outlet launched last summer in The Netherlands as part of the wider Family Entertainment Center Sevenum But was opening the new indoor facility during one of the hottest European summers on record good for business Blooloop speaks to owner Ronald Hoppzak to find out The brands Thomas & Friends Fireman Sam and Angelina Ballerina are central to the 12,000 square-metre offering outside the small town of Sevenum Located alongside the A67 highway that links this southern part of the Netherlands to nearby Germany, the FEC is well placed to feed off two existing attractions close by. One of these is the fast-growing theme park Toverland a 54-year old lakeside holiday park and campsite that has been in the Hoppzak family’s ownership for over two decades has expanded over the past decade by going outdoors Family Entertainment Enter Sevenum opened in June 2018 which opened in the same building three months earlier In addition to play areas featuring the four chosen Mattel brands Family Entertainment Center Sevenum also features a MegaBloks construction zone roller disco and The Portal Action House – aimed at older children and young teens or about 1,000 a day for this and The Portal ABC Restaurants can handle an additional 3,500 Lappset Creative designed, planned and supplied all the play equipment inside Mattel Play! Sevenum – the largest single project it has ever delivered The concept for the wider Family Entertainment Center Sevenum was conceived around five years ago when the Hoppzak family identified a need for an-all weather attraction to complement De Schatberg The campsite and its bungalows perform strongest “We already have an indoor pool with slides but we needed another indoor place; a separate business,” says owner Ronald Hoppzak “And it had to be something for the total region Hoppzak first came into contact with Lappset after speaking to the company about another intellectual property (IP): Angry Birds The company had already built several Angry Birds Activity Parks under licence from Rovio represented by Mattel (and HIT Entertainment when negotiations began) that would be selected to provide the backbone to Family Entertainment Center Sevenum Hoppzak’s own children helped inform the choice of brands And it was his experiences as a father that convinced him to use IP in the first place as a way of setting the FEC apart from other play outlets “At first we had thought maybe we can do it without a brand,” he says But with a brand your reach will be bigger In Holland there are a lot of indoor playgrounds I remember going with my son to one of these places when he was five-years-old All the parents were sitting there reading a book or looking at their iPads because there was nothing they could do with their kids That really triggered the idea to do a different kind of indoor playground We didn’t just want to be a trampoline park.” In building Family Entertainment Center Sevenum Hoppzak had to convince Mattel and other potential partners that a standalone site would be a good outlet for their brands “I don’t think it’s a good idea to sit alongside retail,” he says “If a family goes to the mall to shop for two or three hours they won’t go to play together afterwards It’s more about daycare; parents will put their kids in the playground while they shop.” Hoppzak has placed a lot of faith in Thomas & Friends His current licensing agreement with Mattel last for another seven years but these are brands that will “last forever,” he says The gift shop – an important part of the operation – is to the left A big window at the back of the restaurant provides panoramic views of De Schatberg and its lakeside activities (as pictured above) costs a very reasonable €12.50 for children Annual passes are available for €45.00/€20.00 they can chose which Mattel experience to enjoy first the Bob the Builder (Bob de Bouwer in Dutch) and Fireman Sam (Brandweerman Sam) play areas are clustered together around a central seating area This simple but clever layout means parents are never far away from their children Thomas the Tank Engine (Thomas de Stoomlocomotief) is upstairs together with Angelina Ballerina and the roller disco rink The FEC has been designed to give children and parents the opportunity to play together and embrace family time as they immerse themselves in familiar brand environments with their favourite characters play and participate in the various activities The Mega Blok construction area (upstairs) provides added scope for play and creativity For an additional €12.50 (€7.50 in the evenings) older guests can enter The Portal Activity House it is accessed via a separate flight of stairs to Mattel Play with sports trophies and posters of pop stars on the walls They can even play a few vintage computer games in front of the TV this is just a prelude to the main experience In the corner of the room is a glowing green portal. Guests are encouraged to get active by stepping through it. On the other side they will discover trampolines, a foam pit, skating ramp and BMX track – all themed with computer game imagery. Suddenly the ‘virtual’ world has become real; a nice twist on all those VR attractions out there where visitors experience only an imagined world The Portal was added to the mix after Hoppzak realised that none of the Mattel brands featured at the FEC were pitched at the over 10s then in the evenings it will be the 15/16/17-year-old age group jumping and playing.” The activity house was developed together with Lappset and the two parties hope to licence the homegrown IP to other interested operators There’s one additional branded offering at Family Entertainment Centre Sevenum and it’s here that families may want to head after working up an appetite in the play areas ABC Restaurants already had two other sites Hoppzak warmed to what he describes as an “affordable franchise” after visiting its outlet an hour away in Velp The Portal and ABC – it’s a good match a meal at ABC Restaurants costs more than Mattel Play The all-you-can-eat concept features 11 different cuisines last summer – peaking around 40°C (104°F) – that you’d almost expect the FEC to do well because it offered some air-conditioned comfort it appears most families were so fatigued they barely left the house at all Hopzaak was never expecting the FEC to do great business over the summer “July and August are not good months for indoor play,” he says December and January were quieter but still good.” So it appears Family Entertainment Center Sevenum is already balancing out business in the off season for De Schtaberg As well as picking up visitors en-route to/from Toverland in summer the FEC is likely to attract families staying at other local campsites Though his family has actually been in the tourism business longer than the theme park down the road Ronald Hoppzak says he felt it only polite to inform Toverland boss Caroline Kortooms of his plans before developing their new venture and I didn’t want her to read about it in the papers When I told her we were doing it with Mattel Family Entertainment Center Sevenum certainly has a populous part of central Europe to pull from “Within one hour drive there are a lot of people,” says Hoppzak a rainy day need no longer spell disaster for this family business But it would be good if it isn’t quite so hot this summer Photos by Family Entertainment Center Sevenum Get the latest attractions industry  news direct to your inbox Blooloop is taking climate action and is now B Corp Certified This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Mattel has opened the doors to Mattel Play a permanent attraction at the De Schatberg resort in Holland The indoor play area features characters from brands including Thomas & Friends Part of the larger Family Entertainment Centre Sevenum Mattel’s interactive attraction covers half an acre The year-round attraction expands on the seasonal nature of De Schatberg’s current location-based brand extensions locations previously opened in the UK and UAE in 2016 Liverpool is managed and operated by Heritage Great Britain PLC Entertainment One, meanwhile, is partnering with Merlin Entertainments to launch the first-ever Peppa Pig World of Play in Shanghai later this year. Additionally, Nick Jr. and Nickelodeon Viacom Consumer Products are launching the Nick Jr. Adventure Centre in the UK This is just some random content to show the different layouts possible Mattel Inc. will open Mattel Play! The theme park will feature play zones based on several Mattel characters including Thomas & Friends The facility was designed by Lappset Creative and the attraction will be located inside of the new Family Entertainment Center Sevenum Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Carlos Cadorniga is an editorial intern at Adventure Publishing Group and a recent journalism graduate from Stony Brook University He crafts weekly toy reviews for The Toy Insider and contributes to the Toy Book trade magazine His favorite color is pink and he will not let you forget it and his favorite sport is seeing how many episodes of The Office he can rewatch on Netflix in one sitting Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value" This website uses cookies that help the website function and help us understand how to interact with it. We use these cookies to provide you with an improved user experience. If you continue to visit our website, we assume you are OK with it.Read More This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website These cookies do not store any personal information Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website Senior Director Global Live Events & Attractions at Mattel said “Our brands are known and loved by children around the world and we are delighted to bring this world class attraction to Europe to inspire wonder in the next generation A huge congratulation to De Schatberg and their appointed suppliers in producing such a premium quality experience.” Ronald Hoppzak and Karin Hoppzak at De Schatberg added “We are delighted to be partnering with Mattel; they have some of the most recognised family brands in Europe It made for a perfect partnership to create a Mattel Play experience as we wanted to grow our experiences from operating a family holiday park by incorporating an indoor all year-round attraction Mattel is a global partner with powerful iconic brands that are the perfect fit for expansion strategy.” The Mattel Play! Sevenum attraction is located at the De Schatberg resort in the South East of Holland. The 2,000 sqm purpose built attraction is part of a larger ‘Family Entertainment Centre Sevenum’. Next door is The Portal Action House an innovative play centre for 8 to 16 year olds and new concept also conceived Sevenum is the first permanent attraction of its kind in mainland Europe The Mattel Play located at the De Schatberg resort in the South East of Holland officially opens its doors to families and members of the public today Sevenum is part of the larger ‘Family Entertainment Centre Sevenum’ which took over a year to build and construct features some of the most iconic and beloved Mattel characters and brands including Thomas & Friends all of which are hugely popular with European family audiences This immersive play experience allows children to experience the world of these characters and enjoy an engaging and interactive experience through the power of storytelling and imagination senior director global live events & attractions at Mattel commented: “Our brands are known and loved by children around the world and we are delighted to bring this world class attraction to Europe A huge congratulations to De Schatberg and their appointed suppliers in producing such a premium quality experience.” Ronald Hoppzak and Karin Hoppzak at De Schatberg commented: “We are delighted to be partnering with Mattel; it has some of the most recognised family brands in Europe location to be opened after successful attractions Mattel Play These attractions were built and are managed and operated by Heritage Great Britain PLC and Meraas respectively Sevenum opens officially today with websites in Dutch and German Sorry – the page you're looking for doesn't exist Jacobs Media is a company registered in England and Wales Sign up for our daily Newsletter and stay up to date with all the latest news You are receiving this pop-up because this is the first time you are visiting our site You are using software which is blocking our advertisements (adblocker) we are relying on revenues from our banners So please disable your adblocker and reload the page to continue using this site.Thanks cucumber nursery Mellantas from the Dutch town of Sevenum has been taking care of all of their sales themselves This makes them strive for creativity because aside from the regular distribution channels Dipping sauce The mini cucumbers come in recyclable packaging and will be in stores under the name Qwix Carla Houben of Mellantas explains: “There is a natural version one with sweet chilli sauce and one with a honey mustard sauce A cucumber with dipping sauce is much healthier than any fried snack with sauce We notice that the consumers are becoming much more conscious about their health which leads us to believe that there is a market for a product like this.” New target audiencesIn terms of distribution but new target audiences will also be looked for Lots of snacks are sold there.” According to Carla this concept is the start of something more “We plan on coming up with something new every year something which according to us matched the needs of the consumer” For more information:Carla HoubenMellantasKleefsedijk 145975 NV SevenumNetherlands[email protected] FreshPublishers © 2005-2025 HortiDaily.com Police confirmed on Wednesday that a 30-year-old Lithuanian man was killed earlier this week when he was run over by a combine harvest The victim was likely sleeping in the field at the time investigators said shortly after the Monday afternoon incident The corn stalks in the field along Erik de Rodeweg in Sevenum was roughly two meters tall Agriculture equipment was used to harvest the crop on Monday morning An older couple walking in the area that afternoon found the victim's mangled body and called police Witnesses told the newspaper that the body was missing a leg Some of the victim's belongings were found close to the dead man Records show that emergency services were dispatched to the scene just before 2:20 p.m Sevenum is a village located in the municipality of Horst aan de Maas The incident was likely a "fatal accident," police said "The investigation has shown that no crime was committed." Police officers added they would not make further comment about the case out of respect for the victim's family Sevenum which is due to open in Autumn 2017 is the first branded attraction of its kind in the Netherlands and Benelux The 2,000 sq m facility inside the new Family Entertainment Center Sevenum is located on the site of De Schatberg Lappset Creative was behind the first Mattel Play! Edutainment Center opened in Liverpool, at the Albert Docks, for Heritage Great Britain in 2016 – Mattel Play! Liverpool Sevenum includes zones themed around favourite TV characters including Thomas & Friends™ There will also be Mega Construx™ and Mega Bloks® zones and a Mattel Play Family Entertainment Center Sevenum also includes an activity center also designed by Lappset Creative The Portal Action House features a pump track “The multimillion Euro project is already well under way The design phase has already been completed and manufacturing will begin now with full installation scheduled for the late autumn this year.” confirmed that his client is suspected of possessing and distributing child pornography “The suspect has been going through a difficult period He sought extreme tension online as a coping mechanism to deal with that stress,” Koppen said denies having any sexual preference for minors and that no indications of such have emerged in the investigation “He wants to take responsibility for his actions before his family and society,” Koppen added “He hopes to be given the time and space to do so.” Following his arrest, H. has decided to leave Heideroosjes. The band announced his departure on Instagram stating that they were “shocked to the core” by the news The allegations against Fred clash directly with the values we have always upheld as Heideroosjes.” made the decision to step down to avoid burdening his bandmates “We are deeply saddened by this bitter and painful end to our collaboration since 1989 our hearts go out to everyone involved in this case and to Fred’s family,” the statement read The band was scheduled to play several festivals this summer to celebrate its 35th anniversary A spokesperson for the Public Prosecution Service (OM) confirmed to De Limburger that a man from Sevenum was arrested and is suspected of involvement with child pornographic images the OM has refused to disclose further details “In the context of the ongoing police investigation no further statements can be made,” the spokesperson said A freight train collided with a truck in northern Limburg on Tuesday morning The accident happened at a railway crossing near Colombusweg No train traffic will be possible between Eindhoven and Venlo for the rest of the day The truck went up in flames after the collision The drivers of both vehicles escaped unharmed The truck was dragged along the train for several meters It seems that the truck driver managed to jump out of the vehicle before the train hit a spokesperson for the fire department said to the news wire The cause of the accident is still unclear The Environment and Transport Inspectorate is investigating The crossing is guarded with barriers and signals neither truck nor train were transporting hazardous substances and there is no danger to residents The investigation into the accident and the cleanup will take all day the wagon behind the train locomotive is partly off the track ProRail is currently investigating the damage to the track No train traffic is possible between Venlo and Eindhoven until the cleanup and track repairs are done This is expected to take the rest of the day but travelers are advised to take extra travel time into account Vrachtwagen in vlammen na aanrijding met goederentrein in Sevenum https://t.co/koRErHHRfC pic.twitter.com/axOOE1Kcwy