Ο Miltos Kambouridis and Sakis Tanimanidis, founders of the group Enthoosia active in the field of experiential entertainment, spoke at newsbeast.gr for their future plans.
On the occasion of its new openings Museum of illusions in foreign countries, they told us about the group's vision and their next steps.
Following is their interview…
- The Enthoosia group is active in experiential entertainment. You invite people to be part of their entertainment. At a time when we communicate less and less, how easy is it to stop being observers of our daily lives?
Sakis Tanimanidis: I do not think that man watches his daily life without participation. The exact opposite. The technological means that now exist, make man more and more involved in shaping his daily life. This is true for many different areas, just in an easier way. For example, I do not need to go to a store to make a purchase that I want since I can very easily do it online. However, this does not mean that I observe my daily life, the opposite means in my opinion: that I participate in its formation. The fact that I no longer need to send you a letter in Australia to communicate, but I will call from my cell phone via face time and see you at that moment, has facilitated communication.
Miltos Kambouridis: The term experiential entertainment that we use to describe the experiences we invite people to experience at the Museum of Illusions Athens and other Enthoosia projects, states exactly this: that we share experiences with acquaintances or strangers and through this we learn-experience something new, we sharpen our observation and our mind and at the same time we have fun and learn. These experiential experiences stimulate our observation. Going into the museum and seeing some illusions - some experiments, some images - changes the everyday life to a certain extent, in the sense that at that moment one experiences something different, and feels a relative intensity and excitement. Even through social media we live many daily lives, parallel daily lives of many people. We live them too. The museum offers the opportunity at that moment to focus on your own personal experience. In your own reality and in your own eyes. In what you see at that moment. It is this combination of entertainment and educational character that makes it different.
- Your group invests in the modern, in the different. At a time when retro is gaining more and more fans, recalling what used to happen, you present another proposal. How did you decide to invest in experiential entertainment?
Miltos Kambouridis: Experiential entertainment, now, is probably one of the few reasons that pushes you out of your home. As Sakis said, today everything can be done online. You watch online, you shop online, you order online. The experiential experience, however, can not be experienced online from the couch in your home. You have to go out.
Sakis Tanimanidis: That is why it is called experiential.
Miltos Kambouridis: Exactly. Therefore, in a world that is becoming more and more online, we make a proposal that provides a way out not only of the need for people to leave home, but also to give themselves a different and, above all, enjoyable experience that can be enjoyed with his family but not only.
- The Museum of Illusions and ViRtuality, are two projects that travel the mind creating a different reality. Why do we like the reality that does not exist?
Sakis Tanimanidis: Now you are hitting a sensitive vein in both. You said "we are traveling". We are both travelers. We really like the trip. And if we take it metaphorically, the journey is essentially the human imagination. Man has always traveled through his imagination. This is not something new. I guess it's something we all do. We like to travel to other worlds, to dream. Listening to stories and imagining. This is the world of illusions, in this case of course, they are real. Illusions are based on science and scientific data. That is why they have an educational character. Through them, visitors to the Museum of Illusions and ViRtuality travel to these imaginary worlds, which I guess we all want to visit.
Miltos Kambouridis: Experts say that imagination is one of the most important and fundamental functions of the brain and plays an important role in the learning process. We never stop making images in our minds no matter how much life or the era in which we live changes. After all, this has been done since antiquity, with the Odyssey, the Iliad, the travels of Odysseus "traveled" us in imaginary worlds, in another reality .. This need of man does not change. It has always been and always will be.
- The numbers but especially the response of the people show that the Museum of Illusions succeeded from the beginning. What made you believe in this project?
- In the current year there are big plans for the Museum of Illusions. Similar museums in major cities around the world. Tell us about the development of the project…
The different, adventure to a greater or lesser degree, we can say, is missing from our lives, we sacrifice it for a conventional everyday life. What is your opinion?
Sakis Tanimanidis: We are the ones who create our daily life, with our own choices. And only we ourselves can get out of this daily routine. When we want it. The point is that the everyday problems we all have - home, work, bills - are many. There are many stimuli that lead us to leave the adventure in the background. You do not have the free time to look for it and forget about it. My view is that you should seek this adventure as often as possible. What will adventure say? Adventure for everyone is something different. An adventure for one is a journey, for another it is a love that flutters your heart. The adventure for someone else is a visit to the Museum of Illusions. But, it depends on everyone. Everyone must make their own choice consciously.
Miltos Kambouridis: And many people feel more comfortable with everyday life, repeating the same routine. They feel safer. We the opposite.
- What is the Enthoosia group for you and where do you want to reach it? Do you develop other actions? Is there an idea you are already working on and can we reveal?
Miltos Kambouridis: For us, the Enthoosia group is now a personal-business bet, not only do we expect it and hope for rapid growth, gigantism and profitability, but it is a project that we enjoy. We love this field, we love new ideas, we are constantly looking for new concepts, similar to the Museum. Our team is growing, we like to work with partners and colleagues who share the same concerns as us, having the same vision. We believe that with a good team like the one we are creating now, we can do a lot. The future holds much in store. We have a lot on our minds, but it is not at the moment to say it. We hope you all see them soon.
Sakis Tanimanidis: It is no coincidence that this interview takes place at the offices of the Enthoosia Group. The goal of the Enthoosia Group, as the name implies, is to create experiences that will excite the world. These could be the Museum of Illusions that is our flagship right now, ViRtuality, or something else we are working on, as Miltos said, or an original idea that may even emerge from readers who will read it. the interview .. We are always open to new ideas.
- Is there a project that you have thought of but have not yet implemented? If so, why?
Sakis Tanimanidis: I hope you have enough time, because the list is long. If we combine the ideas that I have told Miltos and those that Miltos has said to me and add them up, we will write a book.
Miltos Kambouridis: So is. Out of 100 ideas you will find the one that is worth dealing with. So, we are on a very short list and we are prioritizing.
- How long did the idea and implementation of the Museum of Illusions take you?
Miltos Kambouridis: We were quick in that.
Sakis Tanimanidis: Only ten months passed from the moment we entered the Museum in Ljubljana, until the moment we opened the first Museum of Illusions in Athens and received the first visitors. Don't you agree fast enough?
- What imprint do you expect the Enthoosia group to leave?
Sakis Tanimanidis: We are a Group, a company, that wants to leave a mark on the daily life of man. To improve it even to a small degree, offering something different. Offering a pleasant moment. To be the pleasant moment in the life and in the daily life of people. If we can make people after a few years think of the Enthoosia Group and smile, because a pleasant thought came to their mind, then we will feel that we have achieved our goal.
Miltos Kambouridis: Let me add that it is not only the pleasant moment, it is also the educational moment. We have emphasized the educational orientation of the Museum. It is no coincidence that schools from all over Greece visit us every day. Since the opening of the Museums, we have hosted 30.000 students from 500 schools in Athens / 8.000 students from 100 schools in Istanbul. One can learn a lot by observing and studying how an illusion works, a visual illusion. It is a set of different sciences, it concerns mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, everything… Therefore, it is learning through a pleasant experience. And I want to believe that all the ideas, initiatives and business pursuits of the group, are oriented towards children and Education, not just fun.
Sakis Tanimanidis: Actions, which mainly help young children, are always in our minds and in our mission. At every opportunity we will try to offer to society and to those in need. During the holidays, for example, we organized a very important event with Make a Wish where a part of the proceeds from the tickets of the people who visited the Museum during the holidays, were given to strengthen the Organization and fulfill the wishes of young children suffering from serious diseases. Our goal is to offer as much as possible.
- The Museums of Illusion Athens is located at 119 Ermou (entrance from Astingos 12), 10555 Monastiraki-Athens, T. 2103639627