IAAPA, the global association for the attractions industry, has announced Wuthichai Luangamornlert, ICEA, as its new second vice-chair, as well as naming four other new board members for 2022 at a recent meeting in Barcelona. Luangamornlert is the managing director of Siam Park Bangkok Co. Ltd, which runs the biggest water and amusement in Bangkok. He will then be the first vice-chair in 2023 and lead IAAPA as chair of the board in 2024.
An industry veteran
“Wuthichai has grown up in the attractions industry,” says Greg Hale, chairman of the IAAPA Governance Committee, and vice president and chief safety officer for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “He attended his first IAAPA trade show with his father in the mid-1980s and has been involved in the business and IAAPA ever since.
“Wuthichai brings tremendous experience, expertise, and a unique perspective to this leadership role at IAAPA, and I know he will ensure the association provides the events, products, and services needed to help our industry fully recover from the global pandemic and thrive.”
Luangamornlert has been a member of several IAAPA committees, such as the Asia Pacific Regional Advisory Committee, the Governance Committee, the Asia Pacific Education Subcommittee, and the Water Park Committee. He also served on the Relocation Task Force that led IAAPA’s move from Alexandria, Virginia to Orlando, Florida and was a member of the IAAPA Board of Directors from 2016 to 2018. In total, he has over 25 years of experience in the attractions industry.
He is active in the attractions industry in Thailand, acting as president of the Thai Amusement and Leisure Park Association since 2010. He played a key role in establishing the Thai Safety Standards for Amusement Rides (Ministerial Regulation on Amusement Ride Control) and has held a number of leadership positions in the Thai Chamber of Commerce, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, and the Tourism Council of Thailand.
New board members for 2022
In addition to this appointment, IAAPA has also announced four other new board members for 2022:
- Facility Member Directors: Corrine Brindley, corporate vice president, state affairs, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, US & Bonnie Weber, senior vice president of park operations, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, US
- Manufacturer and Supplier Member Director: Har Kupers, Vekoma Rides Manufacturing, the Netherlands
- Advisory Board Director: John McReynolds, senior vice president, external affairs, Universal Parks & Resorts, US
Earlier this month, IAAPA announced that registration is open for next year’s IAAPA FEC Summit, which will take place at the We-Ko-Pa Resort and Conference Center in Fort McDowell, Arizona, from 23 – 25 January 2022.
