On the heels of wrapping Dark Harbor’s most successful season to date, EPIC Entertainment Group, CA-based live entertainment event production team and creative minds behind Dark Harbor at the Queen Mary, proves once again that immersive and experiential entertainment delivers captivating experiences that engage, entertain.
In a way, it also works to keep history alive. A haunt event that delivers scares along with “edu-tainment?” “Dark Harbor dives into the legend and lore of The Queen Mary herself to develop distinct characters and captivating maze concepts,” shared Steve Sheldon, EPIC Entertainment Group. “There is a huge variety of entertainment options throughout the event. Layering in new and engaging experiences for our guests each year has transformed Dark Harbor into a unique, immersive haunt destination.”
By creating location-based experiences EPIC ENTERTAINMENT GROUP is able to draw from local history, characters, and lore.
As our readers are aware, EPIC produces and operates many seasonal attractions, most notably The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor in Long Beach, California. Dark Harbor is one of the largest temporary-install Halloween events in the country offering 6 mazes, 13 bars, fire shows, aerialists, sliders, Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch Sinister Swings, Panic! 4-D Experience, zombie DJs, Barrel Room Tastings, and a R.I.P. Lounge. The 2019 season welcomed an all-new maze, “Rogue” and even expanded access to areas of The Queen Mary that had not been accessible to Dark Harbor attendees before. This included the infamous Door 13 and the boiler room, both legendarily haunted locations onboard the historic landmark.
Leveraging a seasonal attraction as a marketing asset for destinations and tourist locations, EPIC Entertainment Group represents a successful partnership between venue and off-site production team. “Dark Harbor is essentially creating an unparalleled destination by keeping the history and legends of the iconic Queen Mary alive in an interactive way,” shared Charity Hill, EPIC Entertainment Group. “We have been able to do this successfully due to the amazing partnership with Urban Commons, which has allowed us to evolve Dark Harbor into what it has become today.”
Urban Commons is a private Los Angeles-based real estate firm that holds the lease for the Queen Mary and contracted EPIC Entertainment Group to produce both Dark Harbor at the Queen Mary and Dark Horizon in Orlando, Florida. Brands like Urban Commons utilize EPIC’s competitive advantage in experiential storytelling to retell and convey deeper stories for successful events that provide attendees branded immersive entertainment.
“We are fortunate to work with clients and partners like Urban Commons who understand the long-term value of developing experiential entertainment concepts at their properties,” added Sheldon. “The residual impact of such events really lies in driving repeat visitors and creating sustainable revenue models, which is what has made our partnership with Dark Harbor and The Queen Mary so successful.”
