Behind the Splash: Prakash Vivekanand, Managing Director, Amusement Services International (ASI)

A spotlight series on professionals in the entertainment industry.

As part of our initiative to bring together the water park community in the Middle East & North Africa, we are showcasing the people who work in our incredible industry. We are continuing this series by heading the reigning MENALAC Leisure And Entertainment Personality Of The Year AND Hall of Fame Inductee, Prakash Vivekanand of Amusement Services International (ASI).

Where did you grow up and how did you end up at Amusement Services International (ASI)?

I grew up in Southern India and graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering. I started my career with a company in Process & Instrumentation Industry. This company wanted to organize an Industry Conference for the Chemical Industry. Event Planning was very different from working in a plant. However, I thoroughly enjoyed and thrived in the new role. I was offered a role to organize a similar Chemical Industry conference and trade exhibition in Dubai in 1994. This appealed to me as I saw the UAE as a cultural confluence of East and West. The event was a grand success.  

Based on this success I was pushed to organize a similar event for the Leisure and Entertainment Industry. This industry was alien to me then. I remember doing everything I could to not assume this responsibility. I was convinced by my then-employers that I had what it takes to succeed. I agreed and organized the Theme Parks and Fun Centres Show (now called DEAL). That was my first interaction with the L&E Industry. I had to thoroughly research the leisure market in the region, and understand vendors and operators, as well as their industry needs. The next two years saw me fall in love with this wonderful industry. It seemed as though this industry was my calling. I was then quickly absorbed by MAF Leisure and Entertainment to manage their distribution arm supplying amusement products.

In 1999, being persuaded by a few close industry friends, I decided to venture out on my own and founded Amusement Services International, ASI. The last 23 years at ASI have been enlightening, exciting, and fulfilling, to say the least.

Wow, Chemical Engineering to Leisure and Entertainment. That’s quite a journey.

Indeed. I have asked myself that question several times. My parents would ask me if I used any of the knowledge that I acquired from my engineering degree in the L&E industry. My reply to them was, every day! The unique training and thinking you do as an engineer help me to approach situations methodically and make informed decisions.  This has proved crucial when it comes to understanding the engineering and detail behind the planning of leisure facilities, games, attractions & ride customizations, etc.  

You’ve been working in the Middle East leisure industry nearly since Sheik Zayed was sand, what have been some of the largest milestones you have seen?

You couldn’t have phrased that question better. It really was just sand when I got here in 1994. The tallest building in Dubai was the Dubai World Trade Center. Either side of SZR was a sea of sand. Driving to Abu Dhabi was literally navigating over the sand.

The best of Dubai and the UAE was yet to come.  Little did I know that I would be lucky to witness an architectural and infrastructural transformation in the coming decades. I have seen so many milestones develop since those days.  The remodeling and development of Chicago Beach Hotel into an integrated urban resort such as Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Burj Al Arab, and Wild Wadi was a key milestone. This served as a blueprint for many projects that followed, largely because the model worked, it drew in tourists and residents who needed a get-a-way over a weekend. Now, we have similar successful resort projects in Atlantis and Yas Island. Both of these have been hugely attractive to the public and tourists.

Another milestone is the transformation of souks and stand-alone stores into malls and retail destinations.

To me, the opening of Deira City Center is that key milestone that changed everything in the region. Anchor stores, large retail formats, hypermarkets, and of course large format indoor leisure concepts in the region owe their beginning in the region to Deira City Centre and the MAF group. Magic Planet was the best thing that happened to a shopping mall because it created family engagement and directly influenced repeat visitation due to its proximity to the food court. This concept was a game-changer and has been replicated by all mall developers thereafter looking to maximize footfall because retail cannot be the only offering to customers, it needs to cater to families/residents who enable repeat visits. 

Outside the UAE and within the MENA region, we have had pioneering families like the Al Hokair Family in KSA with their brand of leisure centers and concepts like Dreamland Park in Egypt which opened in the early 90s. These were significant and transformational milestones too.  

Since then we have seen many more milestones all across the region from Kingdom Centre in Riyadh to Burj Khalifa, Ferrari Theme Park, IMG, Yas Waterworld, Aqua Venture, IMG, DPR, and many many more.

I am so fortunate to watch all of these milestones be created and further to be able to play a small part in some of these developments.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?

My team at ASI usually refers to me as Flash! Probably because I am always dashing in and out of meetings and always on the move. Being able to move faster and have the superpower of FLASH could be one. Sometimes I think if I could clone myself and be present in multiple places at the same time could be a cool power to have. In this region, relationships are very valued and sometimes many of my customers want me at the same time. I hate not being able to be with them when they want to meet me. It would be super cool if I could clone myself and be present for each of my customers. If that happens, I would also want to clone my wonderful team at ASI.

You were one of the founding members of MENALAC, how did the organization come to be? What would be some of your tips for those looking to get more involved?

Following a trip to IAAPA in 2013, a few industry players recognized that in order to bring the MENA L&E industry to the forefront, operators in the region needed to work cohesively. Thus, the idea is to form a collective industry council that will specifically cater to the needs of this region, which is unique in many ways.  February 14, 2014, we came together and signed a piece of paper to start a new organization that will represent all facets of the MENA L&E industry. There were 14 of us who became the founding members of MENALAC, it took us three years to be licensed as a council and it was an uphill feat but the way the founding 14 members stuck together as we began the legalities really showed how united we needed to be as an industry to succeed.

I took on the role of Secretary General at MENALAC for the initial two years as we needed to create a strong foundation to portray MENALAC as an ally to members in the L&E Industry. Since then, we have been fortunate to see MENALAC grow in membership as well as cement itself as a council all of us can rely on.

MENALAC was a great way for me to give something back to an industry that has given me so much. I thank the industry for supporting me in this endeavor. Collectively, members of the industry assume roles on a voluntary basis within MENALAC because they genuinely want to see things get better and advance in our industry. We want to return to the industry what it has given us. That would be my tip – you must be involved and want to be part of the process. Be present, and contribute where you can, and that will make us powerful as an organization and an industry.

You work with many different industry brands – do you have a favorite?

I would get into lots of trouble by naming one. They are all my favorites. If I have to pick one, it would have to be SEGA because they were instrumental in the formation of ASI and the first brand we started to represent in the region. They were responsible in a way for my entrepreneurial journey. They have weathered many storms with me and I appreciate their steadfastness, especially in today’s culture.

Let’s talk VR – how long have you been integrating it into attractions at ASI? Do you think it's here to stay?

We started to see the emergence of VR in the late 1990s. The earliest version was bulky and since then we have watched the evolution of that technology into what it is today. Most of the early versions required a player to be skillful to enjoy the VR Experience. HMDs were basic and graphics poor. It really did not resonate with the players. It could also be because players were not ready for VR.

Today we have the best of HMDs, graphics, refresh rates, and more importantly a generation of players who are ready for VR, AR, and MR.  it is surely here to stay. But will evolve even more in the coming years. The success of any innovative gaming experience should be built around user experience, ease of play, and thus the ability to generate repeat play across the customer demographic. Today we see more and more developers understand the importance of creating experiences that resonate with the players.

Does VR replace reality…? I don’t think so. The future will dictate more and more of what we do. However, I do believe that Reality is where the industry will stay for the next 5-7 years. There is a lot of joy in seeing the world without a filter. When you visit a water park for instance, it’s a lot more fun to watch people screaming down the slide with water splashing everywhere and see the real ambient around you rather than a virtual ambient.

If you could time travel, when and where would you go?

Nice question. Backward and forward. With how my career has shaped in the last 2 decades, I would go back to the early 1990s.  They say life is all about endless learning. However, there is a right age for learning. To me, that was in the ’90s. I would go back in time to pick up more skills to support where I am today.  I would also like to travel forward to 2035 into the mountains of NEOM, experience utopia in Dystopian projects just as the LINE, travel from place to place in drones, and experience the future as we have seen in cinemas.

As the outgoing MENALAC Award Hall of Fame winner, we’d love to know, what’s been one of your most satisfying achievements in your career thus far?

I never had the confidence to be an entrepreneur.  To go on my own and start ASI or to simply work for a corporation was a big decision I had to make early in my career. I finally convinced myself that I had to open the door and jump instead of standing in front of it and questioning myself. At least later on, if I failed, I wouldn’t regret not trying to succeed. The decision to go on my own and start ASI was one of the most difficult choices I had to make and, today, looking back, it was the best choice I made. ASI, its position today in the L&E Industry, and the wonderful team we have developed at ASI is my most satisfying achievement.

This achievement was possible because we stayed true to our middle name, SERVICES.  We earned our position by offering exceptional service to our customers and our partners. In doing so, we earned the trust and the confidence of the industry, Building ASI and watching the trust grow from our customers and partners has been a big achievement both personally and professionally.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you have someone you would like to nominate to be featured on the page, please reach out to [email protected], and remember to register for our newsletter to keep up with the latest news in the region.