TAKING FUN FARTHER WITH TEKZONE One year older, but still light years into the future By bazaar staff
Fernando Medroa, Vice President of Leisure & Entertainment Division at Alshaya Group
We visited TEKZONE last year when it first opened and thought it was out-of-thisworld fun. It was futuristic, interactive and entertaining for everyone that it immediately became one of our all-time favorite indoor entertainment spots in Kuwait. It has been a year since they opened and we spoke to the Vice President of Leisure & Entertainment Division at Alshaya Group, Fernando Medroa to find out more about what is happening now and what will happen in the future. How would you describe TEKZONE? TEKZONE is the future of fun, the ultimate family entertainment destination. It is a unique platform that stands out from any other family entertainment center. We want to offer everyone a good time in a space that is dynamic, futuristic and most importantly fun. By using Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) attractions with thrill rides, classic games, redemption games and digitally enhanced escape rooms we have created something from the future but today. 82
Where did the idea of TEKZONE stem from? We noticed that there was a lack of entertainment options in Kuwait and Alshaya’s Leisure & Entertainment Division wanted to expand and cater to the needs of the market. We knew that our visitors would want to experience a mix of passive, interactive, and active entertainment, all under one roof. We keep hearing about Zo, who is he? Zo is a cybertronic robot and the face of TEKZONE. He comes from the distant planet Zeta, in the Andromeda galaxy. The planet is populated by the Zetans, a society light years ahead of us in technology - 2.5 million light years, to be exact. They live to play, in every sense of the word. Zo is on a mission to spread fun across the universe. So he used one of Zeta’s wormhole portals to travel back in time and space, from millions of years in the future, to reach his first destination - Earth. He exited the wormhole in the perfect spot... TEKZONE! Zo loves interacting with visitors and taking selfies with them, so don’t be shy if you spot him in the park. There are several VR spots in Kuwait now, what do you think makes TEKZONE different and sets it apart from the rest? First of all TEKZONE is located in The Avenues which is accessible to everyone all over Kuwait and people
can visit regardless of the weather. We have state-of-theart attractions, some of which are the first in the world and others being the first in the Middle East. It is an immersive experience because we use LED screens, 3D mapping and floor projections to bring the space to life which rotate between three different themes; underwater, jungle and futuristic. Just walking around the place is engaging and enthralling. Beyond playing individual games, guests are also playing an over-arching game; Time Mission. When visitors arrive, they get a Time Mission bracelet which they register using their unique avatar and information. Every time they play a game, they collect Crystals which can be used to redeem prizes or free games. Play more, win more! Were any of the games specifically designed for Kuwait? Yes, several! The VR bumper cars are the first of their kind in the world and premiered in TEKZONE. Bumper cars on their own are a staple of everyone’s childhood but the TEKZONE experience is multiplied exponentially by taking you on a fascinating outer space adventure. The Game Changer was specially designed for us too. The room rotates 360 degrees so you can try out four different games in different positions.