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Funworld January 2008
Attractions Expo 2007 HIGHLIGHTS» Absence Makes the Show Grow Fonder A Blossoming PartnershipIAAPA’s relationship with Give Kids The World deepens by the year by Jeremy Schoolfield
Give Kids The World (GKTW) had a powerful presence at IAAPA Attractions Expo 2007 with multiple fund-raising events throughout the week culminating in approximately $125,000 raised for the Kissimmee, Florida-based organization. “It was probably beyond our wildest dreams,” said Pam Landwirth, president of GKTW. “To start the week with a sold-out golf tournament and end it with an incredible gala on Thursday night was beyond belief. It started on a high, ended on a high, and it was nothing but fabulous in between.” For the first time, GKTW was actually folded into IAAPA Central, the association’s base of operations on the show floor. Landwirth said this inclusion helped solidify her organization’s partnership with IAAPA and opened GKTW up to even more exposure. As exhibitors and attendees dropped by IAAPA Central, she said they invariably took a moment to stop at the GKTW booth and learn more about the village. At the end of the week, Landwirth said GKTW took home from exhibitors an entire truckload of donations—furniture, candy, and even a coin-op ride from Zamperla—that will be used at the village. “The relationship has blossomed, and every year it gets stronger and better,” Landwirth said. “More people are aware of us and want to reach out and become involved. I feel like the momentumis there, and the sky’s the limit.” GKTW events at Expo 2007 included: the fifth annual charity golf tournament; silent and live auctions at the annual Expo gala; and a new event this year, the first annual GKTW 5K Run/1K FunWalk at SeaWorld Orlando. At this year’s lively Thursday Night Gala, Ripley sponsored entertainment included two percussion groups and some surprising centerpieces: Boxes filled with a shrunken head, which would go home with one lucky person at the table. “We feel pleasedwith the contribution we made this year to GKTW, and I’ve promised Pam we’ll continue to support her in this way as we help her expand the facilities at the village,” said IAAPA President/CEO Charlie Bray. “We’re serious about fun, but we’re also very serious about our charitable effort. That’s evidenced by all the companies that stepped up to the plate with sponsorships and donations during the Expo.” Here’s a look at a couple of the GKTW events at IAAPA Attractions Expo. A Hole-in-One for GKTW “It’s become a unifier in the industry,” Graff said of the tournament. “We have our version of the Ryder Cup going on, and that’s generated interestmuch greater than we anticipated.” “This is truly an international event that brings together all of the industry’s worldwide leaders,” said Bill Alter, the tourney’s other co-chair. “People have traveled as far as 12,000 miles to be here.” “For me, this is the absolute, No. 1 highlight” of IAAPA Attractions Expo, said Roland Koch, a retired industry veteran from Germany. “I come especially for this tournament. What the people of Give Kids TheWorldaredoing,I feel itwith myheart. That’s the main reason I come over here— to play in this tournament and meet the people working for Give Kids The World.” The growth of the international segment at the tournament also reflects an increase in international visitation at the GKTW Village, said Pam Landwirth, GKTW president. “We are international, even though we’re located in Kissimmee,” Landwirth said. “We now serve families from almost 60 countries around the world and that’s continuing to grow. It was close to 400 international families we served this year. Children laugh the same way and the same things bring them joy, no matter what language they speak, and we know they want to come and experience everything that’s here.” “Give Kids The World is such a wonderful charity, and it’s a great tie-in for our industry,” said Charlie Bray, IAAPA president and CEO, who just this year had some close friends stay at the GKTW Village with their daughter, who suffers from leukemia. “When kids think about the most fun thing to do it’s visiting one of our attractions. Not only does Give Kids The World do a good thing for these families, but they do it so well. They create lasting memories for these families.” “It’s a great cause,” added Mats Wedin, 2007 IAAPA chair and president and CEO of Liseberg in Sweden, “and it starts the convention off every year in a great way.” Running with the … Dolphins? Organizers of the event were a little unsure heading into the event how many people would actually show up, given this is the first one at an Attractions Expo. But the chance to run virtually alone through SeaWorld Orlando and the opportunity to contribute to a worthy cause proved strong draws for an outing that is almost certain to grow in the future.
“I am so excited,” said Becky Bray, wife of IAAPA President/CEO Charlie Bray and avid runner, who helped organize the event. “You get into the park and the animals are all animated … pink flamingos next to you. It was just fabulous.” The runners’ trip began in the parking lot before looping into the front gate and traveling throughout the park. Runners got to trek past the dolphin, sea otter, and Shamu stadiums, among other famous SeaWorld landmarks. “It’s the uniqueness of the venue” that makes the run so appealing, said Bill Schmidt, who has been coordinating runs at SeaWorld for the past nine years. “It’s up close with our animals and a great visual for the runners. People who run on a daily basis are used to running through neighborhoods and dealing with traffic. With this course they don’t have any of that to deal with. They have some neat architecture to look at. This time of the morning the dolphins are really active so they’re leaping out of the water. It’s a neat experience and a lot of fun.” “It’s just gorgeous in there,” said newly elected IAAPA Third Vice Chair Bob Rippy, sipping bottled water after completing his run. “It’s so pretty, it makes the run go by [fast]. My goal was to finish under 20 minutes, and I made it—by three seconds!” Claudia Kasen, wife of Busch Entertainment Corp. CEO Keith Kasen (who helped secure access to SeaWorld for the run), finished in first place and added: “This is a great addition to the IAAPA events. It gives everybody something different to do and something that’s healthy and outdoors.” All officials involved with the event believe now with one successful run completed, word will spread for next year, and they are hopeful for an even bigger response. “I think we can take this up to 400 or 500 people once we get the word out,” Rippy said.
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IAAPA HAS BEEN INVOLVED with Give Kids The World since 1994, but the relationship between the association and the charity that grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses has perhaps never been stronger. 
During Expo week, GKTW reached a
major milestone when visitors from the UK
became the 85,000th Wish family hosted at
the village, serving as a clear reminder to
everyone involved with the trade show why
the charity is such an important—and international—
cause.
There was a decidedly international flavor to this year’s event, which raised approximately $45,000 for GKTW. This was the second year of Ryder Cup-style competition at the event, pitting players from the United States against those from around the world. The Americans took home the cup for the second straight year, and tournament co-chair John Graff believes this additional element of competition was part of why this year’s tournament sold out with 152 players. 
“With a first-time event, we really wanted it to be good so we could continue doing them. To have 80 runners show up is amazing,” said Pam Landwirth, president of GKTW. “SeaWorld’s been awesome. If you’ve never been to a theme park without guests in it, it’s so cool.”