USA/Europe: Amanda Thompson OBE Elected Second Vice Chair of IAAPA Board of Directors

As officially announced by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) this week, Amanda Thompson OBE, Managing Director of British Blackpool Pleasure Beach amusement park, has been elected Second Vice Chairman of the IAAPA Board of Directors, effective 2018. She will become First Vice Chair in 2019 and then lead the global attractions industry trade association as its Chairman of the Board in 2020.

“Amanda’s firsthand knowledge of leading a successful family owned business and her diverse industry experience make her the perfect person for this role. She is an attractions industry leader and a long-time IAAPA volunteer. All of this, coupled with her passion for the industry make her the right leader at the right time for IAAPA,” said Mario Mamon, Chairman of the IAAPA Governance Committee and President and CEO of Enchanted Kingdom in the Philippines.

“Thanks to my grandfather, Blackpool Pleasure Beach became the first IAAPA member outside the United States when he joined the association in 1935. My father, Geoffrey Thompson, was the Chairman of the IAAPA Board in 1996,” said Thompson. “Today, I’m excited for this opportunity to give back to this industry I love. It’s been a part of our family and our family business for many decades. I want to ensure that IAAPA is the global association of our industry and that we support and serve our members in all regions. Our industry employs more than two million globally, so it is a key industry, and a great industry to work in. I hope to serve as a role model for the increasing number of young women leaders in the attractions industry,” she added. Thompson is the first woman from Europe to chair the global trade association. (eap)