Theming company 3dxScenic sees new ownership to steer ship
AT: Tim Baldwin
tbaldwin@amusementtoday.com
BLUE ASH, Ohio — Founded in 1999 by Iacono Productions, 3dxScenic, previously a subsidiary of L!VE Technologies, is a full-service custom theming fabrication studio, servicing the theme park industry as well as interior design firms and corporate branding. Theming includes interactive experiences, custom character sculpts and permanent structural elements that convert spaces from functional to immersive environments.
With close to a quarter century of experience, 3dxScenic is about to enter a new chapter.
3dxScenic served as the custom fabrication and scenic production arm of L!VE Technologies. L!VE would engage with 3dxScenic for both their custom scenic needs as well as to order scenery from the catalog of rental décor in storage at its facility. 3dxScenic staff would also travel to L!VE events to install scenery, décor, and branding elements. But that partnership is morphing. There is now a change of ownership. Team members Mark Rosenzweig and Matt Waldenmeyer have now taken the helm.
“The change of ownership has come about because when L!VE Technologies was our owner, we were doing scenic projects for their live events,” said new Chief Business Officer Rosenzweig. “When I was brought onto the team in 2020 to sell external projects to themed entertainment such as theme parks, museums, water parks and aquariums, those started to conflict with internal [L!VE] projects. When you have a project, you need to keep your focus on that. L!VE’s ownership came to us and said, ‘This isn’t working. You guys need to be independent.’ It was a mutual agreement. What that does is allow L!VE to continue collaborating with 3dx, but now as a client.”
“[The old way] was really trying to do two types of projects with the same resources,” said Waldenmeyer, now COO. “When L!VE sold a live event show, as a subsidiary, 3dx would often times have to take on the scenic elements for that project at the same moment we had to build an external project for themed entertainment. The live-event world is usually rapid-paced. Those projects came in usually with a shorter turnaround.”
Now with the new ownership structure, that divided conflict is removed. A supervisor can go to the site and work with local construction workers instead of a larger team being sent to a live event.
When asked what will stay the same and what will be different, Waldenmeyer told Amusement Today, “Custom fabrication on more of a turnkey level will stay the same. We have the skills and the tools to produce custom-themed elements. What will be different is without the live events, we will be able to be more streamlined. We’re only focused on one type of project.”
“Transparency, collaboration and integrity are the three hallmarks that we are aiming for as an organization both internally and extrenally,” added Rosenzweig. “It’s a two-way street between us and our client. We won’t take on projects when we know we won’t meet a deadline or meet a level of expectation for that project. We aren’t a startup; we have the know-how, team, equipment and shop. But we are starting fresh with a 100 percent focus on themed entertainment.”
3dx’s largest themed entertainment project was in 2022 when it was the key scenic supplier for the rebranding of Aquatica San Diego to Sesame Place San Diego. A dozen character sculpts, including the character totem and the entire sesame neighborhood were created. Other noteworthy projects include the world’s largest carousel horses which were placed at the entrance of Lake Compounce and Kennywood. Custom parade floats for Sea World Parks (Sesame Street Party), Cedar Point (Celebrate Cedar Point Spectacular) and Cedar Fair properties (Grand Carnivale Spectacle of Color) are among the 3dxScenic projects.
Outside of themed entertainment, projects recently included branding in the football stadium at Ohio State University, décor and wayfinding for the 2023 Red Bull Flugtag event in downtown Cincinnati, and interior branding for Greendigs — an experiential retail concept in Columbus run by avid gardeners and plant enthusiasts.
The company is taking a strategic approach to growth. The new leadership is primed to listen to its team as well. “Our team is very important to us. We want to have a company with input at every level,” said Rosenzweig. The goal is to scale up from a fresh beginning.
“We relish a challenge,” said Rosenzweig. “We love meeting with clients and listening to their vision. We love figuring out the methodology to meet the vision but also hit the deadline. I can just speak for us; we love the collaborative piece of the business and coming up with the solution.”
“The real vision is being solely focused on delivering on the client’s needs,” added Waldenmeyer. “There is also the aspect of taking care of our own employees. We want to be a good employer — to do all that and maintain having a good time doing it. This industry is fun and interesting and stressful, but we want to knock our client’s vision out of the park.”
