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Instant Replay
As he prepares for retirement, BALPPA chief executive Colin Dawson looks back on his eight-year tenure
by Juliana Gilling
FRESH FROM MANAGING THORPE PARK AND DREAMLAND LEISURE, Colin Dawson arrived at BALPPA with big plans. Eight years on, as he prepares to hand over the chief executive mantle to Martin Barratt, he shares the results with FUNWORLD.
How is today’s BALPPA different from the BALPPA of 2001?
We’re on a sounder commercial footing as a trade association. I don’t just mean in terms of financials. The offer that BALPPA has in terms of member benefits is far broader and deeper than it was eight years ago. We’re a stronger voice for private sector attractions, particularly in the political sphere. We’ve become involved with other organizations that are important to the membership. I’ve been on the board of the Tourism Alliance since its inception, and I’m on the Tourism Industry Emergency Response Group.
BALPPA was once accused—probably with some justification— of being an “old boys’ club.” We’ve tried to remove that view from people’s minds. You don’t have to be an amusement park, a theme park, or a pier to become a BALPPA member, and anyone can be a member of the management committee. We’ve got around 300 members and a wider base of representation in terms of operators’ activity and age. Our members know they have an organization they can go to for support, whatever issues they face. We’re almost like another insurance company for them.
You’ve had big events to contend with including the fallout from foot-and-mouth disease and 9/11. Which event stands out for you, and how did you steer BALPPA through it?
Of the greatest concern was the production of the Roberts Report from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) (which  reviewed the industry’s health and safety practices after a series of fairground accidents). When I started to read it, I could see that we were facing a critical period. Clearly, the HSE was telling us, “Get your act together, or we’re going to come in and do it for you.” We needed to get the industry together and develop a self-regulated inspection procedure. We had to illustrate to the HSE that we were capable of running our affairs because the alternative—local authority licensing—was one we didn’t want to consider.
Safety is the key to maintaining the market’s confidence in us, and it must always be at the top of our agenda. We have been very influential in the development of the Amusement Device Inspection Procedure Scheme and the formation of the Amusement Device Safety Council. The benefits have been an enormous reduction in accidents. From a peak in 2000, we’re now running at almost 80 percent fewer accidents in the UK as an industry, not just as BALPPA members. We have an amazing safety record, but we are not—and never will be—complacent. It’s an ongoing process.
How has BALPPA’s training provision developed?
The best achievement has been the introduction of training for park engineers. The scheme has met with huge support from the members. Sponsorship from Jardine Lloyd Thompson has enabled us to ensure that cost has never been a barrier to good quality and regular training. Hundreds of engineers have now gone through the scheme.
What was a punch-in-the-air moment for you?
When I got the Tourism Alliance to support the move to Daylight Saving (which would ensure lighter evenings for the UK year-round). It’s something I believe is of huge benefit to the tourism industry and to our members. With a potential change in government ahead, I’m hammering on the doors to get it into the manifestos, but the realist in me says, “It’s unlikely that you’ll see it on the statute book before you go.”
It must be frustrating to have to lobby the government to take tourism seriously.
It is. I think I’m on my seventh tourism minister in eight years. You’re continually having to start from square one. Not only have we suffered from a change of minister, we’ve suffered from a reduction in the size of support from the DCMS (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) and the personnel within it. That’s just the way the game is; there’s no quick fix. You have to keep going and keep updating the briefs you provide people with. But it’s very satisfying when you convince someone, “This is what I should be looking at.”
 What challenges will your members face in future?
Our challenge has always been to maintain our position in an extremely competitive market. We’ve come under pressure from all sorts of directions, from leisure shopping to free entry to museums and home entertainment packages. We’ve come under pressure on prices and food offers, but we’ve always come through because in most instances the complaints aren’t justified. The challenges are cyclical. I’ve found myself in the media spotlight talking about unfair pricing or food options on at least four occasions. My successor, Martin, will find himself doing exactly the same things!
What thoughts would you like to share with your industry colleagues before you leave?
I’d like them to understand the role that they’ve played in my life. My biggest regret is that I didn’t discover this industry until 20 years ago. The excitement and friendships you find here are like no other. I’ve been grateful for the support I’ve had from IAAPA; people like Charlie Bray and John Graff, the IAAPA presidents and chairmen during my time. And the BALPPA guys have been fantastic—they’re an incredible bunch of people. It’s only hitting me now, since my retirement was announced, just how many friends I’ve got in this industry. The greatest problem is how much I’ll miss the people in this business. But, right now, the UK’s golf courses are calling me, and I want to spend some time polishing my handicap.
Juliana Gilling is a specialist attractions journalist. E-mail: julianagilling@gmail.com. |
