Siemens Base21

The Siemens Corporation engaged IDEAS to create the guest experience for the Siemens VIP Center, formerly Base21. 

The center is located at Spaceship Earth in Epcot, at the Walt Disney World Resort. The IDEAS experience design team worked with the Siemens team to design the guest experience, which caters to worldwide Siemens’ employees, key clients, VIPs and visiting dignitaries. 

At IDEAS, we conducted a story conference with key Siemens executives before construction began. Our goal was to understand what executives wanted the core message points to be and what outcomes they wanted for visitors. 

Telling the entire Siemens story was the key to implementing a creative and immersive experience.

We developed guest experience concepts focused on the visitor experience. We wanted to emphasize attracting Siemens employees and their families, as well as encouraging regular facility use for Siemens clients as a business closer. 

We gave specific attention to these distinct elements to highlight the key messages of Siemens’ various operating companies:

• Wayfinding
• Interior design
• Interactive design
• Media development
• Light and sound effects
• Displays 

Key Messages, Key Strategies

For this project, we created a variety of multimedia experiences that bring Siemens to life:

• Educate in an entertaining way 
• Convey knowledge about the company
• Communicate its vision to its broad range of employees and stakeholders 
• Help the center become a unique location for all key client briefings and company-sponsored events 

We used an array of tools to do the job: 

• Handheld tablets that allow guests to interact with their environment 
• A 3D monitor featuring Siemens technology 
• A hidden display wall using smart glass
• A simulated world command center
• Elements for a private-label Siemens network 
• A multitude of unique video formats 

Additionally, a media server and show control unit allow staff to instantly customize the visitor experience per their demographics, plus allow easy updates to the media we produce.

Now, the Siemens VIP Center is a platform to showcase the company’s current and future thinking and how Siemens influences visitors’ lives. 

We at IDEAS provided ongoing creative input and oversight of the user experience during the construction phase. 

The Siemens VIP Center opened in 2007. We continue to add new elements and refresh in-center elements as the company grows.