Funworld June 2011

IAAPA Third Vice Chairman Mario Mamon Talks Asian Attractions Expo 2011

by Jeremy Schoolfield

Mario Mamon, chairman and president of Enchanted Kingdom in the Philippines, is IAAPA’s 2011 third vice chairman of the board, the first industry executive from Asia to be nominated to this position.

As he takes on this leadership role, one of his primary areas of focus will be to continue IAAPA’s forward momentum in the Asia-Pacific region, which includes this month’s Asian Attractions Expo 2011 at Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore.

Funworld recently spoke with Mamon about the Expo and the market it serves.

How have you seen Asian Attractions Expo change over the years?
I’ve been attending the show for at least 10 years. From the time IAAPA went into the show and eventually bought it, that was when everything improved. With the economic downturn not being as bad in Asia as in other parts of the world, the results show the potential for growth in the region. We’re still growing exponentially.

What are some keys to that exponential regional growth?
Asia is coming more into the business with improving economies all around the region and more disposable income dedicated to leisure and recreation. There is great interest in finding out more about the industry and being a part of it. So every year the Asian expo keeps on improving and there are more and more members coming from the Asian region.

What changes are you seeing in today’s Asian attractions market?
As we have globalization in trade, we also have globalization as far as our industry’s concerned. Because of the demand for amusement, we see more and more global brands moving into Asia and getting a piece of the pie. [From a local operator’s perspective], might seem like a threat, but I don’t see it that way. The pie is really big, and in our case we have a big domestic market. The coming of global brands upgrades the industry and gives a new awareness of how the attractions industry can be part of the economic development of a country.

It’s almost as if you have to educate the region on why our industry is so valuable.
Yes. When we started Enchanted Kingdom there were hardly any global brands in the region. We’ve gone through the educational phase, and after 15 years, we have what we call an “Enchanted Kingdom generation.”

What are you looking forward to at Asian Attractions Expo 2011?
I look forward to being able to see another buildup from the Kuala Lumpur show [in 2010]. We have an exciting location in that it is one of the first integrated resort concepts in the region.

What does it mean to you to be IAAPA’s third vice chairman?
It’s an honor to be elected, particularly being the first Asian— notably the first Filipino—to be elected. But I also look at it as a challenge because as IAAPA is focusing on the Asian market, there’s a challenge to justify this focus and convert it into something more concrete—successful trade shows, educational institutes, and membership campaigns—to increase the awareness of IAAPA in Asia.

Contact Senior Editor Jeremy Schoolfield at jschoolfield@IAAPA.org.

IAAPA Europe

EAS 2011: Institute for Attractions Managers

Emerging leaders to experience a comprehensive curriculum, an on-site visit to Chessington, and networking with the best and brightest in the industry

IAAPA will again offer its signature management development program, the IAAPA Institute for Attractions Managers, taking place Sept. 25-27, in conjunction with Euro Attractions Show in London.

The two-and-a-half-day program offers attendees a crash course in attractions management and is designed for industry professionals with at least three years’ experience and who have the potential and commitment to be on a senior management team as department heads, directors, or managers.

It is an excellent program for managers entering the attractions industry laterally from other jobs and provides a solid grounding in how a busy attractions operation functions. The program ends with a case study that challenges students to present a creative solution to a key business problem.

Mike Brown, commercial director for Pleasure Beach at Blackpool, will lead the program. Other faculty members come from across the industry in Europe as well as from academia.

“We don’t just deal with the theory of the attractions business,” says Brown, who has been involved with the program since its inception in 2007. “We provide an opportunity to practice the skills we teach.”

One way the course does that is through Funworld Park, the fictional park course presenters use to teach core concepts such as marketing and human resources. “Every effort has been made to make the park as realistic as possible in terms of size, revenues, and other characteristics; we even have a park map!”

Working in teams, the class becomes the senior management for Funworld Park, analyzing problems and producing solutions to a variety of real-life situations. This program is a great tool for managers in midcareer, as they learn about the industry in the widest perspective, see how and why the industry works, and build a network of industry colleagues.

A View of Chessington
One extra dimension to the program this year will be a site visit to Chessington World of Adventures. Participants will travel to the park on the first day of the program for an instructive site visit. “There is no better way to understand this business than by being in a park on a busy day and feeling the vibe and energy that only the attractions business has,” said Brown. “We are thrilled to be able to make that part of the institute experience.”

The course covers five core subjects: marketing, finance, revenue operations, human resources, and safety.

Attendees are also registered for the EAS 2011, which takes place Sept. 27- 29 at the Olympia in central London.

Visit www.IAAPA.org/eas for content details, course faculty, directions, and registration information. To learn more about IAAPA Europe, contact Executive Director Karen Staley at kstaley@IAAPA.org.

IAAPA Latin America

IAAPA Shares Perspectives and Education in Colombia

IAAPA’s Latin American Leadership Program, which took place in Colombia in April, welcomed 26 leaders from Argentina, Brasil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru, México, and Venezuela. They joined IAAPA Chairman of the Board Bob Rippy during visits to area facilities, including the Game Box FEC, Divercity FEC, Carruseles FEC, Mundo Aventura Theme Park, Salitre Mágico Amusement Park, Parque Nacional Del Café Theme Park, and Pisciliago Waterpark.

During the week, the Colombian Association of Amusement Parks held its III Congress and Expo, during which IAAPA cosponsored three presentations, featuring opening remarks by Rippy, a crisis management talk by David Mandt, IAAPA’s vice president of communications, and a marketing discussion from Ted Molter of the San Diego Zoo. Jim Seay of Premier Rides also gave a talk on ASTM, and the IAAPA Latin American Advisory Committee also held a meeting during the event.

For more information on IAAPA’s Latin American activities, please visit www.IAAPA.org/latinoamerica or send an e-mail to IAAPA Latin America Executive Director Paulina Reyes at preyes@IAAPA.org.

IAAPA Now Accepting 2012 Board of Directors Nominations— Deadline: July 15, 2011
The IAAPA Nominating Committee, led by Bob Masterson, is now accepting nominations for the 2012 IAAPA Board of Directors. The committee is seeking candidates to serve as directors representing facilities and manufacturers to serve three-year terms. The committee is also seeking a third vice chair who will proceed through the positions of second and first vice chair to assume the position of chairman of the board in 2015.

IAAPA strongly encourages nominations from all facility types and geographic areas. While the selection process is largely based on each individual’s qualifications, the association strives to achieve a balance of geography, facility size, and industry segments among directors.

If you have any questions about the above nominations, please contact Susan Mosedale at smosedale@IAAPA.org or +1 703/836-4800 ext. 766.

IAAPA 2011 Service Awards Nominations— Deadline: Sept. 2, 2011
The IAAPA Service Awards Committee, led by Bobbie Wages, is now accepting nominations for the 2011 Lifetime Service, Outstanding Service, and Meritorious Service awards.

The IAAPA Service Awards honor members who excel in performing services for the association and the industry and who are dedicated to its well-being. Without these individuals, the industry would not be where it is today—a thriving global community, proud of its rich history and excited about its future.

Lifetime Service Award
The Lifetime Service Award is presented in recognition of a member individual’s consistent and long-term achievements serving IAAPA and the industry in excess of 20 years.

Outstanding Service Award
The Outstanding Service Award is presented in recognition of a member individual who works to foster the spirit of goodwill, professionalism, and higher levels of performance within the industry regionally, nationally, or internationally. This award recognizes excellence in service to the industry that benefits IAAPA members at large.

Meritorious Service Award
The Meritorious Service Award is presented in recognition of a member individual’s service to and for the association by advancing the IAAPA mission.

If you have any questions about nominating someone for a service award, please contact Jan McCool at jmccool@IAAPA.org or +1 703/836-4800 ext. 747. For the online nomination form, visit http://www.iaapa.org/membership/awards/ServiceAwards/award_service.asp.

IAAPA Holds Successful Safety Conference in Saudi Arabia

by Sahar Al Ghalayini

IAAPA hosted its fourth Middle East Safety Institute on April 11 at the Chamber of Commerce in the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The program was held in cooperation with Abdul Mohsin Al-Hokair Company for Tourism & Development with the participation of the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization, and the General Directorate of Civil Defense, and the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce.

The workshop focused on safety standards and methods and applications of safety used in amusement parks, games, rides, and recreational facilities. More than 125 attendees from the Middle East took part in the program.

Majed Al Hokair, the CEO of Al Hokair Company, stated in his welcoming speech, “We are looking forward in this seminar to come up with the recommendations that would accomplish the goals and the ambition for all individuals who work in this important industry,” expressing his desire to have similar workshops in the coming years in various regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He also expressed his appreciation for the role the kingdom plays in the field of tourism and recreation and the efforts the Tourism Authority of Saudi Arabia to succeed in this area.

Randy Davis, IAAPA senior vice president of government relations and safety services, addressed the issue of working toward a common world amusement ride safety standard. In doing so, he highlighted new safety standards worldwide, revisions to international standards such as EN 13814 (the European standard), the ASTM International standard, Canadian standards, and others.

Raed Al-Tuwairki of the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization spoke about the Saudi standards in safety and maintenance, testing methods, operations, water attractions, attraction design, and other areas of operations.

Doug Stagner, director of operations for SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, focused on how to reinforce safety on a dayto- day basis. Specifically, he urged facilities to create a “safety culture” within an organization and ensure facility managers are properly certified and can train others on key proactive steps on handling guests in a crisis. He went on to describe several best practices in daily operations, including running test cycles on rides before opening them to the public and maintaining written records of any ride shutdowns.

Alan Ramsay, president of CLM Entertainment, discussed safety and maintenance, using specific examples from the industry. He later joined Ramsey Al-Shihry from the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization in a detailed discussion about safety inspections and insurance policies and regulations.

Richard Carroll of Jeff Ellis & Associates addressed waterpark safety practices, specifically those related to lifeguard training. Areas of focus included, lifeguard rotations, rescue skills, emergency action plans, lifeguard credentialing, duties of lifeguard supervisors, and third-party audits of lifeguard practices. He concluded his speech by saying if the lifeguard is successful, the business is successful.

The event ended with a visit to Oceanica Family Entertainment City, a waterpark and family entertainment center in Riyadh.