Park People
www.parkworld-online.com Andreas Andersen Q Lines
After three years as executive director of
IAAPA’s office in Brussels, where he spearheaded the association’s European expansion, Andreas
Veilstrup Andersen is to return to park management in
Scandinavia. In February, the 38-year-old Dane will take over from Mats Wedin as CEO of the Liseberg Group in Gothenburg, Sweden. A former general secretary of the Association of Danish Amusement
Parks, he previously served in a number of senior roles at Tivoli, the amusement industry institution in the heart of Copenhagen. Here Andreas talks to Park World editor Owen Ralph about the industry in Europe and explains why Liseberg shares several qualities with Tivoli
What persuaded you to leave park management in 2008 and take up the role with IAAPA Europe? I had been with Tivoli for seven or eight years and at that point I had kind of come as far as I could. I think I just needed a change, something with a more international outlook, and when the IAAPA job came along I thought that would be a great challenge. It was exciting because they were starting something new and it was a chance to shape things. Before that I wouldn’t say there was nothing, but it was a smaller operation.
What have you achieved at the association? I hope we have changed the perception of IAAPA as a purely US association. We had to prove that we are thinking about Europe and also governed from Europe. When people in Europe think of IAAPA, they think primarily of the Expo in Orlando, and I hope we have proved we are more of a full service organisation.
How does IAAPA complement the established national trade associations in Europe? In Europe, IAAPA membership will always be what we call a secondary membership; people tend to belong to a national association first and foremost, and it makes sense because these associations are doing a good job. However, with globalisation and the European legislative agenda, it is really important that there is someone who can represent all the different countries together. For almost two years we worked hand in hand with Europarks on
European Union issues, before Europarks dissolved itself and we took over the responsibilities. It’s also great to have someone to bring the industry together at the trade shows.
What European Union (EU) issues should the attractions industry be aware of? I do not see anything coming up right now that would be of immediate concern. There is an upcoming revision of the VAT (tax) directive that could have some impact on the attractions industry. Right now we have an option in the directive to apply a lower rate for attractions, which we would very much like to uphold. With the Lisbon Treaty, suddenly tourism is a hot issue and I expect we will see more tourism initiatives coming from the EU.
IAAPA’s Euro Attractions Show (EAS) has established itself as Europe’s key industry event. Is there room for growth at EAS, and is there room for other European shows? I think with 7 or 8,000 people and over 250 exhibitors EAS is now really quite substantial, but that said I still see potential to grow this show if you look at the size of Europe and the number of operators. As far as large trade shows focused on the amusement and theme park industry go, I do not think we will see any more, but I could be wrong. Many national trade associations already have small trade shows or exhibits with their annual meetings, and I think there's always room for that. What me might see is vertical trade shows appearing focusing on, for instance, FECs or waterparks.
IAAPA European committee members meet up at Liseberg earlier this year. LEFT TO RIGHT: Paul Chatelot (Disneyland Paris), Lars Nielsen (Tivoli), Fernando Medroa (Walibi Belgium), Mike Brown (Pleasure Beach Blackpool), Bart de Boer (Efteling),Karen Staley (IAAPA Europe), Jeroen Nijpels (JNELC), Reinoud van Assendelft (van Assendelf t& Partners,) Mats Wedin (Liseberg), Pieter Cornelis (NHTV), Sophie Bolliger (Bolliger & Mabillard), Alain Trouvé (Compagnie des Alpes), Horst Ruhe (Maurer Söhne), Søren Kragelund (Faarup Sommerland), Annika Palm (Liseberg), Mikael Ahlerup (Astrid Lindgrens Värld), Stefan Putnam (Jardine Lloyd Thompson), Henric Bembom (Slagharen), Andrea Munari (IE Park), Adrian Mahon (Merlin Entertainments), Olaf Mordelt (Heimo), John Fitzgerald (Universal Studios), Gary Smart (Harbour Park), Ulla Harrison (consultant), Andrea Kolar (IAAPA Europe), Marcel Schoenenberg (Beurs van Berlage), Lars Erik Hedin (Liseberg), Pelle Johanisson (Liseberg), Thomas Sjöstrand (Liseberg), Sascha Czibulka (Ride Trade), Michael Kreft von Byern (Europa- Park), Jakob Wahl (IAAPA Europe), Klaus-Michael Machens (Hannover Zoo), Peter van Bilsen (Vekoma), Ulrich Müller-Oltay (VDFU), Andreas Veilstrup Andersen - IAAPA Europe
22 OCTOBER 2010
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