ORLANDO, Fla. — PGAV Destinations, a design firm specializing in theme park attractions, plans to open a studio in Orlando this year.
What You Need To Know
- St. Louis-based PGAV Destinations is opening a new studio in Orlando
- The company has worked on projects for SeaWorld, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and Busch Gardens
- PGAV Destinations is looking to fill 20-30 positions at the new studio with local talent
The St. Louis-based company, which worked on projects for theme parks and attractions such as SeaWorld Orlando and The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, made the announcement last week.
“With the attractions industry expecting a strong rebound as pandemic concerns ease, now is the perfect time for PGAV Destinations to establish a permanent presence in Orlando, which has emerged as a critical hub for theme park design and development,” PGAV Destinations chairman Mike Konzen said in a statement.
The company worked on attractions such as Manta at SeaWorld Orlando, and Cheetah Hunt at Busch Gardens. In addition to theme parks, PGAV Destinations’ other clients include zoos, aquariums, museums and brand destinations.
The Orlando studio will be headed by PGAV Destinations Vice President Ned Diestelkamp, an industry veteran with 36 years of experience. He will also lead the office’s recruitment efforts.
For its new studio, the company is bringing about 20 to 30 jobs that it wants to fill with local talent.
“We are especially looking to recruit employees early in their careers and graduates of local universities’ theme-park design program,” a notice on its website reads.
The company did not disclose where its Orlando studio will be located but did say it will be “close to Orlando’s theme parks.”
PGAV Destinations entering the Central Florida market comes as other companies in the theme park and attractions industry expand their presence in the area.
In July, the Walt Disney Company announced plans to move about 2,000 jobs in the Parks, Experiences and Products division from California to a new regional campus in Lake Nona.
And TAIT, a live entertainment and events firm based in Pennsylvania, announced it had acquired Orlando-based ITEC Entertainment in October to “add capabilities in support of clients locally.”
Even IAAPA, the global association for the attractions industry, moved its headquarters from Alexandria, Va., to Orlando a few years ago.
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