More than 35,000 people are expected to attend this year’s show
This year’s IAAPA Expo celebrates 100 years of the organisation and is expected to draw more than 35,000 industry professionals from more than 100 countries to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, US.
The expo is the world’s largest conference and trade show for the attractions industry, which has an estimated US$360bn global economic impact. Alongside its vast show floor, IAAPA offers a programme of more than 100 educational sessions and presentations by leading operators on industry trends, new technology, marketing and communications, entertainment, government relations, safety and security, food and beverage, games and merchandise, facility operations, human resources, and more.
This year’s keynote speaker is Disney’s Parks and Resorts chair Bob Chapek, who will talk at the GM and Owners’ Breakfast on 14 November, offering insight into his more than 25 years of leadership at the global entertainment giant.
The conference takes place from 12-15 November and the trade show from 13-16 November. Buyers and decisionmakers from the world of theme parks, waterparks, FECs, zoos and aquariums, and museums will all be in attendance for the event.
The trade show floor will fill 560,000sq ft (52,000sq m) of exhibit space with more than 1,100 exhibiting companies displaying the latest products and services. For the first time in Expo history, the show floor will extend beyond the walls of the convention center into outdoor structures created just for the event. Dubbed the “Exploration Station,” this area creates new exhibit space for more than 100 exhibiting companies.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Rides: Themed dreams
We take a look at some of the major
openings at visitor attractions worldwide
Theme Parks: Fan power
Jordan Middleton explains how operators
can best work with their audiences
Tourism: The Tourist Trap
What role could attractions play to keep
tourism beneficial for residents and
visitors alike? Kath Hudson reports
Conference: Creativity Cocktail
This year’s SATE conference came to the global epicentre for themed entertainment – Orlando – as the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) searched for the secrets to “The Experience Recipe”.
Promotional feature: Whitewater
WhiteWater is branching out of the waterpark business as it
introduces two new attractions products and its brand new
Vantage guest engagement and management software
Show report: Enabling fun
Tom Anstey was on-hand to see what was
on offer at this year’s Euro Attractions Show
Promotional feature: Simtec - forward thinking
Simtec is a flying theatre and simulator ride supplier
for the attractions industry, as well as a manufacturer
of driving and flight simulation applications
JRA Booth #1369 JRA is providing masterplanning, design, and project management for the Mascot Hall of Fame, located in Whiting, Indiana, US. Set to open in early 2019, this 25,000sq ft (2,300sq m), family fun zone aims to make people laugh and draw them closer to the teams they love, while educating families on the art and science of mascots.
Offering permanent exhibits, activities, and plenty of fuzzy, feathery shenanigans, this whimsical attraction is expected to welcome 50,000 visitors each year. See this project and more at the JRA booth.
JRA is masterplanning the Mascot Hall of Fame in Whiting, Indiana, US
Zamperla Booth #2224-2231 Zamperla is set to present new rollercoaster concepts at this year’s IAAPA, with new openings at Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi and Wuxy Wanda Theme Park.
The other focus of the company is Z+ – the new business division of Zamperla born to create new experiences using the latest hi-tech developments applied to rides. A new VR Box is also coming, while a new version of Windstarz will be presented too. This eight arm version of the model is a more compact version of the ride and is perfect for malls and FECs.
Vekoma Booth #5134 Every year, millions of people across the globe are delighted, thrilled and profoundly moved by the coasters and attractions that bear the Vekoma brand. Some of the world's most popular visitor attractions work with Vekoma to us to create unique experiences that move their business to the next level. Vekoma management will be on hand to discuss its biggest and brightest projects and everything it can do to help you boost your attraction.
Vekoma’s Boomerang ride gives the experience of riding both forwards and backwards
Holovis Booth #778 Holovis is ‘re-volving’ Flying Theatres by advancing this attraction format from a traditional passive lean-back experience into an active one that actually delivers true sensations of flying.
A uniquely developed 5-DOF motion system securely holds up to 100 guests tilted into a prone position before elevating them over a highly immersive, ultra-high-resolution dome screen to deliver the single most compelling and completely unique flying experience ever created.
Holovis is showcasing its new flying theatre format at this year’s IAAPA
Simtec Booth #1059 Simtec is presenting its ScreenFlite media information system under the name of Le Chandelier at Rome Fiumicino Airport.
ScreenFlite puts ads, information and messages in motion, and is an kind eye-catcher for passers by. Twelve LED-displays are mounted on individual scissor arms, which are mounted on three horizontal rings. The three rings are stacked at the centre of the system and can be rotated jointly or against each other.
Huss Booth #4624 Huss Park Attractions GmbH has announced that the first project of its Explorer film based attraction will open at Cancun’s Riviera Maya in Mexico in 2019 at the new Amikoo Resort Destination Theme Park, currently being developed and scheduled to open next year. Presented at IAAPA, visit the Huss Booth to find out about all it can offer your visitor attraction.
CentreEdge Software Booth #1846 Stop by the CentreEdge booth to discuss your point of sale software needs. Offering the total package when it comes to software that drives your FEC or amusement park, CentreEdge has created an affordable, best-in-class solution to bring reliability, consistency and efficiency to visitor facilities, helping run your business smarter.
iPlayCO & FEC Builders Booth #4063 Booth #6062 iPlayCO and FEC Builders are global designers and manufacturers of fun indoor playground equipment and interactive play structures. Their latest installation is Ant World. iPlayCO also offer FEC development and turnkey solutions, and are showcasing their new Super Heroes booth featuring the cityscapes, turbo slide and a Tuff Stuff soft sculpted foam themed car.
iPlayCO and FEC Builders are leading global designers and manufacturers of interactive play structures
Vortex Booth #1373 For the first time, Vortex International is introducing RiverQuest – a family adventure attraction that combines the thrills of traditional river rides and waterslides with multi-sensory dreamscapes. It offers multiple discovery routes, multimedia tunnels and stimulating passageways that maximise thrills in ways even young children will enjoy. Featuring a serpentine current that veers off into different paths, RiverQuest employs special effects and multimedia water-theaters to broaden family demographics and simplify theme integration.
Vortex is introducing RiverQuest – an attraction that combines a traditional river rides and waterslides with multi-sensory dreamscapes
Aquatic Development Group Booth #2646 ADG successfully designed and built two of their Water Rides in 2018. In Ohio, the company opened their second Adventure Lagoon at Zoombezi Bay. Dubbed "Otter Banks", this project was the third expansion that ADG worked on for the park. Canobie Lake in New Hampshire chose ADG’s Tidal River water ride to be their anchor attraction for its waterpark expansion, along with a new slide tower, kids play area, and increased decking for lounge, cabanas and food and beverage outlets.
Lagotronics Booth #5103 Lagotronics Projects’ team has announced plans to open a new GameChanger attraction. Coming to an FEC with an "amazing and well known IP" more information will be released as IAAPA approaches. At its booth, Lagotronics Projects will be showing a wide range of interactive experiences. From interactive dark rides for theme and amusement parks, to immersive interactive experiences for FECs and museums.
The Lagotronics’ team will be on-hand to discuss its portfolio
Intamin Booth #3424 Intamin’s record-breaking Rapids Ride “Infinity Falls” (see p58) successfully started operation at SeaWorld Orlando in October. Infinity Falls features roaring rapids, soaking fountains and a record-setting 12m (39ft) drop, all against the backdrop of a rainforest utopia. At this year’s show, Intamin will be presenting a number of new LSM launch coasters, family launch coasters, tower rides and several different water rides.
The Producers Group Booth #260 The Producers Group (TPG) specialises in turnkey attractions, production management, technical design and content development for everything from small projects to entire theme parks. TPG creates attractions and guest experiences worldwide, maintaining a full-time, in-house staff of highly trained show producers, project managers, technical directors, technical managers, technical documentation support staff, and specialised designers of all disciplines. Visit TPG's booth to find out more about their services.
Walltopia Booth #1346 Walltopia will debut its newest product in Orlando – Ropetopia Curves. It’s a next generation ropes course with an entirely new belay line that unlocks limitless design possibilities. Ropetopia Curves leads to a much higher throughput than the standard ropes courses due to its single-direction progression. The modernistic design also solves architectural problems with its easy implementation in otherwise unusable spaces with complicated footprint.
Intercard Booth #1324 Intercard will introduce its new Edge Mobile App Collection at the IAAPA. The collection includes the popular iService arcade management tool and new apps for card replenishment and inventory management.
The iService app makes it simple to track and manage every game at one or more locations. Users can remotely put a game out of service for maintenance and technicians can use it to track repairs and when the game was placed back into service. All information is automatically updated on the server and in the cloud.
Triotech Booth #1578 Triotech’s Team Battle is a first-of-its-kind high capacity dueling interactive attraction. This unique experience features two teams battling it out in an oversized multi-sensorial arena. Team Battle is based on Triotech's award-winning XD Dark Ride Interactive theater. Using new technology and game-play design, the experience features both team and individual scoring elements which drive interactivity and provide high replay value.
Team Battle is based on Triotech's award-winning XD Dark Ride Interactive theater. The dueling attraction is themed on the popular Rabbids IP
Rocas & Design Booth #275 As a worldwide leader in providing turnkey theming solutions, Rocas & Design, is introducing its latest projects at this year’s IAAPA.
In Middle East, “Angry Birds World” recently opened its door in Doha with great success. Rocas will also present the design and theming of "Island of Legends" in Sharjah and its participation in major project currently underway in Qatar.
Penny Press Booth #806 Penny Press Factory continues to supply its GEM penny press to theme parks and attractions around the world. The innovative Penny Press features contactless payment, internal token dispenser and wireless income reporting. The latest installation was at the QE2 in Dubai, UAE. Penny Press Factory are actively searching for distributors around the world.
Simex-Iwerks Booth #2281 Come see Simex-Iwerks' flying 4D Vertical Experience demo and learn about the company's exciting new film partnership that combines new content with the thrilling sense of flight.
The company will also introduce a number of new attractions films, including three Warner Bros titles – Wonder Woman, IT, and the family-friendly adventure, Smallfoot.
Visit the Simex-Iwerks booth during this year's show to learn how you can bring these blockbuster titles to your visitor attraction.
More than 35,000 people are expected to attend this year’s show
This year’s IAAPA Expo celebrates 100 years of the organisation and is expected to draw more than 35,000 industry professionals from more than 100 countries to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, US.
The expo is the world’s largest conference and trade show for the attractions industry, which has an estimated US$360bn global economic impact. Alongside its vast show floor, IAAPA offers a programme of more than 100 educational sessions and presentations by leading operators on industry trends, new technology, marketing and communications, entertainment, government relations, safety and security, food and beverage, games and merchandise, facility operations, human resources, and more.
This year’s keynote speaker is Disney’s Parks and Resorts chair Bob Chapek, who will talk at the GM and Owners’ Breakfast on 14 November, offering insight into his more than 25 years of leadership at the global entertainment giant.
The conference takes place from 12-15 November and the trade show from 13-16 November. Buyers and decisionmakers from the world of theme parks, waterparks, FECs, zoos and aquariums, and museums will all be in attendance for the event.
The trade show floor will fill 560,000sq ft (52,000sq m) of exhibit space with more than 1,100 exhibiting companies displaying the latest products and services. For the first time in Expo history, the show floor will extend beyond the walls of the convention center into outdoor structures created just for the event. Dubbed the “Exploration Station,” this area creates new exhibit space for more than 100 exhibiting companies.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Rides: Themed dreams
We take a look at some of the major
openings at visitor attractions worldwide
Theme Parks: Fan power
Jordan Middleton explains how operators
can best work with their audiences
Tourism: The Tourist Trap
What role could attractions play to keep
tourism beneficial for residents and
visitors alike? Kath Hudson reports
Conference: Creativity Cocktail
This year’s SATE conference came to the global epicentre for themed entertainment – Orlando – as the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) searched for the secrets to “The Experience Recipe”.
Promotional feature: Whitewater
WhiteWater is branching out of the waterpark business as it
introduces two new attractions products and its brand new
Vantage guest engagement and management software
Show report: Enabling fun
Tom Anstey was on-hand to see what was
on offer at this year’s Euro Attractions Show
Promotional feature: Simtec - forward thinking
Simtec is a flying theatre and simulator ride supplier
for the attractions industry, as well as a manufacturer
of driving and flight simulation applications
JRA Booth #1369 JRA is providing masterplanning, design, and project management for the Mascot Hall of Fame, located in Whiting, Indiana, US. Set to open in early 2019, this 25,000sq ft (2,300sq m), family fun zone aims to make people laugh and draw them closer to the teams they love, while educating families on the art and science of mascots.
Offering permanent exhibits, activities, and plenty of fuzzy, feathery shenanigans, this whimsical attraction is expected to welcome 50,000 visitors each year. See this project and more at the JRA booth.
JRA is masterplanning the Mascot Hall of Fame in Whiting, Indiana, US
Zamperla Booth #2224-2231 Zamperla is set to present new rollercoaster concepts at this year’s IAAPA, with new openings at Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi and Wuxy Wanda Theme Park.
The other focus of the company is Z+ – the new business division of Zamperla born to create new experiences using the latest hi-tech developments applied to rides. A new VR Box is also coming, while a new version of Windstarz will be presented too. This eight arm version of the model is a more compact version of the ride and is perfect for malls and FECs.
Vekoma Booth #5134 Every year, millions of people across the globe are delighted, thrilled and profoundly moved by the coasters and attractions that bear the Vekoma brand. Some of the world's most popular visitor attractions work with Vekoma to us to create unique experiences that move their business to the next level. Vekoma management will be on hand to discuss its biggest and brightest projects and everything it can do to help you boost your attraction.
Vekoma’s Boomerang ride gives the experience of riding both forwards and backwards
Holovis Booth #778 Holovis is ‘re-volving’ Flying Theatres by advancing this attraction format from a traditional passive lean-back experience into an active one that actually delivers true sensations of flying.
A uniquely developed 5-DOF motion system securely holds up to 100 guests tilted into a prone position before elevating them over a highly immersive, ultra-high-resolution dome screen to deliver the single most compelling and completely unique flying experience ever created.
Holovis is showcasing its new flying theatre format at this year’s IAAPA
Simtec Booth #1059 Simtec is presenting its ScreenFlite media information system under the name of Le Chandelier at Rome Fiumicino Airport.
ScreenFlite puts ads, information and messages in motion, and is an kind eye-catcher for passers by. Twelve LED-displays are mounted on individual scissor arms, which are mounted on three horizontal rings. The three rings are stacked at the centre of the system and can be rotated jointly or against each other.
Huss Booth #4624 Huss Park Attractions GmbH has announced that the first project of its Explorer film based attraction will open at Cancun’s Riviera Maya in Mexico in 2019 at the new Amikoo Resort Destination Theme Park, currently being developed and scheduled to open next year. Presented at IAAPA, visit the Huss Booth to find out about all it can offer your visitor attraction.
CentreEdge Software Booth #1846 Stop by the CentreEdge booth to discuss your point of sale software needs. Offering the total package when it comes to software that drives your FEC or amusement park, CentreEdge has created an affordable, best-in-class solution to bring reliability, consistency and efficiency to visitor facilities, helping run your business smarter.
iPlayCO & FEC Builders Booth #4063 Booth #6062 iPlayCO and FEC Builders are global designers and manufacturers of fun indoor playground equipment and interactive play structures. Their latest installation is Ant World. iPlayCO also offer FEC development and turnkey solutions, and are showcasing their new Super Heroes booth featuring the cityscapes, turbo slide and a Tuff Stuff soft sculpted foam themed car.
iPlayCO and FEC Builders are leading global designers and manufacturers of interactive play structures
Vortex Booth #1373 For the first time, Vortex International is introducing RiverQuest – a family adventure attraction that combines the thrills of traditional river rides and waterslides with multi-sensory dreamscapes. It offers multiple discovery routes, multimedia tunnels and stimulating passageways that maximise thrills in ways even young children will enjoy. Featuring a serpentine current that veers off into different paths, RiverQuest employs special effects and multimedia water-theaters to broaden family demographics and simplify theme integration.
Vortex is introducing RiverQuest – an attraction that combines a traditional river rides and waterslides with multi-sensory dreamscapes
Aquatic Development Group Booth #2646 ADG successfully designed and built two of their Water Rides in 2018. In Ohio, the company opened their second Adventure Lagoon at Zoombezi Bay. Dubbed "Otter Banks", this project was the third expansion that ADG worked on for the park. Canobie Lake in New Hampshire chose ADG’s Tidal River water ride to be their anchor attraction for its waterpark expansion, along with a new slide tower, kids play area, and increased decking for lounge, cabanas and food and beverage outlets.
Lagotronics Booth #5103 Lagotronics Projects’ team has announced plans to open a new GameChanger attraction. Coming to an FEC with an "amazing and well known IP" more information will be released as IAAPA approaches. At its booth, Lagotronics Projects will be showing a wide range of interactive experiences. From interactive dark rides for theme and amusement parks, to immersive interactive experiences for FECs and museums.
The Lagotronics’ team will be on-hand to discuss its portfolio
Intamin Booth #3424 Intamin’s record-breaking Rapids Ride “Infinity Falls” (see p58) successfully started operation at SeaWorld Orlando in October. Infinity Falls features roaring rapids, soaking fountains and a record-setting 12m (39ft) drop, all against the backdrop of a rainforest utopia. At this year’s show, Intamin will be presenting a number of new LSM launch coasters, family launch coasters, tower rides and several different water rides.
The Producers Group Booth #260 The Producers Group (TPG) specialises in turnkey attractions, production management, technical design and content development for everything from small projects to entire theme parks. TPG creates attractions and guest experiences worldwide, maintaining a full-time, in-house staff of highly trained show producers, project managers, technical directors, technical managers, technical documentation support staff, and specialised designers of all disciplines. Visit TPG's booth to find out more about their services.
Walltopia Booth #1346 Walltopia will debut its newest product in Orlando – Ropetopia Curves. It’s a next generation ropes course with an entirely new belay line that unlocks limitless design possibilities. Ropetopia Curves leads to a much higher throughput than the standard ropes courses due to its single-direction progression. The modernistic design also solves architectural problems with its easy implementation in otherwise unusable spaces with complicated footprint.
Intercard Booth #1324 Intercard will introduce its new Edge Mobile App Collection at the IAAPA. The collection includes the popular iService arcade management tool and new apps for card replenishment and inventory management.
The iService app makes it simple to track and manage every game at one or more locations. Users can remotely put a game out of service for maintenance and technicians can use it to track repairs and when the game was placed back into service. All information is automatically updated on the server and in the cloud.
Triotech Booth #1578 Triotech’s Team Battle is a first-of-its-kind high capacity dueling interactive attraction. This unique experience features two teams battling it out in an oversized multi-sensorial arena. Team Battle is based on Triotech's award-winning XD Dark Ride Interactive theater. Using new technology and game-play design, the experience features both team and individual scoring elements which drive interactivity and provide high replay value.
Team Battle is based on Triotech's award-winning XD Dark Ride Interactive theater. The dueling attraction is themed on the popular Rabbids IP
Rocas & Design Booth #275 As a worldwide leader in providing turnkey theming solutions, Rocas & Design, is introducing its latest projects at this year’s IAAPA.
In Middle East, “Angry Birds World” recently opened its door in Doha with great success. Rocas will also present the design and theming of "Island of Legends" in Sharjah and its participation in major project currently underway in Qatar.
Penny Press Booth #806 Penny Press Factory continues to supply its GEM penny press to theme parks and attractions around the world. The innovative Penny Press features contactless payment, internal token dispenser and wireless income reporting. The latest installation was at the QE2 in Dubai, UAE. Penny Press Factory are actively searching for distributors around the world.
Simex-Iwerks Booth #2281 Come see Simex-Iwerks' flying 4D Vertical Experience demo and learn about the company's exciting new film partnership that combines new content with the thrilling sense of flight.
The company will also introduce a number of new attractions films, including three Warner Bros titles – Wonder Woman, IT, and the family-friendly adventure, Smallfoot.
Visit the Simex-Iwerks booth during this year's show to learn how you can bring these blockbuster titles to your visitor attraction.
The UK spa review and discovery platform for consumers, the Good Spa Guide, has announced
it will host the Good Spa Guide Awards 2026 during an event on 16 November at Sopwell House
Hotel in St Albans, UK.
Eighty-four per cent of consumers now say wellness is a top priority in their lives, with this
percentage increasing year on year, according to a preview presentation of McKinsey’s Future of
Wellness 2026 research report.
Mass protests have been taking place since Monday 1 June in Albania over the development of
a luxury resort by Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its
site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, will imminently unveil its most significant
redevelopment since its launch in 2002 to create an integrated wellness model combining
training, recovery and relaxation.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth, on the northeast coast of Saint Barthélemy in the French
West Indies, is offering a programme of ocean-inspired yoga classes between 8-14 June to
celebrate Global Wellness Day (GWD).
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, in Malaysia, has revealed a schedule for Global Wellness Day
(GWD) that includes guided rainforest walks, mindful movement and guided coastal meditation
experiences.
