KARTeX, finalist for the AECC 2026 and Solal Awards 2026

KARTeX, finalist for the AECC 2026 and Solal Awards 2026

KARTeX, the LBE (Location-Based Entertainment) experience that blends physical karting with virtual reality at Puerto Venecia, has been selected as a finalist for both the AECC 2026 Awards, organised by the Spanish Association of Shopping Centres and Retail Parks (AECC), and the Solal Awards 2026, the European industry awards driven by the European Council of Shopping Places (ECSP). At the AECC Awards it competes in the Best Specialty Leasing Action category, and at the Solal Awards in Emerging Technology, under the name "Kartex – Immersion in Motion". Find out more about KARTeX at Puerto Venecia.

What are the AECC Awards and the Solal Awards

The AECC Awards have been, for more than two decades, the leading recognition for the shopping centre and retail park sector in Spain. They are presented at the association's annual congress and celebrate the most outstanding initiatives in sustainability, marketing, new leisure and leasing formats, and brand evolution developed by shopping destinations across the country.

The Solal Awards, meanwhile, are Europe's leading marketing and innovation awards for the retail and leisure sector, organised by the European Council of Shopping Places (ECSP). An international jury of twenty marketing professionals evaluates entries from across Europe, making it one of the most prestigious recognitions on the continent in its category.

Why this recognition fills us with pride

Having the same experience competing for both the leading national award and the leading European award in the sector is a double validation that few initiatives achieve. For DeuSens, this double nomination recognises the work developed together with Puerto Venecia to create an experience that breaks away from traditional leisure formats in retail spaces, combining real physical movement with immersive virtual worlds.

It is also confirmation that DeuSens's Hiperexperiencia connects with the public and the industry alike: not only for its ability to generate footfall and differentiation for the shopping centre, but for its value as an innovative technology proposal at a European level. Being among the finalists for these awards is, for the whole team, a source of pride and one more reason to keep betting on experiences that transform the way people live a physical space.

When the winners will be announced

The winners of the AECC 2026 Awards will be announced at the association's congress, held from 30 September to 2 October at the Palacio de Congresos in Palma de Mallorca. The Solal Awards 2026 will announce their winners on 13 October in Budapest. We'll keep you updated as soon as both awards are decided.

What KARTeX is, and its two experiences

KARTeX is the world's first multi-user XR system combining pedal-powered karts with virtual worlds, creating a new category of inclusive entertainment designed for all ages, motion-sickness-free, and adapted for people with reduced mobility. At Puerto Venecia, visitors were able to enjoy, for a limited time, "The Cycle of Time", KARTeX's first narrative adventure: a journey through time in which families collected treasures, solved riddles and escaped ancient traps while pedaling on a real circuit.

Seeing the potential of the technology, we later created, in collaboration with Grupo Piquer, "Urban Explorers", a one-of-a-kind road safety education experience: it gamifies learning about urban mobility through immersive environments, real-time decisions and instant rewards to help internalise coexistence rules through direct experience. With this step, we've managed to expand KARTeX's impact beyond entertainment into education as well.

And KARTeX's evolution shows no signs of slowing down. We're already working on new experiences that will take the system to new settings and audiences, and following the success achieved, we'll soon be able to announce news about its expansion across Spain and Europe, which is imminent. That these recognitions arrive right now is no coincidence: they confirm we're on the right track.