AUREA Award: Honors & Perspectives for the Digital Future of Entertainment

(eap) The Europa-Park Erlebnis-Resort, together with MACK One, once again became an international meeting point for creative visionaries, innovative technologies, and bold entrepreneurs earlier this week. On February 2 and 3, 2026, industry representatives gathered at the invitation of Michael Mack, Managing Partner of Europa-Park and founder of MACK One, for the eighth presentation of the “AUREA Award”. Under this year’s motto, “Through the Looking Glass: Where Layered Realities Unfold”, innovations were honored that sustainably shape concepts of reality, entertainment, and immersion.

Der Austausch über die neuesten Entwicklungen der Branche stehen beim AUREA Award im Mittelpunkt. © Foto: Europa-Park Beyond the mention itself, the AUREA Award has meanwhile become a significant platform for the digital future of the entertainment industry. “The finalists of the AUREA Award demonstrate year after year how a strong idea can turn into real-world applications – from immersive experiences to technologies that arrive in everyday life,” emphasizes Michael Mack. “For us as an entrepreneurial family, it is not just about visions on paper, but about projects that truly reach and inspire people. With this event, we therefore create a place where developers, creative minds, and entrepreneurs come together to test prototypes, exchange experiences, and develop real products and experiences from concepts.”

Im Pitch-Wettbewerb präsentierten die Finalisten ihre Projekte. © Foto: Europa-Park The eighth AUREA Award was presented in five categories. The jury was once again chaired by Kathleen Cohen, founder of The Collaboratorium. She was supported by Thomas Wagner, co-founder and managing director of VR Coaster, Emily Olman, CEO of Hopscotch Interactive, Christina Lee Storm of Secret Level, as well as Julian Reyes, winner of the seventh AUREA Award. In addition, this year saw the first presentation of the audience award “Vox Populi”, which was decided directly by the attending audience.

The AUREA Award winners 2026 are:

• Experience/Immersion: “Oktoberfest VR”
  A visionary social VR experience that transforms real locations into shared digital spaces.
  
  
• Innovation & Vox Populi (double win): “Wall Town Wonders”
  A mixed-reality game that turns the living room into a vibrant miniature city.
  
  
• Interaction: “Dreampark” and “Ballee”
  “Dreampark” turns any location into an interactive amusement park. “Ballee” sets new standards in dynamic object tracking on the Meta Quest.
  
  
• Impact: “Uncanny Alley, a New Day”
  Stephen Butchko presented groundbreaking live VR theater.
  
  
• Creative: “Bono: Stories of Surrender”
  An immersive cinematic adaptation of Bono’s book that sets new benchmarks in storytelling.

On the second day of the AUREA Award event, participants had the opportunity to attend panels, keynotes, and workshops to gain insights into the digital future of the leisure and experience industry. A central topic was the panel by Hilmar Koch (Autodesk), who explained how designers and storytellers can use AI as a “creative partner”. Rather than being seen as a threat, AI could be viewed as a tool to solve complex problems and make visions possible in the first place (see also our article on “AI in Creative Design” in our EAP topic special).

Michael Mack und Keiichi Matsuda beim Live-Recording des Podcasts „The World Beyond“. © Foto: Europa-Park In addition, experts from Holoride, Dolby, and Lufthansa discussed how forward-looking entertainment technology can transform time spent in cars and airplanes into genuine experiences. Another highlight of the program was the live recording of the “The World Beyond” podcast. Together with designer and filmmaker Keiichi Matsuda, Michael Mack explored the future of augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and immersive storytelling. ■