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Co-creation at Amsterdam Science Park

Amsterdam Science Park (ASP) is a pearl in the crown of the Amsterdam knowledge economy, with its high-level research institutes (the Faculty of Science of the University of Amsterdam, several institutes of the NWO, the Dutch national science organisation) and a growing number of knowledge-based companies that reside in the multi-tenant Matrix buildings at the park. At ASP, the number of examples of co-creation is steadily growing. Larger tech firms (including Bosch and ASML) have located there and engage in deep collaboration with university institutes. Many more companies have expressed interest in collaborating with researchers located at ASP, not only in order to gain access to promising talent, but also to more extensively involve university researchers in their R&D processes. Another trend is the growth of science-based start-ups, now hosted at ASP’s Start-up Village: an appealing hotspot, made of sea containers. Players from business and university signal a rising need for new and more integrated concepts that facilitate collaborations between larger firms, start-ups and research groups. And also, the ASP management would like to see more co-creation. From its spatial and organisational design, the park is however characterised by a separation of activities: each faculty and institute operates its own building and facilities, with the firms hosted in the multitenant Matrix buildings. ASP is being developed along the lines of a masterplan based on strict zoning (Gemeente Amsterdam, 2013). This study explores how, and under what conditions further co-creation could be facilitated at ASP.

Intercultural park design

Report in English on the results of the international Master Class by Stadslab on intercultural park design. The case described is a design for for a park in Eastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol. A redevelopment strategy is proposed for its historic Gorky Park (1936). The book also contains essays by intercultural cities expert Phil Wood and introductions by Marc Glaudemans, Beatriz Ramo and Olexandr Butsenko.

Theme parks and happiness

A theme park revisited

Ergens halverwege de winkelpassage zijn een man en een vrouw in gesprek. De vrouw draagt een rode winterjas en heeft een vouwfiets aan de hand. De man is gehuld in ruimzittend donker pak met op de revers een zilverkleurig insigne. De vloer strekt zich onder hun voeten uit als een vers geboende ijsbaan. Na een korte woordenwisseling werpt de vrouw vertwijfeld haar handen in de lucht en begint sputterend haar fiets op te vouwen. Nadat de vouwfiets volledig is ingeklapt geeft de beveiliger, die al die tijd bewegingloos heeft staan toekijken, een instemmend knikje en kan de vrouw haar weg richting het station vervolgen.

Effects of co-branding in the theme park industry - a preliminary study

Purpose – Cobranding is an often used marketing strategy within the theme park industry and it has existed in one form or another since the 1930s. Notwithstanding the growing interest for cobranding in the theme park industry academic research in a theme park context has not been found yet. Empirical research on cobranding is limited to a relatively few studies that have typically examined product concepts or fictitious products rather than real instances of cobranding. This article aims to present results of an experiment on the effects of cobranding from a reallife theme park perspective. Design/methodology/approach – The article is based on a classical field experiment in which the IBRAmethod of measuring brand associations was used. The IBRAmethod does not influence the brand associations like many other research techniques do (by giving certain cues). It is an unaided, unbiasing research technique. The objective of the study is to investigate whether the relationship between theme park Efteling and WWF, resulting in the cobranded attraction PandaVision, could have a negative effect on the strong brand associations of theme park Efteling. Findings – Through the field experiment an insight has been given into the possible effects a respondent's perceived brand fit within a cobranding situation can have on the average evaluation of core associations of one of the constituent brands. Even strong brands (Efteling is the strongest brand in The Netherlands) can be harmed by a wrong cobrand strategy. Results also showed that the brand fit manipulation has resulted in a more negative image of Efteling without affecting the evaluation of the cobranded attraction PandaVision. Only measuring whether guests like or dislike your attractions is thus not sufficient. Research limitations/implications – This research is presented as a preliminarily study and the results should be interpreted with caution. The sample size was limited to 70 respondents and the experimental design with only students may not necessarily represent the typical visitor to the Efteling. Because of the crude manipulation of the treatment it is unclear what precisely caused the established effect. Is the effect caused by the degree of elaboration (meaning, because the respondent is triggered to think deeply about the matter at hand) or by the substantive guidance? Supplementary research with several experimental groups is needed to answer this question. Practical implications – Theme parks should be aware of the dangers of cobranding. Pairing with a wrong partner can damage the brand; negative spillover effects, erosion, brand dilution and even negative bottom line effects for the participating brands are possible. If the results occur for strong brands, weaker brands should be even more aware of the dangers. Originality/value – This article presents the first application of the effects of cobranding in a specific theme park setting. It is also the first article to use the unbiased IBRAmethod for measuring brand associations of a cobrand strategy. Negative effects of cobranding for strong brands in a reallife situation were never reported before.

Impact of new attractions on theme park attendance

Purpose: Whereas investments in new attractions continue to rise within the theme park industry, knowledge regarding the effects of new attractions on theme park performance and attendance remains scarce. In order to isolate these effects, the purpose of this paper is to present the results of an econometric study explaining the variance in theme park visitor numbers and quantifying the effects of new attractions on theme park attendance. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on an econometric study, in which models were produced for four European theme parks. No pooled modelling was used, meaning that four different models were created; one for each participating theme park. Various variables affecting theme park attendance were identified and quantified, and subsequently the effects of new attractions on visitor numbers were isolated. Findings: Findings indicate that all new attractions opened at Park D during the research period have had a positive long-term influence on attendance. This positive influence lasted for no more than two years. No significant short-term influence was found. There were significant differences in effect between new attractions which could not yet be explained. Research limitations/implications: The research by design only takes into account the economic effects of new attractions and disregards all environmental and socio-cultural effects. Even though the research provides an accurate approximation of the effects of new attractions on attendance, this effect should, according to the author, not be perceived as a stand-alone effect yet as a part of a complex system. A situational approach taking into account several other situational as well as qualitative factors would do the complex reality more justice than a, even though effective, simplified and general approach. Practical implications: Industry operators can now use the econometric model presented in this paper to determine the effects of new attractions on their theme park's attendance and use this knowledge to further fine-tune their investment policy. Originality/value: The paper presents the first econometric model successful at isolating and quantifying a new attraction's effect on theme park attendance and can thus be a valuable tool in perfecting one's investment policy. The paper furthermore includes a brief introduction to a situational approach of determining a new attraction's effects on theme park performance.