Behind every successful exhibition like the recently opened Jurassic World: The Exhibition in Singapore, is a dedicated team of individuals who are driven by the passion to craft immersive experiences and bring them to life.
While most of us would have found it daunting to give life to a beloved franchise like Jurassic World, NEON’s Senior Project Manager, Hendrick Ou, tapped on his expertise to focus on ensuring anyone who walked through the exhibition’s doors be filled with awe, curiosity, and nostalgia.
Speaking with NYLON Singapore, Hendrick said, “This allowed me to continuously bring fresh insights and experiences to make events like this Jurassic exhibition even better.”
Together with his team, they considered the franchise’s appeal across generations and how guests of different ages interact with spaces.
“Kids love movement and surprises, while adults may appreciate richer layers of storytelling and immersive tech,” he added, “The goal was to ensure everyone could enjoy the exhibition in their own way, whether it’s marvelling at an animatronic or reading the science behind the species.”
Even though Jurassic World: The Exhibition is an international exhibition that has made its rounds globally, its arrival in Singapore was a unique one as Hendrick and his team were able to localise it for the Singapore audience.
“Unlike our travelling sets, which rely on artificial foliage and controlled lighting to recreate the Jurassic World, the Cloud Forest provided a truly immersive, and authentic environment, where the presence of natural sunlight shifting throughout the day added an organic layer to the experience,” shared Hendrick.
As such, the exhibition did away with a fixed linear storyline that was the core of the global exhibitions and instead took a “different and celebratory approach” that saw the strategic placement of iconic dinosaurs throughout the Cloud Forest; allowing for guests to encounter them and creating unexpected, magical moments that felt organic.
While this may have sounded simple on paper, the integration between the dinosaurs and the Cloud Forest was not without its challenges.
Hendrick explained that beyond the physical and logistical aspects, there was the creative challenge on how to integrate the IP meaningfully into the Cloud Forest.
“It required extensive collaboration between creative, technical, and horticultural teams to plan installations that respected and complemented the natural environment. It was about finding that sweet spot where creativity could coexist with nature.”
This also meant choosing the right mix of dinosaurs since each dinosaur comes with its own set of logistical needs — considerations on how big is it, how much it moves, where it can be positioned safely, how it interacts with the existing environment; like the slope of height clearance in the Cloud Forest.
“We started with a long list and gradually narrowed it down based on impact, recognisability, and how well they fit within the physical terrain of the Cloud Forest,” said Hendrick, “There were certainly some that didn’t make the cut but that’s all part of the creative process.”
Despite the challenges that were physically and mentally demanding, bringing Jurassic World: The Exhibition to life was a fulfilling experience for Hendrick, who thought of the challenges as a reminder on why the work he does is “so rewarding” as he was a part of a team who were building something memorable for thousands to enjoy.
“Seeing the first batch of visitors interact with the exhibits, hearing the kids gasp or shout out the names of the dinosaurs — all the long nights and challenges we braved just melted away,” he said.
“There’s a real sense of purpose and rewarding moments in seeing how your work touches people, and it reminds me how my role at NEON isn’t just about creating an exhibition… We are creating lasting memories.”
One of this lasting memories, it seems, is Hendrick’s favourite T-Rex animatronic from the exhibition.
“It’s a real showstopper,” he explained, “No matter how many times I see it, there’s always this moment of awe and pride when it comes to life. From the scale to the movement to the timing of the lighting and sound, it’s so well-choreographed that it almost feels alive!”
At the end of the day, Hendrick hopes that visitors will leave the exhibition feeling a sense of wonder; bringing joy, sparking curiosity and creating memories with family or friends.
“That’s what this career in NEON is all about. From creating experiences that connect people to igniting passions and inspiring imaginations as it is not just about dinosaurs, it is about the shaping precious moments for the people who experience them.”
