Greener world in KidZania Community D-10
KidZania revealed that 45,000 children from 50 countries have signed its Greener World Pledge committing to create a cleaner and greener planet.
KidZania Nails Quality Award National A-02
KidZania was recognized with Mexico’s National Quality Award.
The New Gang
Urbano, Vita and Bache welcome Beebop and Chika to its Rightzkeepers Gang!
National A-02
KidZania, January 2013
2012 Y e a r b o o k t h e v o i c e o f o u r n at i o n
Year 14 / Number 6
Foundation Day at KidZania Kuala Lumpur! KidZania Kuala Lumpur, officially became the ninth KidZania City in the world during its Foundation Day ceremony KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia. February 27, 2012. Continuing the proud KidZania traditions that first originated from Mexico, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education unveiled the Eternal Spirit of KidZania Kuala Lumpur, igniting the path to an awardwinning edutainment center for Kids. Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister, Y.A.B Tan Sri Dato’ Haji Muhyiddin Bin Haji Mohd Yassin, was also presented the Key to the City during the event. Tunku Dato’ Ahmad Burhanuddin, Managing Director and CEO of Themed Attractions and Resorts Sdn Bhd and Governor of KidZania Malaysia said “KidZania’s Foundation Day is a symbol of the establishment of a new KidZania city. We are proud to bring the fastest growing educational and entertainment brand in the world to the children of Malaysia. KidZania’s
Managing Director and CEO of Themed Attractions and Resorts Sdn Bhd along with KidZania Kuala Lumpur's Industry Partners and international delegates from other KidZania cities around the world. Spread over 7,400 m2 across two levels, KidZania Kuala Lumpur is conveniently located in the Curve NX, opposite the Curve shopping mall in Mutiara Damansara. KidZania Kuala Lumpur offers over 90 different role-plays in 60 different Establishments.
unique concept of educationbased entertainment will aid developmental growth and inspire confidence, creativity and innovation among children.” “Kids love to imagine themselves performing adult professions. At KidZania Kuala Lumpur, they can experience the world of adults through 90 authentic role playing activities. The participation of renowned local and international brands adds a further sense of realism to the city, thus enriching the educational experience for the kids.”
KidZania Kuala Lumpur also honored its Industry Partners by presenting them with Keys to the KidZania City. Present at the event were Mr. Xavier López Ancona, KidZania’s Founder and President; His Excellency Alfredo Rogerio Pérez Bravo, Mexican Ambassador to Malaysia; Tan Sri Amirsham A Aziz, Chairman of Themed Attractions and Resorts Sdn Bhd; Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Ali Redhauddin ibni Tuanku Muhriz, Chairman of Rakan Riang Sdn Bhd; Tunku Dato’ Ahmad Burhanuddin,
KidZania Opens First Children’s Theme Park in Santiago de Chile
KidZania opened its 11th children’s theme park and first South American location in Santiago, Chile
SANTIAGO, Chile. June 28, 2012. KidZania combines role play with real life experience in a kid-sized City. “We are thrilled to add KidZania Santiago to our global nation and welcome Chilean children and families to a one-of-a-kind experience where tomorrow’s lessons are today’s fun,” said Xavier López Ancona, President and Founder of KidZania. “Like so many other KidZania centers, we have received an endorsement from the Ministry of Education in Chile for creating experiences that inspire Kids to become their best selves and great global citizens.” KidZania Santiago represents a US $20 million investment and a 7,500 square meter kidsized City designed to educate, inspire and entertain 4- to 14year olds. From police officer to dentist to restauranteur, KidZania Santiago offers nearly 100 role-
playing activities in more than 50 Establishments, including a hospital, fire station, bank, radio station and more. KidZania Santiago will also feature unique,
one-of-a-kind experiences, including a mine where children learn how to extract copper, as well as conduct usability tests on the copper samples in a state-
KidZania Founder and President, Mr. Xavier López Ancona said “We are excited to launch KidZania here in Malaysia and to introduce this unique edutainment concept for the Malaysian market. Partnerships such as this have escalated KidZania to become the leading global brand in children’s experiential educational entertainment. We are very proud of this accomplishment and thank the KidZania team for their hard work, effort and dedication to this project. We look forward to KidZania Kuala Lumpur’s Grand Opening tomorrow and to welcoming the first visitors – both children and parents.”
of-the-art laboratory. In addition, KidZania Santiago will feature a gas distribution company, where kids learn the origin, importance and use of liquefied petroleum gas. “It is an honor to join the KidZania world as the first City in South America,” said Raul Matte, Governor of KidZania Santiago. “By blending reality with entertainment, KidZania Chile provides an authentic and powerful developmental experience, helping kids to understand and manage their world. Through each activity, kids learn financial literacy, career opportunities, team work, independence and selfesteem.” Since the first center opened in 1999, more than 20 million guests have visited KidZania Cities around the world. As with each new KidZania opening, KidZania Santiago will herald its debut with a Foundation Celebration introducing KidZania traditions, welcoming local diplomats and the Chilean community. Global partners such as Nestlé, LAN, CocaCola, Sony, Radio Disney, Goodyear, Hyundai, Hertz, Duracell, Pizza Hut and Petrobras, will be part of the on-going fun, enriching the experiences and adding authenticity to the careerbased roleplaying activities on site.
KidZania Cuicuilco, the World’s Largest Edutainment City is Founded
Margarita Zavala Gómez del Campo was the guest of honor, and lit the Eternal Spirit of KidZania, officially founding KidZania Cuicuilco MEXICO CITY, Mexico. May 30, 2012. Mrs. Margarita Zavala was received by Mr. Xavier López Ancona –President of KidZania– and a girl representing Mexican youth, who presented the First Lady of Mexico a travel kit with a boarding pass and all the documents required to travel to KidZania Cuicuilco. After touring the fun-filled city aboard a KidZania City Tour Bus, the First Lady and the President of KidZania arrived
to the city downtown, where a group of more than 250 people awaited them. Among the VIP guests were Mexico’s Ministers of Economy, Education, Treasury and Communications & Transportation, 18 ambassadors, Governors of 12 KidZania States, as well as representatives of the 80 Industry Partners —all supporting KidZania’s mission to help children get ready for a better world. Mr. Xavier López bestowed the First Lady with the “Key to the City”, as a token of appreciation for supporting this 100% Mexican concept, and thanked her for supporting the
development and well-being of children in Mexico and around the world. KidZania Cuicuilco is the largest, most inventive KidZania children’s theme park to date. Located in Mexico City, KidZania Cuicuilco is home to unmatched experiences for kids that spotlight environmental stewardship, empathy for differently-abled children, practical financial skills and “good-for-you” choices by way of food and recreation. KidZania Cuicuilco is a 14,000 square meter (150,000 square foot) kid-sized city complete with 90 real-world establishments, including a city hall, bank, restaurants, hospital, sport’s stadium and more. Once in the center, kids choose from more than 120 careers, including a dog trainer (complete with reallive dog), mechanic, power plant operator, surgeon, CSI investigator, tortilla chef, road paver and more. KidZania Cuicuilco is located in the Plaza Inbursa Cuicuilco shopping center and is expected to receive more than 1 million visitors per year, revolutionizing the entertainment industry, just like KidZania Santa Fe did almost 13 years ago. As this new center joins 9 others across the globe, empowerment for kids has never been so vast, realistic and fun! KidZania Cuicuilco officially opened to the public in June 21st.
Section A-02
t h e v o i c e o f o u r n at i o n
January 2013
KidZania Nails National Quality Award!
At the National Museum of Anthropology, KidZania was recognized with Mexico’s National Quality Award – Large Service Company
MEXICO CITY, Mexico. March 2, 2012. The National Quality Award is the highest corporate distinction in Mexico, usually given by the President of Mexico to companies and institutions that are examples of excellence. On this occasion, it was Mexico’s Minister of Economy, Mr. Bruno Ferrari, who presented the award on behalf of Mr. Felipe Calderón, President of Mexico. Before presenting the awards, Mr. Ferrari said “Mexicans know how to translate adversities into opportunities and produce excellent results from the ability and talent of managers and employees.” He stressed that the award, which this year recognized 2010 and 2011 winners, is a clear sign that Mexico has world-class ideas, products and business strategies. “This recognition to the excellence of Mexican companies and institutions is an
accolade to boost productivity, competitiveness and efficiency to achieve the highest quality levels,” he said. The selection of winners was done by over 150 volunteers who spent about six thousand hours during the last year to evaluate 126 proposals divided into 11 categories. To finalize, Mr. Ferrari said that with each of these recognitions “Mexico takes firm steps to move forward to a more dynamic, stronger and more competitive economy.” All Mexican enterprises and institutions of any size or sector can participate in the evaluation process, which is done using the National Competitiveness Model. This model assesses how the
organization uses opportunities and responds to the challenges faced in its own environment, as well as its performance results. The evaluation is carried out by expert evaluators representing private, public and academic
sectors, making up a multidisciplinary group of specialists with the ability to analyze organizations aspiring to obtain this award. WinnersoftheNationalQuality Award are Mexico’s pride, companies that have stood out for their administration models through a discipline that connects talent with the will of all their employees. The National Quality Award is obtained only by exemplary Mexican companies and institutions. It is not intended to not only recognize the best companies in Mexico, but to recognize the best national examples.
KidZania is Named ‘Outstanding Franchise Abroad’ 2011! MEXICO CITY, Mexico. March 1, 2012 During the 15th National Franchise Awards ceremony in Mexico, KidZania was recognized as "Outstanding Franchise Abroad", by the Mexican Franchise Association. In the event, guided by renowned Mexican radio host, Mr. Alonso Castellot, and with the presence of the Assistant Secretary for Small and Medium Enterprises, Mr. Miguel Marón, KidZania proved to be the most successful Mexican company in 2011, under the franchise scheme. The highlight of this award is that KidZania won it without even opening a single facility during 2011. However, it was the addition of new states to
the KidZania nation, as well as the company's future expansion plans, what made the Mexican edutainment company be worthy of this recognition.
KidZania Celebrates its First Global Executive KidZania Welcomes Beebop and Chika to its Meeting in the Capital of the Nation The Central Rightzkeepers Gang
MEXICO CITY, Mexico. May 28th, 2012. KidZania, introduced its new Rightzkeepers gang and their inspirational values. The introduction of new KidZania characters, Beebop and Chika, will surely spark celebrations throughout the nation. Each KidZania character brings to life different values and represents 5 key “KidZania Rights” -to Know, to Create, to Share, to Care and to Play. Each of these Rights is designed to serve as anchor values that inspire kids to think critically and act with a sense of purpose and consciousness. While wholesome and progressive thought leaders, the KidZania crew is also very relatable to today’s generation of kids. The original characters include: Urbano -a scientifically minded 9 year old boy, who loves to understand how things work and represents the right to Know. Vita -a 7 year old steward for environmental consciousness, who represents the right to Care. Bache -a fun loving dog who encourages loyalty and represents the right to Play.
The newest characters to join the KidZania gang include: Beebop -a 10 year old talented artistic boy who loves music and represents the right to Create. Chika -a 10 year old style icon and ambassador of technology who represents the right to Share. Each member of the KidZania gang reinforces the value of diversity and the importance of being one's own person. Collectively, they represent the impact diverse kids around the globe can have in making a difference in the world. The characters serve as excellent role models reminding kids that they can make a difference. "Kids have so much passion and vigor, and there is tremendous opportunity to channel that energy into social and environmental programs that benefit our world." says Hernán Barbieri, Governor of KidZania Mexico. "Each of the KidZania characters has a unique personality and values that kids can really relate to. We find they connect with kids on a different level, encouraging an understanding of different perspectives and ultimately inspiring change."
Government of KidZania hosted its first Global Executive Meeting as part of a series of events that happened around the Foundation Week of KidZania Cuicuilco
MEXICO CITY, Mexico. May 29, 2012. The event, which took place at the Camino Real Pedregal hotel in southern Mexico City, was attended by representatives of 18 KidZania States, 12 KidZania State Governors and over 50 Global Collabotarors. Meetings started with a welcome message by Mr. Andrés Fabre – Minister of State of KidZania–, thanking all visitors for traveling from all corners of the world to
that showed attendees the latest highlights of key topics of the business, such as the KidZania Strategy, owned facilities, licensed facilities, KidZania USA, merchandising, marketing, PR, interactive and corporate initiatives. Mr. Hernán Barbieri –Minister of Foreign Affairs –, then presented the K.I.A. 2011
attend the conference. Shortly after his quick message, Mr. Fabre asked all attendees to introduce themselves, so that everyone knew who they were, the KidZania State they represent and their role. He then introduced Mr. Xavier López –President of KidZania–, who presented the Address to the Nation, an executive report
Annual Report, showing in detail the most relevant findings and explaining to the attendees how to read and better understand the valuable information that the report contains. Mr. Sixto Uribe –Minister of Finance–, showed an overview of kidBOX 2.0, the new release of KidZania’s proprietary software.
The modules of this new version of the software include: kidPORT, kidBANK, kidZHOP, kidZTAFF, kidZERVICE, kidZURVEY and kidZTABLISHMENTS. Once meetings concluded for the day, all visitors were transported to KidZania Santa Fe, where they were able to discover firsthand the KidZania city where all started 13 years ago. During their tour, visitors walked through the streets, establishments and plazas of KidZania Santa Fe, and all of them stopped at the new Passport Office, where they were able to get their personalized passport. Subsequently, guests were escorted through the new offices of the Central Government of KidZania, having the opportunity to see by themselves where all the planning, development, customization and production of all KidZania cities takes place. The evening ended with a cocktail at the terrace of the Central Government of KidZania where our international guests were able to unwind, mingle and socialize with their peers from all around the world. Cammie Dunaway –Minister of Communications and Governor
of KidZania USA–, started presentations the next day explaining the rationale behind refreshing KidZania’s characters Urbano, Vita and Bache, along with the inclusion of Beebop and Chika, two new characters that will add more diversity and fun to the actual gang. Then, Mr. López delighted everyone with the new KidZania Story, in which Beebop and Chika have been integrated and bestowed with new Rights to keep: the Right to Create and the Right to Share, respectively. These new two Rights and its Rightzkeepers have been incorporated into all elements of the KidZania Story, such as the Declaration of Independence, Monuments, and even kidZo bills! Helped by Mr. Hernán Barbieri, Mr. López then gave to representatives of each KidZania state, an updated version of the Declaration of Independence, and invited everyone to place it on a visible space at their local offices. Mrs. Dunaway started a series of Marketing and PR presentations which included Social Media, Earth Day recap, Interactive, and the recently launched B•KidZanian Citizenship Program.
Section A-03
January 2013
Social Media in KidZania MEXICO CITY, Mexico. December 21, 2012. Social media is a great tool for KidZania to stay in touch with its fans: families, teachers, industry partners and media. Throughout 2012, KidZania used social media to share information about promotions, events and what was happening in the cities. Given the speed in which social media evolves, KidZania is constantly revising and adapting its policy, making sure that it keeps current with the latest launches and trends. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are the three main Social Media platforms that KidZania actually uses to stay in touch with its customers, and have proven to be a great way to build expectation about soonto-open KidZania cities, as well as engaging customers of KidZania cities under operation.
B•KidZanian Launches in KidZania Mexico with Outstanding Results MEXICO CITY, Mexico. December 1, 2012. B•KidZanian, KidZania’s Citizenship Program, was launched in Mexico’s 3 centers during 2012 with great results. The program allows kids to collect stamps associated with certain activities, attaining higher levels of status, receiving bonus kidZos, and a wide range of other membership benefits. The program consists of 3 Citizenship levels: Naturalized CitiZen (upon registration), Distinguished CitiZen (achieved after collecting 30 Stamps) and Honorable CitiZen (achieved after collecting 60 Stamps).
Highlights of the program include: · 176,000 CitiZens have been enrolled since the program started in December 2011. 33% of those came from Cuicuilco alone, in just 6 months. · Parent consent is required for participation in B•KidZanian, and mothers are the primary marketing contact in Mexico more than 2/3rds of the time. · Depending on the city, an email is provided by parents 68-80% of the time (otherwise a phone number is provided); and our email deliverability for welcome and promotional campaigns exceeds 89%. · Initial campaign statistics are promising and indicate that parents are receptive: 56% open rate on the welcome email and 36% open rate on promotional emails, and an overall unsubscribe rate of 0.06% thus far.
As CitiZens, kids will learn important leadership skills and teamwork –as well as earning benefits, while they’re having fun. CitiZens work just like grown-ups do, they role-play in real jobs –plus, they earn benefits and earn or save kidZos, our official currency, after each activity. We know that CitiZens love to help other kids, too. So we built sharing and teaching right into the B•KidZanian program. The more that CitiZens help other kids learn new skills and build a better world, the more benefits they’ll earn.
During 2013, the program will continue to expand to other KidZania cities around the nation. When a kid registers with their parent’s approval, they’ll get a personalized passport. Each time they complete an activity, they’ll earn stamps in their passport –and earn or save
kidZos depending on the activity they complete. Parents will also be the first to know –with all the latest KidZania news. All kids under the age of 17 are eligible to join.
KidZania is Named ‘Best Mexican Company’ for Second Year in a Row MEXICO CITY, Mexico. November 22, 2012. The Best Mexican Companies, an initiative promoted by Banco Nacional de México (Banamex), Deloitte Mexico and ITESM, announced the selection of the ’2012 Best Mexican Companies’ selected for their high performance in business management. Representatives of this year’s selected 40 companies who received the recognition in a gala
event held on November 22nd in the Santa Fe campus of ITESM in Mexico City, which was directed by journalist Carlos Mota. The event also had the presence of Alfonso Pompa Padilla -President of the Metropolitan Zone of Mexico City; Daniel Arreola Moska -CEO of Campus Santa Fe, ITESM-; Thomas Aldford Ehrenberg -Director of Corporate and Business Banking and Government Banking Institutions, Banamex-; Jorge Tejeda Peraza -CEO, Corporate Banking LATAM-; Arturo Garcia Bello -National Director of Middle Market, Deloitte-; Ernesto Gonzalez -CEO, Deloitte Mexico-; and representatives of the companies behind the initiative, who were given the task of selecting the winners. In this edition of ‘The Best Mexican Companies’, more than 190 Mexican companies participated as nominees. These
KidZania Mexico Announces New Governor MEXICO CITY, Mexico. September 24, 2012. The State Government of KidZania Mexico has announced today that Hernán Barbieri will serve as KidZania Mexico State Governor. For the past 4 years, Mr. Barbieri led the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the Central Government of KidZania with outstanding results. This allowed him to acquire a lot of experience in different situations. As KidZania Mexico State Governor, Hernán will be responsible of the entire KidZania Mexico business unit, which includes driving sales and growth of KidZania Santa Fe, KidZania Monterrey and KidZania Cuicuilco; operations -making sure that these three cities comply with KidZania's quality, safety and
experience standards; marketing and advertising; as well as the addition of new -and maintenance
of existing- Industry Partners participating in the three KidZania cities in Mexico.
MEXICO CITY, Mexico. August 1, 2012. The Central Government of KidZania announced today that Gilberto Guido has been appointed as Minister of Culture, effective today. Gilberto has a trajectory of more than 10 years in KidZania. As Minister of Culture, Gilberto will overview the areas of Content, Architecture, Art & Theming, Graphic Design, Multimedia and Variable Program. Gilberto Guido joined KidZania on April 2002 and since then has been involved in the design and development of all the KidZania cities around the world. He started with KidZania as a junior architect, quickly progressing in his career inside the company until his designation as Minister of Urban Design, his former position in KidZania. As Minister of Urban Design, Gilberto Guido managed and supervised all activities related with the architecture area, while
companies shared their business practices This recognition is not a ranking, or given to a specific person; it distinguishes companies by their senior business management performance, comparable internationally. Of the 40 companies recognized
this year, 14 are included for the first time on the list, while 26 endorse their comittment -some of them even from the first edition- which speaks of a group of companies committed to continuous improvement and the consolidation of their businesses.
KidZania Appoints New Minister of Culture
collaborating with the rest of the members in the experience team. Gilberto directly managed the development of architectural designs for national and international projects, making sure they all adhered to the
standards of KidZania. Before joining KidZania, Gilberto worked as an interior design architect in “Grupo MAC Architects”, a local architectural firm in Mexico City.
Section A-04
January 2013
President of KidZania Participates in Ernst & Young 2012 Strategic Growth Forum® Entrepreneurs from Colombia, Kenya, Vietnam, Turkey and Mexico say their homelands are ripe for investment, and they encouraged attendees at the Forum to take notice
PALM SPRINGS, California. November 15, 2012. The BRIC countries once got all the attention, but smaller economies are gaining ground. Entrepreneurs from Colombia, Kenya, Vietnam, Turkey and Mexico said their homelands are ripe for investment, and they encouraged attendees at the Forum to take notice. During a discussion moderated by John A. Byrne, Editor-in-Chief, C-Change Media, panelists detailed the opportunities and engaged in candid conversation about the
obstacles that persist. The countries are unique, but the keys to success are similar: patience, a savvy local partner, and the ability to navigate through the bureaucracy and local legislation. “When you get into these kinds of countries, you have to know and understand that politically there are
changes all the time,” said Yonatan Bursztyn, CEO, Nalsani SA/ TOTTO and totto tu (Colombia). His company has 474 stores in 22 countries. “Be humble; understand that every country does things in their own way,” he said. Bülent Çelebi, Chairman and co-Founder, AirTies Wireless
Networks, chose to start the company in his native Turkey. Now, the business is a leading manufacturer of wireless home media networking products that integrate free, purchased and personal content. The Turkish economy has been growing at 7% to 8% annually, he said.
The Eurozone crisis has put a dent in that number, but he expects new government policies to help maintain a high growth rate. Vietnam has a great demographic, said Le Thi Thu Thuy, Vice Chairperson and CEO of Vingroup Joint Stock Company, the country’s largest real estate company. There are 90 million people in Vietnam, and 65% are younger than 35. “There’s a hidden demand in Vietnam,” she said, describing it as the land of underserved markets. “People don’t know what they want yet.” Africa is going through a massive transformation as it uses the resources boom to transform its economies, said Dr. James Mwangi, Group Managing Director & CEO, Equity Bank Limited in Kenya, and the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012®. He transformed the once-failing financial institution into the largest bank by customer base in East and Central Africa. There is a misperception about Africa, according to Mwangi. “One aspect that is always mistaken is
that it’s a single market. Africa is 54 different countries,” he said. Mexico is a great market, said Xavier López Ancona, President, KidZania de Mexico S.A. de C.V., a company that designs and operates entertainment centers where children can role-play. Mexico is a young country — 26 is the average age. “And every day they have more purchasing power,” he said.
KidZania Keeps its Content Fresh Through its Variable Program MEXICO CITY, Mexico. December 20, 2012. -The 2012 Variable Program was launched nationwide with the important goal of attracting repeat visitors to KidZania cities. For this reason, KidZania created new content and experiences that correspond to today’s trends as well as cultural customs. The Variable Program proved to be an effective way to schedule and share change between the KidZania cities across the globe. With the participation of most KidZania cities, the following seasons of the Variable Program were implemented:
The implementation of these seasons and the participation of most KidZania cities allowed us to: • Strengthen our concept among our current customers and reach new ones • Bring new relationships with Industry Partners and suppliers • Unify our concept and image globally
KidZania Games – Right to Play Schools were out for summer holidays and in KidZania it was time to play! During summer, children participated at the sport set at Central Plaza with Olympic disciplines. They had the chance to have fun, developed skills and spend time with their friends. National Pride Right to Be This was our National Celebration around the world. It was the time to strengthen the KidZania Story, Rights, Rightzkeepers, and Values.
Greener World – Right to Care Getting Ready for a Better World starts with taking better care of our shared planet! Kids around the world shared on internet their ideas to improve the environment and then committed to toward bringing those thoughts to action.
• Keep a closer relationship between KidZania states After receiving feedback from all the cities that participated in this program, the following will be implemented in the next program: • Fixed and optional seasons • Shorter and more effective implementing times • New themes • 4-year term scalable investments, with minor adaptations.
t h e v o i c e o f o u r n at i o n
January 2013
Xavier López Ancona President
Esteban López Ancona Chancellor
Francisco Ares Valdez Chancellor
Miguel Ángel Luna Chancellor
Cammie Dunaway
Minister of Communications
Andrés Fabre
Minister of State
Cove Overley
Minister of Commerce
Scaryfun Festival – Right to Create Kids got creative and dressed up for a scary, stylish, tasteful and fun costume party. KidZania transformed itself into a spooky city and for the first time a haunted house received guests for a funthrilling experience. Sharing Wishes – Right to Share It was an amazing time to reflect back on what had taken place and went by during the past year. Kids shared their wishes to the world and helped move the share-o-meter to lightup KidZania.
Gilberto Guido
Minister of Culture
Andrew Darrow
Minister of Economy
Sixto Uribe
Minister of Finance
Carlos Guerra
Minister of Labor
KidZania Journal Editorial Staff Editor
Enrique Mena
Ministry of Communications
Art Editor
Miguel Vergara Ministry of Art
Graphic Design
Gabriela Vega Ministry of Art
Section A-05
January 2013
New and Renovated Establishments in KidZania Attract New Industry Partners KidZania Santa Fe
KidZania Tokyo
KidZania Jakarta
Hospital
Vegetable Market
Bakery
Motor Race Track
Fire Station
Dairy Factory
Shoe shop
Towel Factory
KidZania Dubai
Training Center
Recycling Shop
Book Factory
Crime Scene Investigation
Safety Enforcement House
Energy Company
News Stand
Motor Race Track
Hotel
Stadium
Chiropractic Center
Green Energy Control
KidZania Monterrey
KidZania Lisboa
KidZania Seoul
Climbing Building
Distribution Truck
Innovation Workshop
Post Office
Passport Office
Travel Agency
Nugget Factory
Customs
Section A-06
January 2013
KidZania Launches New Metropolis Website Design As KidZania grows as a leader in children’s entertainment, it is important to have a consistent global representation of our brand. This new website design provides a consistent look and feel combined with great flexibility for each KidZania metropolis. The design’s simplicity also allows for consistent navigation between computers and mobile devices.
The design will also encourage repeat visits to a KidZania city by keeping the information on the website fresh and engaging for the whole family.
Our new turnkey solution provides a Content Management System backend that will allow any KidZania metropolis to control the content on almost every page of the webpage without the need for an IT or development team.
The new website design will target adults, providing them with the essential information they need to make a successful trip to a KidZania city as quickly and easily as possible.
Affiliation of KidZania States
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
This will allow the Ministry of Communications of each KidZania state to focus their time and effort on the messages they want to communicate, instead of the construction and technical maintenance of the website.
Founded KidZania Metropolises
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Tourists by City 2012 Estimated January 2012 - December 2012
* *
(*) Since Foundation
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Tourism by Age Group by City 2012
Estimated January- December 2012
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
*
Tourism by Type of Visitors by City 2012 Estimated January- December 2012
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
State
Russia Becomes KidZania’s 18th State MOSCOW, Russia. March 31, 2012. KidZania and M.H. Alshaya Co. announced today the addition of Russia as the 18th state of the KidZania Nation. KidZania Moscow will be located in the Crocus Vegas Mall, Russia’s largest retailentertainment center with a total of 480,000 sqm (134,731 sqm of retail space). Crocus Vegas Mall is located at the intersection of Kashirskoye Shosse and the Moscow Ring Road, making it one of the most substantial nextgeneration projects on the global retail real estate market.
M.H. Alshaya Co. is among the world’s most dynamic and successful retailers, franchising some of the world’s best known brands, making them flourish in new markets, from the Middle East and North Africa to Russia, Turkey and Europe. Alshaya operates across a uniquely wide range of sectors, offering consumers the latest and best recognized names in Fashion & Footwear, Food, Health & Beauty, Pharmacy, Optics, Home Furnishings, and Office Supplies.
Section B-07
t h e v o i c e o f o u r n at i o n
January 2013
KidZania Announces Arrival to the Philippines MANILA, Philippines. August 22, 2012. KidZania announced a partnership with Play Innovations Inc. to bring its edutainment concept to the Philippines. KidZania Manila will be located in a new development within Bonifacio Global City, in Metro Manila. Play Innovations Inc. is a partnership between Kids Edutainment Ltd BVI and ABS-CBN Theme Parks and Resorts Holdings Inc., a subsidiary of ABS-CBN Corporation, Philippines’ leading information and entertainment multimedia conglomerate.
Ms. Maricel Pangilinan-Arenas, Governor of KidZania Philippines, said that “We are very excited to bring KidZania’s edutainment concept to the children and families of the Philippines. We are sure that kids within Manila and the rest of the country will be very happy to have KidZania as an entertainment option”. With this new partnership, the Philippines becomes the 19th state of our Nation. KidZania Manila is expected to open by 2015.
Qatar Becomes KidZania’s Newest State
DOHA, Qatar. December 27, 2012. KidZania closes this year with the addition of Qatar as its 20th state, reaffirming the company’s leadership in the Middle East. KidZania Doha will be operated by Sharaka Holdings and Aspire Zone Foundation and will be located in a new retail and leisure development adjoining The Villagio and Hyatt malls –two of the most successful shopping centers in Doha. KidZania Doha is expected to open by 2015.
KidZania South Korea Announces Second KidZania City in Busan
MBC PlayBe! –a subsidiary of Munwha Broadcasting Corporation– is the operator of KidZania in South Korea. KidZania Seoul is currently the only KidZania city open in that
KidZania Istanbul Participates in MARKA Conference 2012
KidZania Istanbul. KidZania offers companies a perfect scenario to let kids smell, eat, touch and produce their brands with valuable learning for their life”. MARKA Conference is Turkey's greatest business platform and has been organized since 2000. Every year over 1000 top-level business executives and 200 members of the press participate in this conference. The conference itself defines trends for the marketing world and hosts brands of the future.
territory, and has proven to be very successful. More details about the exact location, as well as expected opening date of KidZania Busan will be shared during 2013.
TOKYO, Japan. September 7, 2012. KidZania Tokyo and KidZania Koshien broke all monthly attendance records in KidZania history last August, when they reached 101,926 and 97,995 visitors respectively.
SEOUL, South Korea. December 16, 2012. KidZania South Korea has announced today the development of a new KidZania city in Busan, South Korea. The location will be announced later this year. In this regard, Mr. Xavier López –President of KidZania– mentioned: “We are very happy with this news. Busan is South Korea’s second largest city just after Seoul, so we are excited to know that KidZania will reach more Korean children”.
ISTANBUL, Turkey. December 14, 2012. Phil Sandhaus, KidZania’s Vice President of Global Business, participated at MARKA Conference 2012 with his presentation “What is Edutainment? KidZania, a Unique Example of Experiential Marketing”. Interviewed by KidZania Journal after his keynote presentation, Sandhaus said: “This was a great opportunity to explain to Turkish marketers and business owners the benefit and relevance of participating in a project like
KidZania Tokyo and KidZania Koshien Set Attendance Records
MARKA is not a technical marketing conference but it has a very unique nature of looking at brands and marketing from a life style and philosophical perspective. This year, approximately 1,200 guests attended the conference, 25% of which were business owners, CEO’s and board members of important Turkish and International companies.
Never before in the history of our company a KidZania city had received so many visitors in just one month. KCJ Group, operator of KidZania in Japan, runs two shifts daily in KidZania Tokyo and KidZania Koshien. Congratulations!
KidZania Mexico Receives Altruism Award MEXICO CITY, Mexico. November 22, 2012. KidZania Mexico received the 2012 Altruism Award by the State of Mexico. The annual awards are organized by State of Mexico’s Ministry of Social Development to recognize institutions and companies whose deeds and actions benefit society.
KidZania Mexico obtained this year’s award under the “Donor Company” category, after participating with institutions and NGOs that aid Mexican children letting them experience KidZania, as well as helping collect toys for the children these associations support.
KidZania Jakarta Recognized as “Best in Experiential Marketing 2012”
JAKARTA, Indonesia. October 30, 2012. KidZania Jakarta was awarded "Best in Experiential Marketing 2012" by Marketing Magazine, the leading marketing
magazine in Indonesia. Marketing Magazine’s Marketing Award recognizes leading companies in marketing areas. KidZania Jakarta employs marketing
as a way to be a sustainable business and achieve long-term growth. This is the fourth award that KidZania Jakarta has won since 2009 in the same category.
Section C-08
City
t h e v o i c e o f o u r n at i o n
January 2013
KidZania Announces its Foray in Mumbai KidZania , the world’s fastest-growing edutainment brand, will soon be opening doors in Mumbai
MUMBAI, India, June 13th, 2012. At a press conference hosted by Mr. Sanjeev Kumar -Governor of KidZania India- and Mr. Hernán Barbieri -Minister of Foreign Affairs, Central Government of KidZania- the team provided insight into the world of KidZania for both the media as well as potential industry partners. Bringing this unique edutainment
center to India is ImagiNation Edutainment India Pvt. Ltd., whose shareholders are Kids INC PTE LTD, Singapore & the Bollywood superstar Mr. Shah Rukh Khan. KidZania India’s first center will be opening in Mumbai, the commercial capital of India. KidZania Mumbai will be located on the 3rd & 4th level in Mumbai’s largest mall R City, LBS Marg. It is spread across 75,000 sq. ft. with 60+ establishments and 75+ roleplaying options for kids. The Mumbai center is expected to have its soft launch by mid 2013 and be fully operational by summer 2013. Speaking on the scheduled launch of KidZania Mr. Hernan Barbieri, -Minister of Foreign Affairs, Central Government of KidZania- said
“We have been delighted with the responses that KidZania has received globally and are confident that India will be equally good! The combination of our winning concept and flawless execution will give
India an edutainment center like no other! Our mission is to feature the very best educational entertainment experience in role-playing for our visitors and deliver the most effective interactive medium of
communication for our Industry Partners.” Speaking on the scheduled launch of KidZania, Mr. Sanjeev Kumar, -Governor of KidZania India- said “We are delighted to be part of the KidZania family and on track to open the first edutainment centre in Mumbai. KidZania is going to provide kids with a unique and differentiated learning experience, inspire global citizenship and build strong community awareness among our children through an experience that is hands-on, engaging, educational, and most importantly, fun. Real-world brands are a key component to our success as they add realism to the experience, making it authentic, immersive and rewarding for kids. KidZania is
a great platform for brands to participate in educating children towards a more responsible and informed way-of life. We are looking forward to partnering with leading brands and create one of the best entertainment centers in India!”
KidZania Singapore set to KidZania Comes to São Paulo Offering a New Entertainment open on Sentosa Island SINGAPORE, June 5, 2012. Sentosa Development Corporation and Themed Attractions and Resorts (TAR) are delighted to announce that the indoor edutainment theme park, KidZania, is heading to Sentosa Island in Singapore. KidZania Singapore will be TAR’s second KidZania operation theme park. “We consider it our privilege to be able to expand the KidZania family in Sentosa Island. We are looking forward to building a longterm and fulfilling partnership with Sentosa Development Corporation, which oversees the island resort’s development and attractions mix. With the growth potential of family tourism in the region, we consider this to be an excellent investment opportunity for Themed Attractions in addition to our other ongoing family tourism projects in Kuala Lumpur and Johor, Malaysia,” said Yang Mulia Tunku Dato’ Ahmad Burhanuddin, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of
Option for Children
Themed Attractions and Resorts Sdn. Bhd. KidZania Singapore will complement the spectrum of activities currently available on Sentosa Island, Singapore’s premier island resort getaway and Asia’s favourite playground. Themed Attractions currently manages and operates KidZania Kuala Lumpur, which opened in February, and it will also manage and operate KidZania Singapore through its joint venture with Boustead Holdings Berhad via Rakan Riang Pte Ltd. The awardwinning family education and
entertainment centre in Singapore is set to be the 4th in South East Asia with existing KidZanias in Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. The announcement on KidZania Singapore comes weeks after Sentosa opened POLW, its outdoor waterplay attraction, for children aged three to ten years old. The launch of POLW in April 2012 marked the start of Sentosa’s 40th anniversary celebrations, which will culminate in a birthday party on the island resort on September 1st. The island is also preparing to receive its 150 millionth guest this year.
KidZania Kuwait Hosts Launching Event KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait. April 3, 2012. KidZania Kuwait hosted a media event with a twist for local journalists today. As part of a press conference to introduce the award-winning KidZania concept to Kuwait, a number of young children acted as journalists to help preview what children, parents and businesses can look forward to when the unique interactive entertainment park opens next year at The Avenues.
Local media were then able to take turns in asking questions about the Land of Kool Kids. They were also shown a video presentation highlighting how actual activities operate within the park and explaining how local companies will be sponsoring individual establishments within the city. Explaining the concept of KidZania, Fernando Medroa, -Governor of KidZania Kuwaitsaid: “Kids have a real hunger for
more powerful play experiences that help them to learn, create, explore and collaborate. As a unique concept which unites education and entertainment –we call it ‘edutainment’- KidZania has won awards world-wide for its success, which keeps kids coming back time and again. KidZania truly gets kids ready for a better world and we are delighted to be bringing KidZania to Kuwait next year. ”
SÃO PAULO, Brazil. March 27, 2012. A special event for invited guests will signal the first step in bringing this inspiring new family entertainment option to Brazil. KidZania São Paulo will bring a unique kid-centric experience providing 4 to 14 year olds an environment that blends reality with entertainment as they take charge of their own kid-sized city. The experience is designed to educate, inspire and empower kids, yet to the children of Brazil, it will be all about fun. With an investment of US$30 million and the generation of 500 new jobs, KidZania São Paulo is expected to become operational in 2013. The family attraction will open at Shopping Eldorado in São Paulo, where it will occupy an area of 8,500 m² and will have the capacity to receive about 700,000 visitors a year. ”The experience we have gained internationally has prepared KidZania for aggressive growth. We are excited to be entering Brazil,
such an important country for our company, where we have found an ideal partner for developing the concept and a strategic place to accommodate a KidZania location. We are ready to put into practice our unique and original ideology, that combines entertainment with responsibility, learning and empowerment. We are delighted to be here and hope that our content will be well received by Brazilian children, families, businesses and the society”, claims KidZania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hernán
Barbieri.The groundbreaking event will mark the location where this new experience will be brought to life. Organized as a real city, KidZania São Paulo will feature streets, blocks, buildings and homes. KidZania São Paulo will be centered around three main areas the airport, with the access and immigration sectors, the central square and the neighborhoods. Just like in a real city, KidZania São Paulo will also have cars, buses, fire trucks and ambulances that will roam around the streets.
Fawaz Alhokair Group Launches KidZania Jeddah! JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia. July 24, 2012. Fawaz Alhokair Group celebrated today the launching event of KidZania Jeddah, the first KidZania City in Saudi Arabia that will be located at the Mall of Arabia in this city. The event was attended by a large number of businessmen, media and KidZania Jeddah’s industry partners. Mr. Fawaz Alhokair, Chief Executive Officer at Al Hokair Group said: “We are delighted to be launching the first branch of KidZania in the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia, in order to develop our society. This is just the beginning; we look forward to establishing more branches around Saudi Arabia for the interest of all of our sons and our daughters”. He added “after the great success achieved by KidZania around the world we decided to bring this wonderful experience to Saudi society”. The event was attended also by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hernán Barbieri representing KidZania Central Government.
Section C-09
January 2013
KidZania Cuicuilco, the Most Progressive Children’s Theme Park & Largest KidZania City!
MEXICO CITY, Mexico. June 21st, 2012. KidZania, a global leader in children’s edutainment, officially opened its largest children’s theme park yet, KidZania Cuicuilco, located in Mexico City. Not
empowerment for kids has never been so vast, realistic and fun. Fueled by a child’s natural desire to create, explore and collaborate, KidZania Cuicuilco is equal parts entertainment and education, making it one of the most
only does the park introduce children to new and relevant careers in a highly entertaining way, but for the first time, integrates innovative experiences to teach children environmental stewardship, empathy for kids with different abilities, how to make “goodfor-you” food and recreation choices, hands-on driving and road safety via a fleet of kidsized eco-friendly vehicles, and much more. In this new expansive park experience,
progressive theme park concepts in the world today. Young visitors enter KidZania Cuicuilco through the center mock airport into the sprawling 150,000 square foot kid-sized city complete with 90 establishments, including city hall, a bank, restaurants, a hospital, sports stadium and more. Kids can choose from among 120 different trades and professions that it takes to run a city. It’s the ultimate role-playing experience for kids ages 4 to 16. The ribbon cutting ceremony
At KidZania Lisboa, Adults Can be Kids Again
Dental Clinic, Perfume Show, Security Center, Radio Station, Newspaper Edition and Photo Lab. In these establishments, clearly marked with signage "Parents Welcome!", adults could enter and perform the activity with their kids. Children were adults and adults became kids again!
LISBOA, Portugal. April 9, 2012. Since the end of the first quarter of this year KidZania Lisboa reserved the second Sunday of each month to open its doors to adults. In addition to the Establishments in which parents can usually participate (Theater, TV Studio, City Tour Bus, among others), KidZania Lisboa offered a selection of activities where adults could participate such as Power Company, Juice Factory,
experience what it would be like to have a disability.
was done by Mr. Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon, Mayor of Mexico City and his wife Mrs. Rosalinda Bueso de Ebrard, together with Mexico City’s Attorney General, Mr. Jesús Rodríguez Almeida, and Mexico City’s DIF Director, Mr. José Andrés Millán, officially starting the operation of the facility.
After the short ceremony, Mexico City’s Mayor and his delegation drove through the 14,000m2 facility on board of one of the electric cars that run on the streets of this eco-friendly city which expects to receive over 1 million visitors per year. “KidZania Cuicuilco is our most inventive and engaging theme park yet,” says Xavier López Ancona, President and founder of KidZania. “With KidZania Cuicuilco, we’ve introduced 21st century career choices, elevated awareness around global issues like the environment, and made certain that every child, no matter their level of ability, can participate. We’ve brought the most authentic and fun real-
KidZania Cuicuilco also features a state-of-the-art security system to ensure a safe and fun experience for children navigating the park with or without their parents. Every child and parent/chaperone entering the center receives matching RFID-bracelets, providing the location of child and parent within a mere meter of the person’s location. While the children play, parents can relax in the parent’s lounge, which features a spa, movie room, restaurant and Internet (WiFi) café.
life experiences to life to help children understand and manage their ever-changing world. As we continue our global expansion, we look forward to bringing these new, relevant and awe-inspiring entertainment experiences to kids the world over.” Following are just a few of the many unique, handson activities and experiences now available at KidZania Cuicuilco: - More than 120 careers, including dog trainer (complete with real dog), mechanic, power plant operator, CSI investigator, tortilla chef, road paver, and more. - The world’s most authentic driving experience for children – complete with driver’s education, auto insurance, and the largest fleet of electric kidsized vehicles (minivans, SUVs,
ambulances, city buses and police cars). - Fully immersive environmental job experiences featuring an electric power plant, wind turbines, solar panels, and water treatment facility to emphasize the global importance of conservation. - Recyclables dropoff center for the surrounding community, which is integrated into park activities. - Three-story disaster center, which simulates flood, fire or earthquake and teaches children how to respond. - Tools to help special needs children (and KidZania staff) navigate the park independently, as well as activities that allow typically-able kids to
Airplane Lands in KidZania Cairo CAIRO, Egypt. June 28, 2012. KidZania Cairo celebrated the arrival of its airplane, marking a key milestone in the development of the first edutainment city in Egypt, which is due to open in 2013. “The landing of KidZania Cairo’s airplane sets a real landmark of the kids-scale city as it will be the gateway to a realistic world where children will be offered more than 100 real-world professions to role play,” said Mr. Tarek Zidan –Governor of KidZania Egypt. Commenting on such a key addition to the kids-scale city, Mr. Ken Foster –Regional Director of Mivan Contractors, responsible of KidZania Cairo
fit-outs–, added that: “As one of the partners of KidZania Cairo, we take great pride at where the city stands now in terms of construction, which reflects the keenness of the team to follow the city’s opening plan & schedule.”
Spanning over 8,600 m2 on a two-storey layout, KidZania Cairo is expected to draw between 750,000 to 1 million visitors when it opens in 2013 at Cairo Festival City.
KidZania Bangkok Hosts Events for Thai Media and Industry Partners BANGKOK, Thailand. July 31, 2012. KidZania, is readying to open in Bangkok its largest site in South East Asia, and 3rd largest in the world, with an investment of over Bht 760 million. To announce this, KidZania Bangkok hosted this morning an event for Thai media. A total of 68 reporters representing 14 newspapers, 17 magazines, 6 TV shows, 2 radio channels, and 8 websites attended the event. Located on the fifth floor of Siam Paragon and covering floor space in excess of 10,000 square metres, the kid-sized city, now 85% complete, will be a landmark addition to Bangkok, helping to create a major new attraction for Bangkok as well as boost the capital’s appeal as a regional destination with a very sophisticated family edutainment product. “Allowing kids to immerse themselves in roles based in reality, rather than fantasy, brings out the best
in them." said Mr. Scott Schubert, Governor of KidZania Thailand. "As they explore careers at KidZania, they face real-life situations that help in the development of their problemsolving skills. Through role-playing they learn to take on new challenges and overcome obstacles, building self-confidence in their ability to manage the world around them.” Mr. Xavier López Ancona, Founder and President of KidZania, said, “Parents in Thailand and around the globe are looking for innovative and
better ways to prepare and motivate their children. Kids learn by doing, and they learn even better if they are having fun at the same time. While in Bangkok to inspect the progress and meet with partner organizations López noted, “Our emphasis is on giving kids an experience as true to the real world as possible, which is why we partner with real world organizations. Together, we create experiences based on actual careers authenticated by partner organizations.
Ramadan Festivities in KidZania Dubai
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates. July 22, 2012. KidZania Dubai, the award-winning children's 'edutainment' destination in The Dubai Mall managed by Emaar Retail LLC, marked the end of the year by encouraging children to reflect on their future aspirations and make a wish for a better world with the 'Ramadan' festivities. The 'Ramadan' festivities will celebrate every child's inner light and invite them to make
a wish for a better world, thus beginning a journey of reflection and gratitude. Ric Fearnett, Mayor of KidZania Dubai said: "Our mission at KidZania is to inspire mids to think beyond today and also work towards a better tomorrow. Whether it be exploring careers that help them build their innate talent, or partner in ways to promote global harmony, we work to spark ideas in them and ignite action.
KidZania Cuiciulco has more than 90 global partners present in the center, including Nestlé, Interjet, Toyota, DHL, Berlitz, Evenflo, Manpower, Cartoon Network, Banco de México and others. They are an integral part of the experiences and add authenticity to the career-based, role-playing activities.
KidZania Monterrey Receives NASCAR Mexico
MONTERREY, Mexico. September 27, 2012. Mrs. Gretta Salinas de Medina –President, DIF Monterrey–; Mr. José Luis Gómez García –Deputy Director Corporate Market, Telmex–; members of the “Racing to Change Stories” program, as well as NASCAR Racing Series Mexico pilots Antonio Pérez, Daniel Suárez and Elliot Van Rankin, announced the social aids that will be given during the 12th NASCAR Mexico Race in Monterrey’s Race Track. TELMEX Foundation, together with Mexico’s Ministry of Health, Carlos Slim Institute of Health, MVS Foundation, CIE Foundation, Inbursa Foundation, Telcel and NASCAR Racing Series, work together with the “Racing to Change Stories” program that offers hundreds of low income people the possibility of a better quality of life. This program will deliver 30 wheel chairs, 4 organ transplants, 100 eye surgeries, 50 reconstructive surgeries, 20 computer equipments for schools and 400 hearing aids.
Section D-10
Community
t h e v o i c e o f o u r n at i o n
January 2013
KidZania Celebrates World Environment Day as 45,000 Kids sign Global Pledge to Create a Greener World MEXICO CITY, Mexico. June 5, 2012. In honor of the United Nations’ World Environment Day, KidZania, today revealed that 45,000 children from 50 countries have signed its Greener World Pledge committing to create a cleaner and greener planet. The pledge is the culmination of KidZania’s first-ever “Kidz for a Greener World” campaign, which launched on April 1st in an effort to educate and build greater environmental awareness among the world’s youth. KidZania’s Greener World Pledge includes a collection of practical ideas submitted by kids (e.g., picking up trash, using both sides of paper, turning off lights, and taking shorter showers) and served as the
cornerstone of a global celebration to amplify the importance of environmental stewardship. Signatures were collected online and at all KidZania locations. “KidZania believes that children can have a positive impact on the Earth no matter their age,” said Xavier López Ancona, President and founder of KidZania. “The Kidz for a Greener World pledge demonstrates that kids have a universal and innate desire to protect their world. From Mexico to Malaysia, from Indonesia to India, from Portugal to the Philippines – children from around the globe vowed to make earthhealthy choices, everyday habits.” The Kidz for a Greener World campaign was born from the
company’s mission to help kids create a better world. Each KidZania city created customized eco-conscious activities to appeal to its local youth, including KidZania Lisbon, who won the “Greenest City” award in a KidZania center to center competition. KidZania Jakarta brought the Greener World program to more than 50 enthusiastic schools. KidZania
Seoul collected pledge signatures electronically and distributed herb seeds and recipes. And, KidZania Dubai colored the entire city green and hosted a fashion show of child-made recycled wares. A video montage was developed spotlighting some of the best ecoideas submitted by children was developed.
KidZania Mexico and USA Make-A-Wish Malaysia Collaborators Help Build a House Makes Kenny’s Dream
Come True in KidZania Kuala Lumpur
VILLA DEL CARBÓN, México. November 25, 2012. KidZania collaborators from the Central Government, KidZania USA, KidZania Santa Fe and KidZania Cuicuilco, joined “Ayúdame que Yo También Soy Mexicano AC” -a Mexican NGO that looks to improve the quality of life of thousands of Mexican families that live in isolation and extreme poverty- and together built a home for a family of five in Villa del Carbón, State of Mexico. For the last 12 years, ATMAC has actively participated with lowincome families and communities, giving them the opportunity not
called “machihembloque” (a compound word to describe the innovative male-female
only to have a proper home, but also helping them create sustainable physical, cultural and educational heritages. ATMAC uses a revolutionary construction method to build houses, developed by Mexican architect Raúl Sánchez Mora. This method,
connection blocks) consists of adobe blocks, manufactured with local soil and clay and only 10% cement. The design of the blocks integrates slots and ribs that match together perfectly without the need of extra bonding mixtures. By using local resources, this system minimizes environmental damage and promotes community work, improving the quality of life of the beneficiary family. The finished house will have an area of 44.5 sqm with 3 bedrooms, living room, kitchen, one bathroom and a concrete roof.
PETALING JAYA, May 24, 2012. Kenny is just like any other excited visitor exploring the beautifully paved streets of KidZania Kuala Lumpur. He is laughing and joking with friends while they wait their turn at the various establishments. He is carefully earning his kidZos so he can pick something out from the KidZania Department Store. Kenny also happens to be in a wheel-chair. Kenny is from Beautiful Gate Home, he is disabled and his greatest wish was to spend a day in KidZania with his other friends from the home. His cherished wish was made possible through the kind generosity of Make-AWish Malaysia and its newfound supporter, KidZania Kuala Lumpur. When the team from
Out of KidZania Takes Japanese Kids to Thailand BANGKOK, Thailand. August 29, 2012. Out of KidZania is a program initiated by KidZania Japan to provide children even more real world educational experiences like visits to Industry Partners manufacturing facilities. Recently Out of KidZania had their first trip outside of Japan with a visit to a Nichirei production facility in Thailand. Twenty children and 6 zupervisors traveled with Yosuke Sekiguchi, head of Marketing and
Ami Kamino from the Industry Partners team on the three-day adventure. Mr. Okanda and Ms. Watanabe from Nichirei and media representatives from Kobayashi and Asahi newspapers also participated in the trip. The children ranged in age from 11 to 14 years old and were selected from a number of applicants based on an essay describing their reasons for wanting to participate. After arriving from Tokyo, the group had dinner with staff from
KidZania Kuala Lumpur were contacted about this wish, they were more than happy to make the arrangements and grant Kenny his Wish Day in KidZania Kuala Lumpur. The Mayor of KidZania Kuala Lumpur, Susanah Abdul Rani said “It was great to see Kenny and all his friends have a fun time in KidZania. KidZania is a place where kids are empowered to lead independent lives, and to understand the world of grown-ups better as they role-play adult occupations and we were more than happy to have Kenny visit and be empowered as he enjoyed the unique experiences in KidZania Kuala Lumpur.”
Kenny’s adventure began right from the moment he entered the KidZania International Airport, where he received his own boarding pass, a check for 50 kidZos and a map to the city. After cashing his check, he and his friends went around the city trying different ‘jobs’. Kenny later had the special opportunity of celebrating his birthday at KidZania Kuala Lumpur surrounded by his friends. He was also treated to a special performance by the KidZania Artistic team.
KZ Prezz Goes Digital for its 13th Edition KidZania Bangkok and 10 Thai children. It was apparent that the kids had a great time getting to know one another as the Japanese children showed the Thai kids how to make fans with origami swans and cherry blossoms. The next day the Japanese children learned more about the
culture of Thailand by visiting a coconut farm, a floating market, an elephant show and a Tesco supermarket. The kids, many of whom had never traveled out of Japan, really loved seeing the similarities and differences in how people live and work in Thailand.
MEXICO CITY, Mexico. December 31, 2012. KidZania Central Government’s Ministry of Communications has announced today that the 13th edition of the KZ Prezz will be entirely digital. The decision was taken in view of KidZania’s global efforts of being an ecofriendly company. With 11 KidZania cities open and 13 in various levels of development, this year KidZania had a lot
of media coverage –which will most probably continue to grow exponentially in the next years– and printing a large amount of copies would have meant a waste of paper. For that reason, we have created an online viewer so that everyone can read and review all news clippings and print only the ones they want. We invite you to review the digital edition of the KZ Prezz at KidZania.com/kzjournal/eng
Section E-11
t h e v o i c e o f o u r n at i o n
January 2013
University of KidZania Proves to Be Truly Global with Its Biggest Class Ever! MEXICO CITY, Mexico. November 5, 2012. The University of KidZania received its biggest class ever, comprised of 15 representatives of 5 different KidZania cities: Bangkok, Cairo, Manila, Monterrey and Mumbai. This is the first time the University of KidZania has had such a large class, with passionate people from different countries, cultures and time zones. This is certainly a proof of the global
footprint that KidZania has today, with 11 KidZania cities open and 13 more to come. Graduates from this class will cover different key positions at their local KidZania cities, and took the majors corresponding to their field. From purchasing to operations, IT and group sales, the class spent valuable one-on-one sessions with the U of K faculty at the Central Government, KidZania Santa Fe, KidZania Monterrey and KidZania Cuicuilco facilities.
Members of the KidZania USA Advisory Committee visit the Central Government of KidZania During the Graduation Ceremony held at KidZania Santa Fe’s theater, Mr. Xavier López –President of KidZania– mentioned that graduates: “Are now responsible of taking all the knowledge and learning to their local KidZania city, to touch the hearts and minds of kids
in their respective KidZania States”. Mr. López added “You have an entire team of people at the Central Government of KidZania to help and support you at all times, to back you up and make sure you build a successful KidZania city”.
More than 50 IAAPA-Latin America Members Visit KidZania Cuicuilco! This was the first formal tour of the facility dedicated to members of the leisure industry and it was received with great enthusiasm MEXICO CITY, Mexico. KidZania Cuicuilco March 14, 2012. More than 50 C-level executives and owners of the top entertainment corporations in Latin America visited KidZania Cuicuilco, as part of the Latin American Networking Event organized in Mexico City by the International Association of Amusement Parks and
Attractions (IAAPA). The leisure industry representatives arrived at 10 am to KidZania Cuicuilco’s theater, where Xavier López Ancona, President of KidZania, introduced the concept behind this new, highly innovative theme park.
Attendees learned about the many dimensions of the facility, its current development status and how the park’s innovative career-based activities and model of environmental and social stewardship will prepare kids for their role in creating a better world.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates. September 5, 2012. The Summit took place on September 4-5, 2012 at The Palace-The Old Town hotel in Dubai with the objective of sharing successful Industry Partners’ cases and common difficulties encountered during the pitch/sales process. Besides useful presentations from representatives of the Central Government of KidZania and
the KidZania States, attendees participated in a Team Workshop where 4 teams had to prepare a case study and then present it to the rest of the teams. This excercise contributed to sharing recommendations and best practices. According to the event’s survey, we’re very glad to know that 100% of the participants think that the event met their expectations and that the team workshop was useful.
MEXICO CITY, Mexico. July 20, 2012. The Central Government of KidZania was honored to receive some of the members of the KidZania Advisory Committee this week. The KidZania Advisory Committee is a small, handpicked group of advisors that come from a wide range of fields including Education, Entertainment, Marketing, Consumer Research, Accessibility, Play Theory and Digital Safety, and are major influencers via their work, blogging, publications and speaking engagements.
Each advisor was selected based on the significant contributions they’ve made in their own field. KidZania has created the Advisory Committee to share their expertise with the KidZania US team as we plan for opening the first KidZania location in the US. The group visited the Central Government of KidZania, as well as KidZania Santa Fe and KidZania Cuicuilco to learn more about and experience KidZania in order to then be able to reflect and advise us as we plan for the US.
KidZania's Second Industry Partners' Summit in Jakarta
KidZania Celebrates its First Industry Partners’ Summit in Dubai KidZania’s Central Government celebrated its first Industry Partners’ Summit for the Middle East and North Africa
Shortly after the presentation, with the support of KidZania executives and collaborators, visitors were invited to explore the new facility first-hand, experience the establishments and sample activities from the more than 120 careers that will be offered to children when KidZania Cuicuilco opens later this summer. Following the extensive tour, the Latin American representatives were taken to one of KidZania Cuicuilco’s Food and Beverage outlets, where they were able to sample the fresh local ingredients and good for you choices that will be offered as part of this revolutionary theme parks focus on helping kids learn the importance of caring for self.
The Central Government of KidZania will plan to do similar summits in other regions of the world where KidZania has presence, with the intention of having other members of the KidZania family network, share best practices, obtain tools and align strategies for improving Industry Partners’ sales performance of their region.
JAKARTA, Indonesia. November 9, 2012. -KidZania’s Central Government celebrated its Second Industry Partners’ Summit for the Southeast Asia region on November 7-8, 2012. Two months after celebrating a similar event for the Middle East region in Dubai, representatives of KidZania in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Philippines gathered at the Aryaduta Semanggi hotel in Jakarta to share their experience with Industry Partners in their projects.
KidZania Creates the KidZania Challenge
MEXICO CITY, Mexico. January 16, 2012. The Central Government of KidZania, concerned about the health and well being of its collaborators, created the “KidZania Challenge”, a health program aiming to lose weight, improve health and feel better. All collaborators at the Central Government were invited to participate, with the commitment of exercising, following a balanced diet and getting
regular check-ups by nutritionists. To make things fair for everyone, characteristics such as age, height, gender, and fat percentage were considered to select a winner. After three months, Adriana Gutiérrez –Database Manager, IT– was announced as the winner, getting a free trip to the Foundation of KidZania Kuala Lumpur.