KidzMondo Makes Learning Exciting Through Their Edutainment

Interview with Ali Kazma, Founder of KidzHolding

Could you tell us a bit about the history behind Kidz Holding?

Kidz Holding is the company that owns the IP and the concept of KidzMondo, which is the edutainment theme park that we created 4 years ago in Lebanon. Now we are expanding this concept all over the world. Kidz Holding is the company that offers the franchises and that invests in all of the theme parks that we are opening in the region.

There are KidzMondo theme parks in Turkey, Abu Dhabi and Lebanon, which did you establish first and do they share the same concept?

We established our first entertainment theme park in Beirut. The theme park was opened last year. We have already opened a park in Istanbul and new parks are under construction in Abu Dhabi and in seven other countries such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, some European countries and we are also expanding into South America. We are expanding in a healthy way. The concept is always the same, but we adapt to the local culture. We study the local culture and mentality, we study the education system and the curriculum in the local schools and we adapt our concept to that culture. The architecture of the city and the content and type of entertainment activities depend on the local culture; we don’t do the same thing everywhere.

Can you give us an example of how the locations differ with regards to style and entertainment activities?

For example in Abu Dhabi we include an oil refinery, because the oil industry in the Gulf region is very familiar to the kids seeing as many of their parents work in this field. In Lebanon we don´t have oil and so we don’t have this activity. Also in Abu Dhabi, there is a huge sustainable city called Masdar city, and so we are going to include a solar city in KidzMondo to show kids about green energy etc. We always try to link the activities to what is available in the country.

Lebanon has found some oil so it might be able to have an oil refinery in KidzMondo here soon! KidzMondo literally looks like an entire city that has been reduced for its clientele from ages 2 to 14. Can you give us a mental walk through of what happens from when kids arrive to when they leave?

KidzMondo entertainment theme park in Beirut has a built up area of 10,300m2. KidzMondo is “the city where kids rule”. The kids enter the airport as if they were travelling to another country. We want to make the kids feel as if they were adults so we call them Mr or Ms. They arrive in the airport, get their boarding pass, a map of the city, and a check of 50 Kidlars that they can cash in the city’s bank. The sponsors we have are very important because they add realism to our concept. For example, Middle East Airlines, the national carrier of Lebanon is a sponsor and so we have the same decoration and same lay out as in the real airport. Once inside KidzMondo, the kids cash a cheque at the Bank Audi in Beirut, which is another of our sponsors. The kids have to wear a bracelet that tracks them all over the city; we call it KidzBand. This is important for safety and security, so that the children can’t get lost or leave without their parents. In the Beirut park there are 80 professions, 40 earning and 40 spending. Some of the theme activities are earning and spending at the same time. When they cash the cheque, they get 50 Kidlars, which is their capital for the day. All kids can turn that into 500 or more Kidlars, save them in the bank for their next visit, or spend them in the Kidlar store. Furthermore, they also have an ATM card in which they can use at the Bank Audi ATM machines installed inside the city to withdraw their Kidlars when needed.

What happens if they run out of money?

They need to work to earn more money. They can´t go back to the counter and buy more Kidlars for cash. The city is run in Kidlars it is the only currency in KidzMondo. It is balanced and has its own central bank, just as in real adult life.

What types of establishments are found in KidzMondo?

We have sections like transportation, retail etc. and we have factories and media city. The city is divided into businesses, for example, the media city has a television station, a radio station and a newspaper. We have MTV and NRJ radio station. In terms of transportation, there is a gas station and a racetrack. There are different activities represented. In Abu Dhabi, we have 120 professions represented. The standard is 150, but here in Beirut, we are limited in terms of space, so we have 80 professions. As I said earlier, the sponsors add reality to the concept, and that creates brand awareness for the sponsors. For example, this experience will help kids open a bank account at the real Bank Audi ten years later. This interaction creates brand loyalty and is essentially a new marketing tool.

Do the restaurants in the city actually serve food?

The restaurants do serve food. We have a special license from Burger King where kids can make their own burgers. The kids can also make their own pizzas at the pizza place, as well as other food industries. Moreover, kids have the opportunity to be chefs at KidzMondo!

The type of entertainment you provide is edutainment. What kinds of activities do you offer the kids that combine a fun and educational experience?

Edutainment is a mix of educational entertainment. Not all of our activities are based on the same educational aspect. Our curriculum has been created and endorsed by professors from the Lebanese American University and the Minister of Education.. Each activity encourages different skills, such as cognitive behaviour and teamwork. We want the children to learn while being entertained and having fun.

KidzMondo prides itself on providing an educational experience, as well as safety standards. It is a certified active member of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. Could you please tell us what it means to be a member?

IAAPA is the international association of theme parks and is based in the USA. As a member, we hold training sessions with our team regarding safety standards, accounting, marketing, increasing flow to the park etc. The association has its own safety standards that include hygiene, safety and security. We benefit a lot from their experience. Disney is a member of this association along with many other huge theme parks. The association is always helpful to us, for our needs in all areas. There are yearly training sessions and exhibitions, and we always follow what is new with IAAPA. We feel that this association will help us grow in the entertainment industry.

What is your general assessment of the tourism sector in Lebanon, and how does it compare to its neighboring countries? What gives Lebanon an edge?

For 100 years, Lebanon has been among the best destinations in the region for tourism and entertainment, despite 4 to 5 years of unrest in the region from which we have lost many tourists. The good thing is that some people still believe in our country and still come here despite the political and stability problems. They still want to come to Lebanon because they enjoy it.

What are the greatest challenges for the tourism sector, internally and regionally?

Unfortunately, in our industry, no one is investing in theme parks, entertainment, or edutainment. However, we saw that Lebanon has a hungry market. No one is investing in kids or education, and that´s why we started this project. I always say in any forums or meetings that we should invest in this sector. For example, we don’t have a good zoo or many water parks. We take our kids to Dubai or France for these things. In Lebanon with KidzMondo, people are happy now that there is somewhere to take their kids. For some reason no one is investing in this entertainment sector, people don’t believe in the entertainment sector for kids, even though it is linked to tourism. I ask many Lebanese friends of mine in Dubai, why they don’t come to Beirut, and they say that there is nothing for kids to enjoy there, they prefer to travel somewhere else. Therefore, we encourage people to invest in this entertainment industry because there is a big market here.

What are some of your plans for future expansion?

We have signed some franchise contracts in the countries I mentioned earlier. We are also soon expanding to Asia, Europe, Africa, Russia, and other Arab countries, such as KSA and Qatar. People believe in us; Beirut is our showcase, and Abu Dhabi will be our second showcase. The park in Istanbul is 5,000m2 whilst the park in Abu Dhabi is 15,000m2 so when we want to franchise we shall invite investors to visit the Abu Dhabi park.

What do you do to set yourself apart from your competitors, if there even are any?

We would love to have competitors in the market because when you see people believing in the tourism and entertainment sector for kids, they will start investing in it, and it will be more fun competing in the market.

Is there anything you would like to add before we conclude the interview?

We are lacking in tourists for the time being, although for our original business plan we didn’t include tourists so we are satisfied with our numbers. During Eid we did very well, there were lots of tourists and so we hope that this will continue. We hope that there will be stability and security in Lebanon. We invite people to come and check out our parks in the next few years in the countries that I mentioned. Everyone is welcome.

FAIR USE POLICY
This material (including media content) may not be published, broadcasted, rewritten, or redistributed. However, linking directly to the page (including the source, i.e. Marcopolis.net) is permitted and encouraged.