From Attraction Mix to Social Destination: ESAC Draws on Shanghai WUNPARK Case to Address 2027 FEC Design Trends

Focusing on immersive themed environments, hybrid entertainment and efficient space use, ESAC plans to engage with global industry partners at IAAPA Expo 2026.

ZHONGSHAN, China, Nov. 3, 2026 — Elephant Sculpture Art Co., Ltd. (ESAC), a themed entertainment design and construction company, will participate in IAAPA Expo 2026 to engage with industry professionals from around the world and share its vision for the future of family entertainment center (FEC) design. With a focus on immersive themed environments, hybrid entertainment concepts, and efficient space planning, the company will draw on projects such as Shanghai WUNPARK to explore new approaches to entertainment venue design.

As FECs move from single-purpose venues centered on amusement equipment to multi-experience destinations that combine sport, interactive play, socializing and leisure, investors are paying closer attention to experience differentiation, efficient use of space and long-term operating value.

An article on IAAPA's website, published Sept. 14, 2026, about the trends shaping FECs in 2027, noted that hybrid entertainment formats, food-and-beverage offerings and social experiences, connected operations, and perceived consumer value will continue to influence the industry. It also suggested that technology introduced merely for the sake of "new tech," or costly facilities with limited operational efficiency, may face greater scrutiny. The article also noted that themed environments and storytelling, as well as active entertainment experiences designed for different age groups, are likely to draw greater attention. These observations raise more specific questions for entertainment space design: Can a project attract a range of user groups and make them want to stay, participate, and return?

Against this backdrop, ESAC highlights its WUNPARK Sports Entertainment Center project in Shanghai as an example of how themed storytelling, spatial planning, experience mix, and project delivery can work together to shape a cohesive entertainment destination.

Located at Ruihong Xintiandi Sun Palace in Shanghai's Hongkou District, the approximately 5,000-square-meter venue takes a "Hyperdimensional Train Station" as its central narrative concept. A partial void reaching approximately 10 meters in height creates three explorable levels, with themed zones including "Space-Time Rift," "Interstellar Adventure," "Detective Base," and "Noah's Ark." Rather than organizing the venue solely by equipment category, the design uses a unified storytelling framework to connect entrance visuals, themed environments, spatial transitions, and guest circulation.

The venue incorporates climbing, sliding, track riding, simulated interactive play, and other sports-entertainment elements into different themed areas. At the entrance, for example, mechanical installations and dynamic lighting build recognition, while other areas use three-dimensional space to organize challenge-based experiences. For investment and operations teams, this approach helps combine experiences of varying intensity within a unified brand universe and creates a physical setting that supports group outings, use by different age groups, event programming, and social sharing. Actual operating results will still need to be evaluated alongside the project's operating data.

ESAC provides coordinated services for family entertainment centers, themed commercial developments and indoor entertainment projects, covering planning, thematic concept design and design development, scenic and installation fabrication, and on-site implementation. Rather than simply adding equipment, ESAC considers thematic expression, guest flow, spatial scale, constructability, and future operational needs together from the earliest design stages. This allows design concepts to be realized as a deliverable physical environment.

Upgrading an FEC for 2027 does not necessarily mean simply adding more expensive equipment. For both operating venues and new projects, the questions that may deserve priority are: whether the entertainment experiences are combined in a logical way; whether the space balances memorable visual focal points with effective guest flow; whether visitors of different ages and those visiting in groups have opportunities to participate together; and whether the themed environment design can support event planning, social sharing, and future updates. The WUNPARK case offers one way of thinking: use storytelling to integrate diverse experiences, and three-dimensional space to create differentiation. But the results of a single project should not be generalized into guaranteed returns in every market.

ESAC plans to meet with family entertainment center operators, investors in themed entertainment, commercial property developers, and industry partners from North America and around the world during IAAPA Expo 2026, scheduled for Nov. 17–20 in Orange County Convention Center (OCCC), Orlando, Florida, USA, to share experience in designing and delivering FEC projects. Project teams planning to build, renovate, or upgrade are invited to contact ESAC in advance to arrange a project discussion at the event.

Media Contact
Company: Elephant Sculpture Art Co., Ltd.
Website: https://www.esacart.com/
IAAPA Expo 2026: November 17–20, 2026 | Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida, USA | Booth W1433
Email: [email protected]
Tel.: +86 18024817006
WhatsApp: +86 18024817006
Address: Building NO.7, Zone A, Guangdong Game & Amusement Culture Industry City, Gangkou Town, Zhongshan, China

SOURCE Elephant Sculpture Art Co., Ltd.