UK Theme Park Awards 2026 Special: The Future of UK Theme Parks: What’s Coming Next?

This week, we’re bringing you a couple of very special episodes of Skip the Queue. We’re at the UK Theme Park Awards in Blackpool, celebrating some of the very best people, businesses and experiences in the attractions industry. But before we get to the awards themselves, we wanted to ask a slightly different question: What happens next? We’re finding out, straight from some of the best people in the industry, what guests are expecting from theme parks and attractions, where the industry is investing, what role technology will play, and what the people working in attractions think the next big change will be. Follow along for Part One, and stay tuned for Part Two, dropping Friday 11th September, when we’ll be speaking to the winners, getting their reactions and asking them what they think it takes to create a great attraction.  Show references:  UK Theme Park Awards 2026 - https://www.ukthemeparkawards.com/ GuestsDebs Griffin - Sundown Adventurelandhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/debora-griffin-924161120/Josh Haywood - Crealy Theme Park & Resorthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-haywood-68463630/Marcus Gaines - Bold Frame Creativehttps://www.boldframe.co.uk/Laura Baxter - Your CMO / Blackgang Chinehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-baxter-4a756466/Anya D'Hondt - BoldMove Nation in Belgiumhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/anja-d-hondt-20364b1/Philip Miller MBE - Adventure Island / Stockvale Grouplinkedin.com/in/philip-miller-mbe-282a20398Oz Austwick - Semanticuk.linkedin.com/in/thatmarketingblokeLawrence Roots - UK Theme Park Awards / Theme Park Networkhttps://uk.linkedin.com/in/lawrence-roots Skip the Queue is brought to you by Merac. We provide attractions with the tools and expertise to create world-class digital interactions. Very simply, we're here to rehumanise commerce. Your host is Andy Povey.If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue or visit our website SkiptheQueue.fm.If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review, it really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on LinkedIn. Download The Visitor Attractions Website Survey Report - https://www.merac.co.uk/download-the-visitor-attractions-survey We have launched our brand-new playbook: ‘The Retail Ready Guide to Going Beyond the Gift Shop’ — your go-to resource for building a successful e-commerce strategy that connects with your audience and drives sustainable growth. Download your FREE copy here