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Industry legends Joan Ganz Cooney, Xavier Lopez Ancona, Darrell Metzger and Dennis Speigel are all set to be inducted into IAAPA’s prestigious Hall of Fame at this month’s IAAPA Expo
Tom Anstey | Planet Attractions | 01 Nov 2022
IAAPA has announced this year’s inductees into its prestigious Hall of Fame, with Joan Ganz Cooney, Xavier Lopez Ancona, Darrell Metzger and Dennis Speigel all set to receive the honour at this year’s IAAPA Expo in Orlando, Florida.
Celebrating and honouring the extraordinary pioneers who have seen their personal dreams through to completion for the growth and betterment of the entire industry, the ranks of the IAAPA Hall of Fame feature many of the finest leaders of the global attractions industry, with the inductees representing decades of innovation that has shaped the industry across a number of brands and sectors.
The first inductee, Joan Ganz Cooney is a pioneer in the edutainment sector.
Working on projects including Sesame Place, KidZania and Legoland, Cooney’s influence is seen in interactive exhibits at museums and zoos, education-based programming incorporated into attractions, and in FECs. She is also one of the founders of Sesame Workshop (formerly Children's Television Workshop) - the organisation famous for the creation of Sesame Street, which she also co-created.
Second to be inducted is Xavier Lopez Ancona, the man behind the incredibly successful KidZania, which is a roleplaying edutainment concept for children that operates in locations all over the world.
The KidZania concept was a completely new approach to children's attractions, allowing kids to play as adults in a city built to their scale. Bringing his business and consulting experience to the concept, he thought outside of industry norms and created the links with businesses, brands and sponsors that underpin the business model and drive KidZania's success.
The third name announced is Darrell Metzger, someone who has worked for more than four decades in the attractions industry, building a successful global track record in the process of the development, operation and revival of leisure, resort and residential communities and attractions.
Metzger’s professional highlights include Disneyland Resort, California; Tokyo Disney Resort, Tokyo; Ocean Park Resort, Hong Kong; Atlantis Adventures, Hawaii; Sentosa Island Resort, Singapore; and Legoland Resort, Malaysia. On these projects and more, he built excellent expertise in the positioning and repositioning of major destinations, theme parks and resorts.
The final inductee for 2022 is Dennis Speigel, someone with more than 60 years of experience in the amusement and leisure industries.
Starting at age 13 as a ticket taker at Coney Island Amusement Park in Cincinnati, Speigel has since travelled the world advising and consulting investors, bankers, developers, students, enthusiasts, researchers, suppliers, and buyers. His professional highlights include Kings Island, Ohio; Taft Broadcasting, Virginia; and founding International Theme Park Services (ITPS). Founded in 1983, ITPS has worked on over 500 projects in 55 countries.
“We could not be more thrilled with this year’s Hall of Fame inductees,” said Michael Collins, chairman of the IAAPA Hall of Fame and Archives Committee and senior partner with Leisure Development Partners LLP.
“These four individuals truly represent more than 100 years of influence and imagination that has resonated throughout our industry.”
IAAPA 2022
Taking place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, from November 14-17, this year’s IAAPA Expo will feature an extensive trade show floor with more than 1,000 exhibitors from around the world and a comprehensive education programme with more than 200 sessions covering topics such as emergency preparedness, community experience, food and beverage and recruitment. A series of exciting networking opportunities will also be on offer.
Having served as a key media partner at the 2022 edition of IAAPA Expo Europe in London, Planet Attractions will also be in attendance, bringing you the latest updates directly from the show floor. To book a meeting with Planet Attractions at IAAPA Expo please contact our publisher Paul Thorman. Email him at [email protected].
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