There was a lot to be excited about at IAAPA Orlando 2003. The new, flashy rides on the trade show floor, the incredible turnout, the weather. There were also a number of “firsts” at IAAPA 2003, not least of all the brand-spanking-new facility that hosted the event. IAAPA 2003 marked the grand opening event in the new North/South complex of Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center (OCCC). With its stunning sea-shell façade and open-air feel, the building debuted to rave reviews. “The OCCC was terrific from an operations perspective. We heard so much complimentary feedback from the exhibitors about how easy their load-ins and setups were,” says IAAPA Manager of Convention and Trade Show Operations Diane Vidoni. The new building, which measures just under 1 million square feet, offers 25 meeting rooms, 94 breakouts, and four 24-foot-wide truck entrances with 2,000 feet of loading docks. Along with its size and accessibility, the OCCC’s exhibition room layout was also a hit. The room appears smaller than its actual size, which is meant to foster an atmosphere of intimacy and togetherness. Judging from the positive energy and comments from so many of the attendees at this year’s show, the plan worked. “Conventions are about gathering people in one place and letting them really get to know each other,” Vidoni says. “The new building helped prove that there’s no substitute for personal contacts. As nice as the Internet and telecommunications can be, we still need a place where we can meet—one-to-one or in groups.” The 2004 trade show will also be held in the new North/South complex. There’s no doubt the convention center was the most high-profile “first” at the show. But Funworld would be remiss to overlook the other crucial firsts that occurred in November. Buy the Book Among the many firsts at the IAAPA Convention and Trade Show this year was the introduction of a bookstore. Located in Education Station, the store stocked more than 250 titles, covering all aspects of the attractions, leisure, and amusement industry. The bookstore was run on a contract basis by Breakpoint Books, which specializes in serving the trade show and convention industry. According to Education Product Manager Eamon Connor, the bookstore was a great success. “We are extremely pleased to be able to offer this service to the IAAPA membership, and we are delighted with the results to date,” he says. “It is a natural extension of our education services and something that members have been requesting for a while.” The bookstore idea took nearly four years to get off the ground, as IAAPA looked for a suitable vendor, but in the end, the breadth of titles offered made the wait worthwhile. International members were especially pleased to have such a broad range of amusement park and attractions related titles gathered in one place, evidenced by the many positive comments received at Education Station. In addition to stocking amusement management texts, the store also stocked texts on leadership, supervisory management, human resources, and other personnel-related issues. A clear winner with IAAPA members was Harrison “Buzz” Price’s book on the development of Disney World, Walt’s Revolution:By the Numbers. It sold extremely well especially after Buzz’s appearance at the General Managers and Owners Breakfast. Some of the bookstore titles will be available in the 2004 IAAPA Product and Services Catalog. IAAPA will be working with its vendor to add further titles for the Trade Show in 2004. In other news from Education Services, IAAPA has taken its first step into online learning by making the handouts from its workshop program available on the IAAPA web site on the Education Services page at www.iaapa.org/training.html. Go to Workshop Schedule and Handouts. This will take you to the members-only section of the web site. You will need your member ID and password. Handouts are listed in chronological order and consist of PDF files, MS Word, or PowerPoint files. Breakfast Time Also new this year at IAAPA Orlando was the Women in the Industry breakfast, which was a great success despite its last-minute arrangement. This event promoted the exchange of ideas between our industry’s women in a fun, relaxed forum. Jaime Schmidt, IAAPA’s education coordinator, says, “I think it is a fantastic idea and is a great opportunity for women in the industry to network and build some of their own connections.” Suzanne Mark, IAAPA’s vice president of education services, made the event fun, adding some flair to the meeting room with colorful decorations and party favors, which were donated by FunExpress. “For a program that was not conceived until 30 days before the convention, we were very pleased with the turnout we had,” Mark says. “So much so that the group has decided to enlarge the program next year, and rather than have a breakfast, we’re going to have a cocktail hour. And we already have a sponsor.” Education Services has also added a Women in the Industry community on the IAAPA web site. Additionally, IAAPA held its series of international breakfasts for Germany, Scandanavia, Great Britain, and France, just like last year. However, a breakfast gathering was added this year for our Southern European members. According to Jeff Bertus, vice president of IAAPA Europe, approximately 350 guests, members of IAAPA and/or the national associations, attended the breakfast events, which kicked off the Annual Convention and Trade Show on Wednesday, November 19. Members from Benelux had an additional networking reception on Tuesday evening at the Rosen Centre. “In 2004 the European Union will increase with 10 new countries, which is reason enough for us to stop the European regional breakfasts and organize a real European Breakfast as of 2004,” Bertus says. “Perhaps there will be regional divisions, but no walls or other borders. This will create a nice platform for our European members.” Check Out What’s New! This year’s new and improved “What’s New Theater” was truly a red-carpet affair. The show kicked off with a captivating performance by the Orlando-based theater group Rhythm Extreme, which entertained a crowd of several thousand by rhythmically banging on trash cans. “The goal of the 2003 ‘What’s New Theater’ was to have a fast-paced, upbeat, and informative show,” says Rob Norris, IAAPA’s second vice chair. “We were able to utilize the ‘Montage System’ of AV projection and control to bring together the highlights of the year and the people that make our industry great.” And if that wasn’t enough to get the crowd up and running, certainly the fresh-faced news anchors who moderated the event kept the crowd on their toes. From a production standpoint, the show was presented in a streamlined, rapid-fire way, with tight editing, dramatic lighting, lots of humor, snappy repartee, and even some heartfelt emotion. One of the most unexpected highlights of the presentation was watching several IAAPA employees and board members rolling up their sleeves and setting up additional chairs for the attendees, which was no small feat. At least 100 more seats were needed, and many chairs were still shrink-wrapped and stored. Thanks to those who helped! As for scripted material, IAAPA compiled interviews from its staff on what’s new with the association itself. The video footage highlighted the new communications and promotions in the executive level and in the membership department. The video gave a real-world snapshot into how IAAPA is growing and constantly working for its members. A number of key IAAPA figures came to the podium to express their excitement about the show and raise a toast to “what’s new.” Speakers included former President John Graff, outgoing Chairman John Collins, and IAAPA President Clark Robinson. It was also during the “What’s New Theater” that the industry Hall of Fame inductees were announced. Those are covered in this issue’s IAAPA News department. A Big Thank You! Since we’re talking about the trade show, we should shine the spotlight on a few folks at IAAPA who help make it all possible: Marc Parsont, Diane Vidoni, and Beth Baumgardner. Parsont, the manager of exhibitions and exhibitors, is in charge of the prospectus and contract for each show, and overseeing the space allocation process. As one might expect, this is no small task. After almost all of the exhibitor space is assigned by the Space Allocation Committee, for which Parsont is the liaison, the rest of the exhibitors are assigned space on a first-come first-served basis. “That’s when the fun starts. The floor is like a never-ending, shifting puzzle. The pieces keep on moving right before your eyes like a kaleidoscope,” he says. Unfortunately, this process does not come without its challenges. “The most challenging aspect of my job is making people happy,” he says. “Helping each of these different types of members choose a space that they like, explaining costs, our rules and regulations, and providing superior customer service forces me to stay attentive and proactive. Trade shows are done differently by country and even state by state. Communicating the correct message and walking these exhibitors through an unfamiliar process with strange language and terminology requires flexibility and ingenuity and is of huge importance to our mission as the world’s leading amusement and entertainment show for permanent based facilities.” Parson’s background in the hotel business has prepared him well for this position, as good customer service is paramount to handling a show of this magnitude. “Our exhibitors are rather tame compared to an angry hotel guest,” he says. As the operations manager, Vidoni has her hands in every step of the process, from registration to execution of the show itself. She works closely with Karen Staley, IAAPA’s registration coordinator, to create a comprehensive registration system, and fields questions to registrants about the show and other special events. Vidoni also works with the exhibitors directly on any issues they might have before and during the show, including the design of booths, transportation issues, and more. Her job doesn’t stop there. Of course, she does give a lot of attention to how IAAPA’s booths and departments are set up during the show. This includes the Funworld booth, IAAPA Central, and Education Station. And she is in direct contact with the convention center staff on room sets, décor, and more. Though she’s extremely busy during trade show time, she takes great pleasure in her work. “Providing information on how animals can be transported onto the trade show floor, where to stock up on ASTM approved fencing, and how best to hang a 200-pound sign from a 40-foot ceiling can all offer a challenge, but being able to find an answer or solution for someone and assisting them in having a productive show is very satisfying,” she says. Exhibit Sales and Services Coordinator Beth Baumgardner is also well-versed in the world of customer services. “My role is to receive and process the contracts and answer any questions exhibitors may have,” she says. Baumgardner is also in charge of soliciting new exhibitors for the show. Her biggest challenge is making exhibitors happy at the last minute. Thanks to all of you, and everyone else who helped make the show a success. We can’t wait to do it all again next year!