Special projects and new rides: Zamperla is aiming for a turnover of 130 million

Now in its sixtieth year, Zamperla – founded in 1966 in Altavilla Vicentina – is now one of the world’s leading companies in the design and manufacture of attractions for amusement parks and entertainment destinations, with over 450 employees worldwide, more than 7,000 attractions installed and a direct presence in Italia, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, China and the Philippines – is celebrating and looking to the future by bringing together industry representatives, park operators, suppliers, associations, institutions, universities and the press at its headquarters for a day dedicated to the sector’s economic, tourism, employment and social value.

Because alongside ‘Made in Italy’ in fashion, design and the automotive industry, we must also include ‘Made in Italy’ in entertainment.

The company, with consolidated group turnover of 108 million in 2025, expects to reach 130 million by 2026: “The growth in production value is linked to special projects with Disney and Universal – multi-year contracts involving significant sums, with a lead time of more than two years,” explains Antonio Zamperla, chief executive since 2021. “Over 97 per cent of our turnover is generated abroad, and we currently have over 70 projects in key international markets. Demand remains strong and encompasses both new investments and programmes to modernise existing facilities,” he adds.

Zamperla maintains its creative, design and manufacturing hub in Altavilla Vicentina. In 2025, the company worked with 1,242 suppliers, generating €67 million in purchases. 85 per cent of this amount went to Italian businesses and 69 per cent to companies in the Veneto region, involving 617 regional suppliers. Taking into account staff, materials, services and related activities, the total economic impact generated in the region is estimated at around 100 million euros. The role of the fairground ride cluster, which includes Rovigo amongst its key centres, remains central ‘above all due to the presence of specialised suppliers, well-established technical expertise and professional relationships developed over time. Even in an increasingly globalised context, the concentration of know-how and skilled services still represents a valuable asset for our sector’. To remain competitive, however – as Zamperla emphasises – ‘technology and technical expertise alone are not enough: we need the ability to learn, to bring together different areas of knowledge and to collaborate throughout the entire supply chain. From this perspective, dialogue between schools, universities and businesses becomes strategic for introducing young people to the attractions industry, passing on the wealth of knowledge built up over time and developing the professional skills needed to continue innovating”.

The event, entitled “Il tempo della gioia” (A Time of Joy), also provided the opportunity for the world premiere of Hypnosiz, the new Zamperla attraction developed over 18 months with the contribution of dozens of people and a network of suppliers and industrial partners. The new attraction, Hypnosiz, is a concrete example of this industrial model: its creation involved 85 suppliers, 14 of whom were directly involved in its development. To remain competitive, however, technology and technical expertise alone are not enough: we need the ability to learn, to bring together different areas of knowledge and to collaborate throughout the entire supply chain. From this perspective, dialogue between schools, universities and businesses becomes crucial for introducing young people to the amusement park industry, passing on the wealth of knowledge built up over time, and training the professionals needed to continue innovating.