Contract

RNS Number : 4916O
Lo-Q PLC
09 March 2009
 



9 March 2009


 

Lo-Q plc 

('Lo-Q' or the 'Company')


New contract with Italian theme park


Lo-Q plc, the AIM listed provider of virtual queuing systems for theme parks and major attractions, announces it has signed an agreement to install its VQ2020 queue management system at the Mirabilandia theme park in Ravenna, Italy. This is Lo-Q's second VQ2020 European theme park installation following on from the Legoland Windsor contract signed in February last year.


Mirabilandia, Ravenna is owned by Spanish leisure park operator Parques Reunidos, and in 2008 had 1.7m visitors. With 67 parks, Parques Reunidos is the second largest operator of leisure parks in Europe. Parques Reunidos operate theme parks, amusement parks, nature and animal parks and water parks across EuropeSouth America and the USA.


As part of the agreement Lo-Q plc will install and train Mirabilandia employees to use the VQ2020 queue management system. The installation will include an initial batch of 370 Q-bots, Lo-Q's proprietary hand-held units that allow park guests to reserve their place in any queue from anywhere in the park. The virtual queuing system means that all visitors wait the same time for ride so the Q-bot system is fair to all and allows them to visit the restaurants and retail outlets until their ride is ready.


The one year agreement (extendable to a five year contract) also covers technical assistance and support as well as software updates and maintenance. Lo-Q will also provide further batches of Q-bots to meet augmented future customer demand. The installation is expected to be completed in April in time for the busy Easter period.


Jeff McManus, Chairman of Lo-Q, commented:


'We are very pleased to have signed this agreement with such a major leisure park operator as Parques Reunidos. This now brings the total number of parks using the VQ2020 system to 14 and adds another group to our portfolio of clients. It also means that our system is now being used by the two largest leisure park operators in Europe.


'We hope that through the successful deployment of our system in Italy, we will be able to demonstrate that our system has the potential to enhance a visitor's enjoyment of Mirabilandia and so can be used to good effect at other Parques Reunidos sites.'


Mr. Claudio Bertozzi, CEO of Mirabilandia commented:


'We are very proud to be the first Park in Italyand one of the first ones in Europeto offer our visitors an electronic reservation service to have access to rides without having to wait in the line. We are very pleased to have signed this agreement with a great company such as Lo-Q. I'm sure that thanks to their technology we will give new opportunities to our visitors and it will make their visit to our park more enjoyable'.



ENDS


Contacts:


Lo-Q plc

Jeff McManus, Chairman

Tel: 01491 577 210


Colin Robertson, Sales Director

Tel: 01491 630 066




Arbuthnot Securities Limited

John Prior/Ed Burbidge

Tel: 020 7012 2000




Parkgreen Communications Ltd


Tel: 020 7933 8780



Mob: 07980 541 893


Paul McManus

paul.mcmanus@parkgreenmedia.com


Ben Knowles

ben.knowles@parkgreenmedia.com



About Lo-Q plc


Lo-Q plc listed on AIM in April 2002 and has active subsidiary companies in the USA and Canada.


Lo-Q designs, installs and operates systems which allow members of the public to make ride and show reservations when they visit a theme park or other attraction. Lo-Q's flagship product, VQ2020, is a true virtual queuing system for theme parks. Lo-Q's proprietary hand-held units, called Q-bots, are used in major theme parks around the world. In August 2008 Lo-Q passed its 3 millionth user of the Lo-Q system.


The dynamic virtual queuing concept arose because of a wait in a line by Leonard Simthe company founder and inventor of the Lo-Q System, and his family in a Florida theme park in the 90's. The ride had mechanical problems, which meant that the almost two hour wait was a waste of time.


Lo-Q's headquarters and development labs are in the Smith Centre high technology campus near Henley-on-Thames, UK, where a team of highly skilled engineers carry out hardware, software and systems design. The USA headquarters is in Lithia SpringsGeorgia, near Atlanta where support, financial and installation staff are based.


The first installation went live in March 2001 and with Mirabilandia being installed on the 9th of April 2009, there will be a total of 14 sites across the world, namely: 


Six Flags Over GeorgiaUSA

Six Flags New EnglandUSA

Six Flags Great AdventureUSA

Six Flags Over TexasUSA

Six Flags Fiesta TexasUSA

Six Flags St LouisUSA

Six Flags Great AmericaUSA

Six Flags Magic MountainUSA

Six Flags Discovery KingdomUSA

Six Flags La Ronde, Canada

DollywoodUSA

DreamworldAustralia

Legoland WindsorUK

MirabilandiaItaly


In 2007 Lo-Q acquired the Text-Q product which allows mobile phone users to reserve their place in line. Users pay a fee and using the premium rate SMS services, avoid standing in a queue. The attraction generates additional revenue. Text-Q is available at the London Dungeon and Madame Tussauds in London.



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