IAAPA Expo 2025 Honors Innovation with Brass Ring Awards for Best Exhibits and New Products

IAAPA Expo 2025 placed the spotlight on industry innovation this week as it announced the winners of its respected Brass Ring Awards, recognizing standout achievements in new products and exhibit design. These honors continue IAAPA’s long-running tradition of identifying creative breakthroughs that shape the future of themed entertainment.

Rooted in early amusement park history, the Brass Ring Award draws its name from the classic carousel challenge in which riders attempted to grab a brass ring for good luck. IAAPA has carried that symbol of achievement into the modern era, transforming it into one of the most notable accolades in the attractions industry.

This year’s Best New Product Award highlighted advancements designed to elevate guest experiences and strengthen operational efficiency across parks, attractions, and entertainment venues. The award recognized companies introducing new tools, technologies, and concepts that push the industry forward.

The Best Exhibit Award celebrated trade show booths that demonstrated exceptional presentation, creativity, and audience engagement. These exhibits set new benchmarks for design on the show floor, reflecting the high level of competition among this year’s participants.

From that group of exhibitors, IAAPA also presented the Image Award, honoring the single most outstanding booth of the entire expo. Considered the top distinction in exhibit design, the award signifies excellence in both visual impact and overall presentation.

Rounding out the honors, the Impact Award acknowledged one standout innovation selected from the Best New Product categories. The award recognizes a product with the potential to influence the industry in a meaningful way, from guest experience to operational strategy.

IAAPA Expo 2025 once again demonstrated the attractions industry’s commitment to creativity and progress, offering a clear look at the ideas shaping the next generation of themed and immersive entertainment.

Winners from IAAPA Expo 2025 are as follows:

IMAGE AWARD, The Deluxe Group, Booth #684
“Booth design was compact but very engaging, being fully themed including the staff. Very unique design”

Linear Booth, 1^st Place, AI SketchBot, Booth #3056
“Their booth demonstrated the product well, was interactive with a good cohesive team, friendly, attention to detail, clean.”

Linear Booth, 2^nd Place, American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE), Booth #4319
“Included a bit of everything: a physical coaster car, giveaways and raising money for the foundation. Friendly team members. Celebrating the importance of the industry.”

20 x 20 Foot Booth, 1^st Place, Iron, Wood & Glitter LLC, Haunting Grounds, NC9236
“Utilized space well, booth felt larger than it was. Well themed and exciting haunt walkthrough.”

20 x 20 Foot Booth, 2^nd Place, Ventola Projects VAvR Global Alliance, Booth #460
“Interactive, interesting products, different on each side, software to tie all together, engaging staff.”

600 – 1,200 Square Feet, 1^st Place, Splashtacular, Booth #2043
“Artistically well done, considered all sides of booth, new design, several of their meeting enclaves looked inviting.”

600 – 1,200 Square Feet, 2^nd Place, Helix Leisure USA Inc (Embed), Booth #1040
“Elevated meeting space, clean, used all sides, accessible, branded, staff engaged, products displayed well.”

1,300 and Larger Square Feet, 1^st Place, DOF Robotics, Booth #1369, 1671
“Ride vehicle moving under own motion nice aesthetic, products being visible, interesting.”

1,300 and Larger Square Feet, 2^nd Place, ROLLER, Booth #2949, 3047
“Stylish and modern, rotating sign catches your eye, layout the product and meetings worked, a lot of staff engaging with attendees.”

Best New Product
IMPACT AWARD WINNER
The Rocking Boat, Mack Rides GmbH & Co. KG, Booth #2269
“Combines varied ride experiences with a depth-adjusting, direction-shifting, speed-controlled boat, enables new ways to tell stories.”

Major Ride/Attraction – Product cost of more than US $3 million
1^st Place, The Rocking Boat, Mack Rides GmbH & Co. KG, Booth #2269
“Combined varied ride experiences with a depth-adjusting, direction-shifting, speed-controlled boat, enables new ways to tell stories.”

Major Ride/Attraction – Product cost of more than US $3 million  
2^nd Place, Dynamic Motion Stage “Danse Macabre”, Intamin Amusement Rides, Booth #3825
“This rotating-barrel attraction defines a new dark-ride category. Its scalability, storytelling flexibility, and strong throughput make it a standout this year.”

Family Ride/Attraction   
1^st Place, Sundancer Galaxy, Sunkid GmbH, Booth #2689
“A traditional teacup, except as you spin it tilts; a new version of something established; very innovative.”

Family Ride/ Attractions
2^nd Place, PUMPEN – SUPER SWING M20, RES RIDES AG, Booth #4404
“A unique swing ride because the lower section of the ride flows freely instead of under power.”

Water Park Ride/Attraction – Product cost of more than US$2 million    
1^st Place, Wiegand SLIDE COASTER, Wiegand.Waterrides GmbH, Booth #3212
“Novel magnetic launch system, technology not seen before in the industry, enables the simultaneous launch of two rafts.”

Water Park Ride/Attraction – Product cost of more than US$2 million    
2^nd Place, Wall Runner, WhiteWater, Booth #2236
“Using innovative water-movement tech, the system removes and recirculates water, cutting usage by 90%, while sprayers convincingly simulate ice.”

Water Park Ride/Attraction – Product cost of less than US$2 million
1^st Place, Wave, Wibit Sports GmbH, Booth #2838
“A water-based fun park built around a simple slide, but notable for being fully self-sufficient with solar panels and an integrated pump”
 
Water Park Ride/Attraction – Product cost of less than US$2 million
2^nd Place, Hydro Hurricane, Arihant Industrial Corporation Ltd., Booth #2051
 “A boomerang element that rises and wraps around like a corkscrew; something not seen before and genuinely innovative.”

Patron Participation Ride/Attraction
1^st Place, KristallTurm® PlayLetter, KristallTurm GmbH & Co. KG, Booth #4474
“Playground built from a single letter that can be designed and combined with others as customers choose: versatile, unique, and suitable for all ages.”

Patron Participation Ride/Attraction
2^nd Place, Krazy Arrowz, LASERTRON, Booth #1027
“Real arrows and foam targets create multiple scoring games—an interactive concept that feels like an evolution of darts.”

Technology Applied to Amusements – Product or Service used by Consumers
1^st Place, SmarteLocke™ Locker, Smarte Carte Inc., Booth #3600
“Fast, secure facial-recognition locker access: retrofit-ready, self-contained, POS-capable, and smart enough to redirect users.”

Technology Applied to Amusements – Product or Service used by Consumers
2^nd Place, Genesis, Master FX, Booth #2086
“Dry-ice–free cool smoke with refrigeration, dehumidification, multi-fluid support, and strong value.”

Technology Applied to Amusements – Product or Service used by Facilities
 1^st Place, Blue Mar Basins, Martin Aquatic, Booth #1840
“Filtration system for large lagoons that isolates problem zones without shutting down others, featuring smart, programmable controls.”

Technology Applied to Amusements – Product or Service used by Facilities
 2^nd Place, Intelliband, Intelliplay Inc, Booth #7340
“Gamified IntelliBands track activity, alert parents, map usage, and provide operators actionable insights and upsell opportunities.”

Games and Devices  
1^st Place, Hot Wheels Ultimate Speedway, Coastal Amusements, Booth #1350
“An air-hockey reimagining that supports multiple play styles—a fresh and interesting evolution.”

Games and Devices
2^nd Place, Cyberpunk 2077 Turf Wars, LAI Games, Booth #231, 237, 431
“Interactive marbles with projection mapping—immersive, dynamic, and uniquely innovative.”

Exhibits, Thematic Displays, and Supplies
1^st Place, RAKU Tool EZ-PZ® Light Sculpting Epoxy, RAMPF Group, Inc., Booth #2062
Light yet extremely durable sculpting clay with impressive strength.

Exhibits, Thematic Displays, and Supplies
2^nd Place, Resin Fused Decals, Richco International Inc., Booth #1878
“UV-printed ink decals transfer consistently onto all substrates, offer excellent repeatability, and can be set under resin for later changes.”

Best New Product Concept Award – Major Ride or Water Park Ride
1^st Place, HEXaPOT® Dark Ride, Simtec Systems GmbH, Booth #1354
“This rotating-barrel attraction defines a new dark-ride category. Its scalability, storytelling flexibility, and strong throughput make it a standout this year.”

Best New Product Concept Award – Major Ride or Water Park Ride
2^nd Place, o-Ride X, Brogent Technologies, Inc., Booth #5431
“Inspired by military tech, this ride system offers longer reach, controlled multi-axis motion, and regenerates energy, using 30% less power than traditional systems.”

Best New Product Concept Award – Attraction
1^st Place, EatX, Mack Rides GmbH & Co. KG, Booth # 2269
“Increased throughput with rotating vehicles that spin from pre-show to ride. Scalable for additional levels and higher capacity.”

Best New Product Concept Award – Attraction
2^nd Place, Suspended Dark Ride, Vekoma Rides, Booth # 5124
“Reimagined ride with stunning quality, onboard lighting, and real control—designed for both adults and children to enjoy together.”

Best New Product Concept Award – Other Product/Service  
1^st Place, Build Alive, Breeze Creative, Booth #1684
“Projection-mapped shapes that educate, engage, and entertain—autism-friendly, customizable, and fun for all children.”

Best New Product Concept Award – Other Product/Service  
2^nd Place, E-Claw 2.0, ELAUT Group, Booth #2015, 2215
“Tech-enhanced claw machine delivering usage analytics, real-time alerts, and enterprise-wide performance and financial insights.”