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NewsParcs will do a full coverage of the IAAPA Attractions Expo 2013 in Orlando to have a look at the latest trends and developments of the global theme park industry.
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Approximately 25,800 amusement park and attractions industry professionals from 118 nations gathered in Orlando, Fla., for IAAPA Attractions Expo2011 Nov. 14-18, and raised $81,000 for Give Kids The World, a resort for children with life threatening illnesses in Kissimmee, Florida.
IAAPA Attractions Expo is the world’s largest conference and trade show for the $24 billion global attractions industry and serves as the primary marketplace event for leaders, decision makers, and visionaries, who gather to learn, discuss the current trends and hot topics, test the latest innovations, and dream up new experiences for the future. The event is owned and produced by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). The five-day Expo took place at the Orange County Convention Center and had an estimated $47.7 million economic impact on the Orlando area.
“The results for IAAPA Attractions Expo 2011 surpassed our expectations on several fronts, ” said IAAPA President and CEO Chip Cleary. “Exhibit sales, buyer attendance, education program participation, and total registration are all up from 2010, which speaks volumes about the strength of the industry and the Expo’s role as a global can’t-miss event. The buying, learning, and sharing of ideas that takes place here is simply phenomenal. ”
NewsParcs was present at the show on Wednesday, Nov. 16. We had the opportunity to meet many professionals and we have talked with several companies that were not exhibitors at the Euro Attractions Show, including American Waves Machine and Rocky Mountain Construction. Our interviews will be soon online, and until then, we suggest you to have a look at our photo gallery on Facebook.
Buyer Attendance Up 5 Percent
Approximately 15,300 executives and buyers from 6,975 amusement parks, waterparks, family entertainment centers (FECs), zoos, aquariums, museums, science centers, resorts, and roadside attractions from around the world participated in IAAPA Attractions Expo 2011. In 2010, 14,600 buyers participated in the event.
Conference Program Offers Range of Education Topics and Experiences for Industry Professionals
Attendance at the Expo’s 123 education programs was 8,850. Highlights of this year’s conference included presentations from industry CEOs, a panel discussion featuring some of the brightest young designers in the business, a pre-dawn behind-the-scenes tour at Walt Disney World Resort, tours of Legoland Florida and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and a half-day symposium on mobile marketing and communications in the industry.
1,106 Companies Showcase Innovations, Products, and Services
The North/South building of the Orange County Convention Center was packed with exhibits from 1,106 companies that displayed their innovative new products and services on 477,474 net square feet of space on the trade show floor. The outdoor exhibit area measured 49,074 net square feet, the largest at the Expo in almost a decade. The exhibitors hailed from 32 countries and displayed everything an attraction owner may need to successfully entertain guests, including immersive and interactive rides and attractions, innovative water rides and slides, stage productions, mobile ticketing systems, new food and beverage treats, inflatable devices, arcade games, and much more.
Prestigious Industry Awards Presented at IAAPA Attractions Expo 2011
The following awards were presented at IAAPA Attractions Expo 2011: IAAPA Hall of Fame Awards (worldwide industry leaders) IAAPA Service Awards (service to IAAPA and the industry) IAAPA Brass Ring Awards (marketing, retail, live entertainment, human Resources, top family entertainment centers, new products, best exhibits)
See below for more details about these Awards results.
IAAPA Attractions Expo 2011 by the Numbers
- 1,400 people attended the Kickoff Event for an update on IAAPA; to see the exciting new attractions introduced around the world in 2011; and to preview new developments for 2012.
- 1,000 Expo participants met, socialized, and shared ideas at the Opening Reception.
- 440 industry leaders enjoyed the keynote address by Jim Atchison, CEO SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, at the GM and Owners’ Breakfast.
- 1,650 people enjoyed the newly reimagined “Star Tours” attraction and “The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights” during IAAPA Celebrates at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
- 200 young professionals attended a reception at B.B. King’s Blues Club at Pointe Orlando.
- Fundraising events held in conjunction with the Expo raised $81,455 for Give Kids The World, the Kissimmee, Fla., resort for children with life-threatening illnesses. (www.GKTW.org)
IAAPA Attractions Expo 2012
IAAPA Attractions Expo 2012 will take place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Nov. 12-16. More than 130 companies have already reserved their booths on the trade show floor. Information about exhibiting or attending is available at www.IAAPA.org/expos/attractions/.
"Building on the success of the 2011 Expo and based on the strong advance exhibit sales for the 2012 show, we look forward to creating an even more spectacular event for next year, " said Roland Mack, 2012 IAAPA Chairman and Managing Partner of Europa-Park in Rust/Baden, Germany.
The German theme park Europa-Park has surpassed in 2012 the 4.5 million visitors for the first time, confirming its position as the first seasonal park in the world. This outcome is therefore highly satisfactory for the Mack...
Nearly 400 members of the press and special guests - including the racing driver Ralf Schumacher and Miss Germany 2012 - were invited last Wednesday...
NewsParcs will do a full coverage of the IAAPA Attractions Expo 2013 in Orlando to have a look at the latest trends and developments of the global theme park industry.
