Attractionswww.attractionsmanagement.com management VOL 15 Q3 2010 Attractionswww.attractionsmanagement.com management VOL 12 Q3 2007 Attractionswww.attractionsmanagement.comwww.attractionsmanagement.com management MFC(,H*)'('VOL 12 Q3 2007

NICK VARNEY Merlin’s chief executive talks about the acquisition of

WAXING LYRICAL Kylie stars at Madame ❖*;&+;❖ Tussaud’s and the V&A 6G:8>C:B6HI6@>C< K>H>IDGH6L6N;GDB 6IIG68I>DCH4

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>LP;IFL@E fefg\e`e^:Xcpgjf# :XeX[XËjY`^^\jknXk\igXib G:68=;DGI=:HI6GH :meZgiVYk^XZdcWj^aY^c\VeaVcZiVg^jb PHOTO © LONDON TUSSAUDS © MADAME PHOTO EXPERIENCE: REFRESHMENT The JRA-designed Coca-Cola Pavilion at Shanghai Expo 2010 immerses guests within the whimsical world of “The Happiness Factory.” The dynamic pavilion brings the company’s popular advertisement to life, allowing guests to meet all of the eclectic characters who work together to deliver the perfect soft drink. Filled with one-of-a-kind Jack Rouse Associates walkaround characters, a custom animated film, walkthrough environments and an area where visitors can experience the company’s latest product innovation, the Coca-Cola Pavilion provides Expo visitors with an experience that is equally fun and refreshing. www.jackrouse.com

master planning + attraction design + media production + project management FRONT COVER ©

ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT MADAME TUSSAUDS LONDON EDITOR’S LETTER

POTTER ENVY

ON THE COVER: s The WIzarding World of Harry Potter opens at Universal Studios in Orlando, The latest 3D/4D projects, p70 A Florida, the rest of the world is suddenly realising it wants a piece of the action READER SERVICES and Harry Potter envy has broken out – nowhere more so than in the UK. SUBSCRIPTIONS London Mayor Boris Johnson has publicly expressed his indignation that this great British franchise has been brought to life overseas, leaving the UK Potterless. He’s Julie Albone +44 (0)1462 471915 called for a second Potter attraction to be built in east London. CIRCULATION MANAGER Meanwhile, Warner Brothers’ Leavesden Film Studios in Hertfordshire, north-west Michael Emmerson +44 (0)1462 471932 of London, is rumoured to be considering opening a new visitor attraction based on EDITORIAL TEAM the Harry Potter characters as part of a wider expansion of the site. Leavesden was MANAGING EDITOR the location for much of the fi lming and production work on the fi lms, and the new Kathleen Whyman +44 (0)1462 471918 ‘Hogwarts Experience’ could include recreations of locations, such as Hogwarts EDITOR school hall and Albus Dumbledore’s study, which was built at the studio. Liz Terry +44 (0)1462 431385 Visitors would be given a chance to explore the studios where the Harry Potter NEWSDESK movies were fi lmed, with costumes worn by characters such as Hermione, Lord Pete Hayman +44 (0)1462 471931 Voldermort and Hagrid also likely to go on show. Leavesden has been the pro- Martin Nash +44 (0)1462 471933 posed site for a number of large-scale attractions developments over the years, Sarah Todd +44 (0)1462 471927 including a Warner Brothers Movieworld and a James Bond attraction. Tom Walker +44 (0)1462 471917 ADVERTISING TEAM While we were busy giving the Harry Potter books a Safeway PUBLISHER supermarket award for its contribution to tourism, Universal Julie Badrick +44 (0)1462 471919 was busy negotiating and planning the theme park in Florida ADVERTISING SALES John Challinor +44 (0)1582 607970 Alnwick Castle in Northumberland – used as a stand-in for Hogwarts in some Jan Williams +44 (0)1462 471909 scenes – has successfully marketed its links with the fi lms (see Attractions ATTRACTIONS RECRUITMENT Management Q1 10), while a station in the West Highlands which featured in two Annie Lovell +44 (0)1462 471901 Harry Potter fi lms has been awarded £195,000 (US$300,000, %236,000) by the ADVERTISING PRODUCTION Heritage Lottery Fund towards work to improve the site as a visitor attraction. Ed Gallagher +44 (0)1462 431385 But all this is painfully small potatoes compared with the lavish attraction that has WEB TEAM taken shape in Florida. It’s clear that the UK missed the boat in a major way in letting INTERNET this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip away. While we were busy Katie Eldridge +44 (0)1462 471913 giving the Harry Potter books a Safeway supermarket award Dean Fox +44 (0)1462 471900 for Outstanding Contribution to English Tourism in 2003, Emma Harris +44 (0)1462 471921 Universal and others were already negotiating to bring the Tim Nash +44 (0)1462 471917 stories to life on a vast scale. Michael Paramore +44 (0)1462 471926 But the good news is that this is likely to be just the FUN-KIT.NET/MUSEUM-KIT.NET beginning for Harry Potter attractions, with more on the PRODUCT SEARCH ENGINE drawing board and potential to scale them to fi t different Martin Nash +44 (0)1462 471933 markets and applications. And with the right approach, we Sarah Todd+44 (0)1462 471927 may yet see world class Potter attractions both in the UK DESIGN and other countries before long. As Boris Johnson is plan- Andy Bundy +44 (0)1462 471924 ning to stand for London mayor again at the end of his term, Claire Toplis +44 (0)1462 471910 maybe one of them will be in the capital. FINANCE Sue Davis +44 (0)1395 519318 Liz Terry, editor, [email protected] Denise Gildea +44 (0)1462 471930 THE LEISURE MEDIA COMPANY PUBLISHES health club Attractions management management

NICK VARNEY The Leisure Media Company Ltd, STEVE KASS & TOM JOHNSTON

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Tel: +44 (0)1462 431385 KEEPING IT FUN  >LP;IFL@E G:68=;DGI=:HI6GH Fax: +44 (0)1462 433909 e-mail: [email protected] ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT IS THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF SUPPORTED BY www.attractionsmanagement.com © Cybertrek 2010

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ISSUE 3 2010 24 RESEARCH: THE AECOM/TEA 34 MYSTERY SHOPPER: GLOBAL PARKS REPORT UNIVERSAL APPEAL? 5 EDITOR’S LETTER Despite the economic climate, some Does the newly opened Universal 8 LETTERS operators reported an increase in profi ts Studios Singapore live up to the hype? 10 GALLERY NEWS and record visitor numbers in 2009, as AECOM and TEA’s research reveals FEASIBILITY STUDY: 11 MUSEUM NEWS 38 EASTERN PROMISE 12 BALPPA NEWS TOP TEAM: ASSOCIATION OF Christian Aaen explains how AECOM’s 13 28 HERITAGE NEWS ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS feasibility study helped with the planning 14 THEME PARK NEWS AZA’s management team describes its of Universal Studios Singapore 16 SCIENCE CENTRE NEWS rigorous accreditation process and how 17 ZOO & AQUARIUM NEWS its Species Survival Plan aims to protect 42 OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD: MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM 18 WATERPARK NEWS creatures for the next 100 years The curator describes how one of the 20 PROFILE: 32 CONFERENCE REVIEW: exhibit sharks was recently killed GUY DROUIN ECSITE Canada’s largest waterpark, Calypso, The theme of this year’s conference 44 MUSEUMS: opened this June and expects to attract was risk as a source of creativity. BRC’s CULTURE CLUB three million visitors a year. Its CEO talks Mark Hayward and event organiser Aliki The Capital Cultural Manifesto aims to about the launch of his second park Giannakopoulou describe the event share British artwork with the world

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47 AUDIOGUIDES: 62 LIGHTING: 76 SHOW PREVIEW: LIW GUIDELINES SHINING EXAMPLES A look ahead to September’s A look at some of the new ways audiogu- Case studies of attractions that have Leisure Industry Week in the UK ides are being used in attractions used clever lighting to create a truly immersive experience for their visitors 78 BIODIVERSITY: 50 PROFILE: COLIN DAWSON AND BIODIVERSITY IS LIFE, MARTIN BARRATT 64 SHOW PREVIEW: PLASA BIODIVERSITY IS OUR LIFE BALPPA’s retiring and incoming CE talk The annual show for the audio, How attractions are getting involved with about the association’s work light and video industry is going green the International Year of Biodiversity.

54 PLANETARIUMS: 66 ZOOS & AQUARIUMS: 81 FUN-KIT SPECIAL: REACH FOR THE STARS CREATURE COMFORTS WATERPARKS Industry experts offer advice on what Creating an authentic environment for A of activity in this sector you need to know to build a planetarium animals and wet creatures is essential. We look at projects achieving this 82 PRODUCT FOCUS: 58 EXHIBITION DESIGN: FUN-KIT REFRESH & RENEW 70 3D/4D: SCREEN VISION Some of the latest products available Revamping an existing exhibition results We investigate how the advent in a fresh offer for visitors, as these of 3D fi lm in cinemas and consumer’s 81 BUYERS GUIDE recent launches demonstrate homes will affect the attractions industry A source of attractions services

AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 7 LETTERS

ATTRACTING OPINIONS Historical changes

believe that managers and curators I within the British museums and herit- age attractions sector are facing a challenge that’s greater than they realise. We all know that the new government is committed to cutting the debt currently being carried by the country. At the same time, local authorities are having their budgets cut and, to make matters worse, the current funding agreements are reach- ing the end of their existence. Put these facts together and it seems likely that funding for museums, galleries and heritage attractions will be cut sooner rather than later. This is widely acknowl- edged, as is the fact that managers will have to fi nd new sources of money to keep their establishments operational. This is bad enough, but danger also lies in managers accepting what appear to be obvious solutions to a very real problem. To take a very simple example, a man- Delayed payment is having disastrous results for many in the industry ager may decide the only option is to

© ISTOCK.COM/ DMITRY OSHCHEPKOV DMITRY ISTOCK.COM/ © charge on the door. The manager may then decide that a cash drawer and roll Money talks on effects for those being employed to of tickets at the main entrance is all that’s design, manage and deliver the project, needed. While this may suit some organi- as they each have their own fi nancial com- sations, others are likely to fi nd diffi culties our feature on When and how am mitments, which are then put at risk. only after they have become problems. Y I going to get paid? [Attractions Additionally, as projects progress, there There are many other areas relating to Management Q3 09] made for inter- is an unfortunate tendency, with which charging for either general entry or for esting reading with its focus on the Middle we are all familiar, of clients making the specifi c exhibitions that carry signifi cant East. However, this isn’t a problem con- decision to hold on to both their own and risks. For example, the need to reduce fi ned to that region. No doubt it has been borrowed funds as long as possible to exposure to fraud and the need to comply exacerbated by the credit crunch and its underwrite their own cashfl ow often at with regulations regarding the process- pernicious effects, but it certainly pre- the expense of that of the contractors and ing of credit cards. Managers often don’t dates the recent crisis and is something consultants. Payment often goes to who- have the experience to identify these risks. we all have to deal with, all of the time. ever has the critical path in their hands The challenge for a manager is that Private sector clients in particular at any given time or who could cause the there are many companies that will offer a may approach projects with the best of most collateral damage by ‘downing tools’. universal panacea without explaining the intentions to their contractors and consult- This isn’t a healthy or desirable state other possibilities. Yet it’s vital to under- ants, but then fi nd the gap between the of affairs, but is likely to be the case for stand that there are options at every stage. moment a bank may nominally agree to the foreseeable future. Is this the time for Managers need to become as well provide funding for a project and the point industry-wide acknowledgement of the informed as possible on the whole subject. when that funding is actually paid over, to problem and an action plan on promoting If they can do that, they’re much more be lengthy and subject to periods of great good practice before good contractors likely to make the right decisions. uncertainty, as the banks take an ultra- and consultants go to the wall? cautious approach to a sector that they Andy Povey, director business develop- see as inherently risky. Keith Thomas, director, Petersham Group ment, RefTech Services Ltd When combined with the bank’s own traditional inertia and seeming reluctance Share your insights, opinions, concerns and hopes with the rest to embrace modern technology, fund- of the attractions industry. Send your letters to ing schedules that clients had assumed Attractions Management, Portmill House, Portmill Lane, to be secure become entirely arbitrary Hitchin, Herts, SG5 1DJ, UK or e-mail [email protected] in practice. This can have serious knock

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6 - 8 October 2010

Rome, Italy - Fiera Roma www.iaapa.org/EAS ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT

GALLERY NEWS

Frick Collection to create new gallery

New York’s Frick Collection is revisit- ing an idea fi rst mooted almost 100 years ago to create a permanent gal- lery dedicated to sculpture and the decorative arts. This will be achieved by enclosing an under-utilised section of the prop- erty on East 70th Street, the portico in the Fifth Avenue Garden, which is visible from inside the house but not open to the general public. The building was designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban Pending approval by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the enclo- £61m Pompidou-Metz opens sure of the portico, set back from the original limestone columns and cor- Centre Pompidou-Metz, the offshoot of photography, video, sound works, fi lm, nice, will create a new gallery within Paris’s famous Pompidou Centre, has architecture, design and more within its the existing footprint of the institu- opened in France. The `70.8m (£60.8m, 5,000sq m (107,000sq ft) of gallery space tion. It is anticipated that construction US$89m) new centre, located in the north – by artists including Henri Matisse, Pablo will begin in the autumn of this year, eastern city of Metz, is the fi rst provincial Picasso and Joan Miro. with an expected completion date of branch of the famous art gallery. The arts centre will include public areas September 2011. A private foundation Owned by Communauté in addition to the many exhibition areas, will fund the project and the Frick is d’Agglomération de Metz Métropole, the a creative studio for projections and raising endowment funds to support building was designed by Japan-based performances, an auditorium, a bookshop- the costs of the new gallery. Shigeru Ban Architects (SBA) in part- boutique, and a restaurant-cafeteria. New York-based Davis Brody nership with French architect Jean de The Pompidou-Metz is the cornerstone Bond Aedas Architects and Planners Gastines. The centre will boast paintings, project of an ambitious urban renewal pro- (DBBA) will be undertaking the enclo- sculptures, installations, graphic arts, gramme of the city of Metz. sure of the portico.

New building for Revamp for Baltimore Museum of Art

Whitney Museum Following the award of a four-year US$10m to improving visitor facilities and upgrad- (£6.7m, `8.1m) funding package from ing essential infrastructure. The work is The Whitney Museum of American the State of Maryland, US, the Baltimore expected to be completed in 2014 in time Art in New York is to construct a new Museum of Art (BMA) is to commence for the BMA’s 100th anniversary. building in downtown Manhattan, with a US$24m (£16m, `19.4m) revamp project. Capital contributions to ‘In A New Light: work commencing in May 2011. The project includes renovating galleries The Campaign for The Baltimore Museum Situated in the Meatpacking District for three major art collections – contempo- of Art’ will fund the renovations. The state on Gansevoort Street between West rary, American, and African – in addition has appropriated US$2.5m (£1.7m, `2m) Street and the High Line (a linear park in capital funding for 2011, with an addi- created on the route of an old railway tional U$7.5m (£5.1m, `6.1m) projected track), the six-storey, 195,000sq ft to follow over the next three years. The (18,116sq m) building – designed by BMA must match each US$2.5m alloca- Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo tion from the state in order to receive the Piano – will provide the Whitney with capital funds. So far, more than US$2m essential new space for its collection, (£1.3m,`1.6m) toward the state match has exhibitions, and education and per- been raised from public and private funds, forming arts programmes. including US$1.25m (£844,703, `1m) in Fundraising for the structure has bonds approved by the City of Baltimore. already reached US$372m (£257m, An additional US$1.2m (£811,828, `304m), 63 per cent of the museum’s `971,411) in city bond funding will be on US$590m (£407.6m,`481.6m) target. The project includes three new galleries the ballot in November 2010.

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MUSEUM NEWS

NASA to fund museum exhibits

Innovative planetarium shows and travelling museum exhibits are among nine projects which NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) has chosen to receive agency funding this year. Its Competitive Program for Science Museums and Planetariums will provide US$7m (£4.8m) in grants to improve educational outreach related to space exploration, aeronautics, space science, Earth science and microgravity. This year’s grants range The V&A in London, which will soon benefi t from a sister site in Scotland from around US$177,000 (£122,409) to US$1.25m (£864,468) and have V&A Dundee design shortlist revealed a maximum fi ve-year performance period. The projects are situated Six companies have been shortlisted to other three teams in the running to be in Arizona, Connecticut, Indiana, draw up plans for a landmark new building appointed to the scheme. Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio, to house the proposed V&A museum at The V&A at Dundee project is being led Utah and Washington and all will work Dundee, Scotland. by Design Dundee - the result of a part- with NASA’s Shared Service Center Located at Craig Harbour as part of nership between the Victoria and Albert in Mississippi to complete the busi- city’s redeveloped waterfront area, the Museum, London; the Universities of ness review necessary before a NASA attraction will host travelling and perma- Dundee and Abertay Dundee; Dundee City award is issued. nent exhibitions, as well as providing a Council and Scottish . All will partner with NASA’s resource for design and creativity. Design Dundee chair Lesley Knox said: Museum Alliance, an Internet-based, Among the shortlisted design teams “The high quality and wide variety of the national network of more than 400 is Vienna, Austria-based Delugan Meissl shortlist will enable the partners to create science and nature centers, planetari- Associated Architects, along with Kengo a building which will not only be part of ums, museums, aquariums, zoos and Kuma and Associates of Tokyo, Japan, and the transformation of Dundee’s waterfront related organizations. Snøhetta from Oslo, Norway. but also be a landmark for visitors from The projects will provide both REX and Steven Holl Architects – both Scotland and all over the world.” the public and teachers with NASA- based in New York, US, and Sutherland The winning design bid will be revealed inspired space, science, technology, Hussey Architects of Edinburgh are the later this summer. engineering and mathematics learning.

Grand Museum of Egypt inaugurated

Suzanne Mubarak, wife of the president of made from pottery, wood, textiles and Egypt, has inaugurated the fi rst two phases glass. More than 120 conservationists are of the new US$550m (£372m, %444m) already at work in the centre, restoring and Grand Museum of Egypt. preparing 6,800 artefacts for display in the The new 100,000sq m (1.1m sq ft) Grand Museum. museum, which occupies a 120-acre (48.5 Funding for the museum has included a hectares) site about 2km (1.2 miles) from loan of US$300m (£203m, %242.4m) from the Pyramids of Giza, now has a power Japan, while the Egyptian Culture Ministry plant, a fi re station and a conservation cen- will provide US$150m (£101.4m, %121m). tre. One of the milestones in the museum’s A further US$27m (£18.2m, %22m) has so construction has been the completion of far been received in donations and the rest the conservation centre. This contains 12 is expected to be collected from Supreme laboratories for restoring, scanning and Council of Antiquities and other donors studying mummies, as well as artefacts and private funds. More than 6,800 artefacts will be displayed

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BALPPA NEWS

Martin Barratt Let’s show them The pier was destroyed by fi re in 2008 how it’s done

Weston Pier rides nearing completion very year in the UK, a group of business people decide The design and build of the eight rides that electric karts, two of which are twin-seat- to build a visitor attraction. will be installed at the redeveloped Grand ers, travelling at speeds of up to 70 mph. Their usual starting point Pier in Weston-super-Mare are nearing com- Also being installed are a 12.5m (41 ft)- Eis to develop a great idea that one of pletion. The bespoke rides, supplied by high twin slide helter-skelter as well as them had at the end of last weeks din- Stroud-based ride manufacturer , dodgems, a ghost train, a ‘crazy house’ ner party. Well, why not build a Robin are part of a £3m (US$4.5m, `3.7m) con- with 36 fun obstacles, a mirror maze and a Hood theme park on that brownfi eld tract secured two years ago when the ‘groovy house’ containing a psychedelic, site just off the M42...? 106-year-old pier was destroyed in a fi re. three-dimensional light show. Why do people outside our indus- The fl agship ride will be a 300m (984 ft)- There will also be two electric trains, try think they’re qualifi ed to develop long go-kart track on two levels – one of each able to carry up to 32 passengers and operate a visitor attraction just the biggest of its type in the world – with 22 along the 400m (1,300 ft) pier. because they visited Orlando once? Is it because we make what we do look so easy? No – it’s because we haven’t helped our customers to Merlin signs understand the expertise and hard work that’s needed to make a success Animalive deal of running a visitor attraction. The papers run stories about how Interactive theatre and animation com- much it costs to take a family to a pany Digital Interactive Booth Systems theme park, implying that it’s a rip off. (DIBS) has secured a deal to deliver They don’t consider how much it costs its Animalive concept at four to run a park professionally and safely, centres across the UK. or how many families are supported , which by each attraction business. operates the Sea Life portfolio of Peppa Pig World will open in Easter 2011 This is partly our fault – our indus- attractions, will install Animalive’s try is still too fragmented. We must Chatterbox Minis at Sea Life centres Peppa Pig attraction improve the way we communicate in Brighton, Birmingham, Weymouth for the value of what we do. We like to and Scarborough. The Animalive form little groups that represent small booths provide a live interactive An attraction based on the children’s TV parts of the attractions sector, but our animation system which combines show Peppa Pig is being built at Paultons customers and our legislators don’t motion capture with real time anima- Family Theme Park in Hampshire, UK. understand such distinctions. tion rendering. Animalive won the Peppa Pig World, scheduled to open by Unless we present a unifi ed view of best product for show production and Easter 2011, was created in partnership our industry, we’ll never be valued as entertainment at the IAAPA Expo in with Paultons, E1 Entertainment and the we deserve. That has to be an objec- 2009. A special character called Kiah show’s creators, Astley Baker Davies. tive worth pursuing. the Turtle has been created for the The park will feature seven rides inspired Martin Barratt, CE, BALPPA Sea Life centres, which will host an by the show including Peppa Pig’s family interactive quiz. car and Miss Rabbit’s helicopter.

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HERITAGE NEWS

£17m investment in heritage skills

More than 50 training projects in the UK are set to benefi t from a share of £17m (US$25.5m, %20.9m) from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) as part of its Skills for the Future programme. Launched in July 2009, the one-off funding initiative aims to support organisations across the UK to create training places over a fi ve-year period, with grants ranging between £100,000 (US$150,394, %123,123) and £1m (US$1.5m, %1.2m). More than 800 placements are The heritage attraction was founded in 1999 by local residents expected to be delivered as part of the investment, which is treble the New York’s High Line gets award amount originally set aside by the HLF and will support traditional conserva- New York mayor Michael R. Bloomberg raw and manufactured goods into the tion training. Among the projects to has presented the 2010 Doris C. Freedman upper-fl oor loading docks of factories. receive funding is Training the Curator, Award to the Friends of the High Line, for Bloomberg said: “It’s an honour to a British Museum-led scheme that will the latter’s work in preserving a piece of present the Doris C. Freedman Award to receive more than £510,000 (£767,000, New York’s industrial history and trans- Friends of the High Line for its invaluable %627,000) to train 15 people – with forming it into an innovative public space work in bringing the City’s historic High half from ethnic backgrounds. and heritage attraction. Line back to life.” The Waterways Trust, Glamorgan The High Line is a public park built Founded in 1999 by two neighbor- Archives and the National Heritage on an elevated freight rail structure on hood residents, Friends of the High Line Ironwork Group are among the ben- Manhattan’s West Side. Originally built in was formed as a non-profi t organisation efi ciaries. Heritage minister John the 1930s to remove dangerous freight dedicated to the preservation of the entire Penrose said: “This investment is a trains from Manhattan’s streets, the High historic structure and establishing it – and great way of giving people access to Line delivered milk, meat, produce, and its landscape – as a heritage attraction. practical on-the-job training.”

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THEME PARK NEWS

New Zealand theme park for China

A NZ$400m (£140m, `164m, US$202m) New Zealand-themed visi- tor attraction is to be built at Qufu, China – the birthplace of philosopher and thinker Confucius. The 25sq km New Zealand Gardens project will boast a replica Maori village, rock climbing facili- ties, a vineyard, a kiwi fruit orchard, a dairy farm and a luxury golf resort. The brainchild of a Chinese devel- The park is themed on multimedia, cinematography and audio-visual techniques oper currently based in New Zealand, the project’s ultimate goal is to boost CDA in merger talks tourism to New Zealand by giving Chinese visitors a little taste of the Compagnie des Alpes (CDA) is in discus- Parc du Futuroscope – France’s country “closer to home”. sions with the Conseil Général de la Vienne third-largest French theme park and The New Zealand tourism ministry with a view to merging the CDA group with based on multimedia, cinematographic is not formally backing the project, the Futuroscope theme park near Poitiers futorscope and audio-visual techniques but is known to support it, as it could in west central France. – welcomed 1.7 million visitors in 2009, potentially boost long-haul tourism The move would see CDA becoming the compared with 500,000 in 2003. Sales in to the region from mainland China – controlling shareholder of the park’s operat- 2009 were `80m (£68m, US$102m), with already New Zealand’s fourth biggest ing company and taking over Futuroscope’s a net income of `8m (£6.8m, US$10.2m). market for inbound visits. current operations and fi nancing. The CDA operates 36 leisure sites across six The fi rst phase of the theme park Vienne département, which currently owns European countries – France, Switzerland, project is scheduled to open this 70 per cent of the park, would remain a sig- the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and summer and more than 1.5 mil- nifi cant shareholder, with minority blocking the UK – with 15 leading ski areas in the lion people are expected to visit the and governance rights. Alps and 21 leisure parks. attraction during the fi rst year alone.

Blackstone sells Parques Reunidos acquires Movie Park

Merlin stake to CVC Private equity group Palamon Capital remaining asset of the Star Parks Group, Partners has confi rmed that it has com- set up by Palamon in 2004 to acquire Luxembourg-based CVC Capital pleted the sale of Movie Park Germany seven attractions from Six Flags. Partners has acquired a 28 per cent to operator Parques Reunidos for an undis- Following the sale of six of the seven share in UK-based visitor attractions closed sum. assets four years ago, a three-year pro- operator Merlin Entertainments. Movie Park Germany – one of the coun- gramme to reposition and refocus Movie The stake was sold by Merlin’s larg- try’s largest theme parks – is the last Park Germany has helped increase attend- est shareholder, private equity giant ance by 40 per cent. Blackstone Group, which had originally Palamon partner Jonathan Heathcote hoped to fl oat the business. As mar- said: “Movie Park Germany is a business kets remain volatile, Blackstone agreed that has seen substantial profi table growth to offl oad its share in Merlin, fi ve years over the past three years driven by strong after it acquired the company from attendance levels.” Hermes Private Equity, in a deal worth Spain-based group Parques Reunidos £102.5m (US$187.2m, %154m). currently owns or operates nearly 70 parks Blackstone will continue to hold a in a number of countries, including the US, signifi cant interest in Merlin. KIRKBI, France, Norway and the UK, and is one of the privately-held, family-owned Danish the largest operators in the world. investment and holding company that First opened to the public 14 years ago, controls the LEGO Group, has kept its Movie Park Germany has more than 30 shareholding unchanged. Attractions at the park include stunt shows rides, including fi ve rollercoasters.

14 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Because time is valuable...

CAI will invest US$30m in developing Luna Park over the next two years Luna Park opens on Coney Island

The new Luna Park on Shack, a ride simulating the feel of a beach Coney Island, New York, US has opened. hut caught in a . The 3.1 acre development by Central Rides include The Tickler, a modern take Amusement International (CAI) features 19 on a classic coaster; and Wild River, a water rides created by Italian designer , ride with a 40ft-(12.2m) tall chute. one of which is making its world debut at The city of New York has provided fund- Luna Park. Air Race is a fi ghter pilot simu- ing of more than US$6.6m (£4.5m, %5.5m) lation which sends riders upside down at a to support Luna Park’s opening, while CAI g-force of up to positive four. will invest nearly US$30m (£21m, %25m) For slightly less aerial excitement, also over the next two years to open and oper- ...choose Time Pursuit, on offer are Balloon Expedition – a family ate both it and the Scream Zone, the latest generation web ride offering aerial views of Coney Island second phase of development that will add from 40ft (12.2m) up in the air – and Beach an additional four rides. based booking system for gate admissions and A whole new AtmosFear at time based activities. Multi-channel advanced sales, on-site The 146m-(479ft) high Liseberg Tower at protective gondola being removed and the eponymous Swedish theme park, is to replaced with seats and safety bars. ticketing and integrated customer be turned into a free fall attraction. The new attraction is scheduled to open management will drive revenues, Called AtmosFear and to be con- in the spring of 2011. productivity and customer delight. structed by , it will be the tallest free fall attraction in Europe in terms of both the fall height and the structure in which it is housed. The ride starts underground in the basement of the tower and from there it takes around 100 seconds to reach the top of the ride. The return journey is rather faster, with riders being in free fall for just over three seconds and reaching a of the leisure activity booking system 110kph (68.35mph) – before being sub- jected to a g-force of positive four when the brakes are applied. Call us on +44 (0)1638 500 400 Liseberg Tower opened in 1990 and has Email us at [email protected] served for 20 years as a lookout point. Its reincarnation as AtmosFear will see the The new attraction will open next year Visit us at www.timepursuit.com

AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Time Pursuit is an Open Frontiers solution ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT

SCIENCE CENTRE NEWS

Brigitte Coutant Looking for global The project includes a new entrance building perspectives

£3m funding for Jodrell Bank scheme n 1 January 2010, Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie The Northwest Regional Development by the NWDA and £1m (US$1.5m, %1.2m) O and Palais de la Découverte Agency (NWDA) and the Northwest by ERDF in the Northwest. An additional in Paris, merged their resources and European Regional Development Fund £600,000 (%728,500, $900,000) is coming decided to work in synergy to give (ERDF) are to provide funding of £3.1m from the University of Manchester, the tel- birth to universcience, benefi ting (US$4.6m, %3.8m) to kick-start the crea- escope being part of the latter’s School of from their know how and network of tion of a new Science Discovery Centre at Physics and Astronomy. scientifi c partners. Manchester’s Jodrell Bank Observatory. The project includes a Planet Pavilion Universcience is a Public entity The announcement coincides with con- entrance with an orientation centre and working under the ministries of Culture fi rmation that the project has been granted café offering views of the Lovell telescope, and Research. Its president, Claudie planning permission by Cheshire East a Space Pavilion for exhibitions and events, Haigneré, is a former astronaut. Council, indicating that work could start on an education space and a new Galaxy Universcience has the ambition site as soon as next month. An investment Maze and a Space Garden. The Planet to become a major science center of £2.1m (US$3.1m, %2.5m) will be made Pavilion is set to open by the end of 2010. of the 21st century operating at a national and international level. The strategic objectives gather science, society, art and innovation, always New wing for California Science Center bearing in mind leisure and edutain- ment. Universcience’s know-how and A new permanent exhibition wing – featur- existing exhibition space – and will form expertise have been recognised for ing more than 250 species of plants and the centrepiece of phase two of the sci- years, particularly through cultural animals – has opened at the California ence centre’s masterplan. engineering consulting and project Science Center (CSC) in Los Angeles, US. The experience boasts a series of management activities for exhibitions Ecosystems occupies a 45,000sq ft “immersive environments” – such as the or equipment with national and foreign (4,181sq m) area – doubling the attraction’s Island Zone and the River Zone – which partners. Thus, Universcience currently will enable visitors to explore diverse habi- enjoys a broad spectrum of partners. tats and ecosystems. One of these, the partnership with A 24ft (7.3m)-long tunnel through the the Majid Al-Futtaim group resulted in 188,000 gallon (855,000-litre) Kelp Forest the “Cité des Enfants” concept at the environment will examine the wildlife that Mirdiff shopping mall in Dubai. can be found in sea forests, while the Rot Dedicated to children, the concept, Room will demonstrate the importance of spread over 1,300sq m (13,990sq ft), rot and decomposition in the lifecycle. offers fi ve thematic exhibit areas where CSC president and chief execu- children can explore and enjoy the tive offi cer Jeffrey N Rudolph said: worlds of science and technology. “Ecosystems will give our guests an Brigitte Coutant is director of national appreciation for how the living world and and international development physical world are interconnected, as well La Cite des sciences et de l’industrie as how scientists use the key principles of The wing has double the exhibition space ecology to explain ecosystem processes.”

16 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT

ZOO & AQUARIUM NEWS

Linda Cendes Zoos mobilise to The park should be completed by spring 2011 help Gulf wildlife

National Aquarium to build park he Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is putting The National Aquarium in Baltimore, lition debris from various projects around T a multitude of wildlife, sensi- Maryland, US, is to build a US$5.4m the city. The remediation work was the fi rst tive ecosystems, and 26 federally listed (£3.5m, %4.4m) waterfront park. of a phased development process. threatened and endangered species at The aquarium, in conjunction with the “Just over two years ago, we stood in risk. America’s leading zoos and aquar- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this same spot to present the National iums have mobilised to help save this announced its plans for a publicly-acces- Aquarium with a US$200,000 (£133,660, wildlife alongside key Federal agen- sible waterfront park on its property on %162,300) EPA Brownfi elds cheque,” said cies, including the National Oceanic the Patapsco River. When purchased in EPA regional administrator Shawn Garvin. and Atmospheric Administration and 2007, the 12.5-acre development site was a The park will be developed by the City the US Fish and Wildlife Service. brownfi eld site, created by fi lling a shallow of Baltimore, and is expected to be com- Accredited zoos and aquariums have fl at in the river with construction and demo- pleted by Spring 2011. a unique expertise with animals that can support the clean-up effort. More than 60 zoos and aquariums already have animal rescue and rehabilitation New masterplan programs in place, and their trained personnel and existing infrastructure for Lake Superior are being made available to help with the oil spill response. Lake Superior Zoo in Duluth, At the time of writing, more than Minnesota, US, is preparing a “secret 1,300 birds, 400 sea turtles, and about plan” to revamp the site. 40 mammals have been collected since The masterplan will be announced 20 April. While only a fraction of these in two weeks and the zoo’s market- The course adjacent to the chimp enclosure are collected alive, cleaning a single ing director, Anita Johnson, told animal takes several days and rehabili- Attractions Management that it will High ropes course for tation can take months. If an animal “lay out a process for a 20-year devel- cannot be released, it will become an opment of the zoo, the facilities and ambassador for its species and will the programmes”. Edinburgh Zoo has added a large high help educate the public about the terri- She said that over the last year, the ropes adventure as one if its main new ble impact oil spills have on wildlife. city and the Zoological Society have attractions for the 2010 summer season. While these efforts are taking place spent US$1m (£665,000, %819,000) Supplied by UK-based Innovative at selected Gulf Coast institutions, on improvements, with another Leisure, the new Sky Trail has been if the numbers of collected wildlife US$800,000 (£535,000, E649,000) in designed to blend into the surrounding increase as expected, aquariums and projects planned for this year. landscape with its jungle and out- zoos across the US are ready to send Johnson added that the zoo is door wilderness-style colours. staff to assist in the Gulf. planning to reapply for accredita- The course has been installed adjacent Linda Cendes is programme assistant at tion by the Association of Zoos and to the £6m (US$9m, %7.3m) chimpanzee Aquariums in March next year, after enclosure, providing participants with a Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) an unsuccessful attempt in 2006. chimp’s eye view of the enclosure.

AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 17 ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT

WATERPARK NEWS

Aleatha Ezra Waterparks - The park is set to open to the public in 2012 a stable industry

Aldar to build waterpark on Yas Island ith the start of the waterpark season underway, operators Abu Dhabi-based Aldar Properties is to Council and has appointed the UK-based W all over the world are evalu- open a 16.4-hectare waterpark on Yas Atkins as lead designer for the project. ating exactly what the 2010 season will Island, the company’s major leisure and The prequalifi cation process for main mean for their business. The effects of entertainment destination. contractors for the project has now been the economic downturn of late 2008 Set to open in 2012, the park will fea- launched and construction work is sched- and 2009 are still being felt through- ture more than 40 rides and attractions, uled to begin in July 2010. out the family leisure industries in the including four one-of-a-kind rides that Aldar Aldar has also committed to making the US, Europe and beyond. Yet, there is said have never been seen before in a attraction one of the most environmentally positive news to be gleaned from one water park. The property giant has already friendly and sustainable waterparks in the of the industry’s barometers of health: received the conceptual planning approval world. The park will be one of a wide range the 2009 Global Attraction Attendance from the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning of leisure projects at Yas Island. Report, compiled by TEA (Themed Entertainment Association) and eco- nomics practice AECOM. (See p24) Statistically, the report reveals that Wildebeest opens 20.7 million people visited the top 20 worldwide waterparks in 2009, an at Holiday World increase of 2.1 per cent from 2008. In addition, 12.8 million people visited the The world’s longest water coaster has top 15 waterparks in the US, a growth opened at Holiday World’s Splashin’ of three per cent from 2008 and 11.6 Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana, US. per cent from 2005. Beyond the sta- Situated in a wooded area north of tistics, the report concludes that the Bahari wave pool, the 1,710ft (521m) An artist’s impression of the park plans global leisure industry remains strong Wildebeest experience begins with a despite economic challenges. “Taken conveyor ride up the coaster’s lifthill. Cairns waterpark together, the numbers this year refl ect Following a 38ft (11.6m) drop, eight gets go ahead an industry that is stable at its core and linear induction motors power the well equipped to survive, recover and four-person boats up seven more hills, A AU$35m (£140m, %164m, US$202m) continue its expansion into new mar- through two tunnels and round a helix. waterpark in Smithfi eld, Cairns, Australia, kets as the world economy recovers.” Wildebeest is 64ft (19.5m)-tall and its has been given the green light. The report credits the strategies 14 cars with toboggan-style seating The 7-hectare Adventure Waters park employed by parks to make the best hit a top speed of 36ft/sec (11m/sec) was originally given planning consent by of a troubled situation by reinvesting in during the ride, with the total ride time Cairns Regional Council in October last the guest experience, offering creative being 2.5 minutes. year, but work was halted after an appeal targeted marketing and building the The addition of the new ride marks by Mulgrave Central Mill. relationship with the customer. the second largest single-ride invest- Once completed, the park will boast a ment in Holiday World’s 64-year history. lazy river, a 45, a Mammoth River Aleatha Ezra is the membership manager of the World Waterpark Association Costing US$5.5m (£3.8m,`4.5m). It slide, a six-lane Racer, a simulated was designed by ProSlide Technology. surfi ng area and Turbo Tunnel slides.

18 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Gamma LeisurePOS MEMBERSHIP

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AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 19 PROFILE

Guy Drouin

Canada’s largest waterpark, Calypso, opened in June. Andrea Jezovit asks owner Guy Drouin about the challenges of running a summer park in a wintery country

ttawa, Canada, is known for being isn’t new to building sunny waterpark desti- one of the world’s coldest capital nations either. He added his fi rst waterslide Drouin acknowledges that spend- O ing $45m on a park which only cities – at least in winter, when to Valcartier in 1980 and expanded it to a the average temperature hits -10 degrees 35-slide waterpark and campground. Today opens three months a year is a risk Celsius. But 7 June saw the arrival of a it’s both a summer and winter destination, tropical oasis on the city’s doorstep. That’s attracting 600,000 visitors annually. the day Calypso, a 100-acre, CA$45m of Agriculture, Food and Rural affairs, (£29.6m, %35.4m, US$43.3m) waterpark A NEW JOURNEY was meant to be big from the start. “We – the largest in Canada – opened, with a The new park was a natural extension of didn’t want to start small and then enlarge design that goes all out to transport its visi- Valcartier. “At Valcartier, we can’t enlarge it. We’re starting large from the fi rst year tors to the tropics. much more because we’ve reached our of operation,” Drouin says. The design Ironically, the park’s creator, Guy Drouin, potential, and to be able to go farther, we was created by Quebec architect Therese president and CEO of Villages Vacances needed to go to another market,” Drouin Bouchard, and thirty-fi ve waterslides have Valcartier Group, got his start in 1971 man- says. So he chose Ottawa, an hour and been supplied by WhiteWater West, includ- aging a major winter attraction – Quebec’s a half away from Quebec City and far ing Canada’s fi rst Family Boomerango. Valcartier Vacation Village, now the world’s enough away from the other parks that The giant wave pool – Canada’s largest, at largest snow tubing attraction. But Drouin they don’t compete with one another. 4,645sq m (50,000sq ft) – was supplied by Work began four years ago. Aquatic Development Group. Drouin spent a year fi nding and The design includes a number of ABOUT GUY DROUIN purchasing a tract of land and themed areas. Overlooking the wave pool spent winter 2007 clearing the is Calypso Palace, a structure featur- Favourite food: Thai food and sushi site of trees. Then came the ing a fresco of seashells and a statue of Favourite fi lm: I don’t go to the cinema very often, big challenges – permits and Calypso, Queen of the Waves, a Greek but I prefer adventure fi lms. I saw Avatar – that was weather. “It’s a lot to do, there are goddess-inspired character. The Jungle a good fi lm a lot of permits affecting every Run River has a green canopy and water What drives you? I’m an entrepreneur, so I have stage of the project,” he says. “In speeds of 2m (6.5ft) per second; the Turbo to be doing something, I can’t just sit in a Lazy Boy 2008, we had a bad summer, it Lab features four slides and a laboratory facing the TV – I have to move. That’s why I like was raining every day, and sum- theme; the family-friendly Pirate’s Aquaplay building things and having people around me who mer 2009 was even worse, so we area boasts eight slides and 100 different are working in the same direction and really want delayed the opening by a year.” water guns plus a series of extreme slides to make something happen The park, funded through pri- including Blackhole, Adrenaline and the How would you describe yourself? vate investment and a CA$2m multi-lane Fast Track. A guy who works a lot (£1.3m, %1.58m, US$1.9m) There’s also the Zoo Lagoon for chil- grant from the Ontario Ministry dren aged six and under, a sunbathing

20 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 area surrounding the wave pool, interna- have some other attractions to put in place. tional calibre beach volleyball courts and a Calypso’s features include a Jungle There’s a lot of space – we bought 425 Hawaiian beach bar featuring a live tropical Run River with water speeds of 2m acres of land, and we’re using 100 acres band, dance fl oor and tables on the sand. per second and a Turbo Lab right now. In 2012, we’re planning to open a campground right beside the park to UNIQUE FEATURES attract people from farther than Ottawa What makes Calypso particularly special is by scanning their fi ngertip – particularly and Montreal – people from the Toronto its family-friendly atmosphere and design, convenient for waterpark visitors spending area. And we’re planning to add new rides Drouin says. “We allow visitors to bring the day in bathing suits. The system was every two years.” food inside the attraction,” he says. “Most fi rst installed at Valcartier Vacation Village parks in the US don’t allow picnics so in 2009. “This is unique to our two water- STAFF STRATEGIES people have to eat them in the parking lot. parks,” says Drouin. “We’ve received a lot Drouin hopes to apply what he’s learned Here we have 500 picnic tables in the park.” of positive feedback from our clientele.” over his decades of managing staff at Another unique feature of the park is The park, located a 20 minute drive Valcartier, which has 500 new employ- its Money At My Fingertip system, which from Ottawa and a 75 minute drive from ees, including 120 lifeguards. Some of Villages Vacances Valcartier Group devel- Montreal, is being marketed to both the staff at Valcartier have been there for oped with Softticket, spending two years regions, with advertisements appearing 25 years. “I try to make my employees as on research and development. The sys- in the local press. The park can handle happy as possible because if it’s not fun to tem uses biometric technology to allow 12,000 visitors per day and 300,000 are work somewhere you won’t stay there for guests to pay for food, beverages and gift expected in the fi rst year. Drouin expects long. It’s never easy, but it’s key,” he says. shop items without carrying cash, simply this to increase as he grows the park. “We “I hope that the directors and main staff

AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 21 PROFILE

The Pirate’s Aquaplay area boasts eight slides and 100 different water guns plus a series of extreme slides

members at Calypso – who are the heart of the park – will stay with us for a long time.” In fact, retaining his best employees was Drouin’s original reasoning for adding a waterpark to Valcartier to keep the attrac- tion open year-round. “It’s quite tough to keep your best employees with only winter activities. That’s why I really worked to open summer activities and to be able to keep many employees year-round. Right now we have 50 year-round employees [at Valcartier] who really know what they’re cross country ski trails. In 1978, he doing. At Calypso, we’re only running the introduced inner tube slides on waterpark, but in the future we’re looking the park’s hills – a new concept to open for more than just three months at the time. Today, Valcartier is of the year – to open in spring and late fall the world’s premier snow tubing also.” This will mean new additions to the destination, attracting visitors from park that Drouin can’t yet reveal. around the world with 17 lifts and Expanding Valcartier from its humble 42 different slides. well. But waterpark investments are always beginnings meant a steep learning curve After adding the fi rst waterslide in 1980, a risk, particularly where the weather is for Drouin. He had no industry experience he expanded the waterpark rapidly, add- concerned, he notes. “Competition is very when he took over the park in 1971 from ing new slides every year or two, with a tough, there are a lot of other activities his father, Adrien, who had been running it wave pool debuting in 1989. Challenges everywhere. And the big issue is that the since 1963. At the time, it was a small win- included a fi re, which destroyed the park’s equipment is so expensive to buy and put ter slide centre offering tobogganing. “The main lodge in 1983, and marketing the in place. It’s a big investment, $45m (£30m, early 70s were supposed to become the park to summer visitors who still associ- %36.5m) for only three months of opera- entertainment years, where people would ated the Valcartier name with a winter tion. It’s quite a risk, especially when you’re only work four days a week and have three wonderland rather than sun. “We had facing the weather,” he says. “You need days off to have fun. That’s why I was inter- problems letting them know it was a sum- people to come to the park, really enjoy it, ested in the industry – the trends were mer place, but today we have more people then recommend it to everyone.” going that way,” Drouin says. “I’ve worked coming during the summer than in winter,” This is the key to Valcartier’s suc- all my life to build something for people to Drouin says – 350,000 summer visitors ver- cess and what he hopes to achieve with enjoy when they’re on vacation.” sus 250,000 in the winter months. Calypso, Drouin says. “We can create big Drouin, who has a degree in engineering, advertisements, but if the experience isn’t studied the industry meticulously to make FUTURE GROWTH very good in the park, we won’t last long. up for his lack of experience. “I read a lot Though Drouin’s focus is now Calypso, That’s our goal, to make it as enjoyable as and I was really interested in, and still am he’s open to building more parks in possible for our customers.” interested in, everything going on in the the future. He sees potential for more He has no worries about the park’s abil- industry. I visited a lot of parks – my fi rst waterparks in Canada, particularly in ity to attract crowds, as long as the weather trip was to California to visit Disneyland.” the Toronto region and in the province cooperates. “Californian waterparks get He grew the park, fi rst expanding the of Alberta, where he thinks a location 30, 35-degree weather more often than we winter activities with skating paths and between Edmonton and Calgary could do do here. But in Canada, when it gets to 25 degrees, people really enjoy it and want to swim.” He laughs: “We live in the north, so we go crazy in the summer.” L

Currently Calypso only covers 100 acres of the 425 acres available. Drouin plans to add new rides every two years

22 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Respected & Installed Worldwide

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AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 23 RESEARCH

Despite 2009’s economic The TEA / AECOM climate, some operators increased their profi ts and had record numbers, as AECOM Global Parks Report Economics’ David Camp reveals

s many countries begin The power of brands is evident in the list While 2009 was a fl at year for North to emerge from troubled of these leading parks (see table below). American parks overall, it was a mixed economic times, the theme Disney, Universal and Sea World control 17 bag for the different operators. Disney A park industry appears to of the top 25 parks, with a massive 80 per led the way in attendance, with signifi cant have held its own through cent of total admissions. increases at its West Coast parks and 2009. The latest TEA/AECOM Attraction Within the list, half of the top parks are in slight gains in Orlando. However, Busch Attendance Report reveals a relatively the US and a third are in Asia. Europe has Gardens, Seaworld and most of the larger stable position among the world’s most only four parks in the top 25. parks at Universal experienced declines. popular attractions in 2009, with the top 25 global parks attracting 185 million com- NORTH AMERICAN THEME PARKS ASIAN THEME PARKS pared to 188 million in 2008. North America is still the dominant theme Attendances at the top 10-15 theme parks As consumers cut back, many coun- park market in the world. The total attend- in Asia fell by an average of 3.5 per cent in tries saw increases in domestic tourism, or ance at the top 20 North American parks in 2009, due to the global fi nancial slowdown, ‘staycations’, at the expense of overseas 2009 was 121 million, a stable fi gure com- the recession, outbreaks of the H1N1 virus trips. This benefi ted many large regional pared to 2008 and a signifi cant volume. and poor weather in some markets. parks, particularly in Europe, but proved The market is dominated by the Florida However, a number of new parks are challenging for some destination parks. and California parks. The top 13 parks are planned in the region, so the expectation all located in these two states and these is that Asia will rebound quickly from the THE MOST POPULAR PARKS parks account for 84 per cent of admis- slowdown and become the main growth The most startling feature of the worldwide sions to the top attractions. engine for the industry, led by China. list is how dominant the Mouse remains. Almost 61 per cent of the visits to the top Top 25 Amusement Parks/Theme Parks Worldwide (2009) 25 parks were to a Disney park. And the RANK PARK AND LOCATION 2009 ATTENDANCE % CHANGE original remains the most popular. The 1 Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida 17,233,000 1.0% four that came top are all versions of 2 Disneyland, Anaheim, Calfornia,USA 15,900,000 8.0% Disneyland while Disney parks occupy nine 3 Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo, Japan 13,646,000 -4.5% out of the top ten positions. 4 Disneyland Park at , Marne-La-Vallée, France 12,740,000 0.4% It’s been more challenging for Disney to 5 Tokyo DisneySea, Tokyo, Japan 12,004,000 -4.0% hit the same heights with its second-gate 6 Epcot at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA 10,990,000 0.5% attraction in Paris – Walt Disney Studios 7 Disney's Hollywood StudIos at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA 9,700,000 1.0% – or the relatively modest version in Hong 8 Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA 9,590,000 0.5% Kong, but in terms of major parks opera- 9 Universal Studios Japan, Osaka, Japan 8,000,000 -3.6% tors, Disney remains dominant. 10 Disney's California Adventure, Anaheim, California, USA 6,095,000 9.5% 11 Everland, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea 6,050,000 -8.3% 12 Seaworld Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA 5,800,000 -6.8% 13 Universal Studios at Universal Orlando, Orlando, Florida, USA 5,402,000 -12.0% 14 Ocean Park, Hong Kong SAR 4,800,000 -4.6% 15 Nagashima Spa Land, Kuwana, Japan 4,700,000 1.1% 16 Hong Kong Disneyland, Hong Kong SAR 4,600,000 2.0% 17 Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise, Yokohama, Japan 4,500,000 -0.7% 18 Islands Of Adventure at Universal Orlando, Orlando, Florida, USA 4,499,000 -13.8% Islands of Adventure Universal Orlando 19 Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal City, California, USA 4,308,000 -6.0% 20 Lotte World, Seoul, South Korea 4,261,000 0.6% TOP 10 PARKS 21 Europa-Park, Rust, Germany 4,250,000 6.3% PARK AND LOCATION 2009 ATTENDANCE % CHANGE 22 Seaworld California, San Diego, California, USA 4,200,000 -12.6% North America 89,518,000 -0.1% 23 Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay, Florida, USA 4,100,000 -12.3% Asia 65,361,000 -3.6% 24 De , Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands 4,000,000 25.0% Europe 41,165,000 2.8% 25 Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen, Denmark 3,870,000 -2.6% Total 196,044,000 -0.7% Total 185,238,000 -1.3%

Note: attendance fi gures are estimates, based on company information, Note: attendance fi gures are estimates, based on company information, annual reports, published information and from reliable annual reports, published information and from reliable TEA/ TEA/AECOM industry and tourism sources. Percent changes for 2009 for certain parks are based on adjusted/updated fi gures AECOM industry and tourism sources. Source: TEA and AECOM for 2008, thus not directly comparable to published TEA-AECOM list for 2008/07. Source: TEA and AECOM

24 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 TOP 10 THEME PARK CHAINS WORLDWIDE (2009) RANK PARK AND LOCATION 2009 ATTENDANCE 1 Walt Disney Attractions 119.1m 2 Merlin Entertainments Group 38.5m 3 Parques Reunidos 24.8m 4 Six Flags Inc 23.8m 5 Busch Entertainment 23.5m 6 Universal Studios Recreation Group 23.4m 7 Cedar Entertainment Company 21.1m 8 Oct Parks China 1 15.8m 9 Compagnie Des Alpes (Grévin) 10.0m 10 Aspro Group 8.2m Total 308.2m

Note: Attendance fi gures are estimates, based on company information, annual reports, published information and from reliable TEA/ AECOM industry and tourism sources. Source: TEA and AECOM

The Japanese parks remain the strong- est operations, although attendance at Disney’s two Tokyo parks and at Universal Studios Japan were down this year due to the economy and also the fact that Tokyo Disney Resort had a record year in 2008 with its 25th anniversary celebrations. In Hong Kong, attendance at Disneyland Hong Kong Disneyland enjoyed a slight was up slightly and Ocean Park’s attend- increase in attendance in 2009 and ance was only slightly below its record year expects more following expansions in 2008. With further expansion underway, both parks look set for stronger growth. In China, OCT Group is expanding with new EUROPEAN THEME PARKS in admissions over the past three years. parks opened in Chengdu and Shanghai Although more modest in size than North The majority of European theme parks and expansion of attractions at OCT East America or Asia, the European market achieved either stable or increased attend- destination resort in Shenzhen. has shown continued like-for-like growth ances in 2009, with a number of parks in the UK and Germany reporting record TOP 20 NORTH AMERICAN AMUSEMENT PARKS/THEME PARKS (2009) years due to the staycation effect, often RANK PARK AND LOCATION 2009 ATTENDANCE % CHANGE being combined with new ride investment. 1 Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA 17,233,000 1.0% Some of the tourist-orientated parks, 2 Disneyland, Anaheim, California, USA 15,900,000 8.0% such as Port Aventura in Spain, suf- 3 Epcot at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA 10,990,000 0.5% fered and Tivoli was hit by the Climate 4 Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA 9,700,000 1.0% Conference held in Copenhagen during 5 Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA 9,590,000 0.5% the Christmas season. But overall 2009 6 Disney's California Adventure, Anaheim, California, USA 6,095,000 9.5% was another good year for Europe’s parks. 7 Seaworld Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA 5,800,000 -6.8% Total attendance for the top 20 European 8 Universal Studios at Universal Orlando, Florida, USA 5,402,000 -12.0% parks in 2009 grew by nearly three per 9 Islands Of Adventure at Universal Orlando, Florida, USA 4,500,000 -13.8% cent compared to 2008, continuing a 10 Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal City, California, USA 4,308,000 -6.0% steady growth for the European market. 11 Seaworld California, San Diego, California, USA 4,200,000 -12.6% Although far bigger in absolute terms, the 12 Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Tampa, Florida, USA 4,100,000 -12.3% US market stood still in 2009 and the size 13 Knott's Berry Farm, Buena Park, California, USA 3,333,000 -6.5% of the Asian market reduced slightly. 14 Canada's Wonderland, Maple, Ontario, Canada 3,160,000 -6.5% 15 Kings Island, Kings Island, Ohio, USA 3,001,000 -4.0% GLOBAL THEME PARK GROUPS 16 Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio, USA 2,942,000 -8.0% While the top individual parks list has 17 Busch Gardens Europe, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA 2,900,000 3.7% remained pretty much the same for many 18 Hershey Park, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA 2,807,000 -1.2% years, there have been big changes in own- 19 Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, New Jersey, USA 2,634,000 -4.6% ership. Disney’s still out in front of the pack 20= Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, California, USA 2,500,000 -2.5% with more than a third of all visits being 20= Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Illinois, USA 2,500,000 -6.3% made to its parks, but top European opera- Total 123,595,000 -1.9% tor, Merlin Entertainments, is continuing to Top 10 89,518,000 -0.1% move forward, with attendances growing Note: '=' indicated a tie. Attendance fi gures are estimates, based on company information, annual reports, published information by nine per cent in 2009. Attendance to and from reliable TEA/AECOM industry and tourism sources. Percent changes for 2009 for certain parks are based on adjusted/ updated fi gures for 2008, thus not directly comparable to published TEA-AECOM list for 2008/07. Source: TEA and AECOM other groups remained fairly constant in

AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 25 RESEARCH

TOP 15 ASIAN/PACIFIC RIM AMUSEMENT/THEME PARKS (2009) RANK PARK AND LOCATION 2009 ATTENDANCE % CHANGE 1 Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo, Japan 13,646,000 -4.5% 2 Tokyo Disney Sea, Tokyo, Japan 12,004,000 -4.0% 3 Universal Studios Japan, Osaka, Japan 8,000,000 -3.6% 4 Everland, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea 1 6,050,000 -8.3% 5 Ocean Park, Hong Kong SAR 4,800,000 -4.6% 6 Nagashima Spa Land, Kuwana, Japan* 4,700,000 1.1% 7 Hong Kong Disneyland, Hong Kong SAR * 4,600,000 2.0% 8 Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise, Yokohama, Japan* 4,500,000 -0.7% 9 Lotte World, Seoul, South Korea 2 4,261,000 0.6% 10 Happy Valley, Shenzhen, China 2,800,000 -11.9% 11 = Window Of The World, Shenzhen, China 2,500,000 -4.9% 11 = Dunia Fantasi, Jakarta, Indonesia 2,500,000 -3.8% 13 = Chimelong Paradise, Guangzhou, China 2,400,000 -7.7% 13 = Happy Valley, Chengdu, China 2,400,000 new park 15 Happy Valley, Beijing, China 2,350,000 11.9% Total 77,511,000 -3.4% Top 10 65,361,000 -3.6%

Notes: 1 Everland attendance does not include Caribbean Bay waterpark visitation. 2 Lotte World Ocean Park in Hong Kong attendance only includes theme park. 3 Calculation of % change excludes Happy Valley, Chengdu. was the fi fth most visited Annual reports, published information and from reliable TEA/AECOM industry and tourism sources. NB: Per cent changes for 2009 for certain parks are based on adjusted/updated fi gures for 2008, thus theme park in Asia in 2009 not directly comparable to published TEA-AECOM list for 2008/07. Source: TEA and AECOM

2009, following periods of growth through TOP 20 EUROPEAN AMUSEMENT/THEME PARKS (2009) acquisition in previous years. RANK PARK AND LOCATION 2009 ATTENDANCE % CHANGE In October 2009, The Blackstone 1 Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris, Marne-La-Vallée, France 12,740,000 0.4% Group, which already owned Merlin 2 Europa Park, Rust, Germany 4,250,000 6.3% 3 Entertainments Group and 50 per cent De Efteling, Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands 4,000,000 25.0% 4 of Universal Orlando, added Busch Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen, Denmark 3,870,000 -2.6% 5 Entertainment Corp to its portfolio. In Liseberg, Gothenburg, Sweden 3,150,000 3.3% 6 December, the corporation was renamed Port Aventura, Salou, Spain 3,000,000 -9.1% 7 SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment. , Castelnuovo Del Garda, Italy 2,900,000 4.0% 8 In China, 2009 saw the continued expan- Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris, Marne-La-Vallée, France 2,655,000 1.6% 9 sion of OCT Parks as a major player from , Staffordshire, England 2,650,000 5.0% 10 Phantasialand, Germany 1,950,000 2.6% its base in Shenzhen, with new parks 11 Windsor, Windsor, England 1,900,000 5.0% opening in Chengdu and Shanghai. With a 12 , England 1,870,000 10.0% number of new projects on the cards, OCT 13 Parc Asterix, France 1,820,000 1.1% expects to be moving up the list rapidly 14 Futuroscope, France 1,700,000 6.3% over the next few years. 15 Legoland Billund, Billund, Denmark 1,650,000 Flat The strength of Merlin, Parques 16 Mirabilandia, Italy 1,624,000 1.5% Reunidos, OCT and Compagnie des Alpes 17 Parque De Atracciones, Madrid, Spain 1,500,000 Flat is in the breadth of their offers. Compared 18 , Soltau, Germany 1,400,000 5.0% to the traditional powerhouses of Disney, 19 Duinrell/Attraktiepark, Holland 1,349,000 -0.5% Universal and Busch, these operators 20 Chessington World Of Adventures, Chessington, England 1,300,000 n.a. have a larger number of smaller parks and Total 57,278,000 2.9% attractions. With the high capital cost of Top 10 41,165,000 2.8% creating major theme parks, there are likely to be less new parks opening in the next Notes: 1 Attendance for Tivoli and Liseberg includes Christmas market operations. 2 Attendance for Port Aventura is for theme park only (excl. waterpark - separate ticket). 3 Attendance for Gardaland is for theme park only (excludes waterpark and Sea Life Centre - separate tickets). 4 few years. But the models being followed Bakken (#8 in the 2008 list) in Copenhagen, Denmark was not included this year as guest do not buy a ticket to enter the park (it is not gated). 5 by these newer operators allows them to Calculation of % Change excludes Chessington World of Adventures. Attendance fi gures are estimates, based on company information, annual reports, published information and reliable TEA/AECOM industry and tourism sources. Per cent changes for 2009 for certain parks are based continue to open small attractions, lead- on adjusted/updated fi gures for 2008, thus not directly comparable to published TEA-AECOM list for 2008/07. Source: TEA and AECOM ing to continued growth in visitor volumes for these groups. They have strong growth With concerns that admissions and per The challenge facing these operators in targets and we expect to see them consoli- capita spend levels would drop in 2009, 2010 is to build on the success of 2009 and date and improve visitor volumes in 2010. many park operators instigated cost reduc- continue to grow as the economy emerges And what of the much-heralded Middle tion programmes early in the year to reduce from recession. ● East market? Well, the global credit crisis staff levels, cut back on operating expendi- put paid to many plans there. We’ll still see ture and limited capital investment. In a David Camp, director, economics, AECOM schemes built in the UAE, but these are number of cases these savings were greater likely to be far more modest than originally than any revenue loss, so a number of Footnote: Figures are subject to change/ planned, and it will be some time, if ever, parks saw revenues rise in 2009 despite the revision and readers should refer to before parks there feature on the TEA lists. economic climate. www.aecom.com for the updated report

26 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Project: Vertigo at Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen, Denmark c\`jli\d\[`X JKL;@F

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AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 27 TOP TEAM

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ top team talks to Kathleen Whyman about the oil spill in Mexico, the AZA’s AZA accreditation process and its 100-year plan for guaranteeing species’ survival

STEVE FELDMAN, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

What is AZA? What’s your role? The Association of Zoos and Aquariums Part of my job is to make people realise is a charitable membership organisation what an important role we play in saving founded 85 years ago. We have 221 insti- the planet. To do that we work with our zoo tutional members in seven countries and and aquarium members to ensure best 6,000 individual members. practice and elaborate on projects for con- To become a member, zoos and servation, then they tell that story to their aquariums must to go through a rigorous visitors. Our members collectively have 180 accreditation process which establishes million visitors a year – that amounts to half high standards for every aspect of zoo and the US population. There are other conser- STEVE FELDMAN aquarium management. vation organisations who do a lot of good For the individual members we function work, but nobody else has a collection of as a professional society. We offer training, someplace else. If you managed them all institutions that have that kind of exposure awards and recognition and we operate separately, you wouldn’t necessarily have to the public. conferences and meetings where papers the breeding and genetic diversity to main- One of the most interesting things I do are presented and we represent our mem- tain a healthy population. But, if you work is act as spokesperson for AZA. Not a day bers in public in government affairs. together and say, “right, we have 63 alto- goes by without me getting to talk about gether and know where they are and what the amazing work our members are doing. What is the Species their relationship to each other is”, then Survival Program? you can move them around, breed them When do you act as This is our animal management pro- and protect them. spokesperson? gramme, which we have in place for Most of these animals move around Local members often look for expertise approximately 160 different species. It between zoos and aquariums without any and comments. Sometimes I talk about helps our members collectively manage money changing hands. They’re donations the situation, sometimes I pass them on to and conserve wild animals. and breeding loans – these animals the relevant expert. I have access to a tre- Imagine if you had two rhinoceroses are priceless and we’re working hard to mendous number of scientists, biologists, here, and six over there, and another four conserve them. researchers and veterinarians. I also speak if there’s been an accident with an animal. Zoos and aquariums have a remarkable record of safety – there’s more danger in crossing the street to get to the zoo than when you’re at the zoo. That’s probably why it’s such a big deal when something happens. The big question the press and public want to know is “is there an independent body that oversees what’s going on?” or “is there going to be an appropriate review of whatever occurred?”. What’s the main challenge? You can never communicate enough. There aren’t enough hours in the day to reach everyone with your message, so I’m fi nding new ways to share information with people. We use the latest technology and media to help us – we’re tweeting and Amphibians are one of the most threatened animal groups and are a large part of AZA’s focus Facebooking to spread the word.

28 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Zoos and aquariums in North America had 180 million visitors this year

JIM MADDY, PRESIDENT AND CEO

What does your role involve? we need at a national level to sustain our My role involves leadership of the pro- collections and make an even greater con- fessional staff, the executive leadership tribution to wildlife conservation. function of the association and working with its board of directors to set policy and What are AZA’s future plans? establish a vision that provides the best Education and conservation is where we’re possible service to members. headed. We know zoos and aquariums will There’s an enormous amount of inter- be called on even more in the future to res- action with our members. I’m often in cue species, to rescue individual stranded the zoos and aquariums or talking to the animals, such as marine mammals and to JIM MADDY directors of these institutions about their step in in emergencies such as the disas- concerns on government affairs, public trous oil spill currently in the Gulf of Mexico. affairs, scientifi c management of their col- in the exhibits and behind the scenes is a The future of AZA’s member institutions lections plus cooperative management of constant balancing act. will be increasingly focused on captive our zoo and aquarium collections. It needs ever better data and manage- breeding, preventing extinction and the ment systems so the operators make reintroduction of captive bred species to What are the concerns? the right budget decisions between capital re-establish otherwise extinct populations. The top concern is always conservation. investment and operating budget to pro- There are few places on the globe where vide the best possible visitor experience What about the BP oil spill? the habitat for wildlife is getting better as and translate all that into real support BP is the fourth largest entity on earth and opposed to getting worse, so zoos are for conservation. the US government is probably the single more important than they’ve ever been. largest organisation, so we’ve got this There’s a clear threat to the sustainability What are the current trends and giant corporation and an incredible federal of so many different wildlife species. That issues in zoos and aquariums? establishment with so many resources. But translates into a clear threat for the collec- The elected offi cials, particularly the US it’ll be zoo keepers from Omaha and cura- tions we’re able to display for the public. senators and representatives of communi- tors from Chicago and veterinarians from ties, appreciate how important zoos and LA who rescue and treat the wildlife that’s What are the main aquariums are to education, wildlife con- been impacted by the oil spill. And they’ll needs of members? servation and habitat improvement in their do that at our their expense – BP and the Zoos and aquariums are more popular communities. But somehow, when those government don’t pay for that work. The than ever. They will receive 180 million visi- same people come together on the fl oor of animal carers almost always wind up pick- tors in North America this year. Taking care the senate, the understanding and value ing up the tab themselves because that’s of them while providing the highest pos- and support that offi cials express, isn’t who they are, that’s what they do and it sible standards of animal care and welfare translating into the kind of support that speaks very highly of their values.

AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 29 TOP TEAM

PAUL BOYLE, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR CONSERVATION, EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

PAUL BOYLE

What does your role involve? We’re looking at furthering practices and standards to ensue high quality animal care and welfare as well as the future of the populations of animals that are in zoos. As wildlife becomes more threatened, the living collections at accredited zoos AZA offers training for everything from husbandry technique to aquarium management and aquariums are becoming more important, as they’re the public’s portal to handbooks for looking after particular spe- public is tremendously confused about understanding wildlife. We’re planning their cies – we have almost 300 so far. climate change, partly because the way futures for the next 100 years to ensure They’re updated constantly and pull good-minded, hard working scientists, zoos still have healthy, vibrant collections together all the knowledge of nutrition, have talked about this complex subject, in of animals into the long-term future. their space and housing requirements, complex ways to the public. We’re distilling husbandry, veterinary practices, breeding, down rather than delivering messages that How can you plan their futures? every aspect of keeping an animal alive far leave people feeling blamed. One of the things we’re developing is ani- into the future. It’s a complex process. Many conservation messages used to mal care manuals. These are essentially A steering committee looks at breeding talk about the scale of problems and how arrangements throughout AZA accred- huge they were and left people feeling ited zoos and aquariums. This is to ensure blamed for the problems. genetic diversity so that as many species Some survey work I’ve been doing for as possible are carried on into the future. the past 10 years has taught us that often people feel that the environmental problem Which animals are vulnerable? is at the scale that’s beyond their capacity We have a very strong focus right now on to do anything meaningful and that’s not amphibians. Frogs, toads and salaman- true. We’re communicating that individual ders are being threatened globally with 250 people’s actions can make a difference. times the normal rate of extinction. Their We aim to engage people in taking owner- skin is very moist and permeable. There’s ship of solutions for climate change. a fungus disease of the skin, Chytride, which has an effect on their heart and can What training do you offer? rapidly take whole populations of amphib- We’re always looking to promote the next ians out of existence. It’s spread to many generation of zoological conservation- places of the world and is a terrible threat. minded leaders in zoos and aquariums, It’s not the only threat to amphibians so we run training programmes in differ- because climate change is affecting ent venues. Traditionally these have been them. They’re like the canary in the coal week-long, face-to-face courses offered mine. They’re very susceptible so we’re in for college credits. They cover everything collaboration with many institutions around from husbandry techniques to zoo and the world and those in the fi eld to try and aquarium management, the development save our amphibians. of successful public exhibits of animals and specifi c courses on amphibian biology How can you educate the public? and reptiles and other wildlife. We’re working with our education depart- In the next couple of years we’ll be offer- ments in all our accredited zoos to develop ing an online professional development AZA is developing ‘animal care manuals’ – common messages that speak in a unifi ed programme with many courses and certifi - handbooks for looking after species tone about things like climate change. The cate programmes for people in the fi eld.

30 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 KRIS VEHRS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

KRIS VEHRS

What does your role involve? I manage the association internally. I’m a wildlife lawyer, so my specifi c areas are government affairs, ethics and accredita- tion. I serve as legal council for both our ethics board as well as our accredita- Member institutions must go through AZA’s tough accreditation process every fi ve years tion commission. gramme. We also look at fi nancial stability At the end of that time they leave the Are there any legal issues and governance. institutions with a list of achievements and outstanding at present? things they need to work on. The institu- A number. A big example is that the Animal How do institutions apply? tion has between three weeks and three Plant Health Inspection Service is work- An application is completed initially. We months to submit a report and documen- ing on the creation of regulation for birds. then send a team, including a veterinarians, tation showing what they’ve done. At the Birds have never been covered with regula- a husbandry person and an operations end of a hearing the committee votes on tion under the Animal Welfare Act. person. If it’s an aquarium, someone who’s whether to accredit or deny or accredit for familiar with the wet side of things will visit. a year and then send the team back in. How is AZA accreditation earned? That inspection team spends two to four There are a series of criteria. Top of the list days at the institution. They talk to the staff How often do you review? is excellence in animal care. We make sure and check out every exhibit, front of house Every fi ve years. It averages out that we there are appropriate facilities, trained staff and behind the scenes. deny accreditation to about two institu- at the appropriate level and appropriate They also take a look at policy, check tions a year. In a 10-year period we denied veterinary care programmes. There must sample stock and records and also talk to accreditation to 26 institutions and tabled be an education and a conservation pro- governing authorities. accreditation of 64 institutions.

JILL NICOLL, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING AND CORPORATE RELATIONS

What does your role involve? Animal Planet and the insurance company I oversee the revenue generation aspect Geico and are in that programme. of the association including memberships, conferences, advertising, corporate spon- How has the recession sors and new business development. affected AZA? We hold two conferences a year so we had What’s the For Profi ts subsidiary? all the challenges inherent in running an We’ve formed a Delaware-based corpora- event when the economy’s down. We’ve tion called Animals Inc. AZA is currently managed to weather that very well and the sole shareholder and is looking for have a profi table conference. KRIS VEHRS ways to use the great animal-based dig- Many associations cut marketing, but we ital content generated from our zoos and increased it and reached out to our mem- aquariums and monetarise that. We’re fi nalising a business plan right bers fairly strongly. We gave a compelling It’s looking at online ventures, digital sig- now, it’s very new. We’ll be approaching argument as to why, if they only go to two nage ventures, iPhone application ventures. private investors to help fund the company. conferences this year, ours should be one It would be funded through investor fund- of them. Also, we’re in a unique indus- ing, generate a profi t then generate the Who are your sponsors? try – our members rely on each other for portion that AZA maintains in the company We have a top tier programme called breeding animals and they get a lot of that to AZA to fuel its work. Proud Partner programme. Currently, work done at our conference. ●

AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 31 CONFERENCE REVIEW :8H>I: I]^h?jcZÉh:Xh^iZXdc[ZgZcXZWdVhiZY-%%YZaZ\ViZh!,*hZhh^dchVcY )(Zm]^W^idgh#7G8ÉhBVg`=VnlVgYiVa`hVWdji]^hhZhh^dcdcheVi^Va bZY^VVcY]dlY^Vad\^hVWZiiZg^c[dgbVi^dciddai]VcegZhZciVi^dc

erhaps it’s an ironic twist that the P theme for this year’s Ecsite con- ference, Exploring Risk, was held at the German Occupational Safety and Health Exhibition or DASA. DASA’s mission is to examine our relationship with work and the workplace with a focus on health, physical and mental, as well as spiritual © ANDREAS WAHLBRINK well-being. As technology is transforming traditional safe mediums such as adver- tising, newspapers, television, magazines and books, what risks will institutions such as science centres and museums have to take to remain relevant to the rapidly grow- ing generation of digital natives? My focus for the conference was emerg- ing digital trends in museums and I hosted a session dealing with this topic. Instead of presenting information, I facilitated a dialogue between the presenters and the audience. Rather than saving questions for In keeping with the risk theme, the end of the session, we made questions delegates were encouraged to from the audience the entire session. abandon their comfort zones In the session we discussed three areas. First was how digital technologies are reshaping the physical museum expe- cifi c spaces or architecture. It can take the not from the sessions, but from the small rience. Second was to examine virtual form of large-scale projected media that conversations with attendees over coffee, museum spaces and the use of technology replaces traditional printed exhibit graph- lunch or excellent German beer. to create overlay experiences using mobile ics or the use of location triggered media I wonder how the powerful transfor- devices and augmented reality. Thirdly we on mobile devices. The use of spatial mations occurring in communications, looked at the social dimension of these media opens up a world of possibilities for publishing, education and entertainment trends through social networking, user- updating content and incorporating user- will impact the format of conferences. generated content and blogging. generated media into exhibit experience. Gathering hundreds of attendees globally However, the creation and management to present information feels outdated. I SPATIAL MEDIA of this type of media requires rethinking of hope in future more emphasis is placed We also talked about ‘spatial media’. This staffi ng, budgeting and content ownership. on dialogue and exchanging information is the idea of linking specifi c media to spe- Digital technology was a topic discussed before, during and after conferences. ● in other sessions as well. A session entitled From Audioguides to Smartphones looked BVg`=VnlVgY!XgZVi^kZY^gZXidg! at current trends and projects utilising ZYjXVi^dcVaZmeZg^ZcXZh! mobile content. One key idea discussed 7G8>bV\^cVi^dc6gih was the use of smartphones verses the use of simpler technologies such as texting or simply posting phones numbers in exhi- ECSITE 2011 bitions that link to recorded audio content. Next year’s conference will be held at the Copernicus science OVERVIEW centre in Warsaw, Poland May 26-28 2011. The topic will be free- © ANDREAS WAHLBRINK Overall the conference seemed quite suc- Sessions were selected to cover all the cessful. As is usually the case, the best dom. www.ecsite.eu main trends in the science centre industry exchanges of ideas and information came

32 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 33 MYSTERY SHOPPER

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E FE DREA ARB

THE BACKGROUND zones: The Lost World, Far Far Away, Spin in Far Far Away and the Pantages Universal Studios Singapore is the newest Madagascar, Ancient Egypt, Sci-Fi City, Hollywood Theater in the Hollywood zone, major attraction to open on Singapore’s New York and Hollywood. It features 24 where you can watch the Universal mon- island resort of Sentosa. Built on 500 hec- rides and attractions – 18 of them origi- sters in a rock-n-roll musical. tares, Sentosa is situated on the fringe of nal or adapted for Singapore. Universal Singapore’s business district and is home Studios Singapore has the world’s biggest MARKETING to a number of visitor attractions, hotels, single collection of DreamWorks Animation It’s hard to miss advertisements for spas, as well as man-made beaches. attractions as well as the world’s fi rst Universal Studios Singapore. When you Resorts World Sentosa is Singapore’s Madagascar ride. The Far Far Away castle fi rst arrive in the country at Changi airport, fi rst integrated resort. Developed by from the world of Shrek is a world’s fi rst, you’re greeted by lots of large, colour- Genting, the Asian gaming and leisure as is the Sci-Fi zone, which doesn’t exist in ful posters inviting you to visit the park, company, the resort comprises four luxury any other Universal park. and on Singapore’s main shopping strip, hotels, 26 function rooms, a ballroom, Key attractions are the Lights! Camera! Universal has several large billboard ads. theatre, casino and Universal Studios Action! special effects stage in New York, My hotel concierge spoke enthusiasti- Singapore. It opened in January 2010. the Revenge of the Mummy attraction in cally about Sentosa and Universal Studios The 20-hectare Universal Studios Ancient Egypt, Waterworld in The Lost when I asked him for recommendations of Singapore – Sentosa’s largest attraction – World and Shrek 4D in Far Far Away. where to go during my visit, although he opened slightly later on 5 March this year The super-exhilarating hard rides aimed seemed confused about the park’s open- and is owned and managed by Resorts at the teenage and particularly brave mar- ing times (join the club!). World Sentosa, which paid US$1bn ket include Sci-Fi City’s Battlestar Galactica There were several large trade groups (£665m, %818m) for the management con- (a duelling coaster which is the tallest of visiting the park on the day I was there, tract with Universal Parks and Resorts. its kind in the world), Jurassic Park Rapids which suggests that some pre-open- Adventure raft ride and Accelerator. ing trade marketing has been done. THE OFFER For children and non-thrill-ride lovers Considering the park is still in soft opening Universal Studios Singapore is built in a there are a selection of gentler rides, such mode and trade channels have typically round and is made up of seven themed as a called the Magic Potion long lead sales, I was very impressed.

34 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS SINGAPORE

Location: Sentosa resort, 10 minutes from Singapore’s central business district

Opening hours: 10am to 7pm daily

Admission prices: Adult (weekend) SG$72 (£35, %42, US$51) Child (weekend) SG$52 (£25, %30, US$37) Adult (week day) SG$66 (£32, %38, US$50) Child (week day) SG$48 (£23, %28, US$34) Shrek World’s Far Far Away castle is the only one of its kind in the world

Less impressive is the park’s website Once inside Universal Studios At this point I asked the attendant for a where I could fi nd no admission prices Singapore, signage is very clear. The LED brochure containing the park’s prices and or opening times. I also think it should be variable message boards at key intersec- package options. After some momentary themed as Universal Studios Singapore tions throughout the theme park is a tactic language diffi culties, a swift-acting attend- rather than Resorts World Sentosa. more parks should employ – these, com- ant highly profi cient in English informed bined with the circular park layout, makes it me that they weren’t available yet. ACCESS AND SIGNAGE almost impossible to get lost. I was invited to upgrade my ticket to It’s estimated that Sentosa’s annual visitor a VIP package, which includes express numbers will double in the next few years. TICKETING entrance on all major attractions and To prepare for this, Sentosa Development The front gate ticketing setup has more a guarantee that I would complete the Corporation is spending SG$300m (£142m, than 24 individual ticketing stations, so Universal Studios Singapore experience US$214m, %175.6m) to bolster infrastruc- even in the busiest periods guests won’t in less than four hours. I declined, but the ture, widen roads and put new express have to wait long to gain entry. LED approach was swift and professional. trains on its monorail tracks to take guests signage above the ticket booths communi- into Resort World Sentosa. By the end of cates ticket prices and package options. DISABLED ACCESS 2010, a sheltered boardwalk from the main- The ticketing staff were pleasant and Access for people with disabilities at land onto the island will also be completed. friendly. I arrived at 2pm and was (politely) Universal Studios Singapore is very good. There is ample parking for the theme cautioned that the park would close at The park is built on one level throughout park – Resorts World Sentosa has 3,500 6pm. I was also informed that the Battlestar and the streetscapes provide adequate underground spaces and although these rollercoaster wasn’t operating that day. wheelchair access onto sidewalks. are shared with other attractions, it’s When I asked why, I was told “for mainte- Restroom facilities for disabled guests hard to imagine that parking will ever be a nance and repairs”. Confused, I asked how are generous and there are plenty of them. serious problem. long the park had been open, as surely a It’s also possible to access Sentosa by brand new attraction did not require main- DESIGN AND LAYOUT bus, cable car (which is re-opening mid- tenance just yet. I was then told that the This park follows the typical Universal 2010) and monorail. coaster wasn’t currently working. Studios design format and execution. The

AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 35 TITLEMYSTERY SHOPPER

Children will love the Fairy Godmother’s Potion Shop (right) and there are many retail offers to suit all

scale of the themed elements is huge, so it makes for a very immersive experience because it’s impossible to see anything past the artifi cially built environment. The number of mature landscape features particularly impressed me. No seedlings and immature trees for this park – just glorious fl ora and fauna that gives the park a “lived in” feel – well worth the invest- ment in the landscaping, which must have been considerable. Shade “superstruc- tures” have been built spanning across entire sections of the park so there’s no need to worry about sun exposure here. Additionally, the park has several out- STAFF (two adults, two children) will set you back door air conditioners co-located with All staff members were exceptionally SG$248 (£118, US$177, %144) at the week- undercover outdoor food and beverage friendly and attentive during my visit. end. With an average of SG$13 per person patios, which are a welcome addition. I found making eye contact with them for food and beverage (taking your own On the downside, the park’s compact easy and they all responded with a wide food into the park isn’t allowed) plus the layout didn’t always allow time for transi- and genuine smile. cost of getting to and from the park, a day tion between themes – something Disney Aside from my brief language barrier at at Universal can nudge towards SG$300 Parks do incredibly well. For instance, the the ticketing booth, the staff I encountered (£143, US$215, %175). The park does not transition between The Lost World and were highly articulate and well informed offer a family ticket price. Sci-Fi City and then again between Sci-Fi and I was particularly impressed with the Having said this, the Universal Singapore City and New York was so rapid that I was way in which they interacted with younger Studios experience is world class, and left feeling a little startled by the quick shift guests. A two-year-old’s tantrum was nar- considering the broad mix of attractions in experiences. rowly avoided when a staff member who and quality of entertainment and overall told him he wasn’t old enough to ride a presentation, I rate the park’s value-for- FOOD AND BEVERAGE rollercoaster, performed a little dance for money as “reasonably good”. With 30 individual outlets and kiosks, the him, which made him laugh. Meanwhile, I F&B offer at Universal Studios Singapore is witnessed a lovely act of kindness when RETAIL comprehensive, affordable and you never a staff member helped an elderly person I defy any little girl to be able to walk past have to walk too far to get it. into and out of a chair. Fairy Godmother’s Potion Shop and not Each themed area has a selection of tug their mum’s skirt for a fantasy candle anchor outlets built indoors, with plenty of CLEANLINESS or one of the gorgeous outfi ts from the air-conditioned seating areas. It would be easy to conclude that the world of Shrek. Likewise, try taking your Far Far Away, for instance, has the Fairy park’s faultless cleanliness was due to its son through Galactica PX without dip- Godmother’s Juice Bar where you can mix infancy and the fact that it was quiet on the ping into your wallet for a piece of the your own colourful elixirs. In Ancient Egypt, day of my visit. future from Galaxies Beyond. For adults, the Oasis Spice Café features an Egyptian- But in a country known for its impec- Hollywood has the greatest number of themed buffeteria and if you fancy trying cable cleanliness, it didn’t surprise me to shopping opportunities, with everything a local dish, Discovery Food Court in The see staff members bending down to pick from camera accessories to DreamWorks Lost World has a selection of Singapore’s up litter as they walked through the park. Animation characters and silver screen col- national dishes. This attention to detail is in part inherent in lectibles. Of the 20 shops, my favourite was Meal options are pleasingly affordable, Singaporeans and just as equally a meas- The Brown Derby, selling crazy, silly hats. with most combo meals – which include ure of the cleanliness culture of Universal. Credit card extension anyone?! a main meal and drink – costing the cus- tomer less than SG$13 (£6.20, US$9.30, VALUE FOR MONEY SUMMARY %7.60). Some combo meals are even There’s no denying that taking a family to The attention to detail at Universal Studios available for less than SG$10 (£4.77, Universal Studios Singapore is an expen- Singapore is enough to impress even the US$7.15, %5.85) sive day out. Day entry tickets for a family most hardened theme park critic. The use

36 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 of mature plants in the landscaped areas humour to an International audience using and the sheer height of each zone contrib- local performers? Yes, absolutely. Street theatre and live interactive uted to a very immersive experience and The show was light, funny and consid- shows ensure guests are entertained apart from the major rollercoaster being erate (guests provide the “material” for in-between rides and activities out of action, I didn’t feel as though I was Donkey’s gentle ridicule) and superbly well visiting a brand new park. acted by the host. It didn’t matter that the The mix of attractions is well balanced guests gave Donkey nothing to work with; mined by its visitor numbers. A world-class and I was particularly impressed with the the actors were as well rehearsed and attraction is expensive to build and main- way in which heavily themed fl at and kids’ innovative with their delivery as an tain and therefore it comes with a world rides co-exist with the thrill rides. A family impromptu comedy team. class ticket price. While overseas visitors of broad ages could easily enjoy this park The design and execution of each zone may be prepared to pay the entrance fee, without too many arguments, because are of a world-class standard and if you go only time will tell whether the park can each age group can enjoy something to Singapore wanting to experience the build enough repeat business from its rela- within a small radius rather than walking American brand that is Universal Studios, tively small local market. ● from one end of the park to the other. you won’t be disappointed. The street theatre and live interactive For me however, I was hoping for a SCORE OUT OF 10 shows were my personal favourite. In Far little more of Singapore (or Asia) in the Far Away (my favourite zone), Donkey Live park. Having been blown away by the Score out of 10 kicked off with a sing along show featur- way in which Disney has successfully cre- Toilets 10 ing Shrek’s sidekick Donkey. This was an ated a Hong Kong Disneyland rather than Staff 8.5 animated show using a host to play the Disneyland in Hong Kong, I was left want- Cleanliness 10 “straight man” to the Donkey’s comic rou- ing more Asian infl uences and design Experience 8 tine and to begin with I feared the worst. elements and a greater nod to my geo- Value for money 7 Could Universal Studios Singapore graphical location than I got. successfully transfer what is essentially Like all attractions, the success of Overall experience – 8.5 a Western product, Western script and Universal Studios Singapore will be deter-

RIGHT TO REPLY A SPOKESPERSON FROM UNIVERSAL STUDIOS SINGAPORE

“During our daily pre-opening tests conducted on 25 March 2010, we remain our top priority. Every ride meets or exceeds industry guide- found a technical problem on the Battlestar Galactica attraction. In lines and goes through a series of detailed inspections and testing keeping with our commitment to employee and guest safety, the ride to ensure that all the ride’s safety systems are functioning properly. was immediately closed by Universal Studios Singapore. No ride will be operated at any time unless it has passed all daily We are still investigating the cause and solution to the problem inspections and tests. The opening of Battlestar Galactica will only and presently cannot speculate as to when the Battlestar Galactica take place when Universal Studios Singapore is thoroughly satisfi ed attraction will reopen. The safety of our guests and employees that the ride will deliver the best experience for all guests.”

AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 37 FEASIBILITY STUDY

eastern promise

With an anticipated 4.5 agreement with Universal Studios for the The park has different zones, or lands, theme park. I worked on the feasibility including New York (above left) and million visitors in its fi rst year, study for Universal Studios and two other Sci-Fi City (above right) expectations for Universal attractions for Genting Group. Studios Singapore’s success HOW MUCH DID THE PARK dollar integrated casino resorts with hotels, are high. Christian Aaen at COST TO DEVELOP? retail, shows and visitor attractions. AECOM Economics explains The estimated development cost of the theme park is US$1bn (£687m, %831m). WHY WAS SINGAPORE CHOSEN? how his feasibility study The park is part of the $4.4bn (£3bn, At AECOM Economics, we’ve studied helped reach this fi gure %3.65bn) Resorts World at Sentosa, which attractions in Singapore for more than 20 has a casino and six hotels and plans years. One of the major development chal- to attract 60 per cent of its visitors from lenges has always been scarcity of land WHO OWNS THE PARK? Southeast Asia, China and India. and the expensive cost of land. Universal Studios Singapore is owned and The Singapore government expects visi- Sentosa Island has historically been managed by Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), tor arrivals to the city-state to rise by as a popular tourism island in Singapore. which is owned by the Genting Group – much as 25 to 30 per cent to 12.5 million With the Integrated Resorts (IR) bids for one of the largest gaming companies in this year, helped by an economic recovery Sentosa and Marina Bay, the Sentosa Asia. Genting has a long-term licensing in Asia and the lure of two new multi-billion Island location was best for a major theme park in terms of land availability, setting and fi t with overall plans for Sentosa Island as a major destination in Southeast Asia. With the announcement of the Singapore government’s plans for IR in 2005/06 and the economic engine of a major casino, the potential realisation of a major branded theme park increased

In Ancient Egypt, visitors travel to a time when Pharohs tombs were being discovered and curses unleashed

38 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 signifi cantly. Universal Studios represents about universal The Lost World land boasts the a strong fi t with Singapore Tourism Board’s Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure ride, T2015 tourism vision. studios singapore as well as other attractions We consider Singapore and Southern Size: 20 hectares (49 acres) Malaysia (Iskander Malaysia) as an up-and- Expected initial attendance: 4.5 million coming theme park attraction destination visitors during fi rst year (target by RWS tion drivers. This turned out to be the hub with Singapore as the gateway for management) winning strategy and successful bid for the international tourism. The content: Seven themed lands – Sentosa Integrated Resort. Singapore already has a signifi cant inter- Hollywood, New York, Sci Fi City, Ancient national tourism market (10 million plus), Egypt, The Lost World, Far Far Away and HOW WILL THE PARK which is growing, and excellent tourism Madagascar BENEFIT THE REGION? infrastructure with top international airport, Signature attractions: Battlestar Galactica, The development of major new parks in hotels and shopping. This is in addition to Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure, Canopy the global theme park industry over the several key natural, historic, cultural and Flyer, Donkey Live, Lights Camera Action, years, such as Walt Disney World (Orlando, themed attractions. Journey to Madagascar and Rock Florida), Tokyo Disneyland (Japan) and Developments: Future rides and shows Disneyland Paris (France) have had signifi - WHAT IS INTEGRATED RESORTS’ include a lagoon show, a parade and a new cant impacts on the nature and dynamics DEVELOPMENT CRITERIA? Transformers attraction. The park will bring in of the US, Japanese (Asian) and European With relation to Marina Bay and Sentosa more rides over the next three years theme park industries. Island, capitalising on a casino compo- It’s likely Universal Studios Singapore nent would allow for signifi cant recreation, government would like to attract more lei- could have similar effects. For example: entertainment, and MICE facility develop- sure visitors and repeat customers to the industry expansion (adding visits to the ment and investment without subsidies island. This resulted in: tourism appeal and market and expanding the overall industry); from the government. contribution (45 per cent); architectural market education (park product, quality The evaluation criteria for Marina Bay concept and design (25 per cent); amount of experience, the value of pay-one-price); breaks down to: tourism appeal and of development investment (20 per cent); price and product leadership (a pricing contribution (40 per cent); architectural and strength of the consortium and part- umbrella leading to increased prices based concept and design (30 per cent); amount ners (10 per cent). on improved product); market awareness of development investment (20 per cent); Genting made a key strategic decision (established brands, marketing expertise/ and strength of the consortium and part- in pursuing Universal Studios as part of its techniques); product positioning (niche ners (10 per cent). bid for Sentosa Island to meet and exceed marketing and positioning strategies); con- Sentosa’s evaluation criteria has a the Singapore government’s requirements sumer expectations (increasing standards greater emphasis on tourism because the for tourism market growth and major attrac- at other parks/industry); and development

AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 39 FEASIBILITY STUDY

THE MASTER PLANNERS Gordon Dorrett president, Forrec “Our masterplan had to take into con- more weather protection than other sideration components like access, Universal parks. From a masterplan- parking, back of house, in-park and ning standpoint, this meant ensuring external sightlines, existing site fea- there was ample room to locate tures, circulation and relationship to shade and rain shelter as well as adjacent uses while always thinking create heavily landscaped rest areas about the guest experience. and cooling zones for the guests. The primary constraint was the The original site was heav- overall size of the property and, par- ily planted, which provided both ticularly, the area limited to Universal opportunity and constraint for the Studios. We had a clear brief from masterplan. While fortunate to be Genting Resorts that the park had able to work on a site with mature to be large enough to handle the landscape, the local government required annual attendance and wisely insisted that we maintain a capacity, provide room for future number of stands of mature trees expansion and ensure that it would and a few specimen historic trees. be regarded as a true Universal We therefore had to work within Studios park experience. To over- these heavily-treed areas and limit come the park’s size, we maximised construction in these zones. the in-park guest experience. This The limited site area also meant meant transitions between lands had that parking and service had to be to be fast but effectively designed, located below ground, so at least half sightlines had to ensure containment of the park was built on top of the within lands or be carefully directed parking structure. We had to ensure to key visual icons and back of house that the largest, heaviest and most areas had to be minimised and, in dynamic attractions were located some cases, relocated off site. off the parking structure so that they Singapore’s tropical climate could be built economically and not with high humidity and rainy sea- cause undue stress and extra cost to sons meant that we had to provide the parking structure.”

environment (the heightened interest/ other attractions and leisure and tourism The limited park size meant that spe- peripheral development). development in Singapore and Southern cial care had to be taken to maximise RWS has announced a preliminary Malaysia, which will benefi t the region as a the in-park guest experience attendance target of 4.5-plus million visi- whole by expanding the market. tors for the park during 2010. There are no major branded theme HOW IS A MULTI-THEME and resorts are planned in Nusajaya and parks in the Singapore/Southern Malaysia PARK CREATED? Desaru, Iskandar Malaysia. regional market currently. We expect Creation of a multi-theme park hub Universal Studios Singapore to help grow requires several circumstances. The fi rst WHY WILL IT WORK? the overall market, leading to increased is combined resident and tourist market The industry is moving to Asia. We con- theme park visits per capita for the region. strength, another is interested developers. sider Asia as the major growth region now Additional factors can greatly assist in this and in the future, with key fundamentals in HOW WILL IT IMPACT process, such as governmental policies place and new development potential. OTHER PARKS? which enhance the opportunity. The notion We believe the development of the multi- The development of Universal Studios of a multi-theme park hub in Southern park destination theme park hub can be does not preclude the development of Malaysia/Singapore is highly compatible realised over time, with its success tied other theme parks and major attractions in with Singapore Tourism Board’s T2015 closely to the implementation of T2015 in the Singapore/Southern Malaysia regional tourism plan and the Malaysian govern- Singapore and the Iskandar Malaysia strat- market area. On the contrary, we believe ment’s plans for Iskandar Malaysia. It’s the egy. This will be possible by the merging the region has enough market strength goal of Iskandar Malaysia to create an eco- of economic interests of Singapore and combining tourism and regional population nomic zone in Southern Malaysia which is Southern Malaysia, potential co-market- to potentially become a destination hub. directly related to Singapore and benefi ts ing of the region as a multi-attraction and There are several examples of multi- both countries. diverse tourism destination hub, the easing theme park destination hubs in other Part of this strategy is already underway of border procedures and improved trans- parts of the world, including Southern with the new Legoland Malaysia Resort portation access and links. ● California; Orlando, Florida; Tokyo, Japan; under construction, with expected open- Paris, France; and the hub in Hong Kong/ ing in April 2012. This includes a Legoland Christian Aaen is regional director, Shenzhen with similarities to Singapore. theme park, themed family hotel and water- entertainment and leisure for Asia at Universal Studios will act as a catalyst for park. Other proposed parks, attractions AECOM Economics based in Hong Kong

40 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 www.forrec.com OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD

MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM

The fi fth great white shark to be released by Monterey Bay Aquarium was recently killed by a fi shing net. John O’Sullivan, curator of fi eld operations, tells Kathleen Whyman about the aquarium’s work and how these sharks can be protected

What happened? evaluate the potential outcome. We sent a As with all of our previous exhibit sharks, it recovery team to a sandpit in central Baha. The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s White got to a point where we determined for the The day they got there the tag stopped Shark Project, started in 2002, is animal’s health it needed to be released, talking. We didn’t have any conclusion to helping research and exhibit white which was last November when the shark draw until the second tag started report- sharks caught off the California was 1.7m-long. With the release we applied ing again and it was on land, which is not a coast. This project is promoting two types of satellite tags to track its health good sign because that tag doesn’t fl oat. study, awareness and conservation after its release. One of those tags had a Using the satellite latitude and longitude, of these animals. By tagging and data recording method of 180 days that we sent colleagues to recover the tag and exhibiting white sharks they aim to transmits at the end of that time. The other talk to the fi sherman. It’s a story we hear promote public understanding and satellite tag says ‘I’m here’ when the dor- all the time – it was a bycatch animal. [The protection of this ecologically impor- sal fi n breaks the surface, so the two tools term bycatch is used for fi sh caught unin- tant and threatened species. together really complement each other. tentionally while intending to catch other She did very well on release, travelling fi sh.] It was an unfortunate incident. The from Monterey Bay to Baja California, a dis- fi sherman had moved his nets further off- It’s an unfortunate event – it’s the fi rst of tance of more than 500 miles. shore because of a problem he had with our exhibit sharks that we know has met Our fi rst indication that something might giant squid eating catches that go into the this fate. At this size they’re at their most be wrong was when the data tag started to net. Due to bad weather he didn’t get to his vulnerable to these fi sheries. As they get report early – after 25 days – though this nets for several days. larger they face less and less challenges isn’t uncommon because of malfunctions. White sharks are protected both in because of their sheer size. There was nothing conclusive in the data California and Mexico so if commercial that was transmitted, so we attempted to fi sherman get to sharks that are alive in the What impact did this news have recover the tag because if you get it back net, they release them and most survive. It on the staff at the aquarium? you get all the data and there’s more to happens several times a year. After human safety, animal welfare is our biggest concern. Having that happen is sobering. For many, it makes us want to refocus and energise ourselves into the programme because of the importance of it. The reward you get when the shark’s on exhibit and you see the public looking at it and appreciating it, that’s a great feeling. When an animal’s lost, it’s sobering.

Have you now reviewed your policy on releasing sharks into the wild? This animal was at liberty for more than 130 days. That was the longest we could © MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM/RANDY WILDER have exhibited that animal for because of the size. Our exhibit is only so big and you have to be concerned with the animal’s welfare. You can’t help but think if maybe we’d released it a day later would it have swum another way? But we can’t not The Monterey Bay Aquarium aims to release things into the wild because we’re promote conservation awareness of concerned that they might have an unfortu- the threatened great white sharks nate event in the future. It’s hard to separate the ‘huggy feeling’ that’s sometimes associated with the car- ing for animals. These are not pets, they’re

42 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 © MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM/RANDY WILDER

The sharks are only ‘borrowed’ from their environment to inspire people, but then they must be returned

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wild animals – their instinct is to feed. We teethy animal gorging itself on a small seal enhance the public’s experience, but the borrow them from the environment to help or a large whale. Instead people see how higher costs are to improve animal care inspire people and aid conservation and majestic the animal is moving through the and wellbeing. then we need to return them. That’s why water. We replace the fear and hype with we don’t name the sharks. I don’t want to beauty and a sense of placement for the What advice do you have sound cold, but that’s the reality. animal in the environment. It’s become one for other operators? of our greatest ambassadors for conserva- When releasing an animal back into the How can bycatches be prevented? tion of the oceans. wild, depending on the animal, and if it’s Bycatch is something that can’t be deemed appropriate, the tracking of them stopped. Some fi sheries do target the Do you currently exhibit and the follow up is critical. You have bycatch when it has a very high value but, any great whites? a responsibility and it doesn’t end with this is not one of those cases. The chal- No. Our outer bay water exhibit, where we exhibit. You have to be practical, you can’t lenge is that we don’t have a real good have our tunas and where the great white do it with everything, but we have a respon- understanding of how common these would usually reside, is coming down in sibility beyond the exhibit of animals. But incidents are. We have a very good rapport August for nine months’ repair. We’ll con- we’re also in a position to support that with what the fi shers are seeing and doing, tinue the research, then when the exhibit from our memberships, management and but there are isolated camps of fi shers in comes back next June we’ll be in the right board. Not all aquariums have that. Mexico and in both countries fi shermen position to display another white shark. work out at sea – there’s no observer pro- What have you learned? gramme, we’re relying on their honesty. What are the planned renovations? It was an unfortunate event, but it’s the We’re improving the life support, fi ltration, truth and you have to communicate that How do the sharks change lighting and the overall feel of the exhibit. and learn from it. I’ve learned that the wild public attitudes? Technology has advanced in the last 15 is still a dangerous place for animals grow- Seeing the white sharks live takes away the years – this exhibit was constructed 18 ing up, fending for themselves and with the fi erce, television stereotype of a very large, years ago. The improvements are partly to potential for human interaction. ●

AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 43 MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES © EAMONN MCCABE

Saving Britain from recession and sharing its culture with the world is the aim of the Cultural Capital manifesto. The National Portrait Gallery’s Sandy Nairne tells Kathleen Whyman how the cultural leaders aim to achieve this

What is the Cultural Capital manifesto? obviously, but also in the bigger picture – the future of this country. Cultural Capital: A Manifesto for the Future is a document we We want the museums to be contributing to a better Britain. produced from the National Museum Directors’ Conference. It rep- resents all the UK’s national museums and brings together all the Who’s coordinating the manifesto? arguments and ideas as to why we think the work of the national The coordinator is Kate Bellamy, the executive secretary for the museums should be invested in and considered very seriously. National Museum Directors Conference. We have a team of three We believe culture should be at the heart of plans to plot Britain’s people who coordinate between all the national museums and recovery from recession. helps us think how we make the public demonstrations of our work All 16 British national museums are involved from National and how we work in advocacy and government. Museums Liverpool, through to the Natural History Museum, the Tate and the National Portrait Gallery. How do you work together? We’ve all recalled good case studies of a situation where we had a What are the objectives? particular impact in making change with working with communities The central objective is to get the government to take seriously the or in a new area of education or opening up new audiences. We contribution we’ve made to the economy in both the fi scal sense pool that information to demonstrate the importance of our work. and to the wider learning economy. Education and learning work Examples include the new Darwin Centre at the Natural History outside the classroom in museums as much as they work inside. Museum. It’s not just about display, it’s about research and learn- We also want to reinforce our contribution to the creative indus- ing, about schools being able to bring more groups in to view tries. We have a huge input into helping designers, musicians and those collections in new and innovative ways. National Museums writers in developing their creativity. We’re a fantastic resource and Liverpool has developed some excellent initiatives working with we always want to get that message across to government. different communities, which think about the issues concerning Liverpool with cultural change and diversity in Liverpool. What do you hope to achieve? We want to play our part in taking the UK forward. We’re well aware Does the change in government affect anything? that there are fi nancial challenges and we’re interested in funding We know we’ll be dealing with slightly lower levels of public sup- port. But what we argue, and have argued for years, is that the longer term aim of the tourism and cultural economy and the National Museums Liverpool has developed learning economy need the national museums as a really effective, initiatives working with different communities powerful part of that.

What’s it been like to be on the inside of the process? I’m always interested in how any museum, not just national muse- ums, can work with others. I’m keen to make sure the wider life around the gallery and the ways in which we can contribute is in a community of cultural institutions. We’re much stronger in this country by trying to work together.

What are you working on? We’ll be talking closely with the new ministers and discussing with them what’s happening and about public fi nancial issues. We’re also looking toward the Cultural Olympiad and 2012 and looking beyond that to restore investment and development in the sector.

How does culture currently benefi t Britain? Culture is a vital part of this country’s future. Not just because culture is always there, but because we’ve become a really good creative country in the way of recognising that creativity runs from

44 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 The Darwin Centre at the Natural History Museum is about research and learning as opposed to being just about display

Henry Moore, Reclining Figure 1939 © NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, LONDON on display at Tate Britain DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS © REPRODUCED BY BY © REPRODUCED OF ARTS INSTITUTE DETROIT MOORE FOUNDATION PERMISSION OF THE HENRY

kids making music after school right through to seniors taking apart in all kinds of local activities. And in between, having the chance to write some of the best cultural events happening any- where in the world – theatre, museums or a musical performance.

How can the sector help Britain’s recovery from recession? A large amount of tourists cite cultural attractions and museums and heritage sites as a big part of why they decided to come to this country. But they don’t do that just because they’re here, they choose to come here because they’re lively and interesting places HRH Prince William and HRH Prince Harry at the National Portrait Gallery to visit and they’re going to enjoy what happens here. Culture is also very positive in terms of export – we send exhi- bitions out around the world and have great partnerships with tural festival. This is a great celebration of Britain’s role in the world museums internationally. and the world in Britain – the diversity in Britain. It’s great to be doing it for 2012, but we want to continue to do Should admission charges be reintroduced? great initiatives beyond 2012 that everyone can enjoy. No. Free admission is crucial. These are the nation’s collections so the basic entry to entry should remain free. We only charge for Any other issues in the sector? special collections. We’re always thinking how to broaden our audiences. How can we make what we do attractive to anybody who could be interested? Is there a particular goal? We don’t want the old style, old view of museums as old-fashioned The Olympics and beyond the Olympics is very much in our minds. institutions applied because it’s no longer true. We now have lively, Many museums are contributing to the cultural Olympiad and cul- attractive museums and we need to get that across. ●

AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 45 “Everything you want to know about the visitor attractions market. From theme parks, waterparks and zoos to museums, expos and science centres.” HTTP://WWW.LEISURESUBS.COMSUBSCRIBE ONLINE WWW.LEISURESUBS.COM

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we wanted to have a very Antenna Audio’s guide for War 6jY^d\j^YZiZX]cdad\n^hXdchiVcian easy system, easy for Museum Duxford won a Jodi Award Zkdak^c\VcYhdVgZi]ZlVnh\j^YZh children and uncompli- cated. With a lot of other VgZWZ^c\jhZY#6cYgZV?Zodk^i systems on the market, the intention when we developed it, but gdjcYhjehdbZd[i]ZaViZhiegd_ZXih it’s like a big remote con- there’s been a lot of interest, so we’ve trol in your hand and you decided to make it available.” feel like you’re missing IDJG>C<:M=>7>I>DCH out on parts of the exhibition because you 6CI:CC66J9>D Touring Exhibitions, creator of Abbaworld, don’t have time to learn all its functions.” Antenna has won a prestigious award for has built a new audioguide from scratch to As this was Touring Exhibitions’ fi rst time an audioguide for the visually impaired, facilitate the highly interactive touring exhi- creating a guide, there were challenges, which was created for the AirSpace Gallery bition, which has already been in London, Danielsson notes, but a team consisting of at the Imperial War Museum Duxford, UK. UK and is currently showing in Melbourne, in-house staff and partners on the techni- The Jodi Award, which celebrates best Australia. The Touring Exhibitions Player cal side were able to successfully create practice in digital technology allowing (TXP) is an essential part of the exhibition, the product, which Danielsson describes access to culture for people with disabili- allowing visitors to point at an object and as more like a game controller than an ties, was awarded in December. have information play automatically. audioguide. “I would more compare it to a The guide, which launched at the Touring Exhibitions decided to design Wii game controller or an iPod gadget. It’s museum in October 2008, was created its own guide when, after some research, more of a cool gadget than it is a tradi- through consultation with visually impaired the company couldn’t fi nd a guide on the tional square audioguide.” It works through visitors. “The museum invited local visu- market to suit its purposes. “The entire RFID (radio frequency identifi cation) tech- ally impaired people to join a focus group point of Abbaworld was to get people to nology, allowing visitors to interact with to assist with the audio guide project. interact. It’s more like going to Mamma different objects through radio transmitters. They informed and reviewed the tenders Mia the musical than a traditional exhibi- Touring Exhibitions is marketing the and Antenna Audio was their unanimous tion,” says Touring Exhibitions president guide to other attractions, and it will launch choice,” says Kay Cooper, the museum’s Magnus Danielsson. “People are singing in at least one, possibly two museums this interpretation administration assistant. “ and dancing throughout the exhibitions, so summer, Danielsson says. “That was not Antenna had a focus group of its own, and

AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 47 AUDIOGUIDES

both groups fed into the process of testing are linked, and the visitor presses the play application submission process, and and honing the script.” button to navigate through the exhibits in a allows venues with limited resources The design includes a telephone-style logical sequence. “Visitors with less severe to create downloadable guides for keypad with a raised dot on the fi ve key, visual impairment are able to negotiate the low costs. which can be used with headphones or space without relying on a companion, in Though the product has only like a mobile phone, allowing a choice of a way they probably couldn’t do with a ran- just launched, OOKL director Dan keeping hands or ears free. Commentaries dom access tour,” Cooper says. Medicoff says he’s already received The guide highlights opportunities lots of enquiries and met with 10 venues. for sensory engagement — for example, “Small venues are really interested because exploring aircraft models by touch, holding of the low entry price, as they would never differently shaped solids in an air current have the resources to create their own to investigate ‘lift’, and recording and play- app,” he says. “Large venues are really ing back Morse code. In the aircraft hall, interested because they have huge num- where the size of exhibits makes discovery bers of visitors and can have a hard time by touch diffi cult, colourful descriptions coping with the logistics of audioguides are used, often drawing on animal and and changing content, so having visitors marine terminology to convey the essence use their own device is a real plus.” Many of an exhibit, Cooper says. venues have also expressed interest in “Although there are similarities in when the service will be available for other approach to earlier audioguides, what’s devices, such as Android and Blackberry innovative is the engagement with visually phones, he says. impaired people at all stages of production, The Catalyst Science Centre in Cheshire, from concept to delivery,” she says. UK, is one attraction that will be using OOKL’s iPhone app service. Head of visitor DD@A services Paul Meara feels selling iPhone OOKL has already been providing venues apps will be benefi cial, as the popularity with a unique guide device aimed at school of purchasing apps is on the increase with groups, using Nokia smartphones – the visitors. “We also see an OOKL iPhone app service allows venues to easily create and possibly supplanting audioguides as a way upload their own content to the devices, of providing additional information to gen- which students can also use to take photos eral visitors,” he adds. and make notes throughout their visit. Now, the company has launched a service allow- 96I6IDC ing attractions to create their own iPhone Dataton’s Pickup audioguide offer has apps for all visitors to download. been put to interesting use in two cur- The service, which is free to join, allows rent exhibitions –Dronning Margrethe og venues to upload images and descrip- Arkælogien at the Moesgård Museum in tions of the objects in their collection, and Denmark, and And There Was Light, a tour- set a retail price for the app. Visitors who ing exhibition which opened in Gothenburg, download the app can access the content Sweden in March 2010. on their device for 30 days, and the venue Dronning Margrethe og Arkælogien OOKL’s new service allows attractions earns 60 per cent of the net retail price. is an exhibition about Danish Queen to create their own iPhone apps The system allows venues to have their Margrethe’s love of archeology, in honour app immediately while avoiding Apple’s of her 70th birthday this year.

YOU HEAR WHAT YOU SEE… PICKUP AUDIO GUIDE BY DATATON

Enhance each and every visit. PICKUP audio guide features superb sound quality, onsite updates, multiple tours, and a single button for easy control. Just point, click and enjoy the tour. www.dataton.com/pickup

[actual size] BarZ’s GPS-based multimedia walking tour guide for Dollywood includes a 90-minute tour experience narrated by Dolly Parton

The Queen herself narrates the audio 76GO69K:CIJG:H tour, so stringent requirements on sound A theme park might not seem like the quality were a must. “The royal voice is usual type of attraction to invest in guides, very well-known in Denmark and it was but Dollywood in Tennessee, US has. The important for the museum to reproduce it park’s new multimedia tour guide, created at the very best quality, with no distortion,” by BarZ, has a strong selling point – park And There was Light has a guide says curator Martin Brandt Djupdræt. The co-owner and country music legend Dolly incorporating Dataton’s Pickup museum had considered using directed Parton narrates the 90-minute self-guided loudspeakers, but couldn’t fi nd a solution tour experience, appearing on video to to suit the rooms containing the exhibi- tell stories, share memories and point distributed by Espro Acoustiguide, the tion, so an audioguide system was chosen out attractions including a replica of her new device allows not only tour guides but for optimum sound, and Pickup selected Tennessee mountain home and tour bus. group members to broadcast their speech, based on its sound reproduction and user BarZ has also recently created GPS- a fi rst for wireless tour guide systems. interface. “The system works really well. based multimedia walking tour guides for Powered by Phonak’s MultiTalker The public fi nd it easy to use and are very Santa Catalina Island, US and Las Palmas Network technology, a visitor-friendly pleased to hear the Queen’s narrative.” de Gran Canaria, Spain. Both contain pass-around microphone allows group Pickup also plays an integral role in And maps, information on history and culture, members beyond the guide to clearly There Was Light, an exhibition showcas- and multimedia triggered automatically by broadcast their comments to the entire ing work from Da Vinci, Michelangelo GPS at points of interest; the Las Palmas group without changing transmitter set- and Raphael that will tour internation- guide, operated by Smarttour and aimed tings, allowing for group discussions. Up to ally for eight years following its stint in at cruise passengers, also contains infor- nine additional microphones can be added. Gothenburg. It’s the fi rst time that the three mation about local restaurants and tourist To listen in, visitors wear headphones and Renaissance painters have been shown offi ces, and helps guide visitors through around-the-neck receivers. together in this way outside Italy. The insur- the city using public transit. Phonak’s Dynamic Speech Extractor ance value of the original works is around technology, another new feature, was %100m. (£82.4m, US$123m). :HEGD68DJHI>9:$ designed to improve sound quality in noisy The exhibition is totally dependent on vis- E=DC6@ environments like visitor attractions. itors using the guides, which are included For the fi rst time, Espro Acoustiguide and The original Guide-U system launched in the admission price, in conjunction with Phonak are bringing interactivity to group in 2006 and is currently used at attractions Dataton Watchout technology. They pro- tour guide systems. They’ve launched the including the US Capitol Visitor Center, the vide synchronised sound to video elements next generation version of the Guide-U Roman Baths in Bath, UK, Musée d’Orsay throughout the exhibition, a key part of the wireless tour guide system, Guide-U in Paris, France and the Guinness Brewery visitor experience. Interactive. Manufactured by Phonak and in Dublin, Ireland. ● INTERVIEW

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hen Colin Dawson was appointed as chief executive at BALPPA W (the British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions) in 2001, the organisation was mainly a communications channel. It gathered information and redistributed it where appropriate and while networking and events were encouraged, many viewed it as a bit of a club. Dawson changed this. BALPPA is now the industry’s chief lob- The incoming BALPPA chief executive Martin Barratt and his predecessor Colin Dawson byist in the UK, fi ghting for legislation on issues such as safety, Daylight Saving and within tourism and beyond in political cir- ators all over the UK, until he heard about a VAT reduction. Other member benefi ts cles. I never fi nd it necessary to explain this role. “It’s a fantastic opportunity and include seminars and training. “We’ve what BALPPA is anymore – we’re the park I didn’t want to miss it,” he says. “I think I become much more focused,” says people. We’ve received some distinction.” can contribute. Having worked in so many Dawson. “We’ve developed an organisa- Dawson has also cemented a close parts of the industry on so many levels – tion that has a value as a brand and is relationship with IAAPA (the International I’ve been everything from litter picker to respected. We’re more widely-known both Association of Amusement Parks and chief executive – I understand what it feels Attractions), which allows BALPPA to be like to be an operator. more infl uential and have select input, par- “A large part of my career has been in ticularly since the set up of IAAPA Europe. the commercial sector. Working in attrac- With such a successful reign, which tions when so many millennium projects includes being awarded an Outstanding were launched helped us learn to operate Service Award at IAAPA last year, how effectively. I hope my experience will help does his successor, Martin Barratt, feel members do the same through confer- about taking over responsibility? ences, seminars and training sessions.” “I’m delighted,” he says. “It’s a chance to give something back to an industry I’ve IN THE THICK OF IT been working in for a long time.” Dawson is staying on one day a week to Barratt’s grown up in the industry – he help with political lobbying. Barratt admits was working at attractions in the school to fi nding this aspect of the role challeng- holidays from the age of 12 (he’s now 50). ing. “I have no experience of working in Since then he’s worked in theme parks, politics,” he says. “But already I’m enjoying museums, castles, zoos, factory tours and it and Colin is bringing me up to speed.” walk throughs. In 2004, he set up on his “The challenge is getting the attention of own as a consultant and worked with oper- the right politicians and maintaining that level of interest,” adds Dawson. “I saw the Members include , which issue of Daylight Saving as something I has rides including Pandemonium (left) thought we could deliver, and hopefully

50 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 One of the main initiatives BALPPA is pushing is a reduction in VAT for attraction admission, which increase tourism earnings by up to £2bn

it will be this year, but I had to maintain a explains. “A reduction in VAT would be tax comes to supporting a project,” he says. strong push to ensure it retained the pro- positive to the Exchequer, would create “It doesn’t make any sense – it should be fi le it needed.” Another initiative Dawson’s jobs and could increase tourism earnings what the project is and what its value is to promoting is to achieve a reduction in VAT by up to £2bn (US$2.96bn, %2.4bn). That’s the public is, not whether its privately or paid on attraction admission. His aim is to a huge thing for the government to ignore.” publicly owned. get on par with the rest of Europe although Dawson has also made some progress This is clearly an issue Barratt feels this may clash with the new government’s in getting relief from uniform business strongly about. “I was in the commercial short-term fi nancial plans. Undeterred, rates for piers, many of which are listed attractions sector when the millennium Dawson is embracing the government’s or very old and under private owner- was happening and it was hard work,” he recognition of the importance of tour- ship, which means they’re not eligible for says. “New attractions were opening where ism and its wish to assist UK tourism to Heritage Lottery funding. no commercial operator would invest in become more competitive. “That sits very “We fail to see the difference between development – because they knew the site comfortably with the VAT issue,” Dawson the public and private sector when it wouldn’t work. Operators who had such

AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 51 INTERVIEW

The ash cloud caused many tourists to be concerned about air travel

unfair competition foisted on them had to learn to work smarter and harder and we’ve got a strong commercial attractions industry in the UK as a result. The com- mercial attractions that survived had to learn the hard way and maybe that’s one of the reasons why companies like Merlin are doing really well now.”

MEMBERS ONLY One of Barratt’s aims is increasing the size of the membership to give the association more infl uence – there are currently 307 operators and 224 trade members. “There are too many representative groups at the moment; as a result the voice TOURISM TROUBLES been one of the highlights of my time with of attractions gets lost,” he says. “I want At the time of our interview, the ash cloud BALPPA,” he says. The success of this is to unify the industry by getting everyone was causing havoc with the airlines, which proved by the continual decline in incident to join BALPPA.” To achieve this Barratt Barratt is very concerned about. “Many of rates since 2001, year on year. will be identifying sectors where BALPPA our members rely on inbound tourists,” he The compensation issue is still an ongo- doesn’t currently have members and who says. “And now people are dubious about ing factor, but Dawson feels the new UK in the past haven’t been viewed as natural travelling by plane. The low exchange rate government may progress this. “I quite like constitutions, such as museums and herit- is in our favour, but there’s an issue of peo- its tone of using the headline of responsi- age attractions. “But they are necessarily ple not coming here for their holiday.” bility,” he says. “If that translates into the commercial,” Barratt points out. “Most But won’t this help extend the staycation kind of legislation we proposed when the charge for entry and they all have shops trend, I ask? “I hesitate to use the phrase compensation act was brought out four and restaurants. All the benefi ts we give to ‘swings and roundabouts’ in an interview years ago, we’ll be seeing something along our members, we can give to them too.” about attractions,” Barratt laughs. “If the the lines of the Rider Uniform Safety Act Museum admission charging is an issue staycation we enjoyed last year continues, that says you have a legal responsibility that Dawson has given much thought to. “If it’ll be no bad thing for domestic tourism,” to behave in accordance with the safety the government wants to make savings, it confi rms Dawson. “Some London attrac- instructions on this ride. They do it in the should look to the free museum admission tions which receive a healthy percentage of US and Australia; we must do it in the UK.” policy,” he says. “Yes, it’s increased visi- overseas visitors will suffer, but the indus- tor numbers, but it hasn’t introduced new try as a whole will probably benefi t.” PEOPLE PERSON markets – it’s the repeat business of peo- The main thing Dawson will miss in his ple who were always museum goers and INDUSTRY CHANGES retirement is the people. “They’re the great- tourists, who are very pleased to fi nd that During his time with BALPPA, Dawson est bunch to work with, they’re willing to they can get into our museums for nothing. has seen the industry develop into a more listen to you and act with you.” He turns If they restricted free admissions to school professional business where customer to Barratt: “Remember, BALPPA is a cus- children, senior citizens, the disabled and focus is a necessity due to the increase in tomer-based association. Keep focused on unemployed, but insisted the rest of us choices consumers now have in ways to your members and you can’t go wrong.” paid, they’d be a huge chunk of money spend their leisure times. Having worked alongside Dawson for available that could be used in the industry. Corporate ownership has also become the fi rst three months of his appointment, “It’s my perception that museums are much larger. “Unlike some of my peers, I Barratt will be sad to see him go. “But the concerned about the level of secondary consider that to be progress,” he says. “It great thing is that Colin isn’t just walking spend they enjoy through the current level was bound to happen – we’re a market away from it all. He’ll be available one day of attendances,” he continues. “The per- driven sector and the forces have led us a week and helping me learn about the centage spent is nothing like as strong as it into that direction. I see that as good, not political side of the job.” was when people paid for entry. We learnt bad.” Safety has also improved, a factor Dawson reacts with raised eyebrows and that in the park industry a long time ago Dawson is particularly proud of. “We’ve a typically humorous comment: “Subject to – the people with free tickets don’t spend worked very hard and the members have my golf schedule,” he laughs.“Martin will anything, they bring picnics. adapted well to proposals we’ve put to make his own mark in BALPPA in the same “Increasing visitor numbers increases them. Structuring the Amusement Safety way that I have. Things will be different, but footfall so also increases damage and Council, a body that has teeth and can change is all part of moving forward and therefore maintenance costs,” Barratt adds. infl uence safety in its own industry, has I’m sure that’s what will happen.” ●

52 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 www.skyskan.com www.skyskan.com [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] PLANETARIUMS reach for the

So you want to build a planetarium, but where do you start and what do you need to know? Andrea Jezovit talks to industry experts for their STARS tips and recommendations

lanetariums have a lot to offer visi- rates a planetarium experience from a also important, and sometimes Spitz will P tors. But, constructing a theatre cinema or an IMAX experience.” perform an acoustic study for a customer. housing a dome and lots of high The space available for the planetarium Stuart Hetherington, managing direc- end show technology can be a compli- is a major factor. “The fi rst question we tor of digital display specialists HoloVis, cated engineering feat, and it’s a big always ask, which is not obvious to archi- agrees that a knowledgeable planetarium investment; costs vary greatly, even among tects or museums, is, do you have a room consultant is invaluable. “Be realistic in theatres that are the same size. “If you already?” says Scott Huggins, marketing expectations and timescales,” he adds. look at the projection system, our entry director for planetarium theatre specialists Size is another major factor to consider. level is just under US$100,000 (£68,600, Spitz, a subsidiary of Evans & Sutherland. “One of the traps some communities fi nd %82,000),” says Sky-Skan marketing direc- “Somebody has to build a large space themselves in is that they’ll automatically tor Marcus Weddle, noting that the highest that’s totally black inside for a planetarium believe bigger is better. And sometimes end systems can cost upwards of US$1m to get constructed into.” this is the opposite — a bigger theatre (£686,500, %820,000) to US$2m, depend- The next question, he says, is whether can hurt presentation,” Huggins says. If ing on the resolution. “And you’ve got to the attraction’s architect has enough a small community builds a 15m (50ft)- look at seating and domes as well.” planetarium experience — Spitz is often diameter dome with 200 seats, only to see called on for help by architects without attendance drop to eight or 10 people two Blast Off any. Elements such as where to put electri- months in, those audiences are experienc- So where to start? When Sky-Skan’s thea- cal and projection equipment need to be ing something that feels unpopular, he tre designer, Kurt Berna, sits down with a considered, as well as the construction notes. Meanwhile, a 9m (30ft) dome cater- new client, the fi rst thing he asks is why of a control room; HVAC is a particularly ing to expected audiences of 50 to 60 per they want to build a planetarium. “Clients complex concern in planetariums, Huggins programme can provide a better experi- have trouble answering that sometimes,” notes, as domes contain perforations that ence even if it’s only half full, Huggins says. he says. “You also try to ask what sepa- air must pass through. Dome acoustics are Planetariums at major tourist attractions, where thousands or tens of thousands of visitors are expected daily, can go large with 50ft (15m) to 70ft (21m) domes and seating for 200 to 500 per show; planetari- ums catering mostly to school groups may want to calculate seat numbers based on how many children fi t on a school bus, Spitz’s director of design engineering, Chris Wright, notes. With today’s fulldome show technology, even smaller domes can be made to feel immersive and theatrical, says Huggins, as larger domes will also mean higher costs in terms of lighting, audio systems and projection expenses. Another important consideration are fi re safety codes — the completely black space required for a planetarium isn’t condu- cive to meeting these, which can lead to problems with local authorities. “Get them involved early on so that you can make a Planetariums can often be iconic shapes, such as the Glasgow Science Centre compromise,” Berna says.

54 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Astro-Tec is working on the world’s largest planetarium dome, at the Nagoya City Science Museum in Japan

Rocket Science a full 18m (59ft) diameter sphere, housed techniques beginning in the late 1960s If the planetarium will be in a new building, inside a glass cube. minimized these by overlapping plates, another consideration is whether to create Spitz acted as a consultant on both and these ‘lap seam’ domes are still widely an iconic piece of architecture. “The projects. “In Glasgow, the client had used in the industry. However, machining theatre could be in a square box, or designed support for the dome before we techniques for cutting these plates have another dome, or a cylinder, or an iconic came in, so we had to adapt the mount- become precise to within 1/1000 of an shape,” Wright says. “The choice of enclo- ing of the dome to fi t with their structures,” inch, allowing plates to butt up against sure can play a big part in theming the Wright says. With Autostadt, the client each other with no need for overlapping – building or conveying an idea to customers. wanted a completely smooth look for the Spitz has used this technology to develop It can refl ect what’s on the inside, or hide outer sphere, without showing any equip- its NanoSeam dome, which was intro- what’s on the inside.” ment or door handles. “They wanted it to duced in 2006. “There are no overlaps or Among Wright’s favourite designs is look like a pearl fl oating,” Wright says, so folds anywhere,” Huggins says. the Glasgow Science Centre planetarium, invisible magnetically-activated latches The NanoSeam, which costs about 20 which was completed in 2000 and features were developed to allow service staff to per cent more than a lap seam dome and a 58ft (18m) outer dome enclosure shaped access equipment. was installed recently at the Morrison like a truncated sphere, with a 50ft projec- When it comes to projection domes Planetarium at the California Academy of tion screen dome inside. Another is the themselves, quality has improved over the Sciences, still makes up only around 20 dome theatre created for the Volkswagon years. Domes are constructed from panels; per cent of the domes Spitz sells. But it’s Autostadt attraction in Germany. Opened in originally, these were bolted together in a an investment that can make a difference 1999, the 120-seat theatre was built inside way that caused noticeable seams. New in image quality, especially since today’s

AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 55 PLANETARIUMS

content is brighter. “The more brightness “Domes can fall anywhere from 7m (23ft) in diameter you have on there, the more the seams are visible, so it makes sense from the stand- to 35m at this point. The bigger science centres and point of not having something polluting the museums, it just seems like everybody wants to go image or distracting the audience,” says Evans and Sutherland director of show pro- as large as they can” – Astro-tec’s Dale Lewis duction and marketing Michael Daut. Astro-tec, which currently offers stand- ard lap seam domes as well as ultimate Sightlines into the prime viewing area so that every- seam domes without horizontal seams, Dome placement is a huge factor affecting body can have the same view.” is working on another innovation — the the visitor experience. When Sky-Skan con- Sightlines should also be considered. world’s largest planetarium dome, at the sults on planetariums, it tries to improve Daut says a common problem is planetari- Nagoya City Science Museum in Japan. this by bringing down the spring line — the ums deciding on the size of dome they The standard dome is 35m (114ft) in base of the dome. want, then trying to cram in as many seats diameter, with 696 panels, 96 ribs, and a “It’s almost like a silo effect when the as possible, leaving undesirable seats on total area of around 20,000sq ft (1,860sq dome is so high, you lose the scale and the the edges where the picture will be most m). “That size of dome has never been immersive feeling of being in that space,” distorted. “My advice is to overbuild the done before,” says Astro-tec sales man- says Berna. “We try to keep the spring line size of the dome in terms of diameter, ager Dale Lewis. at eye level when you’re seated.” based on the number of seats you want, so Astro-tec has installed large domes in Having a tilted dome can be another that you have seats in better positions and the past, including a 24m (79ft)-diameter way of improving the visitor experience. you’re not putting seats in places where dome at New York’s Hayden Planetarium, Traditionally, planetariums have been laid nobody would want to sit.” and is getting ready to install another 23m out with a starball projector in the centre, (75ft) dome at Italy’s Magic Land and seats in a circular pattern around it, Flexible space this summer. Lewis says large domes are leaving viewers to look up towards the Increasingly, planetariums and domed defi nitely becoming a trend. “Domes can centre. With digital fulldome content the theatres are being laid out with an eye fall anywhere from 7m (23ft) in diameter standard today, however, a tilted dome towards multipurpose use. “Sometimes to 35m at this point. The bigger science allowing everyone to look towards the front people are concerned because [a plan- centres and museums, it just seems like rather than up makes more sense. etarium] is really just a one trick pony, everybody wants to go as large as they “When you develop fulldome content limited to whatever content you can put on can. Now that we’ve done Nagoya, we’ve [for circular seating], Saturn, for example, there,” says Spitz CEO Jon Shaw. “What gotten a couple of requests for 35m,” he comes up on just one part of the dome, you might do is not have a tilted dome, and says. “You have 3D coming into play now, and it may be in front of you, or it may be you might even have chairs that are remov- so I think you’re also going to see this behind you,” says Alan Caskey, Global able. So now you have this big open space trend continue as they start investing more Immersion’s US director. and you can do whatever you want.” He’s money into these projects.” “What we see with our clients is very seen planetariums hold jazz concerts, din- much stadium seating, unidirectional, tilted ing, lectures and even weddings under the dome, and then you can bring an object stars. “There are all kinds of creative ways to use the space.” Caskey is seeing some creative requests from clients who want a more fl exible facility. “A current client wants stadium seating where the fi rst several rows can be removed, so they can have sleepovers for the kids,” he says. There’s a downside to removable seats though, he says — they’re more uncomfortable than permanent seats. Even domes are becoming move- able; The Queen Mary, a ship attraction in California, features a theatre used as a theatrical space, with a retractable dome lowered from the ceiling for some shows. “We’re doing a similar thing at the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre in New Zealand, where the dome comes down over the audience during planetarium

Our Dynamic Earth’s 4D fi lm was developed by the National Space Centre in Leicester

56 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 presentations, and back up to turn it into a lecture-style theatre,” says Berna. It’s a trend he’s seeing more and more. “People are tilting domes from horizontal to vertical in multiple presentations and creating dif- ferent environments using the same dome.” When it comes to seating trends, tiltable seats are common — even in a tilted dome theatre, some of the action still happens above the heads of the audience, espe- cially in the front row, so seats need to be tilted in advance to different degrees to improve sightlines. “Tilting of seats works The Our Dynamic Earth well to ensure the viewers are looking com- planetarium in Edinburgh, fortably into the dome centre and being which launched in April, completely immersed within the degree utilises 4D technology projection environment, with peripheral vision covered,” says Hetherington. “Some theatre companies have now tle movement, but some in the industry Space Centre in Leicester provides the begun specialising in planetarium seats, believe 4D seating won’t catch on: with visuals, while seat kickers provide motion, and they offer seats with different tiltabi- the immersive experience offered by full- and 4D effects add an extra element — lilties,” Huggins adds. dome, 4D can be a distraction. As Weddle viewers feel rain mist while “visiting” the Other innovations include seats with points out: “At our theatres, you’re so over- Amazon, hot air and wind while in the speakers built into the headrest allowing whelmed by the images and the sound that Sahara, and snow while in Antarctica. “It’s each audience member to have personal you could probably make people sick with an experience where they can get their audio in their own language, and interac- too much extra stuff.” message across and give people an experi- tive responder systems on seats allowing But for some domed theatres, 4D ence that they’ll absolutely remember and the audience to participate in increas- is just the thing. Global Immersion talk about for a long time,” Caskey says. ingly sophisticated interactive activities. recently worked with Our Dynamic Earth While the latest 4D technology can “[Interactivity] was around in the olden days, in Edinburgh on a new planetarium; it enhance shows, it’s not the most important and is kind of coming back up in popular- launched at the science-based attraction in element for would-be planetarium opera- ity,” says Weddle. April. The attraction wanted an experience tors to consider, Caskey cautions. “Don’t Some planetariums now also feature allowing visitors to fl y through different look for technology to be the draw,” he seating with “seat-kickers” providing sub- biospheres; a fi lm created by the National says. “It’s content that brings people in.” ●

AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 57 EXHIBITON DESIGN

Revamping an old exhibition can change the look of an attraction and provide a great selling point to kick off the season. Kath Hudson looks & at some recent launches his year it’s all about using the T space available to best effect: exhibition space is being cre- ated from back-of-house areas and redundant spaces are being brought into use. Flexible exhibition space is a must, with room for temporarary exhi- bitions, and interactivity is essential. A number of ambitious refurbishments have just been unveiled, with design The Museum of Chinese in America in New being the key to propelling the attrac- York City has had a US$3.25m redesign tion into another league. Museum of Chinese in America, US The Florence Nightingale Museum, UK The Museum of Chinese in America in One such example is The Florence “There’s a touchscreen showing the New York has benefi ted from a dramatic Nightingale Museum in London, UK. The register of nurses sent to the Crimean US$3.25m (£2.26m, %2.6m) rede- centenary of the death of the legendary War, so visitors can turn the pages sign at the hands of Maya Lin Studios. nurse kick-started the museum to under- to fi nd out their stories. Children can Established in the 1960s to keep alive take the major overhaul. The 21-year-old also see if they could be Florence the oral histories and experiences of the site was much in need of a face-lift, with Nightingale and work out what treatment older generation of Chinese immigrants tired exhibits and a route which didn’t the soldiers need,” says museum direc- to America, it’s hoped the redesign fl ow well. The £1.4m (US$2m, %1.6m) tor, Caroline Worthington. “We’ve used will transform the museum into a world refurbishment has seen everything stethoscopes for the audio tour, where class facility with more exhibitions. replaced with a free fl owing space, with people can hear her story in her own The previous site is now an archive the content arranged in three pavilions, words. For kids we use peepholes, to and research centre, and the new and an area for temporary exhibitions. allow them to follow a trail of cartoons.” 14,000sq ft (1,300sq m) site, in a con- After an international design compe- As this is an independent museum, verted industrial machine repair shop, tition, Dutch company Kossmann de which completely relies on admissions offers six times as much fl oor space. Jong was chosen to design the museum and sales from the shop and web shop, Lin avoided the commonly-used – its fi rst such project in the UK. The Worthington is hoping this will mas- Chinese pagoda and used a minimal- content has been changed to show sively boost visitor numbers, capturing ist design, with Shaker infl uences. the relevance of what Nightingale was more of the passing tourist trade on the The core exhibit revolves around campaigning for and many interactive city’s South Bank and also appealing to the museum’s historic courtyard, features have been added. GCSE-age students (14- to 16-year olds). evocative of a Chinese courtyard house. Every year a prominent Chinese American artist will be invited to install a work here. Short, biograph- ical fi lms of Chinese Americans are projected onto the windows facing the courtyard. Visitors will be invited to tell their stories online, via interac- tive kiosks, and become part of the digital archive of Chinese Americans. Sustainable design elements and strategies have been used throughout and it is expected to receive a Silver The Florence Nightingale Museum in London has had a £1.4m refurbishment LEED rating.

58 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 The Museum of London’s exhibits include Lyons tearoom from 1922, period costumes (left) and the Lord Mayor’s coach from 1857 (below)

Canadian Museum of Nature, Canada In Ottawa, The Canadian Museum of Nature reopened in May, after a brief closure at the end of an eight- year, CA$215m (£142.2m, US$204m, %165m) refurbishment of the historic building. The renovations have transformed the site into a 21st century museum of natural sciences. The operators are hoping visitor numbers will now rise from 250,000 to 350,000 a year. Now the building work is complete, Museum of London, UK light and remarkable new galleries bring- parts of the museum that have been Inspired by the 2012 Olympics, which ing our story of the greatest city in the closed for decades because of the will put London on the world stage, The world right up to date.” crumbling architecture are open. An Museum of London has invested £20m Interactive exhibits include a fl owing interior buffer zone wall in the gallery (US$28.7m, %23.2m) in the Galleries of River Thames, fl oating with concerns for spaces ensures the temperature Modern London, to make the museum a Londoners, past and present, and touch and humidity control, so exhibits centrepiece of the city. objects of iconic London landmarks. which have been too fragile to be on Three years in the making, these gal- The story can be updated with a fl exible display previously, are now part of the leries refl ect how London has evolved exhibition space called Inspiring London. museum. The most exciting addition from 1666 to the present day. Starting is the 19m (62ft) blue whale skeleton, with the city being rebuilt after the Great which forms the centrepiece of the Fire of 1666, it goes on to show the cre- RBC Blue Water Gallery. ativity and manufacturing of the 19th “The vibrant new signature exhi- century, charts the wars, the swinging bitions present the museum’s own 60s and the various fashions up research fi ndings and those of our to the present day. colleagues across the country,” says Director of the Museum chief operating offi cer, Joanne of London, Professor DiCosimo. “As a result of this compre- Jack Lohman, says: “The hensive renewal project, we can now Galleries of Modern London engage visitors and people across will breathe new life into the Canada in important topics about nat- museum, with extraordinary ural history and the environment.” elevations fl ooding spaces with

AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 59 EXHIBITON DESIGN

Museum of Wigan Life, UK In Wigan, UK, a museum was created earlier this year from a research and archive centre. The Museum of Wigan Life is a centre to refl ect Wigan’s iden- The new space at Haus Ruhrnatur, designed by Hüttinger Exhibition tity and heritage. Engineering, explores biomimetics, climate change and energy The project received a £1.9m (US$2.7m, %2.2m) restoration grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, which Haus Ruhrnatur, Germany was largely used for restorative works In Germany, on the River Ruhr, 200sq m “Based on this exploratory approach,” on the listed building and adapting (2,100sq ft) of extra exhibition space he continues, “we tried to design the the internal space effi ciently to accom- has been added to eco-attraction Haus exhibition with real things and real proc- modate the exhibition area and a Ruhrnatur by re-using an old classroom esses as much as we could.” temporary exhibition space for com- and some offi ce space. The %250,000 After a brief history of the climate, munity use. With an actual exhibition (£216,000, US$310,000) exhibition, biomimetics is explained as a scientifi c budget of £900,000 (US$1.3m, %1m), designed by Hüttinger Exhibition method. Then the visitors see the work- creativity and teamwork were the key Engineering, explores biomimetics – shops, which feature working exhibits, to developing a centre which met the which is the examination of nature, its demonstrating the technologies that are team’s aspirations. models, systems, processes, and ele- making use of renewable energies. Sarah Oswald, director of exhibi- ments to emulate or take inspiration “The exhibition ends with a refl ec- tion designer PLB, says: “We aimed from in order to solve human problems tion zone, which shows an emotionally to create a space where local people – climate change and renewable energy. moving video about water. The aim is and visitors alike can engage with The exhibition is presented in a way that that after having been acquainted with collections and also to challenge allows visitors to learn about it in a play- demanding topics, visitors then settle preconceptions about Wigan. We’ve ful and personal way. down and refl ect on what they have explored everything which makes “The success of the museum has experienced,” says Hüttinger. Wigan special: the food, drink, tradi- always been based on fabulous science With varying scales and budgets, tions, sport and music, from Northern programmes, where students could each of these projects is focused on the Soul up to the current day. do real research on living species and same end result – using the budget and “The feedback has been extremely micro-organisms taken out of the Ruhr space as effi ciently as possible to add positive, with visitors stating it makes river,” says Axel Hüttinger, director of a new dimension to the attraction and them feel proud to be a Wigganer.” Hüttinger Exhibition Engineering. become more relevant for visitors.

W5@the Odyssey, Northern Ireland Biodiversity is the theme explored in a exhibits which give a real sense of thea- new £300,000 (US$431,000, %347,000) tre,” says AIVAF’s director, Julie France. exhibition at W5@the Odyssey in Belfast. “Experiences include sneaking up on a Capturing some of the key aspects of butterfl y, exploring a virtual pond and biodiversity in a relatable way and mak- designing an insect.” ing nature fun was the brief given to The 400sq m (4,300sq ft) project designers, AIVAF, and Qualia Creative was completed in seven months, which Ltd, who provided the 3D exhibit design. meant fast-track content development. The Museum of Wigan Life “There are 20 new exhibits, from Natural materials were also used in the refl ects the British town’s simple hands-on games, through to construction process, with timber com- ● identity and heritage large-scale audiovisual installations and ing from sustainable sources.

60 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 

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Register your interest for FREE FAST ENTRY to LIW 2010 today at www.liw.co.uk/register LIGHTING SHINING EXAMPLES

The British Music Experience at the O2 by DALD won an award

ighting has always been an essen- nucleus structure. Suspended above the L tial ingredient in creating visitor Clever use of lighting space are four circular projection screens, experiences, but recently the bar’s can really add to the backlit with fl exible RGB strips. been raised for lighting design in attrac- immersive quality of an DALD also picked up a second award tions. Both from a sustainability and a at the Lighting Design Awards, for the fi nancial point of view, energy effi ciency attraction. Kath Hudson Lighting for Leisure Category at London’s is now a must and there are an array of looks at some of the British Music Experience at the O2 Arena. energy effi cient lighting solutions currently “The brief was to have a theatrical quality, available, with manufacturers moving fur- latest projects to enhance the spaces and add a sense ther away from fl uorescent-based lights. of dynamism,” says DALD director, David LED solutions are increasingly popu- Atkinson. “Since the exhibition has a lot lar for general illumination, due to their IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE of interactive and conservation items, the extremely long lifetime and low power RGB LEDs were used at the Whitechapel lighting needed to be carefully controlled.” consumption. Sheffi eld’s Crucible Theatre experience, Centre of the Cell, and helped A different approach was used for each in the UK, recently used LED to update its DALD win the Low Carbon Category award zone. For the pre-show, the automated lighting in a large scale renovation project. at the 2010 Lighting Design Awards. lighting allowed for hues of deep colour The original lighting for the auditorium’s Energy conservation and sustainability to be carefully controlled. The Jam Studio starry sky used over 1000, 45W R50 lamps, was part of the brief here, with the lighting uses internally lit polycarbonate spheres, which was energy-hungry and combined design also being the glue to tie the inter- suspended above the space and fi tted with the 15m (49ft) high ceilings, caused a activity and audiovisual elements together. with dimmable compact fl uorescent lamps. maintenance headache. Replacing these Centre of the Cell is the world’s fi rst attrac- In the dramatic main core space, Metal with Osram LEDs eliminates the need tion based in a working medical school Halide units are used to give the exhibits for changing lamps on a regular basis, laboratory, offering children and teenagers an immersive fl oating quality. provides great light output and saves 17 an insight into what scientists do and how tonnes of carbon each year. their work infl uences real life. LIVING FACADE For more interactive attractions, adding RGB LED wash lights are used to Lighting has provided an essential compo- colour to LEDs gives an edge, allowing the saturate the cell with colour and custom- nent of the Danish Pavilion at Expo 2010, colour to be tailored to suit the event. designed RGB LED spotters animate the in Shanghai. Danish company, Martin

62 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 PHOTO © RICHARD BRYANT

(Clockwise from bottom left) The Danish Pavilion at Expo 2010; Sheffi eld’s Crucible Theatre; Da Vinci – the Genius

Professional, designed and composed an Great Adventure Parks. Designed by Dutch THE WAY FORWARD LED lighting system which gives the pavil- ride manufacturers, Van Egdom, in asso- “I’m extremely excited about the way ion an interactive façade. ciation with the park, the £1m (US$1.45m, manufacturers are now fi nding effi cient More than 3,500 full-colour LED lamps %1.2m) ride harnesses natural light to cre- light sources, which aren’t just fl uores- were installed in holes in the pavilion’s ate magical effects in the tube. cent based,” says Atkinson. “At the Light & perforated external walls. The lamps In Manchester, UK, DBN Lighting com- Building exhibition in Frankfurt, there’s no are controlled by day lighting and tem- pleted the lighting design, supply and question that LED has suddenly acceler- perature sensors which, combined with installation for the Da Vinci – the Genius ated at a real pace. High output sources, specially developed software, give an ani- exhibition, at the Museum of Science and with good colour rendering, are now seri- mated appearance, described by Martin Industry. According to designer, Nigel ous contenders for conventional lighting. Professional as “a living façade”. Walker, this job was “lighting heaven” “Manufacturers such as Toshiba & LG The light settings automatically change, which required much lateral thinking. The have stepped into the ring, with exciting from daylight through dusk, to evening. lighting rig consists of 260 MR16 “Birdies”, LED lighting products. Although there are Actual lighting conditions infl uence the of varying wattages and beam angles, big players in the LED market, such as system in real-time via the light sensors which are fi tted with frost and diffusion fi l- Philips and Osram, new companies, such installed around the pavilion. For exam- ters to add, depth, mood and perspective as Xicato are producing some amazing ple, a blue sky produces a different setting to the exhibits. LED sources for various manufacturers.” from a cloudy day, so the pavilion is always At Norway’s National Opera House, a For the future, Atkinson predicts that perfectly adjusted to the surroundings. 7m (23ft) crystal chandelier is the dramatic OLED technology – organic light emit- Crealy family theme park in Devon, UK, centrepiece of the Great Hall, created from ting diode – is one to watch. The emissive is using special light effects in its new pink- 17,000 pieces of glass. Osram designed electroluminescent layer is composed of knuckle family watercoaster, Vortex. “The 1200 modules, using state-of-the-art thin a fi lm of organic compounds. This layer idea of special effects was developed while fi lm LED technology to power it. of organic semiconductor material is researching other watercoasters. Crealy Since the demands on the light sources formed between two electrodes, where at needed something unique to make the ride were very high, thermal simulations were least one of the electrodes is transparent. stand out against other watercoasters and carried out to create an optimised passive Although this is prohibitively expensive and so the special effects concept was born,” cooling concept to achieve the required still in development, Atkinson predicts fl at says Angela Wright, founder of Crealy lifespan of 50,000 hours. panel technology will be here soon. ●

AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 63 SHOW PREVIEW

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LASA is the UK showcase for launchpad for new products. Show director The PLASA Show, to be held at Earls Court entertainment and installation Nicola Rowland estimates that, on average, One and Two in London, attracts around technology and attracts around 500 new products are unveiled every year 13,000 visitors each year 13,000 visitors annually. This across the event’s four days. Eyear’s show takes place at Earls Court One “These will typically cover the wide range industry’s best-known practitioners and and Two in London from 12-15 September of applications that refl ects the show’s lead trade bodies. and will enable designers and specifi ers visitor profi le of designers and engineers Entrance to most sessions is free to from all branches of the entertainment, working in both installed and touring pre-registered show visitors, but Rowland presentation and installation worlds to get environments,” Rowland says. “PLASA warns that many seminars become fully their hands on the latest innovations. is reaching out to professional design- subscribed well ahead, so advance book- The show will be attended by sound ers from the visitor attractions world. The ing is strongly advised. All sessions will be and lighting designers, nightclub lighting convergence of visual and audio technolo- listed on the PLASA Show website at www. specialists, the technical heads of depart- gies through the digital revolution means plasashow.com. ments at leading theme parks (Disney that members and exhibitors have exciting Another popular feature is the show’s engineers among them) and cruise liner products to offer to visitor attractions and Innovation Gallery, housed in a spacious, systems designers. theme parks of every size and scope.” dedicated area at the front of Earls Court Visitors will have the opportunity to see Two, where products entered for the annual how the combined impact of powerful EGD9J8IH PLASA Awards for Innovation are put on computers, video technology and low- Disciplines and products on offer include display. The awards are announced in a energy, high-effi ciency light sources such sound systems from ultra-compact to public ceremony after the exhibits close at as LED have merged with conventional stadium-capacity; professional lighting 6pm on Monday 13 September. ● lighting to allow innovative visual effects to products of every shape and size; video in be applied to almost every building, struc- all its variety, from modular LED outdoor ture or visitor interactive. screens to lightweight ‘mesh’ type screens; PLASA Events is offering Attractions The technology, for example, which staging systems including decking and Management readers free admission helped make the band Radiohead’s last support systems; and stage automation – a saving of £20 on the door price. stadium world tour a global award-winner systems from winches to advanced sys- Email [email protected] to for its environmentally-friendly approach tems that can fl y objects as large as a car receive a free registration link and by using only LED light sources, was with millimetre precision. invitations to all the PLASA events launched at the PLASA Show. The PLASA show is also comple- including the Awards for Innovation The show – whose organisers, PLASA mented by a large and growing seminar Events, are offering free admission to programme. These offer a wide range of Attractions Management readers – has insights into contemporary entertainment built its reputation on being an annual technology applications from some of the

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CREATURECOMFORTS

Creating an authentic environment for animals and fi sh is vital in zoo and aquarium design. Vicky Kiernander examines how some of the latest projects are tackling this

and comprising Ga-One THE LIVING WORLD AT Landscape Design, Group SEOUL GRAND PARK Han Associates, Thinkwell Design & Production, and With an existing zoo and amusement park, Bernard Harrison & Friends. the 560-hectare Seoul Grand Park in South Its winning entry, Gaia: The Korea has been an important source of Living World, envisions an entertainment and recreation for the com- integrated entertainment munity for 30 years. However, in a bid to and educational experi- improve the public space and better posi- ence that revitalises the tion the site as a regional and international urban realm and showcases The Gala: Living World attraction is due to open by 2020 tourist destination, Seoul Metropolitan Korean heritage. Government sponsored an international The proposal would open the lakefront largest bio pavilion in the park and home design competition for a concept design for community use, reconnecting the to fl ora and fauna of Australia, New Guinea, and feasibility study of the park. city to the waterfront and breaking down New Zealand and Islands in South Pacifi c. The competition was won by a team conventionally separate experiences in a Joe Brown, chief executive of planning, led by architectural design fi rm AECOM design that combines the existing amuse- design and development at AECOM says ment park, zoo and botanical the new vision for the park reinforces its garden with new attractions. commitment to entertainment and the liv- The plan also proposes sev- ing environment. “The Living World aspires eral new attractions including to be a place of excitement, refl ection and the Winter Garden, character- education, where the lines between zoo ised by lush vegetation, giant and theme park disappear in a celebration waterfalls, fl ying birds and of ecosystems, culture and history.” animal exhibits; Seoul Walk The team started work on the masterplan and Lakeside Park, an urban in May and is due to complete at the end entertainment retail centre of the year. The city plans to get bids from and park and the Australasia private developers early next year with the The Winter Garden will boast lush vegetation and waterfalls bio pavilion. This will be the project due to complete in 2020.

Melbourne Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary, with snares and guns; mining; deforesta- BACHELOR PAD FOR THE and is involved in breeding and recov- tion; increased levels of disease; biological BOYS AT WERRIBEE ery programmes not just in Australia but threats through eco tourism and increased around the world. human/animal contact; the pet trade and Werribee Open Range Zoo in Victoria, A number of conservation and educa- climate change. Australia, is developing a new exhibit to tion themes will be incorporated into the Located on an island close to the house three male gorillas, which are being new gorilla exhibit, which is currently being entrance of the zoo, the exhibit will also moved from Melbourne Zoo following the designed by Green & Dale Associates. The feature a presentation area for a range of success of its breeding programme. conservation messages will act as the guid- educational activities such as keeper talks. Launched as a simple safari bus ing principal of the exhibit design, from The AUS$2.95m (£1.68m, US$2.45m, experience 26 years ago, Werribee has landscaping and layout to the interpreta- %2m) project is being part-funded by expanded to include walking trails, new tion and theming elements. the Brumby Labor Government, which is African species and multi-award-winning The zoo-based conservation organisa- donating AUS$1.5m (£856,000, US$1.24m, experiences such as Kubu River Hippos, tion wants the exhibit and its messages to %1m) to the development. Lions on the Edge and African Wild encourage advocacy and engage visitors The area will initially house three bach- Dogs. The zoo, which has 225 hectares to help the plight of gorillas. Conservation elor gorillas, but more will join from the of wide, open savannah, is managed by themes that may be explored by the exhibit family group at Melbourne Zoo when they Zoos Victoria, which also incorporates include the bush meat trade; poaching are old enough.

66 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 A 300-seat, all-day restaurant with MEMPHIS ZOO GIVES REACHING NEW HEIGHTS views overlooking a Himalayan landscape HIPPOS A NEW HOME AT themed snow leopard enclosure is incor- porated into the building. Other facilities Hippopotamus at the Memphis Zoo in Twycross Zoo, UK’s new visitor centre, include Windows on the Wild, a corporate the US will be treated to a new home next Himalaya, offi cially opened in May event and private function room available year when the US$16m (£11m, %13.1m) 2010 following an investment of £3m for hire encompassing a New England Zambezi Hippo River Camp opens. (%3.6m, US$4.4m). themed wetland wader bird enclosure. In addition to hippopotamus, the exhibit Constructed by Kier Marriott, the The centre also features the Bazaar and will also provide a natural habitat for Nile centre has been designed to be a Gallery, a 4,000sq ft (372sq m) themed crocodiles, fl amingos and, appearing for central feature of the zoo. The single zoo shopping experience and a tourist the fi rst time at the zoo, okapi. storey, grass-roofed building blends information centre highlighting attractions The exhibit will celebrate the life and with the natural local surroundings in Leicestershire and the surrounding culture of native Africans through the rec- and the new entrance will speed up counties. Also due to open this year is Uda reation a fi shing village commonly found access to the zoo for visitors. Walawe, an Asian themed trail. along the banks of the Zambezi River. The hippo enclosure will feature a large grass area surrounded by a pool, which lake and land habitats and is home to will allow visitors to view the animals as ITALY’S BIGGEST AQUARIUM around 600 species with more than 12,000 they swim underwater. The crocodiles will GETS EVEN BIGGER fi sh, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, birds have a similar habitat, while an upland for- and invertebrates. With more than 1.3 mil- est habitat will be home to the okapi. The Genoa Aquarium is being extended lion visitors a year, the aquarium is one of fl amingo area will feature a pool with small to house a major new dolphin exhibit. the most visited tourist destinations in Italy. islands for the animals to rest on. It has been created to strengthen The exhibit is due to open in 2012. The new exhibit will be a vast improv- the organisation’s mission to raise ment on the hippopotamus’ current home; awareness of the issues of conserva- an enclosed concrete area with a pool that tion, management and responsible has been in existence since the 1950s. use of marine environments. Education and conservation issues will Designed by Renzo Piano Building be addressed through signage, keeper Workshop, who designed the rest talks, animal adoption schemes and a of the aquarium, the `28m (£23.4m, range of other programmes. US$34.1m) development is being The city of Memphis is contributing funded by public investment, Porto US$5m (£3.4m, %4m) to the project with Antico di Genova (owner of the the Memphis Zoological Society funding aquarium) and Costa Edutainment, the US$11m (£7.5m, %9m) balance. The which manages the site. The aquar- exhibit is scheduled to open in mid-2011. ium has 70 tanks that recreate marine, Genoa Aquarium is home to 600 species

AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 67 ZOO AND AQUARIUMS

The Amazon tank is set to be one of the highlights of the Attica Park Zoo aquarium

ing aquatic biomes including temperate, ATTICA PARK ZOO GETS tropical, fresh and saltwater environ- AQUARIUM FOR ATHENS ments from Africa, North and South America, Caribbean, Indo-Pacific and Construction of a major new public the Mediterranean. As well as numer- aquarium at Attica Park Zoo near Athens, ous smaller exhibits, other highlights will Greece, is to get underway later this year. include a large flooded Amazon tank with Owned and managed privately by a 360˚ acrylic tunnel leading through mas- Attica Thematic Park SA, the 6,000sq m sive rainforest trees and a one million-litre (65,000sq ft) indoor and outdoor project tropical reef exhibit representing the Palau is being planned by the co-architect of the Islands of Micronesia. new Acropolis Museum, Michael Photiadis, Some exhibits will utilise multimedia with Lazenby Design Associates. It will technology, while a substantial interactive form part of a development that includes a educational zone will raise awareness of museum of designe by Lazenby, the plight of the world’s oceans, rivers and which is currently under construction. lakes in the face of climate change, pollu- The aquarium, named Okeanopolis, will tion and habitat destruction. Okeanopolis feature exhibits from several contrast- is due to open in early 2012.

Patagonia. Massive cliffs, rock pinnacles, HAGENBECK ENTERS coves, sea caves and a refrigerated ice ICY WATERS exhibit will cover a footprint of more than 10,000sq m (108,000sq ft) and will require Lazenby has also completed the design more than 13,000sq m (140,000sq ft) of phase of the new polar exhibit Eismeer artificial rock work. (The Ice Sea) for Hagenbeck Tierpark in A winding walkway over a kilometre long Hamburg. The %20m (£16.7m, US$24.4m) will lead through several levels of edu- project is the second exhibit that Lazenby cational exhibits, underwater views and has collaborated on with the German zoo. panoramic overlooks. The spacious habi- Launched in 1907 by Carl Hagenbeck, tats will be home to polar bears, walrus, the family-run facility is home to 1,850 seals, and several species of penguins. animals from all over the world. Creative Lazenby took a voyage to Antarctica director of Lazenby Design Associates, to document the various ecosystems as David Lazenby says: “Hagenbeck is histori- research for the project. Geology, land- cally important as it was the first zoo in the forms, lichens, ice formations and the world to construct naturalistic exhibits. It’s types of boulders and gravel on beaches a privilege to be carrying that legacy into will be replicated within the landscapes. the 21st century with an exhibit that truly The key conservation messages will be recreates areas from our polar regions.” led with the effect of climate change on the Eismeer will replace the zoo’s 100-year- polar regions, how it is damaging the deli- old polar Panorama, which was in a poor cate balance of the ecosystems and the state of repair due to the ravages of time, resulting effect on the wildlife. including bomb damage from WW2. Its Construction of Eismeer began in April demolition became an opportunity to 2010 and Lazenby Design Associates will enlarge the habitats and create more inter- remain on the team as art directors until esting spaces for the inhabitants. the exhibit opens in 2011. The project is The new exhibit will feature environ- being funded privately by the zoo with sup- ments from the Arctic, Antarctic and port from the city of Hamburg. ●

AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 [email protected] www.djwillrich.co.uk

               

                        

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AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 69 TITLE 3D/4D /VISION

With 3D coming to cinemas and the home, what does this mean for the SCREENattractions industry? Kath Hudson reports

Red Star’s Dracula 4D is designed to work in 3D, 4D and 5D theatres

ainstream 3D fi lms, such as effects, giving visitors a quick blast in keep- theme is perfect for this coastal location, Alice in Wonderland and Avatar, ing with the theme park experience.” which is steeped in pirate heritage. M have drawn record audiences The advance in mainstream also means Land’s End’s new general manager this year. Now 3D is being promoted by TV the industry can’t be complacent – con- David Bryans, who has been enlisted to broadcasters as the next big thing, with tent has to be excellent and recognisable leverage the 115-acre site, says the com- major manufacturers predicting 3D televi- brands and intellectual property are being pany decided to invest in a 4D experience sion sales to account for more than 50 per used more. The latest installations would because of the longevity and the fl exibil- cent of their turnover by 2012. So, does 3D suggest the industry is leaving 3D behind ity of the many fi lms on offer. “Our main coming into the mainstream represent a in favour of 4D. It’s also likely there will now market is families, so we needed a family- threat for the attractions industry? be a greater push towards 5D, where the orientated attraction, and the reaction has Most of those working in the industry audience can interact with the show. been magical,” he says. “In the fi rst two agree this could benefi t the industry, by months we’ve already seen visitor numbers providing more awareness of the con- NEW ATTRACTIONS rise 10 per cent and we know that visits to cept. Terry Monkton, managing director of At both ends of the UK, attractions have The Curse of Skull Rock are 10 per cent Simworx, says: “I fi rmly believe 3D becom- decided to use 4D for this season’s more than to the Last Labyrinth.” ing more commonplace is a good thing update. Heritage Attractions’ Land’s End in This has represented a hefty investment: for our industry and increases awareness Cornwall has replaced its 22-year-old Last the 100 seats cost £200,000 (US$290,000, of 3D. But what we’re providing attraction Labyrinth experience with a 100-seat 4D %230,000), the fi lm was £40,000 ($60,000, operators with is far more advanced than a effects theatre from Simworx. %50,000), the building work and theming 3D experience obtained at the cinema. We Red Star’s Curse of Skull Rock, shown cost around £25,000 ($36,000, %30,000) supply a fi ve- to 15-minute experience, with in HD 3D projection, was chosen for its and investment in other hardware and enhanced 3D, combined with dramatic family appeal and because the pirate technology brought the total investment up

70 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 4D & BEYOND

Image courtesy of Our Dynamic Earth

Experience everything.

We’re revolutionizing immersive theater.

To fi nd out what’s coming next and to see what we can do for you, talk to us.

web: globalimmersion.com email: [email protected] EMEA+: +44 (0) 8450 456225 USA: +1 303 357 4760 3D/4D

The Curse of Skull Rock Madame Tussauds is showing was chosen for Land’s End a waxwork/4D film based on because of its pirate theme Marvel superheroes

to £525,000 ($765,000, %615,000). “It’s a ing a completely immersive experience, general manager of Madame Tussauds serious investment,” says Bryans. “But the which is even more lifelike and has some London, Edward Fuller. This marks the appeal to families and what it brings to the startling moments. We hope people will start of a five-year deal between the two site makes it worthwhile.” leave feeling as though they’ve had a real- entertainment giants and a significant, Meanwhile, in Scotland, 4Dventure life adventure as well as having had a taste forward-thinking investment by Madame at Edinburgh’s Our Dynamic Earth is a of earth’s diversity on the way.” Tussauds, which will allow the experience £700,000 ($1m, `820,000) 4D attraction, to evolve over time, adding new elements provided by Global Immersion and part FURTHER INTERACTION and additional figures. funded by the Scottish Government. The Madame Tussauds in London, UK, and hardware, including glasses, seats, pro- Marvel Entertainment joined forces this CREATING ANOTHER WORLD jectors and 4D effects came to £300,000 year for a new exhibition, Marvel Super The way in which the attractions indus- ($430,000, `352,000). Theming the Heroes 4D. This uses 4D with interactive try can create a whole other world for its pre-show area as an Arctic exploration themed areas and waxwork models to visitors gives it an immediate edge over cin- base cost £75,000 ($107,000, `88,000). allow visitors to feel as though they’ve had ema and certainly the home, which don’t The services were £115,000 ($165,000, a close-up encounter with superheroes offer the same degree of escapism. `194,000). The film was £180,000 – they can even walk on the ceiling with French theme park Futuroscope has ($258,000, `211,000) and the balance was Spider-Man and step onto Iron Man’s chest used futuristic theming to enhance its lat- made up of contingencies. As its remit was shield. Spanning 9,000sq ft (900sq m) est 4D experience, making visitors feel as to drive home an educational message in over three floors, the climax is Threshold though they’ve entered the world of Arthur an entertaining format, NSC Creative was Animation Studio’s 4D film, shown in a 4D and the Revenge of Maltazard. While commissioned to produce a bespoke eight- dome theatre produced and installed by waiting in the queue, visitors can play minute film to show the earth’s diversity. Kraftwerk, which unites a crack team of interactive games and learn to write their The experience takes visitors on a journey superheroes against one of Marvel’s most names in Minimoy (the language spoken in from the Arctic to the Tropical Rainforest, villainous baddies. Arthur’s world) and measure their weight meeting a shark and a rhino head-on and “The marriage of action-packed 4D ani- in the Minimoy way. Jan Maarten de Raad, escaping the sting of a scorpion’s tail. mation, atmospheric sets and Madame CEO of , which completed the Marketing director Catriona Cardie says Tussauds waxwork figures will give fans theming, says the immersive environment this is their most exciting investment to a totally different way to interact with adds a great deal to the experience. “Parks date: “3D film is very topical right now, but their favourite Marvel heroes. We know it are increasingly looking for attractions with we’ve taken that a stage further by produc- will be a huge hit with our guests,” says a built-in experience to let their visitors

www.kraftwerk.at Creating 4D Theatres for the World´s Leading Parks & Attractions KRAFTWERK Living Technologies GmbH Tel: +43 7242 69269-0 [email protected]

3D/4D

believe, if only for a few hours, that they have entered another world,” he says. The experience is enhanced by Kraftwerk’s 4D seats, which were specially designed for the fi lm. Features include a spider- web launched onto visitors’ faces which is pulled back as they try to grab it.

CONTENT IS KING Animalive’s Sea Life fi lm. Director SimEx-Iwerks has gone for recognisable Ali Kord says that despite new brands with its latest releases, which are all technology, content is king the types of fi lms that have huge popular- ity among the family audience. Dora and Diego’s 4-D Adventure is new for this sea- awoken by a grumpy teenager and his SCALING DOWN son at the Bronx Zoo in New York. Happy bumbling dad on holiday in Transylvania. Proving 3D cinemas don’t have to be Feet 4-D Experience is the latest attraction “While 3D fi lm is breaking out of attrac- huge and costly to be effective is Spanish for both in the tions and into cinemas and home video, 3D museum, The Honey Interpretation UK and Chimelong Paradise in Guangzhou. and 4D attractions are still hugely popular Centre, in Arnes. Explaining the process has gone for if they can offer a high quality entertain- of producing honey and the life of bees, The Wizard of Oz 4-D Experience. ment experience, combined with a popular the council-owned interpretation cen- “Many of our clients are already reporting IP,” says Smith. “However, venues can’t tre was created for 310,000 (£264,000, signifi cant increases in guest satisfaction afford to be lazy about their fi lm selection $385,000). Local company Urano Films and box offi ce returns,” says senior vice – it’s no longer enough to just offer a 3D made the fi ve-minute fi lm and Charmex president fi lm distribution Mike Freuh. fi lm, you need really good fi lms which peo- supplied the equipment. As the museum All the fi lm makers agree that it’s the ple want to watch. Dracula 4D brings the is relatively small, passive 3D glasses were content which will drive this industry for- internationally recognised Dracula brand to used, which is cheaper than installing an ward and keep it ahead of competition 3D visitor attractions for the fi rst time. It’s active system. Museum director Monica from the mainstream. “After you get used designed to work in 3D, 4D and 5D thea- Almestoy says the 3D short makes a big to the new effects, you’re back onto the tres with moving seats, as well as motion impact among visitors, who are always content, so content is always king. After simulators. Although it’s a spooky adven- impressed by the effects. all, the new technology is just a new way ture, we made sure there’s nothing too For a more compact 4D experience, of re-hashing existing, good content,” says scary in there for young children and that Sega Amusements Europe offers an director of Animalive, Ali Kord. the fi lm’s funny and full of action.” Now eight-seater (more seats can be added if Ben Smith, creative director at Red Star, Red Star is working on Sleigh Ride, ready desired), 4D motion theatre, with a library says brands and intellectual property (IP) for the Christmas season. of 3D fi lms, which can be installed into are the way forward, and also that attrac- existing buildings within a couple of days. tions are asking for seasonal fi lms. This is MONEY MATTERS The patented technology in the seats offers why the company’s chosen to use Dracula “There’s enormous pressure for operators up to 2Gs of acceleration and 100 move- for its latest fi lm – a Halloween adventure to stay ahead of the game now. Most of the ments per second. According to Justin where the infamous Count is accidently quotes we’re asked for include options for Burke, general manager sales for Sega some sort of stereoscopic element,” says Amusements Europe, running with three Kord. “Fortunately there’s a whole slew of movies, which is the standard for start up new technologies which offer 3D solutions operations, means that repeat visits are in different ways, and most of them are high and fi lms can easily be swapped to very affordable. For operators with a big keep the attraction fresh. 4D experience, it’s expensive to upgrade, 3D may be coming to the home, but but for other attractions, it can cost as little attractions still have the edge, as Bryans as £20,000 ($30,000, %24,000).” points out: “You probably won’t get water Monkton agrees that it doesn’t have splashed in your face while you’re sitting in to be expensive for a 4D effects theatre: your armchair!” “Operators can keep the attraction fresh I took my four-year-old daughter to see each year by offering new fi lm content. The Curse of Skull Rock at Land’s End. We’re able to retro-fi t our theatres with Although she hid her face at a few points, additional special effects. The great thing and wasn’t happy about being doused with about showing a new fi lm at the start of the water, for the most part she was mesmer- season is that it effectively means they’re ised, particularly by the bubbles falling offering a new attraction without a major from the ceiling, which made her feel as

Happy Feet 4-D Experience new attraction capital outlay. For example, though she was underwater. Afterwards is hugely popular with family Drayton Manor showed The Curse of Skull she said: “I had the best day ever,” which audiences worldwide Rock in 2009 and for 2010 they’re showing proves these attractions are delivering Happy Feet 4D.” exactly what they set out to do. ●

74 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 THTHE INTN ERERACACTITIVEVE Animalive systems do not use pre-recorded animation. 3D characters are controlled live so there is no need to pay for new animation every few months to keep THEATRE your attraction fresh. Now available in turnkey theatre formats, Animalive is the best way to bring live, interactive EXPERIENCE entertainment to your customers.

Sea Life, Brighton, UK

Animalive brought new interactive theatre Animalive technology has a number of experiences to the Atallah Happy Land Park, applications whether it be used as an Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. interactive information booth, queue buster or as a stand alone attraction such The Cat Magic stage show was designed as a mini theatre. by Animalive complete with magic tricks and special effects, bringing the park’s The Kiah Quiz attraction runs at four Merlin Sea mascot to life in 3D. Life centers accross the United Kingdom.

From one on-screen character talking to a small group of people to fully interactive, stunning stage shows entertaining hundreds of audience members, Animalive technology is fully scalable to fulfi ll your live cartoon entertainment needs.

The Looney Tunes Live interactive stage show plays to packed theatres at 3 Butlins holiday centers, combining exciting stage action, live animation and features some famous Looney Tunes characters.

www.animalive.com Worldwide USA FOR [email protected] [email protected] +44 (0)1273 417 440 512.540.0855

© 2010 Digital Interactive Booth Systems Ltd. The interlocking Animalive logo, Animazoo, ChatterBox Mini, ChatterBox Partyroom and all associated logos and designs are trademarks of Digital Interactive Booth Systems Ltd. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. LOONEY TUNES and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s09). SHOW PREVIEW

visit www.liwshowguide.com for more information LEISURE INDUSTRY 2010 WEEK

A new Innovation Zone and Outdoor Demonstration Area are among the features at LIW’s Play & Attractions sector in September, which aims to bring together senior buyers from the visitor attractions industry

eisure Industry Week (LIW) cel- L ebrated its 21st year in 2009 and attracted more than 12,500 visi- tors. The show’s organisers are hoping this year’s programme and wider range of exhibits will encourage even more owners, operators and key decision makers. The Play & Attractions sector will include the new Innovation Zone, which is in part- nership with the Play Providers Association, who represent indoor play centres across the UK. The sector will provide selected exhibitors with the chance to showcase their brand new products and innovations. Last year’s event attracted 12,500 visitors. The organisers hope even more attend LIW 2010 It will also host the Ideas Village where architects, consultants, marketers, design- address how the visitor attractions sector ers and theming companies discuss new should work closer with national agencies designs, developments and solutions. to ensure the highly valued “staycationer Event manager Chris Brown says: “The boom” continues, as the UK strives for features we’ve developed for the Play & economic recovery. The keynote will be Attractions sector will really benefi t visitors chaired by BALPPA’s Martin Barratt. and exhibitors and offer people an oppor- The organisation will also have a lounge tunity to do business and network. Just like on the show fl oor where they will provide a the operators we host, our aim, year-on- space for those in the attractions industry year, is to improve the visitor experience.” to do business and network. The Attractions Industry Party will run on EXHIBITORS the Wednesday evening and will provide Exhibitors include suppliers of turnstiles, further opportunities for sponsors and rides and simulators, theming and special exhibitors to network with decision makers effects, climbing walls, ropes courses and from the UK visitor attractions industry. ● outdoor activity equipment. There will also be exhibitors who design and create indoor play frames and accessories, bowling, LEISURE INDUSTRY WEEK laser tag and paintball equipment, coin- NEC Birmingham, UK operated amusements and suppliers to the 21-23 September 2010 museum and heritage sector. Tues 21 and Wed 22 10-5pm LIW will host an extensive programme Thurs 23 10-4pm The Play & Attractions sector has been of seminars during the three days of the www.liw.co.uk extended to include an Innovation Zone event. The Attractions Industry Keynote will

76 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010          

               

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       # 1  See us   $    ### at LIW 21 23 %     & 4567 Stand H249  '()*+ ,,-.*,         / ##     0      # ## www.omniticket.com

      

NEW THRILLING FAMILY ATTRACTIONS

NEWLY OPENED major high ropes course at Edinburgh Zoo

The Coconut Tree Climb is an attention grabbing, fully themed attraction, See us at popular with children and available for LIW outdoor, indoor or stand No. mobile operation. A175

Call now for further details on +44 (0)116 2887263 Email: [email protected] www.innovativeleisure.co.uk

AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 77 BIODIVERSITY

BIODIVERSITY IS LIFE, BIODIVERSITY IS OUR LIFE

2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity and aims to DAVID WITHOUT BORDERS encourage people to take responsibility of the planet. This multinational expedition is being David Ainsworth explains how attractions are helping broadcast to a web series to inform the audience about the importance of biodi- What is the International versity for our planet. During 12 months, Year of Biodiversity? the explorers will travel around the world The United Nations General Assembly with a high defi nition camera to gather declared that 2010 will be the International the most current information from local Year of Biodiversity (IYB) and will help raise entrepreneurs, scientists, and commu- awareness of the importance of biodiver- nities on biodiversity inspired projects. sity all over the world. It’s an opportunity These projects will have a great impact to stress the importance of biodiversity for on both regional and national regions. our wellbeing, refl ect on our achievements www.davidwithoutborders.com to safeguard biodiversity so far and encour- age a redoubling of our efforts to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss. Governments threats to biodiversity, raise awareness of around the world are being asked to create the accomplishments to save biodiversity a new global strategy to combat biodiver- that have already been realised by com- sity loss and the United Nations General munities and governments, encourage Assembly will have a high level segment to individuals, organisations and govern- address the issue of a more sustainable ments to take the immediate steps needed future for biodiversity loss. to halt the loss of biodiversity, promote innovative solutions to reduce the threats What are its aims? to biodiversity and start dialogue between Through the IYB 2010 we hope to give a stakeholders for the steps to be taken in platform to all the organisations working the post-2010 period. all over the world to safeguard biodiver- sity. The objectives are to enhance public What’s the message? The International Year of Biodiversity awareness of the importance of safeguard- ‘Biodiversity is life, Biodiversity is our life’. aims to raise awareness all over the world ing biodiversity and of the underlying Because biodiversity is a very scientifi c concept, the challenge is to encourage people to understand what it means for their daily lives. ROYAL BOTANICAL A number of information products have GARDENS, KEW, UK been developed with partners, including In a fi tting success story to celebrate web, print and other materials in support IYB, Carlos Magdalena, a horticultur- of press, radio and television. The secre- ist at Kew, has discovered the secret of tariat has created a core set with the aim growing a rare species of African water- of making them available to a number of lily – bringing it back from the brink of organisations for further targeting and extinction. The thermal lily (Nymphaea dissemination. People are extremely thermarum) is believed to be the small- responsive – they’re fi nding creative ways est waterlily in the world, with pads that to get the message out, from putting the can be as little as 1cm in diameter. slogan on bottles of wine, to handing out Kew is also hosting daily biodiversity packets of fl ower seeds around the coun- tours around the gardens in which visi- try, to creating postage stamps. tors learn about biodiversity hot spots, the importance of the rainforest, plant How was the year organised? and animal interdependence and Kew’s It was proclaimed by a United Nations conservation work around the world. resolution, and then the mandate to organ- ise it was given to the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The

78 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 GREEN WAVE Green Wave is a multi-year global campaign that enables children and youths to make a dif- ference – one school, one tree, one step at a time. Green Wave brings together childrenren and youths from around the world to raise awareness about biodiversity, and the needeeded tot reduce its loss. The Green Wave contributes to the Plant for the Planet Billion Tree CaCampaign. The 2010 Green Wave events started on the International Date Line thathatat runs throughgh the Pacifi c, and moves westwards every hour. Beginning at 20:10 local timeme in the GMTMT+T+12 time zone, every hour new trees appear on the map. The map fi lls up withthh trees in Asiaiaa and the Pacifi c, across Europe and Africa, over the ocean to the America, ththen fi nally reaeachesea back to the Pacifi c. http://greenwave.cbd.int

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, UK The Natural History Museum (NHM), London, UK, is hosting the national sec- retariat and working with 400 partners secretariat worked to create the brand- across the UK. It’s informing people of ing and logotype and created a website events happening in the UK through to communicate the information. We work Twitter, which has been listed as the top through national committees around the 50 wildlife and conservation twitters in world and through partners. The national UK newspaper The Guardian. Its aim is committees are self-organised and their for attraction operators to get across to structure really varies. In the UK, for the public why biodiversity is critical and example, the Natural History Museum in why we need to preserve it. “It’s impera- London is the main organiser, while in the tive people begin to pay attention,” says Netherlands it’s a coalition of people. The coordinator Marie Clements. “Attractions United Nations Environment Programme can generate awareness by getting peo- has been very active, and has worked with ple involved in different, fun ways.” The Puma to promote the year. museum is also hosting a range of activi- ties to mark the year including The Deep, What events are taking place? an exhibition exploring 11,000m down in There are events all around the world – the ocean, an Amazonian art exhibition so far, we have more than 100 countries and Nature Live in the Darwin Centre. where celebrations have been reported, www.biodiverstiyislife.net with more reporting each day. There are no limits for what people can do to help

AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 79 BIODIVERSITY

generate excitement. Concerts are being held, school painting competitions are being run. Communities are organising tours and activities where people can dis- cover the biodiversity that surrounds them. The government of Germany worked with 37 different other governments to organise biodiversity action days around the world. At the FIFA World Cup, Puma has a number of events to mark the year. Norway has a major music festival that will refl ect the year. In September there will be a one-day, high-level session of the United Nations General Assembly on the International Year of Biodiversity where heads of state will discuss biodiver- sity, climate change and the Millennium Development Goals. In October the con- ference of the parties for the Convention on Biological Diversity will meet in Japan, where they will celebrate the International A range of activities can be linked into the IYB Year of Biodiversity and will also set the new strategic plan for the convention. What’s happened so far? We had the launch of the year at a cel- How can an attraction get involved? ebration in Berlin with the Chancellor Attractions can be a platform to encourage of Germany and then a conference at people to think about the natural world and UNESCO in Paris. At the latter, the fi lm our connection to it. If thematically suitable, Oceans was previewed to great acclaim. they can include an environmental mes- Our Facebook page was launched and sage – a message of reducing our impact we have more than 35,000 participants on the planet would be good. now. Countries all over the world have cre- Also, attractions should fi nd the most ated commemorative stamps refl ecting the effi cient ways of working to ensure they year. Communities all over the world have use sustainably sourced materials wher- held celebrations as well. ever possible – and let people know that you’re making the effort and that they can Have you seen any difference yet? One of the challenges is teaching people too. Any activities the attraction hosts can We have more visibility for the year and for what biodiversity means to them be linked in to the IYB. the term biodiversity. It’s a very scientifi c term and not many people know about it. What will happen after the IYB? With the IYB, the logo is being placed eve- There’s talk about creating a United EAZA CONSERVATION rywhere – this is sometimes just enough to Nations Decade for Biodiversity and link- FORUM 2010 get people asking questions, which is what ing it with concrete targets to stop the WORKING FOR BIODIVERSITY we want to happen. loss of biodiversity. This means we’ll 29 June – 2 July Seeing the logo in the subways of the track the progress of our struggle to live Hosted by the Papiliorama world and at the FIFA World Cup has been sustainably each year and governments Foundation, Switzerland great. I was in the Washington Airport and will have the commitment to do this. Also, Coinciding with the International saw a broadcast on CNN where the logo we’ll work with our partners at the United Year of Biodiversity, the EAZA for the year was displayed behind a soccer Nations Forum on Forests to promote the Conservation Forum 2010, hosted player who was being interviewed and I International Year of Forests in 2011. ● by the Papiliorama Foundation in was so impressed. Switzerland, will take place at the Loewenberg Centre. What have been the challenges? GET INVOLVED Key themes for discussion will The IYB 2010 is a global campaign For more information on the International include the extinction crisis in designed to encourage worldwide action to Year of Biodiversity visit www.cbd.int/2010 Southeast Asia, European endangered safeguard biodiversity. This is a signifi cant To link an activity to the International species and a focus on apes. challenge. To be successful, we need to Year of Biodiversity, contact the secre- An emphasis will be placed on the inspire action from all sectors, all over the tariat by email at [email protected] involvement of local communities in world. To do this, we need to work together biodiversity conservation and on how to communicate consistent, compelling conservation success can be meas- messages to our shared audience targets. David Ainsworth, Focal Point for the ured. www.eaza.net We’ll provide the communications tools to International Year of Biodiversity, Secretariat help as many organisations as we can.. of the Convention on Biological Diversity

80 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 fun-kit.net

Wherever you are in the world, fi nd the right products and services 24 / 7 by logging on to Attractions Management’s free search engine www.fun-kit.net

For more information, or to contact any of these companies, log on to www.fun-kit.net and type Vendor’s continuous the company name under ‘keyword search’ towel cabinet unveiled Vendor’s new IQ continuous towel cabinet uses patented technology Imaginative clay which allows scrim reinforced paper towel to be topped up at any time. sets from National For added hygiene, used towel is Geographic™ rolled up in the towel cabinet, com- Inspired Gifts and Toys (IGT) has pletely separate from the new towel, unveiled a range of new Nation- so no bin is required. Similar to a al Geographic™ 3-D Creative tower dispenser, the IQ produces a Clay Sets. Suitable for children of loop of paper towel using a portion four-years-old and above, the net control mechanism. But instead of a proceeds from the sale of each single roll of towel, the cabinet takes clay set – which contains air-drying ‘cassettes’ of folded paper. clay – will go towards supporting fun-kit.net keyword exploration, conservation, research vendor and educational programmes. Sets available include dinosaurs, creepy-crawlies, bird of prey and jeep safari. The dealer price for each piece is £5.10 with a recom- mended retail price of £9.99. The fun-kit.net keywords minimum order quantity is six units. inspired gifts

HSL lights up Leap into the blue Verdi’s Nabucco with Bodyfl ight More than 100 Robe moving lights The Bodyfl ight extreme leisure cen- were utilised by HSL for the Israeli tre in Bedford, UK, has unveiled a Opera’s recent production of Verdi’s new activity called Vertigo. Mar- Nabucco. The work was staged in keted as ‘a bungee jump without a purpose-built open-air arena at the bounce’, Vertigo is one of the the foot of Masada Mountain at the tallest POWERFAN™ jumps in the Dead Sea in Israel. UK-based com- UK and enables customers to free pany HSL worked for the Tel Aviv and fall for two thirds of a 125ft drop Jerusalem based Stage Design, the before a cable gradually slows them event’s overall technical provider. HSL down. From beginning the climb to supplied kit including 84 ColorSpot the roof of the tower to landing on 2500E ATs and 24 REDWash 3192s. the ground again, participants are fun-kit.net keyword fun-kit.net keyword securely fastened the entire time to hsl bodyfl ight handrails via a body harness.

AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 81 And the winner is… fun-kit.net WATER FOCUS

Wherever you are in the world, find the the world’s first looping waterslide right products and services 24 / 7 by logging on to Attractions Management’s free search engine www.fun-kit.net

For more information, or to contact any of these

WhiteWater continues to lead the industry with companies, log on to www.fun-kit.net and type award-winning products and innovations. the company name under ‘keyword search’

FlowRider® and Plastic Extruders Heronrib matting from Plastic Ex- truders has been installed around the new FlowRider® surf simulator at the Retallack Resort and Spa in Cornwall, UK. Providing a slip-resis- tant surface for surfers, instructors and spectators, the matting is a comprehensive safety solution for a variety of wet areas. Featuring an embossed surface which helps to keep the product dry, Heronrib mat- fun-kit.net keywords ting is said to be very hardwearing plastic extruders yet comfortable to stand on while also featuring hygeinic anti-bacte- and minimising the potential for rial and anti-fungal additives. The tripping. It is available in several matting is supplied in 10m (32.8ft) colours and in three choices of roll, reducing the number of seams width – 50cm, 1m and 1.22m.

WhiteWater expands MEGAtube™ series

Waterpark designer, manufacturer and engineer WhiteWater West has ex- tended its range of MEGAtube™ waterslides with the Anaconda. Said to be the largest family raft ride ever designed, the high-capacity slide joins the Viper and Python. With a 30ft (9m) diameter fully-enclosed flume, the Anaconda carries six rid- ers and climbs as high as 15ft (4.5m). The technology allows for flume-in-flume capabilities, so anoth- fun-kit.net keywords er waterslide can pass through the MEGAtube™. The Waterpark Company [email protected] AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 4EL sWWWWHITEWATERWESTCOM Licensed by AquaRena A powerful solution for LEGOLAND® Windsor Cowabunga Bay, Utah Cowabunga Bay, They’ll stay and play all day! Exciting hands-on adventures for the entire family.

A new series of SP high fre- maintenance manager at LEGO- quency (HF) chargers have been LAND® Windsor said: “It’s not just installed by Exide Technologies children that ride in the boats; we on the self-drive boats at LEGO- often have two adults and a child in LAND® Windsor, UK. Exide has a boat, which can be in use for 10 provided the monobloc batteries hours a day – so we have to be sure – which are also commonly found that the batteries can cope. In addi- Hersheypark, Pennsylvania in cars, golf caddies and clean- tion, HF chargers can also provide ing machines – for the 30 popular considerable financial savings due boats for more than 14 years. The to improved power conversion and new high frequency chargers will lower energy costs – a positive step ensure that charging costs are re- in reducing carbon emissions.” duced and that the batteries use is fun-kit.net keywords fully optimised. Steve Hainge, ride exide technologies

Hanovia’s new disinfection technology Wet ’n’ Wild, Arizona UK-based theme park Alton Tow- ers has recently replaced its ozone water treatment system with two Hanovia UV disinfection solutions. The medium pressure PSP units installed dramatically reduced the combined chlorines in the large indoor swimming pool and whirl- pool – in the swimming pool alone, the parts per million (ppm) were lowered from 0.9ppm to 0.3ppm.

The system for the main pool treats Wild Wadi, Dubai fun-kit.net keyword up to 1,018 metres cubed per hour, hanovia based on a UV dose of 60 mJ/cm2.

AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 The Waterpark Company [email protected] 4EL sWWWWHITEWATERWESTCOM ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT

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Costume creation & cartoon character appearances Contact Danny Smith: +44 (0)20 8254 5312 [email protected] www.rainbowproductions.co.uk www.3dba.be Call the Sales Team Today to Discuss Your Booking BRANDLANDS/ARCHITECTS/BOTANIC/CULTURAL/MUSEUMS 01462 Hippo Leisure Products Ltd, Unit 18, Estover 431385 Road, Estover, Plymouth PL6 7PY Tel: +44 (0) 1752 313075 E: [email protected] www.attractionsmanagement.co.uk W: www.hippoleisure.com

To subscribe to Attractions Management log on to www.leisuresubs.com email: [email protected] tel +44 1462 471913 fax +441462 433909. Annual subscription rates are UK £34, Europe £45 rest of world £65, students UK £17 ...museums brandlands cultural attractions botanic gardens Attractions Management is published each quarter by The Leisure Media Company Limited, Portmill House, Portmill Lane, Hitchin, Herts SG5 1DJ, UK and is distributed in the USA by SPP, 75 Aberdeen Road, Emigsville, PA 17318-0437. zoos safari parks visitor centres themed attractions mixed Periodicals postage paid @ Manchester, PA. POSTMASTER. Send US address changes to Attractions Management, c/o development heritage centres science centres hotels restaurants... PO Box 437, Emigsville, PA 17318-0437 USA The views expressed in print are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the publisher The Leisure Media Company Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recorded or otherwise without the prior permission of the copyright holder. Printed by The Manson Group Printers. © Cybertrek Ltd 2010 ISSN 1479/9154

84 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 It’s All Here. The Thriving Marketplace for the Attractions Industry.                                     S                ! "!"                !!"       #! !          !          !  $$$ $     % 

IAAPA Attractions Expo 2010 Produced by: ORLANDO, FLORIDA USA  Conference: November 15–19, 2010   Trade Show: November 16–19, 2010  Orange County Convention Center To attend go to www.IAAPA.org THANK YOU Madame Tussauds & Merlin Entertainments for your trust in KRAFTWERK 4D ATTRACTIONS

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GLOBAL REFERENCES

Thöni Aluminiumwelten, Telfs (AUT) Jesperhus, Nykøbing Mors (DEN) Galeria Bran, Bran (ROM) Prime Cine Touring, Berlin (GER) Kamori Rusutsu, Hokkaido (JPN) AIDAluna (OCEANS) Ancol, Jakarta (INA) Tibidabo, Barcelona (ESP) Costa Luminosa (OCEANS) Parque Isla Magica, Sevilla (ESP) Lotte World, Seoul (KOR) City of Dreams – The Bubble, Bakken Park, Klampenborg (DEN) Agat Asia, Almaty (KAZ) Macau (CHN) Bellewaerde Park, Ieper (BEL) Misa, Kuala Lumpur (MAS) City of Dreams – Virtual Aquarium, Faarup Sommerland, Blokhus (DEN) Happy Valley, Shenzhen (CHN) Macau (CHN) Shipra World, Agra (IND) Bogor Nirwana Residence, Aviation Pavilion, Gold Reef City, Johannesburg (RSA) Jakarta (INA) World Expo 2010, Shanghai (CHN) Zoomarine, Albufeira (POR) NP-Zentrum Kellerwald, Austrian Pavilion, Jawa Timur Park, Jawa Timur (INA) Vöhl-Herzhausen (GER) World Expo 2010, Shanghai (CHN) Bobbejaanland, Kasterlee (BEL) AIDAbella (OCEANS) Shanghai Pavilion, Gardaland, Castelnuovo Corpus, Oegstgeest (NED) World Expo 2010, Shanghai (CHN) del Garda (ITA) Gondwana Prähistorium, Futuroscope, Poitiers (FRA) Slagharen, Slagharen (NED) Schiffweiler (GER) Madam Tussauds, London (GBR) KRAFTWERK Living Technologies GmbH Tel: +43 7242 69269-0 [email protected] www.kraftwerk.at

KW_MadamTussauds_10_RZ.indd 01 05.07.10 11:10