Altiplano: Lyon's excellence in outdoor and indoor leisure

The Bees went to meet Altiplano, a Lyon-based company offering outdoor and indoor leisure activities.

Laure Teissier, Luc Peyre and Fabrice Deygas, from the Altiplano group. Here we are today at the heart of the 3rd Exalto park, the latest addition to the Lyon-based Altiplano group, which has just opened its doors a stone's throw from the Groupama Stadium. Laure Teissier, executive assistant and all-round Swiss Army knife for the group, opens the doors of this new leisure sanctuary, conceived by Luc Peyre, the group's chairman, and Fabrice Deygas, his partner... Despite her young age, Laure will soon celebrate ten years with the company, having started as a work-study apprentice! The Altiplano group, specialising in leisure, comprises several divisions: Altiplano Exploitation manages the France Aventures outdoor parks, located respectively in Fourviere (Lyon), Saint-Etienne and Amneville, famous for their treetop adventure courses.

Exalto focuses on the indoor version, with three parks (Dardilly, Decines, Villeurbanne). Altiplano Construction, under the Urban Koncept brand, designs and manufactures all its equipment (trampolines, Ninja courses, fun climbing walls) but also supplies other leisure operators, both nationally and internationally. Finally, Altiplano Consulting connects all French and European property companies with a large base of operators to support their respective leisure development ambitions. Not to mention Treetop Quest, the American version of France Aventures, with 4 parks already established in Georgia and Pennsylvania!

The adventure began exactly 20 years ago! The outdoor adventure parks kicked things off, soon followed by indoor facilities to complement the offering, seizing opportunities as they arose over time. The group's dream? To offer quality experiences for everyone, both in terms of hospitality, venue and activities themselves, for all occasions.

Altiplano also aims to continue expanding across Lyon with a fourth Exalto park, complementing those already operating in Decines, Villeurbanne and Dardilly, towards the south-west of Lyon... (Right next to the Bees' headquarters, that would be wonderful!) The Exalto concept is clear: combining a fun activity space with a calm dining area and meeting/party rooms, welcoming visitors of all ages as well as businesses. The activities differ from one park to another, however, depending on the target audience.

Thus, at the heart of the latest park, given its proximity to the OL football club, there are two unique activities: Air Warrior (a giant inflatable obstacle course) and Prison Island, specifically designed for corporate events and seminars. Prison Island is a Swedish concept, unique in the Lyon region. A kind of mini Fort Boyard, with an Olympics feel, featuring a puzzle to solve across thirty rooms within a time limit. Enough to put both muscles and brain cells to work!

Dardilly, meanwhile, offers 7 indoor activities including bowling, four karaoke boxes and three escape rooms, designed to delight children, families and businesses alike. It must be said that space is no issue when it comes to developing multiple and varied activities: each venue covers a total area of over 3,000 m2 – 3,500 m2 for the latest Exalto! Yet the journey has not always been straightforward. There have been difficulties along the way.

The Dardilly site, for example, was developed in two stages: the bowling section opened a fortnight... before the first lockdown! The marketing budget had been spent at launch and it took considerable effort and imagination to promote the venue once reopening was possible. It was also at Dardilly that the group decided to open a King Marcel franchise – a Lyon-born brand – to offer quality dining.

Although everything was ready in June, the beautiful terrace had to wait until early October to welcome diners, as recruiting in the restaurant industry is extremely difficult – especially when it means building an entire team from scratch... The recruitment challenge also applies to the leisure industry as a whole, which requires working when most people are off: weekends, evenings, holidays. But there are also wonderful memories, particularly with every new Exalto park opening. Nothing warms the heart quite like the queue that forms on opening day, after long months of hard work.

The group's success since its creation shows no signs of slowing: each park now welcomes 60,000 visitors per year. Thirty full-time staff keep the Altiplano group running, in addition to seasonal and student contracts recruited each year. Within the teams, the average age is 25, and 30 on the office side: plenty of youthful energy! And while the flagship Exalto activity was long the trampoline – which built their reputation – the other leisure multiplex activities (escape rooms, Prison Island, karaoke boxes, laser ball, etc.

) are now vying for the top spot. Laure admits, for her part, a soft spot for the cosy and warm bowling alley at Dardilly. The parks have also become masters at celebrating every occasion: birthdays, stag and hen parties, corporate seminars or simply fun outings with friends. Numerous themed evenings are also held at the Exalto parks.

Next event to mark in your diaries: the Prison Island Carnival, which promises to be a colourful affair! The Bees wish long life to the group's adventures, the Lyon benchmark in leisure, which they are honoured and proud to support on a daily basis.