By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
As part of its existing agreement with Hasbro, The Path Entertainment Group has partnered with Al Hokair Group to bring Monopoly Lifesized to Saudi Arabia.
The Al Hokair Group is a hospitality, entertainment, and tourism company based in Saudi Arabia. Since its founding in 1975, Al Hokair’s projects have expanded to include eighty entertainment centres and thirty-five hotels across Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. The group develops its tourism investments through partnerships with global entertainment companies.
Monopoly Lifesized is an immersive experiential attraction that features a life-sized version of the Monopoly board game. This licensing agreement will introduce the board game-based attraction to Saudi Arabia’s capital city in time for the Riyadh Season 2022 festival.
Monopoly Lifesized will be situated in Boulevard World, one of the biggest zones of the festival. Consumers visiting the Riyadh Season 2022 festival will have the chance to play the Classic version of the board game experience.
“We’ve selected Riyadh to host the first of many projects which will be a milestone in the group’s development journey,” said Mohamed Attia, Al Hokair Group’s General Manager. “Monopoly Lifesized is a real-life, full-sized version of Monopoly offering the chance to hop around the board and build the property empire of your dreams. It is built as a hybrid of escape rooms, board games, and team challenges; in other words, loads of fun!”
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The Monopoly board game brand is owned by Hasbro, a global entertainment conglomerate that delivers branded experiences through gaming, consumer products and entertainment. This deal marks the first time that Monopoly Lifesized has been licensed outside of the United Kingdom.
“Our Monopoly Lifesized in London won the Best Location-Based Entertainment Award at The Licensing International Excellence Awards this year, and we’re excited to bring this award-winning experience to residents and visitors in Riyadh. Monopoly is a timeless classic, and we’re thrilled to continue offering more meaningful ways for families and future generations to engage with the brand,” said Matt Proulx, Vice President of Location-Based Entertainment at Hasbro. “At Hasbro we recognize immense brand-building opportunities, as part of our Blueprint 2.0 strategy, and we’ll continue to bring these exciting experiences to life, just like with Monopoly Lifesized.”
In Spring 2023, additional custom-built boards will be available at the Riyadh Monopoly Lifesized location. There will be an official opening for the new boards in addition to the Monopoly-themed Top Hat Restaurant which will be available alongside the game experience.
“We’re excited to partner with the Al Hokair group to bring Monopoly Lifesized to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, our award-winning and location-based entertainment concept inspired by the internationally loved board game,” said David Hutchinson, CEO of The Path Entertainment Group.
“The consumer appetite for immersive experiences is growing globally, and we’re delighted to increase our global rollout with additional licensing agreements in the pipeline in other major markets. Thanks to my team for working tirelessly, and our London site team who are now into their sixteenth month of operation at our flagship site on Tottenham Court Road.”
The international licensing deal brokered by The Path Entertainment Group is expected to be the first of many agreements for the Monopoly Lifesized brand. Further global expansion is planned for the US, Europe, and Asia Pacific markets in coming years.
The Path Entertainment Group is a London-based production house that produces experiential and game-based entertainment. It brings together teams from theatre production, hospitality, and event management to translate global brands and intellectual property into immersive experiences in markets across the globe.
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