Questions

Why Build an Amusement Park?

An amusement park is a place devoted to family enjoyment; it is the chance for parents and children to share a thrilling moment of fun.

Amusement parks offer entertainment for a broad section of the area’s population through diverse experiences, in an environment where safety and quality are guaranteed. Such projects are universally enjoyed by young people and provide long-term, stable employment.

For a population catchment of one million inhabitants, an amusement park becomes a social requirement.

According to demographic trends and birth rates, the demand for public leisure activities remains stable over time – which means that you can count on a secure investment and a consolidated economic reality over the long-term.

In short, an amusement park represents not only a financial investment, but also a political and social one.

The Concept of Theme Parks

An amusement park is not only a collection of rides and attractions; it is also a magical, fantasy world where people can escape from their day-to-day lives.

It’s a place designed to transport visitors to another world. However, aside from the originality factor, each concept is based on information gathered through market studies and the target clientele. In fact, the key to ensuring the financial feasibility of a park lies in a project's reflection of popular societal trends.

Thus for LOM, the choice of concept is above all based on a model of what the population catchment would like to see. A park’s commercial success will depend on its ability to attract the greatest possible numbers, by catering for the most popular tastes and sought-after experiences.

A Turnkey Service

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LOM supplies turnkey amusement park projects in major urban centres, the regions, tourist sites and commercial centres.

We specialise in amusement park projects for population catchments of over one million inhabitants living within a radius of 1 hour 1/2 by car from the site.

The level of financial investment for one of our parks is linked to the minimum forecast of visitor numbers, and each of our themes or attractions is carefully chosen in order to ensure the best possible return on investment in the project.

In partnership with our manufacturers, we include a variety of different types of attractions in a single project, which brings the added advantage of being able to offer a wider, more diverse range of experiences and sensations for each age group.

From the teenager-favourite roller-coaster to family fun on the ghost train and merry-go-rounds for small children, LOM supplies attractions that are well adapted to each leisure and amusement site.

By providing a comprehensive, integrated service (the engineering and construction of the various elements, the manufacture and installation of attractions as well as staff training), we can offer a one-stop service capable of delivering a standard 15-attraction park within a timescale of 12 to 18 months (depending on its size).

Timescales

Construction times for an amusement park are broken down into 6 principal phases:

Engineering studies usually take from 4 to 18 months depending on the nature of the site, the size of the project and the complexity of attractions.
The construction of infrastructures and buildings generally takes from 6 to 24 months depending on the surface areas involved.
The manufacture of most standard attractions takes from 2 to 12 months. New or very complex elements may take longer due to the time involved in their development and more rigorous testing processes.
The installation and implementation of attractions usually takes from 1 to 3 months depending on their specific nature.
Theme setting takes from 3 to 24 months depending on the complexity of required scenery.
Staff training takes from 1 to 4 weeks per attraction.

Some of these phases can overlap and be completed at the same time.

These timescales do not include transport times or Customs and Excise procedures, which can vary from one place to another around the world. Neither do they include any time required for the administrative procedures that apply in each country for obtaining building permissions and operator licences.

The Key Points of a Park Project and LOM’s Service

Land
The first important stage in the installation of a park concerns the establishment of land ownership. Land titles and ownership rights must be clearly determined before any project can be envisaged.
The service: LOM is very clear on this key point and will take all the necessary steps to ensure the existence of rights. LOM performs the role of planning consultant.

Financing
An amusement park is not financed in the same way as a building project; it is an industrial project that will exist for many years to come. The economics of a park must therefore be viewed in the long-term.
The service: LOM will supply or validate market studies and business plans as part of the project’s preliminary study phase.

Availability
The construction of an amusement park represents a challenge in that it requires a wide range of expertise in the following sectors: architecture, engineering, live performance, special effects and complex scenery. We therefore need to be able to bring together the right human resources, with the right experience at the right time.
The service: LOM will put in place a dedicated steering group for each project.

Training
Once construction is completed, an amusement park can only operate successfully if its management company has put in place a team of trained, local staff who are ready and able to take control of operations right from day one. Training, very early on and as of the start of the park’s construction, is an operational necessity.
The service: LOM will recruit and train technical operators at the start of construction works; these people will eventually become key members of the park's management team.