INTERVIEW Competitive socialising is becoming increasingly popular, especially among millennial and Generation X travellers. “Cruise ships often carry large numbers of people wanting to be occupied whilst on holiday and this creates the perfect environment for competitive socialising spaces,” says Rod Morton, CEO of Greenspan Projects, which designs and builds entertainment venues. While the definition of a fun entertainment venue largely depends on the preferences of the individual, whatever the activity is, it all boils down to it providing an enjoyable social interaction, according to Morton. “The common thread is that a fun space encourages group interaction,” he says. “We’ve found that designs that allow people to congregate comfortably around key areas like bars and golf holes help to create an atmosphere of excitement and anticipation.” Greenspan Projects designs and builds a variety of entertainment venues offering everything from axe throwing to high-ropes courses, all of which can be combined with food and drink offerings. While designing fun is the key priority, the brand must also closely follow health and safety protocols, especially when developing projects for cruise ships. “Safety is a huge element within what we do,” says Morton. “We follow the International Maritime Organization’s regulations across all products that we install onboard vessels. From wallpaper and fabrics to artificial grass, we ensure all products are certified with the ship’s wheelmark to confirm authenticity.” Following the launch of the highropes course onboard P&O Cruises’ Arvia in December 2022, Morton predicts that more cruise operators will look to incorporate this type of entertainment offering into their designs. Unique entertainment venues like these require detailed planning to ensure the safety of guests. “We normally look at the surface and opportunity to install a fixing that can be engineered correctly before considering the wind loadings and how exposed the location will be to the elements,” says Morton. “We also consider the amount of space that there is for storage for safety equipment and to brief guests. “It’s the same with designing any entertainment area; we pre-plan in detail, taking into consideration all health and safety precautions so that customers can enjoy the exciting spaces that we create. As a general design principal, fire safety is always a chief concern and this determines the materials and layout that we use in our designs, be it for an indoor mini-golf course or an outdoor highropes course.” “ A fun space encourages group interaction” Rod Morton reveals to Alice Chambers what factors Greenspan Projects must consider to make shipboard entertainment venues both fun and safe Designing the ultimate social experience 114
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