Snow parties on the beach?
During Spring Break?
In Florida?
An Orlando company is making that possible as it launches Florida Flurries, a new technology developed in Australia, providing snowfalls and accumulations in temperatures up to 100 degrees.
Global Technology Integrators, a national leader in providing simulated environments for military and law enforcement training, has partnered with Australia-based Bucceri Snow Making to launch this new company in the United States.
The company’s first ticketed event will be in Apopka in January.
“It sounds unbelievable, but with this new technology that makes snow we can provide a real snow experience in any type of weather or climate,” says Tony Oxford, president, Global Technology Integrators. “The days of traveling to a northern location to play in the snow are over for Central Florida residents.”
Bucceri Snow Makers has a long history of providing snowmaking on the world’s ski resorts. But, in cold climates, making snow is easy. In Australian heat, the company needed to develop a new way to make snow.
In 2013, the company launched a series of very successful snow events in the warm months around Brisbane. At the event, people could make snowmen, snow angels and snowballs dressed in nothing more than shorts and a T-shirt.
When one of GTI’s military clients asked for the snow to test its UAVs in the snow in Huntsville, Alabama, the company found Bucceri’s technology and partnered with the company to bring it to the United States.
“I can’t emphasize how impressive it was to see snow stay on the ground for weeks in Australia using this system,” Oxford says. “We knew this was something that matched our needs for testing, but also would be a hit at home too.”
Florida Flurries was born.
At IAAPA, the company showed how the snow can be used in Florida. For the entire week-long show, a mound of snow was built and lasted throughout the entire week. Variable types of snowfalls, from a light flurry to blizzard conditions fell at regular intervals throughout the week.
“We had people from around the world play in the snow for the first time,” Oxford says. “The children experiencing Florida Flurries would not leave.”
For the public, the first opportunity to see the snow will be at Apopka’s Tree Lighting and Winter Wonderland on December 6. At that event, Florida Flurries will be providing a snowfall and an area where people can get their holiday picture taken with real snow.
Then, on the weekends of January 16 and January 24, Florida Flurries will be holding its first ticketed event for the public, filling the Apopka splash pad at Kit Land Nelson park with a snow accumulation for people to experience real snow.
In a 45-minute session, families can see the wonder on their children’s faces when they experience the snow and all the fun that goes on with it.
Other events are being planned throughout the year to provide snow experiences throughout the region in a wide range of locations.
“Based on the success of the Australian events, we believe people in Florida will come back time and again to experience Florida Flurries,” Oxford says. “Once they realize Florida can be a state with snow, they will want more.”
Florida Flurries Apopka Event Details:
When: January 16th – 19th and January 24th – 26th. Snow sessions will start on the hour for 45 minutes from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: Apopka’s Kit Land Nelson Park, 10 N. Forrest Ave, Apopka. The Florida Flurry will take place inside the park’s splash pad.
Tickets: Tickets will cost $35 for an individual and $120 for a family snow package. Available at FloridaFlurries.net
For more information, please contact Alan Byrd, Alan Byrd & Associates, 407-415-8470, alan@byrdconnections.com
Florida Flurries is an Orlando-based event company providing real snow for a wide range of events. The company owns and operates Florida Flurries events, a ticketed event allowing guests to play in accumulations of snow throughout the year. The company also provides snow environments to event planners, theme parks and communities who want to create a unique experience for their guests. In addition, snow machines are available for purchase or franchise through its partner company, Real Snow Machines, to utilize for testing, training or developing permanent snow venues. For more information, please visit RealSnowMachines.com or FloridaFlurries.net
Global Technology Integrators, a woman-owned small business based in Orlando’s UCF Research Park Innovation District, was formed to develop atmospherics for military and law enforcement training. The company provides all types of simulated environments, including fog, smoke, smells, lighting and much more. Recently, the company started working with the tourism industry, developing custom scents for rides. The smell “Dragon Gas” for Universal’s Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. In November 2019, the company launched Florida Flurries and Real Snow Machines to bring snow environments to any climate or temperature. For more information, please visit GTIntegrators.com.
Bucceri Snow Making has been involved in the development of new innovative snowmaking technologies for Indoor and Outdoor Ski related projects over the past 30 years and in 1985 created the then, a new concept called Indoor Ski Centers and promoted it in Australia, Europe, and Asia. The first Indoor Ski-Centers built in Europe, Japan, the Middle East, and Australia all opened using his Technology and concept that he developed and in 2009 the first FIS sanctioned World Cup Race was contested in an Indoor ski Center in Europe. In 2013, the company developed the first snow machine to make real snow in any temperature and climate and launched its first snow events, Snow 4 Kids, in Australia. For more information, please visit Snow4Kids.com.au and BucceriSnowMaking.com.au.
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