KidZania

KidZania
Family Entertainment Center
Website kidzania.com

KidZania is a privately held Mexican chain of family entertainment centers currently operating in 16 locations worldwide, allowing children to work in adult jobs and earn currency. KidZania has received more than 31 million visitors since its opening, making it one of the fastest growing global edutainment brands in the world.

Overview

Kidzania, Lisbon, 2014
Mock Court, Kidzania Bangkok, 2015

Every KidZania is themed as a child-sized replica of a real city, including buildings, shops and theaters, as well as vehicles and pedestrians moving along its streets. In this city, children aged 4 through 14, work in branded activities from bottling Coca-Cola, working in a Crest-sponsored dentist office, working at a McDonalds restaurant,[1] painting with Corporação Industrial do Norte, washing hands with P&G's Safeguard soap, and using airline tickets from American Airlines, Emirates and Saudia.[2]

The children earn kidZos (KidZania's currency) while performing the tasks, and the money is kept in the KidZania bank for children to spend at the gift shop and on KidZania activities.[1] Inside every KidZania facility around the world, children wear electronic bracelets that allow parents to keep track of their kids remotely.[3]

The blending of marketing has led The Morning News to dub KidZania as "advertainment", stating "there is little that's pretend, and the play revolves around following instructions from the adult Zupervisors."[1] Children also make up the governance of KidZania, with a 14-member group.

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan owns a 26% share in KidZania Mumbai and helps promote the brand in India.[1]

History

KidZania was created and developed by the Mexican entrepreneur Xavier López Ancona, the current KidZania CEO.[4][5] The first KidZania opened in September 1999 in Santa Fe Shopping Mall in Mexico City, and was named La Ciudad de los Niños ("The City of the Children").[4]

Corporate sponsors funded 55% of the initial investment.[1]

In 2007, KidZania hired entertainment strategist Andrew Darrow as executive vice president to expand the operation. Cammie Dunaway joined in late 2010 as the chief marketing officer.[2]

KidZania at Westfield London, cost £20  million to build.[6] In partnership with British Airways, it is operated by Joel Cadbury and Ollie Vigors through their Longshot Ltd company.[6][7][8]

Locations

Awards and recognition

KidZania was voted the World's Top Family Entertainment Center by the IAAPA (International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions) and 2009 Global Leisure Operator of the Year.[12]

From 2011 to 2015, KidZania has been recognized as one of The Best Mexican Companies (Las Mejores Empresas Mexicanas), a recognition sponsored by Banamex, Deloitte México and Tecnológico de Monterrey.[13]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Deri Smith, Mike (11 April 2011). "State of Play". The Morning News (online magazine). Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  2. 1 2 Rubinstein, Dana (19 May 2011). "Playing Grown-Up at KidZania". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved 20 May 2011.
  3. ↑ Nathaniel Parish Flannery, KidZania and a New Generation of Entrepreneurs in Mexico, Forbes, 7/18/2012
  4. 1 2 Rebecca Mead, When I Grow Up: The theme-park chain where children pretend to be adults., The New Yorker, January 19, 2015
  5. ↑ Jude Webber, Lunch with the FT: Xavier López Ancona, Financial Times, August 1, 2014
  6. 1 2 Jonathan Prynn, KidZania: New £20m ‘mini city’ inside Westfield mall will let children 'work' for treats, London Evening Standard, 16 July 2013
  7. ↑ Stuart Jeffries, KidZania: the mini-city where children are in charge, The Guardian, 26 October 2014
  8. ↑ Christopher Thompson, Longshot to back UK KidZania, Financial Times, February 26, 2012
  9. ↑ "KidZania London Harnesses the Power of Role-Play & Fun Learning in 19th Global Location | KidZania Journal". Kzjournal.kidzania.com. 2015-06-25. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
  10. ↑ "Kidzania Manila Homepage". Kidzania.com. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
  11. ↑ "Kidzania Moscow Homepage". kidzania.ru. Retrieved 2016-03-04.
  12. ↑ "Former Nintendo and Yahoo Executive Recruited to KidZania as U.S. President, Global Marketing Head". Prweb.com. 2010-10-04. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
  13. ↑ "Empresas Reconocidas - Las Mejores Empresas Mexicanas". Mejoresempresasmexicanas.com. Retrieved 2016-02-03.

External links

Coordinates: 19°21′40″N 99°16′49″W / 19.36106°N 99.2802°W / 19.36106; -99.2802

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