IAAPA is to honour Blackpool Pleasure Beach – one of the UK’s top tourist attractions – at its show in London next month.
The trade association will use IAAPA Europe Expo, to be held at ExCeL in London, September 12-15 to fete the famous amusement park that has enjoyed a near-100-year relationship with the trade association.
The park’s founder, William G. Bean, attended the IAAPA general meeting in 1923 and became the first member from outside North America.
At this year’s expo the Pleasure Beach’s CEO, Amanda Thompson OBE, will be awarded with a 75+Year Member Ribbon that will only be worn by Blackpool Pleasure Beach staff during the event.
This honour acknowledges the relationship between the two organisations as the show returns to London for the first time since 2011.
Thompson said: “I’m delighted that Blackpool Pleasure Beach is to receive this prestigious accolade. Our park and IAAPA have a long and illustrious history together.
"Not only did I serve as chairman in 2020 and 2021, the first European woman to do so, but my father also held the same position.”
