IAAPA Expo Europe returned to London this September, hosted by the ExCeL Centre. Over the course of the three-day trade show, attendees discovered the latest innovations from a wide range of exhibitors. Meanwhile, the concurrent conference provided a packed schedule of educational sessions, panels and workshops.
According to IAAPA, there were 11,474 registered attendees, including 7,510 qualified buyers representing 4,408 buying companies. 530 exhibiting companies were present on the 15,800+ square-metre trade show floor.
Sold out events and a celebratory opening session for IAAPA Expo Europe 2022
All of Monday’s special events were sold out ahead of the show. This included the Sustainability Day, Safety Day and EDUTour at Chessington World of Adventures Resort. There was also a popular Indoor Entertainment Day, taking in Immersive Gamebox, Nickelodeon Adventure Lakeside, Wipeout and Puttshack Lakeside, as well as an in-depth Water Park Day.
Tuesday morning began with the official opening ceremony, hosted by Hal McEvoy, IAAPA president and CEO, and Peter van der Schans, executive director and vice president of the IAAPA EMEA region.
Van der Schans said:
“IAAPA Expo Europe showcases the latest innovations, theming elements, sustainability efforts, and much more in beautiful London. Today’s opening ceremony is sure to set the tone for what will be a week of networking, learning, and unforgettable moments.”
The state of the industry
Duncan Phillips, founder and managing director of 360 Play and chairman of BALPPA; Amanda Thompson OBE, CEO of Blackpool Pleasure Beach; Nick Blofeld, divisional director of Warwick Castle, Merlin Entertainments; and Ken Whiting, ICAE, 2022 IAAPA chairman of the board and president of Whiting’s Foods at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, all took to the stage during the opening event, with Thompson and Phillips sharing insights into the state of the industry in the UK.
.@Pleasure_Beach‘s Amanda Thompson at #IAAPAExpoEurope‘s opening ceremony; “Our industry brings happiness in challenging times”. pic.twitter.com/3I9tcfKCR1
— blooloop (@Blooloop) September 13, 2022
During the opening ceremony, McEvoy announced IAAPA’s renewed focus on coordinating the alignment of ride safety standards on a global level. He said:
“Safety remains our number one priority and IAAPA is overseeing efforts focused on aligning the EN and ASTM safety standards further with our members’ support and input.”
There was also a moment of silence in the IAAPA theatre to honour Queen Elizabeth II.
In-depth sessions
Throughout the next three days, panels and presentations explored a variety of topics. On Tuesday, this included sessions on crisis communications, inclusivity, food and beverage, strategic pricing and more. In the afternoon, a panel of experts explored the Metaverse. This included Raven Sun Creative principal and chief creative officer Louis Alfieri, alongside Richard Ellis of MTM and Lukas Metzger of Europa-Park.
On Tuesday evening, an Opening Reception took place at Museum of London Docklands, followed by the mov(e)motion Plan B after party supported by Convious.
Then, on Wednesday, the educational sessions continued. In the morning, as part of its TEA Presents series, the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), a non-profit representing compelling places and experiences worldwide, hosted Things We Miss When We Create Attractions.
During this session, Liseberg’s creative director David Schofield reflected on the creation of Underlandet. Then 7thSense CEO Matt Barton talked about the company’s Chailey Dreams project, and Donna Davidson of BRC Imagination Arts looked at the creation of Johnnie Walker Princes Street. Imagineering’s Cory Rouse also discussed some of the key lessons he’s learned over the years and how this fed into the design of Galactic Starcruiser.
Elsewhere, blooloop’s Owen Ralph shone a light on some of the new attractions in the UK to watch. He was joined by Paul Barham of Flight Club and Electric Shuffle and Little Lion Entertainment’s Tom Lionetti-Maguire. Also on the panel were Doug Douglas of the National Farm Attractions Network; Graham MacVoy of Wake the Tiger and ITV’s James Penfold.
Expert insights
Wednesday also saw insights from key figures in the zoo and aquarium world, when a panel including Dominic Strange, commercial director of Chester Zoo; Christoph Kiessling, vice president of Siam Park; Renato Lenzi, COO of Zoomarine Italia; Jack Hubbard, COO of American Humane and Kieran Stanley, CEO and founder of dan pearlman Erlebnisarchitektur explored some of the similarities between the theme park and zoo worlds.
All agreed that one of the key considerations is making an emotional connection with the visitor.
Meanwhile, James Mancey of Paultons Park and Julien Simon of Compagnie Des Alpes took part in the Queue Line Design Toolbox session. They were joined by Miro Gronau of wiegand.waterrides and Sven Riegel of Neo Ted. Gronau said a key consideration is to “Never let the ride run empty”.
However, he also said that operators should “give guests time to understand the ride, the seating arrangements and what’s ahead.” Mancey added that the team at Paultons Park kept the queue line simple for Tornado Springs:
“Make it easy to find for your guests, don’t hide it, make it clear and communicate clearly what your experiences are.”
The Theme Park Legends panel on Wednesday afternoon included insights from some industry giants: Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s Amanda Thompson, Qiddiya’s Philippe Gas and John Collins, past IAAPA chairman & HOF inductee, alongside Terry Monkton of Simworx.
Thompson praised the region, saying that Europe has some of the greatest suppliers and manufacturers. Meanwhile, Monkton identified the growing trend for IP-based attractions. He pointed out that brands and IP owners are really starting to recognise the value these bring in terms of brand engagement and awareness.
Learning from others at IAAPA Expo Europe 2022
Later on Wednesday afternoon, Filippo Sacca of Zoom Torino; Luca Maggiora of One Hospitality; Josh Liebman of ROLLER and Fergus Campbell of ITV Studios spoke in the We are a Digital Business! EDUSession, exploring how to give guests the most up-to-date experience from a digital standpoint.
Our #SilentDisco Tour is taking over IAAPA EMEA 🎧🕺💃
— Smeetz (@Smeetz_io) September 14, 2022
What are you waiting for to join the #SmeetzFun at booth #4009?#Smeetz #IAAPA #IAAPAExpos #IAAPAExpoEurope @IAAPAEMEA @IAAPAHQ pic.twitter.com/ZAl2bB6Lag
Another highlight on Wednesday was the Cheers to Our Mistakes session. This was a peer-to-peer learning opportunity where the speakers talked about some of their biggest professional failures.
The panel included Steve Van Den Kerkhof, Studio 100 CEO; Jakob Wahl, IAAPA COO; Pia Adlivankin, CEO of Linnanmaki Amusement Park/Children’s Day Foundation; David Bromilow ICAE, Mobaro‘s global director for parks and attractions; Adrea Gibbs, Meow Wolf‘s senior director of operations, core services and Marjolein van de Stolpe, CEO of Leisure Expert Group.
“Never waste a mistake! Always learn from an accident and never waste it,” says Bromilow. Gibbs adds: ”Mistakes happen. We are all human. It’s how you choose to move forward that shows character.”
On Wednesday night, the TEA welcomed over 300 guests aboard a river cruise down the Thames with a spectacular sunset.
More EDUSessions
Educational sessions continued on Thursday. IAAPA gave attendees a preview of the upcoming IAAPA Economic Impact Study for the European region. Using data from 16 countries, the attractions industry creates 35.4 billion euros in revenue more than 241,127 jobs. France was the top country for revenue, jobs, wages and tax whereas Germany was top for attendance. The UK was the third highest in all categories.
Following this, the ‘Brave Investments’ panel explored the current pent-up demand boom as well as the rising energy and inflation costs and what this means for future projects. Speakers were Yael Coifman, founding partner, Leisure Development Partners; Bart Dohmen, co-owner, TDAC, Andreas Andersen, group CEO at Liseberg, and moderator Pieter Cornelis, project strategy director at Jora Vision and lecturer at Fontys Academy for Creative Economy.
Kelly from the @IAAPAHQ team gave attendees a preview of the recent Economic Impact Report for Europe. France out on top with most revenue, wages and jobs, Germany top for Attendance #iaapaexpoeurope pic.twitter.com/bJBBtTJHN4
— blooloop (@Blooloop) September 15, 2022
“You can’t come through a pandemic without a recession,” said Coifman. “It will take a couple of years to recover, but our industry is more sustainable than others. Instead of the big destination parks, guests are shifting to regional attractions”.
During COVID with no revenue coming in, parks had to put a lot of projects on hold. Other investments were stopped altogether. Andersen explained how Liseberg was able to continue their 260 million euro investment into the upcoming indoor waterpark and hotel development.
“It’s about long-term thinking, about the coming decades and generations. We looked at other recessions and companies that had faired best were the ones who kept on track and invested for future years. We had a lot of dialogue with LDP and decided to refinance and keep going,” he added. The Grand Curiosa Hotel is set to open in 2023, with the Oceana waterpark opening in the first quarter of 2024.
Creating an icon
At the same time, the Creating an Iconic Attraction EDUSession looked at the creation of the much-loved Eurosat – CanCan Coaster at Europa-Park, with a panel including Stephan Alt of Mack Rides; Edd Musgrove of THEMEDD Design; Julien Simon of Compagnie des Alpes, Chris Lange of Creative Studio Berlin; and Lukas Metzger of Europa-Park.
After 80 million people had experienced the coaster, Europa-Park decided to revamp it. As the old coaster had just under 30 years of operation, the retrofit was a technical necessity. However, it was emotional when it closed for renovation. Lange spoke about the need to “honour the old and be innovative and do something new” as they looked for a new theme.
At the ‘Creating an Iconic Attraction panel’ @ChrisLa71550269 talks about how they had to “honour the old and be innovative and do something new” with the Eurosat coaster @IAAPAHQ pic.twitter.com/IeAy6Qyql3
— blooloop (@Blooloop) September 15, 2022
During the show, both in-person and virtual attendees could use the new IAAPA Connect+ mobile app and digital platform. Sessions were live streamed on Connect+, meaning that people could participate from around the world.
Users can discover the program agenda, exhibitors and speakers, and the show floor map all in one easy-to-access tool. IAAPA Connect+ also features the new IAAPA Connect+ Marketplace: a year-round, virtual space that allows buyers and sellers to network.
Highlights of the trade show
At 10 am on Tuesday, the IAAPA Expo Europe 2022 trade show officially opened. Suppliers of all kinds from across the industry were present, from ride manufacturers and technology innovators to food & beverage providers and everything in between.
Blast off on the @convious stand 611 #IAAPAExpoEurope @IAAPAEMEA pic.twitter.com/Axa358in75
— blooloop (@Blooloop) September 13, 2022
Highlights included a glimpse of the technology behind The Giant, the world’s biggest moving statue; a chance to try Maurer Rides‘ new Spike Fun model, with tilting seats that can be controlled by the riders; an opportunity to feed a virtual Velociraptor on the Attraktion! booth; and of course the chance to try samples from F&B suppliers.
Convious, a leading eCommerce platform for the leisure industry, showcased the latest attractions tech on its stand. Attendees could blast off with a rocket AV show and dry ice every 20 mins, as well as discover how mature their eCommerce solutions were and how they could improve their customer journey.
There’s no missing the @dofrobotik Monster Jam Grave Digger #VR experience at #IAAPAExpoEurope. It’s… A Monster! pic.twitter.com/GZLm2yEN39
— blooloop (@Blooloop) September 14, 2022
Attendees could also get hands-on with the latest virtual reality tech by experiencing the SPREE Interactive VR Arena, trying HOLOGATE‘s new Ghostbusters VR Academy or riding on DOF Robotics‘ new Monster Jam Grave Digger VR experience.
Sustainability was a key focus across many booths this year. There were eco-friendly innovations in many sectors, from eco water park management to green transport solutions.
Great to meet ThisPlays International at #IAAPAExpoEurope! pic.twitter.com/72lcWW0uiD
— blooloop (@Blooloop) September 13, 2022
Many booths had gone the extra mile to adapt to the London location. ThisPlays, a leader in photo booths, had a very British photo opportunity to showcase their latest photo booth technology and revenue share based system.
Many attendees took advantage of the location to visit THE JURASSIC WORLD: The Exhibition by Cityneon Holdings, a global experience entertainment company, housed within the ExCeL Centre. Highlights included photographic tech by GoPhoto.
Announcements at IAAPA Expo Europe 2022
WhiteWater, a leading waterpark manufacturer, held a press conference on Tuesday morning. Firstly, the team’s chief marketing officer, Una de Boer spoke about the company’s commitment to sustainability.
This was followed by an update from Rainer Maelzer, president of WhiteWater ERA GmbH. He spoke about the company’s growth in the EMEA region, with expansions to its offices in Dubai and Munich. Maelzer also showcased some recent projects, including Surftown MUC, the record-breaking Icon Tower at Meryal, and the award-winning Medusa’s SlideWheel at Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park.
WhiteWater then presented some new products, including FlowCurl, FlowSurf and Blasterango Battle.
Later in the afternoon, WhiteWater’s Vantage brand held its own press conference. Michael Jungen, president of Vantage, spoke about joy and why it’s so important for the guest experience. Jungen says that the pandemic has highlighted the need for people to be together and find joy in experiences. He also added that:
“Experience enabling technologies are now making a difference. They are lifting your ability to meet the guest in a personalised way.”
Companies grow and innovate
Award-winning creator of media-based attractions Triotech also held a press conference on Tuesday. During this update, the company announced a new collaboration with Puy du Fou. The iconic Puy du Fou park brand is expanding into Asia, with the brand new SAGA experience, set to open in Shanghai in 2023.
Triotech’s European division, CL Corp, was chosen to design and build seven dynamic platforms that will simulate a real-size train and other transportation vehicles with numerous special effects and media, to transport visitors into the experience. SAGA will be an immersive experience taking visitors back to 1930s Shanghai, with 26 possible routes.
Dronisos, a leading drone light show specialist, is celebrating its busiest year yet. During this year’s IAAPA Expo Europe, the team revealed that it will be returning to the UK, where its story officially started following an appearance on Britain’s Got Talent. It was also the first company to put on a drone show in the UK, with the Oreo flying cookie show at Westfield Shopping Centre in 2016.
It is the company behind the popular 30th-anniversary drone show at Disneyland Paris, which it announced has now been extended for a further year.
News and updates continued throughout the show
Press conferences continued on Wednesday, starting with an announcement from one-stop-shop leisure entertainment solution provider Fun Spot. The firm gave more details about its major new business partnership with BigAirBag saying:
“We share the same passion and we can finally grow nearer to our customers around the world.”
Later, The Giant Company, an Irish organisation working in concert with cities, embassies, and leaders across the globe, revealed the first cities that will host The Giant. This includes New York, Chicago, Miami, Las Vegas, London, Naples and Vienna. The company is also in talks for locations in Korea and South America. In addition, The Giant Company gave details of its new NFTs and showcased updates to the design.
Sponsors of IAAPA Expo Europe 2022
Platinum Level sponsors of the event included DOF Robotics and Hologate. The Gold Level sponsors were accesso, Gateway Ticketing Systems, Simworx and Vekoma.
Interlink, JRA – Part of RWS Entertainment Group, Polin Waterparks, ProSlide Technology, QubicaAMF and ted – Part of RWS Entertainment Group were among this year’s Silver Level sponsors.
IAAPA Expo Europe 2023 – save the date
Attendees at IAAPA Expo Europe represented 94 countries led by the UK, France, Netherlands and Germany.
After the show, van der Schans said:
“This week was everything we had hoped it would be as the global attractions industry continues to navigate new challenges that have arisen over the last several years. Bringing together thousands of attendees from around the world is just one aspect of IAAPA, but it’s something we do really well.
“I hope attendees, everyone from exhibitors and buyers to industry veterans and session speakers, left feeling inspired to continue the exceptional work they do at their respective companies.”
McEvoy added:
“The excellent learning and networking opportunities at this year’s IAAPA Expo Europe are a reminder that the global attractions industry is resilient and is striving to move forward.
“Expo is an event unlike any other where industry leaders get together to share their successes, learn about the next wave of innovation, and see how they can improve their own business operations by talking to others. The professional development opportunities hosted by IAAPA with the help of industry leaders and experts prepare industry team members for career growth in this dynamic industry.”
Vienna, Austria, will be the host city for IAAPA Expo Europe 2023. The conference will run from 25 to 28 September, while the trade show is scheduled to take place from 26 – 28 September 2023.
