Background

Popular theme parks respond to changing risks

Plopsaland De Panne is a flagship visitor attraction, the first of six spectacular theme parks now operated by the Plopsa Group in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. These popular parks are based on the TV characters of Studio 100, with each character having its own themed area featuring attractions, music and decorations to match.

Against a background of heightened terrorist risk affecting all public spaces the management board of Plopsaland De Panne wanted to ensure that visitors and staff at Plopsaland could continue to enjoy themselves while feeling safe and protected. A review of preparedness was conducted with the help of the Brussels federal police and specialist officers and important new measures were identified, including an upgraded camera surveillance system.

Challenges

Finding the best CCTV system for a more challenging world

The new camera system approved by Plopsaland De Panne’s management board would have to provide enhanced monitoring of key areas, easy mobile viewing, sharper images, faster streaming and continuous recording. After assessing the market, Plopsaland’s Head of IT, Jochen Andries identified IDIS as the best partner for this comprehensive CCTV upgrade.

Solution

A comprehensive CCTV recording and management system

Specialist technical teams from Plopsaland and IDIS worked in tandem to identify, and solve, all the technical challenges that the new installation presented. This included identifying the optimum equipment to use, determining the most effective camera positions and working out the least disruptive installation schedule.

The total process, from the initial police consultation to the final commissioning at the end of 2016, took just six months. Plopsaland De Panne’s technical department installed the new system, with hand-in-glove backup from IDIS. The initial system consisted of 60 cameras (including 360˚ fisheye, bullet, box and dome models) linked to a 64- and a 32-channel recorders (NVRs). Thanks to careful planning, the system ran smoothly from the very start, without any significant problems. Now, a year on, the images are super-clear, there is continuous recording and the speed of the system is perfect, even during the retrieval of images with live streaming.

Results and Benefits

A scalable solution, futureproofed for growth

Based on this success, more new cameras will now be installed, and coverage extended. The next phase cameras will be in the same colour as their background settings, making them practically invisible. Plopsaland, Head of IT, Jochen Andries praises the expertise and collaborative approach of the IDIS team, which was led by commercial and technical advisor Filip van Quickenborne.

" Filip really knew what he was talking about. It’s nice to talk to someone who also knows the technical side of the product and who can answer my technical, often ICT-related questions. I quickly realised that IDIS was a high-quality brand.

" We are very loyal to our suppliers. We like to have strong, long term relationships and value good back-up. Good service, good cooperation, good advice and good products are very important. "

Jochen Andries
Plopsaland, Head of IT