Funworld January 2008

Attractions Expo 2007 HIGHLIGHTS

» Absence Makes the Show Grow Fonder
» A Blossoming Partnership
» Gadgets, Games, & Goodies for All
» The Disney Brain Trust
» Learning from the Best

Learning from the Best

A grab bag of educational tidbits from IAAPA Attractions Expo 2007

AN OVERARCHING THEME of this year’s stellar mix of educational sessions was “how to.” Experts shared foolproof tips, friendly advice, and new and innovative suggestions on how to improve operations, increase revenue, and bring in more guests.

Here FUNWORLD provides a roundup of just a few of the more than 90 educational seminars on offer this past year at Attractions Expo 2007.

Indoor Waterpark Lessons
Operators gathered at Attractions Expo 2007 to share what they’ve learned in the process of planning, building, and operating indoor waterparks. Here are a few tips from each speaker:

BILL RYAN, Architectural Design Consultants, on design
1. Have a strong vapor barrier.
2. Keep your team involved in design; it avoids changes later and improves overall appearance.
3. Design wave pools without obstructions, which can cause injury.
4. Add windows where you can to bring in extra natural light.

CHRIS STUART, Silver Mountain Resort, on air quality maintenance and design
1. Make sure there are no dark areas in the facility.
2. Place theming carefully. “How many times have you seen theming get in the way of lifeguarding?”
3. Reduce netting in play areas.
4. Use plastic instead of wood.
5. Have a drain system for the lobby because “waterpark people love to hose down.”
6. Do a smoke test to identify dead spots.

JOE SCHMITZ, Wilderness Resort, on pre-opening tips
1. Leave enough time for training.
2. Don’t invite family and friends to the opening; you’ll never see them.
3. Hold a “soft” opening to work the kinks out.
4. Communicate with sales—know what to expect when the doors open for the first time.
5. Communicate with construction staff.
6. Ensure raft sizes are correct for respective slides.

MARK MOORE, Splash Universe, on opening tips
1. Plan several areas where guests can spend money.
2. Locate lockers and changing areas to the right.
3. Balance bottlenecks: some you want, some you don’t.
4. If you have multiple slides, ensure your stairs are wide enough to accommodate the customers.
5. Rivers should be wide enough for passing traffic.
6. Have ADA accessibility for party rooms.

—Amanda Charney

The Changing Face of AmericanTourism
During a fact-filled keynote on travel and tourism trends, Peter Yesawich of Yesawich, Pepperdine and Brown, a marketing, advertising, and public relations agency serving travel and tourism industries, shared with the industry how operators can use these facts to tailor their offerings, sell more tickets, and increase attendance. Here is a snapshot of what the audience learned about traveling habits and more.

How People Travel
1. Seven out of 10 Americans want to go somewhere they’ve never been before on their next vacation.
2. Beach experiences are on the rise.
3. Theme parks are of extreme interest.
4. There’s a rise of interest in cruise vacations.
5. Travelers have an increased interest in spa vacations. Financial Factors Affecting Travel
1. The price of gas has affected travelers’ choices in vacation, but 53 percent would change their vacation plans if gas prices decreased.
2. Mortgage rates are affecting people’s abilities to travel.
3. Household debt is increasing (46 percent of Americans carry an average of $12,000 in installment debt).
4. Travelers want value; they don’t want to pay retail price. Lifestyle Factors Affecting Travel
1. Americans value time at work.
2. 41 percent of Americans feel there’s not enough time to do everything.
3. Length of stay is getting shorter; Americans don’t have many vacation days.
4. People are traveling more near their homes.
5. Travelers are more eco-conscious and will be loyal to companies that are also environmentally responsible.

—Amanda Charney

Graceland: A Food and Beverage Case Study
Earlier this year Elvis’s famous Graceland estate, now a worldfamous attraction, opened its doors to IAAPA’s food and beverage committee for a close look at the facility’s food and beverage options. At Attractions Expo 2007, representatives from both sides of the investigation shared the
study’s results.

What did they find? Numerous opportunities to ramp up sales and increase service.

The committee recommended several changes: removing obstructions, adding external signage, creating new menu boards, starting a promotional coupon, and more. The results were impressive, as Graceland experienced significant increases in overall sales (33 percent) and per caps (20 percent).

How can others evaluate their F&B in a similar way? Lenny Freund, a member of the IAAPA Food and Beverage Committee, shared 10 principles for success:
1. Know what your guests want; focus on the items that fit your facility.
2. Less is more—keep menus simple.
3. Sell the sizzle—let the people see what’s going on. Get the grills up front and put on a show.
4. Create effective signage on the items that sell.
5. Create a signature item.
6. Visit other events: “Get out and see what’s going on in the world,” Freund said, to see what trends are emerging.
7. Move slowly on healthy foods. Focus on what sells, but don’t “go too crazy,” he said. He suggests offering grilled chicken sandwiches and fruit salads.
8. Set staff up for success. Motivate and inspire the staff to sell and offer excellent customer service.
9. Don’t manage the percentages; manage the business. Don’t lose sight of the extra dollars and the good service you’re providing.
10. Keep dessert/snack locations open until closing… or later. “There’s a bunch of business to be had at the end of the night.”

—Amanda Charney

Golden Nuggets
Speakers Michael C. Getlan and Sheryl Bindelglass offered lots of nuggets of wisdom during their talk “Digging for Gold: How to Make a Mint From Your Existing Operation”:

• Use web sites like Monster.com and Craigslist.com to look for job applicants.
• Always ask open-ended questions during an interview.
• Post the schedule online. Use technology to show when staff works.
• Start a new employee on a Friday or Saturday night—find out if they can handle the pressure.
• Put the whole training handbook on CD. Make it more interactive, and staff might pay attention to it more.
• Ask employees what they think is your most ineffective rule. You might be surprised by the answers.
• If you’re not checking the percentages on each redemption game, you’re losing money every day.
• Use a computerized bar-coding system to control inventory.

—Mike Bederka

Buying Rides: A Primer
During this year’s small parks’ education offerings, a panel discussion about how to approach researching, financing, and buying new rides underscored a major point: Do your homework. Whether you’re buying a used ride, your first ride, a brand new ride, or your 12th ride, always talk to the manufacturers, research rides and companies on the Internet, and talk to operators at events and trade shows for advice, said the panelists from Wisdom, Zamperla, and Intermark Ride Group.

“There’s some great equipment, but there’s a lot of junk out there,” said Gina Guglielmi of Intermark, stressing that before signing anything, make sure to get technical experts involved. As a helpful guide, Guglielmi provided a handy tip sheet for small park operators when exploring the option of buying a used ride:

• Ask about cost to dismantle and reassemble the ride, need for special equipment, and other requirements and limitations. Ask about insurance for used rides before you buy.
• Check the ride incident web sites; you might learn of potential hazards.
• Survey your customers to find out what experiences and other characteristics of the ride they like and don’t like.
  
• Determine if the manufacturer is still in business—if so, you can glean more information and tips on the ride from that company.
  
• Find out who owns the same ride and ask about performance, maintenance, safety, and other issues.
  
• Inspect the paint, as it can hide problems. If new paint is needed, build that into your budget.
  
• Consider the location of the ride: For example, some elements such as saltwater can be hard on metal.
  
• Review ride action and passenger restraint systems; are they up to today’s standards?
  
• Find the stops and power disconnect devices and check if they’re installed and function properly.

—Amanda Charney

Behind the Scares
Universal Orlando reveals a few tricks of the trade from Halloween Horror Nights

UNIVERSAL ORLANDO ROLLED OUT THE BLOOD-RED CARPET for approximately 300 IAAPA attendees for a behind-the-scenes look at the resort’s renowned Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) extravaganza.

While groups toured two of Universal’s haunted houses, back in the main meeting room more Universal designers were on hand for a casual and informative Q&A session. Here are just a few of the juicy morsels dished out during the event:

• Though planning for HHN is year-round, the physical houses go up in just three weeks: one week for construction, one week for interiors, and one week for special effects.
  
• There are between 30 and 35 live characters in each house. Their costumes increase in detail the more time they’re in front of guests; some actors are in makeup for two hours or more.
  
• Each house character has a “twin,” so the actors can take breaks from their terrorizing duties. An actor will be “on” stage for 45 minutes, then “off” for 45 minutes over the course of an eight-hour shift.
  
• Universal employs what it calls a “continual flow design” in its houses. Each room has a minimum of three scary elements. When one element scares one group, it then turns into a “distraction” for the next group; while the second group is distracted, then the next scare element goes bump in the night, from an unexpected place. That element then becomes the distraction, and the process starts all over again. Thus, whoever is in the room is guaranteed at least one good scare.

—Jeremy Schoolfield

General SAFETY
During “Eliminating Liability from Terrorist Attacks: the SAFETY Act for Amusement Parks and Attractions,” Andrea Schultz of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security discussed the programs and services available to IAAPA members and the general public through the Office of Infrastructure Protection to strengthen security at facilities. These offerings include regional Protective Security Advisors available free-of-charge for consultation or site visits; an online self-assessment where facilities can check their security practices and preparedness for a terrorist attack; the Homeland Security Information Network where facilities can participate in online peer-to-peer information sharing, and posters and other educational items promoting security and awareness, intended for distribution to employees. DHS offers security training courses for both hourly employees and senior staff. Registration for the courses is available on the DHS web site at www.dhs.gov.

Brian Finch of Dickstein Shapiro law firm discussed the SAFETY Act, and how facilities can reduce or eliminate their tort liability in the event of an act of terrorism. After the September 11, 2001, attacks, civil litigation against many companies that were not previously considered to have high security-related liability illustrated the need to establish company policies for dealing with the liability associated with terrorist attacks.

The SAFETY Act provides important legal liability protections for providers of Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technologies—whether they are products or services. The goal of the SAFETY Act is to encourage the development and deployment of new and innovative antiterrorism products and services by providing liability protections. Manufacturers of antiterrorism products can apply through DHS to become SAFETY Act certified. For more information, contact Finch at finchb@dicksteinshapiro.com.

—StephanieThienel

Web Site Advice
An FEC just needs one employee to be the point person with the web site designer, explained Katie Bruno, founder and co-owner of www.wddonline.com, in “Going Deeper: The Next Steps to Online Success.” “Web site by committee doesn’t work,” she said. Having multiple staff members repeatedly sign off on any changes can waste time and money.

She then explained how several key steps must precede the actual home page design, including the web site vision, the organization of information (or site map), and the gathering of materials to feature online. For the latter, facilities must grab audiences with vivid, high-quality images of people having a good time.

“Photography is extremely important and very underrated,” she said, adding FEC owners have “no excuse” for not having a digital camera at their disposal.

—Mike Bederka

Emerging Leaders Program of a Success
During this year’s IAAPA Attractions Expo, 37 participants graduated from the first-ever Institute for Emerging Leaders where they learned about attractions industry marketing, operations, safety, human resources, finance, and revenue operations.The new program is geared toward middle-career attractions industry professionals. Speakers included Ulla Harrison of Walibi Rhone-Alpes, Bob Logan (center) of ILP, Jim Seay (right) of Premier Rides, andTim Sorge (left) of Swings-n-Things.