 |
 |
||
 |
 |
||
 |
 |
||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
 |
|||
 |
 |
||
 |
|||
 |
 |
||
 |
|||
 |
 |
||
 |
|||
 |
 |
||
 |
|||
 |
 |
||
 |
|||
Its Name Seriously
John Elderkin, assistant editor, Funworld
This year IAAPA invited FECs from around the world to enter its inaugural Top FECs of the World awards program. Eleven winners were chosen, and each issue of Funworld this year will feature one of the winners.
Sam’s Fun City calls itself the “little park that thinks it can… and does.” The facility, which opened in 2000 in Pensacola, Fla., operates with its motto in mind at all times—they should, and can, make each guest’s visit a memorable one.
To that end, Sam’s Fun City is organized as an actual city. Streets have been created and different areas of the park are considered separate communities, such as Kart City, Terry Town, and Westerville. The arcade, which sits in the middle of the various sections, is called the CrossRoads Arcade.
When Sam’s Fun City President and Founder Richard Sanfilippo opened the park, he was determined to give guests a unique experience. To ensure that happens, Sanfilippo teaches the orientation class for new employees himself, and he initiates the ride training program. After learning from Sanfilippo, new park employees are shadowed for two weeks. Only after they’ve observed the seasoned staff in the day-to-day operation of rides do they become certified ride operators.
The level of hands-on participation by senior management doesn’t end with Sanfilippo. It is not uncommon to find managers in the park and operating a ride when things get busy or when a cast or crew member needs assistance. Park managers meet on a weekly basis to make sure that information is flowing between departments. Managers are encouraged to discuss any policies or procedures that might need fine tuning, and this open-door policy is credited by all departments as a great way to keep all lines of communication open.
Sam’s Fun City also distinguishes itself by offering an open admission policy. Guests can choose between different tokens, wristbands, and tickets that match exactly what they want to take part in and nothing more. This policy is of great help to parents who come because they simply want to supervise their children’s activities.
Sam’s Fun City uses a variety of marketing techniques, including print ads, radio and television spots, and a business partner program. These partnerships allow companies to plan events at the park, and the program assists in arranging for donations to charitable causes. The park also gains recognition by taking an active role in the community. Every school year, for example, Sam’s gives thousands of dollars in goods and services to the local school systems. These gifts are called Outstanding Improvement Awards, and they come in the form of Fun Bucks, which are allocated to area teachers. The teachers then have discretion to reward not just top performers, but also students who have shown improvement during the previous grading period. As a member of IAAPA, Sam’s also welcomes children from the Give Kids The World organization and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The park works in conjunction with local hotel partners who donate free lodging for out-of-town Give Kids The World guests and families.
In only a few years of existence, Sam’s Fun City has made its mark. Already, the park has won five Distinguished Excellence Brass Ring Awards, the International Association for the Leisure and Entertainment Industry (IALEI) award for Best New Entertainment Facility of 2001, and the IALEI’s Best Use of Logo prize. And now, as it is named one of IAAPA’s Top FECs of the World, Sam’s Fun City has once again proved that it thinks it can… and does.
