The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) recently announced the recipients of the 23rd annual Thea Awards. Presented by Chimelong Group, the awards will be presented at a formal gala in Anaheim on April 22, 2017.
In memoriam of past TEA president Peter Chernack, the TEA Service Award has been renamed TEA Peter Chernack Distinguished Service Award. TEA awarded Chernack of The Chernack Group as a posthumous honor.
This year, TEA Thea Awards committee also created a new category: Connected Immersion, for the technical advancements and social connectivity that "are reinventing our notion of storytelling and immersion."
Check out the other award winners below, and read more about TEA Thea Awards on their website.
The Buzz Price Thea Award, recognizing a lifetime of distinguished achievements
Jeremy Railton, founder and chairman of Entertainment Design Corporation (EDC)
Thea Classic
WaterWorld – A Live Sea War Spectacular, Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal City CA, USA
Thea Awards for Outstanding Achievement (AOA)
Technology on a Limited Budget: WhiteWater’s Slideboarding
Innovative Ride System: Mack Ride Systems’ Suspended Power Coaster
Attraction: 5D Castle Theatre, Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, Zuhai, China
Live Event Spectacular on a Limited Budget: Décrocher la Lune, La Louviere, Belgium
Connected Immersion on a Limited Budget: Ghost Post, Disneyland Parks & Resorts
Connected Immersion on a Limited Budget: House of Eternal Return by Meow Wolf, Santa Fe NM, USA
Immersive Museum Exhibit: Touring: Meet Vincent Van Gogh Experience, Developed by the Van Gogh Museum
Themed Food & Beverage Experience: Springfield USA, Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal City CA, USA
Museum Exhibit on a Limited Budget: Transformations, Museum of Latin American Art, Long Beach CA, USA
Connected Immersion in Education: Senate Immersion Module, Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate, Boston MA, USA
Live Show: Le Dernier Panache, Puy du Fou, Les Epesses, France
Eco-Friendly Destination: Center Parcs Le Bois Aux Daims, Les Trois-Moutiers, France
Theme Park: Shanghai Disneyland, China
Attraction: Camp Discovery, Shanghai Disneyland, China
Attraction: Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure, Shanghai Disneyland, China