Orlando, Tuesday, 18 November 2025.
At IAAPA Expo Orlando, PGAV marks six decades of design leadership and is using the show to pivot from pedigree to new commissions, targeting operators, investors and suppliers. The firm showcases a portfolio spanning Busch Gardens and Discovery Cove to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom — the world’s largest aquarium — underscoring its capabilities in immersive master planning, exhibit‑grade life‑support engineering and resilient infrastructure. Messaging is aimed at capital‑intensive aquarium and mixed‑use park projects where animal welfare engineering and integrated show systems shape lifecycle costs. For operators, PGAV brings case studies and technical credibility to inform feasibility and procurement; for investors, clearer views on return drivers and maintenance implications; for suppliers, partnership pathways on complex integrations. Appearing at the expo signals intent to convert retrospective credibility into forward‑looking commissions and to align multidisciplinary teams for projects that balance storytelling, animal care and resilient engineering. Expect conversations around lifecycle modelling, exhibit‑grade systems and multi‑disciplinary delivery.
IAAPA as a strategic springboard
PGAV is using IAAPA Expo Orlando as a deliberate platform to shift public emphasis from six decades of past work to securing new, capital‑intensive commissions in aquariums and mixed‑use parks, a strategy confirmed by the firm’s planned presence at the Expo and anniversary messaging [1][3]. This market‑facing posture aims to convert pedigree into active project pipelines by meeting operators, investors and specialist suppliers in a single trade environment where technical demonstrations and partnership conversations commonly occur [3][GPT].
Portfolio and technical credentials on display
The firm is spotlighting a six‑decade portfolio that includes early theme‑park master planning for Busch Gardens and later landmark projects such as Discovery Cove and the design contribution to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom — described in trade coverage as the world’s largest aquarium — to emphasise expertise in immersive master planning, exhibit engineering and integrated guest experience design [1][2]. Executive commentary supplied in trade profiles frames PGAV’s philosophy as story‑led design and highlights decades of work across themed entertainment, zoos, aquariums and cultural destinations [1][2].
Why operators, investors and suppliers matter to PGAV’s agenda
PGAV’s IAAPA agenda, as presented in its anniversary communications, targets three industry cohorts: operators planning capital projects who require technical case studies and lifecycle cost awareness; investors looking for clearer return drivers and maintenance risk data on exhibit‑grade systems; and suppliers of life‑support and show‑control technologies seeking integration partners on complex builds — a matchmaking intent reflected in the firm’s emphasis on long‑life infrastructure and multidisciplinary delivery [1][2][GPT].
Relevant project case studies that underpin credibility
Trade sources list specific projects PGAV cites as evidence of its capability set — among them the Loch Ness Monster at Busch Gardens (work dating to the 1970s), PortAventura, Discovery Cove and Penguin and Puffin Coast at the Saint Louis Zoo — which collectively demonstrate experience across coaster engineering, resort‑scale themed environments and indoor penguin habitats that combine guest access with animal care considerations [2][1]. The Chimelong Ocean Kingdom attribution is cited in industry profiles as an example of large‑scale aquarium engineering in PGAV’s portfolio [1][2].
Technology partners and systems conversations at the show
IAAPA Expo programming and exhibitor previews indicate that suppliers are bringing attraction‑grade visual and systems technologies to Orlando — for example, Christie announced a technical preview of an LED video wall solution designed for dark rides and media‑rich attractions at the same Expo — reinforcing the type of supplier integrations PGAV is likely to discuss with partners focused on exhibit‑grade audiovisual and show‑control systems [3].
Market context: why lifecycle and resilient engineering are saleable propositions
Operators and investors now weigh upfront capital against lifecycle costs for life‑support and show systems in ways that elevate engineering resilience as a selling point; this industry shift makes firms with demonstrable experience in long‑life infrastructure and animal‑welfare engineering commercially relevant when bidding for mixed‑use and aquarium projects [GPT][alert! ‘analysis relies on industry trend synthesis rather than a single primary source; specific financial metrics were not provided in the supplied sources’].
Bronnen