The blooloop 50 Theme Park Influencer List 2023

Fiona Eastwood is chief operating officer of Merlin’s Midway attractions and resort theme parks, including the existing Midway portfolio, and new openings and franchise operations. These include UK parks such as Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and Chessington, as well as Gardaland in Italy and Heide Park in Germany. Eastwood will continue to oversee Midway brands such as the Sea Life aquariums, Madame Tussauds, the Dungeons, and Lego Discovery Centres.

“I’m passionate about making Merlin the greatest place to work,” said Eastwood. “We have the very best set of current brands to build and develop and an amazing pipeline of IP that will transform our growth strategy across both our Midway and resort divisions.”

“I also recognise my important role as a female leader, both here at Merlin but also across the attractions industry,” she added. “I have found that being my genuine self, combined with hard work and a focus on getting the very best from people is what makes the true difference.”

Previously, Eastwood served as Merlin Entertainments’ managing director of Midway attractions. Before that, she was managing director of resort theme parks. She joined Merlin in 2015 as the global marketing director of Midway attractions. Prior to her work with Merlin, she was with BBC Worldwide, and held senior roles for one of the BBC’s biggest brands, Doctor Who.

“Under Fiona’s expanded leadership, Merlin will continue its focus on efficiently building world-class attractions with the best IP in the world, an obsession on the guest experience and a laser focus on effective marketing at our core,” said Scott O’Neil, Merlin’s chief executive officer.

Damien Latham serves as the chief attractions officer at Saudi Entertainment Ventures (Seven), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). The company is investing SAR 50 billion ($13bn) in the development of 21 entertainment destinations across 14 cities in the kingdom. The new projects are located in Riyadh, Kharj, Makkah, Jeddah, Taif, Dammam, Khobar, Al Ahsa, Al-Madinah, Yanbu, Abha, Jazan, Buraidah, and Tabuk.

“Compared with the five giga-projects, like Qiddiya and the Red Sea Project, we are far more local,” Latham told blooloop. “We are not tourism driven; we are for the people. So, we are making sure that everything that we do is going to be for the everyday population of the kingdom. In this, we are a key part of that overarching 2030 vision and strategy, to make sure that every element of what the Kingdom set out to achieve in that vision is being covered.”

Latham has worked in the attractions business for his entire career, starting as a lifeguard at Center Parcs. When he left the company 13 years later, he had worked his way up to the role of leisure manager. Latham went on to work for Dubai-based Majid Al Futtaim for nearly 10 years, eventually becoming the group’s CEO of leisure and entertainment. After this, he worked as CEO of Emaar Entertainment, before moving to Seven in 2019.

“The evolution in terms of where we were in 2019 to where we are today has been huge, both in terms of our budgetary expectations, but also our underlying ambition,” Latham said.

James Anderson is a senior director at FORREC, a global experience design company leading the charge on high-profile projects around the world. He has constantly shown a commitment to seeing a project through to the highest level of client satisfaction. With major roles in attractions including Legoland Deutschland, Legoland Malaysia, and Nickelodeon Universe, his impact spans continents.

His skill set is extensive and includes project management, creative direction, and strategic planning. He has demonstrated a deep awareness of the intricacy of an entire design challenge, from a macro to a micro level. His experience in producing outstanding attractions is demonstrated by his ability to manage projects with varied levels of intricacy. His journey includes developing early ideas, managing interdisciplinary groups, and fostering creativity to create life-changing experiences.

Anderson creates engaging experiences by incorporating storylines into every element of his work, fuelled by his passion for storytelling. With his strategic leadership and imaginative vision, he has continuously questioned accepted wisdom and established new benchmarks in the field of experience design.

In the past few years, Anderson has served on multiple integrated resorts and theme park developments globally. He has the ability to stay true to a brand's values while branching out into a physical space and exploring new avenues for encounters to become even more immersive. Clients appreciate that he can complete projects on schedule, under budget, and with the desired results, while the project teams he works with value his guidance and leadership in helping everyone develop their abilities and skill sets.

One person who nominated Anderson said: “James is a creatively driven project leader who advances his work in a calm, respectful and well-organized manner amidst an often-hectic project environment. When working with James, my teams and I feel like true partners, developing our excitement and ownership in the work.”

Scott O’Neil, the new CEO of Merlin Entertainments, has more than 25 years’ experience in leading and managing global sports and entertainment brands. He has a reputation for innovation, an eye for strategic and global brand development and partnerships, and a passion for culture and talent development. 

O’Neil has stewarded some of the sports and entertainment industry’s most renowned and iconic brands and properties, including the NBA’s New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers, the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, the NHL’s New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils, and the Madison Square Garden and Prudential Center sports and entertainment arenas.

O’Neil strives to create innovative, inspiring, diverse and high performing businesses and brands. He recently published a life leadership book titled Be Where Your Feet Are. O’Neil earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Villanova University, and a master’s in business administration from Harvard Business School. 

Merlin is the largest visitor attraction operator in Europe and the second-largest in the world. O’Neil is responsible for overseeing the business operations and global growth of Merlin across its 147 attractions in 25 countries. “Merlin Entertainments has world-class brands, an incredible management team, wonderful people and a great culture,” O’Neil told blooloop.

“It is a successful business with a supportive board and all the resources that it needs to be great. But what I’ve taken from my career history is that transformational mindset. I’m constantly trying to figure out how we can move the ball forward. How can we get better? How can we get smarter and how can we do things differently?”

He added: “When it comes to purpose, Merlin is in the memory-making business. So, I get to get up every morning and think about how you bring wonder and joy and happiness, and help create memories. That is something that has you popping out of bed and sprinting to work. And that’s something that I’ve had for a good portion of my career; I never want to lose that.”

Mike Konzen is chairman and CEO of PGAV, a multidisciplinary planning and design firm with offices in St. Louis and Kansas City. Now in its sixth decade, the firm has a staff of 135 professionals and provides services in three core areas: destinations, architecture, and planning.

Since starting his journey with PGAV in 1986, Konzen has pursued his love of travel by providing consultancy services for a variety of global projects pertaining to tourism, attraction development, master planning, display design, and construction. UNESCO World Heritage sites, large museums and amusement parks, as well as national parks and resorts have all been among his clients.

Konzen has co-led PGAV's Destination Consulting Group, a world leader in planning and design, since 1998. The team has worked on projects at numerous must-see locations across the globe, such as the Grand Canyon, the Biltmore Estate, the Kennedy Space Centre, the Georgia Aquarium, Gettysburg, Niagara Falls, the Saint Louis Zoo, and Universal Studios. With projects across five continents, PGAV Destinations is currently the industry's leading independent creator of attractions and destinations.

Konzen received his master's degree in architecture from Washington University and his bachelor's degree in environmental design from Miami University in Ohio. 

Speaking to blooloop in 2018 about the appeal of creating engaging destinations, he said:

“Over time, I became aware that the kinds of experiences a person has when they are travelling for leisure, whether to an attraction or some destination in a far-off place, are very enriching, and life-affirming. I became a big believer in the fact that, when we did our job well; creating inspiring, highly entertaining environments, we were really making the world a better place.

“A sense of mission grew out of that, and it is a big part of the mission that our whole organisation has here today.”

Proudputh Liptapanlop, executive director of Proud Group, leads an extensive and growing group of world-class, award-winning assets. “The Proud Group holding started off in hospitality doing hotels, and then, over time, we branched out into doing mixed-use development by adding the leisure and entertainment aspect. We have done everything from hotels, through water parks and sports complexes, and a little bit of retail here and there. We believe in creating a destination within a destination,” Liptapanlop told blooloop.

One of the group’s properties is Andamanda Phuket, a THB 4.5 billion ($123.5 million) leisure and entertainment development on the island of Phuket in Thailand with a water park, entertainment spaces, retail areas, and a Holiday Inn resort.

“The concept that we had in mind when we designed Andamanda was to incorporate the best that Phuket has to offer. When you talk about Phuket, the first thing that comes to mind is the nature of the Andaman landscape. This is made unique by the limestone cliffs. We have incorporated that into our water park, including all the iconic features like the famous James Bond island,” said Liptapanlop.

“If you come to Andamanda, we like to say that we are so much more than just a water park. We offer so much more than slides. Even if you’re not a thrillseeker per se, we have something for everyone in the family,” she added.

Liptapanlop is passionate about travel and exploration, and draws inspiration from both. She is committed to sustainability and believes that her company’s projects should have a positive impact on the surrounding communities and environment. “[Sustainability] is definitely something that is close to my heart, personally; I’m a diver,” she said.

As corporate vice president, guest experiences at Herschend Family Entertainment, Merrill Puckett Miller focuses on creating captivating guests experiences, spanning for the whole development process – from concept to installation. She serves as creative director on selected capital projects, is head of the firm’s core creative team, and is responsible for external creative resources.

One person who nominated Puckett Miller said: “This past year, Merrill led the creative direction for Dollywood Theme Park’s longest family roller coaster, Big Bear Mountain. The ride opened this past spring to international acclaim. At the same time, Merrill and her team at Herschend Creative Studios were working closely with Silver Dollar City to develop the all-new Fire In The Hole indoor rollercoaster – the largest of its kind in the region. Under her guidance, the team artfully recreated the historic 1972 fan-favorite and all-new Fire District for a new generation of fans without sacrificing any of its old-timey charm. This project is Silver Dollar City’s most significant single investment.

“Merrill’s keen understanding of the guest experience, dedication to excellence, and business acumen are second to none. This is critical when leading the design and creation of large capital investments. Her efforts over two decades with the company have helped Dollywood, Silver Dollar City, and other Herschend properties win numerous guest-driven accolades and the hearts of tens of millions of guests each year.”

Before joining Herschend Family Entertainment, Puckett Miller was the owner / principal designer at IDco Inc.; show producer at Universal Shanghai for Universal Studios; vice president, Creative Studio at Showquest Entertainment; and Director, Creative Development & Brand Management at Paramount Parks.

Her extensive portfolio includes an 1930’s Country Fair for Dollywood, top-rated Nickelodeon children’s attractions, Paramount Picture’s Star Trek: The Experience, a world-class Universal Studios Shanghai theme park, and a branded experience for the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum.

Luc Mayrand, VP senior creative executive, has worked at Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) for over 23 years. He started out as a senior concept designer in 1999 before becoming a creative director and senior show producer in 2005. After this, he served as executive creative director for WDI, and was named as VP and portfolio creative executive for Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disney Resort in 2016.

One person who nominated Mayrand said: “Luc Mayrand is such a force at Walt Disney Imagineering in driving creativity and leading the team through difficult times. He became a fundamental pillar for our industry in the last decade.”

Located on Lantau Island, Hong Kong Disneyland is a 310-acre theme park offering seven themed lands and three hotels. It opened in 2005 and is owned and managed by Hong Kong International Theme Parks. In 2019, pre-pandemic, it welcomed 5,695,000 guests. Despite being Disney’s smallest, Hong Kong Disneyland is one of the world’s top theme parks. The park’s new Frozen-themed land is opening in the second half of 2023.

Operated by Disney Parks, Experiences and Products and Shanghai Shendi Group, Shanghai Disneyland opened to the public in June 2016. The park is located in Pudong and is part of Shanghai Disney Resort. Additional offerings at the resort include the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel and Toy Story Hotel, as well as the Disneytown shopping and dining district. Shanghai Disneyland is expanding with its eighth themed land, an immersive Zootopia zone.

Mayrand drives creativity at Disney Imagineering and has become a leader in the attractions industry over the past decade. He served as chair of the judging committee for the 2021 Thea Awards. He encouraged entries “for different scales of projects, large or small” and promised to give them all equal chances.

He is an associate professor in the School of Industrial Design at Universite de Montreal. Maynard has previously taught at ArtCenter College of Design in California and University of Southern California. Before joining Disney, he worked with renowned organisations such as Paramount Parks, sony imageworks (where he was Concept Designer for the Starship Troopers feature), and The Jim Henson Company.

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”.

Recognised as a visionary CEO at the CEO Middle East Awards, Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi manages Miral’s growing portfolio of leisure and entertainment assets on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. They include Ferrari World, Yas Waterworld, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi and the CLYMB indoor adventure sports hub.

These attractions and their infrastructure are a key part of the Emirate’s mission to create a sustainable, diversified and globally integrated economy. That means delivering world-class experiences that attract visitors far beyond the UAE’s borders. SeaWorld Abu Dhabi opened in May 2023. The new park features attractions never seen at a SeaWorld site and the world’s largest aquarium.

Al Zaabi describes the attraction as offering “engaging and immersive family-friendly experiences, featuring up-close animal encounters, state-of-the-art aquariums, dynamic animal habitats, thrill rides, interactive educational experiences, inspiring entertainment as well as dining and shopping experiences.”

Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, Miral CEO since 2015, has over a decade of experience in project management and leadership roles, previously with real estate developer Aldar Properties. He also holds board positions at Farah Experiences (operator of Yas Island’s attractions) and Experience Hub, Yas’s trade and promotion arm.

The world’s first Warner Bros. hotel opened on Yas Island in 2021. The WB Abu Dhabi, adjacent to Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, features a huge collection of Warner Bros. archives, including more than 400 images and props from Warner Bros. films and TV shows.

Meanwhile, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi launched its first-ever drone show in the summer of 2022, offering an “infinite amount of adrenaline and excitement”, as it said in a news release. Guests watched as turbocharged drones create colourful images under the iconic red roof. The park also added live cooking demonstrations, shows, craft areas, and an oversized board game over the summer.

Blooloop has named Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld, and Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi among the top 15 theme parks and water parks in the Middle East.