Funworld May 2011

From ice hotels in Scandinavia, to “Ice Road Truckers” on TLC, to Food Network’s brand-new “Ice Brigade,” ice is hot! If your winter or holiday celebration needs a shot in the arm, consider the cold, glittering allure of ice—a substance that is found in nature and can be used to produce breathtaking works of art. Add the fact that the artists work with chainsaws, and you’ve got yourself a real crowd-pleaser.

“Ice is an unusual medium that pleases and entertains crowds,” says Jeff Petercsak, executive director of the National Ice Carving Association (NICA). “It’s interactive and can be used to promote your attraction or its sponsors. It can also last for several days after the event for people to enjoy.”

Ice entertainment isn’t all that common at amusement parks and attractions but is simple and affordable to bring on board. Few attractions will start out at the monumental scale of “ICE!,” the annual celebration hosted by Gaylord Entertainment, but most share the motivation: to draw more visitors.

‘Ice Entertainment’: The Basics
Around 2000, Gaylord executives were seeking a way to drive the destination experience for their newly acquired Opryland Hotel. After sending a fact-finding team to the ice festival in Harbin, China, where world-renowned sculptors practiced their craft, Gaylord Entertainment CEO David Kloeppel decided to attempt an American translation. “ICE!” kicked off at Opryland in 2001 and has been introduced to each successive Gaylord hotel.

“The primary reason is to sell hotel rooms,” explains Kloeppel, who reports that “ICE!” drew 900,000 visitors across the four locations in 2010 and that the hotels sold a record number of room packages. However, he cautions an event on that scale is not for the faint of heart: Gaylord Entertainment spends $3 million before the first customer walks through the door.

Fortunately, entry-level costs for modest ice entertainment are much lower. But first, some important definitions: “Ice entertainment” is the umbrella term for all on-site, ice related events and activities. Under that umbrella, you have choices, according to Petercsak:

Demonstration. Carvers sculpt medium or large blocks of ice on site at your attraction, usually creating one or two large sculptures in a day. Visitors can observe the process and ask questions.

Festival. Multiple carvers create large sculptures but add entertainment elements such as a stage show. Festivals often include interactive sculptures that people can sit on or in for photos. Gaylord’s “ICE!” features one of these at the entrance to the attraction.

Competition. Your park or attraction can host an NICA-sanctioned competition. In this format, 10 to 20 sculptors pay entry fees to compete at a designated level. Amateur and collegiate competitions are entry level options both for carvers and for your budget.

The Toledo Zoo has gone in big for ice, says Jen Brassil, the facility’s events coordinator. The zoo has offered ice-carving demonstrations for the past six years: every Thursday evening in December as part of its “Lights Before Christmas” celebration, and every Saturday in January and February as part of its “Frozentoesen” winter celebration. The major difference is in scale.

A standard block of carving ice weighs 300 pounds and measures 40 x 20 x 10 inches. The Thursday evening demonstrations use a single block and carver, whereas the Saturday demonstrations feature two carvers who use eight blocks each week.

A visitor survey conducted the last weekend of February showed the majority of the zoo’s visitors watched and enjoyed the demonstrations, says Brassil. “It’s definitely beneficial to our event,” she says.

Titanic Branson took a different approach, opting to host an annual competition. “We wanted to create a special event during a slow attendance time, but to create something that would also attract locals and be service to our community,” explains Kristina Hagey, the museum’s events and weddings coordinator. The thematic link between ice and the Titanic is obvious so, working with NICA, the attraction hosted its first competition in January 2007.

Two divisions are offered: Professional sculptors use two blocks with a four-hour time limit; amateurs carve a single block with a three-hour time limit. Competitors use a variety of tools—including chainsaws and blowtorches—to create sculptures of their own design. The competition drew nine entrants its first year and more than twice that many in 2011. Titanic Branson awards more than $8,000 in prizes. Hagey estimates more than 8,000 people visited in 2011.

The event was also held at Titanic’s Pigeon Forge location this year. The competition is held outdoors in the parking lot and is free to visitors. Even so, it’s good business: “We make money if visitors enter the attraction,” says Hagey. “The competition definitely brings visitors and revenue to the area.” NICA estimates a competition can boost area sales by 15 to 20 percent.

Keys to Success
Key to a successful celebration, says Hagey, is a knowledgeable partner. She works with Greg Butauski of Rock on Ice Productions, who handles all of the details for the competitions: carver registration, sourcing and storage of ice blocks, judge recruitment, and so forth. This turnkey solution can be most affordable, says Butauski.

He also urges parks and attractions to view ice entertainment as a feature that takes about three years to integrate totally into winter celebrations. It takes time to get the word out, develop a reputation, and attract the most skilled craftsmen. “Don’t bite off more than you can chew,” Butauski advises. “Don’t overspend the first year, and build gradually.” Expect first-year costs to run $3,000 to $7,000, he says.

Ice entertainment needn’t be restricted to the winter months, either. In July 2010 California’s Orange County Fair featured an Ice Museum. The attraction included replicas of famous artworks, such as Rodin’s “The Thinker” and the Mona Lisa, rendered in ice and displayed in a super cooled, 25-by-25-foot trailer. The entire display was carved and furnished by Anaheim-based sculptor Roland Hernandez.

The NICA website (www.nica.org) has a “Find a Sculptor” feature as well as advertisements from many qualified partners. “We wanted a partner who understood the ice itself and who could help us put on a professional-level, first-class event,” says Hagey. “NICA is the best of the best.”

Jennifer J. Salopek is a freelance writer based in McLean, Virginia. She can be reached at jjsalopek@cox.net.