In this issue: BALPPA does Barcelona FEC Seminar at LEGOLAND – May 2014 Quarter 2, 2014 Dates for your diary Guess who came to play at Web Adventure Park! Zero Hour Contracts update

SUMMER’S HERE!

Quarter 2 of 2014 has flown by! Along with various seminars and sub group meetings, we also held the 2014 Summer Conference in Barcelona which was a great success. BALPPA DOES BARCELONA We have recently returned from the Summer Conference and thoroughly enjoyed it! This year’s conference took place in Barcelona, Spain and our guests enjoyed a golf day, city tour, visit to Port Aventura, our Gala Dinner with stunning 360 degree views across the city as well as flamenco dancers. We also visited Tibidabo theme park where we were treated to more stunning views of Barcelona some great attractions and BALPPA CEO, Paul Kelly a sumptuous lunch. enjoys the stunning surroundings at Port Thank you to everyone who came along – we hope you Aventura against a enjoyed it! Thanks also to our very generous sponsors who all rather unfortunate back received awards, presented by BALPPA Chairman, Bob drop! O’Connor at the Gala Dinner:

Steven Wooley, Embed Phil Pickersgill, Derek Smart, The Noisy Karen Staley, IAAPA Innovative Leisure Drinks Company Europe INNOVATIVE LEISURE GIVES TWO LOCATIONS THE SKY TRAIL TREATMENT. Innovative Leisure has installed High Ropes attractions at two UK locations - the National Water Sports Centre (NWSC) in Nottingham and North Bay Railway in Scarborough. The NWSC has installed a double level Navigator course which pits its adventurous clientèle against 36 hair-raising rope elements at heights of up to 10m. The course's continuous belay system ensures maximum safety and with a throughput of over 200 participants per hour and a capacity of up to 50 people at once, patrons can test their nerves across tight rope walks and cargo nets amongst the many elements the course offers.

The NWSC site has also added a Sky Tykes Junior Ropes Course which gives children from as young as 2 years old the chance to try out challenging rope elements just like the bigger Sky Trail course.

Set in the Scarborough hills, North Bay Railway has also added a double level Navigator course which again offers many rope-based elements to challenge patrons and the attraction’s owner David Humphreys commented: "A two tier Sky Trail has been installed as a crisp new attraction at the North Bay Railway, Scarborough. It has proved to be a hit from the start with our customers, keeping them on site for a longer periods and helping with other secondary sales.”

CHIMPS BOLOGNESE FEAST! Dudley Zoological Gardens' chimps have been tucking into a delicious meal of vegetarian pasta bolognese, thanks to the culinary talents of their keeper.

Lower Primates Trainee Keeper, Shaun Crompton, said: “I quickly discovered that primates love pasta, so when I was thinking of alternative dishes to give the chimpanzees, I remembered the spaghetti bolognese that I make at home and decided that would be a perfect dish, minus the meat meat and a few other high-sugar ingredients.

“I use carrots, onions and tomatoes, plus a few chillies for that extra kick, and cook it for them about once a month as a treat and they love it!"

The girls are given their pasta bolognese in individual plastic cups, to

ensure they each get an equal portion.

Sean added: “Chimps aren’t very good at sharing and if I gave them a big batch the lower ranking girls wouldn’t even get a look-in, as the older girls would eat the lot. So I use plastic cups, which I then hide around the climbing frame in their internal den. They eat the DZG's Lower Primates Trainee bolognese out of the cup and when it's empty they come over to us Keeper, Shaun Crompton, for a refill of their favourite squash.” delivers his bolognese feast to the chimps. BLUDGERS AND BROOMSTICKS AT WARNER BROS. STUDIO TOUR LONDON This summer, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter invites visitors to discover how magical sports and wizarding games came to life on screen as it hosts its first Bludgers and Broomsticks feature. th st From Friday 18 July – Monday 1 September, visitors will discover how a combination of special and visual effects were used to create the illusion of flight and to make chess pieces move – as well as getting the chance to test green screen technology for themselves.

Head Prop Maker Pierre Bohanna’s team will demonstrate the techniques used to hand-craft broomsticks throughout the Harry Potter film series. After the debuts of the Nimbus 2000 and the Firebolt, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets respectively, brooms were made to match their owners’ personalities – Arthur Weasley’s even features pedals and a seat from a Muggle bicycle!

Some of the attraction’s knowledgeable staff members will don authentic Quidditch robes used in the Harry Potter film series and visitors will get the chance to examine the costumes of Gryffindor players up close. For more information or to book tickets, visit www.wbstudiotour.co.uk or call the attraction’s Visitor Services Team on 0845 084 0900. The Studio Tour is located just north of London and tickets must be pre-booked. Secrets will be revealed.

LOUIS IS DRIVING FORCE BEHIND NEW GULLIVER’S ATTRACTION Warrington theme park Gulliver’s is keeping it in the family after its founder’s grandson pioneered the latest attraction to hit the resort. Louis Dalton, the grandson of Ray Phillips who started the theme park company in 1978 and the son of current managing director Julie Dalton, is the brains behind the arrival of a brand new Nerf Zone live gaming centre at the Warrington park.

Growing up in theme parks run by the family, Louis has always taken a keen interest in the development of the parks and regularly acted as chief tester for new rides and attractions alongside sister Emily and cousins Beth and Charlie. Now, Louis is set to take centre stage as the new Nerf Zone was handpicked and co-designed by him with his friends in mind.

Mum Julie, Managing Director of Gulliver’s theme parks, said: “Louis is an active member of the family business – he’s long been a fan of Nerf like most children his age and thought it would be the perfect fit for our parks. He’s the expert so we took his word for it and have now rolled out Nerf Zones at all three of our theme park locations in Matlock Bath, Milton Keynes and now Warrington.” Louis (left), sister Emily and cousin Charlie at Nerf The new Nerf Zone at Warrington is an interactive play attraction where children can enjoy Nerf blaster fun in a purpose-built environment. Gulliver’s Nerf Zones are among the first of their kind in the UK and give children the chance to play with the entire range of the hugely popular Hasbro toys with friends. MAJOR INVESTMENT FOR WEST MIDLAND An £80m investment plan at West Midlands Safari Park to build an indoor waterpark, 1,000-delegate conference / exhibition centre and a 250-room hotel at the attraction is moving closer.

The full planning application for the water park will be submitted in August 2014, along with the application for outline planning for the hotel. The Safari Park’s vision is to create a year-round resort, allowing visitors to stay on site longer and enjoy a wider range of high quality attractions. The project will create almost 500 new jobs and create a world-class resort attraction in Wyre Forest.

Nick Laister, Senior Director at RPS, who produced the planning brief on behalf of the park, said: “We are delighted to be taking the next step in this major project.” WMSP is already one of the leading visitor attractions in the Heart of England, attracting 750,000 visitors annually and employing over 400 staff. The Park already has extensive corporate facilities located at Tree Tops Pavilion and at the prestigious Spring Grove House. WMSP is committed to developing its role in regeneration, education, community support, scientific research and worldwide conservation.

ZONE LASER HOLD EUROPEAN CONFERENCE AT THE CURVE THEATRE Zone Laser has held an international meeting for operators of its laser game equipment based all over Europe. 84 people have attended the meeting which was held at The Curve theatre last month. Laser game experts from as far afield as Russia, China, Australia and the USA have joined up with the UK and European operators that are supplied by the Leicester-based company. Zone Laser is the central provider of equipment used in laser game centres throughout the country and beyond. Their supply and support headquarters are hidden behind a secret door at their own Megazone centre on Belgrave Gate. MD Peter Davies explained that the conference was a great way of sharing operational ideas and a chance to look at new products and ideas for new games. Peter was thrilled that so many of Zone's customers had travelled to see the new products and concepts and to share ideas. Erik Guthrie from Indiana described the meeting as: “Totally brilliant. The sharing of ideas has been outstanding.” Jason Thompson from Laser World in West Midlands added, “The information and great conversations I had with the other guests was uplifting, and will greatly help me and my businesses.” Patrick Holmes, the original designer of Zone equipment said “the experience was a rare opportunity to introduce the new fat lasers and the touch-screen interactive phasers. The audience loved them and we all left with new growth ideas for entertainment in the future.” BALPPA DOES BARCELONA! The 2014 Summer Conference….in pictures!

GOLF DAY

Not wishing to peak too soon, our golfers took full advantage of the golf scooters to get them around. Unfortunately, 1 player ended up having to walk his scooter around the course! It’s like playing air guitar but with a golf club!

Shambhala – some of us were brave enough! Oh dear!

Bob O’Connor presents Port GALA DINNER Aventura’s General Manager, Fernando Aldecoa with BALPPA’s Host Venue award

Bob O’Connor presents Tibidabo’s General Manager, Bruno Querol with BALPPA’s Host Venue award Our guests enjoy some authentic Spanish Flamenco BALPPA HOSTS FEC SEMINAR AT LEGOLAND Over 60 guests enjoyed a day at LEGOLAND on 22nd May, with food and beverage being the focus of the day’s presentations and discussions.

After a welcome and introductions from Paul Kelly, BALPPA Chief Executive and Janice Dunphy, an FECA representative on the Management Committee, guests were wowed with a session on successful food and beverage marketing run jointly by Eat With Your Eyes and Four Points Management.

3663 Marketing Manager, Catherine Hinchcliff then gave a presentation, highlighting some consumer spends and leisure trends before a networking lunch. After lunch Sian Collins and Chris Marshall from Regency delivered a Purchasing Masterclass with input from major global food brands Mars and Walls Ice-Cream (including some timely samples!). Victor Gomes, LEGOLAND's Food and Beverage Manager then spoke about the park’s Food and Beverage operation and took questions from the floor. To wrap things up, there was some open forum discussions including a menu analysis session in which Chucklebutties, Wild N Wacky and Jack In The Box all received prizes after a members vote. Fortunately the sun came out just on cue so that our guests could enjoy the rest of the day in the park. Janice Dunphy of Web Adventure Park and BALPPA Management Committee Member commented, “Those of us who went into the park were extremely impressed with the team on the rides, they were enthusiastic and great ambassadors for LEGOLAND. One guy in particular stood out which was the attendant on the pirate ship. We felt he loved his job so much he would possibly be there unpaid!”

BALPPA would like to thank LEGOLAND for hosting this meeting.

More information on the FEC blog http://balppa.wordpress.com/2014/ 05/23/review-of-the-balppa-fec-fb-

meeting/ including quotes, photos and

links to SlideShare where the presentations are available to download.

FOXES, THE HOTTEST NEW FEMALE ARTIST ON THE UK MUSIC SCENE TO PLAY THE GRAND PIER Foxes, the hottest new female talent to have come out of the UK’s pop scene will be performing live at the Grand Pier on Friday 25th July. Foxes, aka 25 year old singer and songwriter Louisa Ray Allen began using the moniker when she played open mic nights in London. The name was inspired by one of her early songs. Recording with huge artists and producers such as Rudimental, Pete Wentz & Zedd and with fans like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga, Foxes is a very big name at the moment. The NME tipped Foxes to be big in 2014 and she certainly is with massive hits such as ‘Youth’, ‘Let it go’ and ‘Holding onto heaven’ and with her new album ‘Glorious’ tipped to shoot to the number one spot. Foxes is about to make her TV acting debut in Dr Who. It all came about from a chance encounter. Foxes happened to get chatting to the show's production team, who were watching her at one of her gigs. The singer revealed to them just how much she loved Dr Who and before she knew it she'd been invited to guest star.

Grand Pier General Manager Paul Charalambous said: “We always wanted to bring big names to the Grand Pier and we certainly have with signing someone as popular as Foxes. We are in talks with other very topical performers at the moment and we hope to be able to announce some other top acts shortly.

“This concert is a great coup for Weston-super-Mare and we expect it to sell out very quickly”. The concert will take place in the Great Hall, with doors opening at 8pm.

MEERKAT MANOR HOUSE! The newspapers are full of stories on the shortage of housing for families, particularly in London and the South East of England. However one happy family in Brentwood have just moved to much larger accommodation, the who have relocated from their old home by the popular Kune Kune pigs to a giant, purpose built, family mansion in the heart of the farm and no bedroom tax to pay either! And here they are (left), enjoying a snack with Dylan one of the terrific team of volunteers (not enjoying a snack of Dylan, he is in no danger!)

These Meerkats are a true family group with Mother who is the head of the family, Father and their loving cubs, two litters growing up together in a superb setting. The social housing scheme is part of Old Macdonald’s Farm’s redevelopment as the venue is not just a family educational farm park but a licensed too. Award winning Old Macdonald's Farm in Weald Road, Brentwood, is working with other local leisure attractions, Brentwood Council and Visit Essex to promote tourism and leisure in Brentwood and is very active in local community initiatives as well as a great day out for families. ‘EDUTAINMENT’ AT Paultons Park has taken a large step into the ‘edutainment’ world with the opening of Professor Blast’s Learning Lab – a fully-themed classroom attraction for school groups. The room, complete with animatronics, smoke, bubbles, smells and theming has been designed to immerse students in a completely new learning environment. Paultons Park has also invested in specially commissioned hands-on interactive models, similar to those found in science centres. Models are based on the rides in the park, allowing students to enhance their understanding of physics and the mechanics of the rides. A number of different workshops run in the Lab, including physics based activities and ICT programming. Andy Chapman, Groups and Education Officer, said “This is a truly unique environment for school groups. Children learn best when they are completely immersed and feedback has been incredibly positive so far. As a family theme-park, the Directors have shown a commitment to education and learning by backing this project. Theme parks can be a tremendous resource for learning and it is a task to ensure that schools fully appreciate this.” For more details on Paultons Park education, please visit www.paultonspark.co.uk/education.

100th AFRICAN PENGUIN HATCHED AT As milestones go, it’s quite an achievement. Keepers at Banham Zoo are celebrating the 100th hatching of an African penguin in the zoo’s ever- expanding penguin group. The chick, which recently fledged from its nest, has joined the rest of the colony and is now viewable to visitors to the zoo.

Penguins are monomorphic (look the same) so it is difficult for keepers to determine the gender of any birds in the group visually. However, if a small sample of DNA is extracted, in this case a few feathers, and sent to a specialist laboratory, the gender can be determined with a high degree of accuracy. In this case keepers at the zoo have recently learned that their new addition is a female. The zoo currently has 29 penguins and, due in part to the fantastic breeding success that the zoo has enjoyed, fund raising has been underway for the last 2 years to fund a substantial refurbishment to the current enclosure which was built in 1992. The Penguin Project cost will be at least £50,000. The redesigned penguin enclosure will allow visitors to walk through the exhibit on a raised boardwalk. In addition the enclosure will be will be covered with a high canopy net, allowing the zoo to house other birds within the exhibit, and as importantly to protect the penguins from marauding Seagulls. Work is due to commence in Autumn of this year and planned to be completed in the spring of 2015.

The biggest challenge the zoo has now is what to call their latest penguin addition, our 100th hatching and have decided to enlist the help of the zoo’s supporters to assist in coming up with a suitable name. If you would like to send a suggestion to help the keepers name their female penguin, you can post your suggestion on the Zoo’s Facebook page or tweet them to @banhamzoo. BLACKPOOL PLEASURE BEACH LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE Blackpool Pleasure Beach has launched a brand new website which will appeal to all thrill-seekers, families and those with a love for theme parks.

The UK’s favourite tourist attraction has gone bright and blue for the new-look site which gives the customer access to everything they love about the 42-acre attraction.

The new fully mobile automised website has been developed by Preston-based web specialists Soap Media whose clients include Booths and sports retail giant Kukri. From booking Unlimited Ride Wristbands and Pleasure Beach Passes to buying that must-have Pleasure Beach merchandise, the fully automated site went live at the start of June in time for the summer season. You can also book online for all the shows and events taking place across Blackpool Pleasure Beach in all the fantastic venues; from the new Hot Ice Show in The Arena, to High Jinx and Ken Webster in the Horseshoe and Sinatra: The Main Event in The Globe.

The new website has a dynamic search facility which makes content easier to find and has been fully integrated with Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s social media making it easier for guests to share their experiences of the park. A new retail area on the site allows you to purchase everything from show programmes to t- shirts and branded merchandise.

And with the new online 10-day in advance further discount system attracting more visitors to the park everyday, booking online has never been easier!

Managing Director of Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Amanda Thompson OBE, said: “We are delighted with the new-look website which gives the page a fresh look and we know will appeal to all guests who want to visit the .

“The bright, vibrant colours and easy booking process are just the start of a fantastic journey for our guests, culminating in an experience they will never forget when they visit Blackpool Pleasure Beach and have the time of their lives!”

Adam Davis, Digital Director at Soap Media, said: “We are thrilled to be working with Blackpool Pleasure Beach from brand development online through to executing their integrated digital strategy. The process has been great and we look forward to them having a successful 2014 and beyond.” CARTOON NETWORK BRANDS BROUGHT TO LIFE AT DUBAI’S IMG WORLDS OF ADVENTURE Dedicated Cartoon Network Zone to open within the world’s largest indoor themed entertainment destination that will launch in Dubai’s City of Arabia development. Turner Broadcasting owned Cartoon Network Enterprises EMEA (CNE EMEA) has signed an agreement with the Ilyas & Mustafa Galadari (IMG) Group which sees the launch of a dedicated Cartoon Network Zone within IMG Worlds of Adventure; Dubai’s first mega themed entertainment destination. The 1.5 million square foot project will be the world’s largest temperature controlled indoor themed entertainment destination with a capacity to welcome more than 20,000 guests from all over the world every day.

The new deal sees popular characters from global and award winning hit Cartoon Network shows including: Ben 10, Adventure Time, The Amazing World of Gumball and Turner Broadcasting owned Lazy Town brought to life in an immersive world of thrilling rides and entertainment. The Cartoon Network Zone will feature the first ever Ben 10 5D cinema and an exciting line up of branded restaurants and retail locations, including the world’s largest Ben 10 retail store. This offers licensees the opportunity to sell its products to a captive audience in a unique cross category branded environment.

Giorgio Stock, President, Turner Broadcasting EMEA says, “The Ilyas & Mustafa Galadari Group’s multi-million dollar investment in this ground-breaking attraction is a clear demonstration of its confidence in the mass appeal and longevity of Cartoon Network brands across the globe. Developing interactive and immersive brand experiences provides not only kids but their entire family with new and exciting ways to engage with our shows and characters and create indelible memories. These live entertainment experiences coupled with our compelling TV offering, our new and emerging media experiences and our licensed products are the ideal platform to build and sustain the appeal of our properties.”

“IMG Worlds of Adventure is the entertainment destination Dubai has been waiting for,” said Mr. Ilyas Galadari and Mr. Mustafa Galadari, Executive Co-Chairmen of the Ilyas & Mustafa Galadari (IMG) Group. “It is the first leisure destination in the world to bring together global brands with our own original concepts. We expect the brand cachet of IMG Worlds of Adventure to cement Dubai’s position as a complete one-stop international destination for entertainment and leisure.”

PAIGNTON ZOO’S DEMONIC NEW SETTLES IN A lion with an evil name has arrived at Lucifer (pictured right) got his name because his number in the computerised Animal Record Keeping System (ARKS), which helps collections around the world keep track of animals, is 666. He was born at in 2002. Paignton Zoo’s Senior Head Keeper of Mammals, Matthew Webb, was working at the Park at the time. “He was one of the first cubs they had while I was there. As an adult male lion there’s no doubt that he can be a bit evil when he wants, but I understand he is quite good with his keepers. I don’t think he has horns under that mane!” He is moving to Devon from in the hope that he will breed. He will join mother and daughter Indu and Maliya after a spell off-show to help him settle in. The 11 year old weighs in at 30 stone – that’s 190 kilos. BREAN PLAY Brean Leisure Park is currently in the final fit out phase of the construction of a new soft play area called ‘Brean Play’.

The new area, due to open in time for the school holidays and will feature 3 distinctive play areas for children up to the age of 11. Brean Play will also include a large spectator area, a cafe area serving Starbucks Coffee and 5 party rooms on the mezzanine level of the building each with retractable walls to enable the rooms to be adapted based on the party size. Play equipment has been designed and supplied by Cheer Europe, kitchen design and supply by Allsop and Pitts.

The project also includes an extension to our Brean Splash Waterpark complex which will see the addition of an indoor shallow fun pool with 4 waterslides and interactive water features. The equipment has been customized specifically for us by Hippo Leisure with the pool supplied by Cresta Leisure. With a total investment of over £2m by the House family these facilities will provide an all year round attraction and give our guests an extra activity to enjoy in less favorable weather. Beautiful Baby Girl! Baby makes debut at Howletts and keepers are delighted

Keepers at Howletts Wild Animal Park, one of Kent’s most popular visitor attractions, are celebrating the birth of an adorable baby elephant. Born in the early hours of Saturday morning, the calf and her mother Tammi are both reported to be doing well. Damian Aspinall, Chairman of The Aspinall Foundation, the conservation charity that works closely with Howletts and Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks, tweeted pictures of the female calf, just hours after birth and said: ‘Had our 22nd ele birth at Howletts today. Prob a little girl. Only 33 born in UK total, so very happy.’

The calf brings the herd number at the wild animal park, near Canterbury to 13 and cements the park’s reputation for being one of the most successful breeders of African in Europe. Howletts cares for the largest herd of African elephants in the UK including bull elephant Jums who stands at over 11 feet tall and weighs around 6100kg, a stark contrast to the tiny new arrival. Father to 18 offspring, Jums is now 37 years old. Natalie Boyd, Head of Elephant Section said: ‘ We are delighted to welcome our newest member of the herd after a 21 ½ month wait, and are especially pleased with the range of natural behaviours shown by our elephants, who were all present. Many other females, including all Tammi’s extended family assisted in getting the calf to her feet within minutes and encouraging her to suckle. This is Tammi’s fifth baby and she is, once again, proving to be an excellent mother.’

Meanwhile, Damian Aspinall has been encouraging his Twitter followers to suggest a name for the new baby elephant and tweets are flooding in. GUESS WHO CAME TO PLAY?! York hosted the Tour de France ‘Grand Depart’ on Sunday 6th July, resulting in a surge of visitors and

tourists.

One visitor left the city of York quite quickly to bring his family to play at the Web Adventure Park, a regular haunt for him! But this dad was no ordinary father, it was David Cameron, Prime Minister! The team were really surprised when they found him queuing to pay to play and following behind were his bodyguards.

Mr Cameron’s children played in Creepy Crawlies, the park’s soft play centre, whilst he enjoyed a little rest and relaxation in the attraction’s café, enjoying a coffee and catching up with the newspapers.

The PM then made his way of to ‘Wired’, the park’s high ropes course where he paid for both him and his son to take part. During the high ropes course, Mr Cameron posed for a quick photo opportunity and really looked like he was enjoying himself.

He made it all the way round without assistance following his son. It's not everyday the PM trusts your course and safety equipment!

Afterwards Mr Cameron and his son said that they’d had a fantastic time, and chatted happily to the team. He also praised Marek, the park’s Polish servery supervisor, in his spoken English.

They left shortly after but said they'd be back. Not a normal day in the Web or perhaps for the Prime Minister! LADY’S MILE HOLIDAY PARK IN DEVON GOES CASHLESS WITH EMBED

EMBED, a leading provider of Debit Card and Point of Sale Systems for the

amusement and family entertainment industry, announce the successful

installation of the Embed Cashless System in partnership with Brent Electronics

at Lady’s Mile Holiday Park in Dawlish, Devon.

Lady's Mile Holiday Park opened in 1957 and is an award winning, family run park. The site offers 2 arcades, full service bar, restaurant and a fish and chip shop, all managed and operated with the Embed Cashless System . Jason Jeffery one of the owners at Lady’s Mile noted, "Our recent installation of the Embed Card System was one of the most organized and professional jobs we have done in a long time. Not only did the team install the system but they coached us on some great options to enhance the guest service experience.. It has been a pleasure to work with Embed and we look forward to what we will be able to do with the system.”

Lady’s Mile Holiday Park utilizes the Embed System to manage the cashless operation of their games and attractions, as well as their extensive redemption display. “We are delighted to be working with Lady’s Mile Holiday Park,” commented Steven Wooley, Sales Executive for Embed UK & Europe. “This is an amazing project and facility and Jason and his team run a first-class operation. Jason and I have developed a professional relationship over the past few years and it’s great that we have been able to show what Embed can offer to his business.”

The installation is highlighted by Embeds Color- Glo HD Swipers, which feature a full-color display, enhanced Color-Glo style effects, and full wireless-at-the-game network connectivity. Embed is also managing all stock and inventory for the bar and restaurant as well as the redemption and merchandise, Embed POS & Red Pro are the main systems used to create a single payment option across the park for the guest. When a guest checks into Lady’s Mile Holiday Park they can load value onto a card with cash or debit card providing a single card payment solution for the week or weekend. Lady’s Mile Rechargeable Fun Card can be purchased and reloaded at any number of Point of Sale Stations and the Self Service Kiosk throughout the facility.

The first Hello Kitty attraction in Europe has opened at Drusillas Park in East Sussex and has been exciting Hello Kitty fans of all ages. The first Hello Kitty attraction in Europe has opened at Drusillas Park in East Sussex and has been exciting Hello Kitty fans of all ages.

Set within an English country garden, the new attraction includes three specially designed Hello Kitty children’s rides. Excitement reaches new heights as visitors ‘reach for the sky’ on the 25ft Hopper, before taking a turn on the Tea Cup ride. Passengers can then jump aboard the Hello Kitty Car Ride and enjoy a magical tour of sights and sounds.

However, the fun does not stop here; there is also a Hello Kitty House where regular meet and greet opportunities take place on specific event dates. Visit Hello Kitty in her beautifully themed bedroom and have a souvenir photo taken with the star herself. Hello Kitty will be returning to her home at Drusillas on twenty days during the year including the 24th, 25th, 30th July and 6th, 13th, 19th and 21st August.

Plus no trip would be complete without a pampering in the Hello Kitty Parlour where there’s fabulous face painting, temporary tattoos and a range of hair accessories all available to purchase. With all this, plus the usual animal magic, oodles of adventure play and a Thomas & Friends™ train ride that runs daily, Drusillas Park is a fabulous day out for all the family.

Located just off the A27 in Alfriston, East Sussex, Drusillas Park is open daily from 10am. For more details visit www.drusillas.co.uk or telephone 01323 874100.

ZERO HOUR CONTRACTS UPDATE

As you know, BALPPA has been involved in the consultation process for Zero Hour Contracts. We are pleased that the government has toned down its original demands in relation to the use of these contracts.

To assist all Members who require it, we have some templates available which relate to these types of contacts. If you wish to see or use these templates, please contact our offices.

We would like to thank Burges Salmon for providing these for us. OTHER DATES FOR YOUR DIARY!

As the first half of 2014 has drawn to a close we are now focusing on our events calendar for the remainder of the year and into 2015! Please note that some dates / locations are provisional at present and more information will follow in due course.

EURO ATTRACTIONS SHOW (EAS) 23rd – 25th September RAI Exhibition and Convention Centre, Amsterdam, Holland BALPPA drinks reception – 22nd September - 6pm – 9pm Location is likely to be the Mercure Hotel Amsterdam City IAAPA reception – 23rd September

LEISURE INDUSTRY WEEK 30th Sept – 2nd Oct 2014 NEC, Birmingham BALPPA seminars will take place on 30th Sept and 1st Oct. The full schedule will be confirmed soon but will feature a Customer Service seminar, PR seminar, Marketing seminar and more! 30th Sept – BALPPA reception at Drayton Manor VISITOR ATTRACTIONS CONERENCE BALPPA AUTUMN CONFERENCE 9th October 2014 6th – 7th October, 2014 Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London Golf Day Paultons Park visit Members’ meeting Dinner Overnight stay EAG / VAE Your invitation will follow soon! 13th – 15th January 2015 ExCeL, London 13th January – BALPPA AGM and lunch at BALPPA Annual Dinner BALPPA stand th 12 January 2015 13th – 14th Jan – BALPPA seminar London (exact location TBC) programme (schedule TBC)

BALPPA PARLIAMENTARY LUNCHEON Provisional date – 9th March, 2015 House of Commons, London