CEO Talks are always a huge draw at IAAPA Expo Europe, and in 2024, organizers doubled the opportunities for delegates to hear insights from top industry leaders. IAAPA assembled three CEOs with distinguished track records who have been in their roles for less than a year: Carl Lenaerts, CEO of Plopsa Group; Anne-Mart Agerbeek, CEO of Vekoma Rides; and Wouter Dekkers, CEO of Momentum Leisure.
Reinoud van Assendelft de Coningh, managing director at Van Assendelft en Partners, opened a lively discussion about their experiences, priorities, challenges, and views on the industry’s future. Managing growth and development was a shared theme. Dekkers drew on his experience at Parques Reunidos, Tropical Islands, and Slagharen to steer the development and operation of theme parks in Central and Eastern Europe at Momentum Leisure.
“In five years, we have built three new parks within an emerging market in Poland: Majaland Kownaty, Majaland Warsaw, and Majaland Gdańsk,” says Dekkers. Momentum Leisure plans a fourth park by the Europa Centralna shopping center in Gliwice, Poland, and has another site near Bucharest in Romania. The developments indicate that operators continue to explore crossovers between malls and entertainment.
Dekkers is amazed by the progress in Poland, from Momentum Leisure’s parks to Energylandia and Mandoria. He is impressed with Polish enthusiasm, energy, and manufacturing capabilities. “One of the biggest challenges for us is to make everybody feel confident in that region,” he says.
Agerbeek has visited Energylandia in Zator, southern Poland, and was blown away by the region’s beauty. “We are building an indoor family launch coaster [Aquila] at Mandoria in Poland,” she reveals.
Vekoma will celebrate its centennial in 2026 and is focused on building the future. “We can improve as a company as we grow,” Agerbeek says. Vekoma is working on a new headquarters in Vlodrop, reflecting its identity as a progressive company providing innovative and high-quality solutions to customers. The site unifies the company’s functions, and Agerbeek believes excellent cross-department communications and coordination are essential to success.
Sustainability will also be a key focus for the new Vekoma campus and the business. Just as IAAPA members collaborate on safety, “we have to do sustainability together as an industry,” she says.
Plopsa Group has become a major theme park player in Europe, which Lenaerts largely puts down to the passion for the business that flows through its people’s veins. “We call it Plopsa blood. Everybody is proud to work there.” The group fosters that pride by investing in learning and development.
Guests also love Plopsa’s intellectual properties (IPs), including children’s favorites Samson, Gert, Plop, Maya the Bee, Vicky the Viking, and Heidi. Lenaerts is committed to putting Plopsa’s IPs front and center, knowing they have multi-generational appeal. “Our first priority was putting these IPs on the main stage,” he says. The company has invested in new IP-driven shows, musicals, and parades.
Plopsa has also invested more in Holiday Park in Germany. Continuing investment lifts the attractions industry to everyone’s advantage, he believes.
While all three CEOs acknowledge the challenges for the attractions industry—from geopolitical instabilities to rising costs, staff shortages, and inflation—they believe it is better positioned than other sectors to overcome them.
“We have an easy job to sell fun,” Dekkers says. “We cannot change what is happening in the world, but we can ensure that people have unforgettable experiences in our parks.”
Events will inevitably influence how companies run, invest, and staff their businesses and set prices, but pleasing guests remains crucial. Lenaerts counts on his Plopsa teams to do their best to provide guests with escapism. “Once guests enter a theme park, we are giving them instant happiness,” he says.
Attractions can confidently navigate uncertainty if they are united in a common goal. “It is our purpose to give families a good time and emotions they can take home,” Lenaerts says.
Top Tips for Future CEOs
- Have fun in the industry
- Invest in yourself and your people
- Make mistakes and learn from them
- Be brave and entrepreneurial. "If you see an opportunity, grab it! Dekkers says.
