About

Background

DP Associates is a strategic leisure consultancy providing multi disciplinary services to Leisure Operators, Investors, Developers and Local Government. The company is built from over 35 years operational and development experience at the sharp end of the Global Hospitality and Attractions sector. Our approach and our skills come from a first hand understanding of the short and long term demands on today’s operators in an ever increasingly competitive world.

DPA offers range of development services available for new and existing operators encompasses all areas from visioning to detailed master planning and full service management solutions.  We also offer comprehensive business support solutions to existing operations from senior mentoring, non exec board support to operational management consultancy.

DPA’s operating company DP Leisure GB Ltd (DPL) also operate the UK leading FEC brand 360 play.  DPA supports the development aspects of all UK sites as well as supporting the new sites and partner locations outside the UK. 

Our wide field of expertise in the visitor attraction, theme park and entertainment sectors enables us to conceive and implement imaginative, entertaining and immersive solutions for todays challenges.

Philosophy

Our philosophy is simple, understand who is your customer. In all business and organisations success is directly linked to knowing your market, knowing your customer, meeting and exceeding their needs. DP Associates pride ourselves in getting to know your market, your customer base now and tomorrow to ensure our solutions are right for today, and beyond.

Duncan Phillips BA (Hons) MA – Founder

Strategic Visioning, Master Planner,  Board Level Non-Executive Support

Having grown up in the attractions and entertainment sector, Duncan holds a real lifetime’s experience in how the industry works from the ground up.  With over 15 years experience in developing and operating the Gulliver’s theme park group, to the recent years growing the 360 Play FEC group to the largest operators in the UK, he brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding to projects from across the globe, in all sectors.

Formally trained in Town Planning and Urban Design, at Nottingham University his passion to find solutions through design matches his deep understanding of operations itself, to deliver a combined solution and sector guidance to clients.  His broad non-executive experience and roles bring an appreciation and understanding of business from inside and out.

Recent leadership roles include the BALPPA Chairmanship to Jan 2023, Trustee and Deputy Chairman for Bletchley Park Trust for the last 12 years till Sept 2021 and key board roles at DMK (DMO for Milton Keynes) Bucks Business Leaders.   Founder and MD of DP GB Ltd Leisure Group. 

David Coleman

David Coleman (BA) Hons ACMA CGMA

Financial Modelling and Budgetary Systems

Understanding the numbers is critical to new developments and existing businesses expanding or restructuring.  David is a Chartered Management Accountant with over 9 years experience in the leisure and attractions sector, having joined the group back in 2014. His core skillsets in forecasting,  budgetary systems, strategy, and auditing has supported the group’s own expansion during this time.

David offers board level support across management accounts, profit and loss, balance sheet, cash flow, treasury management, budgeting and forecasting, strategy, taxation, stock reporting systems, and internal auditing.

Anne Basketfield

Anne Basketfield

Visioning, Project Management and Industry Research

With over 22 years’ professional operational and development experience in the leisure industry, Anne brings a real view of how to deliver great projects on the ground.  Anne’s core skill sets in attraction development, project management, project fit out, and operational procedures, means she brings a lifetime of knowledge to clients and linked companies of DPL.

Her roles within the DP Group of companies also cover over 10 years of theme park and 15 years FEC development in operations, events, and development.  Anne’s current role directly supports new sites and locations looking to develop a 360 play product, partner operated or self operated.  

Serena Lawrence

Management Systems HR and Delivery Specialist

At the centre of every business there has to be good operations; Serena brings that professional operational skillset to all our projects.  With over 15 years operational management experience in group companies, Serena has a deep understanding of how to deliver great experiences every day of the week, with particular skillsets in food and beverage, ride and attraction operations, front of house delivery and general management.

Dealing in management systems, Serena has formal qualifications in HR and is able to lead on all Human Resources across multiple operations.  Her personal passion and belief that delivering exceptional, dependable operational procedures is the key to delivering great customer experiences, and a great bottom line. 

 

Nicci Joseph

Nicci Joseph is part of the wider DPA team supporting business growth and management in new regions.  Originally a Graduate from Mumbai University with a Diploma in Software Management (DISM) from Aptech.  Nicci’s business skills have then been developed in administration, procurement, operations and event management with over 15 years setting up and growing companies.  His passion is also in graphic design having achieved an award for excellence from Wipro Technologies in Bangalore.  Now based in Mumbai, Nicci supports the wider business development of the group in the expansion of 360 play sites across the India region.