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record breaking streamers at IAAPA Expo 2022

Announcements, expert insights and more at IAAPA Expo 2022

Over 36,000 attendees took part in the annual conference & trade show in Orlando

IAAPA Expo returned to form in 2022 with an event in Florida that saw 36,882 registered attendees come together at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. This included 25,561 qualified buyers representing 11,869 buying companies, and 1,077 exhibiting companies.

The event, organised by IAAPA, the global association for the attractions industry, began on 14 November, with the trade show floor opening the following day. It featured a full schedule of panel discussions, educational sessions, tours, events, charity fundraisers and more. Attractions professionals from 104 different countries attended IAAPA Expo 2022.

IAAPA Expo 2022 balloon

A warm welcome

“We set out this year to bring a fresh and innovative Expo experience to showcase the best of the attractions industry and we certainly accomplished that,” says Michael Shelton, executive director and vice president for IAAPA North America.

“We proudly welcomed more than 36,000 attendees, filled more than 518,000 square feet of exhibit space and presented more than 100 on-site educational sessions. The incredible speakers and content presented along with the largest trade show in the industry surely inspired all who attended.”

Hal McEvoy IAAPA CEO
Hal McEvoy

“It has been wonderful to see the continued recovery of the global attractions industry,” says Hal McEvoy, outgoing president and chief executive officer. “I’m proud of our team, partners, and volunteers for executing a great show in Orlando that benefits our members and our community.”

In addition to the EDUsessions and the trade show, there were EDUTours at venues like Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Walt Disney World’s Blizzard Beach. IAAPA Expo 2022 also offered over 50 networking opportunities and hosted a variety of charity events.

Attendees raised over $157,000 through the 19th Annual IAAPA International Charity Golf Tournament, the 12th Annual IAAPA Charity Motorcycle Run benefiting Give Kids The World, and the 16th Annual IAAPA Footprints From the Heart 5K Run/1-Mile Walk Benefiting Give Kids The World Village. 108 golfers, 23 motorcycle riders, and 401 runners took part.

This year, the IAAPA Connect+ app featured extra coverage and helped attendees to stay connected during the show.

Monday 14 November at IAAPA Expo 2022

Monday 14 November saw the conference kick off with a number of interesting sessions. This included an early panel on immersive theatre in LBE, moderated by Lacy Campbell, creative director at The Bezark Company, an international creator of experiences.

The speakers were Adam Bezark, CCO and founder of The Bezark Company; Eric Hoff, senior creative director at Thinkwell Group, the global experience design and production company; Elysia Segal, producer, public programs at Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum; and Ameenah Kaplan, immersive experience director at Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products.

Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser

Talking about accessibility in LBE immersive theatre, Kaplan said that it was an important part of the Star Cruiser experience. There are contingencies in place for every disability. The building is designed to be easy to get around. Plus, the lightsaber training pod experience was designed for everyone to use, whether they are blind, have a physical disability and more.

An audience member also asked a question about how to balance the role of technology and people in immersive theatre. Bezark explained that everyone knows technology and immersive experiences work well together. Technology can supplement and augment an experience, but using actors and live elements keeps the soul of immersive theatre.

Hoff also added that it is important to make sure the technology is programmed to be accessible to everyone. Segal agreed with Eric, saying that the museum had a 3D scan done of some inaccessible spaces to allow those who can’t access it to experience it using VR/AR.

Streamlining operations

Another early morning session on Monday morning was Leave Legacy Systems in the Past and Streamline Your Operations. This featured insights from Andy Povey, UK managing director at Convious, a leading eCommerce platform for the leisure industry, alongside Christoffer Borup, COO & co-founder and Christian Rasmussen, CTO & partner at Mobaro, a provider of online maintenance and safety solutions.

leaving legacy systems in past convious IAAPA session

Povey explained that we are in the fourth industrial revolution, which is intelligence. We are seeing a “move to data”. But we need lots of tools to use that data. The pandemic increased the uptake of digital platforms by consumers. Attractions need to start looking at autonomous commerce. This means they can automatically increase staff, ticket price, and inventory and decrease advert spending during high demand. And, they can do the reverse in low demand.

Borup and Rasmussen explained that the industry has gone from pen and paper to digital. This has fast-tracked operational communication. Attractions need to be digital, and they need to change as “what got you here won’t necessarily get you where you need to go”.

The guest journey is key

Later that same morning, John Pendergrast, CEO of RocketRez, the end-to-end cloud ticketing platform for tours and attractions, led a session called The Incredible Customer Journey. In this, he explained how to follow data through every digital touchpoint of the customer journey. He said that millennials want to spend money on experiences, which become stories and then memories. These don’t fade and therefore become nostalgia.

data rocketrez IAAPA session

Attractions “are providing nostalgia”. Operators have to remember that it is people who are at the core of this industry. Visitors will talk about the experience they had, not the technology – unless they have a bad technology experience.

There are more touchpoints in the customer journey now. And, there are lots of different systems and solutions available, from ticketing, POS, retail, hardware, website etc. Pendergrast explained that it must all work together. This can be a challenge. But it is important because “software powers each revenue stream” of tickets, food and beverage, retail etc. Guests experience everything in one, so the systems have to be seamless.

New museum experiences

In Thinking Differently About Digital Experiences in Museums, Robert Mintz, deputy director of the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, spoke about the teamLab Continuity immersive experience. The “visitors are a part of it, through sound, touch etc. It echoes experiences we all have in nature but it is artificial so you become part of the experience”. The animation reacts to the visitors, so it is different each time you visit.

In the same session, David Conway, producer at Moment Factory, the multimedia entertainment studio spoke with Bobbie Oakley, project manager at the Museum of Science Boston. They talked about the Arctic Adventure exhibition they created together. This won first place in the interactive category at the blooloop Innovation Awards 2021.

Moment Factory Actic Explorer

The exhibition has four zones with a linear experience for the guest. There is a “power of unity” throughout the exhibition, as it has a real-time environment. The weather, lighting effects, and animals that visitors see in the exhibition all change depending on what time of year and time of day they visit. This means that guests never have exactly the same experience, and it makes it more realistic and educational. For example, the Artic fox’s fur changes colour depending on the season. In this way, technology and digital enhance the experience.

Communicating values

On Monday afternoon, Jessica Van Dyke, VP of partnership development at Event Network, a leading retail operator for experiential cultural attractions, moderated a session called Championing the Visitor Experience: ESG/DEIA Values and Guest Expectations. She explained that guests expect places they visit to do good and to have the same values as themselves. She gave an example of Event Network’s diverse mannequins.

Jeff Homick from SeaWorld said that safety is paramount, but also that it is important to design attractions to be inclusive. SeaWorld works with roller coaster designers etc. to ensure there is more fun for everyone.

California Academy of Sciences
California Academy of Sciences

Cathy Estelle from the California Academy of Sciences spoke about guest programming and marketing. The museum has several access programs, like Museums for All. In the next year, it is looking to have 16% of its total visitor attendance from access programs. It is also important to have diverse advertising and use diverse groups in focus groups, Estelle emphasised.

Anthony Rivera from Georgia Aquarium then spoke about operations and the guest experience. He explained that the DEIA process is a journey that never ends. Rivera also acknowledged that being in Georgia, civil rights are something that is very important for the aquarium. It must be intentional in what it does, so it fits with and resonates with the community.

Updates from the Middle East at IAAPA Expo 2022

Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, Group CEO of Miral

Elsewhere, the team from Miral, Abu Dhabi’s leading developer of immersive attractions and experiences, was taking part in an update entitled The Future of Entertainment & Leisure in the Middle East, UAE and Abu Dhabi.

The speakers were Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, Group CEO of Miral; Jess Priore, VP of Global Themed Entertainment at Warner Bros. Discovery; Julien Andre Kauffmann, CEO of Miral Experiences; and John Linn, VP of global theme park development at SeaWorld Parks. Arwa AlKahtib, corporate communications manager at Miral, moderated the session.

Giving an update on the state of the entertainment industry in the Middle East, Al Zaabi pointed out that entertainment and leisure is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world. The industry is thriving in Abu Dhabi, particularly on Yas Island. The UAE’s economy grew 8.4% growth in the first quarter of 2022.

Abu Dhabi expects to welcome 23 million tourists by 2030. Here, Miral operates Yas Waterworld, home to over 40 slides and attractions; Ferrari World Abu Dhabi which boasts the world’s fastest roller coaster; and Clymb, where visitors can experience the world’s tallest climbing wall. It also operates Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, the world’s largest theme park, which opened in 2018. In November 2022, Miral announced plans for a new Harry Potter land at Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi – a first in the Middle East. 

“We have shaped the entire island, changing the way people spend their leisure time,” said Al Zaabi. “We had to think what else to do. So, we started using digital activations across the ecosystem to produce personalised and frictionless guest experiences. All assets are fully integrated, and in 2021 we launched FacePass contactless technology.”

FacePass won first place in the technology category at the blooloop Innovation Awards 2021.

New projects for Miral

Moving on to talk about what’s next, he said Miral is developing several landscape projects worth over 3.5 billion. This includes the UAE’s first dedicated marine rescue and return centre, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi. This will be SeaWorld’s first expansion outside the US. Meanwhile, it is also developing the Natural History Museum on Saadiyat Island.

miral yas island
Yas Island

Miral recently rebranded, launching a new visual identity and renaming its subsidiaries. Speaking about this, Kauffmann said: “We literally rebranded all under one hat. I’ve been in this industry for quite a while, and I can say that we provide the best experience to our guests. Some of our competitors are cutting back on staffing, investments, and experiences – we are not. Our vision is to be the leading theme park operator.”

Then, on the topic of bringing Harry Potter to Abu Dhabi, Priore added:

“I think it’s going to be a game changer for our industry.”

Operational insights

Monday afternoon at IAAPA Expo 2022 also saw insights from Josh Liebman, guest experience evangelist at ROLLER, ticketing, CRM and POS specialist. He talked about how the digital experience impacts the onsite experience.

Liebman emphasised that attractions need a user-friendly website and online booking system. For example, someone sees an advert for an attraction whilst watching tv and decides to buy a ticket. That attraction’s website has to be mobile friendly, because they’re not going to get up to find a computer. And it should connect with Apple/Google pay etc so they don’t have to get up and get a card. This seamless journey makes it easier for the person to buy the tickets.

digital experience roller IAAPA session

He also added that operators shouldn’t underestimate how important online reviews are. 90% of prospective guests are heavily influenced by online reviews.

Later that afternoon, Family Matters 5.0 – The Next Generation presented thoughts on the challenges and opportunities in running a family business, from the next generation to take the reins.

Panellists included Denos Vourderis of Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park; Genevieve Norris-Brown, GM of Seabreeze Park; Philip Wilson, executive VP at Extreme Engineering, a leading adventure attractions company; Brian Knoebel, co-owner and co-manager at Knoebels Amusement Resort; Lauren Crosby, Fourth Generation Owner of Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari; and Jeff Whiting, VP of operations at Whiting’s Foods at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

Attendees could also learn more about Emerging Trends in Immersive Design on Monday afternoon. This session explored how trends in immersive design can help strengthen a company’s brand, mission, and connection with its guests. Speakers were Joe Imholte, The Bakken Museum’s executive VP; Cynthia Sharpe, principal at Thinkwell Group; and Shawn McCoy, executive VP at JRA, part of RWS Entertainment Group, a leading experience designer

Angry Birds at Topgolf

On Monday evening, Stantec hosted a party at Topgolf. Here, attendees had an opportunity to play the Angry Birds interactive golf experience. This brings together the classic fun of golf and the digital, physics-based destruction of Angry Birds. It was created in collaboration with Rovio Entertainment Corporation, a Finnish mobile-first gaming company and creator of the Angry Birds brand.

Tuesday 15 November at IAAPA Expo 2022

With the conference already in full swing, attendees gathered on Tuesday morning for the opening ceremony, as exhibitors prepared to welcome them onto the trade show floor at 10 am.

During the IAAPA Expo 2022 opening ceremony, the 2023 Chairman of the Board of Directors was welcomed. Plus, this year’s Hall of Fame inductees were celebrated. Ken Whiting, president of Whiting’s Foods at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, concluded his term as the 2022 Chairman of the Board. He then welcomed Jim Pattison, Jr. president of Ripley Entertainment, as the incoming chairman.

Jim Pattinson at IAAPA Expo 2022

Outgoing IAAPA president and chief operating officer Hal McEvoy also addressed the packed theatre space, saying:

“2022 has been a remarkable year for the global attractions industry even with challenges.” He also recapped some of the 100 events held throughout IAAPA’s global regions and invited Jakob Wahl to the stage to make his first IAAPA appearance as the association’s next CEO and president.

Following this, Pattison welcomed partners from Guinness World Records to the stage. Attendees then broke a world record for the most people launching streamer cannons simultaneously by setting off 1,116 cannons at once.

EDUsessions continue

There were lots more educational sessions taking place on Tuesday.

First, New Approaches to Designing an Indoor Water Paradise featured insights from Emily Colombo, VP of strategic sales partnerships at WhiteWater, a leading waterpark manufacturerChris Grap of Mall of AmericaAlexei Chachkov, park designer at WhiteWater; Josh Martin, president of Martin Aquatic Design & Engineering, a world-class aquatic firm and Richard Coleman, CEO of American Resort Management.

water park trends

Indoor water parks are undergoing refreshing changes to offer top entertainment value 365 days a year. Grap said that indoor water parks need to be a destination in their own right, not just an add-on. Martin also talked about creating “Moments of wow” to encourage repeatability and help to provide something for everyone.

On the importance of the choice of building and methods of construction, Martin also talked about the appeal of retractable roofs. He mentioned some of the projects enhanced by OpenAire, a leading designer and manufacturer of retractable roofs and skylights.

Insights into waterparks, VR and more at IAAPA Expo 2022

In the afternoon, Mark Stepanian, president of CAVU Designwerks, the media-based attractions specialist, joined Jessi O’Daniel, general manager of Typhoon Texas Waterpark in Austin for Solving Problems as a Young Executive.

Meanwhile, the Global Sustainability Summit featured Iliana Rodriguez of Grupo Xcaret; Eric O’Rourke of FORREC, a leading entertainment design specialistMark Penning of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products and Joshua Seymour and Neva Heaston from Royal Caribbean. They were joined by David Rosenberg from Monterey Bay Aquarium, IAAPA’s Jakob Wahl and Andy Fastman of Cuningham.

VR panel IAAPA Expo

There were also thoughts on the past, present and future of VR from HOLOGATE, a global leader in turnkey compact multiplayer VR systems; Bob Cooney, an expert in location-based entertainment; HTC VIVE, a leading virtual reality (VR) platform and ecosystem, AWE and F9D.

Meanwhile, Eddie Newquist of Retlaw Enterprises, a provider of experiential design, development and management services, led a session called Magic By Design: Incorporating Blockbuster Brands Into Your Museum. He said that it takes something special and unique to get people out of their homes and through the doors. He added that authenticity and environment are vital. For example, the Game of Thrones Studio Tour and Harry Potter exhibitions featured real sets and real costumes. It is, as Bob Iger says, the wow factor.

Special and Visual Effects Game of Thrones

In Marketing Technology Innovations For Your Attraction: Four Real-World Opportunities to Grow Revenue and Attendance, attendees learned how to increase attendance, optimize pricing, grow revenue, and target audiences through digital marketing. The session explored how to harness the power of technology to enhance and grow an attraction business.

Speakers included Anthony Palermo, co-founder, and Ted Molter, senior business development director, both of Connect&GO, a leader in guest experience engineering and wearable RFID technology. They were joined by John Morey, CEO of the Digital Performance Group; Greg Loewen, CEO of Digonex and Brandon Willey, CEO and founder of Hownd.

Tuesday sees key announcements

Triotech, an award-winning creator of media-based attractions, unveiled QUBE, its latest simulator product at IAAPA Expo 2022. This attendant-free interactive multiplayer coin-op game for four players brings high immersion and competition to FECs, on a small footprint.

“QUBE was born from the idea of disrupting the deluxe coin-op video game world by combining the robustness and reliability expected from a coin-operated product with an unparalleled sense of immersion”, said Triotech CEO & founder Ernest Yale.

Triotech Reveal Qube IAAPA22

The firm also made a second announcement at IAAPA Expo 2022, alongside Lotte World. Together, they presented a new interactive walkthrough attraction, BATTLEGROUNDS WORLD AGENT. It will open at the park in Spring 2022, set in the universe of PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS. This is a popular video game IP from KRAFTON.

The custom walkthrough attraction, covering over 750 square metres, will have three zones, featuring interactivity, immersion, media, motion, and projection mapping. The attraction can host groups of 16 people at a time. Triotech’s in-house studio, engineering, and R&D teams will complete the project, which includes design, story, show, theming, audio, as well as special effects.

New rides revealed

Vekoma Rides, the Dutch roller coaster specialist, then unveiled the ride vehicles for Dollywood‘s new $25 million ride. Big Bear Mountain is opening in spring 2023. This family-friendly attraction will be the park’s longest coaster to date. It will be in the park’s newest area, Wildwood Grove.

dollywood big bear mountain ride vehicle

Riders will see the Smokies while searching for ‘Big Bear’ in SUV-style ride vehicles. These feature working headlights and brake lights, as well as large claw marks. Guests will travel at maximum speeds of 48 mph. The ride will include three separate launches, multiple airtime hills, high-speed carousel turns and tunnels.

Ride vehicles on show

Intamin, a creator of record-breaking amusement rides, announced not one, not two, but three new rides for 2023 at IAAPA Expo 2022. Firstly, it showcased DarKoaster, North America’s first all-indoor straddle coaster. This will launch in 2023 at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Then, the firm shared details of Catapult Falls, the world’s first launched flume coaster and steepest flume coaster, which is coming to SeaWorld San Antonio in 2023.

Finally, it revealed the ride vehicle for SeaWorld San Diego’s new attraction, Arctic Rescue, new for 2023. This takes inspiration from SeaWorld Rescue.

SeaWorld Arctic Rescue vehicle

Zamperla, a leading ride manufacturer, also announced three new vehicles during the trade show. The first was its new Lightning train, set to debut at Playland at the PNE. This will be the fastest launch coaster in Canada and will feature a special effects tunnel.

Zamperla Lightning Train IAAPA Expo 2022

This was closely followed by the reveal of its updated Twister Coaster vehicle. This will be coming to Cedar Point’s new Wild Mouse coaster next year. The spinning car has been designed to deliver a shared experience and also has a side door for better accessibility.

The third announcement from Zamperla saw the reveal of the custom-designed ride vehicle for Draken Falls at Adventureland. This is the first super flume attraction in the Midwest US. It will form a Nordic-themed two-ride experience with Flying Viking. Some Viking friends helped to present the vehicle, courtesy of RWS Entertainment.

Draken Falls vehicle Zamperla IAAPA Expo 2022

CAVU Designwerks and KUKA Robotics formally launched their partnership during IAAPA 2022. This partnership will focus on creating the next generation of intelligent dark ride vehicles.

The first vehicle of this partnership the Self-Driving Vehicle was created with CAVU, KUKA and BEC Robotics. This vehicle uses KUKA’s reliable industrial platform at its base and has been transformed for the themed entertainment industry for passenger use. The vehicle can interact with other advanced technologies like AI, real-time gaming engines and projection mapping.

CAVU & KUKA, along with BEC and Firefly Creations showcased this vehicle as an immersive demo during IAAPA week.

Award-winners

On Tuesday afternoon, the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), a non-profit representing compelling places and experiences worldwide, announced this year’s Thea Award winners. These awards recognise individuals, projects, and technologies in the area of themed attractions and experiences each year. 20 people were honoured for their creative efforts in 2022.

This included the Buzz Price Award, which recognises a lifetime of distinguished achievements. There is also the Catalyst Award, which recognises individual contributions to industry advancement. Meanwhile, the Classic Award celebrates a guest experience that has stood the test of time. For the full list of winners, please click here.

Thea Awards 2023

Later that afternoon, Extreme Engineering made several announcements regarding new products and upcoming ride installations. The first is Parkour Around, which offers guests of all abilities nearly infinite options for physical activities. Participants will be linked to a patent-pending support system that will allow them to jump higher, scale higher, and leap lengths previously unimaginable. 

The company also presented its new patent-pending “Flex Shade” technology, recognising that direct sunshine can be too much for park and attraction visitors. The new system’s flex rods produce load tension using the company’s unique flex rod technology. This reduces the heavy hardware required by traditional sail shade systems. The Flex Shade does not require big concrete pilings for installation, providing clients with a cost-effective alternative.

Extreme Engineering parkour around cgi

Extreme Engineering spoke about new projects at IAAPA Expo 2022 as well. It is opening three Cloud Coasters this year, at Wilderness in the Tennessee Smokies, at Richland Chambers in Corsicana, Texas, and at Sports Wenatchee in Wenatchee, Washington.

After hours, the TEA hosted a mixer at Discovery Cove, bringing a Beach Party vibe to Orlando. This was an excellent opportunity to catch up with friends and colleagues from across the industry.

Elsewhere, Embed, a leading worldwide supplier of point-of-sale and revenue management systems hosted a party at Andretti Indoor Karting and Games. Meanwhile, those who headed to the WhiteWater party were able to mingle and dance the night away to an excellent band at Ole Red. The team at Electrosonic, an international technology services firm, also hosted a drinks party at Universal’s Aventura Hotel.

Wednesday 16 November at IAAPA Expo 2022

With both the conference and trade show in full swing, Wednesday was packed with more discussion panels and announcements.

The day began with a breakfast event hosted by Apple Industries. Here, guests learned more about FacePlace Photo Studio and the history of the photo booth. They also enjoyed insights from a Nascar guest speaker. With almost five decades of experience in the pay-for-play amusement industry, Apple Industries has become the leading photo booth manufacturer in the world. It has built the most profitable line of photo booths ever.

apple industries at IAAPA Expo 2022

Its products include the Marvel Adventure Lab, as well as the Photo Studio Deluxe and its smaller sibling, the Photo Studio Prism. Speaking about the technology, Jesse Weisberg, senior director of technology at Apple Industries ran through some of the features, including the improved camera, lighting, design and sound, as well as the ability to download and share digital products. The firm has won three IAAPA Brass Ring Awards in six years.

Scott Avery, president, made the point that content is what is going to sell in the future and keep the booths relatable. The company has announced that it is adding both Marvel Studios and Disney IPs. The Little Mermaid will be the first Disney movie experience in its booth. It also has the ability to update the booths remotely as new Disney titles are released.

Getting everyone involved

This was followed by an EDUsession called Ride Design for the Non-Rider: How to Engage Every Guest. The panel included Jeffrey Havlik, VP of PGAV Destinations, a global leader in the planning and design of unique destinations, and Lloyd Notley, CMO of Escapology.

Catering to a wide audience is vital, said Havlik. People go to attractions to share experiences, so the group experience is key, helping to create lifelong memories for guests. How do we get everyone involved, both active and non-active participants?

A great example is a water ride, where riders get enjoyment but non-active participants also enjoy the experience, watching the drop and seeing/feeling the splash. How can we bring this dynamic to other attractions? Another good example is products like those offered by Sports Simulator, a provider of advanced leisure simulators. These allow people to enjoy the experience together and compete to get high scores.

Sports Simulator Ten Pin Bowling

Elsewhere, Mel McGowan of Storyland StudiosRJ Temple of Walt Disney Imagineering; Arielle Rassel from Scenario, an award-winning design and fabrication firm, and Logan Zawacki of Sally Dark Rides, a leading creator of immersive attractions, spoke during a session called When Did You Know it was Time to Go?

It’s a difficult decision, said Zawacki, but he shared four key questions which can help people to make it. These are: Why am I unhappy? What do I want to do more of at work? Have I told management how I feel? And how has management met my needs?

Speakers share updates on trends and best practice

The metaverse was explored in-depth at IAAPA Expo 2022 during a learning lunch: To the Metaverse and Beyond – Creating Innovative & Cross-reality Attractions. 

Jonathan Nowak Delgado of SPREE Interactive, a leading provider of active free-roam VR experiences and Louis Alfieri of Raven Sun Creative, the transformational experience firm,  joined Louise Murray of Triptyq Capital, Brandon Willey from Hownd and Theron Skees of The Designer’s Creative Studio.

In the afternoon, Roman Hauer of Mack Rides, a leading ride manufacturer, spoke at Safety in Attractions: Risk Assessment Best Practices. Meanwhile, The Trickle Down Rut: How Investor Behavior has Impacted Attractions featured thoughts from Michael Collins, senior partner at Leisure Development Partners, a leading economics and strategy consultant, and Extreme Engineering’s Phil Wilson. They were joined by Suphi Aydiner of Outdoor Factory, Liseberg’s Andreas Andersen and Nick Neuman of Water Technology Inc.

Andrew Jacobs, CCO of accesso Technology Group PLC, a leading technology provider, also gave a talk on The Joy of Anticipation. “More than half of the world’s population is under 30, and mobile-first engagement is at an all-time high, especially among younger visitor groups,” said Jacobs. “We need to start thinking about better ways to have mobile, continuous and convenient conversations with our guests.”

Mobaro at IAAPA Expo 2022

During a session called Water Park Management: Leveraging Technology to Manage Staff Competencies, Mobaro’s Christian Rasmussen shared that, to ensure safe & efficient operation, staff need clear objectives, consistent training and feedback, confidence in their training, a clear path to excellence and trust in the management.

Times are changing and old methods are no longer sufficient, Rasmussen added. Operators must use modern solutions designed specifically for the industry. This will unlock the full potential of the staff and the attraction, as well as reducing risk.

The Legends Panel at IAAPA Expo 2022

Wednesday also saw the return of the popular Legends Panel. This year’s session was Legends 2022: Epcot, 40 Years in a State of Becoming. Bob Rogers of BRC Imagination Arts, led a discussion with Disney’s Jodi McLaughlin, Kartika Rodriguez and Bob Weis, and Rick Rothschild of FAR Out! Creative Direction.

Epcot is one of the most popular parks in the world. Yet when it opened, it was one hell of a dare, breaking every norm of a Disney park, said Rogers. The panel explored how it has successfully evolved over the last 40 years. Firstly, Weis treated attendees to a glimpse at some of Marty Sklar‘s original drawings for Epcot. He also said that without Sklar, Epcot as we know it would not exist.

Marty Sklar Epcot drawings

How do you adjust a theme to meet changing needs of guests? “We wanted to think about it differently and give it a stronger sense of identity, while still leveraging legacy elements,” said McLaughlin. Rodriguez added that, at heart, Epcot is still about inspiring and creating hope. Epcot was established as a moment in time, a celebration of the human spirit, said Rothschild. The notion of experimentation – the spirit of Walt himself– was in the whole team.

On continuing Walt’s sense of optimism when adding new attractions to Epcot, Rodriguez says it’s about enabling guests to feel good together and enjoy a collective experience – to be part of something bigger than themselves.

At the same time, the IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equality, and Accessibility) Roundtable features Pamela Landwirth of Give Kids the World, Clara Rice of RWS Entertainment Group, a creator of award-winning custom entertainmentAdrea Gibbs of Meow WolfSteve Bell of Gateway Ticketing Systems, a leading provider of admission control systems, and more.

More news from the trade show floor

Press conferences also continued on Wednesday, direct from the trade show floor at IAAPA Expo 2022.

The team from Polin Waterparks, a leader and innovator in waterpark technology, revealed brand-new products at its booth. In fact, it showcased six new rides. This included the space-themed 4-person family ride, Cosmos, suitable for indoor and outdoor and with optional VR integration & special effects, and a new racing ride for up to 8 racers, called D-Trac Racer. Next up was a new splash course, Extraventure. This adds something new to the water park experience with integrated ropes course and zipline fun.

Polin press conference IAAPA Expo 2022

Polin also presented Naja, a King Cobra-type ride with high capacity and strong visual impact, Rift, featuring a large black hole section, again with a strong visual impact and high capacity, and family raft slide Stellar which offers a different guest experience each time.

nWave Pictures, a multinational producer and distributor of immersive 3D/4D content, showcased its latest 3D/4D title, Meg and the Lost Scepter. This features martial arts-loving Meg – a much-loved character from Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness. In this new film, Meg embarks on a quest with Chickenhare and Abe the turtle, in order to find the Scepter of the Hamster of Darkness. Hazards along the way include quicksands and menacing piggy armies.

Meanwhile, Inowize, a creative company delivering interactive experiences demonstrated its brand-new QBIX product. The unattended multiplayer attraction fits in just 13 x 13 feet and includes a motion floor and wind blasts. The company also announced that it will have five titles available for the experience by end of 2023.

Inowize QBIX Splash

Showcasing new attractions

A bumper announcement from WhiteWater followed. Six new rides were celebrated during the company’s press conference, including IAAPA Brass Ring-winning Blasterango Battle, a racing water coaster that offers side-by-side duelling fun and Boomerango Squeeze, an innovative take on a WhiteWater classic.

WhiteWater Press Conference IAAPA Expo 2022

We also learned about Walhalla, a Boomerango and Manta fusion with steep drops and thrilling oscillations, and Aquafortress, an all-in-one water park structure with a modern new look. The final two products revealed were FlowSurf by FlowRider, an anchor attraction with river surf inspired by nature and real surfboards, and Clarus, the clearest fibreglass yet. Plus, Michael Jungen of Vantage spoke to IAAPA Expo 2022 attendees about the firm’s mission with the Joy Economy.

This was followed by a press conference from Valo Motion, a pioneer in combining interactive technology with physical activities. Here, the team presented the new Valo Arena, an unattended mixed-reality 6-player playground, which made its US debut. The Brass Ring Award-winning attraction has no wearables and also no avatars. This means that guests themselves become the superhero inside the game. It is easy to use with automatic setups and 24/7 support. It fits with the firm’s ethos of shared, active fun.

Valo Motion ValoArena RPM2

DOF Robotics, a producer of dynamic simulation platforms, revealed more about its recent rebrand, as well as presenting the firm’s latest products such as Mission Space. Its Monster Jam Grave Digger simulator proved very popular with attendees.

In the evening, the Valtech team hosted a fun gathering at the Hilton, where guests could take part in a fun interactive game. Meanwhile, HOLOGATE entertained guests at Rocco’s Tacos, complete with Ghostbusters.

Thursday 17 November at IAAPA Expo 2022

Following the annual PGAV Destinations breakfast, complete with t-shirt printing and pancake artists, Thursday got underway.

We began with a panel called The Water Theme Park: Insights from the Qiddiya Development Team. Panellists included David Schaefer from Falcon’s Beyond Global, a fully integrated development enterprise for IP-driven parks, resorts, media and merchandise; Don Potts of the Qiddiya Investment Company; Mike Rigby of WhiteWater and Brian Machamer, park president at Six Flags Qiddiya.

Falcons Beyond EntryGate Qiddiya Water Theme Park

The water theme park is a big part of the Qiddiya development, covering 252,000 square metres of land. It will be the region’s largest water theme park. In terms of theming, there will be nine zones inspired by native animals, with a central icon, Camel Rock. This is a man-made structure measuring 250 feet tall that will tie the water park together. WhiteWater will add a variety of iconic rides to cater to a wide range of guests.

Rigby added that the developer didn’t want the attractions to be the tallest or the biggest just for the sake of it. The guest experience was always paramount. Though there will be multiple world firsts too, as well as sporting facilities.

New tech

In the afternoon, there was a session called Riding the New Wave of Technology in Water Parks. This included contributions from Nadine St-Amant of Super Aqua Club; Brannan Holland from Pyek Group and Jim Kunau of Island H2O Water Park. It was moderated by Mobaro’s David Bromilow.

Holland began by talking about the benefits of paperless digital inspections. Solutions like Mobaro’s are not only easier but also help operators to identify trends and predict mechanical failures.

Super Aqua Club family wristbands

Talking about guest experience technology, St-Amant said that Super Aqua Club wanted the guest experience to be the priority. So, it partnered with Connect&GO to create a frictionless experience. Meanwhile, Kunau explained that Island H2O chose Vantage from WhiteWater. With this, they could access live attendance metrics, passholder analytics, spending data, breakdowns of attendance by time, dispatches by dates, zip code analysis and much more.

Thursday’s news from the floor

More press conferences took place on Thursday. Firstly, Aquatic Development Group (ADG), a leading water park and recreational design, construction, and manufacturing firm, talked about EpicSurf, the first deepwater stationary wave manufactured in the US. This offers a customisable surf experience for all abilities, democratising surfing accessibility.

EpicSurf adaptive_surfing

With 25-30 million surfers worldwide and an industry that is growing 7 to 10 % annually, EpicSurf is bringing surfing inland and opening it up to all, helping to grow inclusion in the surf world.

We also learned more about the new attraction enhancements planned for ICON Park in 2023. Honouring the attractions heritage of the sunshine state, the team is creating a new experience at ICON Park that celebrates the legacy of the attractions industry in Florida.

The teams working on the project include IDEAS, a leading brand and experience design company, alongside Creative Amusements and Steradian Technologies.

IAAPA Expo 2022 attendees also had an update from Storyland Studios and Del-York International. This focused on the new Nollywood film city project, Kebulania, which is set to be the leading destination for filmmaking and creativity in Africa.

Studio City Kebulania - Aerial

This was followed by a peek behind the curtain of creative studio Gentilhomme, looking at the large-scale multimedia experiences that it delivered for Orlando and Nashville International Airport. The goal was to transform the public experience and bring joy back to air travel.

More award winners celebrated

On Thursday, IAAPA also announced the recipients of the 2022 IAAPA Brass Ring Awards. For the first time since 2019, this featured an in-person celebration. The ceremony was produced by RWS Entertainment Group and featured projections from batwin + robin, the multimedia storytelling firm

For the full list of winners, please click here.

IAAPA Brass Ring Award Winners 2022

Ahead of IAAPA Expo 2022, the organisation announced the recipients of its IAAPA Service Awards. During the show, Franceen Gonzales received the Lifetime Service Award and Phil Wilson received the Meritorious Service Award. Ryan Stana won the Outstanding Service Award, and Young Professional of the Year is Josh Liebman.

The IAAPA Hall of Fame 2022 honorees, Xavier Lopez AnconaJoan Ganz CooneyDarrell Metzger and Dennis Speigel, were also celebrated.

There was an extra special IAAPA Celebrates party on Thursday evening at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. With exclusive access to a number of areas within the park, attendees had a chance to experience world-class rides. For example, Velocicoaster and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. They could also socialise with their peers and enjoy food and drink.

Friday 18 November at IAAPA Expo 2022

While the conference finished on Thursday, deals were still being done on the trade show floor up until it closed at 4 pm.

Vekoma Tilt Coaster

Over at the Vekoma booth, there was one final announcement, following Tuesday’s vehicle reveal for Big Bear Mountain at Dollywood. The latest model of Vekoma’s iconic Tilt Coaster will debut in the US as Circuit Breaker at Circuit of the Americas. The ride concept was on show via a moving model at the booth. Speaking about the announcement, Matt Hughey, director of Park operations, said: “We couldn’t be more excited.”

Other highlights from the show floor included a demonstration of Blue Mar Basins by Martin Aquatic. These are large, man-made swimming facilities supported by patent-pending technology. The specially crafted bodies of water enable pool builders to construct structures of unlimited size without bathing load constraints, minimum size requirements, or the need for ongoing manual upkeep.

Meanwhile, Airspace Solutions, a Welsh company specialising in the manufacture of play inflatables, was also showcasing its products at IAAPA Expo 2022. The firm recently received a tender through its Qatar-based partner for a DOHA-shaped aqua park. Being a bespoke manufacturer it was able to create a proposal for an exciting and fun layout. Ultimately, it was successful against some tough opposition. This was largely due to its extensive safety testing and also the ability to be flexible on the design.

Following its appearance at the show, the company reports that several interested parties want to take advantage of its product to create their own “City Park”.

Gantner Ticketing, a provider of software for museums, zoos, cultural heritage and visitor attractions, was showing how it can help operators improve their ticketing and booking operations. Its solutions also enhance the visitor experience before, during, and after events. It brings together ticketing, booking, POS, cashless payment and access control in a single end-to-end technology platform solution.

Embed IAAPA Expo 2022 STATS

On the Embed booth, the team successfully launched STATS. This is the firm’s new technology insights data visualization dashboard. STATS is a robust data and reports visualisation platform developed with and powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS). It enables FECs to alter visitor experiences, improve operational efficiency, and boost income using data.

Huss Park Attractions, the German ride manufacturer, was exhibiting four brand-new attraction concepts at its booth. This follows the successful launch of Break Dance 5 during last year’s IAAPA Expo Europe. 

Sponsors

Platinum-level sponsors of IAAPA Expo 2022 included accesso, Brogent Technologies Inc., CAVU Designwerks, DOF Robotics, Gateway Ticketing Systems, Miral, ROLLER, RWS Entertainment Group and Simtec Systems.

IAAPA Expo 2022 sponsors

Gold-level sponsors were batwin + robin productions, HOLOGATE, Kraftwerk Living Technologies, Polin Waterparks, SPREE Interactive, TAIT, Thinkwell Group and Vekoma.

Other sponsors included JRA – Part of RWS Entertainment Group, ProSlide Technology, QubicaAMF, Sacoa, Semnox Solutions, and ted (the experience department).

Save the dates

In 2023, IAAPA Expo Asia will be at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore from 13 to 16 June. Then, IAAPA Expo Europe will travel to Vienna, Austria. This will be at the Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center from 25 to 28 September 2023.

IAAPA Expo will return to the Orange Country Convention Centre in Orlando from 13 – 17 November. 227 exhibitors have already reserved booth space for next year’s show.

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charlotte coates

Charlotte Coates

Charlotte Coates is blooloop's editor. She is from Brighton, UK and previously worked as a librarian. She has a strong interest in arts, culture and information and graduated from the University of Sussex with a degree in English Literature. Charlotte can usually be found either with her head in a book or planning her next travel adventure.

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