Oct03Perspectives

We have added several seminars to the IAAPA Orlando convention that did not make it into the promotional information. Don’t miss these engaging seminars.

Got Staff?

Nobody ever has enough, or else the staff they have aren’t worth keeping. Well, help is on the way (possibly cruising in an RV). Retired Baby Boomers are an emerging workforce; they want to travel and find interesting jobs—not careers and huge salaries. Many Baby Boomers and retirees are extremely mobile, frequently traveling in RVs for months at a time, if not permanently. Many parks and attractions are tapping into this huge job pool, including Disney, Cedar Fair, and other big players in our industry. More than half of the workforce at Adventureland in Des Moines, Iowa, for example, are such workers. Steve Anderson, the park’s HR director, will be talking about this emerging workforce on Friday, November 21 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Unless you are fully staffed for next year, we’ll expect to see you there.

Is an RV Park in Your Future?

RV parks, campgrounds, and autocamps are hot properties within the hospitality industry. While camping and RVing (auto camping in Europe and Asia) have been popular leisure pursuits for more than 100 years, the industry has witnessed a phenomenal growth since 9/11. Folks no longer want to be dependent on the airlines and expensive hotel rooms. Most campers and RVers also enjoy the freedom the lifestyle affords, as well as having all the comforts of home with them wherever they go, including their pets. “You’re always at home wherever you go” was the recent slogan of the industry media campaign, Go RVing! Camping is a cheap way for young families to travel frequently. For under $150 travelers can get a sturdy two- to four-room tent with all the amenities at a retail store, and off they go.

Is there a place where a family can stay near your facility? A distinguished panel of park operators and representatives will explore campground and RV park development and address marketing strategies. Speakers include David Gorin, president of the National Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds, Mark Turner, vice president of the Rank Organization’s Resorts USA, and several IAAPA members who operate such parks. The half-day seminar is scheduled for Saturday, November 22 from 8 a.m. to noon.

What’s a 20 Group?

Have you ever thought how great it would be if you could compare your financial records with those of a similar business? Did you ever fancy having a dozen or so IAAPA members critique your operation for free? If you ever wished you could enlist someone in your field to help you with a quick fix, a 20 Group just might be the solution for you.

These groups are business-to-business programs that grew out of the auto industry, but now are common in other arenas. They are groups “composed of non-competing, like businesses voluntarily and mutually associated to provide a confidential exchange of experiences, problems and ideas.” For most 20 Group members, the financial sharing is extremely beneficial.

Plus, the camaraderie among group members develops into lifelong friendships. To introduce the concept to IAAPA members we’ve invited two 15-year veterans of the program.

One of our experts understands the numbers, and how important sharing can be for your business. The other will address the ‘touchy feely’ reward of 20 Group membership. Come learn about an exciting and innovative way to improve your business, Friday, November 21 from 8 to 9:30 a.m.

Hot Topics, Cool Answers

Also new to the education program this year is a “Hot Topics, Cool Answers” session. This year’s program is “Tourism in Crisis—How Major World Events Have Affected Our Industry,” and “Our Struggle to Recover.” The workshop will deal with recent major incidents that affected the industry, including 9/11 and SARS. These incidents were beyond what any individual park could anticipate and required a response from across our industry as well as local and regional governments.

The session will examine how the industry dealt with these incidents and what lessons we can learn for the future. Speakers include Randolph Guthrie, CEO of Ocean Park Hong Kong, Colin Dawson of the British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers, and Attractions (BALPPA), and Nick Migliori of CN Tower, Toronto.

The session will be moderated by Canada AM’s Jeff Hutcheson, who will also give a presentation on how the media reacted to and dealt with these events. Don’t miss this important new education program feature, Wednesday, November 19 at 4 p.m.