Experiential Licensing: Hasbro Launches First NAX Entertainment Center in Europe

By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
Hasbro and Rocafella Leisure have opened a licensed NERF Action Xperience (NAX) center in Manchester’s Trafford Palazzo.
The new NAX venue is managed by the Rocafella Leisure entertainment agency under license from Hasbro, Inc.
The Rocafella Leisure Group offers location-based brand management services to global IP owners such as commercial management, operational delivery, design, customer service, communications, marketing and more.
Located on the ground floor at the Trafford Palazzo shopping mall, the Nerf Action Xperience center features four distinct Nerf-themed blaster battle zones, a sports arena, training activities and a food & beverage service.
“We’re over the moon with the feedback from our trailblazers, and we can’t wait to welcome so many more faces through our doors following our official launch in Manchester,” said Rocafella Leisure CEO, Chris Hayes. “We had a clear vision of what we wanted to achieve, and I’m incredibly proud of our team for bringing that to fruition. The initial feedback has accelerated our plans to expand the concept into further regions throughout the UK.”
Trafford Palazzo is a shopping mall located in Manchester’s Trafford City that offers branded retail outlets, restaurants and family-friendly entertainment venues.
In addition to being the first NAX center to launch in Europe, the Trafford Palazzo NAX center is the first to include a combat zone that uses the brand’s high-performance Gelfire blaster toys.
Nerf Gelfire blasters feature reduced reloading time compared to other Nerf products and utilize a new type of hydrated rounds that burst upon impact.
Rocafella Leisure has also secured a food & beverage partnership with Trafford Palazzo’s Archie’s restaurant location to provide food and beverages for attendees of the NERF Action Xperience attraction.
Archie’s restaurants offer food and drinks such as milkshakes, handmade burgers, and waffles that are made using locally-sourced and halal ingredients.
The licensing rights to the brand are owned by the global toy and entertainment company Hasbro.
Hasbro delivers branded toys, experiences, consumer products, games and entertainment media based on its extensive portfolio of wholly-owned and officially licensed IP.