Mixing it up at IAAPA Expo 2023

Twenty years ago I visited my first IAAPA Expo, armed with a pile of paper press releases announcing the imminent launch of InPark Magazine. One year later, in 2004, our publication officially debuted – naturally, at the IAAPA Expo, it being then and now the premier trade event for the international attractions industry. While evolving and growing with the times, the Expo has retained its stature over many years, and its identity. Parks and ride manufacturers partner to unveil next season’s highly anticipated roller coaster cars, surrounded by fans and influencers struggling to get the first photos. Queues still wind around corners for samples of ice cream, chewy pretzels or whatever happens to be the newest food novelty. And the chance meetings with industry colleagues you haven’t seen in a while remain delightful.

As an exhibitor for nearly two decades now, InPark loves the continuity and exposure that the IAAPA Expo brings not only to our publication, but to the industry as a whole. Particularly since the event has found a seemingly permanent home in Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center, the process of setting up, operating and tearing down the booth happens almost without thinking. And while for many of us seasoned IAAPA Expo attendees, the cycle of events has become part of our internal clock, every year there’s a steady supply of IAAPA newcomers, amazed at the size and breadth of it all. Their wide-eyed enthusiasm is part of the energy that sustains the event.

Looking at the numbers, the event was a success. Over 36,000 professionals gathered during the week, with a roughly 2-to-1 ratio of buyers to vendors. This was roughly on par with 2022 numbers and similar to 2019’s figures. For Jakob Wahl, it marked the first IAAPA Expo in his role as IAAPA CEO. “It is wonderful to see everyone collaborate for the good of the attractions industry and bring joy and smiles to millions of guests all around the world,” said Wahl.

Anecdotally, the event seemed to have more attendees from North and South America, with fewer from Europe and Asia. Perhaps part of that is due to the strength of the IAAPA Expo Europe event that was held less than two months prior in Vienna, Austria.

Attendees also exuded optimism and enthusiasm for the future of the industry. As noted in the 2022 TEA/AECOM Theme Index (which I edit), the attractions industry has nearly fully recovered from the pandemic in most parts of the world. The pent-up demand for experiences has indeed materialized and operators are seeing increased per capita spending. Reinvestment is a key component of that engine, and indicators point to increases in that are in coming years.

Unsurprisingly, Saudia Arabia remains a key market for attractions and entertainment, with projects like Six Flags Qiddiya fueling industry growth. The recent announcement of Expo 2030 locating to Riyadh only further solidifies KSA as an epicenter of attractions and leisure for the coming years. Other verticals offering success to vendors include corporate visitor centers and cruise ships, which seem to be engaging in a bit of a race to outdo one another with entertainment options onboard.

While the week was besieged by cloudy and rainy weather, the annual gathering nonetheless left visitors with a bright and sunny disposition about the future of the industry.

IAAPA mixes things around

For its part, IAAPA the association seems to be willing to mix up the formula a bit. The event’s Opening Ceremony has turned into a professionally-produced spectacle while the evening drone shows over the convention center provided something new and entertaining. The partnership with Rovio brought the levity and joy of Angry Birds to one of the trade show floor entrances. A collaboration with Hasbro created a Clue-inspired game that drove traffic to exhibitor booths.

Of course, there are always opportunities for improvement. Ticket prices for many of the official gatherings and parties were notably steeper than in past years. I also deeply miss the official event guidebook. While the book has been replaced by the IAAPA Connect app, it’s a clunky solution and doesn’t always allow for the same easy exchange of information, which is why we all are there. Finally, and this is a very specific request, but the event needs a dedicated press event stage similar to what was employed in 2021. Nearly every press conference suffered from overcrowding, poor sightlines and barely audible audio.

To be fair, IAAPA Expo is suffering from a space problem. Nearly every corner of the convention hall (550,000 square feet of space) is occupied by exhibitors, and IAAPA’s own post-event press release points to a vendor waiting list, subtly suggesting that the time is ripe to revisit the planned OCCC expansion that was scuttled during the pandemic.

Nightly mixers (and some in the morning, too!)

Part of the IAAPA experience is participating in the dozens of company cocktail parties and events that take place every night of IAAPA week. Though there were too many to get to them all, special thanks to all the organizers of these wonderful networking events. Check out our slideshow for highlights:

InPark in the mix

Throughout the week, InPark attended press conferences and meetings with various vendors on the show floor. Here’s a selection of news and highlights from throughout the week:

Sally Dark Rides

Not one but two new dark rides themed to SpongeBob SquarePants were debuted during the expo. One is headed for Las Vegas and the other will be created for Land of Legends in Turkey.

Sub Sea Systems

During a press conference, Sub Sea Systems detailed their new partnership with SottoStudios to bring “submersible” storytelling to theme parks and attractions.

Vekoma

While Vekoma’s big announcement was to reveal the cute trains for the new Good Gravy family coaster coming to Holiday World, the company has an impressive project list opening this year in parks like Santa’s Village (NH), Six Flags Great Adventure, an urban park in Mexico City and more. The company said the Americas market remains strong for new coasters.

Luxedo

Since 2018 Luxedo has been creating projection mapping systems for smaller venues. Utilizing Optima projectors that range from 3,500 to 22,000 lumens, the system includes everything to set up, blend and align projectors for a range of surfaces and applications.

Extreme Engineering

Extreme Engineering showcased several new products at the show. Ollie Loop is inspired by skateboarding, though it can be themed or adapted to any IP. The spinning ride takes guests up to 15-feet in the air at various degrees of tilt. Designed primarily FECs several units can be combined together to increase throughput to 400+ riders per hour.

The company also promoted Flex Shade, a shade structure system designed for parks that can be modular and temporary if needed. The small diameter support poles are not as obtrusive as larger structures while still providing ample coverage.

ProSlide

ProSlide’s work with SeaWorld Parks will continue with new Ride House play structures coming to Adventure Island in Tampa, Aquatica San Antonio and a third location to be announced.

WhiteWater

WhiteWater highlighted new product lines and projects during the expo, including the new Elevated AquaForms InPark wrote extensively about in issue 99. The company also announced the official opening of the Icon Tower at Meryal in Qatar.

Triotech

SuperFly, a new attraction from Triotech, is a new form of simulator, borrowing elements from flying theaters. The first installation is set for NEB’s Fun World in North Oshawa, Canada.

RES

The Swiss ride design firm announced a new ride during the expo. SkySeeker is a spinning ride that combines swinging motion with an element of interactivity. The firm also received an IAAPA Brass Ring Award for their Vertical Dark Ride installation at Conny-Land.

Attractions Technology Lab (ATL)

The ATL returned during IAAPA week to the Oceaneering warehouse for a week of product demos and training. The expanded event included additional corporate collaborators that helped create a complete dark ride experience and a choreographed trackless vehicle attraction. A themed entry portal welcomed guests to the space. Inside, participating vendors shared information on equipment used to create the custom-built attractions. Additional technology training sessions were available by appointment.