Chinese real-estate developer Riverside Group has appointed Don Potts as vice president of resort, park and entertainment business operations.

Riverside, the exclusive franchise partner of Six Flags in China, operates mainly in the tourism, entertainment, healthcare and high-end residential sectors.

An aggressive expansion plan is underway to bring “multiple” Six Flags theme parks to China, with the IP an anchor for the new destinations, dubbed "Riverside Themed Towns". The themed towns will reflect local Chinese culture and be designed to cater to the regional audience.

A Riverside Themed Town and Six Flags in Haiyan, Zhejiang province, not far from Shanghai, is set to be the first development in the plan. It broke ground in early 2016 and is expected to open in late 2019.

Chongqing, Nanjing and Fuzhou are also in development.

“Over the past 30 years, Riverside has developed a solid reputation for their high-end, award-winning developments,” said Potts. “It is an exciting time to be joining as they continue to partner with world-renowned brands and I look forward to helping deliver their commitment on cutting-edge entertainment-based destinations, focusing specifically on memorable guest experiences and services unprecedented in China.”

Potts, who will be based in Beijing, has 30 years’ experience in the attractions industry. He has worked for Picsolve International, Universal Studios Florida, and recently as COO for the USA Pavilion at Expo 2017.