More detail is coming through of the first Middle East and North Africa Leisure, Entertainment and Attractions Industry Awards and Gala, to be held on the evening of April 10, 2018.

MENALAC, the region’s trade association, is sponsoring the event and it is expected that there will be intense competition for the coveted awards, which will cover a total of 16 categories. A panel of independent judges will evaluate entries and their decisions will be compiled into a short list of three by an audit company.

At the Gala Dinner on April 10, the ‘Oscar’-style setting will see the final winners kept strictly secret until the last moment.

The evening is being organised by a MENALAC events committee, headed by Landmark Leisure’s Silvio Liedtke and honorary secretary Prakash Vivekanand, who commented: “There are so many high-quality operations in the Middle East region that reflect substantial investment and detailed planning. It is good that we are able to celebrate what the industry has done.”

Added Vivekanand: “With the awards we can showcase those achievements to the world.”

The categories would include the best in each of 14 tests: theme park, FEC, water park, unique visitor attraction, edutainment/playscape product, sport/adventure based entertainment, new leisure/entertainment concept, CSR programme by a leisure/entertainment company, innovation in health and safety, employees’ engagement initiative, customer loyalty programme, sales and marketing campaign, establishment manager (below 250,000 visitors), entertainment manager (above 250,000 visitors) and finally two more sections for the leisure and entertainment personality of the year and the leisure and entertainment lifetime achievement to enter the MENALAC Hall of Fame.

The event coincides with the second day of the DEAL trade show, being held April 9-11 at the World Trade Centre.