As tourism season is approaching, Arcadia Earth in Toronto is preparing by extending opening hours, adding activities, and is looking at hiring additional staff for the anticipated higher visitor numbers. To inspire people across Canada, the brand is also looking at introducing a travel format so more people can enjoy its exhibit and learn about sustainability.
Arcadia Earth is a multi-sensory interactive experience concept that combines creative art installations and exciting technology to inspire visitors to take action towards a more sustainable future. It recently opened at The Well in Toronto.
“We are just planning what we need to be able to accommodate a full house almost every day. We are planning on potentially opening at least six days a week instead of five, potentially even seven days a week. But I am kind of in learning mode right now of what the potential tourism season is in downtown Toronto for us. We are anticipating almost every day it will be like a Friday or Saturday, which we are super excited about and just about ready,” says Craig Perlmutter, president of Arcadia Earth.
To add more to the exhibit, Arcadia Earth is also looking at adding new activities, such as arts and crafts and adult-friendly nights.
With already hitting 40,000 visitors, Arcadia Earth will be expecting more during tourism season.
Full-day experiences
As The Well continues to open, it extends awareness and people’s time at Arcadia Earth.
One big section retailers at The Well are waiting for, is the food hall, which is anticipated to open before the summer. The food hall, called the Wellington Market, will be about 70,000 square feet and will be offering higher-end options.
“The Wellington Market will attract traffic, so we have been currently bringing our own traffic to the exhibit – but a lot more people will walk up during the summer once that opens. A lot of the questions we get when people leave is about where they can go to eat and to have this food offering, no one is ever going to ask us that question anymore. It is going to look incredible and I think it is going to be great.”
In addition to the food hall, The Well has other offerings that will bring traffic to Arcadia Earth such as light shows, entertainment, and food tastings: “I think they are going to be doing a lot more of that through June, July, and August to attract more people and make sure people come, stay, and hang out. I am super excited to see what they have in store for us.”
Guests can also shop at the exhibit in its marketplace, where “greener, eco-friendly, and healthier” products are available.
“At our marketplace, we are trying to highlight products and entrepreneurs that are truly trying to make a difference. Our hope is that if people are inspired about one or two things within the different rooms of the exhibit – they will come out into the marketplace and see a few different connections back to some of those rooms.”
Most of the brands showcasing at Arcadia Earth are Canadian and Perlmutter says a lot are female owned. The exhibit is always looking for new brands to include and has a steady stream of applications.
Adult friendly nights
Arcadia Earth is working on bringing more adult-friendly nights, extending the immersive experience into the evening.
These events will feature a unique atmosphere with a bar setup, where adults can explore the space with an alcoholic drink – blending leisure and education where adults can engage with environmental consciousness in a relaxed setting.
“We are really excited about launching our adult-friendly nights. It is a chance for us to offer a different kind of experience – one where adults can unwind with a drink in hand, yet still engage deeply with the themes of sustainability and environmental awareness that Arcadia Earth stands for. We believe that combining leisure with education in this way can foster a unique connection and deeper conversation about the pressing environmental issues we aim to highlight.”
Perlmutter says the adult-friendly evenings will likely be held once a week during the summer.
Drawings coming to life
Arcadia Earth has been working on a new piece to its augmented reality. Guests are invited to show their drawing skills on a piece of paper which will display either a fish, turtle, or a manta ray and watch it come to life on their phone.
“They scan it using their phone and that newly painted version of the species ends up swimming around the room on their phone in front of them, which I think will be really cool and neat. This is something that can be done either in our event space or even just out in the marketplace area where we can set up some tables and some coloured pencils – it just kind of extends people’s time here.”
The concept will also provide the opportunity for parents to shop in the marketplace as their kids colour.
On the road
Arcadia Earth is looking beyond its roots in Toronto with a potential travel concept, bringing the immersive exhibit to those across Canada.
The travel version of the exhibit aims to showcase the essence of Arcadia Earth’s mission in a portable concept, offering interactive installations, augmented reality features, and educational content.
Purlmutter says he is working on this project and will be looking into malls where it could have two to three exhibit rooms for a period of two to six months at a time.
“Our goal with this traveling concept is to transform shopping malls into gateways of environmental awareness, creating spaces where art, technology, and education coverage inspire action. This represents a bold step forwards to making our interactive installations and augmented reality features accessible to a wider audience, providing that meaningful environmental education that can thrive in any setting.”
Additional Photos of Arcadia Earth:
