

MICHAEL MACK

Michael Mack was born on December 21, 1978, in Freiburg and grew up in Rust. He attended elementary school there and graduated from high school in Ettenheim in 1998. He is the son of Roland Mack, the founder of Europa-Park Resort, and his wife Marianne. Michael has two younger siblings, Thomas (*1981) and Ann-Kathrin (*1989). Since 2010, he has been married to Miriam Mack, with whom he has two sons, Paul and Jacob. He proposed to his wife in 2009 on the new mega coaster “Blue Fire.”
As a teenager, Michael Mack was already active in Europa-Park, gaining experience in the areas of attractions, marketing, and technology. This early involvement laid the foundation for his deep understanding of the theme park industry.
Between 1999 and 2003, Michael Mack completed a trinational degree in International Business Management in Basel, Lörrach, and Colmar. He graduated with three diplomas in business administration – one from Germany, one from Switzerland, and one from France. Internships at Hubert Burda Media in Offenburg, Munich, and Paris, as well as work in international theme parks such as Liseberg (Sweden), Busch Gardens Williamsburg (USA), Warner Bros. Movie World (Australia), Nigloland (France), and Port Aventura (Spain), provided him with valuable insights into the industry and early international expertise.
In 2002, Michael Mack founded his first company, MACK Media GbR, together with his father, Roland Mack. Initially, Michael Mack was directly involved behind the camera: he directed the first European park DVD, “Traumhafte Welten” (which translates to “Dreamlike Worlds”), documented park events, and conducted interviews with the family and key individuals. Subsequently, he developed MACK Media into an in-house video production agency, which continues to serve the MACK Group to this day. This foundation enabled Europa-Park and its external clients to be positioned in the digital media landscape, expanding the park and its brands beyond borders. In 2018, MACK Media was rebranded as MACK Media & Brands, now also managing external licensing for content and character brands of the group.
Following in the footsteps of his grandfather Franz Mack and his father Roland Mack, Michael Mack took over the leadership of the traditional company MACK Rides between 2005 and 2008. Together with CEO Christian von Elverfeldt, he implemented a fundamental realignment of the company. This also strengthened the collaboration with Europa-Park. Focusing on technological innovations and forward-looking attractions, he significantly expanded the roller coaster product portfolio. Under his leadership, zero-level manufacturing in track production was developed to series maturity, and the YoungSTAR Coaster with the innovative rickshaw technology was created as a key milestone. These advancements laid the foundation for a worldwide revolution in Mack’s roller coaster technology, which reached a preliminary peak with the opening of “Blue Fire” and is still considered the gold standard in the industry today.
In 2007, Michael Mack, together with Marc Terenzi, introduced the “Horror Nights” – the first major Halloween event at Europa-Park. The concept was an immediate success and is now internationally recognized as “Traumatica – Festival of Fear”, an award-winning horror event that takes place annually from late September to early November. With its unique mix of haunted houses, attractions, and shows, it is regarded as the most successful event of its kind in Europe.
In the same year, Michael Mack founded MACK Solutions. This division began developing concepts for rides and new themed areas, both for Europa-Park and other amusement parks. The first major project of the young department was the planning and construction of the “Blue Fire Megacoaster” and the associated Iceland themed area. MACK Solutions became an early predecessor of the later MACK One.
In 2008, Michael Mack officially joined the Europa-Park company and took over responsibility for the central Operations & Service (O&S) division and the construction department.
On February 13, 2008, Michael Mack was elected to the board of the VDFU (Association of German Amusement Parks and Leisure Enterprises). In 2010, he was appointed as the youngest member to the European board of the global leisure industry association IAAPA. Since 2011, he has been a member of the “Liseberg Applause Award Board of Governors.”
In 2008, Jürgen Mack handed over the leadership of the show department to his nephew Michael Mack. Two years later, Michael Mack established the Entertainment division, merging the areas of shows, event technology, and events.
In 2011, he was named a partner of Europa-Park and MACK Rides.
In 2014, Michael Mack was the driving force behind the world-first attraction “Arthur” and the themed area “Kingdom of the Minimoys.” Through close collaboration with star director Luc Besson, he integrated an external IP into an attraction for the first time. With MACK Rides, he developed the new roller coaster type “Inverted Powered Coaster,” which won the Thea Award for “Best Ride System.” This innovative ride system goes beyond the functionality of a classic roller coaster: its flexible movements enable immersive storytelling similar to a dark ride. This revealed his passion for vibrant storytelling that extends beyond mere theming.
Michael Mack has always been interested in envisioning the future of roller coaster rides and making storytelling even more immersive. In 2015, together with managing partner Thomas Wagner, he founded VR Coaster, bringing virtual reality technology to the world of roller coasters. This innovation fundamentally and globally transformed the perception of roller coasters, marking another revolution in coaster design. In addition, the Coastiality app received the German Computer Game Award in 2017 in the category “Best Innovation.” In 2018, Eurosat Coastiality was honored with the Halo Award in the category “Location Based Entertainment.”
In March 2016, Michael Mack was appointed Managing Partner of Europa-Park. That same year, he merged MACK Solutions with the construction department, which continued to operate under the name MACK Solutions. In addition to his responsibility for the Operations & Service (O&S) team and MACK Solutions, he placed a strong emphasis on digitalization, IT, and corporate security. Under his leadership, these areas were significantly expanded both in terms of personnel and technology. For his achievements, he was awarded the CampdenFB Award in 2016 as “Top Next-Generation Entrepreneur” and was listed by Capital magazine in the “Germany’s Top 40 Under 40.”
Ulrich Damrau and Roland Mack, considered the creators of the design and concept of the European-themed area, are both major role models for Michael Mack. Following in their footsteps, he began redesigning the French-themed area in 2017, transforming Eurosat into the Eurosat-CanCan-Coaster to make it even more authentic.
Eurosat is truly a three-generation project:
- Franz Mack laid the foundation with the original layout, a daring track design, and the technology, making it a masterpiece of roller coaster engineering at the time.
- Roland Mack, inspired by his love of France, was responsible for the complete implementation of the themed area.
- Michael Mack modernized the coaster both technically and thematically. He collaborated with Luc Besson and the film “Valerian” to introduce a free-roaming VR experience for the first time, adding a switch track and an additional VR station to the ride.
In 2019, Eurosat Coastiality received the German Digital Award in the category “Digital Live Experience.”
Additionally, in the same year, Michael Mack established a partnership with the Moulin Rouge in Paris, making Europa-Park the only theme park outside France to become an official partner of the famous cabaret. Moreover, the original replica of the Moulin Rouge windmill in Europa-Park is the only one outside of Paris. With the transformation of Eurosat into the CanCan-Coaster, Michael Mack created a tribute to the origins of show business during the Belle Époque and to the history of his family business in Waldkirch. In the 1920s, the family had already built the first wooden roller coasters there, including the legendary Rigi-Turmbahn.
In 2014, Michael Mack, together with MACK Media, developed the idea of the ACE, a fictional adventurers’ club that connects stories surrounding the attractions of Europa-Park Resort. Voletarium was the first attraction to be fully themed around the ACE in 2017. Since then, the ACE has become a recurring element throughout Europa-Park: attractions such as Pirates in Batavia, Madame Freudenreich, and Voltron Nevera powered by Rimac are based on stories from the club. In addition, books, audiobooks, documentaries, and series bring the experience to fans at home. With the ACE, Michael Mack created a narrative concept that strengthens visitor engagement and provides the foundation for future story worlds beyond Europa-Park Resort.
Michael Mack envisions creating original worlds and characters that not only enrich Europa-Park but also captivate people and children worldwide. In 2018, Ambient Entertainment, founded by Holger Tappe, which had produced several 4D films in collaboration with MACK Media for Europa-Park since 2011, was rebranded as MACK Animation. With this, Michael Mack integrated Germany’s first animation studio for cinema and 4D films into the MACK Group, aiming to explore new horizons alongside Holger Tappe as a co-partner. Michael Mack also played a significant role in the development of Euromaus:
- 2011: With the short film “The Secret of Balthasar Castle”, he introduced Euromaus in 3D style, bringing her to life in a new digital era.
- 2015: On Europa-Park’s 40th anniversary, he gave Euromaus a name with Ed & Edda in the film “The Time Carousel.” The film was also a tribute to the legacy of Heinrich Mack, the founding father of Mack Rides.
- 2018: With the short film “Night in the Park,” he once again spotlighted Ed & Edda, marking another step toward the first feature film.
Additionally, Michael Mack created an emotional moment in memory of his grandfather, Franz Mack, the founder of Europa-Park.
Michael Mack took his first steps into the international film industry in 2017 when MACK Media co-produced the feature film “Happy Family.” Two short films, “Happy Family 4D” and “Next Level 4D,” were also created and shown at Europa-Park.
Michael Mack is deeply committed to German-French collaboration. In 2018, he developed the idea for Europa-Valley, a cross-border nature resort. In the same year, he was appointed French Honorary Consul for his dedication. Together with his father, Roland Mack, he met with French President Emmanuel Macron and Baden-Württemberg’s Minister President Winfried Kretschmann in Strasbourg in 2018.
In November 2018, Michael Mack brought the world’s leading minds in the VR and AR industry to Europa-Park for the first time. The occasion was the premiere of the AUREA Awards, initiated by him, which honors outstanding innovations and projects in the fields of Virtual and Augmented Reality. Since then, the international elite gathers annually in Rust, and the AUREA Awards have become the most prestigious industry accolade in Europe. Visionary Michael Mack has already ventured into entirely new dimensions of international entertainment and leisure technology.
In 2019, MackNeXT was founded as a subsidiary of MACK Media & Brands GmbH & Co. KG. Since 2022, MackNeXT has been operating under the name MACK One, while MACK Media continues as a department within Europa-Park’s marketing.
With this restructuring, Michael Mack consolidated all companies outside Rust under a unified umbrella. MACK One connects the group’s subsidiaries and serves as the central unit for the family business’s development. Its focus is on state-of-the-art productions, innovative technologies, and international master planning, design, and storytelling. Additionally, Michael Mack actively promotes international creatives and talents through MACK One.
At the end of 2019, the water world Rulantica opened, offering a unique experience with its intricately detailed themed environment. Michael Mack played a pivotal role in developing the story and master plan. The then-controversial idea was not to simply build a classic Europa-Park water park but to create an independent brand with a fantastic story world capable of growing beyond its Rust location. Rulantica is the generational project of Europa-Park, in which Michael Mack has taken on a key role.
For this purpose, the character Snorri, a charming little sixtopus, was created in collaboration between MACK Magic and Michael Mack. Snorri has since become a beloved character and a central part of the Rulantica narrative.
Even before the water park opened, the Rulantica novel series was published by Coppenrath Verlag. To date, it has sold over 300,000 copies and has been translated into seven languages.
In September 2020, Michael Mack opened the first location of the family attraction YULLBE at the Hotel Kronasar. These specially developed VR experiences allowed visitors to deeply immerse themselves in the stories of “Rulantica” or “Traumatica.” Today, YULLBE is available worldwide, including at the Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg and on AIDA cruise ships. The catalog now features over a dozen different experiences.
In 2020, Michael Mack, together with his siblings, was honored as “Hotelier of the Year.” In the same year, he received the title of “Innovator of the Year” in recognition of his significant role in the industry.
Through visionary innovations and strategic thinking, Michael Mack has secured a special place in the theme park industry. During the COVID-19 pandemic, which posed enormous challenges to the entire entertainment sector, he demonstrated foresight by driving the introduction of the Virtual Line system. This digital queue management system enhanced guest comfort and safety, setting new standards in efficiency. It exemplifies how crises can be overcome through positive entrepreneurial spirit and holistic 360° thinking.
As a driving force following two devastating fires at Europa-Park, Michael Mack showcased his leadership and resilience. He played a central role in the reconstruction, turning setbacks into opportunities for innovation and development.
An outstanding example of his multi-generational approach is the reconstruction of the “Pirates in Batavia” attraction. With the help of the current MACK One, he once again demonstrated his flair for exceptional storytelling and technical excellence. This project impressively shows how fan desires and memories can be integrated into a modern interpretation.
His involvement in Studio78, which explores new paths in audiovisual production, is another milestone in his career. This studio combines cutting-edge technology with creative vision to create immersive content that goes far beyond traditional theme park experiences.
In 2024, Michael Mack was honored by being named to Blooloop’s prestigious “The Power 10” Theme Park Influencer List. This recognition highlights his significant contributions to the theme park industry, including leading innovative projects through MACK One and overseeing ambitious growth at Europa-Park. His inclusion in this list underscores his influence and leadership within the global attractions sector.
In 2021, Michael Mack established the Tacumeon Rides product division at MACK Rides. The idea for this emerged years earlier when Holger Tappe produced the Flying Theater film for Voletarium at Europa-Park.
Tacumeon Rides combines MACK Rides’ expertise in hardware with MACK One’s knowledge of software and content production. This expanded the product portfolio to include innovative attractions such as Flying Theaters and Gameplay Theaters.
In 2022, Michael Mack launched his own streaming platform, Veejoy. The platform serves three main purposes: documenting the history of Europa-Park and the MACK Group, providing fans with exclusive behind-the-scenes content in the form of series, films, documentaries, and podcasts, and extending the park experience into people’s homes.
With approximately 2 million users, Veejoy has become the most successful streaming platform in the theme park industry worldwide. It features award-winning series such as the construction documentary “Ω – Die Baudokumentation,” which received the Best of Content Marketing Award in Gold.
The international expansion of MACK One began in 2019 with the opening of its first office in the UK, following the success of the Paddington on Ice show in Hyde Park, which was conceived and produced by MACK One. In 2021, the “Mack One Account” won the European Identity & Cloud Award in the category “Customer Identity & Access Management.” In 2022, an office in France was opened, followed by another in Switzerland in 2023. These offices strengthen the MACK Group’s presence and the distribution of MACK products in key markets such as France, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy, while also providing access to new talent and fostering local content production. The office in France, in particular, now serves as a central hub for creative content projects.
In 2022, Eatrenalin opened as a multisensory experience combining culinary art, technology, and storytelling. This project showcases the potential of MACK One’s collaboration (including MACK Animation and MACK Rides). Led by Thomas Mack, the project leveraged foundational research from various business divisions and his deep understanding of fine dining to create an experience that seamlessly merges gourmet cuisine with cutting-edge technology.
In 2023, Michael Mack, together with MACK One, developed “Eden Manor – Balthazar’s Secret,” a new entertainment format during Traumatica. Combining immersive theater, show elements, and modern technology, it offers guests a multi-hour journey into another world. This concept marks a significant step toward the so-called “hybrid entertainment.”
In 2024, Michael Mack achieved another milestone with the opening of the Stryker Coaster “Voltron Nevera – powered by Rimac” in the newly opened Croatian-themed area. The roller coaster was awarded the Golden Ticket Award for “World’s Best New Coaster” and the Thea Award for “Outstanding Achievement.” The innovative AR app feature “Voltron ChARge” also received Germany’s prestigious Art Directors Club (ADC) Award in the category “AR Experience.”
The opening of the Croatian-themed area was part of an extensive 360-degree marketing campaign, including a 4D short film by MACK Magic about Nikola Tesla. The film presents Tesla’s story as an adventurer of the Adventure Club of Europe. Once again, the companies of the MACK Group – Europa-Park, MACK Rides, and MACK One – demonstrated their leading influence in the international theme park industry.
On a personal note, Michael Mack celebrated his wife Miriam Mack’s appointment as Honorary Consul of Croatia that same year. She actively contributed to the creation of the new themed area.
In July 2024, Michael Mack founded MACK Research, a center for innovation and technology that explores new paths in the theme park industry in collaboration with universities.
In January 2025, Roland Mack and his son Michael Mack became the first father-son duo to receive the highest French national order awarded to non-French citizens. President Emmanuel Macron presented them with the “L’ordre national de la Légion d’honneur” at the Élysée Palace in recognition of their commitment to German-French collaboration.
At Europa-Park, Michael Mack has handed over several areas he developed to his siblings: Thomas Mack leads the Operations & Service (O&S) division, including Entertainment, while Ann-Kathrin Mack has taken over responsibility for MACK Solutions.
Michael Mack now focuses on future innovations in safety, research & development, marketing, sales & digital, and IT.
As CEO of MACK One, Michael Mack oversees leading companies like MACK Rides, MACK Animation, and VR Coaster. Additionally, he is active as a producer and publisher, having sold over 700,000 books. With the founding of MACK Music in 2016 and the 2112 Studios in September 2023, he expanded the creative portfolio to include a music label and a state-of-the-art studio. These facilities produce soundtracks for films, trailers, and theme parks, as well as innovative musical concepts that bring emotional stories to life through sound.
Michael Mack is also the host of the industry podcast “The World Beyond,” offering deeper insights into the world of theme parks and entertainment trends.
2025 marks a special year for Michael Mack as a producer. He is responsible for the first animated 90-minute feature film, “Ed & Edda’s Grand Prix of Europe,” a co-production with Warner Bros. Germany. The film will have its global premiere in July, complemented by a console game and a YULLBE experience.
In the same year, the first TV series based on a Europa-Park attraction, “Dino Mates – Holidays at Madame Freudenreich,” will premiere on KiKA. The series is based on the family attraction “Madame Freudenreich” and continues the successful Spiegel bestseller book series.