Hasbro signs up an exclusive global exhibitor

Before the FunPub haters get excited about this possibly replacing them as a licensed convention, this shouldn't have anything with the Convention or Club.... as they are different concepts to a themed public interactive exhibit.

Hasbro (America) have announced signing up a Singapore company the global exclusive rights to hosting Transformers interactive exhibits (like the one at the Indianapolis Children's Museum, the one in Singapore last year, or the one in Macau last year).... until 2023... excluding Japan (which is TakaraTomy's jurisdiction) and the city Indianapolis (which must mean Hasbro will have more exhibits at the Children's Museum in the future, or just don't want to prevent it).

The Singapore/Malaysian company is called Dayspring (a division of Cityneon), and aim to have their first exhibit in 2016 through their other division Victory Hill called "The Transformers Experience".

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Set to open in 2016, The Transformers Experience will be a revolutionary new walk-through exhibit that immerses audiences in the world of the Autobots and their ongoing battle to protect Earth against the evil Decepticons. Through the use of leading 3D stereoscopic technologies, advanced robotics, dynamic multimedia and projection mapping, intricate sets and engaging performances, audiences will be taken on a journey that will enable them to witness the sheer spectacle of these life size sentient, living robotic beings.

Victory Hill and Hasbro, Inc. will announce more information on The Transformers Experience in the coming days and weeks.

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It doesn't say where the exhibit will be in 2016, but I would guess it would be in their home country of Singapore... then maybe packed up and relocated around the world like a travelling show.


I think this could work against Hasbro, as it now means that no other country can have a Transformers exhibit or public display until 2024 without Cityneon giving permission, in addition to Hasbro giving permission.
At least Hasbro would be more willing to approve of a free promotional exhibit or display, but Cityneon would see it as a loss of revenue if someone else does a public display.
And there is no guarantee that they would ever want to set up an exhibit in that particular country... they just have the right to veto someone else (fan or business) from doing something that they could have made money from if they were the ones doing it.
I just don't think it is fair, if Cityneon never want to do an exhibit here in Australia because it isn't worth it, that they can prevent a fan-run exhibit or public display. I was emailing a couple of public libraries in Brisbane that did themed public displays last year about a 30th anniversary display of my collection, and one was a little interested, but nothing ended up happening and I didn't bother to contact other libraries.... but now I think that this would no longer be allowed unless Cityneon gave permission.

Then again, maybe having an experienced, professional exhibitions company paying a global license for Transformers exhibits (which would be expensive), they might actually want to milk it with many exhibits in many countries to get their money back.


Earlier this year I tried to get Hasbro to consider making their Indianapolis Transformers exhibit a global roadshow, but I guess this licensing agreement might have already been in the works, meaning that this idea was probably never going to happen.

While I was posting up that, Victory Hill have already made an announcement of their first American exhibit for 2016, which they should have open by March/April at the Treasure Island casino (which is quite central on the main Casino strip).


It would be good timing for BotCon if it is open in March or early April for international people to visit on the way to Kentucky, but we probably wouldn't know until it is too late to plan travel. BotCon is on the 6th to 10th April, and I find it better to do things before the Convention... but on this occasion, if anyone goes from here, it might be better to do a stop in Vegas on the way back... and if it still isn't open by then, at least you get to explore Las Vegas.

I was hoping for an Australian convention :(

Honestly it just sounds like a rehash of the Macau Expo.

I do hope if it is they take it global and do what they did in Macau and ask local collectors to showcase their collections.

Having said that I'd rather see a global run of conventions so that they are more accessible to fans.

I was actually thinking the same thing as you Griffin that this will cause problems for smaller fan groups who want to just have a small display in a mall or hall as they will now have to jump hoops with 2 companies instead of just seeking permission from Hasbro.

Would be nice to know exactly what the restrictions will be...

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Originally Posted by griffin

While I was posting up that, Victory Hill have already made an announcement of their first American exhibit for 2016, which they should have open by March/April at the Treasure Island casino (which is quite central on the main Casino strip).


It would be good timing for BotCon if it is open in March or early April for international people to visit on the way to Kentucky, but we probably wouldn't know until it is too late to plan travel. BotCon is on the 6th to 10th April, and I find it better to do things before the Convention... but on this occasion, if anyone goes from here, it might be better to do a stop in Vegas on the way back... and if it still isn't open by then, at least you get to explore Las Vegas.

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New info notes that the Las Vegas exhibition will only have the Avengers portion open at around April, while the Transformers portion will be open late 2016.
Victory Hill also note that two themepark experts have been signed up to produce the Las Vegas exhibit.

(lucky I didn't plan a stop-over in Las Vegas on my BotCon trip, as the Transformers exhibit wouldn't be open by then)

I never heard if the Vegas exhibition ever ended up happening a year ago, but Cityneon have opened their first interactive Transformers exhibit in China. There isn't an end date listed, so could be there for quite a few months (for anyone heading over to China sometime soon).
I'm not too sure where it is actually located, as Chong Qing is in the middle of China, while Shin Kong Place is in Beijing (which would make more sense).

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Hasbro has launched the first Transformers Autobot Alliance interactive exhibition in Chong Qing’s Shin Kong Place in China.
The exhibition was opened with a soft launch on December, 30th 2017 and was officially launche earlier this week on January 11th, 2018.
The Transformers Autobot Alliance exhibition is the result of a collaboration between Hasbro and Cityneon Holdings Limited, a global innovator in exhibitions.
The initiative finds Transformers at the center of a walk-through attraction featuring familiar characters from the franchise such as Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and Windblade.
It is the first of its kind to showcase the robots as well as special effects, reflex tests, virtual reality, motion sensing and other features surrounding the brand. Fans even get the chance to learn the Transformers language and decode missions throughout the exhibit.
“This launch has been a long time coming with more than two years of research and development and significant investment to create what will be one of the most talked about exhibitions to date,” said executive chairman and group CEO of Cityneon Holdings, Ron Tan.
Tom Warner, SVP Transformers franchise, added: “Opening Transformers Autobot Alliance with Cityneon is an exciting brand extension for us that will allow fans to interact with their favourite characters in an entirely new, immersive way.
“This carefully crafted attraction uses interactive technology to bring a more than meets the eye experience that Transformers fans of all ages will enjoy for years to come.”

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Hope someone does a YouTube walk through

That almost sounds like something that might be hosted at the powerhouse museum one summer.

Does anyone remember this "Transformers Experience" that was announced in late 2015 to be starting up in early 2016, by the Singapore company Cityneon / VictoryHill, for Las Vegas?
Well, according to the PulseCon event today, this is it.... just 6 years late. (which means covid had nothing to do with the delay)

It was originally announced in November 2015 for an opening in April 2016 in Las Vegas, and then announced to be pushed back to late 2016 because they wanted to do the Avengers Experience first (probably thought it was better to cash in on the franchise that was doing better at that time, and it was going to be another year and a bit until the next Transformers movie was due out anyway).

Then in December 2017 they finally did their first Transformers exhibit in China, which sounds like it was what they were planning to do in Las Vegas (there is a promo video of it on youtube for those wanting to know what the American one should look like).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5t4r7wFvUE

So this one for 2022 is obviously for America, but I can't tell if the where and when was mentioned at the PulseCon panel, but I would imagine that there would be some promotional material released soon by CityNeon.

The interesting thing is that their initial global license that they announced in 2015 for Transformers was apparently only for 8 years until June 2023, but with the long delay in getting it to America, I would imagine that they would have renewed/extended it, as it wouldn't give them much time left for this American run... especially if they were still planning to ship it around the world for other countries(unless China and America are the only places it goes to).

A press release, which repeats most of what was recently announced....

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“Attendees of Hasbro Pulse Con 2021 were the first to hear the Cityneon and Victory Hill Exhibitions announcement of TRANSFORMERS: THE EXPERIENCE. Excitement is building as this state-of-the-art, immersive exhibition is set to debut in North America in Summer 2022, followed by a tour throughout the region. A second unit will launch in China in Q4 2022. Launch cities will be announced in the future.
Explore a universe where there’s… More Than Meets the Eye at TRANSFORMERS: THE EXPERIENCE. Guests are invited to test their skills – and their courage – as they pick a side in the intergalactic battle between the valiant Autobots and the underhanded Decepticons. With hands-on interactives and high-tech immersion, the Transformers world comes to life like never before. The experience sweeps guests across the universe to train alongside iconic heroes like Optimus Prime and Bumblebee and score victories against villains like Megatron and Starscream. With the fate of the TRANSFORMERS robots at stake, which side will you choose? Come experience this memorable and share-worthy adventure for all!”

You can check out the full press release, after the jump.
Transformers: The Experience World Debut
in North America Summer 2022

China Tour Soon To Follow

An All-New Hands-On Interactive Experience!

Attendees of Hasbro Pulse Con 2021 were the first to hear the Cityneon and Victory Hill Exhibitions announcement of TRANSFORMERS: THE EXPERIENCE. Excitement is building as this state of the art, immersive exhibition is set to debut in North America in Summer 2022, followed by a tour throughout the region. A second unit will launch in China in Q4 2022. Launch cities will be announced in the future.
Explore a universe where there’s… More Than Meets the Eye at TRANSFORMERS: THE EXPERIENCE. Guests are invited to test their skills – and their courage – as they pick a side in the intergalactic battle between the valiant Autobots and the underhanded Decepticons. With hands-on interactives and high-tech immersion, the Transformers world comes to life like never before. The experience sweeps guests across the universe to train alongside iconic heroes like Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, and score victories against villains like Megatron and Starscream. With the fate of the TRANSFORMERS robots at stake, which side will you choose? Come experience this memorable and shareworthy adventure for all!
The TRANSFORMERS franchise has become a global entertainment brand with millions of fans, a storied legacy, and a revered place in modern popular culture. The brand’s enduring connection with fans crosses borders and spans generations through films and TV series, video games and toys, and live action experiences and theme park realms.
“We have been working with Victory Hill Exhibitions to create an experience that will immerse guests in the Transformers universe and wow them from the moment they enter,” said Matt Proulx, Head of Location Based Entertainment at Hasbro. “We’re excited for Transformers fans of all ages to discover that there’s more than meets the eye at Transformers: The Experience.”
Cityneon’s Executive Chairman and Group CEO, Ron Tan said, “Hasbro is one of the Group’s first partners in our foray into immersive experiences. Our partnership has come a long way and I am excited to see the newly created and multi-million dollar production – Transformers: The Experience premiere in North America and China in 2022.”


For more information about TRANSFORMERS: THE EXPERIENCE, visit transformerstheexperience.com.


CONNECT WITH CITYNEON:
Official Website: www.cityneongroup.com
Facebook: @cityneonholdings
Twitter: @cityneonholding
Instagram: @cityneonholdings



About Cityneon Holdings Limited:
With its global reach and international partnerships, Cityneon has the capability to serve its clients anywhere in the world. Cityneon was listed on the Mainboard of the Singapore Stock Exchange since 2005, and was privatized on February 2019 by West Knighton Limited, a company wholly owned by Cityneon’s Executive Chairman and Group CEO, Ron Tan, together with Hong Kong veteran entrepreneur and investor, Johnson Ko Chun Shun. Johnson is a capital markets veteran and has held controlling interests and directorships in many listed companies. In May 2019, Cityneon welcomed CITIC Capital as a new shareholder, who holds approximately 9% shares in Cityneon. CITIC Capital is part of CITIC Group, one of China’s largest conglomerates, and has over US$29B of assets under its management across 100 funds and investment products globally. Other institutional shareholders of the Group include EDBI – a Singapore government-linked global investor, and Pavilion Capital – a Singapore-based investment institution which focuses on private equity investments, that made strategic investments to the Group in August and October 2019 respectively. In April 2021, Cityneon welcomed new investors Seatown Holdings International, Qatar’s Doha Venture Capital, which will now own approximately 4% of the Group, and other financial institutions and family offices in Singapore and China, joining the already strong stable of shareholders to support the Group’s further expansion globally. For more information, please visit www.cityneongroup.com.

About Victory Hill Exhibitions:
Victory Hill Exhibitions is a subsidiary of Cityneon Holdings and is the worldwide leader in producing Hollywood IP exhibitions. Their offerings include JURASSIC WORLD: THE MOVIE EXHIBITION in Guangzhou and Shanghai, China; JURASSIC WORLD: THE EXHIBITION in Dallas, Texas; Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. in Las Vegas, Toronto, and Seoul; AVATAR: THE EXHIBITION in Chengdu, China; and The Hunger Games: The Exhibition in Las Vegas.
As a global IP management company which strives to create interactive exhibits that attract visitors and have educational value, Victory Hill with its 25 years of experience and cooperation with pioneers in technology from around the world, is able to create astounding interactive experiences, and can adapt to satisfy each and every unique need of our clients.

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