45 Years Lagotronics Projects
From left to right: Jacco Groen in 't Wout (CTO), Berno Joosten (COO) & Mark Beumers (CEO).
(eap) The Dutch company Lagotronics Projects, which is particularly well known in the leisure industry for its audio-visual and interactive attractions, celebrates its 45th anniversary this year. Founded in 1979 as Lagotronics by Carlo Görtjes, the company’s focus in the early years was primarily on light and sound installations for dance schools and discotheques and later for the TV sector. From 1990, the breakthrough in the theme park industry followed, where the company was able to integrate already developed products into various theme park projects and quickly began to develop new products for the industry. These included interactive systems, which were increasingly used in dark rides.
Photo: Courtesy of Lagotronics Projects
The first major dark ride project implemented by CEO Mark Beumers, who joined the company in 1999, was the “Mansion de la Llorona” dark ride at Six Flags México. This was equipped with show control and special effects by Lagotronics. A milestone for both Mark Beumers and Lagotronics.
In 2008, Lagotronics first introduced the “Magic Wand”, a wand that uses infrared signals to trigger light, sound and movement effects in attractions. Three years later, the company was restructured and split into Lagotronics BV (supplier and importer of LED lighting) and Lagotronics Projects BV (project-related partner for interactive systems, lighting and audio-visual installations). In 2012, the Venlo-based company established its own department for the development of games that can be used in interactive dark rides. With the “GameChanger”, Lagotronics introduced an interactive dark ride system in 2015, which is characterized above all by its compactness and was realized for the first time in 2018 under the name “Stadlgaudi 4D” in Bayern-Park (see EAP 5/2018). Last year, the company presented the “Gameplay Theater” at the IAAPA Expo Europe in Vienna, which was developed together with Mack Media and Mack resp. Tacumeon Rides and is set to premiere in a European park in 2025.
Photo: Courtesy of Lagotronics Projects
One of Lagotronics’ most special and unusual projects is the “Columbus Earth Theater”, which opened in the Museumplein Limburg science and experience centre in 2015 (see EAP 1/2016). The company’s most recent installations in Europe include the Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo, where the company has implemented technological solutions for the “Future Food Experience”, an exhibition about the future of the agricultural and food industry. At the end of this year, the Chocolate Factory in Veghel (near Eindhoven) will open an edutainment offer for which Lagotronics is developing a VR game and video mapping projections, among other things. ■
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