From celebrating its centenary to launching its new global headquarters, 2019 has been a big year for IAAPA. Tom Anstey speaks to Amanda Thompson, the organisation’s new chair for 2020, as IAAPA’s leadership team maps out its plans for the century ahead
By Tom Anstey | Published in Attractions Management 2019 issue 4
Amanda Thompson has been managing director of Blackpool Pleasure Beach since 2004
Amanda Thompson / Incoming IAAPA Chair
Amanda Thompson is only the third female to chair IAAPA in its history. The Managing Director of Blackpool Pleasure Beach in the UK since 2004, Amanda has set her sights on the year ahead as IAAPA continues to evolve and grow under new leadership.
What’s your background? I first worked in the amusement park industry at the age of seven. I was desperately in love with the thought of owning a pony, so I was put to work on our pony ride at Blackpool Pleasure Beach so I could learn to look after one. After that my life in the amusement park industry stopped and I became a guest for the next few years. When I was 14 or 15, I spent a summer holiday handing out certificates on the Revolution and my love for the industry began again. Next I worked in Blackpool and in the US within the entertainment sector and when I was 20 years old, I began a new company, Stageworks Worldwide Productions, which took shows out into the world of amusement parks, theatre and television.
I worked in Myrtle Beach producing shows at our park, Magic Harbour, then I worked for 13 years at Europa Park producing their ice show, followed by work at Liseberg, Siam Park, Boudewijn Park, Efteling and many many parks in Europe and of course Blackpool Pleasure Beach. I worked all over the UK taking shows to theatres and I worked for IAAPA on the What’s New Theatre and the closing events. I’ve also done television work for the Royal Variety Performance and all types of shows all over the world.
Do you have any key goals for your year as IAAPA chair? To unite the amusement park world with safety, security and sustainability.
You will become only the third woman to chair IAAPA in its 100-year history, how important is that? It’s particularly important because I’m the first European woman and it’s been a while since a woman has chaired the association. Hopefully I can encourage more women to step up to the plate and take on the role of chair.
What excites you most about the industry? Change. Change is extremely exciting and our industry changes every day. We all have unique experiences in every park around the world, every single day.
You take over the chairship as a British theme park operator in the year of Brexit. How will that affect your operations at the park and how do you plan to help IAAPA’s British members through this uncertain period? I don’t know how any of us can respond to Brexit at the moment because no one knows what will happen, including the European government in Brussels and our government in the UK. Unfortunately it’s going to be one of those issues that you can’t plan for, that you have to hope that you can deal with when and if it happens.
Your predecessor, David Rosenberg, highlighted sustainability as a key issue. Is that something you want to continue to focus on? Yes, it’s a very important issue which will affect our industry so I intend to carry on the work that David has started.
Where can the industry improve? A weakness is definitely not having a global safety standard. This is something which needs to be addressed and that would be something I would love to see happen during my tenure.
How do you see the attractions industry changing in the coming years and what trends are emerging? People are going to want more experiences when they visit amusement parks. Virtual reality has become popular but I think it’s going to swing back and people are going to want more of a hands on experience, whether it’s a pop concert, going on a rollercoaster, or even eating. I think festivals and events within amusement parks will also become bigger and take on more importance.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2019 issue 4
Interview: Yves Pépin
A man whose spectaculars have been
witnessed by billions, Yves Pépin
speaks about his trail-blazing career
Rides: Supersonic
We take a look at some of the most
significant ride openings around the world
Preview: Rulantica Rising
Germany’s top theme park is about to
launch a €180m addition with the opening of its long-awaited second
gate. Attractions Management looks
at Rulantica and how the new
waterpark addition is taking shape
Theme Parks: Parisian Magic
Daniel Delcourt and David Wilson
share more about Disney’s €2bn
expansion of Disneyland Paris
Promotional feature: Simworx Ltd
CEO, Terry Monkton, takes
us through the development of two unique projects, from conception to creation
Waterparks: Water World
Debrecen in Hungary is gaining an iconic
new addition – a US$30.1m waterpark
Promotional feature: WhiteWater
WhiteWater’s Una deBoer tells us
how the company maintains elite safety standards
in waterparks and the steps operators can take
to improve safety across the entire industry
Operations: Disaster Management
What can be learned from the experiences
of those unfortunate operators who have
had to react when disaster strikes?
Exhibitions: World Tour
Kath Hudson looks at the potential of the
pop-up and touring exhibition market
From celebrating its centenary to launching its new global headquarters, 2019 has been a big year for IAAPA. Tom Anstey speaks to Amanda Thompson, the organisation’s new chair for 2020, as IAAPA’s leadership team maps out its plans for the century ahead
By Tom Anstey | Published in Attractions Management 2019 issue 4
Amanda Thompson has been managing director of Blackpool Pleasure Beach since 2004
Amanda Thompson / Incoming IAAPA Chair
Amanda Thompson is only the third female to chair IAAPA in its history. The Managing Director of Blackpool Pleasure Beach in the UK since 2004, Amanda has set her sights on the year ahead as IAAPA continues to evolve and grow under new leadership.
What’s your background? I first worked in the amusement park industry at the age of seven. I was desperately in love with the thought of owning a pony, so I was put to work on our pony ride at Blackpool Pleasure Beach so I could learn to look after one. After that my life in the amusement park industry stopped and I became a guest for the next few years. When I was 14 or 15, I spent a summer holiday handing out certificates on the Revolution and my love for the industry began again. Next I worked in Blackpool and in the US within the entertainment sector and when I was 20 years old, I began a new company, Stageworks Worldwide Productions, which took shows out into the world of amusement parks, theatre and television.
I worked in Myrtle Beach producing shows at our park, Magic Harbour, then I worked for 13 years at Europa Park producing their ice show, followed by work at Liseberg, Siam Park, Boudewijn Park, Efteling and many many parks in Europe and of course Blackpool Pleasure Beach. I worked all over the UK taking shows to theatres and I worked for IAAPA on the What’s New Theatre and the closing events. I’ve also done television work for the Royal Variety Performance and all types of shows all over the world.
Do you have any key goals for your year as IAAPA chair? To unite the amusement park world with safety, security and sustainability.
You will become only the third woman to chair IAAPA in its 100-year history, how important is that? It’s particularly important because I’m the first European woman and it’s been a while since a woman has chaired the association. Hopefully I can encourage more women to step up to the plate and take on the role of chair.
What excites you most about the industry? Change. Change is extremely exciting and our industry changes every day. We all have unique experiences in every park around the world, every single day.
You take over the chairship as a British theme park operator in the year of Brexit. How will that affect your operations at the park and how do you plan to help IAAPA’s British members through this uncertain period? I don’t know how any of us can respond to Brexit at the moment because no one knows what will happen, including the European government in Brussels and our government in the UK. Unfortunately it’s going to be one of those issues that you can’t plan for, that you have to hope that you can deal with when and if it happens.
Your predecessor, David Rosenberg, highlighted sustainability as a key issue. Is that something you want to continue to focus on? Yes, it’s a very important issue which will affect our industry so I intend to carry on the work that David has started.
Where can the industry improve? A weakness is definitely not having a global safety standard. This is something which needs to be addressed and that would be something I would love to see happen during my tenure.
How do you see the attractions industry changing in the coming years and what trends are emerging? People are going to want more experiences when they visit amusement parks. Virtual reality has become popular but I think it’s going to swing back and people are going to want more of a hands on experience, whether it’s a pop concert, going on a rollercoaster, or even eating. I think festivals and events within amusement parks will also become bigger and take on more importance.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2019 issue 4
Interview: Yves Pépin
A man whose spectaculars have been
witnessed by billions, Yves Pépin
speaks about his trail-blazing career
Rides: Supersonic
We take a look at some of the most
significant ride openings around the world
Preview: Rulantica Rising
Germany’s top theme park is about to
launch a €180m addition with the opening of its long-awaited second
gate. Attractions Management looks
at Rulantica and how the new
waterpark addition is taking shape
Theme Parks: Parisian Magic
Daniel Delcourt and David Wilson
share more about Disney’s €2bn
expansion of Disneyland Paris
Promotional feature: Simworx Ltd
CEO, Terry Monkton, takes
us through the development of two unique projects, from conception to creation
Waterparks: Water World
Debrecen in Hungary is gaining an iconic
new addition – a US$30.1m waterpark
Promotional feature: WhiteWater
WhiteWater’s Una deBoer tells us
how the company maintains elite safety standards
in waterparks and the steps operators can take
to improve safety across the entire industry
Operations: Disaster Management
What can be learned from the experiences
of those unfortunate operators who have
had to react when disaster strikes?
Exhibitions: World Tour
Kath Hudson looks at the potential of the
pop-up and touring exhibition market
OMA has completed a major transformation of New York's New Museum, creating a larger
cultural campus that combines expanded exhibition spaces with learning, performance,
hospitality and public programming.
A US$50 million (£44.2 million, €51.2 million) transformation of Chicago's historic McCormick
Mansion has created a new destination that combines live magic, immersive theatre, dining and
private membership under one roof.
The Montana Historical Society has officially celebrated the opening of its new Montana
Heritage
Center, a US$107 million (£79 million, €92 million) destination that combines immersive
storytelling with cutting-edge audiovisual technology to bring the sta
San Antonio Zoo has reported a US$283 million economic impact for 2025, following a decade-
long transformation programme that has seen almost US$200 million invested into the Texas
attraction.
Plans for the AU$180 million redevelopment of Reef HQ Aquarium in Townsville, Australia, are
progressing, with the project set to transform the attraction into a global centre for reef
education and conservation.
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Disney has reaffirmed its commitment to investing US$30 billion in its US parks and cruise
business by 2033, using new America250 celebrations to underline the role its attractions play
in supporting jobs, tourism and economic growth.
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers
confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes.
The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor,
creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's largest visitor destinations.
The Toverland theme park in the Netherlands has announced a €98m expansion programme
that will add a resort, new attractions and staff facilities as it pursues plans to become a multi-
day destination.
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