The wonderful world of Eye-Opener Decors consists of stage set construction for companies and playhouses for individual buyers. “We started with the playhouses,” says Siemon Ariens. “From there, we further developed our concept.” Started during Covid, the collaboration between Lars and Siemon grew explosively in the entertainment and decor industry with 12 employees and a large factory in Lommel. “We do stage construction for theaters, décor, and project builds for amusement parks and festivals. We build playhouses for our private customers in Flanders which are also known as experience houses. We get our inspiration from the dream world and then translate it into lifelike decors.”
Early start during Covid – Explosive growth
The collaboration has proven to be a very fruitful endeavour. Siemon came from the events sector, and Lars brought his experience from the Center Parcs head office. During Covid, both these sectors were hit hard and reduced to nigh zero. “We actually took the weaknesses of Covid and turned them into strengths,” says Siemon, about the beginning of Eye-Opener. The time spent at home due to Covid allowed them to set up a strong business plan, do sufficient marketing, and further develop their model. Along with ample attention from the media and the Flemish newspaper De Tijd to participation in programs on VTM, this ensured that the Eye-Opener could start immediately and continue to grow considerably. This explosive growth also turned out to be the biggest challenge for the company. “We had to adapt everything to this new product and everything in a very short time frame: the production process, finding the right people for the job, and the best machines that could do what was needed. Now that we have a number of larger projects underway, we have also been able to make the right investments.
Great diversity – same vision
“We have a good foreign-domestic ratio at the moment, with 60-70% of our projects in countries such as France and Germany and a little bit of the Netherlands. Thirty to forty percent of our customers are in Belgium. There are many projects that we are proud of. One of the most recent projects was a so-called ‘dark ride’ in an amusement park in France, which we completed together with our partners. I enjoy seeing my team getting so excited about these kinds of different outdoor projects. It is brilliant when we manage to deliver the project within the deadline as well. But for me, the biggest asset is this: As a company, we have such a huge diversity of projects, such as Tomorrowland platforms, theater decor, and playhouses. And we are able to produce all of this ourselves from pre-production, production, and set down, while at the same time maintain continuity. “
Future plans – steady expansion and indoor playground
Lars and Siemon also have a clear vision for the future. “With the decor side, we mainly want to continue on the current course. We would also like to maintain the 30-70 ratio of projects at home and abroad. The other part of our business, the entertainment side we want to expand further. That’s the part of business that is closest to our hearts.” This means more playhouses and hopefully an indoor playground in the near future. “The indoor playground will become a playground with an amusement park feel, in a fun environment with good catering. Where children can play and adults can mainly experience things,” says Siemon. “We are currently in the development and construction phase. But on April 14, 2024, a launch event will be held in honor of this indoor playground at Bokrijk Hangar 58. You will hear all about it on that event.”
