The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) is an international nonprofit association that represents creators, developers, designers and producers of themed entertainment. It is also noted for its Thea Awards, which were founded in 1995 and are distributed annually in a range of themed entertainment categories.
Founding The TEA was founded in 1991 by Monty Lunde, a former special effects designer for Disney who had gone on to start the special effects company Technifex with his business partner Rock Hall.TEA and Fantasy: Technifex President and CEO Monty Lunde. Blooloop. Retrieved 2018-02-23. The TEA mission, as stated in its bylaws, is to facilitate dialogue and communication among its members, to stimulate knowledge and professional growth, and to expand the size, diversity and awareness of the themed entertainment industry. Every year since 2007, the TEA has hosted a two-day conference, TEA INSPIRE, two days prior to the Thea Awards Gala, showcasing the teams that worked on these award-winning projects.TEA SATE conference & SATE Academy Days. Themed Entertainment Association. Retrieved 2015-09-24.
Awards
The TEA presents the annual Thea Awards to projects that exemplify the highest standards of excellence and achievement, including individuals, parks, attractions, exhibits, and experiences in the themed entertainment industry. The Thea Awards began in 1994 with a single honoree: Harrison "Buzz" Price, the first recipient of the Thea Lifetime Achievement Award.Thea Confidential. Live Design. Retrieved 2018-02-23. That award is now called the Buzz Price Thea Award for a Lifetime of Outstanding Achievements in his honor.About the Thea Awards. Themed Entertainment Association. Retrieved 2018-02-23. The second recipient was Marty Sklar in 1995. Bob Gurr was the recipient in 1999. In 1996, the Awards for Outstanding Achievement (AOA) were introduced, and ten were distributed. In the years since, additional special categories of AOA have been created, ensuring a multi-award event. Anyone can nominate a project, but judging is conducted by a committee that includes all past lifetime achievement honorees, one board liaison, and nine members-at-large appointed to three-year terms.Thea Committee. Themed Entertainment Association. Retrieved 2024-02-23. Award recipients are announced in November and formally presented the following spring.
30th Annual Thea Award Recipients In 2024, Theas were awarded to the following: The Buzz Price Thea Award: Su Zhigang, Founder of the Chimelong Group and Chairman Thea Classic Award: Liseberg, Gothenburg, Sweden Catalyst Award: Paul C. Hutton, Director of Regenerative Design, Retired at Cuningham TEA Peter Chernack Distinguished Service Award: David Green and Lisa Passamonte Green, Visual Terrain
Award for Outstanding Achievement: Award Name Company Location Attraction Bermuda Storm Chimelong Chimelong Spaceship, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China Attraction Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Disney Parks, Experiences and Products EPCOT, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, U.S. Attraction, Limited Budget Musikkfabrikken Hunderfossen Hunderfossen Hunderfossen Familiepark, Lillehammer, Norway Indoor Marine Park SeaWorld Yas Island SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Retail Experience, Limited Budget Disney Encanto x CAMP CAMP New York, New York, U.S. Immersive Mall Experience AURA: The Forest at the Edge of the Sky Zhejiang Dafeng Industry Haikou International Duty-Free Shopping Complex, Haikou, China Live Show Le Mime et L’Étoile Le Puy du Fou Le Puy du Fou, Les Epesses, France Live Spectacular Geneva Journey Groupe F Geneva, Switzerland Live Interactive Experience Peaky Blinders: The Rise The Everywhere Group Camden Stables Market, London, England, United Kingdom Museum Attraction, Limited Budget Deutschlandmuseum DeutschlandmuseumBerlin, Germany Visitor Experience Re-envisioned, Limited Budget Titanic Belfast Titanic Belfast Limited Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom Brand Experience Johnnie Walker Princes Street BRC Imagination Arts Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom Etended Reality Exhibit Colored (Noire) Centre Pompidou Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France Experiential Dining Attraction Eatrenalin Europa-Park Europa-Park, Rust, Germany
29th Annual Thea Award Recipients In 2023, Theas were awarded to the following: The Buzz Price Thea Award: Roland Mack, Founder and Managing Partner, Europa Park Thea Classic Award: The Main Street Electrical Parade, Disneyland, Anaheim, CA, U.S. Catalyst Award: Susana Tubert, Creative Director, Disney Live Entertainment, Disneyland Parks & Resorts, The Walt Disney Company Catalyst Award: Chevy Humphrey, President & CEO, Museum of Science & Industry - Chicago TEA Peter Chernack Distinguished Service Award: Kevin Murphy TEA Peter Chernack Distinguished Service Award: Peter Weishar
Award for Outstanding Achievement: Award Name Company Location Attraction Chasseurs de Tornades Compagnie des Alpes Futuroscope Attraction Jurassic World Adventure Universal Destinations & Experiences Universal Studios Beijing Attraction, Limited Budget Underlandet Liseberg AB Liseberg Connected Immersion JUMP by Limitless Flight Limitless Flight Bluffdale, Utah Immersive Dining Experience, Limited Budget Absurdities Vol. 1 Andsoforth Singapore Immersive Live Experience Particle Ink: Speed of Dark KALEIDOCO Las Vegas Live Event How to Train Your Dragon: Untrainable Universal Destinations & Experiences Universal Beijing Resort Science Center Shanghai Astronomy Museum Shanghai Astronomy Museum Shanghai Museum, Limited Budget The Irish Racehorse Experience Irish National Stud & Gardens CoKildare, Ireland Historical Experience, Limited Budget QUAKE Lisbon Earthquake Center Lisbon, Portugal Brand Experience Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Walt Disney World Theme Park Universal Studios Beijing Universal Destinations & Experiences Beijing, China Technology Beaudry Interactive Beaudry Interactive Los Angeles
28th Annual Thea Award Recipients In 2022, Theas were awarded to the following: The Buzz Price Thea Award (recognizing a lifetime of distinguished achievements): Doris Hardoon, executive creative director and producer consultant for Walt Disney Imagineering Thea Classic Award: Night Safari, Singapore TEA Peter Chernack Distinguished Service Award: Lynn Allmandinger Heritage Center, Limited Budget: Indigenous Peoples Experience, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Live Show, Limited Budget: Bastogne: The Roads to Freedom, Belgium Technical Innovation: Mario Kart AR Themed Ride Technology, Osaka, Japan Zoo: Elephant Springs, Fort Worth Zoo, Texas, U.S. Immersive Experience, Limited Budget: Symphony: A Virtual Journey into the Heart of Music, Barcelona, Spain Themed Retail, Limited Budget: Gideon's Bakehouse, Disney Springs, Orlando, U.S. Inspiration Learning Experience, Limited Budget:Animakerspace, U.S. Museum, Limited Budget: BOOM! Britannia Mine Museum, Britannia Beach, Canada Technical Innovation: Stuntronics Aerial Robotics Technology, Anaheim, California, U.S. Brand Experience: Weta Workshop Unleashed, Auckland, New Zealand Attraction: Level 99, Natick, Massachusetts, U.S. Theme Park Land: Super Nintendo World, Universal Studios Japan, Osaka, Japan Attraction: The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash!, Universal Studios Hollywood, U.S. Attraction, Limited Budget: Reodor Felgen's Hyperakselerator, Hunderfossen Familie Park, Fåberg, Norway
27th Annual Thea Award Recipients In 2021, Theas were awarded to the following: The Buzz Price Thea Award (recognizing a lifetime of distinguished achievements): Robert Weis (Bob Weis), President of Walt Disney Imagineering (2016-2022) Thea Classic Award: Blackpool Pleasure Beach TEA Peter Chernack Distinguished Service Award: Dale Sprague, Canyon Creative Entrance Experience, Limited Budget: St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. Attraction: Sesame Street: Street Mission, PortAventura World, Tarragona, Spain Live Show Spectacular: Qu Yuan, Jingzhou Oriental Heritage Park, Hubei China Attraction: The Twilight Saga: Midnight Ride, Lionsgate Entertainment World, Zhuhai, China Attraction, Limited Budget: Snorri Touren, Europa-Park, Rust, Germany Technical Innovation: ARGUS LED Dome System, China Touring Exhibition, Limited Budget: Amazing Pollinators Live Attraction Spectacular: The Bourne Stuntacular, Universal Studios Florida, Orlando, Florida, U.S. Connected/Immersive Storytelling: The Nest, Los Angeles, CA, U.S. Attraction: Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Orlando, Florida, U.S. Immersive Design for Special Needs Guests: D.R.E.A.M. Centre, Chailey Heritage Foundation, Lewes, United Kingdom Museum Exhibit Design, Limited Budget: "Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Dr. Jane Goodall," National Geographic Museum, Washington D.C., U.S. Themed Hotel: Les Quais de Lutèce Hotel, Parc Astérix, France Technological Innovation of Industry Significance: TAIT Navigator Automation and Show Control Platform Airport Destination Experience: Jewel Changi Airport, Singapore Attraction: Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Florida and Disneyland Park, CA, U.S.
26th Annual Thea Award Recipients In 2020 the Thea Awards and conference were held digitally due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They were awarded to the following:
The Buzz Price Thea Award (recognizing a lifetime of distinguished achievements): Nancy Seruto, Portfolio Creative, Walt Disney Imagineering Thea Classic Award: Pageant of the Masters TEA Peter Chernack Award for Distinguished Service: Wendy Heimann-Nunes Museum Exhibit: The Hebrew Bible Experience, Museum of the Bible, Washington DC, U.S. Technical Innovation: Christie Eclipse 4K RGB Pure Laser Projector Attraction: Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, Universal Orlando, U.S. Brand Experience: The Google Assistant Ride, 2019 CES Trade Show, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. Connected Immersion on a Limited Budget: Poverty Encounter, Children's Hunger Fund, Sylmar, California, U.S. Museum Upgrade: The Fram Museum, Oslo, Norway Family Entertainment Center: Wonderbox at Paradise City, Incheon, South Korea Attraction, Limited Budget: Popcorn Revenge, Walibi Belgium Belgium Theme Park: Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Attraction: Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Disneyland, California, U.S. Connected Immersion: Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds: The Immersive Experience, London, England Museum, Limited Budget: The Cool Planet Experience, Wicklow, Ireland Attraction: Le Premier Royaume, Grand Parc du Puy du Fou, Les Epesses, France Live Show Spectacular: The Legends of the Gods, Huaxiacheng Tourism Scenic Area, Weihai Huaxia City, Shandong, China New Park Land: Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, Disneyland Resort, California, U.S.
25th Annual Thea Award Recipients In 2019, Theas were awarded to the following:
The Buzz Price Thea Award (recognizing a lifetime of distinguished achievements): Mark Woodbury, Vice Chairman of Universal Destinations & Experiences; President of Universal Creative Classic Award: Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, U.S. Attraction: Justice League: Battle for Metropolis, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, California, U.S. Attraction: SlideWheel, Chimelong Water Park, Guangzhou, China Attraction, Limited Budget: Bazyliszek, Legendia, Chorzów, Poland Museum Experience, Limited Budget: Be Washington: It's Your Turn to Lead, George Washington's Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon, Virginia, U.S. Connected Immersion, Digital Art: MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM: teamLab Borderless in Palette Town, Tokyo, Japan Museum, Limited Budget: The Evel Knievel Museum, Topeka, Kansas, U.S. Theme Park: Fantawild Oriental Heritage, Xiamen, China