Learning on the Job
by Amanda Charney
EAS provided excellent examples and tips for attendees to take back to their operations
SPEAKERS AND PANELISTS HELPED TAKE EAS TO NEW HEIGHTS. Professionals from all facets of the attractions and leisure industries shared best practices, challenges, and solutions in a variety of realms, including merchandising, marketing, special events, and more. The program, which hosted nearly 700 people to the program, even featured a handful of teenagers from a local international school to share their opinions on the industry and its future.
On Point: Insights from European leaders
The annual “Ode to Joy” panel discussion gathered European industry leaders to discuss their perspectives on several key topics. The panelists were Arnaud Bennet, president of SNELAC; Federico Gonzalez, senior vice president, marketing, at Disneyland Paris; Mark Fisher of Merlin Entertainments; and John Collins of John Collins Leisure. Here’s a look at a few of their insights from the session:
ON BRANDING
- “Brand does not make a project. You can’t just say ‘we have a brand, let’s make a project.’ First you have to have a good idea,” said Bennet, adding that you have to have emotion, imagination, and a great product.
- “A brand is a reference. The product is critical, but it cannot take over the brand,” said Gonzalez, stressing every facility should be working to build and strengthen its brand every day.
- Fisher said: “The product, if done properly, is the brand. If you get it right, it’s the most powerful thing in the world,” adding that when all the departments of the company are working together toward the same goal, the brand can be very powerful.
ON TECHNOLOGY
- Gonzalez said new technologies and communication devices are excellent
opportunities to connect with guests but warned about the possibility of getting caught up in all the gadgets and losing track of their purpose. Don’t let the marketing overwhelm the message, he said.
ON THE FUTURE
- All agreed the industry is moving toward offering a wider scope of attractions to satisfy the changing needs of its audiences. “If you look at zoos, they’re amalgamating into big destination attractions … there’s a lot of opportunity there,” said Collins.
- Bennet and Gonzalez said they both spend as much time in their parks as possible to gauge guest satisfaction; Gonzalez also stressed the importance of going outside the park to find out why potential visitors don’t attend Disneyland Paris.
InspiringYour Staff
During “Motivate Me! How to Keep Your Employees Healthy, Happy, and Guest Focused,” parks shared their strategies for improving their employee programs and thus the guest experience.
Mikael Ahlerup of Astrid Lindgren’s World in Sweden incorporated the following changes into the park’s operations, resulting in less turnover, stronger park image, and happier employees.
- Housing for seasonal workers
- Flexible work schedules
- Employee Leisure Club (activities, day trips)
- Birthday recognition program
- Education about Astrid Lindgren through local family members
- Weekly performance reports
- Intranet system for employees to connect online
- Wellness and health services
At Walibi World in Belgium, Marcel Schonenberg’s focus was to make sure workers felt what they did made a difference in the company. Here are a few things the park did to make that happen.
- Three-day training for full-time seasonals
- Partnered with National Employment Agency to increase skills
- Increase reponsibilities; empower the employees
- Share the results of their hard work
- Halloween party; Christmas cards
- Employee of the month program
- Constantly inform them and thank them
- Include them in important meetings
- Mentor program for new seasonal hires
|
EuroTeens Speak Up
Teens from an international school in Nice, France, visited EAS and shared ideas, opinions, and their wishes for theme park experiences. Here are a few items they mentioned.
- More thrill (drop towers that drop guests face down)
- Rides that allow you to do some-thing you wouldn’t normally do or don’t have the skills to do (skateboarding, extreme sports)
- TV and games in queue lines
- Proprietary food chains that only exist in theme parks to provide more authenticity
- Complete trip-planning capabilities on park web sites
- More family-oriented attractions so adults can have fun, too
Borrowing from Others
During “Storyteller, Educator, and Entertainer? What Theme Parks and Zoos can Learn From Each Other,” operators and experts shared a few tips on how to maximize entertainment and education. Tony Sefton of Vision XS, John Holland from Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Klaus-Michael Machens of the Hannover Zoo gathered to share their insights.
Tony Sefton’s Tips for Theme Parks
- Guests want to take something away from their experiences; create a product with “soul” and takeaway value.
- Speed up the experience: Reduce queues, add walk-through experiences, play experiences, mazes, temporary attractions.
- Show behind the scenes: People are interested in the inner-workings of the facility.
- “Fly on the wall” documentaries. Example: A zoo in the UK shows videos of their animal keepers.
Tony Sefton’s Tips for Zoos
- Consider adding midway games: They can add 2-3 euros per head.
- Increase ticket price
- Build hotels and resorts to gain more of the daily visitor spend.
- Focus on guest experience: “If you’re good commercially, you can be even better conservationwise,” he said.
Disney’s Lesson
John Holland of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, billed as “a new species of theme park,” integrated theme park elements in an animal setting by adding “Expedition Everest,” which has a strong story and very detailed themeing throughout. The park also includes interactive elements, safari adventures, and atmosphere.
Hannover Zoo’s Lesson
Klaus-Michael Machens of the Hannover Zoo’s goal when he was revamping the entire facility was to integrate the public responsibility of a zoo into the visitor experience of a theme park, all of which resulted in increased attendance, season ticket sales, and number of staff. What they did:
- Changed the animal enclosures to benefit both guests and animals.
- Added five themed areas focusing on different regions and species.
- Changed aesthetics to be more authentic and meet the needs of the animals.
- Upgraded technical facilities (fences, etc.) to meet animals’ needs.
- Added shows and costumed characters.
- Added safari exhibits. “It’s not only the animal; it’s the way they see the animal; the people are engaged,” Machens said.
- Added events such as Winter Zoo. “All our shows have an educational concept, but it works because the visitors don’t notice it,” he said.
Marketing in the Digital Age
During “Web 2.0 New Communications Strategies for the Industry,” marketing expert Richard van Hooijdonk gave a lively and entertaining presentation on reaching audiences through modern technology. Here are a few tips he shared with EAS attendees:
A Few Tips
- Have specific goals and targets with your new marketing strategy: “If you want to benefit from the new marketing economy, have goals,” he said.
- Find out what your customers like and what they want.
- It’s all about good products: Provide something new and relevant.
- Provide something different from your competitors.
- Create a viral marketing campaign that spreads through online forums.
- Collect e-mails for continued marketing campaigns.
- Provide video content online.
- Consider providing games, animation, audio, or other ways to show your products.
- Second Life: Consider the “virtual” aspect of your business and how you can tap into virtual applications and create more buzz.
A Few Facts
- Almost 30 percent of consumers make decisions based on what they find on the Internet or through word of mouth.
- “Buzzmarketing”—getting the word out through the Internet and word of mouth. (YouTube, Wikipedia—these new vehicles are very powerful.)
- Spending in online marketing will double in five years.
- Mobile is the next “killer” application.
- 80 percent of Internet users will be part of the virtual scene in four years.
|
|
