The blooloop 50 theme park influencer list 2019

Michael Mack is the CEO of Europa-Park and the founder and MD of MACK One. During his tenure, he has overseen ambitious growth at the park and embraced technology to improve the guest experience.

Europa-Park was one of the first theme parks in the world to introduce a virtual reality (VR) roller coaster. This has since been joined by free-roaming VR experiences including Coastiality and Yullbe. In addition, Europa-Park launched an underwater VR experience called Snorri Snorkeling VR, as well as a new streaming platform. VEEJOY offers podcasts, movies and more.

Recently, Europa-Park announced plans to release a new video game inspired by its mascots, Ed and Edda, as well as a new family attraction and a major motion picture. The new kart racing game, developed in partnership with video game developer Tivola, is based on the 2025 motion picture Grand Prix of Europe, a co-production between entertainment company Mack Magic and Warner Bros. Film Productions Germany. It also launched an award-winning immersive dining concept, Eatrenalin.

The game Ed & Edda: Grand Prix—Racing Champions brings Ed & Edda to video game format for the first time. Players will race across 12 tracks set in landmark European locations.

The Mack family lives, sleeps and breathes attractions. Thanks to Michael Mack, its efforts are more relevant and far-reaching than ever. A board member at Mack Rides, he also founded Mack Animation. These companies have been responsible for creating a number of intellectual properties that have been exploited both inside and outside of Europa-Park.

One of the most ambitious projects in Europe, the London Resort won’t just be a world-class leisure destination. "It will also be one of the most sustainable theme parks on the planet," says CEO PY Gerbeau.

The London Resort aims to be the world's first operationally carbon neutral theme park. It will deliver a net biodiversity gain and will create a green network of amenity areas and parkland.The London Resortannounced the first businesses chosen to help create the attractionin October 2021.Independent analysis estimates that 6.5 million guests will visitthe London Resortin 2025, increasing to 12.5 million visitors by 2038. This means the destination would rank as the biggest theme park in Europe, ahead of Disneyland Paris.

The former vice president of operations at Disneyland Paris, Gerbeau made his name in the UK when he transformed the fortunes of the Millennium Dome back in 2000. He went on to found the indoor ski slope operator X-Leisure.

Since the publication of this list in 2019, Gerbeau has stood down from his role at the London Resort, in 2022

Nicolas de Villiers, president of the French theme park Puy du Fou, launched a second park in Spain in 2021.

Founded by his father Philippe de Villiers in 1976, Puy du Fou offers a unique form of live entertainment. Its shows tell historical tales on a massive scale. Large casts of people and animals perform alongside imposing sets and special effects. Each year over 2 million people visit the park’s relatively remote Vendée department location.

"Puy du Fou is a very special kind of leisure park," de Villiers told blooloop. "We are a show park, we have no rides. We are surrounded by nature and the natural environment. It’s a model that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world as far as I know, but it’s been a huge success in France."

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.

Jenefer Brown is executive vice president and head of global live, interactive and location-based entertainment at Lionsgate.

After the launch of Lionsgate Entertainment World in 2019 in China, Brown and her team opened more themed entertainment experiences featuring the studio’s intellectual property. There are plans to roll out the Lionsgate Entertainment World format to other territories around the world.

What sets Lionsgate apart from other IP providers in the attractions industry is its focus on largely adult-led licensed properties. One of its key film franchises is The Hunger Games, as featured within the Lionsgate-themed land at Motiongate movie park in Dubai. Meanwhile, at Thorpe Park near London and in Las Vegas, horror fans can enjoy The Walking Dead and SAW-themed rides and experiences. In 2021, a new Blair Witch-themed escape room opened in Las Vegas.

Before joining Lionsgate, Brown worked for themed experience designer Thinkwell, after a previous career as an attorney. “Her leadership, expertise, and tireless problem-solving skills instil confidence and trust that the project vision and goals will be achieved,” said former Thinkwell colleague Kelly Ryner.

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.

In the desert outside Riyadh, Michael Reininger was part of the team working to create the world’s largest entertainment city. Along with Neom, the Red Sea Project and Amaala, Qiddiya is one of many attractions and giga-projects as part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030.

A multibillion-dollar entertainment destination and bigger than Walt Disney World, Qiddiya will be home to theme parks, sporting venues, cultural attractions and events. These will include a Six Flags theme park, speed park and Saudi's first water park.

Built to a masterplan by the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), Qiddiya will be surrounded by a 231 square kilometres of natural, undeveloped area. The project's first phase is due to open in 2023.

What's remarkable is not only the scope of what's proposed, but also that Saudi Arabia is building this and the other giga-projects almost from a standstill. Until last year, out-of-home entertainment options in the kingdom were restricted. "This is a business proposition that is based on the purest supply and demand imbalance," Reininger told Arabian Business.

In 2021, he left his position at Qiddiya to take on the role of Chief Executive Officer at Brightline Trains

Since co-founding Europa-Park in 1975 with his late father Franz, Roland Mack has developed the property into Europe's busiest non-Disney theme park. Boasting six hotels, its resort status was consolidated with the opening of the €180 millionRulantica water park in 2019.

As an IAAPA Hall of Fame inductee and former chairman, Mack's reputation reaches far beyond his native Germany. The Mack brand features in many of the world's leading theme parks thanks to the output of Mack Rides. Roland, a qualified engineer, serves as shareholder and former managing director of the family-owned manufacturer.

The family-owned destination in the state of Baden-Württemberg, close to the border of France and Switzerland, is a model of European unity. Europa-Park and Rulanticaare home to more than 100 attractions spread across themed lands representing differentEuropean nations and stories. The resort welcomed a record 5.7 million visitors in 2019 before the pandemic disrupted attendance.

"I'm really not prepared to retire," Mack told blooloop on the occasion of his 70th birthday in October 2019. Yet his three children – Michael, Thomas and Ann-Kathrin – are now involved with different elements of Europa-Park, allowing him to take a more supervisory role in the business.

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.

Bill Ernest, a former senior Disney executive, is playing a major part in shaping Saudi Arabia's entertainment sector over the coming decade as the kingdom strives to become a top 10 global tourist destination by 2030.

SEVEN plans build to 20 multi-faceted entertainment destinations across the country, plugging in to a young population (60 percent of citizens under 30) crying out for recreation. Its budget is huge – $64 billion – but so too is the level of development required to bring the nation's attractions industry up to speed. One of Ernest's first tasks will be to develop a network of 50 cinemas. These will be Saudi's first public movie theatres for 35 years. The company also has theme park plans, including a park in the Kingdom's eastern province.

Ernest brings with him almost 25 years' experience with the Walt Disney Company. Most recently he served as president and managing director of Asia for Disney's parks, experiences and products division. He oversaw the operation and continued development of Hong Kong Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland and Shanghai Disney Resort. With a background in hotel and leisure resort management, he has also co-led the entire hotel division at Walt Disney World in Florida, as well as launching the first two ships and associated ports for the Disney Cruise Line.