From the comfort of his Weymouth home, Liam Findlay, 32, is pioneering a niche industry: crafting bespoke scents for theme parks. His living room bookshelf, rather than holding novels, is lined with bottles containing unusual aromas such as 'graveyard', 'bubblegum', and even 'mummified body', all designed to elevate the sensory experience for theme park guests across the country and beyond.
Findlay's work plays a crucial role in making roller coasters more exhilarating and Halloween scare mazes genuinely more frightening. He explains that while guests might not consciously register it, smells possess a powerful ability to influence memories and emotions, creating a deeper level of immersion within attractions. This unique profession often sparks curiosity at social gatherings, as many are unaware that such a specialised role exists within the theme park industry.
Findlay's journey into this distinctive career began not in perfumery, but in attraction design. His early experience included managing an escape room in Weymouth, which then led to designing one for the Bear Grylls adventure in Birmingham. This background, he notes, provided him with a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and objectives faced by attraction teams when developing new experiences, even without formal training in scent creation.
More recently, Findlay has extended his passion for theme park aromas into a new venture: a Top Trumps-style game titled 'Theme Park Smells'. This game allows players to discover and compare scents inspired by iconic locations such as Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventures, Thorpe Park, and Walt Disney World. Featured aromas range from 'Popcorn Cart' to 'Alien Beast', each card offering an interesting fact about the specific smell.
The 'Theme Park Smells' game was launched on International Themed Smell Day, a newly established occasion intended to celebrate immersive smells within themed attractions and provide a platform for fans to share their favourite sensory experiences on social media. This initiative highlights the growing recognition of scent as a vital component of modern entertainment design, transforming how visitors engage with their surroundings.