Kettering, Friday, 17 October 2025.
The UK Theme Park Awards moved to Wicksteed Park for the 2025 edition, hosted by Naomi Wilkinson and Dave Payne, with a nine‑member expert judging panel blending operators, tech and media specialists. Most striking: organisers chose Wicksteed — opened in 1921 and Britain’s longest continually operating mainland park — signalling a deliberate shift toward regional, heritage venues as industry hubs. The programme expanded technical and guest‑experience categories (including IP use, queue/pre‑show design and tech integration) and introduced creator awards, while winners were decided by a mix of public voting and peer scoring. That combination raises the bar for evidencing operational improvements, safety upgrades and return on capital, making the awards a strategic platform for operators and suppliers to validate launches, secure sponsorship and shape 2025 season marketing timelines. Public voting window and submission deadlines were set to influence product rollouts and PR plans, so operators should treat the awards as both benchmark and commercial opportunity.
A heritage setting chosen to host a national industry awards night
Organisers of the UK Theme Park Awards have selected Wicksteed Park to host the 2025 edition of the ceremony, underlining a deliberate move to site a national industry event in a regional, heritage attraction that has been operating since 1921; the ceremony is scheduled to take place on 18 September and will be presented by Naomi Wilkinson and Dave Payne [1].
Hosts and production details that shape the event’s profile
The announcement confirmed TV presenter Naomi Wilkinson and awards specialist Dave Payne as hosts for the evening, and named TAG Live as the production company responsible for the ceremony and official livestream; the awards are presented in association with AttractionTickets.com, positioning the event for broad industry and consumer visibility [1].
Judging structure and expanded technical categories
Organisers revealed a nine‑member expert judging panel drawn from operators, technology suppliers and media — including industry figures such as Lawrence Roots, Dawn Foote, Mark Locker, Paul Kelly and Planet Attractions’ Lauren Heath‑Jones — and added categories focused on technical and guest‑experience innovation such as Best Use of IP in an Attraction, Best Queue Line Experience or Pre‑Show and Best Integration of Technology in a Guest Experience [2].
Public vote plus peer scoring: raising evidentiary expectations
Winners for each of the 22 categories will be determined through a combination of public voting and judges’ scoring, a hybrid model that places weight on both consumer sentiment and peer‑reviewed technical assessment — a structure the organisers say will recognise operational, safety and commercial performance as well as public appeal [2][1].
Why Wicksteed Park matters as an industry hub
Choosing Wicksteed Park — the UK mainland’s longest continually operating theme park — to host an industry awards night signals a strategic shift toward regional venue partnerships that pair heritage settings with industry‑facing activity such as networking, supplier showcases and benchmarking sessions for operators, vendors and designers [1][2].
Practical implications for operators, suppliers and product timelines
For operators and suppliers, participation and shortlisted status at the awards now serves as a platform to validate capital investments, evidence safety and capacity improvements, and attract sponsorship or licensing interest; the awards’ timelines for submissions and public voting are explicit commercial levers that should be integrated into 2025 season marketing and product‑launch schedules [2][1].
Regional operators are already mobilising public support and campaign activity: Blackgang Chine on the Isle of Wight publicised shortlist placements across four major categories and urged community voting as a route to national exposure and tourism benefits, illustrating how shortlisting can become part of a wider publicity and commercial strategy for smaller parks [3].
Timelines and engagement windows that influence planning
Organisers set a defined public voting window that, according to the awards’ timetable, opened in July and closed on 1 September, creating discrete periods when parks and suppliers must concentrate promotional effort and submit supporting evidence for judges’ review — a scheduling reality that will directly affect PR calendars and launch dates for attractions seeking recognition at the awards [2][3].
What the judging panel composition signals about assessment priorities
The nine‑person panel combines founders and CEOs of tech and consumer platforms, association executives and media publishers, signalling adjudication that balances technical operational criteria, digital and guest‑experience innovation, and sectoral advocacy — a mixed expertise set that raises expectations for substantive evidence in entries, from safety records and throughput data to creative IP deployment and measurable guest engagement [2].
Sources
source1: https://www.planetattractions.com/news/Hosts-announced-as-UK-Theme-Park-Awards-head-to-Wicksteed-Park-for-2025-edition/4190
source2: https://www.planetattractions.com/news/UK-Theme-Park-Awards-2025-reveals-expert-judging-panel/4164
source3: https://www.islandecho.co.uk/blackgang-chine-needs-your-vote-to-win-big-at-uk-theme-park-awards/
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