Disney or others a yearly licensing fee for their characters.

So what would this mean for me?

Creative structuring of a deal where I pay a percentage of sales for using the marvel character and/or connect my potential buyer(amusement park) with a yearly licensing deal with marvel?

At this point I really don't know how this is normally structured in this industry...

Anyone have recommendations...?

 

[jon.a]

Your idea appears to have large barriers to entry. That means this isn't something "to try" -- its something the requires commitment. That knocks out 99% of most idea seekers.

In the end, its up to you. You also haven't really disclosed exactly what you're doing-- the more specific you can get, the better the advice will be.

Let me know.

I know for a fact that you're limiting your resource pool by having this on the inside, since I have connected you with a new member friend of mine. He won't be motivated to join the inside just to see if he can help you. Most of the outsiders are too lazy to worry about.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

A human would be walking on 1" line being as high as 5 stories(50ft) plus much more.

I don't understand. Someone tight roping is the attraction? An obstacle course?

where I simply give them a percentage of sales from sold units as a licensing deal.

This sounds most reasonable to me.

 

[croman]

@MJ DeMarco and others….

here is a small description from my notes to help somewhat clarify….
below:

this is a High wire attraction. It is made mostly out of steel.

There is nothing even remotely like this in the industry.

This is not some glorified obstacle course/jungle gym. It is much more.

This is a unique and innovative product that provides extreme thrill and excitement much different than anything on the market today.
There is a void in the amusement industry of this age-old challenging skill.

We focus on putting men, women and children of all ages in a position of facing their fear of heights while attempting to hone their skills in agility, balance and concentration.Thrill seekers and daredevils alike will find this attraction a memorable experience.

Our attraction allows participants of all ages to safely meet the challenge while instilling a rush of adrenaline and confidence as they tackle the art of the high wire.

The competitive advantage that the DAREDEVIL HIGHWIRE attraction has over other amusement rides or attractions is that it is a unique one of a kind attraction.

It is not just another roller coaster.

It is not just another pirate ship, or rock climbing attraction.

Men, women and children of all ages will want to test their daredevil spirit, …at death defying heights.

A human would be walking on a 1" line being as high as 5 stories(50ft).

Its scary high. There is much more to it than a 50ft high line. Sounds very simplistic and basic, but it has 40 hydraulic cylinders and is very complex and very impressive to look at. The design and theming of attraction is next level.

I cannot say much more about design at this time. Please understand. We are protecting the design the best we can, until be get closer to finishing the prototype. We are about to talk with fabricators to see who will suit our needs for quality and volume.

Ok, heres the thing….

This attraction, with its theming and look, would perfectly match Marvel Comics DAREDEVIL. The character DAREDEVIL walks on telephone wires in the comics etc..…perfect.
Often people who walk high wires are referred to as "Daredevils".

For a kid or adult to do this attraction is truly a Daredevil feat.

The sheer size of this attraction is mind-blowing. To see a child or teen or adult suspending up that high on a 1" wire is a sight to see.

Now,
having Marvel licence out the character for this attraction would really put this attraction next level, and would at the same time give the daredevil character more worldwide exposure.

Let me know your initial thoughts on all this.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

@MJ DeMarco and others….

here is a small description from my notes to help somewhat clarify….
below:

this is a High wire attraction. It is made mostly out of steel.

There is nothing even remotely like this in the industry.

This is not some glorified obstacle course/jungle gym. It is much more.

This is a unique and innovative product that provides extreme thrill and excitement much different than anything on the market today.
There is a void in the amusement industry of this age-old challenging skill.

We focus on putting men, women and children of all ages in a position of facing their fear of heights while attempting to hone their skills in agility, balance and concentration.Thrill seekers and daredevils alike will find this attraction a memorable experience.

Our attraction allows participants of all ages to safely meet the challenge while instilling a rush of adrenaline and confidence as they tackle the art of the high wire.

The competitive advantage that the DAREDEVIL HIGHWIRE attraction has over other amusement rides or attractions is that it is a unique one of a kind attraction.

It is not just another roller coaster.

It is not just another pirate ship, or rock climbing attraction.

Men, women and children of all ages will want to test their daredevil spirit, …at death defying heights.

A human would be walking on a 1" line being as high as 5 stories(50ft).

Its scary high. There is much more to it than a 50ft high line. Sounds very simplistic and basic, but it has 40 hydraulic cylinders and is very complex and very impressive to look at. The design and theming of attraction is next level.

I cannot say much more about design at this time. Please understand. We are protecting the design the best we can, until be get closer to finishing the prototype. We are about to talk with fabricators to see who will suit our needs for quality and volume.

Ok, heres the thing….

This attraction, with its theming and look, would perfectly match Marvel Comics DAREDEVIL. The character DAREDEVIL walks on telephone wires in the comics etc..…perfect.
Often people who walk high wires are referred to as "Daredevils".

For a kid or adult to do this attraction is truly a Daredevil feat.

The sheer size of this attraction is mind-blowing. To see a child or teen or adult suspending up that high on a 1" wire is a sight to see.

Now,
having Marvel licence out the character for this attraction would really put this attraction next level, and would at the same time give the daredevil character more worldwide exposure.

Let me know your initial thoughts on all this.

Ah OK, thank you for the better description.

It might be me but this isn't something I'd be standing in line to do, but then again, I wouldn't bungee jump either.

Don't let my opinion sway you... on paper it sounds like it could be a real winner.

 

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[croman]

Ah OK, thank you for the better description.

It might be me but this isn't something I'd be standing in line to do, but then again, I wouldn't bungee jump either.

Don't let my opinion sway you... on paper it sounds like it could be a real winner.

No shit, i wouldn't be doing it either.lol

but, the peak height of this thing is the 50ft high wire…..

 

[VegasMan]

I really want to see you succeed on this, but include me in the group that will be firmly planted on the ground watching the daredevils above. LOL