Construction scheduled to be complete by summer 2019

Artist rendering of new IAAPA headquarters, currently under construction.
Source: IAAPA

The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions broke ground Thursday on a new 22,000-square-foot headquarters located in Orlando.

The new building will be located on seven acres at 4155 Taft-Vineland Rd. Last year IAAPA moved from offices in Alexandria, Va., to an office suite in Orlando. A major reason for the relocation was the proximity of several major theme parks in the Orlando area, including Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort.

"Orlando is the perfect place for IAAPA," said Andreas Andersen, chairman of IAAPA's board of directors. "We have a wide array of members based here and many of our international members travel regularly to Central Florida."

IAAPA has 73 employees worldwide with 47 staffers based in Orlando. The new headquarters is a $14 million investment for the association. The building will feature three ceiling heights with 21-foot-high entry, meeting rooms, a special event space and lounge, and a library for the association's archives.

"Bringing our global headquarters to the heart of the attractions industry is the perfect next step for us as we continue to better serve our members," said Hal McEvoy, interim CEO of IAAPA.

Construction of the new headquarters is scheduled to be complete by summer 2019.

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