Nick Farmer Will Be First European President of TEA

BURBANK, Calif. USA, May 2007 - Nick Farmer, of Farmer Attraction Development, Leicester, UK, was unanimously elected to be the next president of the TEA (former Themed Entertainment Association) the international trade association serving the experience and attractions industry. Current TEA president Craig Hanna, of Thinkwell Design and Production, will officially pass the gavel to President-Elect Farmer this November at the TEA annual members meeting, to be held in Orlando at the IAAPA Attractions Expo. Nick Farmer will become the first European president of TEA. TEA is based in Burbank, Calif.

"TEA President-Elect Nick Farmer is definitely the right person to lead our organization into 2008," says current TEA president Craig Hanna. "Everyone is very excited about his election, and deeply appreciative of his willingness to dedicate his time and effort to helping the TEA continue to expand and improve its member benefits, and its relevance to the industry that turns dreams into reality."

A natural goal Farmer has stated for his upcoming term as President of the TEA International Board is to grow TEA's European membership. Currently, about one-fifth of TEA members are European, with most of the remainder in North America. "TEA's core will always be in the US, because of how TEA originated, and because of the nature of the business - but the industry does have a vital branch in Europe, and that branch needs to grow," says Farmer. "Europeans will gain from working with TEA to further define, develop and improve our industry, and they have much to contribute." Farmer has been involved with TEA since 1998 when its TEA European Division was established, and is currently a Vice President of the International Board.

Farmer also wishes to grow TEA's representation in such areas as architecture and digital production. "TEA has something to offer all companies that provide creative services to the experience industry. We all sit on these project teams together: architects, media producers, conceptual designers, technical integrators, lighting and sound specialists, fabricators, engineers, consultants. The more fully our membership reflects that range of disciplines, the more meaningful our dialogue and the more powerful our ability to address common concerns and markets," Farmer elucidates. "There are exciting times ahead for the TEA as it develops maturity and strength."

About Nick Farmer
TEA President-Elect Nick Farmer has 30 years' experience working for theme parks, amusement parks, aquariums, zoos, science centers and other leisure destinations. He advises clients in park development, story development, brand development and new attraction planning in Europe and Scandinavia. As a non-executive director of Wicksteed Park Ltd, Kettering, one of the UK's oldest leisure parks, Farmer is also an attraction operator, and so understands both the operator and the vendor side of the business. He has been a TEA member in Europe since the association established its European Division in 1998, and has served three years as European President. He is currently in his second term on the International Board and has been a Vice-President for the past five years. In his spare time Farmer has a passion for wooden boats. His company, Farmer Attraction Development, is in Leicester, England UK. Visit www.farmer.co.uk.

About TEA
The TEA (former Themed Entertainment Association) is an international nonprofit organization, founded in 1991. TEA represents some 6,500 creative specialists, from architects to designers, technical specialists to master planners, scenic fabricators to artists, and builders to feasibility analysts working in nearly 500 firms in 39 different countries. TEA will host the first annual SATE Conference (Storytelling, Architecture, Technology, Experience) Oct. 9-10, 2007 in Orlando, USA. For more information, visit www.teaconnect.org.