The blooloop 50 Theme Park Influencer List 2020

Tom Acomb and Mike Ostendorf founded AOA in 2009 after working together for many years at Walt Disney Imagineering. The firm has helped shape numerous award-winning themed entertainment projects around the world.

“We learned a lot at Imagineering, from the second generation after Walt Disney. Amazing, legendary mentors. Then we went and worked for some other folks and realised that there was a market to provide our creative process and PM procedures globally. I also think there was a history and a business chemistry with the two of us,” Acomb told blooloop.

Providing immersive experience design, production, procurement management and full-service project management, AOA has few direct competitors. Its themed entertainment and hospitality credits include the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando, Coca-Cola Store at Disney Springs, Baha Mar resort in the Bahamas and Qiddiya in Saudi Arabia.

“Truly, I have to say, all our projects stand out to me,” added Ostendorf. “Tom and I have a finger on the pulse, yet we have unbelievable people that are continuing the traditions we started AOA. Every project that we touch gets the same level of passion and commitment.”

“Mike and Tom embrace innovation and new ideas,” said one colleague. “They created a company that is built on trust, authenticity and transparency. This has kept AOA ahead of the curve in this ever-changing world.”

One person who nominated Acomb and Ostendorf said they are “truly the next generation design, construction and project management team for the future of the immersive environment business”.

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.

Abdullah Al-Dawood is the managing director of Qiddiya Investment Company and chairman of Saudi Entertainment Ventures (SEVEN).

Qiddiya Investment Company is a fully owned subsidiary of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), the nation’s sovereign wealth fund. The PIF is one of the primary vehicles driving Vision 2030, which encompasses significant investments in initiatives to boost economic growth, generate employment, and foster the development of new industries.

Qiddiya aims to create a comprehensive entertainment city with sports, entertainment, arts, and cultural attractions. Spanning roughly 366 square kilometres, this development is set to feature a variety of attractions. By addressing the needs of local Saudis and an international audience, Qiddiya aspires to become a prominent global tourism hub. The project will include a Six Flags theme park, sports facilities, galleries, theatres, and cultural spaces. It will also offer hiking, camping, and outdoor adventure activities, appealing to eco-tourism and adventure-seeking tourists.

Qiddiya will drive Saudi Arabia’s non-oil economy, generating thousands of jobs, attracting millions of tourists, and boosting the entertainment and hospitality sectors. It will enhance the quality of life for residents by offering new recreational options and fostering cultural exchange. Aligned with Vision 2030, QIC commits to sustainable Qiddiya development, integrating eco-friendly infrastructure, water conservation, and green building standards to minimise environmental impact.

Like Qiddiya, SEVEN is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Saudi’s Public Investment Fund. Whereas Qiddiya will develop a vast single site outside Riyadh, SEVEN is charged with delivering 20 entertainment destinations and 50 cinemas nationwide.

Abdullah Al-Dawood is also a board member and managing director of Seera Group, Saudi Arabia’s leading travel and tourism company. He has over a decade of experience in investment banking, including executive positions at Deutsche Bank in the Middle East and North Africa. He also previously served on the board of directors at Tadawul, the Saudi Stock Exchange.

Carmen Smith, senior vice president of creative development at Walt Disney Imagineering, is responsible for developing a diverse pipeline of themed experiences at Disney’s parks and resorts worldwide. One of her latest projects is reimagining an all-time classic: Splash Mountain.

Her route into the attractions industry came via a previous role as vice president of talent development at Disney ABC Television Group. Part of the Imagineering team for the past decade, Smith remains committed to talent, identifying and recruiting cast members for a broad range of theme park assignments. In addition, she is responsible for creative product and services development, editorial participation in the creative process, and external partnerships.

Smith, who has also served as vice president of global strategies for diversity and inclusion at Walt Disney parks and resorts, discussed the Tiana-themed attraction that will replace Splash Mountain. The flume ride featured at both the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland is set to have its original Song of the South storyline replaced with a Princess and the Frog theme, featuring Disney’s first Black princess. “It is important that our guests be able to see themselves in the experiences we create,” said the Imagineer.

Gateway Ticketing responded to the pandemic by launching a series of webinars. The online sessions hosted by Randy Josselyn and Matthew Hoenstine quickly became a valued resource for attractions industry professionals.

Josselyn worked with Gateway’s wildlife and conservation clients, previously worked for consultancy Team Trajectory and has direct operations experience from his time with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and Wild Rivers Waterpark in Irvine, California. In 2022, he moved from Gateway Ticketing to a new role at ICON Experiences, as vice president of experiences

Hoenstine, meanwhile, arrived at Gateway after nearly 24 years at Universal Orlando.

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

As a key part of the team that built Merlin Entertainments up into the world’s second-largest attraction operator, Mark 'Fish' Fisher is its chief development officer. “I don’t think there’s one bit of Merlin I haven’t been MD of at some stage,” he says of the company.

Fisher started his career in the industry at the age of 16, performing as a costumed character at Alton Towers. Later, in the marketing department at Alton, he would meet Merlin founder Nick Varney. Over the past decade, they have helped the company consolidate its market position through a continued focus on the development of branded experiences.

In addition to rolling out new ‘Midway’ attractions under the Madame Tussauds, Sea Life, Little Big City and Dungeons brands, Merlin has expanded the global footprint of Legoland by opening new theme parks in the USA and Asia. In 2021, Merlin started construction on the world’s largest Legoland Resort, a $1bn attraction in Shenzhen, China.

Fisher retired from Merlin 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.