Bringing stories to life with MACK One
The MACK One team is the driving force behind unique ideas of the Mack Group, as well as one of its most important interfaces. Michael Mack, managing director of Europa-Park, founded the innovation and ideas factory MACK NeXT in 2019 in order to explore and overcome the limits of digital entertainment. With the opening of the world-first VR attraction YULLBE, the MACK NeXT team achieved a milestone in the leisure and entertainment industry in 2020.
Whether in films, radio plays or novels, thanks to the lovingly-designed productions from MACK Magic, visitors are able to immerse themselves in the fascinating worlds of Europa-Park both on-site and in their own home. MACK One also develops attractions that are exported from southern Baden to all parts of the world.
From radio plays to rollercoasters
Bringing stories to life: That is the vision of MACK One. This is where ideas are developed and managed for Europa-Park, the Rulantica water world, and customers all over the world that share the love of innovation. The young subsidiary of Mack is divided into several muscles which together form the strong extended arm of the themed resort.
MACK Magic provides Europa-Park and Rulantica with a very special way to present itself, as the novels, radio plays, films and much more bring popular characters such as Ed Euromaus and Snorri not only to Germany’s largest theme park, but also into living rooms around the world. The MACK Magic team is also responsible for the emotional component of a new attraction, where unique stories are brought to life through creative storytelling.
Innovative attractions are developed by the in-house talents of MACK Emotioneers. This includes the new spectacular rollercoaster ‘Voltron Nevera powered by Rimac’, which marks the beginning of another European themed area in Europa-Park in 2024: Croatia. The team is also heavily involved in the design of the lovingly-themed areas at Europa-Park’s water world that give Rulantica its unmistakable atmosphere.
The development of the attractions of tomorrow, particularly in the field of virtual reality, is a core part of business at the innovation forge MACK NeXT. With YULLBE, the team has created a unique product that not only delights guests at the Europa-Park resort, but has also quickly booked further locations around the world. Together with its subsidiary VR Coaster, MACK NeXT has also developed the world’s only ‘Diving Theatre’, a underwater virtual reality experience that celebrated its world premiere at Rulantica with ‘Snorri Snorkling VR’.
Ed Euromaus, Snorri and Co. in your own home
However, it’s not just at the VR attractions by MACK NeXT that guests can experience the amazing worlds and lovable characters Snorri and Ed Euromaus. The creative minds at MACK Magic have also brought the Europa-Park feeling home with books, radio plays and films.
One year before the opening of the new multi-launch coaster ‘Voltron Nevera powered by Rimac’, MACK Magic began to build the excitement for the 17th European themed area at Europa-Park with the 360-degree adventure film ‘Nikola Tesla’s Beautiful Croatia’. In addition, in 2023 Nikola Tesla conquered the screens of the Magic Cinema 4D at Germany’s largest theme park with ‘Voltron 4D’. The new, highly exciting live-action film about Nikola Tesla invites visitors to seamlessly immerse themselves in Tesla’s world with the use of complex 4D technology.
Transcending the boundaries of reality with YULLBE
September 2020 saw the opening of the immersive YULLBE experience world, designed by MACK NeXT and VR Coaster in cooperation with leading international designers and technology manufacturers. The stand-alone ‘Full Body Tracking Free Roaming VR attraction’ is situated between the Rulantica water world and the 4* superior ‘Krønasår’ hotel in Europa-Park. In this unique VR experience, up to four people can immerse themselves in a fantastic adventure simultaneously and face exciting challenges either alone or together. With this innovative experience, the creative minds at MACK NeXT and VR Coaster have created a new level of entertainment as well as a milestone in the VR entertainment industry. Following ‘Mission: Rulantica’ and ‘Miniatur Wunderland – The Crazy Shrink Tour’, visitors have also been able to experience a spectacular, action-packed journey into virtual reality with the ‘Amber Blake: Operation Dragonfly’ experience since 2023. The range of the 10-minute YULLBE GO experience is also constantly being expanded; by 2023 there were already eight different adventures to choose from.
At the IAAPA Expo in Orlando (USA), one of the world’s most important conferences for the theme park industry, in autumn 2021 MACK NeXT was awarded the coveted Brass Ring Award. YULLBE impressed the international jury of experts in the ‘Best New Product: Virtual Reality’ category and thus secured itself an Award.
The numerous locations of YULLBE GO and YULLBE PRO reflect the innovative power and success of the new product. Thanks to the mobility of this attraction, YULLBE GO is sold primarily in the B2B sector: the ideal opportunity for shopping centres, pop-ups and family entertainment centres to increase the added value of their location and offer customers and guests a unique experience. The innovative YULLBE PRO concept is also being sold, ensuring excitement and unforgettable VR adventures beyond Rust..
MACK One honours international technology pioneers
In 2018, Michael Mack launched the AUREA Award in order to provide a platform for the exchange of international pioneers working in the field of augmented and virtual reality. Not only does the event bring together innovative entrepreneurs and gifted developers from all over the world, the best ideas and products in the industry are also recognised by a top-class jury of experts. Within its first few years, the AUREA Award has already developed into one of the most prestigious prizes in the field of XR, VR, AR and MR.
MACKNeXT as an industry pioneer
Michael Mack and the MACK NeXT team themselves have received some of the most coveted awards in the industry. In autumn 2020, Michael Mack was named one of the 50 most important influencers in his field by the platform ‘Blooloop.com’, the world’s leading online network in the leisure industry. In November of the same year, the magazine ‘Die Deutsche Wirtschaft’ honoured Michael Mack together with MACK NeXT as ‘Innovator of the Year’. Just one year after its founding, the young subsidiary receives the largest audience award in the German economy. The reasons behind the award were particular praise for the passion and creative will with which the founder Michael Mack develops his visionary projects: “In the tranquil Ortenau district in Baden-Württemberg, more precisely in Rust, MACK NeXT is one of the hidden champions of the industry: The innovation laboratory from the family-run company Europa-Park is a place where the latest trends emerge, attracting attention from around the world and inspiring people.”
MACK One creates the films of the future
The in-house film label 2112 STUDIOS develops and produces films that enchant, touch and take audiences to new worlds. In 2019, the label was co-producer of the feature film ‘Takeover’, which used Europa-Park as a backdrop. In Plobsheim, Alsace, MACK One France combines both the French activities in the field of marketing and sales as well as some of the technology-innovation-driven activities of MACK NeXT at the innovation campus that was recently built there. The project is largely driven by Michael Mack, who in addition to his role as managing partner, alsoo serves as Honorary Consul of France.
Due to its strategic location, the site in Plobsheim ensures access and proximity to important talents from the French innovation ecosystem. The site is just over 10km south of Strasbourg, the TGV stop and Strasbourg Airport, as well as close to the ICE stop in Offenburg and the Rust site. Furthermore, in 2023 the company added another location, MACK One Switzerland, in one of the Mack Group’s most important foreign markets.
Blue Banana
Every autumn, horror fans make the pilgrimage to Rust to be frightened to their absolute limit at ‘Traumatica’. Even the hardiest of fans go weak at the knees at this experience. The company branch ‘Blue Banana’, under the management of Ian Jenkins, is responsible for the multiple award-winning horror event.