† Leisure Industry Mourns Passing of Designer Legend Ton van de Ven

He was one of the greatest designers of the European theme park industry: Ton van de Ven, particularly well-known for his “Dreamflight” attraction in Efteling, passed away at the age of 71 on 16 September 2015.

Born in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, Van de Ven started his career within the leisure industry in the mid-60s when he started to work at Efteling under the leadership of Anton Pieck. Ton van de Ven’s “masterpieces” include the two dark ride attractions “Dreamflight” and “Fata Morgana” at Efteling, which is the biggest amusement park in the Netherlands today with 4.35 million visitors per year. In 1975 Van de Ven became creative director at Efteling following in the footsteps of his mentor Pieck. He held this position for 22 successful years and resigned in 2002. He ended his active career in 2003 to concentrate on his artistic abilities as an artist and sculptor. The industry mourns the passing of a true “master” whose creative heritage will continue to influence the amusement and theme parks of this world for many years to come. Read our article on Ton van de Ven, his life and inspirations in EAP, issue 1/2011. (eap)