FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ORLANDO, Fla., US (Feb. 2, 2018) – More than 160 family entertainment center (FEC) industry professionals from 32 states and eight countries gathered in Laguna Beach, California, for IAAPA FEC Summit 2018, the industry’s leading international conference for FEC owners and operators. The two-day event, which is organized and hosted by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), took place at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa, Jan. 28-30, 2018.
“This year’s event provided another great year of collaboration, engagement, and camaraderie among FEC owners and operators. They learned from one another and walked away with valuable strategies to apply to their businesses,” said Leslie Hutcheson, senior manager of constituency programs and services at IAAPA. “The continued success of our annual summits reflects the sustained growth and expansion of family entertainment centers around the globe, and we are proud to host this valuable event allowing colleagues to build and fortify relationships while expanding their industry knowledge to build their business.”
Attendees heard from keynote speaker, Bruce Cameron, owner of Front Line Marketing. Cameron guided participants through his company’s employee engagement process, so they could create an action plan for their facilities to increase productivity without having a negative impact on expense. Keynote speaker, Annika Chase, vice president of marketing strategy for Disneyland Resort, shared Disneyland’s approach to attracting consumers with the Disney brand through strategic storytelling that engages consumers before, during, and after their visit.
Additional breakout sessions covered topics important to the industry including human resources, risk management, sales, finance, and technology in food and beverage operations.
Attendees also took part in a special networking event at Boomers! in Irvine, California in honor of IAAPA’s 100th anniversary. Post-event facility tours included visits to local FECs, including Mulligan’s Round One, Big Air Trampoline Park, and Dave and Buster’s.
“I think the most important reason to be here was to grow. Networking is important and you certainly do some of that, but I was able to learn new ideas and grow.” Tyler Neill, Big Air Trampoline Parks in Laguna Hills, California.
“Being here is really important because we can see our colleagues. Being from Chile, we came to California to see the most important FECs in the United States.” Cedric Moller, Owner of Happyland in Santiago, Chile.
“Really for us from Latin America, it’s interesting to see FECs in America. The information can be applied right into our industry at home in South America. We take all this useful information back to our companies and learn from the best practices. It’s very important.” Cesar Largo, Executive Director of Mundo Cartoon Network in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
“I think we always need to learn; we never know enough. The IAAPA FEC Summit taught us we should be asking, “What can I do for you?” It’s all based on relationships, not transactions.” Evelyn Villame, La Boite Aux Enfants in Paris, France.
Plans are already underway for IAAPA FEC Summit 2019, taking place Jan. 27-29 in Austin, Texas. Details will be available at www.IAAPA.org/FECevent in the coming months.
About IAAPA
Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2018, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) began as an advocacy office in 1918. Since that time, IAAPA has become the largest international trade association for permanently located attractions dedicated to the preservation and prosperity of the global attractions industry. As a non-profit organization, IAAPA represents more than 5,300 attraction, supplier, and individual members from more than 100 countries. Members include professionals from amusement parks, theme parks, attractions; water parks, resorts; family entertainment centers; zoos, aquariums; science centers, museums; and industry manufacturers and suppliers.
IAAPA helps members improve their efficiency, marketing, safety, and profitability while maintaining the highest possible professional standards in the industry worldwide.
The association's global headquarters is in Orlando, Florida, US. The non-profit organization maintains offices in Brussels, Belgium; Hong Kong, China; Shanghai, China; Mexico City, Mexico, and Alexandria, Virginia, US. To learn more, visit www.IAAPA.org or connect through social media channels: @IAAPAHQ #IAAPA100
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Editor’s Note: To download photos from IAAPA FEC Summit 2018, visit http://bit.ly/2nsBLgi.
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Lesley Harris: [email protected] or +1 321/319-7616