IAAPA Middle East Trade Summit 2024

Accomplished Executive with 20 years domestic and international experience in Operations, Organizational Transformation, and P&L oversight. A results-oriented, decisive leader with proven success in strategic positioning for multimillion-Dirhams private and public listed organizations. Adept at providing leadership and direction in continuously improving performance in a sustainable way and developing strategy, approach, and structure. Demonstrated proficiencies in overseeing a wide variety of operational and fiscal responsibilities to ensure optimal business performance and realize substantial revenue enhancements. Possesses excellent interpersonal skills and capable of resolving multiple & complex issues coupled with motivating junior subordinates to peak performance.

Al Cross’ career has been a fruitful and enjoyable journey through most major building types, building toward the perfect position as a designer and project leader at PGAV doing Destination Consulting and Entertainment Design. 
Specialties: Leading a large disparate team toward a design and production goal.
Drawing from a client what they really want and need and then implementing it.
Succeeding with design in the context of modern project delivery methods.

Alan Love is Director of Choice Insight Ltd, an independent market research consultancy, which has undertaken IAAPA EMEA’s Ride Safety Report since 2012.  Alan has conducted quantitative and qualitative research for clients across many sectors of the leisure & culture and travel & tourism industries.

With a diverse background encompassing experience in hospitality, fitness, operations, administration, sales, marketing, and customer service. Throughout her career, Bianca has held management positions in reputable companies in the hospitality and fitness industries in London, Dubai, and South Africa.

Continuously striving for personal and professional growth, she actively engaged in various training programs relevant to my areas of expertise. 

She is passionate about making a positive impact in the industries she serves and driven by a commitment to excellence. 
 

With over 30 years of experience in leading both the development and operations of leisure and retail attractions, Damien Latham is the Chief Attractions Officer at SEVEN Saudi Entertainment Ventures. Latham Joined SEVEN in 2019 and leads the attractions team in developing and operating more than 150 attractions across a country wide portfolio. 

Previously he was CEO at Emaar Entertainment with REEL Cinemas and their attractions businesses including Dubai Opera, Kidzania and Dubai Aquarium. Prior to Emaar Latham spent 9 years with Majid Al Futtaim, he was the CEO Leisure & Entertainment, managing unique leisure attractions such as Ski Dubai, Ski Egypt and the famous Magic Planet family entertainment centres where he was responsible for the development of 32 family entertainment centres also introducing the Lego stores to the region.

In the UK, Damien worked as Leisure Services Manager at Center Parcs for 14 years prior to the Middle East specialising in Waterpark parks, Adventure centres, luxury spas through to upscale F&B. 
Damien has a Diploma in Leisure Management and is on the board of the World Waterpark Association.
 

Davide Camaiora is a highly experienced professional with 23.2 years of work experience. He possesses a diverse skill set including team leadership, project management, event management, and business planning. Based in the United Arab Emirates, specifically Lombardy-Milan, Davide currently holds the position of Chief of Sales & Marketing (EMEA) and Corporate Communication Manager at Vivaticket S.p.A. He has previously worked in various roles at MENALAC and Vivaticket in different countries. With a strong background in business strategy and negotiation, Davide is a valuable asset in driving new business development and delivering results

Don Potts’ career has centered on destination resort and entertainment industries where I've held progressively demanding and diverse operating and change leadership positions in theme park, destination resort, ski area and food and beverage businesses including Senior Vice President, Universal Studios Florida - Operations, Vice President - General Manager Orange Lake Resorts, and Vice President Resort, Park and Entertainment Business Operations for Riverside Investment Group. Have created and led broad scale initiatives in organizational design, change leadership, experience and attraction development that resulted in record levels of guest and employee satisfaction.

Goal-oriented IT Executive with demonstrated experience in planning, developing and implementing cutting edge information solutions to address business opportunities. Develop strategic plans for successful implementation and operation of technology tools, product support, quality assurance and training. Initiate and enforce strict budget controls, addressing company needs and promotion of growth.

Energetic, results-driven and customer centric leader with 10 years of successful experience in theme parks, resorts and family education and entertainment organisations in the UK and the UAE.

Committed to providing an incredible guest experience to all customers so they will continue to patronise the establishment. Customer-driven with multi-outlet experience; proven success leading turnaround and high-growth operations; and strengths in building cohesive, top-performing and customer-centric teams. High-energy professional with a history of achieving record-setting P&L gains.

With an inclusive mentoring style, is a passionate people manager, having coached/mentored teams, and hence made positive contributions to the bottom line.

Kelly Timmins, Director has more than 13 years of international experience as a Zoological and Sustainability professional. With a BSc in Marine Science and an MSc in Marine Environmental Protection, in her current role, Kelly is responsible for implementing an environmental and social sustainability strategy and management system, to drive measurable change across the destination.

Kelly has worked in the United Kingdom, Singapore and now Dubai, gathering a range of skills across a number of different areas, including animal husbandry, conservation, education, events and sustainability. 

In just four years, Kelly has developed and enhanced educational programme offerings at Atlantis Dubai for both guests and colleagues. She has established a funding process to give support to local and international partnerships working on marine conservation and sustainability projects. Most recently, as part of Atlantis Dubai’s journey towards becoming a more responsible, sustainable tourism destination, Kelly has been the driving force behind Atlantis Atlas Project, the cornerstone of the destination’s overall commitment to sustainability focused around the key pillars of Responsible Operations, Marine Conservation & Animal Welfare, Education & Awareness and Corporate Social Responsibility.
 

Shaping and facilitating the rapid growth of some of the UAE’s most prestigious tourism brands and world-leading destinations, Liam Findlay is a seasoned player in transforming strategy and execution from the inside-out to turbocharge outcomes and accelerate brand awareness internationally.

Liam Findlay’s skill is strategy, uniting sales, marketing and PR expertise to build brands that connect deeply with consumers, overseeing the development of award-winning campaigns and customer experience centres.

It is also leadership. Engaging and building elite teams that operate at the edge of delivery, I drive hard top and bottom-line improvement, even, and especially, in challenging times. Most recently demonstrated at Miral Destinations, recuperating post-pandemic sales, leveraging the position as an opportunity to reset and attain market share from other destinations with 360 sales marketing, Being bold, creative and unapologetic in promoting the brand to increase international sales and drive conversion.

Liam Findlay’s mission is to create a legacy that delivers exceptional results and commercial outcomes.

Marie is a recent addition to Storyland Studios, and combines an extensive knowledge of ESG with her passion and commitment to sustainability.

With years of experience looking at ESG and sustainability in the built environment, Marie has witnessed firsthand the shift towards ‘green thinking’, and how this translates to real projects and sharable best practice.

Considering key opportunities such as embedding sustainability from the design of a project; understanding the stakeholder networks needed to create successful collaborations; and horizon planning to foresee global trends, Marie has a keen interest in furthering the sustainability of the themed attractions industry.

As CEO of Miral since 2015, Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi has been managing the company’s expanding portfolio of assets on Yas Island and in Abu Dhabi. 
Experienced board member and chairman with a proven track record of spearheading strategic initiatives that fuel business growth. His leadership has been instrumental in guiding multiple companies towards success.

Over a decade of experience in project management and leadership roles; serving at aldar properties as Director of estate, and then the Director of Strategic Investments overlooking the company’s portfolio strategy plan for a group of subsidiaries and joint ventures.

An accomplished and productivity-oriented leader with 18+ years’ track record in organizational, development, management, and planning across prestigious companies in the Leisure sector who always meet challenges in any circumstances to a win-win solution.

Exceptional leadership acumen with well-developed ability to direct cross-functional team operations, deliver expert coaching, and coordinate decision-making with executive management.

A strong leader combines a customer-focused and operational mindset with rigorous financial management skills to maximize revenue, profitability, and shareholder value. 

Mohamed Attia is a young and energetic Leisure professional. That’s why he is known for his strategic plan to turn in the right direction of leisure business to accomplish the company’s goals. 

He has earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Cambridge University (UK). 

He is a self-starter and keen always to do a challenging job on prescribed timing with his team since he always believes in teamwork. He is a cherished leader with solid leisure experience, and his quest is constantly to achieve more to do as well apply best leisure practices, which add value to the leisure business. He is currently serving with one of the reputed Leisure & Hospitality companies named “Al Hokair Group in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He has been enjoying his work with a massive expansion of leisure business within the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Paul Hamilton is the General Manager of The National Aquarium in Al Qana - a unique luxury waterfront destination in Abu Dhabi.

He is a highly experienced and knowledgeable marine biologist with over 20 years of experience developing and operating public aquariums throughout the world, including New Zealand, Australia, China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Dubai. One of his latest projects - The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi, the largest aquarium in the Middle East, Paul has been involved in this project since it was just sand, from the initial design phase to the curation of the animals and materials, to managing and supervising staffing and onboarding, and finally to ensuring the facility's successful launch.

His unmatched experience, combined with a solid foundation in engineering, science, and business, has enabled him to design and develop the region's largest and most diverse aquarium. His commitment to wildlife conservation and preservation has resulted in The National Aquarium entering into a five-year partnership with The Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) to establish the largest and most innovative wildlife rehabilitation program of its kind in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.

A passionate, people-first leader with a proven track record of HSE and Sustainability improvement within International organisations.

Driven to provide strategic management of HSE, Sustainability and Risk Management within the context of the business requirements. 
Educated to MSc. level in Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental Management and BSc. in Environmental Health. Excellent written, spoken and non-verbal communications skills.

Experienced at Executive Board level with strong operational, commercial and client focus. Conscientious and highly motivated with a broad range of interests. International experience of work within a variety of public and private industry sectors, operational territories and cultures.

Prakash Vivekanand is the Founder and Managing Director of Amusement Services International (ASI), a 24-year-old organization providing concept to completion solutions to the Leisure & Entertainment Industry in the EMEA Region and the Indian Sub-Continent.  
From design of FEC’s and Indoor Theme Parks as well as supply of Amusement Rides, Attractions, and Arcade Games, ASI is one of the key organizations behind many successful and leading entertainment operations across the region. Set up in 1999 and employing 60+ leisure professionals, ASI is head quartered in Dubai, UAE.

Prakash is regarded as a thought leader and as one of the most influential personalities in the MEA and Global Leisure Industry and is the go-to person for all things leisure and entertainment. Dynamic, Creative, techno-commercial and people oriented in his approach, he is renowned for his extensive all-round knowledge of the business from feasibility analysis and master planning to design, deducing the entertainment mix, attractions management, pre-opening as well as operations of such leisure projects. With his never-ending quest for knowledge, Prakash has developed a sixth sense when it comes to identifying unique, sustainable products and concepts within the L&E market.

Prakash is a Founding Member, as well as a Board Member of the Middle East & North Africa Leisure & Attractions Council, (MENALAC). He also served on the Manufacturer & Suppliers Committee of IAAPA’s EMEA chapter and is also an active member of several industry bodies such as IAAPA, IAAPI, International Council of Shopping Centres (ICSC) and The Middle East Council of Shopping Centers (MECSC). He is a regular speaker at several international industry forums and is always keen on sharing his wealth of experience to better the leisure industry in the region.

After a prosperous culinary career and seeking a new challenge within Atlantis, The Palm, Sascha Triemer was named Vice President of Marine & Waterpark in 2020. The appointment places Triemer at the helm of all marine and waterpark departments of Dubai’s leading entertainment resort, where he leads an engaged team of managers and directors to deliver extraordinary experiences. In March 2021, Triemer successfully led the launch of the new Trident Tower in Aquaventure Waterpark, making it the largest waterpark in the world. 

Since the opening of Atlantis, The Palm, Triemer has been instrumental in the success of the resort, starting as an Executive Chef in the pre-opening team. After five years, he was promoted to Vice President of Culinary in 2013, before taking the title of Vice President of Food & Beverage in 2017 where his multi-outlet role required leadership and senior management of 31 restaurants and bars, overseeing a service workforce of more than 1,100 colleagues.
 

Scott O’Neil has more than 25 years of experience in leading and managing global sports and entertainment brands.  With a reputation for innovation, an eye for strategic and global brand development and partnerships, and a passion for culture and talent development, O’Neil has stewarded some of the sports and entertainment industry’s most renowned and iconic brands and properties, including the NBA’s New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers; the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, the NHL’s New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils; and the internationally ranked sports and entertainment arenas, Madison Square Garden and Prudential Center.

His mission to build innovative, inspiring, diverse, socially impactful and high performing businesses and brands earned the organizations under O’Neil’s management acclaim in innovation and culture. He recently published a life leadership book entitled, ‘Be Where Your Feet Are’ published St. Martins Press.

O’Neil earned his bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Villanova University, and his master’s in Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

Silvio Liedtke is the Chief Executive Officer at Landmark Leisure since 2010. Since then, Silvio has transformed the Leisure Division into one of the fastest-growing and most respected indoor leisure and entertainment businesses across India and the MENA Region. Under his leadership and vision, the company offers a wide range of entertainment and play-centric options to its guests at its various concepts of entertainment for young and old in indoor venues, Fun City – which is the flagship brand of the division, Fun Ville, Fun Block, Fun Works, Tridom and Jumble, unique entertainment concepts which cater to more than 50 million loyal customers every year across its 93 venues in MENA Region and India!

Dynamic business developer that has grown Direct Access into an international award-winning accessibility and inclusive design consultancy delivering architectural, design, training and building management services alongside ancillary equipment and services. Founded in 2004, Direct Access serves hundreds of active clients in virtually every industry. Our studios are located in Nantwich (UK), Boston (USA) and Dubai (UAE). 

Some of the various clients I have worked with include Expo 2020 Dubai and Expo City, host of COP28, UK rail operators Avanti West Coast and Trans Pennine, Keolis in Lyon, Edition hotels, the Science Museum Group, UNESCO World Heritage Sites and museums.

I am a certified International Advanced Accessibility Consultant - Built Environment, a Certified Member of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and working on a PhD at the University of Glasgow on accessible urban spaces in a post pandemic world.

An energetic and innovative leader in the zoo, aquarium and theme park industry. Skilled at increasing revenue and attendance, reducing operating costs and improving quality of the guest experience, while always mindful of sustainable practices. Excels at building and motivating multicultural and cross-functional teams that operate well above expectations, creating a solid foundation for organizational growth.

Objectives:
• Develop a cultural attraction, wildlife park or resort property, where the guest experience and revenue generation compliments the bio-diversity and conservation efforts of the institution, creating balanced synergies to support the mission.
• Create a guest focused organization and culture that delivers the highest levels of customer service and quality guest experiences. 
• Develop sustainable policies that support the organizational goals and allows us to establish best practices to share with others
• Develop family attractions that add value for the visit and incorporate unique and educational messaging

Specialties: Master Planning (development and design), construction oversight, operational readiness, building multicultural teams, creative sources for revenue generation, organizational development of the guest experience, utilization of sustainable practices throughout the organization, development of orientation and training programs, use of synergies across multiple venues to reduce costs and increase efficiency, multi unit food service and gift shops across properties, cost control, procurement.

Solid leadership skills with 30 plus years of diversified experience in management of people, projects, governance, conservation advocacy, education and fundraising, as well as theme park operation, with proven track record for continuous career development in theme park industry.