When I Grow Up
National A-02
The New Yorker magazine writes about KidZania, a company that operates children’s play centers...
2015 Recognitions
National A-02
KidZania's concept has been recognized by renowned institutions, associations and governments from different parts of the world...
2015 Best Metropolis
Life E-11
This award recognizes KidZania Cuicuilco as the best among the 16 facilities that were eligible this year...
KidZania, March 2016
2015 Y e a r b o o k Year 17 / Number 9 k i d z a n i a
n e w s
b u l l e t i n
t h e v o i c e o f o u r n at i o n
KidZania Jeddah Becomes KidZania's 17th Metropolis! JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia. January 15, 2015. –KidZania Jeddah has been founded today, making it the 17th location where kids are completely in charge of their destiny as they navigate a kid-sized city and test drive careers of every kind –from doctor to secret agent to professional soccer player. To date, KidZania has hosted more than 40 million children at its edutainment locations that span the world from Japan to Chile and
Thailand to Portugal. KidZania Jeddah is also the third Middle East location, joining KidZania Dubai and KidZania Kuwait. Built on an unwavering commitment to help children realize their full potential in a fun and educational context, KidZania Jeddah boasts more than 68 establishments that provide 85 real-world careers to deliver the brand’s signature role-playing experience. Kids ages 4-14 will discover an ultra-realistic,
kid-sized replica of a city, built indoors and brought to life with real-world establishments sponsored and branded by leading multi-national and local brands. Located at the Mall of Arabia, KidZania Jeddah will provide a unique opportunity for Saudi children and guests from around the world to experience life as adults, working together to run the city, while simultaneously learning the values of leadership and teamwork.
KidZania São Paulo is Founded! SÃO PAULO, Brazil. February 5, 2015. – Yesterday, during a lovely ceremony, KidZania São Paulo officially became the 18th KidZania Metropolis in the world and fifth in Latin America. Located in Shopping Eldorado, KidZania São Paulo spans over 8,000 sqm, offering 80 fun and educational activities in 70 establishments, from a bank and flight simulators, to a theater, fire station, soccer stadium and hospital.
The Brazilian state of São Paulo has a population of over 45 million that now has a unique space where education and fun combine, offering exciting experiences to young visitors. At KidZania São Paulo, Brazilian kids will have the opportunity to practice their beloved national sport in a scaled-down soccer stadium and become volunteer agents at the UNICEF activity, making it the only KidZania Metropolis working together with that important organization.
KidZania London Harnesses the Power of Role-Play & Fun Learning in 19th Global Location London, UK. June 25, 2015. –Today’s grand opening of KidZania London marks KidZania’s 19th location where kids can experience the inner workings of a kid-sized city with careers of every kind –from firefighter to chocolatier to radio personality. Today, KidZania is a global phenomenon and one of the world’s fastest growing educational entertainment brands with 19 locations in 16 countries –accounting for more than 42 million visitors since first opening in 1999.
KidZania Manila Becomes the 20th Global Metropolis of our Nation!
At KidZania London, located inside Westfield London, children ages 4-14 will discover an ultrarealistic, kid-sized indoor replica of a city that is brought to life with 48 real-world establishments and 60 different careers. Built on an unwavering commitment to help children realize their potential, KidZania is designed to inspire children to make their own discoveries about the world and ready them for a positive and healthy future.
MANILA, Philippines. July 29, 2015. –Last night, KidZania founded its 20th location, KidZania Manila, which will serve as a dedicated play and learning space for Filipino children, as well as an attraction for families throughout Asia. KidZania is one of the world’s fastest growing educational entertainment brands with 20 locations in 17 countries. Since opening its first location in 1999, KidZania has welcomed over 42 million visitors, where children learn the inner workings of a kid-sized city and play in realworld establishments like a police station, hospital or bake
shop. KidZania Manila joins today other KidZania facilities in Asian countries such as Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and South Korea. KidZania Manila is located in Bonifacio Global City, right in the National Capital Region of the Philippines, known as the most densely populated city in the world with more than 12 million residents and considered a cultural hub of Asia. Celebrating a rich legacy, KidZania Manila showcases Filipino cultural and design elements throughout the city, like the KidZania Manila Theater that is inspired by the Nelly Gardens in Ililo.
At KidZania Manila, children aged 4-14 can discover, explore, and learn about the inner workings of the city by running the city –choosing from more than 80 different careers in nearly 60 different establishments (hospital, police station, jewelry shop, magazine publisher, radio station, construction site and more). Preserving KidZania’s commitment to help children realize their true potential, KidZania Manila is designed to inspire children to learn about the world around them and be ready for a successful, positive, and healthy future.
Section A-02
t h e v o i c e o f o u r n at i o n
March 2016
Presidential Tour PRESIDENCY OF KIDZANIA. As mentioned during the 2014 Zummit in Mexico City, the President of KidZania announced the beginning of his plans for KidZania 4.0, which included visiting all KidZania States, interviewing fellow collaborators as well as visiting competitors, and other entertainment players in order to get a sense of the needs, improvements and new ideas that should be implemented in the new generation of KidZania.
The idea behind this proposal is to have direct communication between area or “field” expertZ in each KidZania State and the Central Government of KidZania. 2.- KidZania needs to focus in its people to be able to offer the best guest experience and customer service possible. In this regard, training will be reinforced, staff facilities will be improved and better recognition programs for our Zupervisors will be implemented.
3.- Hundreds of best and worst practices were obtained. These will be downloaded and incorporated in all the KidZania guidelines, manuals, procedures and SOPs, policies, presentations, templates, PXPs, EXPs, programs, FiMos and the National Archive. This exhausting task wouldn’t have been possible without the help and support of all of you. ZanKs to everyone for your help in arranging our visit with such a short notice and even during holidays or difficult times.
After visiting over 135 competitors, 30 cities and interviewing over 1,400 people, there were three main findings our President, together with Enrique Mena -his Chief of Staffdiscovered, which are described below: 1.Most of the input received already exists in our documentation. To improve communication, the ExpertZ per Field Project was launched.
When I Grow Up NEW YORK, New York, U.S.A. January 19, 2015. –The January 19, 2015 edition of the prestigious The New Yorker publishes an extensive article about KidZania. Rebecca Mead writes about KidZania, a company that operates children’s play centers resembling miniature cities. Rather than escape into a fantasy world, at KidZania children take jobs, purchase items branded by corporate sponsors, pay taxes, and even run a legal system. On that same week’s Out Loud podcast, Mead joined Michael Agger, the culture editor of newyorker.com, along with the staff writer Nick Paumgarten, to discuss KidZania’s unusual approach to play. They discussed the parenting and educational philosophies behind various forms of kids’ entertainment, the challenge of finding safe play spaces for children that offer real freedom, and some of the aspects of the KidZania model.
KidZania Recognitions Achieved during 2015 Since the first KidZania metropolis opened in Mexico City back in 1999, our concept has been recognized by renowned institutions, associations and governments from different parts of the world. Here’s the summary of the awards obtained this year: During May 2015, KidZania Santa Fe, KidZania Cuicuilco, KidZania Santiago, KidZania Kuwait, KidZania Tokyo, KidZania Koshien, KidZania Dubai, KidZania Mumbai, KidZania Lisboa, KidZania Jakarta and KidZania Bangkok were all granted a TripAdvisor® 2015 Certificate of Excellence award. Travelers go to TripAdvisor to plan and investigate about the attractions they desire to visit. Certificate of Excellence celebrates the accommodations, attractions and eateries that make these perfect trips possible. As President of TripAdvisor for Business, Marc Charron knows how important Certificate of Excellence is: “By putting a spotlight on businesses that are focused on delivering great service to customers, TripAdvisor not only helps drive an improvement to hospitality standards around the world, it also gives businesses both large and small the ability to shine and stand out from the competition.”
Xavier López, President of KidZania, was impressed with the exciting news: “Winning 11 TripAdvisor Certificates of Excellence out of the 16 eligible KidZania metropolises is only a result of how the KidZania concept is so well received all over the world, but more importantly, about the consistency in the quality of the service and the experience our millions of annual visitors receive every time they come to KidZania. My most sincere KongratZ to the members of the recognized teams, whose hard work and commitment to make our visitors’ have a Zaz! experience every time they visit us is recognized with these awards. This only proves KidZania’s commitment to excellence.”
On June 3, KidZania Jeddah was bestowed with the “2015 Most Innovative Concept” award in the Retail & Leisure category at the Global RLI Awards held in Dubai. RLI, the World’s only Global Retail & Leisure magazine hosted the Tenth ‘Global RLI Awards’, which once again had all the glitz and glamour that the industry expected from the most highly anticipated event on the global retail and leisure calendar, an evening of recognition and celebration for the most innovative and imaginative retail and leisure concepts across the globe. KidZania as a global company obtained the “Highly Commended” award in the Global Leisure Operator category.
Representing KidZania, Andrew Darrow said: “World industry leaders in retail, leisure, development and design all joined in a single illustrious affair to recognize the best in the business in the setting of a first class event. KidZania truly set the entertainment industry apart when it first launched in Mexico City back in 1999. It has done it again with KidZania Jeddah, which is the first over100 employee company in Saudi Arabia that is 100% staffed by women. Bit by bit, KidZania is really preparing global children to get ready for a better world”.
On October 16, during a gala dinner at the beautiful “Tlaquepaque Historical House”, in Guadalajara, Jalisco, the Mexican Institute for Best Corporate Practices recognized KidZania and its president and founder for their Business Trajectory. The recognition, which celebrated its third year, acknowledged KidZania for its outstanding trajectory, leadership and commitment to positively improve the societies and environments where the Mexican edutainment company operates. On October 25, KidZania Dubai was voted “Top Edutainment/Recreational Centre” at the Mother Baby & Child’s Awards! The accolade recognized KidZania Dubai’s commitment in ensuring that families receive high quality service, information and products in every visit. Two days later, on October 27, at the Winter Garden lounge of the new HSBC tower building in Mexico City, the United Kingdom Trade & Investment office in Mexico recognized KidZania among the Mexican companies that successfully operate in the United Kingdom. These awards –bestowed for the first time ever– acknowledge the effort of Mexican companies that have started business in the UK. The gala ceremony had the presence of Mr. Duncan Taylor –Ambassador of the UK to Mexico– who personally gave the recognition to Mr. Xavier López Ancona, president and founder of KidZania.
Last but not least, on November 5, KidZania was recognized as a “Best Mexican Company”, obtaining the Golden Recognition for being one of the very few corporations obtaining the award for the fifth time in a row. The “Best Mexican Company” Awards honor Mexican mediumsized private corporations for their outstanding business management, becoming a benchmark for remarkable best business practices and processes.
Section A-03
EGADE Business School and Harvard Business School Exchanging Explore the Future Knowledge for a Challenges of KidZania Better World THE UNIVERSITY OF KIDZANIA, the main educational institution of our nation, had a busy year during 2015 with training sessions for a total of 67 collaborators from 16 different States (including Brazil, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Mexico, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey and the UAE, as well as new members of KSLP and the Central Government of KidZania) that traveled to Mexico to obtain the appropriate training for each of their positions.
The UofK also saw changes in its team, with the incorporation of Marusha Ruiz and María José Macías. Among the most important milestones the UofK experienced during 2015 was a total redefinition of its participation in the K.I.T.E. Program, involving almost an entire overhaul of the activities performed and guaranteeing the prior involvement of the UofK with the pre-opening training program of the Facility in order to provide just in time consultancy before such evaluation takes place. In this regard, the UofK partook in the K.I.T.E. Program and Certification of KidZania Jeddah, KidZania London and KidZania Manila.
The institution developed a local UofK deployment package, including resources that are fundamental for planning and developing the pre and post opening training of a KidZania Facility. Lastly, the academic institution created the Training Kommunity Blog of the University of KidZania, a community of learning and practice in matters related to training conducted in KidZania metropolises around the world, with a view to promoting its use to a greater extent during 2016.
MEXICO CITY, Mexico. EGADE Business School. November 19, 2015. –EGADE’s Service Management Investigation Group and Harvard Business School professor emeritus James L. Heskett, globally renowned as a pioneer of the Service Management area, elaborated the case study entitled “KidZania: Shaping a Strategic Service Vision for the Future”, published by the Harvard Business School Publishing on August 2015.
t h e v o i c e o f o u r n at i o n
March 2016
Xavier Lopez Ancona President
Esteban Lopez Ancona Chancellor
Francisco Ares Valdez Chancellor
Miguel Angel Luna Chancellor
Andres Fabre
Minister of State
Andrew Darrow
Minister of Economy
Gilberto Guido
The case describes not only the origins of the concept, its history and the key points during its evolution, but also the good practices that have taken KidZania to consolidate on a global scale while exploring the challenges the successful Mexican edutainment franchise faces. KidZania is an innovative edutainment center for children 4 to 14. It is a “nation” comprised by parks that replicate child-sized cities, offering children the possibility to role-play as adults. Each city has a main plaza, an airport and around 70 establishments where kids have the possibility of trying up to 120 activities from operating a patient inside a hospital, putting down a fire, drive a bus, get university education, make their own pizza, broadcast their own news or become an airplane pilot. With the vision to prepare them for a better world, all the activities, besides being fun, have an educational-formative component that helps children develop skills and values that are key for their adult-life. KidZania also has its own flag, national anthem and currency: the “kidZo”. This way, children can earn, save and use their “kidZos”, besides getting their own debit card while learning in a fun way how economy works. Due to its innovative concept, KidZania has created a new entertainment category, centered in experiential learning and has positioned itself as one of the most successful Mexican franchises in the world. Its success relies on the creative way in which it has managed to include all its stakeholders, through an expansion model based on win-win-win relationships that involve globally renowned brands, consolidated groups of companies in each of the country it operates in and a commitment and continuous innovation culture. As of today, KidZania has 20 facilities around the world, three of them in Mexico, its country of origin, and the rest in cities spread around 17 countries including Mumbai, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo and London, just to name a few.
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Sixto Uribe
Minister of Finance
Carlos Cardenas Minister of Culture
Cove Overley
Minister of Commerce
Gabriela Canales Minister of Labor
KidZania Journal Editorial Staff Editor Enrique Mena Ministry of Communications
Art Editor Miguel Vergara
Ministry of National Identity
Graphic Design Gabriela Vega Ruben Ramirez Ministry of Art
The Institute for Ztandards Observance contributes to improving the KidZania experience
During 2015, KidZania’s IZO conducted 8 Experience Assessments to KidZania Metropolises around the world as a way to assess the experience that each of them provides to our visitors and collaborators, while validating the compliance with KidZania’s Ztandards.
Likewise, the Institute performed three KITE Programs, meant to certify new facilities that were ready to operate according to KidZania’s essence and Ztandards. The three metropolises that were assessed were: Facility
Assessment Dates
KidZania Jeddah
January 4th - January14th, 2015
KidZania Istanbul March 22nd to March 27th, 2015
KidZania London
June 8th - June 21st 2015
KidZania Lisbon
June 8th to June 14th, 2015
KidZania Manila
July 17th - August 2nd, 2015
KidZania Dubai
September 6th to September 12th, 2015
KidZania Jakarta
September 14th to September 20th, 2015
KidZania Jeddah
November 8th to November 15th, 2015
The facilities and dates of these assessments were: Facility
Assessment Dates
As part of the certification program of the IZO, three facilities obtained the IZO:K Certification this year: Facility
Certificate Validity
KidZania São Paulo November 13th to November 18th, 2015
KidZania Istanbul March 31st 2015 to March 31st 2017
KidZania Santiago November 20th to November 25th, 2015
KidZania Lisbon
February 19th to December 31st, 2015
KidZania Bangkok November 29th to December 4th, 2015
KidZania Cairo
June 10th, 2014 to June 10th, 2016
Section A-04
KidZania Amazes Visitors with its Variable Program
KidZania always looks for ways to Zaz! its visitors with new things every time they visit their local KidZania metropolis. For that reason, KidZania offers different seasons throughout the year. During 2015, children from around the world were able to experience the following 8 different programs: Dancing Stars: From January 13th up to March 8th 2015 visitors performed on stage to demonstrate their dancing skills. New Beginnings: From January 26th to February 8th KidZania celebrated the Chinese “Year of the Goat”, highlighting the key features of that animal: compassion, sincerity and creativity. Family Bonds: From February 9th to the 22nd KidZania honored families and reinforced
IAAPAs VI Latin America Summit closes in KidZania Santiago
SANTIAGO, Chile. April 17, 2015. Leaders of 110 entertainment industry properties from Latin America and other regions of the world, gathered from April 15-17 in Santiago to participate in IAAPAs VI Latin America Summit. The multinational group of entertainment owners and CEOs had the opportunity to know each other and exchange ideas and best practices while combining meetings with guided visits to attractions in Santiago. The first stop was Buin Zoo, where owner and CEO Ignacio Idalsoaga shared his success story with funny examples related to the zoo and his family life. Participants were able to walk through the zoo and discover every single detail, as well as watching prey bird and sea lion shows before closing the day with dinner at the Monticello casino.
On the second day of the conference, visitors listened to Gerardo Arteaga Oehninger –founder and president of Fantasilandia– who explained how his company started and how he was able to expand to different attractions, including Fantasilandia Theme Park and the 70 Happyland FECs throughout Chile, Perú, Colombia and México. On the third and closing day, all the participants received a warm welcome to KidZania Santiago by Mr. Pedro Tagle –Governor of KidZania Chile– and his management team. Governor Tagle explained to the IAAPA members the uniqueness of KidZania Santiago, focusing on their specialized training program for collaborators. Shortly after, all guests were able to discover KidZania Santiago’s streets and plazas, as well as its unique –and extremely popular– mining activity. The day ended with a typical Chilean lunch, with local music and folklore dances. The next IAAPA Latin America Summit will be held in March 2016, together with the IAAPA Leadership Conference in Mexico City, where 150 entertainment property owners, general managers, CEOs and decision makers will gather to continue sharing the industry’s best practices.
the importance of loving and demonstrating the power of global harmony which starts within the family unit. Kids for a Greener World: From April 6th to June 8th KidZania’s visitors, community and partners learned and practiced sustainability together in order to raise awareness about the importance of natural resources and how we can contribute to make this world a better place. Grand Circus: From July 6th to August 16th all visitors had lots of fun by being part of the Grand Circus and tourists to KidZania witnessed how the Central Plaza or the Stadium turned into a spectacular tent. World Fair: During September, KidZania celebrated the different cultures and countries where our Nation’s spirit is already lit. For 2015 South Korea, Malaysia,
Thailand, Kuwait and Chile were celebrated in all KidZania metropolises and visitors got to know about these countries’ culture, regional food, traditions and their music. Zombie Town: From October 9th to November 1st, Urbano´s response team had the important mission of recovering the city from last year´s zombie outbreak. Visitors had a thrilling experience while spreading the cure for the virus and returning all zombies back to normal tourists. Memories Through Time: From November 27th to January the 3rd KidZania celebrated the End of the Year. In this festivity, visitors had a joyful experience by remembering the most delightful and happy memories and sharing them with everyone!
KidZania Conferences during 2015 Given its successful entrepreneurial story and concept uniqueness, KidZania and its executives are regularly invited to speaking opportunities within a vast range of congresses, conferences and events. Among 2015 most important keynote participations were:
role play helps children make sense of the world they live in. Using KidZania as a model, Mr. Lopez discussed the importance of experiential learning in the context of today’s digital-savvy, over-scheduled, and over-stimulated child. He underlined the innovative tenets that drove KidZania’s success, including: authenticity, experience and fun. He also showed how experiential learning can inspire good values, life-long habits and aspirations of children all around the world.
Sandbox Summit 2015 March 24 marked the participation of Mr. Xavier Lopez as keynote speaker at MITs Sandbox Summit 2015 in Cambridge. With creativity, innovation, and collaboration having become the mantra of 21st century skills, the Summit explored how do we teach –and more importantly– nurture these skills in an atmosphere of core curriculum, COPPA rulings, tight budgets, and a steady influx of junk-food media? The simple answer is through play. In his keynote titled “Experiential Learning: The Power of Play”, Mr. Lopez explained how
Harvard Business Review Summit On March 26, Mr. Lopez participated in the Harvard Business Review Summit held in León , Guanajuato as a member of the panel “Entrepreneurship in LATAM”, together with Mr. Marcus Dantus –CEO of Startup Mexico– and moderated by Mr. Diego May –Cofounder and CEO of Junar. Mr. Lopez shared with the audience how KidZania was created, from building up on the idea of a child-care center, to launching “La Ciudad de los Niños” in Mexico City, to rebranding and expanding the concept internationally through a franchise
scheme, to developing other business units that leverage on the global footprint the company currently has. He also mentioned that “Mexico lacks entrepreneurs, and those few existing entrepreneurs stay there and rarely become businessmen. What is needed for Mexico to grow is to create more startups and then work to transform them into multi-branch global corporations”.
QUIS14 On June 20, Shanghai hosted the QUIS14 Symposium which brings together the best interdisciplinary academic research and management practices in a forum to advance the study of service management, service dominant logic, service leadership, service quality, customer relationship management, technology and innovations in services. On this occasion, Mr. Andres Fabre –Minister of State, KidZania– participated with his keynote “Serving Children Globally Through Edutainment: The Case of KidZania” at the Shanghai Petrochemical Auditorium.
Section A-05
New and Renovated Establishments
Take a look at the full list of establishments to see in which KidZania Metropolis they are located and the date they were officially opened.
Soap Factory (Q1) KidZania Koshien
Courier (Q1) KidZania Dubai
Auto Repair Shop (Q1) KidZania Dubai
Centre for Citizen Participation (Q1) KidZania Cuicuilco
Natural Disaster Training Center (Q1) KidZania Cuicuilco
Hand Soap (Q1) KidZania Bangkok
Music School (Q1) KidZania Mumbai
Jewelry Shop (Q1) KidZania Istanbul
Face Painting (Q1) KidZania Istanbul
Subway (Q2) KidZania Tokyo
Police Station (Q2) KidZania Jakarta
Tea Factory (Q2) KidZania Jakarta
Gym (Q2) KidZania Lisboa
The National Archives (Q2) KidZania Dubai
Ice Cream Factory (Q2) KidZania Dubai
Cereal Factory (Q2) KidZania Seoul
Sewing & Embroidery Centre (Q2) KidZania Kuala Lumpur
Tourism Information Centre (Q2) KidZania Kuala Lumpur
Music Lounge (Q2) KidZania Kuwait
Recycling Plant (Q2) KidZania Kuwait
Furniture Studio (Q2) KidZania Mumbai
Parents Lounge (Q2) KidZania Mumbai
Family Health Clinic (Q2) KidZania Mumbai
Arts & Crafts Studio (Q2) KidZania Mumbai
Library (Q2) KidZania Cairo
Cafeteria (Q2) KidZania Istanbul
Sushi Restaurant (Q2) KidZania Istanbul
KidZania Jeddah
Pizza Shop (Q2)
Jewelry Shop (Q2) KidZania Jeddah
Ice Cream Shop (Q2 ) KidZania Jeddah
Refrigeration Support Center (Q3) KidZania Koshien
Packaging Plant (Q3) KidZania Kuwait
Logistics Warehouse (Q3) KidZania Kuwait
Culinary School (Q3) KidZania Mumbai
Quality Control & Inspection Hub (Q3) KidZania Mumbai
Biscuit Factory (Q3) KidZania Mumbai
Regional Food (Q3) KidZania Istanbul
Training Center (Q3) KidZania Santiago
Vault (Q3) KidZania London
Animation Studio (Q3) KidZania London
Dentist (Q4) KidZania Lisboa
Milkshakes (Q4) KidZania Dubai
Pen Shop (Q4) KidZania Koshien
Horse Park (Q4) KidZania Koshien
Committee for UNICEF (Q4) KidZania Seoul
Photo Studio (Q4) KidZania Kuala Lumpur
Cell Phone Shop (Q4) KidZania Kuala Lumpur
Radio Station (Q4) KidZania Kuala Lumpur
Mango Drink Factory (Q4) KidZania Mumbai
Theatre (Q4) KidZania Mumbai
Tire Service Center (Q4) KidZania Cairo
Pharmacy (Q4) KidZania Jeddah
Real Estate Agency (Q4) KidZania London
TV Studio (Q4) KidZania London
Theatre (Q4) KidZania Manila
Stadium (Q4) KidZania Manila
Bottling Plant (Q4) KidZania Manila
Fitness Lab (Q4) KidZania Manila
Pit Crew Training (Q4) KidZania Manila
Culinary School (Q4) KidZania Manila
Quality Control Center (Q4) KidZania Monterrey
Police Station (Q4) KidZania Cuicuilco
Quality Control Center (Q4) KidZania Cuicuilco
Airport (Q4) KidZania Santa Fe
Culinary School (Q4) KidZania Santa Fe
Police Station (Q4) KidZania Santa Fe
Section A-06
KidZania Tourism in 2015
With the addition of KidZania Jeddah, KidZania S達o Paulo, KidZania London and KidZania Manila, KidZania closed 2015 with a total of 20 founded Metropolises and reaching almost 8 million visitors during a single year. Families continue to represent the biggest percentage of our visitors, with school groups representing almost 25% of the total nationwide attendance. Take a look at the chart below to see how each Metropolis performed during this past year.
State
Section B-07
t h e v o i c e o f o u r n at i o n
March 2016
KidZania Welcomes State Governors and City Mayors With our Nation’s constant changes and expansion, new officers come on board and take the responsibility of representing KidZania in each of their markets. Meet the newly-appointed government workers that will lead KidZania to continue to excel as the world’s most successful edutainment concept in the world.
Olavo Soares
City Mayor, KidZania São Paulo
Maged Al Naggar
Governor, KidZania Saudi Arabia
Amani Bantan
City Mayor, KidZania Jeddah
KidZania Zummit 2015: Innovation Nation
The concept of KidZania is evolving and spreading from self-contained geographical areas to all over the world, redirecting brand flows and connecting different markets. The Zummit event, is a meeting of the heads of each KidZania State or Central Government that make our Nation great. As the largest business convention within KidZania, this year’s Zummit was a unique opportunity to meet with different KidZania state stakeholders and decision-makers. Apart from increasing knowledge on topical issues and different business sectors, this three-day event offered numerous
David Ngobeni
Governor, KidZania South Africa
Miguel Aguirre
City Mayor, KidZania Cuicuilco
Andries Fourie
Governor, KidZania United Arab Emirates
Liliana Sánchez
City Mayor, KidZania Santa Fe
Pedro Tagle
Governor, KidZania Chile
Luis Tapia
City Mayor, KidZania Monterrey
opportunities for networking and bonding within our Nation’s community. Discussions on how to improve the operation and profitability of every facility while learning Kool Ideas from all around the world were the backbone of this event. From October 4 to October 7, representatives of 19 KidZania States gathered in Cancun to discuss about the present and future of KidZania. Besides holding meetings and round-tables for specific subjects, our guests had the opportunity to discover a little bit of Mexican culture with a special visit to Xcaret ecoArcheological Park in Riviera Maya.
Section C-08
City
t h e v o i c e o f o u r n at i o n
March 2016
KidZania Delhi-NCR Bienvenue will be India’s second KidZania KidZania Metropolis!
France!
DELHI, India. December 2, 2015. –With a population of over 22 million people, ImagiNation Edutainment India Pvt. Ltd –the exclusive licensee and operator for KidZania in India– selected Delhi-NCR as the city for their next development. Entertainment City is the name of the shopping center that will host KidZania Delhi-NCR, an 8,300 sqm minicity with 65 establishments and over 91 activities, expected to open in Q2 2016. With many repeating Industry Partners from its sister city in Mumbai, KidZania Delhi-NCR is expected to receive 400,000 visitors per year.
Kai Johannesburg! KidZania Announces Arrival in South Africa!
PARIS, France. September 15, 2015. Today, KidZania is excited to announce the incorporation of France as its 22nd State. With a total population of 66.5 million inhabitants in the country and 12.1 million living in the Paris metropolitan area only, France joins Portugal, United Kingdom and Russia as the fourth European country to have a KidZania location. It is precisely Innova Intellectual Properties, S.A. –the existing licensee for KidZania Russia–, together with a renowned French partner, whom will operate KidZania in France. Although the first location hasn’t been announced yet, it will certainly be located in Paris. Interviewed by the KidZania Journal, Mr. Xavier Lopez said “I’m very excited to announce that very soon, French children will have their own KidZania Metropolis. Paris is an iconic city, with lots of history, tradition and importance in the world, and we are happy that KidZania expands its footprint to this amazing country”.
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa. October 2nd, 2015. –KidZania, one of the fastest growing kid’s hands-on entertainment brands in the world announced today South Africa as its 21st State and Johannesburg as the city where the first South African KidZania will be located.
KidZania Johannesburg will be operated by KidZania South Africa (Pty) Ltd –a subsidiary of KidzInnovation (Pty) Ltd– and will be located in the north of Johannesburg, at the crossroads of Witkoppen and William Nicol roads, in the same area where the Fourways Mall and the Montecasino Entertainment Complex are located.
KidZania South Africa becomes the second KidZania State in Africa, after KidZania Egypt, expanding the global footprint of the Mexican edutainment brand where since first opening in Mexico City in 1999 over 45 million children have been getting ready for a better world!
Section C-09
KidZania Moscow will be KidZania’s biggest Metropolis in Europe!
MOSCOW, Russia. November 21, 2015. –KidZania Moscow is working around the clock to have everything ready for its soft opening period and its expected Foundation early next year. The 10,000 sqm city will be KidZania’s biggest in Europe and will have unique establishments such as a Cosmonaut Training Center and a Diamond Mine. It will also be the first KidZania Metropolis where a sitcom will be recorded. Located in the Aviapark shopping center –Europe’s largest– KidZania Moscow is developed by Innova and has named Natalia Vodianova as their Goodwill Ambassador. With over 40 confirmed Industry Partners, KidZania Moscow will open its doors to Russian children in January 2016.
South Korea's Second KidZania Metropolis to Open Soon! BUSAN, South Korea. October 12, 2015. –MBC PlayBe!, KidZania’s exclusive licensee and operator in South Korea, has confirmed deals with over 20 Industry Partners for KidZania Busan, their second facility in the territory. Interviewed by the KidZania Journal, Ms. Jean Hyunsook –CEO of MBC PlayBe! and Governor of KidZania South Korea– said: “We are very excited to announce that
KidZania Busan is quickly taking shape and our team is leveraging on the learnings from KidZania Seoul to make the process even faster. We are very glad to have Shinsegae Centum City as our home in Busan”. KidZania Busan is expected to open in the second quarter of 2016. It will have over 60 establishments spanning over 8,700 sqm of construction.
KidZania Singapore Readies for a Grand Opening in 2016! PALAWAN BEACH, Singapore. December 9, 2015.
–KidZania Singapore, which will become the first stand-alone
KidZania metropolis in the world and first to be situated in an island resort, is getting ready for a thrilling Grand Opening during
the second quarter of 2016. KidZania Singapore will be located
in Sentosa Island’s Palawan Beach, an entertainment destination
within Singapore. The lobby area of KidZania Singapore will be so massive that it will allocate a full-sized Boeing 737 fuselage.
With a total construction shy of 10,000 sqm and 70 establishments,
KidZania Singapore will certainly become the go-to destination for children and families visiting the island resort.
KidZania Doha Construction Update DOHA, Qatar. December 11, 2015. –Although in design stages for quite some time now, the floorplan of KidZania Doha had to change due to local restrictions in the design of the shopping center. For that reason, the entire facility faced a restructure but is ready to start construction. Located in a new retail and mixed-use space in the Aspire Zone in Doha, KidZania Doha will have 35 establishments in a 4,000 sqm area. It will be a smaller city, designed for a smaller market of only 2 million inhabitants. With the redesign, KidZania Doha is expected to open by Q4 2017.
Section D-10
t h e v o i c e o f o u r n at i o n
March 2016
KidZania’s CongreZZ Contributes to Improving Communities Since its inception in KidZania Santa Fe back in 2008, the KidZania CongreZZ is now implemented in 8 facilities, with a total of 181 CongreZZ KidZ. KidZania Dubai launched its own CongreZZ this year, joining KidZania Santa Fe (2008), KidZania Monterrey (2010), KidZania Cuicuilco (2013), KidZania Mumbai (2013), KidZania Kuwait (2013), KidZania Kuala Lumpur (2014) and KidZania Jakarta (2014), with KidZania Manila set to launch it during 2016.
While most facilities enroll CongreZZ KidZ through a registration and interviewing process, KidZania Jakarta makes its selection through a talent show and KidZania Kuala Lumpur requires registrants to submit a video of themselves stating why they’d like to become a CongreZZ Kid, followed by online votes on social media. Besides meeting several times per term, CongreZZ KidZ also participate in important activities that look to improve their local communities.
One of the best experiences heard during this year’s term, was the following quote from a member of KidZania Seoul’s CongreZZ, who stated that: “We gathered in KidZania Seoul to wear the uniform and took a subway to visit MBC Arts. Because of the
KidZania Kuala Lumpur, for instance, made a special fundraising event to support a child-related institution and invited kids from that institution to the event. KidZania Mumbai’s CongreZZ, on the oher hand, visited NGOs during Children’s Day, touring the organizations and visiting corporate offices and industrial manufacturing plants of some of KidZania Mumbai’s Industry Partners.
uniform that we were wearing, people took photos of us and asked us where we were from. With this spotlight and the memorable experience, I was proud of myself and felt more responsibility as a KidZania Seoul CongreZZ member”.
KidZania Seoul’s CongreZZ visited the corporate offices of their parent company MBC, where CongreZZ KidZ were able to experience the production of a TV show and suggested new ideas for MBCs TV Studio establishment in their mini-city. CongreZZ KidZ also participated in WeAja’s charity flea market, where they raised funds for different NGOs.
KidZania Participates in the Triathlon of Cozumel 2015
KidZania Mexico is Certified as an Inclusive Company MEXICO CITY, Mexico. December 3, 2015. –Yesterday, at the 2015 edition of the “Gilberto Rincón Gallardo— Inclusive Company Distinction” ceremony, KidZania Mexico was recognized as being a company that implements good work practices in terms of equal opportunities, inclusion, development and non-discrimination of people with disabilities or vulnerable populations. The distinction was bestowed by Mr. Alfonso Navarrete – Mexico’s Minister of Labor− to representatives of the 449 private and public companies and institutions from varied industries
and sectors that achieved this outstanding milestone. “KidZania prides itself of being an inclusive company since its foundation, we are a socially responsible corporation and our inclusion policy dictates that at least 5% of our team should be comprised by vulnerable populations such as people with disabilities and/or elderly citizens. The distinction that the Mexican Government recognizes us with today makes us very proud and I want to share this pride with the over 8,500 collaborators KidZania has around the world”, said Xavier López Ancona President of KidZania.
Additionally, Mexico’s National Institute for Senior Citizens (INAPAM in Spanish) also recognized KidZania as a company that promotes human development among senior citizens, giving them employment opportunities for their welfare and quality of life. In view of the International Disabilities Day, KidZania wants to ZanK all the people, institutions and corporations that have a high sense of social responsibility and that respect Human Rights, giving the best of themselves every day to make the world a better place. KongratZ!
COZUMEL, Mexico. October 3, 2015, Over 30 representatives of KidZania Mexico, KidZania Central Government and friends, participated in the Triathlon of Cozumel. The feat took months of preparation, from setting up daily high performance training programs, to participating in preparation events, to designing the trisuit and all the required logistics to ship the bikes and equipment from Mexico City to Cozumel and back. To help all applicants, KidZania hired EnduranceMX, which has sports specialists and trainers to help increase strength, speed, and overall health through smart training programs. Based on sports and health science, EnduranceMX provided our team with swimming, bicycle and running specialists that
prepared individual training programs, diets and regular performance check-ups. All participants finished the competition, proving that waking up for early trainings, patience and hard work were well worth the effort.
For many years, KidZania has organized wellness programs for its team members and collaborators, to improve relationships, engagement, setting personal goals, exercising, being fit and be healthy.
Section E-11
t h e v o i c e o f o u r n at i o n
March 2016
KidZania Cuicuilco is Named "2015 Best Metropolis"! planning, sustainability and innovation, igniting the hearts and minds of children, empowering them to make the world a better place. A special mention was given to KidZania Santiago, which was the runner-up. All operating metropolises, including KidZania
CANCUN, Mexico. October 6, 2015. –Tonight, during a gala dinner with representatives of 19 KidZania States and the Central Government of KidZania that attended the 2015 KidZania Zummit, the Institute for Ztandards Observance (I.Z.O.) named
KidZania Cuicuilco as the "2015 Best Metropolis" of the Nation. Miguel Aguirre –City Mayor of KidZania Cuicuilco– received the recognition on behalf of the 10th KidZania facility that opened back in 2012. "I'm very proud and honored of this accolade. This represents the work, effort and passion that everyone at KidZania
Cuicuilco and KidZania Mexico puts every day in assuring that our facility offers the best experience for our visitors. I'm blown away for the surprise, and very excited to share it with everyone in Cuicuilco", said the visibly
Cuicuilco, KidZania Santiago, and the recently founded KidZania Jeddah, KidZania São Paulo, KidZania London and KidZania Manila, will be eligible for the "2016 Best Metropolis Award".
emotional City Mayor. This award recognizes KidZania Cuicuilco as the best among the 16 facilities that were eligible this year. It acknowledges its outstanding performance, leadership, collaboration, strategic
Urbano and Vita in Space! Somewhere up there in space. KidZania Journal. March 6, 2015. –In an unprecedented milestone for KidZania and any player in the entertainment industry, KidZania's RightZKeepers Urbano and Vita traveled to outer Space to announce the development of a Space Center establishment in KidZania Moscow, where kids will learn about Space and try themselves as cosmonauts. Real-life cosmonauts will be special guests telling children about the Universe. Urbano's lifetime dream of becoming a cosmonaut and orbiting the Earth is now a reality that excites us all. He traveled with his sister Vita and in an exclusive interview for the KidZania Journal, this is what he was able to say: "How amazing! I worked really hard to build a spaceship that could take me to Space. I'm happy that I finally made it happen. What I can say to all kids on Earth is that if they try real hard to pursue their dreams, they will most likely come true. Takes time and effort, but the results are worth it." Vita, on the other hand, said: "I'm so excited that Urbano finally made his dream come true. I wished we could have brought Bache with us and let him follow the steps of Laika,
the first space dog. But he will be able to try himself as an astronaut in KidZania Moscow very soon." If you look up during a clear night you might be able to see Urbano and Vita orbiting the Earth. They will be getting a lot of experience as cosmonauts and will implement their knowledge at the Space Center establishment that will soon open in KidZania Moscow.