The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) presented its annual Brass Ring Awards on Wednesday, November 14, during IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando.
As always, the winners were wide-ranging from across the industry. Here’s who and what won.
Top Family Entertainment Centre (FEC) of the World
- Jake’s Unlimited, Mesa, Arizona, USA
Food and Beverage Excellence
- Best New Menu Item – Annual Attendance Less than 1 Million: Poopies and Poopcakes, Skånes Djurpark, Sweden
- Best New Menu Item – Annual Attendance More than 1 Million: Chicken Bacon Ranch Tater Bowl, Palace Entertainment, Newport Beach, California, USA
Games and Retail Excellence
- Best Plush: Gillie Guinea Pig Plush, Zoomars Petting Zoo, California, USA
- Best Apparel: Killer Croc Flat Brim Cap, Warner Bros. Movie World, Gold Coast, Australia
- Best Hard Good Item: Light Up Slinky Dog, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World, USA
- Best Store Visual Merchandising: Europa-Park Factory Shop powered by Majorette, Europa-Park, Germany
Human Resources Excellence
- Best Employee Engagement Initiative – Annual Attendance Less than 1 Million: Great Wolf Lodge Niagara Falls, Canada
- Best Employee Engagement Initiative – Annual Attendance More than 1 Million: Dolphin Way at Work, Grupo Dolphin Discovery, Mexico
- Best Employee Reward and Recognition Program – Annual Attendance Less than 1 Million:
Skånes Djurpark, Sweden
- Best Employee Reward and Recognition Program – Annual Attendance More than 1 Million:
Denver Zoo, USA
- Best Innovation in a Training Program – Annual Attendance Less than 1 Million:
Skånes Djurpark, Sweden
- Best Innovation in a Training Program – Annual Attendance More than 1 Million:
Hersheypark, USA
Sweden’s Skånes Djurpark – winner of multiple Brass Ring Awards
Live Entertainment Excellence
- Best Atmosphere/Street Show Performance/Act: Sesame Street Party Parade, SeaWorld San Diego, USA
- Best Performer: Sabrina Marlene, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, USA
- Best Live ‘Edutainment’ Show: Ocean Resistance, Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, China
- Best Theatrical Production: Annual Attendance Less than 1 Million: Favola, Leolandia, Italy
- Best Theatrical Production: Annual Attendance More than 1 Million: Beauty and the Beast, Disney Parks Live Entertainment, USA
- Most Creative Christmas Show: The Enchanted Journey, Hersheypark, USA
- Most Creative Halloween Haunt, Show or Experience: Hell’s Grand Finale, Ocean Park, Hong Kong
- Most Creative Multimedia Spectacular: Celebrate! Tokyo Disneyland, Japan
- Most Creative Property-wide Event: Annual Attendance Less than 1 Million: Vivid Festival at Luna Park Sydney, Australia
- Most Creative Property-wide Event: Annual Attendance More than 1 Million: Summer Carnival 2018, Ocean Park, Hong Kong
- Most Creative Show Featuring Animals: Pets Rule, SeaWorld San Diego, USA
- Most Creative Sports/Stunt Show: Cirque Electrique, SeaWorld San Diego, USA
Haunted Mine Drop at Glenwood Caverns – winner of a Brass Ring Award for best PR campaign
Excellence in Marketing
- Best Digital Marketing Campaign: The Poopie Movie, Skånes Djurpark, Sweden
- Best Integrated Marketing Campaign: Ocean Park Hong Kong Drink’N Music Fest 2018
- Best Outdoor Advertisement: Your Visit Protects Wildlife, Africam Safari, Mexico
- Best Public Relations Campaign: Launch of Haunted Mine Drop, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, USA
- Best Radio or Streaming Audio Commercial: Time Traveler, Silver Dollar City, USA
- Best Social Media Campaign: The Poopie Movie, Skånes Djurpark, Sweden
- Best Television or Digital Video Commercial – Annual Attendance Less than 250,000:
Xenotes Live, Mexico
- Best Television or Digital Video Commercial: Annual Attendance 250,000 – 1 Million: Spökjakten, Furuvik Djurpark, Sweden
- Best Television or Digital Video Commercial – Annual Attendance More than 1 Million:
Lagoon: Summer Daze, Lagoon Amusement Park, USA
Spirit Award
The Spirit Award is given to the most outstanding person who works behind the scenes to support the high-quality entertainment value of the nominating attraction.
- Ulrich Grawunder, Europa-Park, Germany
IAAPA Attractions Expo – Best Exhibitor Awards
Legacy Entertainment’s award-winning booth
Image Award
- Innovative Concepts in Entertainment
Booth Size 100 – 199 Square Feet
- First Place: YourMapp
- Second Place: VITO Fryfilter
Booth Size 200 – 399 Square Feet.
- First Place: Imagination Corporation
- Second Place: WIPEOUT
Booth Size 400 – 499 Square Feet
- First Place: Eleventh Hour
- Second Place: S4 Lights
Booth Size 500 – 899 Square Feet
- First Place: TAF USA (Truss Aluminum Factory)
- Second Place: Weber Group
Booth Size 900 – 1,200 Square Feet
Booth Size 1,201 and Larger Square Feet
The SlideWheel by wiegand.maelzer
IAAPA Attractions Expo – Best New Product Awards
Impact Award
Major Ride/Attraction – Class A (Product cost of US$3 million or more)
- First Place: SlideWheel, wiegand.maelzer
- Second Place: Single Rail Raptor Roller Coaster,Rocky Mountain Construction
Major Ride/Attraction – Class B (Product cost of less than US$3 million)
- First Place: Justice League: A Call For Heroes walkthrough experience, Holovis
- Second Place: Skywarp, Ride Entertainment, Booth 5720
Kiddie Ride/Attraction – Class A (Standard Kiddie Ride/Attraction)
- First Place: Oscar’s Wacky Taxi, The Gravity Group
- Second Place: C Car Town, Shenyang Chuangqi Amusement Equipment Co
Kiddie Ride/Attraction – Class B (Coin-op Kiddie Ride/Attraction)
- First Place: KidSim Simulator, Falgas
- Second Place: DIABOLO, Falgas
Water Park Ride/Attraction – Class A (Product cost of US$2 million or more)
Water Park Ride/Attraction – Class B (Product cost of less than US$2 million)
- First Place: FlyingSAUCER 45, ProSlide Technology
- Second Place: Aqua Race Kart, Kart 1
Patron Participation Ride/Attraction
- First Place: HyperBowling, QubicaAMF
- Second Place: Gen8 Infinity Laser Tag System, Laserforce International
Technology Applied to Amusements – Class A (Product or Service used by Consumers)
- First Place: Electric CP Huntington Train, Chance Rides
- Second Place: DreamSet Headset, CAVU Designwerks
Technology Applied to Amusements – Class B (Product or Service used by Facilities)
- First Place: OverVue Arcade Game Analytics, New Vue Solutions
- Second Place: Vantage, WhiteWater
Food Services
- First Place: VITO oil filter system, VITO Fryfilter
- Second Place: Create-A-Cone Trike, Syrup Systems Inc.
Merchandising & Retail Products
- First Place: NXT Capture – Facial Recognition, NXT Capture
- Second Place: Jurassic World Inflatable T-Rex Costume, Rubie’s Costume Co
Games & Devices – Class A (Arcade & Video Games and Equipment)
- First Place: WWE Superstar Rumble, Andamiro USA Corp
- Second Place: HOOPLA, Sega Amusements
Games & Devices – Class B (Midway Games and Equipment)
- First Place: Zombyte, Creative Works
- Second Place: VRcade ATOM, VRstudios
Shows/Productions, Theatrical Equipment & Supplies, Displays & Sets
Services, Equipment & Supplies
- First Place: RLR with LED, Safe-Strap Company
- Second Place: Restroom Feedback Surveys, Avius
Best New Product Concept Award: Major Ride Attraction
- First Place: Stormforce 20, Ride Engineers Switzerland
- Second Place: Orbiter, WhiteWater
Best New Product Concept Award: Other Products/Services
- First Place: Diving Theatre, VR Coaster GmbH
- Second Place: Ultrahaptics STRATOS Inspire, Ultrahaptics
Best New Product Concept Award: Attraction
- First Place: Dual Power Coaster, Dynamic Attractions
- Second Place: Atari Pong Cocktail Table, Unis Technology
Why the Brass Ring?
The tradition of the brass ring, a term now synonymous with spectacular achievement, dates back to the amusement industry in the 1800s. Rings were suspended above carousel riders — low enough for them to grasp, but high enough to pose a challenge. Skilled riders who grabbed a brass ring often earned prizes, including a free ride on the carousel. Most rings were made of iron, but a few were made of brass, so grabbing the brass ring was a valuable treat.
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