AAVEA to co-host first annual IAAPA SA Summit

Global attractions industry professionals will come together for a six-day experience in South Africa during the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) EMEA Summit 2020. Taking place on 27 January to 27-February 2020 - in Johannesburg and Cape Town - the event, co-hosted by the African Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions (AAVEA), will give attendees a unique and in-depth experience around the country.

20 Jan 2020

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Summit attendees will experience the emerging African leisure industry, learn about the region’s tourism industry, and network and connect with local industry managers and experts.

More than 50 participants from all facets of the attractions industry, including international facility operators, manufacturer and supplier companies, will attend the Summit. Attendees will include representatives from amusement, theme, and water parks in Germany, the Philippines, Sweden, and Dubai, and from manufacturers and suppliers across Europe and the United States.

Attendees are set to take part in behind-the-scenes tours of some of South Africa’s most popular attractions including Gold Reef Theme Park, Apartheid Museum, Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, Two Oceans Aquarium, and more.

Attendees will hear from global attractions industry leaders including Amanda Thompson OBE, chairman of the IAAPA Board of Directors and managing director of Blackpool Pleasure Beach, and Mikko Manka, research director at TAK Research in Finland, and Sabine Lehmann, executive director of AAVEA.

Additional confirmed speakers include:

• Wayde Davy, CEO, Apartheid Museum

• Dawn Robertson, CEO, Constitution Hill

• Michael Farquhar, CEO, Two Oceans Aquarium

• Wahida Parker, CEO, Table Mountain Cableway

• Lila Jutzen, marketing executive, Groot Constantia Wine Estate

• Craig Allenby, acting CEO, Pretoria Zoo

IAAPA will also offer "Meet IAAPA" events in Johannesburg and Cape Town, allowing attractions industry professionals to connect with IAAPA members and Summit participants from all over the world.

AAVEA, which co-hosted the IAM (Institute for Attractions Managers) course with IAAPA in Cape Town in 2019, is once again partnering with the organisation for the 2020 Summit. "This once-in-a-lifetime event is an exciting opportunity for African attractions professionals to meet, greet and learn from their international counterparts. Co-hosting this Summit with IAAPA is just one of the things AAVEA is thrilled to be able to bring to our members and we look forward to learning alongside all of them," says Lehmann.