Amanda Thompson OBE, managing director of Blackpool Pleasure Beach in the United Kingdom, became IAAPA’s 2020 chairman of the board of directors, according to the association. IAAPA also announced its entire 2020 board at the expo’s kickoff event on Nov. 19.
Thompson has lifelong experience in the industry; her great-grandfather, William Bean, established Blackpool Pleasure Beach in 1896. She has been its managing director since 2004. Her election marks the first time a second member of the same family has chaired the global trade association. She is also the first female chair from Europe.
Other 2020 officers include Ken Whiting, first vice chairman and president at Whiting’s Foods; Jim Pattison, second vice chairman and president of Ripley Entertainment; Curt Caffey, treasurer and president of the water parks division at ProParks Management; David Rosenberg, immediate past chairman and vice president at Monterey Bay Aquarium; and IAAPA president and CEO Hal McEvoy. A full list is available at www.iaapa.org/board.
IAAPA also inducted two industry pioneers into its Hall of Fame: Frederick “Fred” Langford and Alberto Zamperla. Langford is “an architect, inventor, designer and dreamer,” IAAPA noted, and is considered by many to be the creator of the modern-day waterslide. Zamperla is the maker of rides like Rocking Tug, Disko, Air Race and Magic Bikes. His company manufactures 200 rides annually.
“We are deeply proud to welcome these outstanding industry leaders into the IAAPA Hall of Fame,” said Michael Collins, 2019 chairman of the IAAPA Hall of Fame and Archives Committee. “Fred Langford and Alberto Zamperla truly embody what the attractions industry represents – ingenuity, creativity, passion and leadership. We are honored by their commitment and contributions.”