The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) has announced the launch of a new recognition program that will expand the number of projects it acknowledges for creative excellence.
The goal of the TEA Recognition of Merit is to spotlight achievements that exemplified the superior artistry and/or execution associated with the creation of compelling places and experiences, but which did not receive the required number of votes for a Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement. Similar to comparably sized recognition programs with multiple tiers, this new tier will offer the Thea Awards Judging Committee, TEA membership and the public the ability to celebrate a greater number of projects, and by extension, a greater number of the creative, artistic, architectural, engineering, technical, production and business minds behind them.
The Recognition of Merit will be subject to the same sub-category rules as all other Thea Award tiers, and a credits list will be required of all recipients. While there is no minimum or maximum quantity of Recognitions of Merit awarded in any given year, the TEA anticipates that the addition of this new tier will increase the number of individuals and companies annually credited by as much as 30%.
“We are now at a point where we receive several hundred Thea Award submissions annually, which is exciting for the industry but makes the selection process increasingly challenging given the limited number of Awards for Outstanding Achievement,” said Andy Westfall, Chair of the Thea Awards Judging Committee. “By introducing the Recognition of Merit, the TEA will be able to celebrate not only more projects, but more creators than ever before.”
“TEA Recognition of Merit recipients will be announced at the TEA International Mixer at IAAPA Expo on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, at SeaWorld’s Ports of Call Ballroom. The projects will then be celebrated during TEA INSPIRE Week on March 13-14, 2025, at Universal Studios Hollywood. The TEA will release more details on Recognition of Merit recipient programming later this year.
“The creation of the Recognition of Merit is a huge win for TEA members, the organization and the attractions community at large, and it upholds the Thea principle of celebrating industry excellence,” said Melissa Oviedo, TEA’s Chief Executive Officer. “We look forward to honoring Thea Award and TEA Recognition of Merit recipients in Universal City, and we can’t wait to introduce our members to this expanded slate of best-in-class projects.”
