Education Sessions and Events

• Specialty Tracks
• IAAPA Institutes
• Behind-the-Scenes Facility Tours
• Keynote Speakers and Expert Sessions

IAAPA Institutes

Register for one—or more—of IAAPA’s institute programs and spend time with some of the best managers and experts in the business in a course of study of your choice.

• Institute for Emerging Leaders—this intensive, two-and-a-half-day program is for the high flyers in your organization to hone their skills in marketing, leadership, finance, re-sale, and more.
• Institute for Media Relations in the Attractions Industry—20-year industry media veteran—Courtney Simmons—will show you how to generate positive coverage for your attraction as well as how to manage the media in a crisis situation.
• Institute of Safety: Loss Prevention and Safety Management in the Amusement and Attractions Industry—in cooperation with AIMS International, this daylong course covers design and maintenance standards, risk management theory and safety operations.
• Institute for Marketing: Viral Marketing, Social Media and Marketing 2.0 Strategies for the Attractions Industry—social media guru and trend watcher, Richard van Hooijdonk, present sand intensive case-study-driven introduction to viral marketing concepts and practices.
• Institute for Leadership—University of Central Florida’s school of hospitality management offers a daylong course on leadership, mentoring, and coaching for leaders in the industry.
• Institute for Operations: Certified Haunted Attractions Operator Safety program—Code Compliance, Fire and Safety Issues—a safety and risk management course for haunted attractions operators that includes a “field trip” to Universal Studios.

Behind-the-Scenes Facility Tours

Come with us to some of Orlando’s newest and best-loved attractions.

• Shuttle Launch Experience and Tour—take the ride of your dreams on Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Launch Experience and see how the attraction brings the thrill of traveling to space to visitors every day.
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios Tour—tour the creative costuming department and see what goes into the Lights, Motors, Action™ stunt show.
• Lunch with the Sharks Tour to SeaWorld Orlando—tour house culinary operations as well as many of SeaWorld’s restaurants and you will see how the park uses food and beverage to enhance the guest experience.
• Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights Tour—the creative team will take you through Universal’s Halloween house and maze experience.
• Aquatica Tour—Orlando’s latest attraction, this tour will take you to both front and back-of-house operations to see how Busch Entertainment Corporation manages this spectacular new property.
• Jungala Fever/Busch Gardens Tampa Tour—See how a busy retail and games operation can function right in the heart of a four-acre, multi-million-dollar reproduction of the African jungle!

Keynote Speakers and Expert Sessions

The industry’s most successful and innovative operators share their wisdom and experience at these featured events throughout the week:

• Monday Lunch: Ocean Park’s GM, Tom Merhmann, explains his park’s stunning success with the arrival of Disney in Hong Kong.
• Tuesday AM: IAAPA Attractions Expo’s Kickoff Event—See the smiles, hear the screams, have some laughs, and celebrate the success of the year in review. Then see what lies ahead!
• Tuesday PM: After Disney—Former Disney executives speak with Marty Sklar on their success after leaving the organization.
• Wednesday AM: Nick Varney, CEO of Merlin Entertainments, Europe’s No. 1 attractions group, speaks at the GM and Owners Breakfast.
• Wednesday Lunch: Join Dick Kinzel, President and CEO of the Cedar Fair Corporation, for lunch and a discussion on the success of Cedar Point and Knott’s Berry Farm, and more.
• Wednesday PM: Famed Disney Imagineer, Marty Sklar, presents another expert panel on attractions design and operation.
• Thursday PM: Small park operators present revenue-generating and expense-busting success stories.
• Friday Lunch: Bobbie Weiner, a.k.a. “Bloody Mary,” speaks at the Women in the Industry Networking Lunch on her business and philanthropic success.