Project Overview

Client: Totally Attractions
Event: Indoor Immersive Dinosaur Exhibit
Goal: Create an unforgettable, interactive dinosaur experience for families in an unused unit of Walkden Town Centre, transforming it into a thrilling, educational exhibit.

Totally Attractions approached iCatching Events and Media with an exciting opportunity to convert a 9,000 square-foot unused unit in Walkden Town Centre into an immersive dinosaur exhibit. This project aimed to captivate young dinosaur enthusiasts and families, offering a truly unique and educational experience. The exhibit ran through late spring, attracting visitors and drawing families with children interested in exploring the prehistoric world.

With a £80,000 budget, the exhibit included full production services, transforming an otherwise unused space into a breathtaking walkthrough experience featuring life-sized props, stunning room decor, and interactive installations.

The Installation

The highlight of the installation was the fully immersive dinosaur walkthrough, where visitors traveled through various dinosaur habitats, encountering huge static dinosaur props set against backdrops of lush greenery, rugged terrain, and prehistoric landscapes. Every detail was crafted to bring the ancient world to life, from the towering T-Rex to the colossal Brachiosaurus.

One of the standout features of the exhibit was the volcano created using fabric and flame machines to simulate a volcanic eruption, adding drama and excitement to the environment. Additionally, the installation included detailed draping and lighting effects, enhancing the atmosphere and making each scene feel vibrant and dynamic.

Other sections of the exhibit included a dedicated Ice Age section, showcasing ice-covered landscapes and prehistoric creatures, as well as a sandpit area where children could dig for fossils, adding an interactive, hands-on element to the experience.

Challenges and Solutions

The project came with several unique challenges:

• Transforming an Unused Space: The space was not initially designed to accommodate such an elaborate exhibit. Our team had to work creatively to convert the unit into a fully immersive environment. This involved extensive draping, room design, and coordination with the team to ensure the space was transformed into an engaging and safe area for visitors.

• Creating Realistic Effects: Bringing a volcano to life with fabric and flame machines presented a challenge in terms of safety and realism. We worked closely with technical specialists to ensure the volcano effect was both visually striking and safe for all ages, integrating lighting effects to simulate lava flows and adding fog to enhance the eruption’s impact.

• Budget Management: With a budget of £80,000, we had to ensure every aspect of the production, including the pop-up cinema and additional exhibits, was delivered without exceeding financial limits. Our team worked efficiently to prioritize key elements that would deliver maximum impact while staying within budget.

Design and Execution

Our design vision was to create an experience that blended realism with fun, ensuring both educational value and entertainment. The dinosaur displays were complemented by strategically placed information boards, where visitors could learn interesting facts about each dinosaur.

The pop-up cinema, which showed a short film about dinosaurs, was an additional feature that allowed visitors to relax and enjoy educational content in between exploring the exhibit.

The design was executed with careful attention to detail, from the draping and lighting that enveloped each scene, to the interactive sandpit where kids could uncover fossil replicas. All elements combined to create an immersive environment that transported visitors back to the age of the dinosaurs.

Results and Impact

The Dinosaur Exhibit was a major success, particularly among families and young dinosaur fans. The exhibit exceeded expectations, with feedback from visitors highlighting the immersive atmosphere, engaging displays, and educational content. The exhibit’s high-quality visuals and lifelike props generated a significant social media buzz, with images of the event so impressive that many people questioned whether they were computer-generated—rest assured, they were all real photos of the actual installation.

The family-friendly nature of the exhibit ensured it became a popular destination for parents looking to entertain and educate their children, leading to increased foot traffic for Walkden Town Centre during the late spring period.

Client Feedback

The client was thrilled with the final product, with the exhibit garnering praise for its creative execution, attention to detail, and the positive impact it had on footfall and engagement. The event successfully met its objective of attracting families, with the volcano effect and interactive displays particularly well-received. Totally Attractions was impressed with how iCatching Events and Media brought their vision to life, delivering a high-quality, immersive experience that exceeded their expectations—all within the allocated budget of £80,000.