The IAAPA Brass Ring Awards are one of the global attractions industry’s most prestigious honours.
The awards recognise theme parks, water parks, zoos, aquariums, museums, family entertainment centres (FECs) and suppliers for excellence in food and beverage, games and retail, human resources, live entertainment, marketing, new products and exhibits.
Check out the full list of 2019 IAAPA Brass Ring Award winners:
Top Family Entertainment Center (FEC) of the World
Cinergy Entertainment Amarillo, Texas, US
Food and Beverage Excellence
Best New Menu Item – Annual Attendance Less than 1 Million: Unicorn Cotton Candy Tacos, Jake’s Unlimited, Mesa, Arizona, US
Best New Menu Item – Annual Attendance More than 1 Million: BLT Panzanella Bowl, San Diego Zoo, San Diego, California, US
Games and Retail Excellence
Best Plush: Porg, Disney Parks, Lake Buena Vista, Florida and Anaheim, California, US
Best Apparel: Children’s Shaun the Sheep Hooded Sweat, Paradise Country, Gold Coast, Australia,
Best Hard Good Item: Savi’s Workshop – Handbuilt Lightsabers, Disney Parks, Lake Buena Vista, Florida and Anaheim, California, US
Best Visual Merchandising: Droid Depot: Custom Astromech Units, Disney Parks, Lake Buena Vista, Florida and Anaheim, California, US
Best Midway Game Operation: Morey’s Piers Game Operation, Morey’s Piers and Beachfront Water Parks, Wildwood, New Jersey, US
Judges Award – Best Plush Item: Little Ndaba, Naples Zoo, Naples, Florida, US
Human Resources Excellence
Best Employee Engagement Initiative – Annual Attendance Less than 1 Million: Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Best Employee Engagement Initiative – Annual Attendance More than 1 Million: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz, California, US
Best Employee Reward and Recognition Program – Annual Attendance More than 1 Million: Europa-Park, Rust, Germany
Best Innovation in a Training Program – Annual Attendance Less than 1 Million: Pacific National Exhibition, Vancouver, British Columbia
Best Innovation in a Training Program – Annual Attendance More than 1 Million: Whiting’s Foods on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz, California, US
Live Entertainment Excellence
Best Atmosphere/Street Show Performance/Act: Green Army Drum Corps, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney Parks Live Entertainment, Orlando, Florida, US
Best Performer: Annie Huckaba, Dollywood Theme Park, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, US
Best Live Edutainment Show: Hershey’s Unwrapped, Hershey’s Chocolate World, Hershey, Pennsylvania, US
Best Theatrical Production: Annual Attendance More than 1 Million: Legend of Camel Bells, Huaxia Cultural Resort, Xi’an, Shanxi Province, China
Most Creative Christmas Show: Up on the Rooftop, Hersheypark, Hershey, Pennsylvania, US
Most Creative Halloween Haunt, Show, or Experience: Below, Walibi Holland, Biddinghuizen, Netherlands
Most Creative Multimedia Spectacular: Dancing Islands, Fantawild International Limited, Shenzhen, China
Most Creative Property-wide Event: Annual Attendance Less than 1 Million: Winterfest, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Most Creative Property-wide Event: Annual Attendance More than 1 Million: SeaWorld Christmas Celebration, SeaWorld Orlando, Orlando, Florida, US
Most Creative Show Featuring Animals: Sea Lions Tonite, SeaWorld Orlando, Orlando, Florida, US
Most Creative Sports/Stunt Show: Paddington on Ice – the Grand Voyage, Europa-Park, Rust, Germany
Spirit Award
Katja Mack, Europa-Park, Rust, Germany
Excellence in Marketing
Best Digital Marketing Campaign: Snake, Gröna Lund, Stockholm, Sweden
Best Integrated Marketing Campaign: Skin Exhibit Integrate Campaign, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California, US
Best Outdoor Advertisement: 2018 San Diego Zoo Jungle Bells Campaign, San Diego Zoo Global, San Diego, California, US
Best Public Relations Campaign: Six Flags St. Louis – Coffin Challenge, Six Flags St. Louis, Eureka, Missouri, US
Best Radio or Streaming Audio Commercial: Dino Roar Valley, Dino Roar Valley, Lake George, New York, US
Best Social Media Campaign: You Can’t Do This At Home Campaign, Silver Dollar City, Branson, Missouri, US
Best Television or Digital Video Commercial – Annual Attendance Less than 250,000: Stupet – Where Heroes are Born, Rogaland Fritidspark AS, Kongeparken, Ålgård, Norway
Best Television or Digital Video Commercial: Annual Attendance 250,000 – 1 Million: Be a Kid with your Kid, Silverwood Theme Park, Athol, Idaho, US
Best Television or Digital Video Commercial – Annual Attendance More than 1 Million: Skin Exhibit Advertising Campaign, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California, US
Best Exhibit Awards 2019
Image Award Winner: Bob’s Space Racers Inc, Booth 2615, 2815
Booth Size 100 – 199 Square Feet
- First Place: Party Cannon, Booth 4683
- Second Place: People VisionFX, Booth 2166
Booth Size 200 – 399 Square Feet
- First Place: Imagination Corporation, Booth 671
- Second Place: HB Leisure Ltd, Booth 3418
Booth Size 400 – 499 Square Feet
- First Place: Backyard X-Scapes Commercial, Booth 3462
- Second Place: Laserblast, Booth 4269
Booth Size 500 – 899 Square Feet
- First Place: Arihant Water Park Equipment, Booth 1844
- Second Place: Splashtacular, LLC, Booth 3254
Booth Size 900 – 1,200 Square Feet
- First Place: Tree-Mendous Aerial Adventures, Booth 1354
- Second Place: Sandy Creek Mining Company, Booth 3487
Booth Size 1,201 and Larger Square Feet
- First Place: Bob’s Space Racers Inc, Booth 2615, 2815
- Second Place: Polin Waterparks, Booth 847
Best New Product Exhibitor Awards
Major Ride/Attraction (Product cost of US$5 million or more)
- First Place: Intamin Ltd, Booth 3424, Dueling LSM Triple Launch Coaster – Dueling Dragons
- Second Place: Dynamic Attractions, Booth 1358, Batman: Knight Flight – Robotic Arm Ride with updated Track Switches
Major Ride/Attraction (Product cost of US$2 to US$5 million)
- First Place: WhiteWater Attractions, Booth 2254, Spinning Rapids Ride
- Second Place: Zamperla, Booth 2024 and 2031, Super Air Race
Major Ride/Attraction (Product cost less than US$2 million)
- First Place: Zamperla, Booth 2024 and 2031, Nebulaz
- Second Place: Ride Engineers Switzerland, Booth 3472, Rollerball M
Kiddie Ride/Attraction
- First Place: Treetop Trekking, Booth E7421, TreeWalk Village
- Second Place: Eurogames SRL, Booth 3869, BIG CAR OUTLANDER
Water Park Ride/Attraction (Product cost of less than US$1 million)
- First Place: WhiteWater, Booth 2250, Tailspin
Water Park Ride/Attraction (Product cost of US $1 million or more)
- First Place: ProSlide Technology Inc, Booth 1838 and 2035, Dueling PIPElineBLAST / FlyingSAUCER
- Second Place: WhiteWater, Booth 2250, Over/Under
Patron Participation Ride/Attraction
- First Place: VR Coaster GmbH & Co. KG, Booth 2669, VR Bumper Cars
- Second Place: Ice-World International, Booth 2772, IceByk
Technology Applied to Amusements (Product or Service used by Consumers)
- First Place: Pool Safe Inc, Booth 3236, PoolSafe
- Second Place: Convergence, LLC, Booth 2684, Automatic Itinerary Planner for Handling Timed-ticket Packages in Web/POS/Kiosk
Technology Applied to Amusements (Product or Service used by Facilities)
- First Place: Dynamic Attractions, Booth 1358, Loading / Unloading system
- Second Place: Valo Motion, Booth E7141, Super Stomp
Food Services
- First Place: VITO Fryfilter, Booth 3956, VITO 80 oil filter system – connect
- Second Place: VITO Fryfilter, Booth 3956, VITO FT 440 – Frying oil tester
Merchandising & Retail Products
- First Place: NXT Capture, Booth 3311, NXT Spinning Video
- Second Place: Apple Industries Inc, Booth 1600, MARVEL ADVENTURE LAB by FACE PLACE
Games & Devices (Arcade & Video Games and Equipment)
- First Place: Bay Tek Entertainment, Booth 1015, Connect 4 Hoops
- Second Place: Betson Enterprises, Booth 415, 515, 615, and 815, SuperBikes 3
Games & Devices (Midway Games and Equipment)
- First Place: Bob’s Space Racers Inc, Booth 2615 and 2815, Hang Time
Services, Equipment & Supplies
First Place: Redemption Plus, Booth 224, Redemption Plus Service Packages
Second Place: Bouncy Castle Network, Booth 5475, Bouncy Castle Network Booking System
Best New Product Concept Award: Major Ride Attraction
- First Place: Wiegand Josef GMBH & Co. KG, Booth 3486, SlideCoaster
- Second Place: Delta Strike International Ltd, Booth 3815, Genesis Laser Tag Equipment
Best New Product Concept Award: Major Ride/Attraction
- First Place: Holovis, Booth 1378, Li-Fly
- Second Place: Polin Waterparks, Booth 847, Time Rider
Best New Product Concept Award: Other Product/Service
- First Place: Gatemaster Technology Corporation, Booth 3165, ParkTrainer
- Second Place: Holovis, Booth 1378, HoloTrac
Impact Award Winner: ProSlide Technology Inc, Booth 1838, 2035
IAAPA Service Award, Young Professional of the Year Award
IAAPA has also recognised the 2019 IAAPA Service Award winners and the 2019 Young Professional of the Year Award winner.
The IAAPA Service Awards honour people for their outstanding contributions to the global attractions industry. The 2019 IAAPA Service Award recipients are Greg O’Neill (Leisure and Amusement Services, Queensland, Australia), Geoff Chutter (WhiteWater, British Columbia, Canada), and Ash Smart (Harbour Park, Littlehampton, UK).
The IAAPA Board of Directors also honoured Hank Salemi, park president of Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, with a special Service Award.
This year’s recipient of the IAAPA Young Professional of the Year Award is Michael Browning, CEO and founder of Urban Air Adventure Park, in Dallas, Texas.
