There are major changes to the Applause Award, given out by Swedish theme park Liseberg biannually since 1980, to honour parks whose accomplishments have inspired the industry.
From 2024 it will become an annual award, and also the scope of the award will be broadened to include other types of attractions – for example water parks, zoos, and resorts.
“The Applause Award was one of the first awards celebrating the amusement and theme park industry”, said Andreas Veilstrup Andersen, president and CEO, Liseberg Group and chairman of the Applause Award Board of Governors.
“With the transition into an annual award, and with a somewhat broader definition of what an amusement or theme park can look like in the 21st century, the award will continue to stay relevant and even better reflect the ever-evolving attractions industry.”
“We are very excited that the Applause Award will join IAAPA Honors. The idea with this new event is to celebrate excellence in the global attractions industry but also put an emphasis on what each one of the attendees can learn from the award winners to improve their own business,” said Jakob Wahl, CEO and president of IAAPA.
The Applause Award will move from an IAAPA Expo timeslot to the new IAAPA Honors celebration, taking place for the first time in Las Vegas on March 3, 2024. IAAPA Honors will celebrate the 2024 IAAPA Hall of Fame inductees, the 2024 IAAPA Service and Young Professional honorees, and winners of the IAAPA Brass Ring Awards.
The winner of the 2024 Applause Award will be announced at the IAAPA Honors ceremony.
