by Jennifer Golden J. Salopek
 Special holiday celebrations can bring numerous advantages to theme parks and attractions: a longer season, greater value for season pass holders, and—of course—the opportunity to generate additional revenue. Beyond the obvious additional ticket sales, holiday events open up a whole new world of possibilities in food and beverage, retail items, and visitor services.
“Holiday events give attractions the chance to improve and expand the guest experience,” says Debbie Evans, a principal at Stratcomm Consulting in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. “Although adding such an event might be intimidating for some smaller properties, it’s easier than you might think. So much can be done without the huge investment of a new ride or roller coaster, and still draw new visitors.”
A major part of a special holiday celebration is creating a unique visitor experience markedly different from the summer high season. Food and beverage, decorations, music, live shows, and limited-time retail offerings help attractions appeal to guests’ senses in new ways—and get them to spend. “In-park spending is where the money is made,” Evans says.
Lousiana’s Lafayette Science Museum (www.lnhmpmuseum.org) began its new “Museum of Fear” event in 2009. For a total of 15 days in October, the museum was open from 6 p.m. to midnight and drew 8,600 visitors. Its main investments for the event were decorations and the labor costs of hiring professional actors, who served as costumed interpreters.
Director Mary Henderson shares her perspective on the start-up: “The main thing is not to overcapitalize. Try to focus only on things that guests will see and experience. Partnerships and in-kind donations helped us round things out, so our infrastructure costs were actually quite low.” The museum does not have a gift shop or a restaurant, so staff did not add special offerings in those areas. However, themed food and beverage items can be key to creating a holiday mood and represent significant revenue opportunities for attractions with the facilities to offer them.
The Marshmallow Money Machine
“We recommend changing the food and beverage line to complement special events. After all, we want our visitors’ experience to be authentic to the core,” says Volker Klaiber, public relations director at Europa-Park in Germany (www.europapark.de). At Halloween, the park adds pumpkin soup and chocolate bats to its menus; Christmas features mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, gingerbread cappuccino, and Swiss cheese soup.
Russell Melton is senior vice president of NASCAR parks and family entertainment centers at Parc Management in Jacksonville, Florida (www.parcmanagement.com). “Food and beverage offer many unique revenue opportunities,” he says. “We try to offer a little something different to suit the holiday theme, while remaining true to each park’s culture and community.” The parks bring in outdoor grills during the fall season and offer turkey legs, sausages, and corn roasted in the husk.
For its “Zoo Lights” celebration in December, the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C. (http://nationalzoo.si.edu), adds gingerbread, hot chocolate, and kettle corn to its menus.
Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, South Carolina (www.riverbanks.org), makes $23,000 in marshmallow sales alone during its “Boo at the Zoo” event. The zoo sets up grills over an outdoor fire pit and sells s’mores kits for $2.50; they are wildly popular, according to Marketing Director Tommy Stringfellow. During the “Lights Before Christmas” event, the zoo puts mini-marshmallows in hot chocolate and bills them as “snowman poop.”
Let ’Em Shop ’Til They Drop
Limited-time retail products present another significant revenue opportunity during festivals and holiday celebrations. During its “Scarium of the Pacific” event in late October, the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California (www.aquariumofthepacificorg), partners with vendors and artisans in a revenue-split arrangement to offer jewelry, crafts, paintings, and other handmade items. During “Holiday Treats for the Animals,” the aquarium’s gift shop stocks up on animal-themed holiday ornaments, cards, and other items.
“We really try to showcase gift items and to encourage visitors to do their holiday shopping at the aquarium,” says Cecile Fisher, vice president of marketing and communications.
“We put a lot of importance on seasonal specials in our retail lines,” adds Europa-Park’s Klaiber. “Our guests can choose from a wide range of Halloween curiosities in October, while Santa hats are among their favorites in winter.”
Parc Management’s properties run specific sales and offer limited-time products, says Melton. These include skull-head sipper cups, beer steins with lighted bottoms, and lots of airbrush and glow products. “Look for products that are unique to the holiday, and don’t make selections solely on price; also look for quality,” Melton advises. “There used to be only glow necklaces and light sticks; now we probably offer more than 100 items.”
Once you have established a holiday event, round it out with other seasonally themed offerings such as face painting, temporary tattoos, photography concessions, and others. Riverbanks Zoo offers backward rides on its “Haunted Carousel” for two dollars a pop. Parc Management’s properties feature themed games and prizes, and some of the theme parks add haunted houses that guests enter for an additional charge.
 You can even add a special event within the special event: For several years, Europa-Park has partnered with a local radio station to produce a Halloween party that attracts 10,000 visitors every year. At Christmas, the park opens an ice rink and offers skating and skiing lessons for children.
Measuring Success
Setting up a new holiday event requires careful planning and accurate expectations. Marketing and selling the event appropriately can be the key to success, says Stratcomm’s Evans. However, measures of success may vary depending on the size of the property and the event.
In its first year, Lafayette Science Museum’s “Museum of Fear” drew 8,600 visitors; board chair David Andrus expects to attract twice that many in 2010. “I think we did very well, and that strong attendance demonstrates our guests’ commitment to the museum and its sponsors,” he says.
At Parc Management, Melton says an event is a success if the property does not have to discount admission heavily to generate attendance. He notes traffic on an autumn Saturday approximates that of a summer weekday—a success by any measure.
That’s the bottom line for the Aquarium of the Pacific, too. “An event is a success if attendance during a fall or winter weekend is the same as it is on a busy summer weekend,” says Fisher. “A typically slow shoulder weekend becomes a big draw.”
“As a nonprofit, our goal is to drive attendance. Special events help us drive revenue and attract a different demographic. They help us gain great public relations value during slow periods,” explains Riverbanks’ Stringfellow. “To us, an event is successful if we break even.”
Klaiber also recommends conducting some market research. “When introducing a major holiday event, it is important to seek contact with the guests,” he says. “You have to conduct visitor polls and give guests the opportunity to provide feedback. You learn from their point of view which elements have been introduced correctly and which need to be improved or added.”
Careful Planning
John Bement is senior vice president of in-park services at Six Flags Inc. in Dallas, Texas, which introduced its “FrightFest” Halloween event in the early 1970s. More than three decades of experience gives the company valuable perspective:
 “Holiday events are worthwhile for any park or attraction to investigate, but they should do so in context of their overall marketing strategy and capabilities. Planning is key and paramount,” Bement says.
Melton recommends checking out the competition. “Visit other holiday events in your area and plan based on what your budget allows,” he says.
Fisher concurs, noting a successful new event will establish a niche for your attraction in the marketplace. “Scarium of the Pacific” is targeted at children and families. She reiterates that careful planning is a must: “You have only one opportunity to set the standard for a new event and create buzz for future years.” Although it takes time for an event to grow, the initial outing is crucial.
The National Zoo inaugurated “Zoo Lights” three years ago. Offered 19 nights in 2009, the event netted $200,000. Even so, “there is a lot of competition in this area. We are still trying to find our niche,” says Pat Petrella, director of corporate and special events.
Patience is required. “Walk before you run. Develop realistic expectations for return on investment and the intended lifespan of the event. As you’re developing and building your event plan, the attendance base will grow over time,” says Bement.
Doing these events is well worth the time and effort, though, says Fisher. “Festivals and holiday events are a strong strategy at the Aquarium of the Pacific to drive shoulder attendance and to target special groups to make the aquarium relevant to them.”
Jennifer J. Salopek is a freelance writer in McLean, Virginia; she can be reached at jjsalopek@cox.net. |
