LAS VEGAS, NEVADA — Ojeda Media Group celebrated two Wave Review Awards at the World Waterpark Association’s 46th Annual Symposium & Trade Show, held at Paris Las Vegas. The awards recognized social media work with Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari in Indiana and Blue Bayou Waterpark in Louisiana.
The WWA Wave Review Awards honor marketing excellence across the waterpark industry. This year’s recognition celebrated two different approaches to storytelling: sharing the family history behind a beloved destination and introducing a community to the people bringing a local waterpark into a new chapter.
Sharing the Story Behind Splashin’ Safari
At Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana, the story went beyond riding record-breaking waterslides.
Alex Ojeda joined Leah Koch-Blumhardt, a fourth-generation member of the park’s founding family, to explore the attractions and the decisions behind them. The resulting YouTube video combined ride experiences with a personal look at how Splashin’ Safari grew over three decades.
From longtime favorites to groundbreaking water coasters, each attraction became part of a larger story about a family willing to try something new.
At the time of the award submission, the video had generated more than 922,000 views and 74,600 hours of watch time, without paid amplification.
The campaign earned recognition in the social media category for parks with annual attendance of more than 250,000.
Introducing a New Chapter at Blue Bayou
For Blue Bayou Waterpark in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the campaign centered on reconnecting with the community.
“Rebuilding Blue Bayou From the Ground Up” brought viewers behind the scenes as the park entered a new chapter under new management. Content introduced the team, documented improvements, and gave people a chance to follow the work as it happened.
The people behind the park became familiar faces, helping make its return a continuing story that the community could participate in.
Starting with a new TikTok account in February, Blue Bayou reached 57,800 followers and 603,000 likes by the time of submission.
The campaign was recognized in the social media category for parks with annual attendance of 100,000 to 250,000.
A Week With the Waterpark Community
The awards were one highlight of a busy week connecting with waterpark professionals from around the world.
Alex also joined Bob Owens on stage during the Opening General Session to introduce the Leading Edge Awards, which celebrate the industry’s most innovative new projects and expansions.
Outside the sessions, the week included dinner with the Water Wizz team to celebrate a successful summer together. Ojeda Media Group also sponsored the World Waterpark Fantasy Football League’s annual poker tournament party for the first time.
And with Las Vegas as the backdrop, there was time to catch Michael Jackson ONE by Cirque du Soleil.
The best part of the week was the opportunity to reconnect with longtime friends, meet new industry partners, and celebrate the people behind the parks.
Thank you to the World Waterpark Association team, volunteers, speakers, exhibitors, and everyone who helped make this year’s show possible. A special thank-you to our partners at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari and Blue Bayou Waterpark for making these stories possible.
