Organiser of the Lumiere™ Awards – The Advanced Imaging Society, was founded in 2009 by members from major Hollywood studios and top technology companies to advance the creative arts and next generation of premium consumer technology. Under this year’s theme, “Larger Than Life”, the Society honoured 21 works with outstanding international achievement in the creation of immersive storytelling using advanced visual technologies.
In particular, Cityneon was awarded “Best Use of VR” for its VR experience, Machu Picchu and the Spirit of the Condor, which features the first-ever virtual showcase of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Machu Picchu. Through the utilization of globally-acclaimed patented VR motion chairs fully equipped with premium 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, this VR experience is featured as the highlight of the company’s Original Artefact IP Experience – Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru.
Other distinguished winners of the award include Netflix’s series Squid Game and Arcane, Warner Bros.’s Dune, Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story (20TH Century Studios), Disney’s animated musical adventure pic, Encanto, Disney+ series WandaVision, Disney and Marvel’s Shang Chi: The Legend of the Ten Rings and Sony and Marvel’s Spider-Man: No Way Home.
“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, world-renowned studios such as Disney, Marvel, Hasbro, Universal, Lionsgate, and 20TH Century Studios, and foreign governments from Peru and Egypt, drive the company to produce world-class experiences for millions of visitors each year.
Just last October, Cityneon launched the world premiere of its first Original Artefact IP Experience, Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru at the Boca Raton Museum of Art in Florida and this 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. Both artefact IP experiences achieved tremendous success and will be travelling to more cities around the world in the next few years to showcase the beauty and history of the Andean and Ancient Egyptian culture to everyone around the world.
Apart from the two artefact IPs, the Group also holds studio IP rights including partnerships with the 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., Lionsgate for The Hunger Games: The Exhibition, and Hasbro for Transformers: The Experience.
Notably, Jurassic World: The Exhibition rolled out its first North American tour last summer, making its first stop at Dallas with record-breaking ticket sales and sell-out weekends all through to early 2022. After concluding the stop at Dallas, the experience moved northwards to Denver and officially opened its gates on 4 March 2022, receiving great response from visitors and sell-out shows over the opening weekend.
Upcoming in 2022, the Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. will also be debuting in Tokyo, Japan at the Mori Arts Center Gallery in April, and Kyoto at the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art in June. Cityneon has also recently announced a partnership with Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment to produce two brand-new, unique global touring themed art experiences inspired by DC Comics and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, slated to launch in 2023.
To date, Cityneon has secured IP rights to seven of Hollywood’s biggest movie franchises and two original artefact IPs from Peru and Egypt to produce travelling experiences across the world.
To support these global endeavours, Cityneon has announced its expansion into Qatar to cater to markets in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region, and to land a brand-new R&D facility in Wuxi, China to further expand its capabilities in entertainment robotics.
As Cityneon continues to foster relationships with partners, studios, and governments globally, the Group stays ahead of the game by venturing into bold projects to create even more phenomenal, technologically driven experiences. Moving forward in 2022 and beyond, Cityneon aims to reach more than 70 cities and 10 million unique visitors worldwide, and to firmly secure its position as the leading provider of entertainment experiences across the world.