Experts in the delivery of fun experiences

Greg Holt, Creative Design Director at Pico Play, leads global teams bringing bold, culturally sensitive attraction designs to life across regions like the UAE, Cambodia, and Southeast Asia. With over 20 years of experience, he blends creativity with practicality - recently earning recognition in the art world with a People’s Choice Award at the 2025 Doyles Art Awards.

Rickard Engineering celebrates its continued partnership with Pico Play at IAAPA Expo Asia 2025, reflecting on past successes and exploring future collaborations built on creativity, trust and engineering excellence.

Surf parks are evolving into vibrant lifestyle destinations—but lasting success lies in more than just perfect waves. Designing for the values-driven NEO consumer means embedding individuality, personalisation, and authenticity into every aspect of the experience. It’s not about trends, but about creating places that feel meaningful, adaptable, and emotionally resonant—where guests don’t just visit, they return because it feels like theirs.

The leadership team discuss how Pico Play’s end-to-end service model can streamline themed entertainment projects.

Exploring the trends, challenges, and stories of industry leaders. "Delivering exceptional experiences requires a delicate balance between investment, innovation, and operational efficiency”.

Pico Play has promoted industry veteran Mark Snell to Head of Creative Art, overseeing 75 artists across Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia. With 25 years of experience, Snell will lead the creation of immersive, story-driven attractions. The promotion comes as Pico Play expands globally, hiring 25 new artists and opening a new location in Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia.

Forecast Final Cost (FFC) is a proactive approach to cost control in project management, predicting total expenses by factoring in procured works, variations, unprocured works, opportunities, and risks. Unlike retrospective cost tracking, FFC enables early identification of overruns, allowing corrective actions like redesign and value engineering.

Passion, skills, and flexibility are key to breaking into the attractions industry, where opportunities extend beyond roller coaster design into areas like master planning, theming, and architecture. Gaining hands-on experience, developing strong visual communication, and being open to relocating can greatly enhance career prospects.