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EDITOR’S NOTE: Originally published as a special digital edition in October 2010
All roads really did lead to Rome in October for more than 9,500 attendees who attended IAAPA’s biggest Euro Attractions Show ever. EAS 2010 at the Fiera Roma convention center set a new attendance record, besting the previous best set last year in Amsterdam. This year’s conference and trade show featured 265 exhibitors, and business was brisk, with extra visitors arriving from the neighboring ENADA show.
“The record number of visitors reconfirms EAS’s position as the premier show for the attractions industry in Europe, and is an excellent platform for bringing the show to London next year (27-29 September, 2011),” said Andreas Veilstrup Andersen, former executive director of IAAPA Europe.
John Collins, director of John Collins Leisure and a former member of IAAPA’s European advisory board, said the event has evolved into “a quality show with a capital ‘Q.’ You can see the work that exhibitors have put into their stands, and there’s a real buzz here. Rome and London [in 2011] demonstrate that the EAS show has come of age.”
Liseberg President Mats Wedin reported “optimism and growth across the industry. Overall, 2010 was a fair year, and I have great confidence for 2011. Some countries, like Spain, Greece, and Ireland, are facing difficulties, but generally people are looking at a stronger economy, which is always good for us.” He had “high expectations” for Liseberg’s new offering for 2011, “AtmosFear,” which will see the park’s observation tower transformed into a 146-meter (479-foot) drop tower.
Other forthcoming projects on show included Alfa Parks’ Rainbow Magic Land, the €300 million (US$378 million) park due to open near Rome in spring 2011. Emmanuel Goût, meanwhile, outlined the ambitious plans for Cinecittà World, coming soon to the film studios originally built by Dino De Laurentiis. Goût, president of Cinecittà Parchi, has an enviable property: a historic location, 20 minutes from the center of Rome, with access to two airports and an iconic movie brand.
Cinecittà’s phased development envisages two movie-inspired theme parks, the first of which is scheduled to open in late 2011/early 2012. Additionally, there are plans for a mixeduse village. Another element, Cinecittà Natura, will offer guests the chance to explore the area’s scenery with walking tours and film set visits. Academy Award-winning production designer Dante Ferretti (“The Aviator”) is guiding the project’s creative vision; Forrec and Valerio Mazzoli Studios are also on board. “Our idea is to transform the public’s visit into a real, cinematic experience,” said Goût.
Experience Is Key
Among other topics, EAS conference speakers discussed the need to provide something memorable, be it theming, animals, or food
 Approximately 1,100 people took part in the EAS educational program, where topics ranged from using research to satisfy guest expectations—discussed by Tony S efton o f Vi sio n X S and Ann a be l Alt m an f rom Disne yland Paris—to an overview of environmentally friendly initiatives at Port Aventura. “We believe that corporate social responsibility is good for the community, for the environment, and also for the company,” said Port Aventura ’s ge neral ma nager, Fernando Aldecoa.
 In the TEA session, Hester Kloosterboer, director of the SMILE of Experien c e , u sed the Do l f i nar i um Har de rwijk’s 20 10 sho w, “Dream Wish,” as an example of how story, architecture, technology, a n d e xp erience (SAT E) c an int eract to turn an animal show into something special (wat ch a clip at www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMEjVH3aJbU).
 Waterparks like Aquatica, Siam Park, and Kristiandsan Dyrepark Badelandet are also using animals as a draw, according to IAAPA Europe’s Jakob Wahl, who started the Waterpark Forum with a roundup of European trends. Operators are reviving classic waterpark attractions and adding a twist: combining slides with a “competition effect,” for example, or changing the form of a half-tube to a wider elliptical shape to allow more people— especially families—to share the experience. Hybrid parks, such as the Sommerlands in Scandinavia, are em erging, and “the borders between parks are melting,” as waterparks add dry rides and dry parks a dd wa ter park elements. One of the most exciting projects is the Aqualibi relaunch in April 2011; Fernando Medroa, general manager of Walibi Belgium, described the €11 million (US$15.4 million) redevelopment.
  “Food is part of the experience,” too, according to Mikael Ahlerup, general manager and CEO of Astrid Lindgren’s World. The park has abandoned hamburgers and french fries in favor of offerings that are true to Astrid Lindgren’s children’s books. Ahlerup’s commitment to “ insourcing ” led him to create innovative agreements with Swedish suppliers. The park rented refrigeration containers for local farmers (guaranteeing potatoes throughout the season) and bankrolled a prototype Swedish meatball machine to support staff efforts to cook everything from scratch. Although the park’s net profit margin has gone down by 6.5 percent in 2010, “We see this as an investment,” said Ahlerup, pointing to positive word of mouth. The park is now achieving €5.6 (US$7.82) per cap on food, compared to €4.2 (US$5.86) when it  was selling hamburgers.
Institute for Attractions Managers Draws a Multinational Crowd
Meanwhile, the three day Institute for Attractions Managers was preparing a new generation of leaders for careers in a European theme park industry worth €4.3 billion (US$6 billion) in revenues. Thirty young professionals learned about best practices in safety, finance, revenue operations, and marketing alongside colleagues from Russia, Sweden, Germany, Portugal, Norway, and the UK, among others.
 “We wanted to encourage a broad mix of people from across the industry to understand how the different departments in parks can work together to  create successful operations,” said Mike Brown, group commercial director at Pleasure Beach, Blackpool. “We’re giving people the chance to see the business through someone else’s eyes,” added Ellen Verberg, retail and games manager at Walibi World.
“I’ve learned a lot from the program, and the networking has been very useful. It’s given me an umbrella view over the whole business,” said participant Ann-Catrine Boldyn, sales manager at Liseberg.
Thoughts on State of the Industry
European theme park legends treated a packed conference room to insights gained over a lifetime of experience. Reinoud van Assendelft of van Assendelft & Partners introduced a panel that included Gottlieb Löffelhardt, the founder of Phantasialand and one-time co-owner of Mirabilandia; Alberto Zamperla, president and CEO of Antonio Zamperla S.p.A;  Karl-Heinz Mordelt of Heimo; and Ton van de Ven, responsible for a large number of attractions at Efteling.
Van de Ven attributed his success to the ability to follow his “pure and genuine feeling and to fight for quality. Simple does not mean taking the easiest way. People will always love a wellmade, entertaining dark ride that doesn’t demand too much from them.” Using a blend of “beautiful images, fantasy, music, and animated happenings, people must be invited to make their own stories,” he continued.
 Dark rides provide a valuable, inclusive experience for the entire family, according to Mordelt. “It’s important to educate the customer,” added Zamperla. “You start with the child, who becomes the father, and he comes back to the park with his child.”
 Zamperla expressed concern at the influence of financial companies on the industry: “Amusement parks have to be about experiences—you cannot run them from an office,” he said. “You have to be in the parks, gauging people’s experiences.” Löffelhardt, who saw Mirabilandia pass to Parques Reunidos—which Candover is now planning to sell—predicted “parks will come back to private hands” because they have the “heart” for the business. 
After all, even empires like Rome can fall. Indeed, visitors had ample opportunity to experience the city described as one of the greatest attractions on Earth. Achieving “total happiness” was a theme during Sister Emanuella’s anecdote-filled “Art and Faith” tour of the Vatican enjoyed by EAS delegates on the eve of the show. For a business built on making people smile, it seemed like a pretty good path to enlightenment.
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Social Media and Marketing a Major Topic of Discussion
EAS devoted a series of sessions to marketing attractions in the digital age. “Everybody is grappling with social media, trying to figure out how to use it to best advantage and how to monetize it,” said Eamon Connor, director of educational programs at IAAPA.
 Europa-Park’s Michael Kreft von Byern described the “huge challenge” of working in a world dominated by “emotion rather than facts” thanks to instant access to sites like Twitter and Facebook. Europa- Park believes navigation is key and launched its iPhone park guide app in June—selling 30,000 downloads by October. As well as giving guests an overview of the park, the app includes news, special offers, weather forecasts, and a parking space relocator. Next season, Europa-Park hopes to gather informat ion and feedback from guest s through the interface.
Gardaland’s Paolo Viarengo shared his park’s “magic rules” regarding social media: “Speak to consumers. Hear the conversations. Offer people a reason to participate. Resist the temptation to sell at all costs. Continuously experiment and update. Give control of the communication —don’t be afraid to open the doors to criticism because often others will come to your defense. Have the right people on staff.”
Angelique Klar, commercial director of Slagharen theme park and resort in the Netherlands, impressed operators with her presentation on the park’s dynamic pricing policy, where tickets are cheaper the farther out they’re purchased. Inspired by the airline and hotel industries , Slagharen launched the strategy in 2010, offering tickets from €1 2.50 to € 24 . 50 ( US$1 7.6 1 to US$34.51). “Looking at the results, we are very enthusiastic; the average ticket has increased by 26 percent and approximately €4 (US$5.64),” said Klar. “For us, it’s a clear way to earn more money.”
 Other positive effects included a better spread of visitors throughout the season, fewer guest complaints, and lower costs due to improved staff planning. Keeping the pricing system “simple, transparent, and easy to communicate” was crucial, explained Klar. Rates are guaranteed and customer s can buy tickets either online or at the park. While customers adapted quickly to the changes, she noted the need for staff training. As Tivoli’s Kasper Schumacher reminded the audience: “Sales and service go hand in hand. You might have a great website , but the service has to be delivered by your employees.”
Safety a ‘Way of Life’
“Safety isn’t just a slogan; it’s a way of life,” said Europa-Park’s Michael Kreft von Byern, opening t h e EAS 20 10 Safety Forum. Michele Bertazzon from Bertazzon 3B update d visitors on the European standard—EN13814—which is due for revision. Mike Withers from ASTM International’s board of directors and colleague Len Morrissey reported on the progress toward global ride safety standard harmonization. It’s a move that ride manufacturers including Sascha Czibulka of Ride Trade would welcome.
 However, the presentation from Vekoma’s Har Kupers on acceleration standards demonstrated the differences between the EN and ASTM standards, and the challenges that lie ahead.
During the forum , Bob Nicholls, managing director of LTC; Greg O’Neill from AALARA; Gianni Chiari, operative secretary at EAASI; Paul Chatelot from Disneyland Resort Paris; Stefan Kasper from TÜV Süd; and Søren Kragelund, managing director of Fårup Sommerland, summarized ride safety standards, inspection procedures, and legislation. Alain Trouvé from Compagnie des Alpes highlighted the rise in the number of parks taking part in the European Ride Safety Reporting System initiated by IAAPA and Europarks. Participants have increased from 48 parks in 2007 to 108 in 2009, and from 2010 the program will be mandatory for European IAAPA members.
 BeatPoint is capitalizing on the appeal of television shows like “American Idol” and “The X Factor” with its BeatBox Recording Studio. The colorful booth allows budding pop stars to record a track; it then burns a disc of the song and sends a copy to the buyer’s cell phone—a viral marketing tool.
www.beatbox-point.com
Creek-Surfing from Creek-Surfing Systems Kft. allows people to experience skiing and snowboarding all year round. The patented product is based on a micro-terraced system made of tiered plastic bands. Water is pumped into the system, filling the micro-terraces and enabling people to ski and snowboard on the surface as they would on snow-covered downhill courses.
www.creeksurfing.hu
 Euroviva premiered the prototype of its new interactive attraction for kids: the Kiddie Flyer. Riders lie flat inside a vehicle shaped like a bee or a butterfly, stretching their arms along the wings. Sensors attuned to their flapping movements control the attraction’s hydraulic and winch system, which determines the course of their flight along a rope line. www.euroviva.de
 EyeClick made its EAS debut with the interactive gaming platform EyePlay. This virtual indoor playground can be projected onto any floor, and EyeClick has a library of 50 action and educational games to choose from. Clients include The Beatles Story, NASA, and Burger King. This engaging, family-friendly attraction can be customized with branding and advertising.
www.eyeclick.com
 Spanish company Ghesa has designed walk-in fountains and shows for parks, including Terra Mítica and Port Aventura. Its new products include the Water Watch, a circular or linear stone sculpture that uses water jets to indicate the time.
www.ghesafuentes.com
 Kindersanitair showcased its playful, hand-painted sanitary ware. The themed baths, sinks, mirrors, and showers are designed to be fun for children—robust and easy to maintain.
www.kindersanitair.com
 Laserlight Showdesign challenged visitors to pass through its new laser maze. No operator is required for this TÜV-approved game, which is set up for coin operation. The competitive, point-scoring element encourages repeat play and the system is scalable. Laserlight has already installed its first maze at an FEC in Hamburg.
www.laserlight.de
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