30th Thea Awards Presented to Winners during Hollywood Gala

(eap) This past Saturday, during a festive gala in Hollywood (Los Angeles, California), the “30^th Thea Awards” by the Themed Entertainment Association were officially presented to the winners. “Tonight, we not only celebrate excellence in themed entertainment, but we also celebrate 30 years of the Thea Awards. […] Today, the TEA encompasses more than 20,000 individual members, across 1,500 member companies. Our members come from 40 countries across five continents and tonight some 80 percent of the Thea Award winners are from outside of North America. A big thank you to all who travelled here! Welcome to Hollywood!,” welcomed TEA International Board President Melissa Oviedo the gala audience.

Several Thea Awards went to Europe (c.f. EAP News of 21 Nov 2023). The “Thea Classic Award” went to Sweden’s traditional amusement park Liseberg, for which Liseberg Group CEO Andreas Andersen accepted the prize: “One of the privileges working for a very old company is the fact that you get many perspectives. History tends to repeat itself, everything has happened before, the good and the bad. And when it comes to the latter you also realize that most cases work themselves out. But this has in fact not happened before – receiving the Thea Classic Award – and it won’t happen again. I feel very honored to be the one who accepts the award on behalf of the entire Liseberg team, the current and the past,” said Andreas Andersen at the award ceremony. Last year, Liseberg celebrated its 100^th anniversary and opened the Grand Curiosa Hotel, the park's first overnight accommodation (see EAP 4/2023).

In the “Experiential Dining Attraction” category, Eatrenalin was honored with a Thea Award. Eatrenalin developer and Managing Director of Europa-Park Thomas Mack, business partner Oliver Altherr (gastronomy expert & CEO of Marché International) and Creative Director Katja Mack traveled to Hollywood to receive the award. “The TEA Thea Award is one of the most important recognitions for our concept of creating the world’s most exciting gastronomic experience that appeals to all of our guests’ senses at the highest level,” explained Oliver Altherr. Thomas Mack added, “The award confirms our passion for innovation and the continuous search for extraordinary experiences for our guests.” Learn more about Eatrenalin in the cover story of EAP issue 6/2022.

Another prize went to Germany: in the “Museum Attraction, Limited Budget” category, the Deutschlandmuseum in Berlin, which opened in summer 2023, was able to impress with the immersive way of telling German history within an experiential tour. Museum Director Robert Rückel and Creative Director Chris Lange (Creative Studio Berlin) accepted the award in Hollywood. “[...] Today we can dispel the prejudice that German museums are boring. Receiving the Thea Award is a confirmation that the Deutschlandmuseum has succeeded in combining dynamic storytelling with the excitement of a theme park. This is the achievement of our dedicated employees and external partners, some of whom I have been developing and realizing ideas with for years. A big thank you goes to everyone involved!" said Robert Rückel proudly.

A complete list of all the winners of the 30^th Thea Awards can be found here. ■