IAAPA Europe Seminar at Disneyland Paris IAAPA Europe will host the second annual IAAPA European Seminar at Disneyland Paris on October 9 and 10 at the Hotel Newport Bay at the Disneyland Resort. Mark your calendars now for what promises to be an exciting, fun, and informative event. Look for more details in the coming weeks, or for more information contact IAAPA Europe: Telephone 32/24016161; Fax 32/24016868; or e-mail jbertus@iaapa.org. Robinson Speaks at TiLE IAAPA President Clark Robinson was a guest speaker at the Tile conference, “The Next Five Years in Northern Europe,” held June 17, 2003. More than 800 industry professionals from 30 countries attended this year’s show, held in Berlin, Germany. The industry experts who spoke emoted confidence and optimism, forecasting an economic upturn in coming years. A survey held at TiLE indicated that 95 percent of the experts who were representing the industry from all over the world believed that the future is bright, compared to the 75 percent who predicted a grim year in 2002-2003 because of worldwide economic hardship. BALPPA Meeting and Golf Day The British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers & Attractions will be holding its regional meeting at the Polurrian Hotel, in Cornwall, England, on Thursday, October 2, which is the day after the BALPPA charity golf day in Mullion. All BALPPA members are invited to arrive early Wednesday evening to join the golfers at the awards dinner at the Polurrian. The following morning there will be a traditional Cornish Pastry lunch and tour of Flambards Village Theme Park in Helston. All BALPPA members are also invited to apply for exhibition space at the hotel during the meeting. There is no charge for the space, but each exhibitor is limited to 10 feet. Donov is New RAAPA Vice President Alexander Donov, doctor of technical sciences, has been appointed vice president of the Russian Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (RAAPA). He will coordinate all RAAPA’s science, technical, and trade show activities. This year, based on RAAPA’s advisement, the Department of System Analysis and Management of Moscow Aerospace University is establishing an educational course for the training and upgrading of specialists in amusement ride and device operation and design. Professor Rabinovitch, past vice president of RAAPA, will lead this program. Following Rabinovitch’s referral, Donov was appointed vice president of RAAPA. RAAPA would like inquirers with questions about trade shows, seminars, or amusement ride maintenance to contact Alexander Donov. For more information please call RAAPA at 7/095 753 2900, fax 7/095 753 0063, or e-mail: raapa@raapa.ru. Attraction in Torquay Opens “Living Coasts,” Paignton Zoo’s new coastal habitats attraction, has opened on the Torquay waterfront, a prime site in South Devon, England. The £7 million exhibit features wildlife along with reconstructed habitats, including beaches, cliffs, and an estuary. A huge enclosed aviary will allow birds to fly freely above visitors. Acrylic viewing panels and tunnels will allow views of underwater species. Paignton Zoo’s Executive Director Simon Tonge says the exhibit is about “life on the edge. Visitors will experience hands-on and audio-visual activities. It will carry a strong conservation and educational message.” The project, which is funded in part by the South West Regional Development Agency and the European Regional Development Fund, is creating up to 50 jobs. IAAPA On-Site Training Program in Lima, Peru On June 25 and 26, the Peruvian Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (ASPPA) held its first educational event in Lima, Peru, sponsored by IAAPA’s On-Site Training Program. There were 480 employees and supervisors from 13 facilities in attendance. The topics focused on guest relations, leadership, and safety. Some park directors and owners also participated in an association management roundtable discussion. The ASPPA was founded in November 2002 and is comprised of 13 facility members, whose objective is to protect, promote, and foster the amusement industry in Peru. ASPPA is affiliated with the Latin American Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (ALAP), which supports the amusement industry in Central and South America as it continues to grow. Call for Nominations for 2004 IAAPA Board of Directors IAAPA is accepting nominations for the third vice chair, treasurer, and for the IAAPA Board of Directors for the year 2004. Strong candidates for third vice chair should be significantly involved in the operation of an amusement park or attraction, spending a minimum of 50 percent of their professional time working in the operation, or holding at least 25 percent financial interest in the facility. Once selected, he or she will proceed through the positions of second and first vice chair in consecutive years and assume the position of chairman of the IAAPA Board of Directors for the 2006-2007 year. During this process, the Nominating Committee will consider the candidates’ past experience and affiliation with IAAPA, their character, integrity, capability, accountability, and honor. The same qualifications that qualify a candidate for third vice chair apply for treasurer. In addition to amusement park or attraction involvement, in selecting the treasurer, the Nominating Committee will consider the candidates’ particular interest in, and aptitude for, financial analysis and management. For the IAAPA Board of Directors there are a total of six open positions for 2004. Members from the amusement parks and attractions segment of the industry will fill five of these positions, and one member from the manufacturer and supplier segment will fill the remaining position. Candidates for the board positions will be evaluated on the same merits of character as the third vice chair and should be prepared to hold the position for three consecutive years. Candidates for the amusement parks and attractions positions must have the same level of involvement in a member facility as candidates for the third vice chair. Potential members chosen for the manufacturer and supplier position should be employed full time by an IAAPA manufacturer and supplier member. IAAPA strongly encourages nominations from smaller amusement parks, waterparks, and all facilities outside the United States. While the selection process is based solely on each individual’s qualifications, the association leadership would like the nominations to be as representative of the membership as possible. The leadership should best reflect the association as a whole. Letters in support of a candidate are welcome. The Nominating Committee members are: Rene Aziz, chair, Bill Sims, Mark Lazarus, Bo Kintorph, Dick Kinzel, Gena Romano, and Ed Carroll, Jr. All applications are due to IAAPA by September 5, 2003. Send your nominations and letters directly to Clark Robinson, president, IAAPA, 1448 Duke Street, Alexandria, Va. 22314, via e-mail at rpope@iaapa.org, or fax 703/836-4801. New Editor at Funworld Amanda Kazdoy joins IAAPA as Funworld magazine’s new assistant editor. In this position, she will be responsible for compiling and editing the news section and departments, as well as writing regular features. Amanda is originally from Dallas, Texas, but most recently worked in New York City as an editor and staff writer for an international custom publisher. She has written and edited for both newspapers and magazines throughout her career as a journalist. New Vice President of IAAPA Training Suzanne Mark comes to IAAPA from the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC). She has been in the outdoor recreation and hospitality industry since college, and her career spans public and private recreation venues. As a college professor, she specialized in recreation management, outdoor recreation, travel, and tourism. As the educational director for the ARVC, her responsibilities included seminar planning for the national convention, managing publications, and liaising with the National School of RV Park and Campground Management. She also served as executive director for the National Foundation for RVing and Camping. Suzanne completed her Ph.D. studies in Recreation Administration at the University of Maryland and holds a M.S. in recreation and park administration from the University of Northern Colorado. She has completed additional training with Dale Carnegie, NRPA’s executive development program at the University of Georgia, and has national credentials as a Certified Pool Operator, Certified Risk Evaluator, and Certified Park Operator. Funworld Helps Students Understand Mechanical Engineering A new mechanical engineering course in entertainment engineering was offered for the first time during the Spring 2003 semester at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pa. Learning to solve technical and engineering problems related to the amusement and entertainment industries was the main focus of the course. The class included discussions on scale models in movies, animatronics, simulator-based rides, and thrill rides, which included a behind-the-scenes visit to Pittsburgh’s Kennywood Park. Their final project was the creation of a game booth for the college’s traditional Spring Carnival midway. The course was created by mechanical engineering faculty member John Wesner, a long-time fan of amusement and theme parks, after helping with a student’s independent study project that analyzed trends in roller coaster design. Wesner realized that there were major mechanical engineering needs in all aspects of the entertainment industry, of which most of his students were marginally aware. As a member of the American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE), and a subscriber to Funworld, Wesner found he had access to information resources that helped give him a new perspective on the complexity of the business. Using several back issues of Funworld, a book about Walt Disney Imagineering, Robert Reynolds’s Rollercoasters, Flumes, and Flying Saucers, and a back issue of Cinefex for the course, students were provided unexpected insights into the business and guest experience sides of the industry. Funworld congratulates Wesner and his students on the completion of a promising course that will hopefully continue in future semesters. IAAPA Creates Communications Services Department IAAPA members and its senior leadership recognized the need for a comprehensive communications strategy that included crisis media response, proactive media planning, and increased research. “We’ve assembled a quick-strike communications team, skilled in crisis and issues management, says Clark Robinson, IAAPA president. “It will operate in concert with the association’s other departments to protect IAAPA members’ interests in the media, and provide solid research to support industry positions.” In the spring of 2003, IAAPA brought Beth Robertson to the IAAPA team as vice president of communication services to oversee the rebuilding of a versatile communications team that could accomplish a diverse set of internal and external public relations objectives. This includes the ability to quickly respond to negative press coverage by articulating the industry point of view and fostering communication networks within IAAPA that allow members to fully take advantage of their association’s assets. As the keystone of the department, Robertson’s professional experience includes more than 16 years of crisis communication, strategic planning, and issues management, coupled with media relations and training, web site management, and on-camera experience. This background has prepared her to lead the association’s communications outreach, which includes concept planning, budgets, strategy, and implementation, as well as web site content, white papers, news advisories, press releases, and other select publications, and press materials. She will also serve as the association’s primary spokesperson. To succeed in these missions, Robertson handpicked several key team members from other organizations, while retaining IAAPA communications veteran Joel Cliff to act as the team’s technical writer. In his new role, Cliff provides technical content for an array of communication channels that will deliver increasing value to an IAAPA membership. Position papers, industry talking points, op-eds, statistical analysis, industry trend reports, and research projects will now fall to Cliff. He will also resume publishing duties for Carousel of Capitals, a Government Relations newsletter reporting on public policy events of critical interest to the amusement park industry. Scott Towle, an eight-year public affairs veteran, joined Cliff on July 28. In his new IAAPA role as media relations manager he will act as the association’s initial media contact. He served in a similar capacity at the American Trucking Association, where he routinely handled a heavy volume of press inquiries. He will also serve the association by identifying free branding opportunities and other media value for member companies. Towle will also take on the consumer element, including tips for visiting amusement parks and attractions. Jay Kalathil, IAAPA’s new Web manager, brings nine years of successful e-commerce experience to the organization. From concept to execution, Kalathil will be responsible for improving the overall interactivity of IAAPA’s Internet site while improving the timeliness and flow of information to IAAPA members. In managing capacity, Kalathil will also add accuracy to IAAPA’s media outreach activities and real-time communication with IAAPA members through its three Web portals. On IAAPA’s eighty-fifth birthday, the trade organization has looked at early twenty-first century information trends and responded with a new and improved communications team. The timing couldn’t have been better. Paultons Park in Hampshire, U.K. Tops Poll In the “Out and About in Britain” survey, commissioned by Mother & Baby magazine and Pampers to assess British attractions’ family friendliness, Paultons topped the best value for your money poll. Paultons, which attracts more than 550,000 visitors a year, is celebrating its twentieth birthday. The park offers visitors a unique blend of more than 40 rides and attractions in a beautiful garden setting. “We are delighted with the result,” says Paultons Managing Director Richard Mancey. “Our family supersaver tickets are about half the price of the bigger parks, yet we still give a full day out with something for everyone to enjoy.” The “Out and About in Britain,” which is the most comprehensive survey to assess the country’s family friendliness, questioned 2,000 parents of young children in nine regions. Dani Zur, editor of Mother & Baby magazine, Britain’s leading parenting title says, “Families with young children love Legoland and the lesser-known Paultons Park. There is a wide range of activities, but they’re not dominated by teenagers looking for white-knuckle rides, so they’re perfect for younger children under 12. Both have a lovely family-friendly feel for a perfect day out.” Another Magical Year for Tussauds Group The Tussauds Group posted a 49 percent increase from 2001, which represents 65 million ($105 million). Chief Executive Peter Phillipson says, “This is another record year. Since we launched our transformation agenda two years ago, we have more than doubled our EBITDA.” Director Malcolm Offord adds, “We are delighted with the performance of this business and its future prospects. Contrary to recent speculation, we have no plans to sell the company at this time.” With 15 million customers a year, Tussauds is Europe’s leading visitor attraction business. Efteling Most Popular Day Out Attraction in the Netherlands in 2002 Below are the results of a market analysis of the Dutch Tourism Board (TRN) and the Regional Tourism Offices, which determined the most-visited attractions in the Netherlands in 2002. With nearly 3.5 million visitors in 2002, Efteling was 500,000 above the second-most-visited attraction, the canals in Amsterdam. Efteling topped the list for the two years prior as well. Attendance 2000 2001 2002 1. Kaatsheuvel De Efteling 2,927,000 3,150,000 3,417,000 2. Amsterdam Canal tours 3,000,000 3,000,000 3,000,000 3. Hoofddorp Floriade 2,100,000 4. Lelystad Batavia Stad 1,170,000 1,891,000 5. Arnhem Burger’s Zoo 1,826,000 1,612,000 1,620,000 6. Amsterdam Van Gogh Museum 1,312,000 1,299,000 1,593,000 7. Rotterdam Diergaarde Blijdorp 1,661,000 1,748,000 1,505,000 8. Emmen Noorder Dierenpark 1,500,000 1,400,000 1,500,000 9. Wassenaar Duinrell 1,208,000 1,285,000 1,291,000 10. Amsterdam Natura Artis Magistra 1,189,000 1,197,000 1,230,000 11. Slagharen Attractiepark Slagharen 1,200,000 1,200,000 1,200,000 12. Amsterdam Rijksmuseum 1,116,000 1,011,000 1,090,000 13. Amsterdam Diamantslijperijen 991,000 925,000 930,000 14. Amsterdam Anne Frank Huis 884,000 900,000 909,000 15. Den Haag Madurodam 951,000 887,000 775,000 16. Lisse Keukenhof 798,000 746,000 700,000 17. Rhenen Ouwehands Dierenpark 613,000 670,000 680,000 18. Amersfoort Dierenpark Amersfoort 695,000 605,000 635,000 19. Scheveningen Scheveningse Pier unknown 600,000 585,000 20. Hilvarenbeek Safaripark Beekse Bergen 510,000 500,000 550,000
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