The recent IAAPA Attractions Expo (IAE) rounded off a memorable 12 months for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), writes Andrew Mellor.
The association has been marking its 100th anniversary with a host of special events throughout the year. These culminated in the largest IAE to date with record-breaking attendance figures.
The annual event took place from November 12 to 16 (trade show November 13 onwards) at its familiar home, the Orange County Convention Centre (OCCC) in Orlando. A total of 42,000 attendees took part.
The largest IAE show floor ever featured 1,151 exhibitors and covered 600,375 net sq ft of space, including the new Exploration Station, a custom-built outdoor structure with more than 140 exhibitors. The five-day conference and trade show pumped an estimated $77.2m into the Orlando-area economy.
“There is no better way to celebrate IAAPA’s centennial anniversary than with a remarkable and record-breaking Expo,” said Hal McEvoy, IAAPA president and CEO. “IAAPA’s mission is to connect attractions professionals with each other and with new and innovative ideas. All that and much more happened here in Orlando. It’s been an incredible week!”
At this year’s Kickoff Event, IAAPA also revealed its new logo and brand (see above) that is due to make its official debut on January 1 next year.
The Expo’s attendance figure was approximately 3,000 up on 2017’s event, which itself was a record-breaker. Of the 42,000 participants, 26,600 were qualified buyers who represented a wide range of attraction type, including amusement and theme parks, waterparks, family entertainment centres (FECs), zoos, aquariums, museums, science centres and resorts from around the world.
The IAE education programme proved to be major draw for attendees, with 15,128 people participating in the numerous sessions. There were 149 experiences on offer including multiple-day institutes and symposia, behind-the-scenes ‘EDUTours’ at area attractions, panel and roundtable discussions and constituency lunches. Notably 713 professionals attended the GM and Owners’ Breakfast featuring Bob Chapek, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products, while more than 360 industry leaders enjoyed a lunch-and-learn presentation by Mohamed Al Zaabi, developer of Yas Island and CEO of Miral in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
A full report on this year’s IAAPA Attractions Expo will be published in the January/February 2019 issue of InterPark. The event returns to the OCCC in Orlando from November 18 to 22, 2019.
