IAAPA Expo Europe prepares to take its fall trade show to Amsterdam
interview by Martin Palicki
After a successful event in Vienna, Austria, in 2023, IAAPA Expo Europe is scheduled to take place in Amsterdam September 23-27, 2024. We spoke with Peter van der Schans, Vice President and Executive Director, IAAPA EMEA, about the region, plans for the show and more.
What is your analysis of the attractions market in the EMEA region?
Our quarterly outlook survey indicated that the market is currently stable and balanced. There is optimism for the future, but with a healthy dose of caution. Staffing concerns appear to be past their peak, but approximately 50% of our members say they are still experiencing problems on this issue. Other cautionary factors are mostly external, including inflation, high interest rates and geopolitical tensions.
In terms of investment we still see a big impact from the Middle East. With the opening of Meryal waterpark in Qatar, the construction of many SEVEN (Saudi Entertainment Ventures) facilities, Six Flags Qiddiya City and Aquarabia in Saudi Arabia, we see an unparalleled wave of investments in that region while investments in Europe remain at a stable level.
With IAAPA Expo only a few months away, what defines IAAPA Expo Europe as unique for the industry?
While IAAPA Expo in Orlando is bigger in scale and is our flagship Expo, IAAPA Expo Europe is specifically tailored for the EMEA audience. We adapt education topics, speakers and offer an in-person networking reception specifically for our European peers. This year we are proud to unveil the largest show floor in IAAPA Expo Europe’s history.
What lessons were learned from last year’s show in Vienna?
IAAPA Expo Europe 2023 in Vienna introduced some new elements that we are excited to bring to Amsterdam. Attendees really enjoyed the short-form EDUTalks presented at the Innovation Stage. This open learning area is making a return in 2024 with new, timely topics. Each day will have a different focus:
- Day 1: Sustainability
- Day 2: Trends
- Day 3: Youth and Student Speakers
Following its success in Vienna, we will have a dedicated networking and education track on Thursday specifically for students, the future of our industry. We call it Explore a Career in the Attractions Industry, and it will include the following elements:
- Information about industry scholarships for students
- Insights about the attractions industry
- A guided tour of the show floor OR career advice workshop with LinkedIn
- Networking lunch
- Job fair
Students will be offered free entry to the expo for that day.
What new offerings can attendees expect this year?
Our education experiences will be more extensive and varied than ever before. We will offer IAAPA Safety Institute – a more streamlined version of Safety Day – designed to educate participants on safety basics, aimed at entry level professionals.
The IAAPA Institute for Attractions Professionals (IAP) will be back for the first time since 2019. It will take place the weekend before Expo, offering specialized sessions catered to different experience levels and sets of knowledge. The program is designed to accelerate understanding of the attractions industry and its key business indicators.
Other new and changed events include:
- Science Centers and Edutainment Day (Monday, September 23)
- Sustainability Day (Monday September 23) – this year the event will have a more in-depth and interactive focus
- Tech Forum at Breda University of Applied Sciences (Friday, September 27)
What sort of networking opportunities can attendees expect?
Every year we feature a signature networking event – the Opening Reception. This year, the reception takes place on Tuesday, September 24 and will be hosted by Strandzuid, a waterside restaurant at the back of RAI Amsterdam. The venue offers outdoor seating with views of Beatrixpark, while serving a variety of international dishes, hors d’oeuvres, and drinks. We expect over 1,000 industry peers to celebrate this annual industry gathering.
New in 2024, we will be hosting eight networking receptions specifically catered to various markets, including waterparks, indoor entertainment, food and beverage, zoos and aquariums, science centers, museums, and more. Our goal is to facilitate networking among more peers from the same sector, enabling an exchange of knowledge and ideas specific for our region.
Will there be opportunities to experience some of the many visitor attractions in Amsterdam?
Building on our learnings from Host City Days, we will again give attendees the opportunity to get insights from and visit host city attractions. We will offer a series of events called Amsterdam EDUTour with three different tracks to offer insights for all attraction types. They will take place on Wednesday, September 25.
- Amsterdam EDUTour: Culture and Art
- Amsterdam EDUTour: F&B
- Amsterdam EDUTour: City Experiences
In what ways is IAAPA helping the European industry to connect outside of the Expo?
IAAPA offers a variety of in-person events. Expos are the large-scale events while IAAPA Summits, Presents, Meetups and Forums usually take one or two days and are designed to help create connections and educate. These shorter events also take place in different locations across the EMEA region.
Among the events coming up we have IAAPA Presents in Germany and France, IAAPA and AAVEA (African Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions) Africa Summit in South Africa, IAAPA Indoor Entertainment Summit in Italy and IAAPA Middle East Trade Summit in Saudi Arabia. You can view the IAAPA EMEA events at IAAPA.org/EMEA.
IAAPA also brings industry together online during IAAPA Live Chats which are video calls for specific audiences designed around timely discussions, knowledge sharing and industry support.
IAAPA offers Marketplace – our online marketplace directory, where members can connect with each other from anywhere in the world.
Finally, IAAPA Honors will be hosted in Germany’s Europa- Park in 2025. This will be the first time that the prestigious Brass Ring Awards will be hosted in our region and we look forward to that fantastic event next year. •
