Funworld August 2009

Asian Attractions Expo 2009 drew a record 3,700 attendees to the COEX Convention and Exhibition Centre in Seoul, South Korea, from June 9- 12. The trade show featured 142 exhibitors from26 countries spread over 2,895 square meters (31,160 square feet). Highlights off the floor included the education program and networking sessions; off-site facility tours were included for the first time, receiving an enthusiastic response.

“I started working in Asia in 1979 and still consider it the strongest area of growth [in the industry],” said IAAPA Chairman Darrell Metzger. He expressed optimism in the Korean segment, specifically, despite the economic hardships faced. Samuel Koo, president and CEO of the Seoul Tourism Organization, told attendees the Korean government was on a drive to make the city more internationally competitive.

This year’s show saw a strong turnout from Korean companies. Shinwha Aqua Company had one of the biggest and brightest booths at the Expo, alongside other Korean exhibitors such as waterpark equipment provider Woosung CNA and snack manufacturer Delice Global. Longtime exhibitors such as Sally Corporation, Premier Rides, Moser's Rides, and sponsor Gary Goddard also made a return to the show.

“There are many good opportunities, and we’ve had a very good response,” said Medhy Menad, president of Dubai’s Showtime Entertainment Productions, a first-time exhibitor. “There are a lot of Korean customers, a lot of potential in Asia for us, and we’ve made good contacts.”

Asian Attractions Expo 2010 will be held July 13-16, at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in Malaysia. Response to next year’s show has been positive, with more than 57 exhibitors already signed up, snapping up close to half the available booth space.

Tours, Networking Are Big Hits
Excursions to theme parks in the region were a welcome addition to the program this year. In a visit to Samsung Everland, Korea’s largest and most successful theme park, attendees were shown around the resort, made up of Caribbean Bay (winner of the 2008 IAAPA Must-See Waterparks Award), Safari World, and a golf resort. Everland celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2008 and averages 6.6 million visitors a year.

There were two additional park visits to Seoul Land and Daemyung Resort’s Vivaldi Park Ocean World. Many took the opportunity to get to know their fellow attendees during the park visits. Additional networking opportunities were also in the program, such as the opening reception June 10, followed by a Young Professionals gathering at a popular night spot.

“I feel the networking programs were better than previously— people are more open. It’s a very good setup, location, and organization. I’ll definitely be back next year,” said Vicky Lethirapathy, theme park manager of Jungle Zone Theme Park in Doha, Qatar.

Broad Range of Topics Covered During Conference

During the Expo’s general education program, participants heard from industry experts about topics such as utilizing information technology (IT) for effective management of theme parks, guest services, service training, developing waterparks in Korea, and guiding the industry forward through the economic crisis.

• Tom Mehrmann, chief executive of Ocean Park, Hong Kong, elaborated on Ocean Park’s adage of “We hire nice people” while addressing the topic of guest service. He stressed the importance of nurturing staff members: “If you take care of your people, they will take care of the guests.” Ocean Park routinely carries out engagement surveys to assess the level of involvement their staff members have with both the company and their jobs.
  
  
• Lee-Li Ng, section head of the Tourism Academy at Sentosa, Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore, also dealt with staffing challenges in overcoming certain minds ets in service training and explained how it might be helpful to reposition some job descriptions. According to Ng, “The guest is here to have a good time, do whatever it takes,” may sometimes be the most apt role description to get staff members going.
  
• Wang Gang, vice president of OCT Holdings in China, gave attendees a brief overview of developing theme parks in China and new trends in the industry. Wang also highlighted the opening of the company’s largest Happy Valley theme park in Shanghai this July (see FUNWORLD’s June 2009 issue for more information).
  
  
• Young Ki Hong, COO of Ocean World in South Korea, described the Korean waterpark industry as “a profitable business, but not easy.” He predicted growth in the industry will continue into next year but might start getting overcrowded after 2015.
  
  
• Won Hyo Lee, director general of Seoul Grand Park, gave a breakdown of the differences between the present economic crisis and the one Korea endured from 1997 to 1998. He said key to growing the pie were innovation, promotion, niche marketing, collateral development, forming strategic alliances, and employee retention.
  

Safety Institute Draws a Crowd
The 2009 IAAPA Safety Institute on June 9 was standingroom only as it covered topics such as waterpark safety, best practices in operations and maintenance, international standards, and safety training and documentation. There were five sessions throughout the day led by speakers with rich experiences, offering real-life examples during their talks.

• Joe Schott, vice president and representative director at Walt Disney Attractions Japan, provided an overview of the quality standards at Disney, summarized in four words: safety, courtesy, efficiency, and show. He said operational safety, likewise, is broken down into design, operational excellence, cast and guest behavior, and reporting and feedback. Schott stressed the importance of education in molding the behavior of both employees and visitors. He later described the importance of developing and defining source documents, and conveying expectations through training.
  
  
• Richard Carroll, senior vice president and COO of Jeff Ellis & Associates, discussed the “Keys to Understanding and Improving Waterpark Safety in Asia,” stressing the importance of supervision and practice in safety. He said the key to successful lifeguards is proactive supervision and risk management: “Once you let standards drop, it becomes a battle to get it back.” He also advised waterpark operators to get in the water themselves to see if there are any blind spots from lifeguard supervision.
  
  
• Cynthia Mamon, vice president of the Smile division of Enchanted Kingdom, the largest theme park in the Philippines, closed the safety institute with a discussion of the challenges faced by a young organization such as hers, citing maintaining safety standards in the face of continual change and new technologies as key. “Safety is important for the survival of parks both individually and collectively,” she said. “Perception is very important. The facilities must not only be safe; they must also look and feel safe.“
  

Industry Leaders Discuss Ride Standards in Asia
A standards harmonization meeting was held on the first day of Asian Attractions Expo 2009. Randy Davis, senior vice president of government relations and safety services for IAAPA, provided this report from the important gathering:

The meeting was attended by members from organizations in Asia including Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Korean park Everland, Singapore’s Sentosa Leisure Group, and Bombay Amusement Rides.

Jim Seay, president of Premier Rides, provided an update on the harmonization process taking place as the European standards are being revised and updated using the ASTM standards and others as references. Also discussed were the ASTM standards adoption processes, along with ideas and suggestions for adapting them to the Asian industry.

Each attendee also gave a general update on his or her respective countries or projects, including Singapore, Australia, India, Korea, the United Kingdom, and Abu Dhabi.
Sentosa Wins Two Asian Attractions Awards
The 2009 Asian Attractions Awards, now in their third year, once again recognized the best and brightest facilities in the region. The poll and attractions were promoted through Star TV Network between April 15 and May 31, receiving nearly 50,000 votes.

Sentosa 4D Magic in Singapore won the Small Attraction category, while Sunway Lagoon in Malaysia was named best medium-sized attraction. The Large Attraction category— facilities with more than 2 million visitors—was won by Sentosa in Singapore. Taj Mahal in India once again won the Grand Prize.