Virtual reality studio Holovis has appointed Howard Newstate as vice president of experience innovation.

Newstate has decades of experience in the entertainment and amusement industry, and has been appointed to focus on the company’s expansion of its Extended Experience software, programmes and platforms, which uses a guest’s own smart phone or tablet to unlock a rich, interactive park-enabled environment made more immersive by Augmented Mixed Reality technology.
Most recently, Newstate spent three years at Cedar Fair Entertainment Company developing innovation projects across the company’s 11 amusement parks in North America, reaching an audience of 24 million guests annually. He served as the creative and technical lead on immersive experience projects such as Mass Effect: New Earth, a 4D Holographic Journey.

He also developed the content strategy and production facilities for FunTV, a national in-park media network, and concepted Virtual and Augmented Reality projects including the Battle for Cedar Point, which was produced in collaboration with Holovis.
“Howard brings a mix of end-client insight and operational experience to our team along with his extensive technical expertise, this is already adding greatly to our innovation and development projects for our next-generation attractions and guest experiences,” said Stuart Hetherington, CEO of Holovis.

“His previous accomplishments with a major American operator combined with his passion for utilising technology to expand consumer experiences make him a great addition to our rapidly growing US team.”
Newstate added: “I’m excited to join such a dynamic team at Holovis that will enable me to bring my work to a global audience. Together, we will continue to explore new ways of combining technology and storytelling to immerse the guest throughout their consumer journey.”

Newstate will be based in the new Holovis US office alongside Amy Steele, Holovis’s VP of Attractions.