Skip to main content

IAAPA Honors Dedicated Volunteers and Industry Leaders with 2011 Service Awards

News

The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) presents awards for extraordinary service to Marcelo Periales of Neverland; Keith James of Jack Rouse Associates; and Alan Ramsay of CLM Entertainment. The awards were presented during the GM and Owners’ Breakfast at IAAPA Attractions Expo 2011 annual conference and trade show in Orlando, Florida.

Related: Great honour for Europa-Park: Roland Mack is the new Chairman of IAAPA

Lifetime Service Award – Marcelo Periales, Neverland; Cordoba, Argentina

The Lifetime Service Award recognizes a member, individual or organization’s continual service to the attractions industry. Periales was born in Rio Ceballos, Argentina, in 1955. Cordoba was home to Periales’ first Neverland Park, which also served as the country’s first family entertainment center when it opened in 1989. Periales has more than 25 years of experience in the attractions industry. He has been a member of IAAPA’s Board of Directors, Chairman of the Latin American Advisory Committee, founder and president of the Argentinean Amusement Park Association (AAPA), and a member of the Board of the Association of Latin American Parks (ALAP). Bobbie Wages, vice president of operations at International Attraction Services and chairman of the IAAPA Service Awards Committee, said: “Marcelo has shown great leadership in the Latin America region, and IAAPA recognizes his passion and dedication to family entertainment.”

Periales is now the president of the Neverland Park chain of family entertainment centers.

Outstanding Service Award – Keith James, Jack Rouse Associates; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

The Outstanding Service Award is presented to the member individual that fosters the spirit of goodwill, professionalism, and high levels of performance within the industry on a local or international basis.
James is CEO and owner of Jack Rouse Associates, which plans and designs visitor experiences for the entertainment industry. He began his career as a seasonal employee at Kings Island near Cincinnati, Ohio, as a stage manager. He also worked as director of operations at Canada’s Wonderland near Toronto, vice president of operations for the World’s Fair in Vancouver, and vice president of planning and development for Universal Studios in Orlando before joining JRA in 1992. James has also been a dedicated volunteer in the Themed Entertainment Association serving on the organization’s board of directors for seven years, and two years as president in 2001 and 2002. James currently serves on the IAAPA board of directors, as well as the Manufacturers and Suppliers, Space Allocation, and Nominating committees.

“Keith has dedicated his professional career to expand and improve the attractions industry, ” said Wages. “He has long been an advocate for the attractions industry and has helped pioneer opportunities around the world in countries including China, India, and the United Arab Emirates and has worked to globalize the themed entertainment industry.”

Meritorious Service Award – Alan E. Ramsay, CLM Entertainment; Cumberland, Rhode Island, USA

The Meritorious Service Award goes to the member individual or organization that has gone the extra mile to promote safe operations, global development, professional growth, and the commercial success of the industry.

This award was presented posthumously to Ramsay for his devotion to the global attractions industry. His park experience began in 1985 at Rocky Point Amusement Park in Warwick, Rhode Island. He also worked in operations at Ripley’s Entertainment. During his career he worked diligently to develop inspection reports based on industry guidelines. Ramsay put his Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Safety to work and started CLM Entertainment, which performs loss control inspections, amusement ride safety audits, and expert witness testimony across the United States. Ramsay served on the IAAPA Space Allocation, Manufacturers and Suppliers, Facility Operations, and Human Resources committees. His company provided safety inspection services to IAAPA for its annual trade shows in the United States (IAAPA Attractions Expo) and Asia (Asian Attractions Expo). Ramsay also served in leadership positions with the New England Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (NEAAPA) and with the International Association for the Leisure and Entertainment Industry (IALEI).

“Alan worked tirelessly to train, educate, and inspire attractions operators around the world on the key tenants of operations, safety, and guest service.” said Wages. “IAAPA recognizes his excellence and enthusiasm with the Meritorious Service Award.”

About IAAPA

IAAPA is the premier trade association for the attractions industry worldwide. Founded in 1918, IAAPA is the largest international trade association for permanently situated amusement facilities and attractions, and is dedicated to the preservation and prosperity of the attractions industry. The association’s global headquarters is in Alexandria, Virginia, United States, and it maintains regional offices in Brussels, Mexico City, and Hong Kong. www.IAAPA.org

 

Share this

More from this author

Your web browser is out of date. Update your browser for more security, speed and the best experience on this site.

Find out how to update