During his career in the amusement industry, Nick Farmer (left) has been a designer of attractions for amusement parks, aquariums, museums and science centres. Based in Leicester, England, for many years he headed up Farmer Studios but more recently began working almost on a freelance basis as Farmer Attraction Development. This has allowed him to combine roles such as a director of Wicksteed Park (UK) along with his ongoing design and consultancy work. Nick is now half way through his year as president of the TEA (Themed Entertainment Association), the first European to take the position. Here talks to Owen Ralph about the association and theming in general.

Robert (Bob) Emmett Masterson, 61, is the incoming chair of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). Born in Chicago, he serves as president of Ripley Entertainment Inc, an 85-year-old company that has become a major player in the attractions industry. Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is the largest, fastest-growing and most successful chain of amusement museum attractions in the world, and now includes a total of 64 outlets in 11 countries.

Adrian Fisher created his first maze at the age of 20 in his father's garden and has had a lifelong fascination with puzzle solving and creating a sense of space. Based in Dorset, England, Adrian Fisher Mazes has gone on to create hundreds of mazes in stately homes, shopping malls, amusement parks, aquariums and as standalone attractions, using a variety of materials and techniques. Each year between five and six million people worldwide experience an Adrian Fisher maze, in fact someone is probably lost in one as you read this. Park World speaks to the maze maestro.

Randal H (Randy) Drew has managed a variety of park portfolios across the United States. The creator of Alfa SmartParks is now back in the business with a passion as president and CEO of PARC Management, based in Jacksonville, Florida. Together with Michael A Jenkins, he recently completed the purchase of seven parks from Six Flags Inc including Darien Lake, New York; Elitch Gardens, Colorado; Frontier City & White Water Bay, Oklahoma; Splashtown, Houston, Texas; Waterworld, California; and Wild Waves & Enchanted Village, Washington. Here Randy takes time to talk to Park World.

Back in 2003, Emmanuel Mongon of the French company Imaginvest was asked by the City of Vienna to devise a masterplan for one of Europe’s great metropolitan amusement parks: The Prater. This Austrian institution, famous for its iconic 1897 Ferris Wheel, had become a chaotic collection of competing interests and attractions. Mongon’s task during the three-year plan was to unite the 80 individual operators and create a coherent vision for the future, while installing much of the day-to-day infrastructure that had previously been missing. But how successful was he, and what is the future for the Prater as it enters its first full season since the masterplan was delivered? Owen Ralph quizzes Emmanuel Mongon to find out.

Amanda Thompson is arguably one of the most high profile women in the business. Managing director of Britain’s Blackpool Pleasure Beach, she’s inherited the role from her late and much respected father Geoffrey Thompson OBE when he passed away suddenly in 2004, and now looks after around 6-million fun-seekers a year. Born in London in 1962, Amanda is also the great-granddaughter of Pleasure Beach founder, William George Bean, and has served as a director of the park for over 15 years. For more than two decades she produced and directed acclaimed shows at the Pleasure Beach and beyond and still retains an interest in this side of the business as director of Stageworks Worldwide Productions. A former Director of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year and board member of IAAPA, she now sits on the board of Blackpool’s Grand Theatre and is a member of BALPPA, the British Association of Amusement Parks, Piers and Attractions. Here Amanda talks to Park World editor Owen Ralph about future plans for the Pleasure Beach.

Since 1980, the Landmark Entertainment Group has developed and produced a wide range of theme park and leisure attractions, live entertainment, film and television productions. Its 100-plus worldwide projects represent a construction value of well over four billion dollars. Landmark success stories include shows and attractions for Six Flags, Universal Studios and Caesars Palace and the Venetian Resort Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Spider-Man 3D at Universal’s Islands of Adventure is still recognised by many as “the world’s best ride.”

Bob Rogers founded BRC Imagination Arts in 1981. Based in the creative hotbed of Burbank, California, the company is a leader in the design, creation and production of experience-based attractions. Its projects can be found in venues worldwide – everywhere from Disney and Universal Studios to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Empire State Building. The TEA (Themed Entertainment Association) has just announced that Bob Rogers will be the recipient of its THEA Lifetime Achievement Award for 2007. Although BRC has picked up 11 THEA awards before, this is the first time Bob has been recognised as an individual, as usually the TEA awards projects not people. With the latest honour, he joins an elite group that includes “Buzz” Price, Marty Sklar, John Hench and Yves Pépin. Here the CEO of BRC Imagination Arts talks to Park World and explains how good story-telling can take audiences to another place – including Mars.

Mats Wedin arrived at Swedish amusement institution Liseberg in 1988 following a 16-year career in the motor industry, serving as director of marketing for Volvo before his departure. Now 55 years of age, Mats is president of the Liseberg Group, overseeing four companies in the park, restaurant and hotel businesses. He has been an active member of IAAPA, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, during much of his time at the Gothenburg city park, and three times been a member of its board. Since 1994 he has been president of the Swedish Park Association, and between 2000 and 2003 he was also president of the Europarks executive committee. Mats has also served as a board member at ÅRE, Sweden’s largest ski resort, MTV Television Production and Gothenburg Tourist Board. Later this month, at the IAAPA Attractions Expo in Atlanta, he will be ushered in as chairman of the association’s board. Here Mats talks to Park World editor Owen Ralph ahead of his year at the top of IAAPA