Amanda
Thompson, Bob Rippy, and Tom Mehrmann headline
CEO Speak event at IAAPA Attractions Expo 2013
CEO Speak event at IAAPA Attractions Expo 2013
(June
21, 2013) Amanda Thompson, managing director of Blackpool Pleasure Beach in the
UK; Bob Rippy, president of Jungle Rapids/Wrightsville Farms Management Group,
Inc. in the USA; and Tom Mehrmann, chief executive of Ocean Park Corp. in Hong
Kong will participate in CEO Speak, a leadership panel discussion on Tuesday,
Nov. 19, at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC), as part of IAAPA
Attractions Expo 2013 in Orlando, Florida.
Thompson,
Rippy, and Mehrmann will share insights on creating success by increasing
personal leadership capacity. Discussion topics will include how to lead to
create high-impact guest satisfaction and service on a daily basis, increase
employee retention and workplace satisfaction, and strategically bring brands to
life.
“This
year’s CEO Speak panel features three of the industry’s most interesting and
insightful leaders hailing from all over the world,” said IAAPA president and
CEO Paul Noland. “This is a must-see event.”
Amanda
Thompson became managing director of Blackpool Pleasure Beach in 2004 after
serving as deputy managing director of the family-owned resort complex since
2000 and as a director for 15 years prior. Thompson also serves as president of
Stageworks Worldwide Productions, an entertainment and production company she
formed in 1982. She is a member of the IAAPA Board of Directors and the IAAPA
European Advisory Committee.
Bob
Rippy held positions as a school science teacher, a car wash owner, and a Wall
Street executive before he became a partner at Jungle Rapids, a family
entertainment center in Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1985. Rippy purchased
Jungle Rapids in 1990, and today it’s a 16-acre FEC that employs 40 year-round
employees and 125 seasonal employees. Rippy served as IAAPA Chairman in 2011.
Tom
Mehrmann has been in the theme park industry since 1977, when he began his
career as a park service attendant at Knott’s Berry Farm in California. From
there, he has worked his way to upper management, holding positions as vice
president of park operations and entertainment at Knott’s Berry Farm, vice
president and general manager of Six Flags Marine World, and vice president and
general manager of Warner Brothers Movie World. Mehrmann joined Ocean Park Corp.
in 2004 and serves as its chief executive.
For
more information about this event, please visit www.IAAPA.org/expos/IAAPA-attractions-expo-2013/education/education-programs-tuesday.
About
IAAPA Attractions Expo 2013
IAAPA Attractions Expo 2013 is the largest conference and trade show in the world for the attractions industry. With its theme “Imagine the Possibilities,” the show will take place Monday, Nov. 18 through Friday, Nov. 22, in the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, and host more than 25,000 industry professionals from 100 countries. The trade show floor will be open Tuesday, Nov. 19, through Friday, Nov. 22. IAAPA Attractions Expo 2013 offers a full week of business opportunities, networking events, and educational experiences and features new ideas and products. Highlights of IAAPA Attractions Expo 2013 include a behind-the-scenes tour of Epcot at the Disney at Dawn event, the IAAPA Celebrates event at SeaWorld Orlando’s newest attraction Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, and more. www.IAAPA.org/IAAPAAttractionsExpo.
IAAPA Attractions Expo 2013 is the largest conference and trade show in the world for the attractions industry. With its theme “Imagine the Possibilities,” the show will take place Monday, Nov. 18 through Friday, Nov. 22, in the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, and host more than 25,000 industry professionals from 100 countries. The trade show floor will be open Tuesday, Nov. 19, through Friday, Nov. 22. IAAPA Attractions Expo 2013 offers a full week of business opportunities, networking events, and educational experiences and features new ideas and products. Highlights of IAAPA Attractions Expo 2013 include a behind-the-scenes tour of Epcot at the Disney at Dawn event, the IAAPA Celebrates event at SeaWorld Orlando’s newest attraction Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, and more. www.IAAPA.org/IAAPAAttractionsExpo.
About
IAAPA
Founded in 1918, IAAPA is the largest international trade association for permanently situated amusement facilities and attractions and the industry’s suppliers, and is dedicated to the preservation and prosperity of the attractions industry. The association’s global headquarters is in Alexandria, Virginia, United States, and it maintains regional offices in Brussels, Mexico City, and Hong Kong. www.IAAPA.org
Founded in 1918, IAAPA is the largest international trade association for permanently situated amusement facilities and attractions and the industry’s suppliers, and is dedicated to the preservation and prosperity of the attractions industry. The association’s global headquarters is in Alexandria, Virginia, United States, and it maintains regional offices in Brussels, Mexico City, and Hong Kong. www.IAAPA.org
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Kevin Yee is the author of numerous independent Disney books, including the popular Walt Disney World Earbook series and Walt Disney World Hidden History.
