Event stories

In the attractions industry, events can be categorised in two ways: those run by operators for guests (B2C) and those organised by organisations for operators (B2B). Attractions use events year-round to draw in visitors. Seasonal celebrations such as Christmas and Halloween are heavily advertised to specific target markets. The nature of events has vastly changed over time, from low-key sideshows and fireworks displays found at funfairs to modern-day parks and museums boasting a range of technologies, including projection mapping, high-spec AV solutions and drones. When it comes to B2B, the attractions industry calendar features a range of trade shows, conferences and networking events. These cater to the needs of specific sectors. Theme park and amusement park operators can benefit from events organised by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions and Themed Entertainment Association. Meanwhile, waterpark operators may be more interested in the services provided by the World Waterpark Association. Museum groups include the American Alliance of Museums and the Association of Independent Museums for the US and UK respectively. Zoo and aquarium institutions include AZA and WAZA (International), EAZA (Europe), and BIAZA (UK). Blooloop also organises a selection of events each year. This includes the blooloop 50, which celebrates influential industry personalities and greenloop, an online sustainability conference. The blooloop Festival of Innovation looks at trends of the future, featuring discussions with pioneering suppliers and industry experts. The blooloop Innovation Awards celebrate leading technologies and products.