London-based research and creative agency Kids Industries (KI) is launching a new division focused on helping companies break into—and stand out in—the location-based entertainment (LBE) category. 

This new team, called KIx, is tapping into what it learned producing location-based experiences with LEGOLAND, Netflix and Royal Caribbean. The aim is to offer clients insight, strategies and creative concepts for their own LBE launches.

“At its heart, this is about lowering the risk profile of major capex [capital expenditure] before ground gets broken,” says Gary Pope (pictured), co-founder of Kids Industries. 

KIx’s services include conducting studies with kids to determine if a brand’s target demo actually likes the experience before it launches, and handling everything from content to marketing. 

The venture already has three clients, and will name them in an announcement when the work is done, Pope adds.     

Kids Industries has always had a foot in the LBE world, dating back to creating the Disney Channel Kids Awards more than two decades ago, says Pope. Since then, KI has been quietly researching and building experiences. 

Being in the LBE market is critical now because it helps brands build longevity, foster a close relationship with consumers and open a new revenue stream at scale, says Pope. And it’s becoming too big a market to ignore—valued at an estimated US$30.8 billion in 2022, the LBE industry is estimated to reach US$108.4 billion by 2033, according to Allied Market Research. 

Several Kids Industries staffers will be working on the new team. US strategy and business development head Pam Kunick-Cohen, who formerly worked at Disney as executive director of brand marketing and at HIT Entertainment as SVP and general manager is heading up North America for KIx. Jelena Stosic, who leads KI’s strategy and research, is overseeing KIx’s strategy. Associate director of international research Josh Brocklehurst is in charge of the research KIx conducts, and creative director Raj Pathmanathan is leading the creative team. 

But KIx isn’t just leaning on its experience—it’s also turning to tech to give its partners a more exact way to measure the success of LBE activations. Investing in LBE can lead to lifelong connections to brands, and to prove that, KIx has partnered with researchers from Purdue University to develop an AI-powered tool that can measure emotional engagement and brand affinity. Aimed at helping brands design and evaluate guest experiences, the tech is in beta now, with a Q1 2025 launch planned.

“In many ways, LBE is the most traditional of all media, yet it is making us all think very differently about our consumers, our roll-out strategies and even the design of our original IPs,” says Pope. “[We tell stories] in the real world—the physical world—that utilize the senses to make memories that last a lifetime. And that is why LBE is so bloody important.”