The blooloop 50 Theme Park Influencer List 2018

Thierry Coup, senior VP and chief creative officer at Universal Creative, boasts an exceptional pedigree when it comes to the creation of themed entertainment experiences. For the past 30 years, he has worked in a variety of creative roles with both Universal and Disney.

“It’s been an incredible ride for me,” he told the website of Universal’s parent company, Comcast. “Doing what I do, you feel lucky if you worked on one big attraction like The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man or The Simpsons Ride. But I’ve worked on a half of a dozen or so, and it keeps getting better and better.”

Comcast has revealed that Epic Universe, the fourth theme park at Universal Orlando Resort in Florida, is expected to open by summer 2025. Previously, the company opened Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan and Universal Beijing Resort. The Beijing destination includes the fourth global iteration of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, one of Coup’s crowning achievements.

Since the publication of this list, Coup left Universal for a position as chief experiential futurist at JOCOUP Creative.

FernandoEiroa was named CEO of Dubai Holding Entertainment in December 2021. He is leading the company’s innovation strategy and overseeing operations at attractions including Global Village, Ain Dubai, and Dubai Parks and Resorts. Eiroa brings his knowledge of building world-class experiences and driving innovation in the sector to Dubai Holdings Entertainment, having worked with some of the world’s leading attractions and park operators.

"I’m a creative person, and I spend a great deal of time thinking about how to improve the business, and which experiences to add to the portfolio," Eiroa told blooloop. "We are in conversations with many different IPs, many different technology providers, shows, and experience providers, in terms of the content that we will be adding to the parks and to the other attractions."

“I believe that the success of a theme park or an attraction, in general, is not rooted only in the biggest, fastest most excitingroller coaster, or whatever attraction it is, but occurs when you offer the right blend of attractions and other experiences, like, for instance, food and beverage," he added. "Food and beverage in this country is one of the most important components, of a good experience, especially when you come as a family, with children."

Dubai Holding Entertainment's portfolio also includes the Coca-Cola Arena, the Middle East's largest multi-purpose indoor arena, and The Green Planet, an immersive indoor tropical forest with animal encounters. Dubai Parks and Resorts is the Middle East’s largest multi-themed leisure and entertainment destination, offering four separate theme parks.

Eiroa has nearly 20 years of experience in the experiential entertainment industry. He previously served asCEO ofCircusTrix, the world’s largest developer, operator, and franchisor of indoor active recreation centres. Before working forCircusTrix, which boasts more than 320 facilities worldwide,Eiroa was CEO of Parques Reunidos, operating more than 60 parks in 14 countries. Prior to that, he worked as CEO of Palace Entertainment,Parques Reunidos‘ US subsidiary.

Bob Iger is responsible for one of the largest media companies in the world, as well as being a leading global player in the theme park industry. Under Iger's watch, the Walt Disney Company has significantly expanded its portfolio of intellectual property (IP). From Marvel to Star Wars, much of the IP acquired over the past decade is now beginning to find its way into Disney's theme parks and resorts around the world.

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opened at both Walt Disney World (WDW) in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California in May 2019. Like Pandora – The World of Avatar at WDW's Animal Kingdom, these themed lands provide a new level of storytelling and gritty immersion that is a world away from the cartoon worlds with which Disney made its name.

Mickey Mouse remains a powerful ambassador for the company, particularly in Disney's theme parks. Significant investment is now underway at Disney's parks and resorts in Paris, Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Disney's media content remains some of the most heavily consumed on the planet. With an even richer portfolio of IP to draw on than ever before, the company's theme parks should remain in pole position for the foreseeable future.

John Jakobsen joined the Lego Group after completing a business degree, charged with expanding this unique park concept outside of its native Denmark. After the launch of Legoland Windsor near London in 1996, he moved into general park management with new openings in Germany and California.

In 2005, Jakobsen joined the senior management team at Merlin Entertainments when it acquired Legoland Parks. He has been responsible for developing these and newer parks in Florida, Malaysia, Dubai and Japan. Merlin has also leveraged the Legoland name to develop a global network of indoor attractions called Lego Discovery Centres.

As chief operating officer, Jakobsen heads up Legoland Resorts Group. He is responsible for all new and existing Legoland Resorts globally, supporting Merlin's dynamic growth plans.

Tom Mehrmann previously served as the president and general manager of Universal Resort Beijing. One of the most high-profile theme park projects in the world, Universal Beijing opened to tens of thousands of visitors in September 2021.

Universal Beijing’s launch came after 20 years of planning and construction. The attraction merges popular Universal experiences with Chinese culture across seven themed lands. These include Universal’s first Kung Fu Panda land, the world’s largest Minion Land, the world’s first Transformers-themed land, and Universal’s first WaterWorld land. Additional lands are inspired by Hollywood, Jurassic World and Harry Potter.

Mehrmann began his career in the theme park industry as a groundskeeper at Knott’s Berry Farm near Los Angeles. Progressing into park management, he went on to run Six Flag Discovery Kingdom, Warner Bros Movie World (now Parque Warner) in Madrid and Ocean Park, Hong Kong.

Mehrmann had a hugely successful tenure at Ocean Park and wrote a book about his experiences, Taming the Mouse: How a Small Hong Kong Theme Park Came to Dominate Disney.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach is one of the UK's best loved amusement parks. Amanda Thompson took over the business after the death of her father, Geoffrey Thompson. Over the past decade, the park has introduced new family-friendly offerings including Nickelodeon Land and Wallace & Gromit's Thrill-O-Matic.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach opened the UK's first double launch coaster, ICON, in 2018. Its second hotel, BLVD, launched in 2019. The hotel has Thompson's signature sense of style all over it. Under her direction, the Pleasure Beach has evolved to offer an aesthetic that celebrates its past with a contemporary twist. After more than 120 years in business, it remains as one of the few large parks in the UK that is still family owned and operated.

Authenticity is key to Joe Rohde’s vision with every project he creates for Disney, the world’s leading theme park operator. Whether he’s weaving Hawaiian culture into Disney’s Aulani resort or creating alien worlds at Animal Kingdom’s Pandora – The World of Avatar, the results are spectacular.

It was as lead designer of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney World's fourth theme park in Florida, that Rohde made a name for himself. He guided the creation of attractions such as Expedition Everest, as well as Pandora's Na'vi River Adventure and Avatar Flight of Passage. The latter is regarded by many as the industry's most authentic flying experience.

As creative lead for Marvel attractions at Disney parks, experiences and products, Rohde also oversaw the transformation of Disney California Adventure's Tower of Terror into Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout! The Imagineer does not restrict his knowledge and insight to his Disney peers. His talks are as inspiring as his attractions, making him an in-demand speaker at events around the world.

By leveraging several core attraction brands such as Legoland, Sea Life, Madame Tussauds and the Dungeons, CEO Nick Varney has turned Merlin Entertainments into the world's second-largest operator. With an ever-increasing footprint, it now operates 139 attractions, 23 hotels and six holiday villages in 24 countries.

The company's roots in the 'midway' (short stay) attraction business have helped it to develop efficient operations with a relatively quick return on investment. Yet Merlin has also enjoyed success in recent years at its theme parks, including Legoland, by adding themed accommodation. Merlin's 10th Legoland attraction, Legoland Korea Resort, opened in 2022.

In addition to building its own brands, Merlin is increasingly working with external intellectual property providers to bring fresh stories and characters to its guests. These include Peppa Pig-themed experiences. The world's first Peppa Pig Theme Park launched in Florida in 2022. Merlin and Hasbro are also creating the world’s first standalonePeppa Pig Resortin China, which is scheduled to open in 2024.

Varney retired in 2022

Under Li Zhe's watch, Riverside Investment Group has committed to numerous new theme park projects in China, including Six Flags outlets across the country. Riverside hopes to harness the know-how of the world's largest regional theme park operator to develop parks with record-breaking rollercoasters, thrill rides and live shows. It also plans to open separate developments called Six Flags Adventure World and Six Flags Kids World.

The Riverside Group already enjoys a reputation domestically in China as a leading real estate developer, focusing on health care, tourism, culture, entertainment. In addition, Zhe has overseen the development of the award-winning Beijing Jinhai Lake International Tourism Resort. The Riverside chairman also has a number of directorship roles with outside organisations. These include the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Nature Conservancy and the World Best Practices Steering Committee of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme.

Su Zhigang founded the Chimelong Group’s original theme park in 2006. Chimelong’s resort in Guangzhou features world-class attractions and is home to two hotels. Chimelong Water Park in Guangzhou became the world's most popular water park just a few years after it opened in 2007. The aquatic attraction features colourful slides and rides.

In 2014, Chimelong International Ocean Resort opened on Hengqin Island in Zhuhai, China. The company is also building the Qingyuan Chimelong International Forest Resortand is opening a marine science park calledZhuhai Chimelong Marine Park. This is part of the second phase of Chimelong International Ocean Resort.