NextGen Showcase

What NextGen Showcase does

Immersive Design Academy (formerly NextGen Showcase) is a UK-registered not-for-profit (Company #16531948) that runs a globally distributed, 11-month training program in themed attraction design. Each January-November cohort places approximately 90 participants from 20+ countries into six multidisciplinary, cross-border teams that operate as a simulated creative studio, ideating and developing an original themed attraction from brief through final pitch under two industry-professional mentors per team and weekly masterclasses with visiting experts. The program is delivered virtually using standard collaboration tooling (Discord, online sessions), supplemented by optional in-person site visits and culminating in Showcase events (Blue Sky, Concept, Final) hosted at IAAPA Expos across Europe, Orlando, Asia, and the Middle East.

The product surface includes the core 11-month program, weekly education sessions with themed-entertainment professionals, a structured mentorship program, and named scholarship instruments such as the Rose Ehret Inclusivity and Accessibility Scholarship. Public project deliverables (TerraTopia, Malltopia) double as curriculum outputs and as marketing assets, showcasing completed masterplans, scenic designs, and technical narratives produced by alumni teams.

IDA is monetized through a symbolic 50 EUR enrollment fee per participant and optional ~20-40 EUR fees for in-person behind-the-scenes tours, but the organization is structurally funded by the IAAPA Foundation, industry sponsorships (Simworx, Alterface, Nassal, ThemingEngineers, CSB, BALPPA, FrankNDesign, Creative Studio Berlin, P+A Projects, Big Break Foundation), and in-kind volunteer labor — the founding and management team (Laura Marakowits, Emma Bashford, Lars van de Crommert) are unpaid. Customer segments are horizontal — aspiring themed-entertainment professionals aged 18+, current higher-education students, and career changers — sourced via applications, IAAPA Expos, and word-of-mouth within a tight industry community.

Name

NextGen Showcase

Legal name

Immersive Design Academy

Website

https://nextgenshowcase.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Immersive Design Academy (formerly NextGen Showcase) is a UK not-for-profit running an 11-month, simulated-studio training programme in themed attraction design for ~90 aspiring professionals annually across 20+ countries, monetized through nominal enrollment fees and funded primarily via IAAPA Foundation grants and industry sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Themed Entertainment Education

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111)

akta.pro primary industry

Design Colleges (Graphic, Industrial, UX/UI, Interior) (EDAHAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technology & Innovation Expos Organizers (THAHABAE), Virtual Conferences & Summits (Webinars, Keynotes) (MPAGAOAA)

Keywords

• Themed entertainment education
• Attraction design training
• Immersive design program
• Creative studio simulation
• Industry mentorship program

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Enrollment Fees: The primary revenue stream is a nominal enrollment fee of 50 EUR per participant for the virtual program. As a not-for-profit organization run by volunteers, all funds go directly toward running the programme. Optional in-person events (behind-the-scenes tours) cost approximately 20-40 EUR per event, excluding travel.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NextGen Showcase (rebranded as Immersive Design Academy in 2025) is a not-for-profit educational organization that runs an 11-month training programme in themed attraction design. Each year approximately 90 students are organized into six multidisciplinary international teams that work virtually in a simulated creative studio environment to develop original themed attraction concepts from client brief to final design, supported by industry professional mentors and weekly education sessions.

Product overview

Immersive Design Academy (formerly NextGen Showcase) is a not-for-profit educational organization offering an 11-month training programme in themed attraction design. The core product is a simulated creative studio environment where approximately 90 students work virtually in six multidisciplinary international teams to develop themed attraction concepts based on real-world client briefs. Supporting offerings include weekly education sessions with industry experts, mentorship from themed entertainment professionals, in-person events and site visits, and scholarship programmes. Student work is showcased at IAAPA Expos worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 11-Month Educational Programme An 11-month training programme in themed attraction design that simulates a real-world creative studio environment, where approximately 90 students work virtually in six multidisciplinary international teams to create an original themed attraction in response to a client brief. Designed for aspiring themed entertainment professionals aged 18+.
• Rose Ehret Inclusivity and Accessibility Scholarship A scholarship supporting themed entertainment professionals, established by alumna Rose Ehret to promote accessibility awareness in the industry. Provides financial support for participants in the programme.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 2/3 of surveyed graduates attained industry placements
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IAAPAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 February 2026IDA announced a new partnership with IAAPA, the global association for the attractions industry. The collaboration is supported by scholarship and program funding from the IAAPA Foundation. IDA will host programming and student-focused events at IAAPA Expos worldwide, including Europe, Orlando, Asia, and Middle East. All IDA students receive complimentary access to IAAPA Expos.
• Big Break FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIDA works with Big Break Foundation, a registered not-for-profit in the USA that empowers the Location-Based Experience industry to create welcoming and equitable workplaces and visitor experiences. Big Break Foundation hosts an Emerging Talent Directory that includes IDA alumni, and provides IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility) resources.
• SimworxminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsoring company for IDA events including the Blue Sky Showcase at IAAPA Amsterdam 2024.
• AlterfaceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsoring company for IDA events. Alterface is an attractions industry company featured as a sponsor and partner on the IDA website.
• Creative Studio BerlinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsoring company for IDA events including the Blue Sky Showcase at IAAPA Amsterdam 2024.
• FrankNDesignminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsoring company for IDA events including the Blue Sky Showcase at IAAPA Amsterdam 2024. FrankNDesign is a design and 3D modeling firm for theme parks founded by Francisco J. Nunez.
• P+A ProjectsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsoring company for IDA events including the Blue Sky Showcase at IAAPA Amsterdam 2024.
• CSBminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsoring company for IDA as shown on the sponsors section of the website.
• NassalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsoring company for IDA as shown on the sponsors section of the website.
• ThemingEngineersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsoring company for IDA as shown on the sponsors section of the website.
• BBFminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsoring company for IDA as shown on the sponsors section of the website.
• BALPPAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsoring company for IDA as shown on the sponsors section of the website. BALPPA is the British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Full Sail University: Florida-based for-profit university offering degrees in entertainment, media, arts, and technology. Comparable to IDA as an alternative education pathway for entertainment-industry careers, but Full Sail is degree-granting, tuition-based, and significantly larger.
• Forrec: Canadian theme park and attraction design consultancy. Comparable to IDA as a major industry employer of themed entertainment designers and as a participant in the same talent pipeline IDA feeds, but operating as a commercial design firm.
• Thinkwell Group: Global themed entertainment master planner and experience design firm. Comparable to IDA as a leading industry employer of graduates and as a knowledge hub in themed attraction design, though Thinkwell is a commercial consultancy rather than an educational institution.
• Universal Creative: The design and development division for Universal Destinations' themed entertainment. Comparable to IDA as a senior employer of themed entertainment talent and an industry standard-setter, but operating as a large corporate function of a major entertainment company.
• Walt Disney Imagineering: The creative force behind Disney's theme parks and attractions. Comparable to IDA as the premier industry employer and aspirational career destination for IDA graduates, but operating as a large in-house creative arm of a Fortune 500 entertainment company.
• Stantec: Global design and engineering consultancy with a dedicated Themed Entertainment practice. Comparable to IDA as a major industry employer and industry-knowledge stakeholder, but operating as a large multi-discipline professional services firm.
• Academy of Art University: San Francisco-based for-profit art and design school offering online and in-person programs across industrial design, game design, and entertainment. Comparable to IDA as an alternative education pathway for design careers, with a broader portfolio and degree offerings.
• Gnomon - School of Visual Effects, Games + Animation: Los Angeles-based vocational school focused on VFX, games, and digital entertainment design. Comparisons to IDA: both provide specialized, project-based training for careers in entertainment design, but Gnomon operates as a paid, for-profit institution with a much broader curriculum surface.
• Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD): Specialized design and arts university offering programs in themed entertainment design, UX, and industrial design. Comparable to IDA as a credentialed education pathway into themed entertainment, but operating as a degree-granting institution with substantially higher tuition.
• Ringling College of Art and Design: Florida-based arts and design college with strong programs in game art, animation, and motion design. Comparable to IDA as a specialized arts institution serving entertainment-adjacent design careers, though Ringling is a degree-granting, tuition-based institution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/nextgen-showcase
• Instagraminstagram.com/immersivedesignacademy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NextGen Showcase