BUT CAN WE BUILD IT?
Dernière mise à jour : 26 sept.
Content produced for the conference « TEA PRESENTS BUT CAN WE BUILD IT » - IAPAA EUROPE 2026
Moderator: Executive Creative Director, THEMED
Speakers:
Lily-Ann Bedder, Associate Creative Director at Katapult
Fabien Manuel, Creative Director at Compagnie des Alpes
From Creative Vision to Guest Experience:
How to Deliver What We Design
Every themed entertainment project begins with a promise: a story, an atmosphere and an experience that guests will remember. Yet imagining that experience is only the beginning.
The real challenge is preserving the original creative ambition when budgets, technical constraints, design changes and construction realities enter the process.
Three projects from COMPAGNIE DES ALPES Development Dpt.(Explorer Adventure for Walibi Rhône-Alpes, Exotic Island for Walibi Rhône-Alpes and Toutatis from Parc Asterix) show how teams can meet this challenge at different stages of development.
Together, they highlight three essential principles:
Design reality early
Protect the promise during development
Win quality on site.
1- Design reality early
Explorer Adventure opened at Walibi Rhône-Alpes in 2016. The 6M € project included a wooden coaster, a kid ride, food and beverage facilities, toilets and renewed infrastructure.
However, only 450,000 € was available for theming, while the area also had to incorporate an existing Wild Mouse coaster. Instead of distributing this limited budget evenly, the team identified the places where theming would have the strongest effect on the guest experience. The priority became the most visible areas and the concealment of the existing attraction.
A total of 180,000 euros was invested in a scenic backdrop that hid the Wild Mouse and reinforced the new story. The project adopted an approach similar to a film set: resources were concentrated on the viewpoints that mattered most to visitors.
The result demonstrates that constraints can guide creativity rather than weaken it. When operational and financial realities are integrated early, teams can focus investment where it creates the greatest emotional and visual impact.
2 - Protect the promise during development
Exotic Island opened at Walibi Rhône-Alpes in 2024 as a 12M € development. It included the Mahuka coaster, a children’s attraction, food and beverage facilities and renewed public infrastructure.
Although the concept had already been approved, savings still had to be found during design development. The challenge was to reduce costs without diminishing the experience. The team therefore protected the theming around Mahuka, the flagship attraction, while simplifying the Tiki Village and its restaurant terraces.
One of three planned buildings was removed, but the remaining composition was redesigned to preserve both the visual impact and the storyline. From the guest’s perspective, the compromise was effectively invisible. The project saved money while maintaining the intended atmosphere.
This example illustrates an important distinction: value engineering does not have to mean weakening the creative concept. It means identifying what is essential to the story, protecting it and simplifying elements that do not directly affect the guest’s perception.
3 - Win quality on site
Dock World at Walibi Belgium illustrates the importance of the construction phase. The objective was to maintain alignment between concept and reality while controlling both quality and budget. Achieving this required daily artistic supervision and rapid decision-making on site.
The project appointed a trusted local expert with detailed knowledge of the Belgian theming industry. Michel Commerman brought experience from major entertainment and cultural projects and coordinated nine specialist theming companies. Dividing the work among different suppliers created a need for strong coordination, but it also enabled close control of expertise, expenditure and execution.
This local presence allowed problems to be addressed quickly and protected the design through countless practical decisions made during construction.
Delivering the promise
These projects show that creative quality is not secured at one single moment. It is built through a continuous process of prioritisation, protection and control. Teams must confront constraints early, defend the essential elements of the story during development and remain closely involved during construction.
Ultimately, success means ensuring that the experience delivered to guests remains true to the experience originally designed.
Fabien Manuel
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