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IAAPA Brass Ring Awards

Awarding the Innovation and Unwavering Spirit of Our Industry

Named for the rings given to carousel riders at the very first amusement parks, the IAAPA Brass Ring Award is a symbol of achievement. And just like how a ring is an unbreakable connection, so too are our connections as a community – bringing out the best in one another.

Nominations for the Exhibitor Awards: Best Exhibit are still open. The presentation will take place during the IAAPA Expo 2019 at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) in Orlando, FL, Wednesday, November 20, 2019, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.

New this year, IAAPA will livestream the IAAPA Brass Rings Awards Ceremony. The livestream will be available on IAAPA.org and IAAPA’s Facebook page. 

The award categories are...

Exhibitor Awards: Best Exhibit at IAAPA Expo (Deadline November 8th, 2019)

2019 Award Finalists

Game & Merchandise Excellence

Best Apparel Item

  • “Harley Quinn Flat Brim Cap” – Warner Bros. Movie World, Gold Coast Australia
  • “Children's Shaun the Sheep Hooded Sweat” – Paradise Country - Gold Coast Australia
  • “The Emperor: Robe & Tunic” – Disney Parks

Best Hard Good Item

  •  “Mulberry Mongoose” – Wildlife Trading Company
  • “Kennywood's Exclusive Thomas the Tank Engine” – Kennywood Park
  • “Savi’s Workshop – Handbuilt Lightsabers” – Disney Parks

Best Midway Games Operations

  • “Morey's Piers Game Operation” – Morey's Piers and Beachfront Water Parks
  • “Lagoon Game Operators” – Lagoon Amusement Park
  • “Interactive Play, Sesame Street Land at SeaWorld Orlando” – Sesame Street Land at SeaWorld Orlando

Best Plush Item

  • “Eco Pals” – Wildlife Trading Company
  • “Lucky the Calf Plush Puppet” – Australian Outback Spectacular - Gold Coast Australia
  • “Porg” – Disney Parks

Best Visual Merchandising 

  • “Droid Depot: Custom Astromech Units” – Disney Parks
  • “Five and Dime Store” – Enchanted Kingdom
  •  “The Simpsons in 4D - Kwik-E-Mart” – The Simpsons in 4D - Kwik-E-Mart
Food & Beverage Excellence

Best New Menu Item for Amusement Parks and Attractions, Including Water Parks and FEC’s with Annual Attendance Less than a Million

  • “Stuffed Turkey Leg” – Schlitterbahn Waterpark & Resorts
  • “Deluxe Chicken Tenders” – Schlitterbahn Galveston
  • “Unicorn Cotton Candy Tacos” – Jake's Unlimited

Best New Menu Item for Amusement Parks and Attractions, Including Water Parks and FEC’s with Annual Attendance More than a Million

  • “Shake it Up” – Lagoon Corporation
  • “BLT Panzzanella Bowl” – San Diego Zoo
  • “Simply Hot Chocolate Bar” – Hersheypark
Human Resource Excellence

Best Employee Engagement Initiative – Amusement Parks and Attractions, Including Water Parks, With Annual Attendance Less Than 1 Million.

  • “Gateway Ticketing Systems, Inc.”
  • “Typhoon Texas Waterpark, Austin”
  • “Ferrari World Abu Dhabi” 

Best Employee Engagement Initiative – Amusement Parks and Attractions, Including Water Parks, With Annual Attendance More Than 1 Million.

  • “Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk”
  • “Grupo Dolphin Discovery”
  • “Ripley's Aquarium of Canada”

Best Employee Reward and Recognition Program – Amusement Parks and Attractions, Including Water Parks, With Annual Attendance More Than 1 Million.

  • “Europa-Park”
  • “Ocean Park Corporation”

Best Innovation in a Training Program – Amusement Parks and Attractions, Including Water Parks, With Annual Attendance Less Than 1 Million.

  • “Pacific National Exhibition”
  • “Farah Experiences”
  • “Ripley's Believe It or Not! St. Augustine”

Best Innovation in a Training Program – Amusement Parks and Attractions, Including Water Parks, With Annual Attendance More Than 1 Million.

  • “Six Flags Entertainment Corporation”
  • “Denver Zoo”
  • “Whiting's Foods on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk”
Live Entertainment Excellence

Best Atmosphere/Street Show Performance Act

  • “Move It! Shake It! MousekeDance It! Street Partyh” – Walt Disney World - Magic Kingdom
  • “Green Army Drum Corps” – Walt Disney World - Disney's Hollywood Studios
  • “East Meets West Quartet” – Universal Studios Japan    

Best Live Edutainment Show

  • “Abby's Fairy Garden" – Resorts World at Sentosa Universal Studio Singapore
  • “Hershey's Unwrapped” – Hershey's Chocolate World
  • “Whiskers Express and The Miraculous Journey” – Ocean Park Corporation

 Best Performer

  • “Annie Huckaba” – Dollywood Theme Park
  • “Murray Hockridge” – EUROPA-PARK
  • “Kayla Ricker” – Dollywood Theme Park    

Best Theatrical Production – Amusement Parks and Attractions, Including Water Parks, With Annual Attendance More Than 1 Million.

  • “The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands” – Disneyland Paris    
  •  “Legend of Camel Bells” – Huaxia Cultural Tourism Resort - Xi’an, Shanxi Province, China
  • “Oh! Summer Banzai” – Tokyo Disney Resort

Most Creative Christmas Show

  • “Up on the Rooftop” – Hersheypark
  • “Christmas in the Smokies” – Dollywood Theme Park
  • “Winter Wonderland on Ice” – SeaWorld Orlando

Most Creative Halloween Haunt, Show, or Experience

  • “Below” – Walibi
  • “Supr´Ice with the Celtic Shadows” – EUROPA-PARK
  • “Horror Nights Traumatica” – EUROPA-PARK    

 Most Creative Multimedia Spectacular

  • “Wonderful World of Animation” – Walt Disney World - Disney's Hollywood Studios    
  •  “Dancing Islands” –  Fantawild Asian Legend, Nanning, China
  • “Villains Unite the Night” – Walt Disney World Resort - Magic Kingdom

Most Creative Show Featuring Animals

  • “Critters Inn Charge” – Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
  •  “Sea Lions Tonite” – SeaWorld Orlando
  • “Surfin' Safari” – Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

Most Creative Sports/Stunt Show

  • “Monster Energy Compound” – The Calgary Exhibition and Stampede    
  • “Thunder Chase, a live stunt movie experience” – Thunder Chase, a live stunt movie experience
  •  “Paddington on Ice - the Grande Voyage” – EUROPA-PARK

 Spirit Award

  • “Alyssa Molina” – Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
  •  “Katja Mack” – EUROPA-PARK
  •  “Micaela Shannon” – Six Flags America

Most Creative Property-Wide Event – Amusement Parks and Attractions, “Including Water Parks, With Annual Attendance Less Than 1 Million

  • “Christening of the world's first LNG cruise ship AIDAnova” – Meyer Werft - Visitor Center
  •  “Winterfest, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi” – Ferrari World Abu Dhabi
  • “Winter Extravaganza 2018” – Sands China Ltd

Most Creative Property-Wide Event – Amusement Parks and Attractions, Including Water Parks, With Annual Attendance More Than 1 Million

  •  “Ocean Park Summer Water Battle 2019” – Ocean Park Corporation
  • “SESAME STREET 50 YEARS AND COUNTING CELEBRATION” – Resorts World at Sentosa / Universal Studio Singapore    
  • “SeaWorld Christmas Celebration” – SeaWorld Orlando
Marketing Excellence

Best Digital Marketing Campaign        

  • “Stupet - where heroes are born” – Rogaland Fritidspark AS - Kongeparken
  • “Howl-O-Scream” – SeaWorld San Antonio
  • “Digital Visitor - Zip World ‘Socks or Screams’ Campaign” – Digital Visitor
  • “Snake” – Gröna Lund

Best Integrated Marketing Campaign        

  • “Xtorias by Xcaret” – Xtorias by Xcaret
  • “Skin Exhibit IntegrateCampaign” – California Academy of Sciences
  • “Summer Says Yas” – Farah Experiences    

 Best Outdoor Advertisement        

  • “2018 San Diego Zoo Jungle Bells Campaign” – San Diego Zoo Global
  • “Scrap T-rex” – Ripley's Believe It or Not! Myrtle beach
  • “Snake” – Gröna Lund    

Best Public Relations Campaign        

  • “Dollywood’s Wildwood Grove Grand Opening Celebration” – Dollywood
  • “Six Flags America - Firebird Coaster Introduction” – Six Flags America
  • “Six Flags St. Louis - Coffin Challenge” – Six Flags St. Louis

Best Radio or Streaming Audio Commercial        

  • “Stupet - where heroes are born” – Rogaland Fritidspark AS – Kongeparken
  • “Dino Roar Valley” – Dino Roar Valley
  • “You Can't Do This At Home Campaign” – Silver Dollar City

Best Social Media Campaign        

  • “You Can't Do This At Home Campaign” – Silver Dollar City
  • “The Detroit Zoological Society Wellness Campaign” – Detroit Zoological Society
  • “Stupet - where heroes are born” – Rogaland Fritidspark AS - Kongeparken

Best Television or Digital Video Commercial – Amusement Parks and Attractions, Including Water Parks, With Annual Attendance More Than 1 Million        

  •  “"We are ready!" - season opening 2019” – Europa-Park GmbH & Co Mack KG
  • “Snake” – Gröna Lund
  • “Skin Exhibit Advertising Campaign” – California Academy of Sciences

Best Television or Digital Video Commercial – Amusement Parks and Attractions, Including Water Parks, With Annual Attendance of 250,000 - 1 Million        

  • “Discover it” – Theme park Toverland
  • “Be A Kid With Your Kid” – Silverwood Theme Park
  • “Ripley's Believe It or Not :30 Commerical” – Ripley's Believe It or Not! Gatlinburg, TN    

Best Television or Digital Video Commercial – Attractions With Annual Attendance Less Than 250,000        

  • “Dino Roar Valley” – Lake George Dinosaur Partners LLC dba Lake George Expedition Park
  • “Summer fun in the sun!” – Ölands Djur & Nöjespark
  • “Stupet - where heroes are born” –    Rogaland Fritidspark AS - Kongeparken
Top FEC of The World
  • Cinergy Entertainment Amarillo – Dallas, Texas
  • Wahooz Family Fun Zone – Wahooz Family Fun Zone
  • Fun City, Pakistan – Islamabad, Pakistan

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