What An Event!
It was an honour to be back supporting the UK Theme Park Awards, this time up at Blackpool Pleasure Beach
We weren't able to make last year's ceremony at Wicksteed Park - the last time we attended was in 2024 at THORPE PARK Resort - so it was lovely to see how much the event had grown.
From the record number of attendees, the quality of the entries and the overall polish of the whole event, Tom and Lawrence at UK Theme Park Network can be very proud of what they've created.
Of course, at Semantic, we LOVE attractions, and I've always had a soft spot for theme parks and coasters in particular. Being able to focus in on our niche and support the sector at events like this is a key reason why we created LOOP in the first place, to help more attractions grow online.
And we were delighted to see many of our clients up for nominations across various categories:
A brilliant showing from our LOOP clients
Crealy Theme Park & Resort had one of the best showings of any park in the room: silver for Rotor in Best New Attraction, silver for Best Theme Park for Families, gold for Sooty Land in Best Theme Park for Toddlers, silver for Spookfest in Best Halloween Event, and silver for SEND Days in Best New Accessibility Initiative.
Then came the Outstanding Achievement award for Josh at Crealy, one of the standout moments of the whole day. Here's someone with decades of experience in the sector, and his passion, commitment and energy was inspirational to see.
Sundown Adventureland took gold for Christmas Spectacular in Best Christmas Event, and bronze for Best Theme Park for Toddlers. Once more, the impact of this award on the team was clear to see, after decades of hard work creating a world class Christmas Experience.
Gulliver's Theme Park Resorts picked up gold for Best Theme Park for Families and silver for Best Theme Park for Toddlers.
Sandcastle Waterpark, part of the Blackpool Tourism family, won Waterpark of the Year.
Of course, none of these wins are down to us. They're down to the teams who run these parks day in, day out. Weirdly though, it was like we were sitting there as proud parents, watching our children head up to the stage to collect the awards! We're proud to be the platform behind their sites, and loved being in the room to see how much these awards meant to our clients (and the winners across the board).
Being there makes all the difference
There's not many digital agencies in the UK that could justify the time and commitment to be out at these types of events. But for us, it is absolutely essential.
We get to meet the people that bring these attractions to life, discuss their challenges, and this time, share in their success.
Whilst this event was focused on theme parks, it's been a tough year for all attractions, with rising costs, falling consumer spending and operational challenges.
I'm heartened that whether it's theme parks, museums, zoos, heritage or immersive experiences - there are commonailities:
- Show up with passion, you'll be rewarded
- The attractions that take risks and invest are winning
- The community is rich in talent and generous in sharing it
What a fantastic event, made all the better thanks to the fantastic people involved.
Congratulations to everyone, and we'll see you next year!
Oh, and Oz's initiation on the fantastic new Aviktas ride at the Pleasure Beach (in the pouring rain) will forever be lodged in my memory!
