Join us at 9 am GMT on Thursday, 22 January, for our Innovation in Splash session at the Festival of Innovation 2026.
Aquarabia: innovation in splash will provide a glimpse into the new water park at Qiddiya City.
Our guest speaker, Olivia Wyrick, senior director of aquatic operations at Aquarabia Water Theme Park, will speak about its eight themed worlds, innovative rides, and the challenges the team has faced.
The Festival of Innovation will be held online from 21 to 22 January 2026, and will celebrate the creative ideas, products, and organisations advancing the attractions industry.
All sessions will be available on demand for 30 days.
To register, please click here.
The blooloop Innovation Awards, held in partnership with Area15, recognise the remarkable energy, creativity, and imagination that propel the attractions industry forward.
The winners of the 2025 Splash category will be announced at this session. Attendees can view all the entries during the event.
Meet the speaker
Olivia Wyrick has been working in the water park industry since 1988.
Her experience includes 11 years at Wet’n Wild Emerald Pointe in North Carolina, where she progressed from a seasonal lifeguard to a full-time management position. She then joined Great Wolf Lodge Resorts & Waterpark in Concord, North Carolina, as the water park’s aquatics training manager.
Olivia Wyrick
In 2009, Wyrick relocated to Dubai, where she was appointed operations manager at Atlantis Dubai's Aquaventure Waterpark. Responsible for the resort's pools, beaches, and water park, she expanded her knowledge and experience while working alongside a diverse team from around the world.
She was later promoted to director of operations and continued to lead a team of over 400 colleagues in the safe, successful day-to-day operations of one of the world's largest water parks.
Wyrick also contributed to four expansions at the water park, including the most recent, Trident Tower. This added 28 slides, an action river and the region's first cliff jumps to the Aquaventure attraction portfolio.
Following Trident Tower's successful launch, she moved to the Qiddiya giga-project, where she serves as senior director of operations and aquatics for Aquarabia Water Theme Park. This is set to be the largest water theme park in the region.
In addition to shaping the park's operational structure and teams, she has contributed to the design and development of its facilities and attractions. These combine world-class water slides with white-water rafting and surfing.
Further to her extensive operational experience, Wyrick's focus on safety and aquatic risk management has significantly enhanced training and development for lifeguards and aquatic professionals in the region.
In 2021, she was recognised as a senior associate with Ellis and Associates, a specialist in risk management and aquatics.
Join us at the Festival of Innovation. To register for free, please click here.
