Awards stories

In major industries, key business wins and achievements are celebrated with awards and recognition, and the attractions sector is no different. There are a large number of accolades which represent the leisure market equivalent of the Oscars.

Blooloop celebrates top industry influencers with its annual blooloop 50 lists. There are four programmes: theme parks; museums; zoos & aquariums; and immersive. The most notable winners are given ‘Power 10’ status. Previous winners of this include Qiddya’s Philippe Gas, Merlin Entertainment’s Mark Fisher, Puy du Fou’s Nicolas de Villiers and Walt Disney Imagineering’s Carmen Smith.

Meanwhile, the blooloop Innovation Awards showcases the latest products, projects and services from suppliers to parks, museums, zoos and other attractions. This yearly event celebrates the incredible dynamism, imagination and creativity that drives the attractions business. The judges are well-known thought leaders and industry experts, who select the most innovative products and projects driving the future of the visitor experience.

Parks are often recognised with a range of industry awards, celebrating the best new investments, customer service and marketing campaigns. For example, IAAPA, the global association for the attractions industry,  runs an annual awards programme aimed at amusement parks, theme parks and FECs. Its annual accolades include the Brass Ring Awards, the IAAPA Hall of Fame and the IAAPA Service Awards. Previous Hall of Fame inductees include park pioneer Roland Mack, Imagineer Tony Baxter, and museum curator Marie Tussaud.

The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) also runs an annual awards programme, the Thea Awards, which recognises individuals and teams who contribute in a remarkable way towards delivering unique guest experiences around the world.