#54 • volume 10, issue 4 • 2014 www.inparkmagazine.com

12 WhiteWater’s Geoff & Paul Chutter on the family business & innovation in water attractions 18 Zoos and aquariums expand offerings 30 Waterpark attendance figures www.inparkmagazine.com #54• volume 10, issue 4

Revisit, revitalize, reinvest 6 The operational lifecycle of waterparks • by Glenn A. O’Connor

Designing for bears, dogs, lemurs, humans, and other living things 8 JCO creates habitats for all • by Judith Rubin

Opening a new chapter at WhiteWater 12 Geoff Chutter & Paul Chutter join forces • by Martin Palicki

A tough year 18 Report from AZA 2014 • by Judith Rubin

Liquid profits 21 Operators discover the benefits of adding water • by Joe Kleiman

Around the world in 80 slides 24 A photographic look at Polin’s global installations

A return to the Wet ‘n’ Wild 28 Behind the scenes at the Vegas hit waterpark • by Judith Rubin, Martin Palicki and Jill Bibby

2013 attendance figures 30 A look at global waterpark attendance numbers • courtesy of TEA and AECOM

The art of COST 38 IPM does a little Midwestern bonding and visits COST of Wisconsin • by Martin Palicki

staff & contributors advertisers EDITOR DESIGN All Things Integrated 38 Martin Palicki mcp, llc IAAPA Attractions Expo 5 The J Co 10 CO-EDITOR CONTRIBUTORS Judith Rubin Jill Bibby Polin 2 Glenn A. O’Connor Weber Group back CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Joe Kleiman SALES WhiteWater West 20, 17, 7 Mitch Rily Martin Palicki Zebec 39 Kim Rily

COVER: Father and son team Geoff and Paul Chutter pose on a prototype of WhiteWater West’s Slideboarding attraction at the European Attractions Show. Full story on p 12. Photo credit Martin Palicki.

www.inparkmagazine.com  Just add water. Water: something we Judiciously. can all relate to

Martin Palicki, Judith Rubin, IPM editor IPM co-editor

ater goes with everything. Hotels first realized his issue of InPark has a spotlight on zoos and Wthe benefit of adding an indoor waterpark Taquariums as well as waterparks. All three types in 1994, further strengthening the bond between of facilities are geared to families. All are providing hotels and water leisure. In recent years, malls, zoos ever more integrated attractions and environments. and even cruise ships have beefed up offerings And all are making the most of water features. with slides, lazy rivers and water play structures. We are drawn to the water, it seems, and more visitor Our best zoos and aquariums are always improving, destinations are realizing that. working to create ever-better habitat for the animals in their charge. They also work to foster an The traditional waterpark is still popular, but the emotional connection and learning experience for scope of water play is expanding rapidly. Waterparks the humans who visit, to spur and support action on are popping up in new, unexpected places. Who urgent conservation issues and the threat of species would have thought the Black Sea region would be extinction. an up and coming waterpark market? And the desert of Las Vegas is now home to two waterparks: Wet Water provides a universal connection - something all ‘n’Wild and Cowabunga Bay. creatures on Earth need for survival, and seek out for play and respite. As human lives become more urban, These are prime examples of how the water leisure and water resources more precious and endangered, industry continues to expand even as access to both people and animals are affected. There are fewer water sources is tightening and conservation efforts opportunities to have water experiences in nature. increase. The limited supply of fresh water in many parts of the world will only become more important Waterparks help people fulfill their natural inclination to communities, media and governments. Our to get in the water to play and relax. Animals have industry must be on the forefront of this issue, or it the same needs, and environments that serve will come back to haunt us later. animals’ full range of needs and behaviors must include suitable water features. We’re seeing zoos As more markets turn to our industry to help them and aquariums accommodate that need more fully, “just add water” it is up to us to do it responsibly and make the most of the bonding opportunity by and with an eye towards long-term success and designing in ways that people can feel a part of it. sustainability. • • • Because everyone likes to go for a dip. • • •

InPark News Editor Joe Kleiman inTHEMED ENTERTAINMENT ([email protected]) corresponds for IPM online and in print, specializing inWATERPARKS in design and technology for attractions, museums and giant screen cinema. He lives inMUSEUMS in Sacramento with his dog, Bucky.

inDOME THEATERS InPark Magazine (ISSN 1553-1767) is published Such material must be accompanied by a five times a year by Martin Chronicles Publishing, self-adressed and stamped envelope to be LLC. 2349 E Ohio Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53207. returned. inAMUSEMENT PARKS Shipping address: 2349 E Ohio Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53207. Phone: 262-412-7107. Printing by Postmaster: Send address changes to InPark what are you into? Short Run Printing Magazine 2349 E Ohio Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53207. Subscriptions are available annually for Subscriber for free @ inparkmagazine.com Contents © 2014 InPark Magazine. All rights $40 per year ($55 international). reserved. Nothing in the magazine may be reproduced or used in any manner without the Opinions expressed in editorial matter are not prior written permission of the magazine. InPark necessarily those of InPark Magazine or its Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited publishers, Martin Chronicles Publishing, LLC. manuscripts, photographs or illustrations.  www.inparkmagazine.com BIG STARTS HERE Want big results? Look no further than IAAPA Attractions Expo 2014.

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CONFERENCE: NOV. 17–21, 2014 • TRADE SHOW: NOV. 18–21, 2014 ORANGE COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER • ORLANDO, FLORIDA USA www.IAAPA.org/IAAPAAttractionsExpo www.inparkmagazine.com Revisit, revitalize, reinvest by Glenn A. O’Connor, OALA, CSLA ASLA

decisions and prioritize the revitalization of assets, program decisions Water parks have an operational life cycle. must be objective, based on professional experience and solid data.

ake a critical look at your water park facilities to determine whether Revisiting Tthey are reaching a critical stage in their operational life cycle. Is the guest experience still exciting and appropriate? Is attendance all In order to increase attendance and overall park revenue, take a close, it could be? objective look. What is the mix of rides/attractions? What are the existing ride capacities? What about program, circulation, creative Declining attendance and guest experience are influenced by many theming and all related facilities? What is the current attendance interrelated factors. Rather than asking “What things can I add to the – annually, monthly and daily peak in park – and what should the park?” it is better to approach the problem in a more systematic way, targeted attendance be? In addition, we need to understand what following a few simple steps. The owner and operator can maximize rides and attractions are most popular and performing well at capacity, Return on Investment (ROI) by revisiting, revitalizing and reinvesting which are at an acceptable capacity and which are below capacity. in an objective, appropriate and creative way. There is more to it than Understand what you have today, in order to build for tomorrow. water and fiberglass. It starts by putting yourself in the shoes (or perhaps flip-flops) of the guest. Part of the process, when planning for park revitalization, is to gauge regional and local market demographics. Only by examining With the passage of time, not only do park facilities mature, but guest current and future capacities, carefully and objectively, can we begin demographics may change. With a shift in demographics may come to make informed decisions about which rides and attractions a shift in guest needs and recreation habits, necessitating a shift in the require refurbishing, removal or replacement and which new rides guest experience provided. By imagining ourselves as guests, we are and attractions we might consider adding. This same in-depth in a better position to consider what things we might be looking for: examination needs to be applied to all existing infrastructure family needs (especially those of small children), food and beverage – anything and everything that contributes toward enhancing the service, merchandise, washrooms and of course an appropriate level overall guest experience. of entertainment. Revitalizing Ideally, the guest experience you provide will keep guests coming back for repeat visits, enjoying longer stays and even tempted to Once the analysis and evaluation of the existing water park have been spend more freely. Here’s a summary of how a professional analysis completed, the planning and creative design work begin: addressing is conducted and implemented to revisit, revitalize and reinvest the issues that have been identified, understanding the opportunities meaningfully in a water park. In order to make prudent business and constraints, and formulating solutions that will enhance the

 www.inparkmagazine.com park’s performance and guest experience. In particular, the mix of The planning and design phase will also help to identify areas where rides and attractions needs to be precisely balanced in order to meet park expansion can occur, if applicable, and what the sequence the current and desired demographic profiles. should be. Operational costs also need to be considered and strategies for water conservation, energy use, placement of rides and Other issues may have been identified within the existing lifeguard staffing. The potential synergy of renewed and expanded infrastructure, operations or general guest experience, and must facilities can be now identified and subsequent decisions prioritized. also be addressed. Based on ride capacity analysis data, decisions Planning and design work will also allow capital budget forecasting about ride renewal, removal and replacement can be made. Creative for coming years and assist an owner to evaluate the potential ROI. theming, layout refinement, reorganization and design solutions can Using both the existing and projected data will also allow capital now be organized into a plan that establishes strong relationships budget forecasting and assist the owner or operator in evaluating between elements and areas, including rides, attractions, food and the potential ROI. Using both existing and projected data, owners beverage and back-of-house. and operators are also able to track overall attendance changes and changes in guest distribution within the park, as implementation The integration of the program and site elements into a cohesive is sequentially rolled out. In this regard, any impact from renewed sequence of guest experiences throughout the park will be calculated or new facilities can be compared to projected ride and attraction to bring the desired result: a memorable place that guests will want capacities, and used objectively to evaluate the success of a program to visit often and spend more time per visit. change within the water park.

Reinvesting Simply stated, good planning and good design, combined with a depth of experience, can create places that make everyone happy: The basic goal is to increase attendance over a sustained period of guests, owners and operators. • • • time by revitalizing current facilities. Setting priorities for renewal or replacement of infrastructure, rides and attractions, or other Glenn A. O’Connor OALA, CSLA ASLA is a Principal and Senior Director, park assets, will help create a phased renewal program that will Water Parks at FORREC. He can be reached at [email protected] systematically enhance the waterpark.

www.inparkmagazine.com Andean Bear Range provides a naturalistic habitat with water features and climbing structures. Photo: Saint Louis Zoo.

www.inparkmagazine.com Designing for bears, dogs, lemurs, humans, and other living things

by Judith Rubin

n 2007, the Saint Louis Zoo mounted a $120M capital campaign, setting in motion a series of major changes and Iexpansions, unfolding through 2017. A 10-year rollout is nothing unusual for this prestigious, Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoo, where large-scale changes entail a lengthy journey from visioning and master plan, through fundraising, bidding, fine-tuning and construction.

Saint Louis-based JCO was awarded the planning, design and execution contract for three projects at the Zoo. The 10-acre River’s Edge, reconfigured with three new animal habitats, opened in June 2014. The revamp of The Living World welcome center has gradually uncapped new features including retail, food, cinema and classroom space. And the original Elephant House (circa 1918) – it hasn’t housed elephants in many years but served a range of other purposes - reopened in 2008 as Peabody Hall, a dedicated, 5,000-square-foot space for traveling exhibitions.

JCO founder Jumana Brodersen, a former creative director with Busch Entertainment Corp. (now SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment) put all her professional background, and her company’s skillset, into play for these projects. From her years with Busch, she had gained the operator’s perspective along with the ability to design for people, animals and exhibits, and the ability to reconcile vision with the realities and challenges of budget, timeline and construction. These combined with her knack for envisioning a creative solution beyond the initial expectations and getting others to see it, too.

Purina Painted Dog Preserve comes to River’s Edge Collaboration of this kind is key to keeping things fresh at the Saint “What’s ultimately the goal of this project? What is the essence of this Louis Zoo. “It serves an institution best to work with a variety of project? If this project were a 30-second commercial, what would design professionals who have animal experience as well with strong it be? You go back to the parameters,” says Brodersen. “For River’s support teams to bring fresh approaches to this unique business,” Edge, the goals included more animals, enriched animal habitats says McGuire. and enhanced guest experience, as well as improved animal care, infrastructure and operational efficiency.”

“River’s Edge is this big, immersion exhibit with a loop trail,” said David McGuire, AIA William Bernoudy Vice President Architecture and Planning, Saint Louis Zoo. “The donut hole in the middle was where we planned upgraded facilities for Andean Bear Range. We also wanted to expand the Sun Bear Forest, with space to build out for one more animal in the future. Being in the business as long as she has, Jumana recognized how to make the process more efficient at the front end. She was instrumental in helping us make the leap to go outside the original plan.”

Collaborating with Zoo executive staff including McGuire and Jack Grisham, Vice President, Animal Collections, the team exceeded original goals for populating River’s Edge with more animals – adding the new Purina Painted Dog Preserve - and realizing capital and operating cost efficiencies by supporting all three exhibits with one shared, main animal management area. A bonus result was that the The approach to Purina Painted Dog Preserve takes visitors into Red Pandas, which had been behind the scenes at the Zoo, were an octagonal viewing hut immersing them in the midst of the relocated to the former Sun Bears area, coming into public view for exhibit with unobstructed views through floor-to-ceiling glass. the first time in their new, larger habitat. Photo: Saint Louis Zoo.

www.inparkmagazine.com  The Living World and Peabody Hall “The client’s goal for The Living World was to create a 21st Century zoo arrival experience to start visitors off right, and create positive first impressions,” said Brodersen.

The Living World occupies a 40,000-square-foot building at the north entrance of the Saint Louis Zoo, brings together many elements for welcoming and serving the homo sapiens who visit. An important aspect is the completely redesigned Welcome Center, where Zoo staff help guests plan their visits and purchase tickets. There are also expanded retail and food offerings, special events space, classroom space, the Monsanto education gallery, and digital cinema, plus offices for Human Resources, Marketing and Education.

Some design reconfigurations were implemented when an analysis of guest numbers showed the likelihood of a crowd-flow bottleneck at the entrance, and questions came up about the accommodations The Peabody Hall exterior was authentically restored to for traveling exhibitions. its original 1918 charm and beauty. The JCO design team and the Zoo worked closely with preservationists. Photo by The exhibition hall was relocated to the former Elephant House, Roger Brandt, courtesy Saint Louis Zoo. now completely renovated as Peabody Hall. “Having the traveling exhibition space at the front gate was not ideal, and Jumana helped A sense of arrival: The expansive new welcome center at The Living World at the north entrance to the Saint Louis Zoo. JCO rendering courtesy Saint Louis Zoo. us realize that,” said McGuire. This, in turn, solved the bottleneck to the Climatron, a tropical greenhouse and guest favorite especially issue, freeing up 4,000 square feet at The Living World entrance and during the colder months. Expected to open in late 2015, the Center facilitating the design of a truly inviting orientation space that does is being gutted and updated with a spread of educational exhibits full justice to one of Brodersen’s favorite phrases: “a sense of arrival.” and interactives designed to extend exploration and learning. “The In collaboration with OWH Architects, JCO delivered an interior new, family-friendly, digitally-equipped, year-round space will be renovation of The Living World that is versatile, accessible and airy, configurable for multiple purposes,” says Brodersen. “Being among and expected to be fully complete by the end of 2014. the plants at the Garden evokes a sense of beauty and curiosity. The Center will augment that with relevant, changing themes and Madagascar and MOBOT programs networked to the larger community. Guests will have The Florida Aquarium in Tampa brought in JCO for a boutique project: many options to actively participate and create their own content.” Journey to Madagascar, a new themed, immersive environment on Brodersen is working closely with MOBOT’s internal engineering and its upper level. Ring-tailed lemurs are the stars of the show, with education departments on the project. • • • supporting exhibits of amphibians and insects also from Madagascar. JCO’s design scope included the public spaces and the holding areas, JCO (www.thejco.com) creates immersive environments for theme parks, collaborating closely with Director of Exhibits & Graphic Design Pete water parks, amusement parks, zoos, aquariums and marine mammal Colangelo, and the animal care specialists at the Aquarium. “Because parks around the world. Services include themed entertainment master of the animals’ specific needs in terms of space, feeding, care and planning, attraction design and animal habitat design. comfort when they are out of public view, designing the holding areas can be a more intricate task than designing the guest areas,” noted Brodersen. Journey to Madagascar opened in spring 2014.

For the Missouri Botanical Garden (MOBOT) in Saint Louis, JCO was awarded (via RFP process) the contract to re-imagine the Brookings Interpretive Center, an existing 4,500-square foot building adjacent Opening a new chapter at WhiteWater Geoff Chutter & Paul Chutter join forces

Since its founding in 1980, WhiteWater West Industries Ltd. has grown into a leading supplier in waterparks and attractions that “thinks outside the pool.” In September, WhiteWater announced the appointment of founder and CEO Geoff Chutter’s son, Paul Chutter, as Vice President, Sales Operations/Corporate Development. InPark editor in chief Martin Palicki interviewed the father-son business duo about company history, their individual backgrounds and the new dynamic this alliance brings to WhiteWater.

Let’s start at the beginning. Geoff, you’ve said that you saw Geoff, what was your original plan for the company? To become an opportunity in this business after viewing Canada’s first an operator? Supplier? Both? waterpark in development. Tell me about that park visit - how did you realize this was going to become such a big industry? Geoff: The initial plan was solely park ownership and operations. However, after opening that park, four different groups approached Geoff: In 1980, I’d been working for KPMG for 5 years as a CPA. One me wanting information on how to design and manufacture of my audits was with the Jimmy Pattison group. During the audit I waterslides. We had manufactured our own waterslide molds, so we saw the first waterslide park in Canada called Wild Waters, which was entered into contracts to supply waterslides to these groups, and the located in Kelowna, BC. I was so intrigued by it and started looking for rest is history. I discovered that I enjoyed the development more than land. On December 15, 1980 a partner and I bought 18 acres of land operations. The first waterslide I ever rode was testing our own when in the Okanagan valley and built WhiteWater, the waterslide park. we opened the waterpark.

Honestly, I had no idea that the industry would grow as it has and in Paul, you grew up the same time WhiteWater did. What are some fact the entire start was building and operating our own waterpark. of your memories of being raised in a leisure environment? The vision of doing what we do today, came later.

12 www.inparkmagazine.com www.inparkmagazine.com Paul: I have very fond memories of growing up alongside an industry of my studies, I began working first in corporate finance and M&A that was equally as young and undeveloped as I. After-hours evenings advisory, then in equity sales and trading, where I spent years working spent riding slides as a toddler right through to lengthy stays in Europe intimately with many of Canada’s largest corporations. I can’t think of and Asia during park constructions all formed part of a childhood any better foundational experience to then be applied to business intimately linked to this industry from the beginning. Today it is operations. incredibly gratifying to look back at both of our evolutions. Tell us about your new role at WhiteWater, Paul, and what you Geoff, back in 1980 what background did you bring to launch are bringing to the company. this new business? Paul: I have joined as WhiteWater’s Vice President of Sales Operations Geoff: When I opened up my first waterpark, I had no experience & Corporate Development. Our team sits at the heart of our sales, launching businesses. As a CPA I had worked with dozens of design, engineering and estimating groups, coordinating the entire companies, from a financial perspective of course, but also got to life cycle of a contract, from incubation to completion. Additionally, talk to management teams and learn about their daily challenges I personally will be assessing and evaluating any corporate and accomplishments of having a business. Also, my father, uncles, development opportunities in our marketplace that may be accretive and my grandfather all did very well in business. I came from a family to WhiteWater. I hope to be able to incorporate my experience of entrepreneurs - so to a degree it was in my blood. Having them analyzing businesses in the public sphere to bring a distinct and support me emotionally has been huge to WhiteWater’s success. objective mindset to WhiteWater. A fresh set of eyes and a new perspective can often be as valuable as all of the industry experience Tell us about some of those family businesses over the in the world. generations. Geoff, what are your thoughts on Paul working now for Geoff: On my Dad’s side of the family, my grandfather emigrated WhiteWater? from the UK and ended up bringing to Vancouver with him a wire rope manufacturing business. With mining and forestry industries Geoff: I was caught completely off guard when Paul expressed booming in BC, wire rope was in great demand and was up to that interest in working for WhiteWater because for 32 years Paul and I time imported, until my grandfather built a factory in what is today have never, ever talked about him working here. It was just this past the Granville Island Market. He managed the factory until retirement, spring when I was out in Toronto for a board meeting that Paul told when my uncle took over.

My father and uncles also owned their own businesses, each with Paul Chutter, riding one success. My father’s first 20 working years were as a professional of dad’s first engineer at Lafarge Cement in both France and Canada. I credit him waterslides. for WhiteWater’s early entrance into the international market, having Photo courtesy spent my high school years in Paris. the Chutter family.

Paul, did you think that someday you wanted to work for the company?

Paul: It was always something that was in the back of my mind, yes. But for me it was incredibly important to forge my own path, to develop my own career prior to even contemplating joining the WhiteWater family. This was paramount not just for my own principled reasons, but critically, so that there was legitimate value I brought to the business when I joined.

Paul, tell us a bit about your professional career path and what inspired you to go in that direction.

Paul: After graduating from McGill University, I had great ambitions of living and working in one of the world’s true commercial centers, and therefore took the step of moving to London where I attended law school. Years of living in a global financial hub drew my attention to the fast-paced world of investment banking, where upon completion

www.inparkmagazine.com www.inparkmagazine.com 13 me of his interest in moving from the financial sector, working as the benevolence, and his unrivaled understanding of business Director of the Canadian Desk for UBS Europe, into the manufacturing fundamentals. In life, my father, for all that he has taught me. sector. Geoff: My father, uncles and grandfather have inspired me in the I then discussed the idea of Paul working for WhiteWater with many business side of life. All were very successful and they operated within people and received overwhelmingly positive attitudes towards it. I the basic principles of integrity, fairness and hard work. I have also give Paul tremendous credit for going out into the real world and been inspired by the books “Good to Great” and “The Toyota Way.” working hard and proving himself before joining WhiteWater. His number one motivation for coming to WhiteWater was simply to work What sort of innovations, products or parks are you most for his Dad, which frankly leaves me speechless and full of emotion. proud of?

How is the family dynamic now that you are working Geoff: An innovative acrylic Master Blaster that was installed on a together? cruise ship was an engineering feat that I’m extremely proud of, but the product that resonates with me personally and is consistently the Paul: My father and I have always had a great personal and now, number one ride in every park, is the Boomerango. The combination working, relationship. We have each individually and independently of sensations guests experience is unparalleled and has led to our acted as sounding boards for the other on various topics and at a introduction of Fusion waterslides which are slides with two or more variety of stages in our lives. This new chapter represents yet another iconic feartures. iteration of that very meaningful and ever developing relationship. The more recent innovation we’re excited about is Slideboarding, Who has inspired you? which we believe will be a game changer in both the waterpark and the amusement park industries. Paul: In the business world, Richard Branson, for his passion, entrepreneurial spirit, sense of adventure and dedication to What role does innovation play in the waterpark market, and conservation; and Warren Buffet, for his foresight, his unprecedented at WhiteWater?

Geoff Chutter in WhiteWater’s Richmond yard, 2014.Photo courtesy WhiteWater West.

14 www.inparkmagazine.com The Boomerango Waterslide, a staple of a modern waterpark Photo courtesy WhiteWater West.

Geoff: Innovation is huge for WhiteWater and within the industry. Is there anything you would change if you could do it all over We have a significant budget devoted to product development and again? a 10-person team exclusively dedicated to the development of new products and the constant improvement of existing ones. In the last Geoff: I’ve made hundreds of decisions, and many that I’m sure I’d 2 or 3 years, they have brought us great things like the Python™, change if I had to do them all over again. They’ve all contributed to the Rattler™, No Boundaries™, AquaCourse™, Raft Battle, the mobile a greater body of knowledge that, in the long run, has resulted in a FlowRider® and the Anaconda™. As a result WhiteWater holds over greater number of good decisions over the bad ones. 125 patents and has received upwards of 100 prestigious awards including IAAPA Best New Product Awards, the WWA Leading Edge What is something you have learned that you didn’t know Awards, Amusement Today Golden Ticket Awards and more. when starting the company?

WhiteWater has been around for almost 35 years - what do the Geoff: It’s fair to say that every day I learn something new. If there is next 35 hold? What do you think the waterparks of 2050 will one learning moment that stands out for the company - for me - it look like? was recognizing that the company is better served if I surround myself with people who are better than I am at what they do. WhiteWater Geoff: December 2014 will mark the 35th anniversary for WhiteWater, has been incredibly fortunate to attract folks who are top caliber from but I think it’s the next 35 years that will be the most exciting. There around the world. is a whole new generation of new young and inspired people who are excited to take the company to the next level. There is What principles do you think are important for running any huge opportunity to evolve the industry in terms of technology, successful business? globalization and in terms of changing the basic definition of a waterpark. We think the next 35 years will define a waterpark quite Paul: Fundamentally, businesses must be run to be sustainable differently that what they have been known as in the past 35 years. - that is, to be dynamic and able to thrive through all economic Technology will be a big part of the waterpark industry’s future. We conditions, in multiple markets, providing meaningful, highly see lots of opportunity for change. differentiated results to their customers. Such differentiation is key to survival. Equally important is respect for your employees. The best

www.inparkmagazine.com businesses provide a work environment where each employee feels were told we would fail. There hasn’t yet been a group of people that the organization and their leadership respects their dignity and the haven’t found the joy in the combination of water, sun and the family. value of their contributions to the business. Lastly is a drive to be a Waterparks provide a place and activities where all members of the leader in your space. If you are not disrupting things and creating new family of any age group, can have fun. value for your customers, what are you doing today? Theme parks generally make significant capital re-investments Geoff: WhiteWater has developed a set of fundamental principles every 2-3 years to bring in a new attraction, ride or show. What that guide the running of the company. In the end, it really comes should the reinvestment strategy be for waterparks? down to honesty, integrity, respect and hard work. When these are blanketed over the three axioms of “Good to Great”: economic Geoff: Similar to the theme park industry, waterparks can become viability, passion and the ability to be best in the world, great things stale and there should be an ongoing program of introducing a new can occur. attraction every 2-3 years to keep people coming back. Being a new industry, we haven’t faced a shortage of brand new products that Globally, what have you discovered about investing in push the boundaries. We were fortunate in 1980 in that we weren’t waterpark creation and bringing your products to international coming into a mature industry. As the ‘Original Waterpark Company’ markets? the last 35 years have generated no shortage of new ideas. Our own reinvestment strategy, not surprisingly, has been to attract the next Geoff: WhiteWater has been able to defy cultural assumptions generation of stars to lead not only WhiteWater but also the industry. all over the world bringing waterpark success stories to places we • • •

Paul and Geoff accept the European Star Award for Best Waterslide, 2014.Photo courtesy of WhiteWater West

16 www.inparkmagazine.com www.inparkmagazine.com “A tough year” Zoos & Aquariums address conservation, experience design and reframing the debate by Judith Rubin

“We need to do a better job communicating to the public our mission SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment and Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, with of conservation and saving animals from extinction,” said Jim Maddy, leadership from Brad Andrews, Chief Zoological Officer, SeaWorld president and CEO of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) at Parks & Entertainment and AZA chair Jackie Ogden, Ph.D., VP Animals, the 90th annual AZA conference in Orlando. He was introducing a Science & Environment, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts. new coordinated conservation effort uniting stakeholders with the common goal of saving species from extinction. Staying the course

Zoos and aquariums today are re-examining both method and The recession and staycation trends have supported attendance message. As wild creatures and wild places become scarcer and at local zoos in the same way as at regional amusement parks and the world grapples with the attendant issues, zoos and aquariums museums. In his opening address, Maddy pointed out that no AZA are actively stepping up their positioning as leaders in conservation. members had been forced to close during the recession and that At the same time, there are new design approaches, technologies employment is up in the sector. He also stressed the importance of and media being incorporated to enhance and intensify the guest positive experiences in staying close to the hearts and minds of the experience as well as that of the animals, often intertwining the two public: “You are trusted by guests and by the general public.” in unique ways. “We are the real activists; we are the real animal advocates. Stand AZA 2014 took place Sept 12-18 in Orlando, in conjunction with proud and stay the course,” said Bill Wolden, outgoing president of the annual meeting of IMATA (International Marine Animal Trainers’ IMATA and Director of Training and Development at Dolphin Quest. Association). Between AZA and IMATA, the number of delegates IMATA, an international organization, represents 1,800 trainers, was just over 3,000. The event was co-hosted and co-planned by researchers, educators and vets.

(1) Elephants of the Zambezi River (2) Big Cat Crossing at Philadelphia Zoo Valley at Sedgwick County Zoo

(3) Heart of Africa at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

(4) Avatar land concept art. © Disney

18 www.inparkmagazine.com www.inparkmagazine.com Exhibit design at some theaters running from November 1 through early January to meet popular demand. Sessions about new and upcoming projects, and conversations on the AZA trade show floor, revealed a wide range of intriguing design Design/build approaches. Here are some highlights. Penny Peavler of The Weber Group Inc., a design, construction and specialty fabrication company based in Sellersburg, Indiana, was very Avatar on Earth busy with clients at her AZA booth. She talked about recent work in Joe Rohde of Walt Disney Imagineering showed concept art for the collaboration with Thinq Design on the International Orangutan Center Avatar land (4) set to open in 2016 at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the park for the Indianapolis Zoo. Weber Group’s many projects in the zoo sector for which he was a primary creative force. Noting that “a lot of Disney include the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, the Louisville Zoo (Glacier stories revolve around the relationship of humans to animals,” Rohde Run), the Sedgwick County Zoo (1) (above-mentioned elephant exhibit) shared Director James Cameron’s intention that Avatar be a cautionary and the Indianapolis Children’s Museum (National Geographic Treasures tale regarding conservation, a “broad and vivid metaphor to push to the of Earth). Weber Group emphasizes what Peavler calls “true design/build” real work and actual planet we have: Earth.” The new Avatar land will not or “integrated project delivery.” The company is also a key member of the have any live animal exhibits. creative team directed by George Wade for the new Crayola Experience (slated to open in 2015 in Orlando), with Callison Global. Tech not tanks Pacific Visions, the new wing of the Aquarium of the Pacific, is devoted End user to animals that are too big to keep in an aquarium, or too small to see Melissa Ruminot and Stephen Dodson of The Nassal Company, a with the human eye. In her design presentation, Ursula Currie of EHDD fabricator and producer based in Orlando and well-known in the Architecture described a high-tech, media-rich approach in a similar themed entertainment sector, talked about the firm’s substantial zoo vein to BBC and Sega’s Orbi in Yokohama, Japan. The primary attraction portfolio. Among zoos, Nassal is especially in demand for its rock work. of Pacific Visions, opening in 2017, will be a 320-seat, 4D, immersive, Projects include Houston Zoo (African Gorilla exhibits), Columbus Zoo multi-purpose theater with a 30-foot high screen and 180-degree field and Aquarium (3) (Heart of Africa), Zoo Miami (upcoming Everglades of view. The building’s biomorphic shape suggests a whale, and its non- exhibit) and Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin at SeaWorld Orlando, translucent glass façade will be projection-mapped. which recently won an Eagle Award from the Association of Builders and Contractors, citing excellence in rockwork in Central Florida. Ruminot’s Elephant Immersion remarks attest to Nassal’s attention to detail and authenticity, as well as a Mark Reed, executive director of the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, sense of responsibility – an understanding that they are not just creating Kansas, presented Elephants of the Zambezi River Valley (1). Opening rock work or an aesthetically pleasing exhibit, but a home for specific in 2016, the $10.6 million, 7 acre exhibition includes an 18,000 square creatures with specific needs. “The animal is the end user,” she said. foot elephant barn with six stalls (to house the Zoo’s current pair, Cinda and Stephanie, and add four more). It is being touted as the third-largest Other projects presented in the exhibit design sessions at AZA: elephant exhibit in the US and will have the further novelty of boat • The Great Mayan Reef at Audubon Nature Institute rides that put visitors in the same water as the elephants. Design is by • Sea Lion Cove at Fresno Chaffee Zoo Wichita’s GLMV Zoos. • San Diego Zoo Safari Park Tiger Trail • Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens’ new Land of the Tiger 3D and 4K • Greensboro Science Center SciQuarium On the exhibit floor, Janine Baker of nWave Pictures talked about 4K • Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin at SeaWorld Orlando having emerged as the new standard of digital video. “You’ve got to have • Meerkat Hamlet at the Brevard Zoo it,” she said. “It’s a must for any producer or distributor, and the consumer • Akron Zoo’s Mike & Mary Stark Grizzly Ridge demands it.” Whether one is presenting current or vintage material, she • Tentacles: The Astounding Lives of Octopuses, Squid and Cuttlefishes said, “Everything needs to look new and ‘wow’ all the time no matter (Monterey Bay Aquarium) what it is.” nWave’s recent wildlife titles include African Safari 3D, Great • Dwelling in a World of Nest Makers: Connecting Young Children Apes 3D, Galapagos 3D: Nature’s Wonderland and Penguins 3D. with Small Birds (Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo) • Scovill Zoo Penguin Exhibit Family tradition • International Orangutan Center (Indianapolis Zoo) Kate Magnusson of SimEx-Iwerks reports that Frozen Planet, the • New Aquatic Exploration Center (Fundación Teamaikén) company’s new attraction film in partnership with BBC, is playing at • Big Cat Crossing (Philadelphia Zoo) (2) the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden and opens in February at the • Primorsky Aquarium and Research Center Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Center. Rio 4D premiered about • Asia and Cool Zoo2 (Audubon Nature Institute) a year ago at the San Diego Zoo and will soon open at other locations. • Houston Arrival Plaza (Houston Zoo) SpongeBob SquarePants 4D: The Great Jelly Rescue, is going strong at • North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoake Island theaters around the world. And it’s the 10th anniversary of Polar Express, • Kid’s Trek Play Area (Northwest Trek Wildlife Park) which Magnusson reports has become an established family tradition,

www.inparkmagazine.com www.inparkmagazine.com 19 In a brief opening statement, Brad Andrews of SeaWorld, referred to a Numerous conference sessions addressed these issues in more “tough year,” adding, “rough is good for you.” detail, including “The Elephant Poaching Crisis: How Action Can Turn the Tide,” “Join the Fight to Keep Giraffes in Africa,” “Conservation Keynote speaker Cristián Samper, president and CEO of the Wildlife in our Backyards,” “Partnerships to Enhance Conservation Impact,” Conservation Society, overseeing what is said to be the world’s “Collaborative Zoo and Aquarium Regional Conservation,” and largest collection of urban parks including the Bronx Zoo and New others. York Aquarium, shared sobering figures about human population growth, development, extinction and the loss of natural resources. Reframing the debate Samper pointed out that the 50% of the world’s 7 billion humans who live in cities are likely to experience nature only through zoos But while the AZA and IMATA communities fervently pursue their and aquariums, calling on conservationists to work with city planners mission of conservation - and that mission has never been more urgent and the agriculture sector, and to connect field conservation with - they face considerable public relations obstacles. As Brad Andrews the work of zoos and aquariums. According to Samper, zoos and said, it’s been a tough year. In the panel discussion “Public Opinion aquariums are investing $160 million per year in conservation, “more Shapes Your Story,” Jill Allread, president of Public Communications than any government entity.” Citing 2,978 conservation projects in Inc. exhorted the community to be more pro-active and take action 127 countries, about half of those in North America, he indicated a quickly to reframe the debate. She pointed to the influence of the need for rebalancing – that the projects emphasize mammals and controversial documentary Blackfish and activist websites such as birds when in fact turtles, primates and amphibians are the more thedodo.com, and Millennials’ reliance on social media for their endangered species. information. “You must address the issues,” she said, recommending the use of “simple, compelling messages,” “technology that connects,” Samper described the 96 Elephants project – a campaign that and “making it personal.” As an example to illustrate her point, she includes over 100 AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums, working to described the turnaround in public sentiment that was helped by a shut down the ivory markets and call attention to escalated poaching refocusing in the same-sex marriage controversy. Harping on equality that is devastating the African Elephant population. He called on all was replaced by an emphasis on love, family and children. Zoos and AZA members to join the effort and to spread awareness stemming aquariums can and must, Allread said, “enter the discussion and own other, unsustainable rates of loss in animal populations. it. You have a better story.” • • •

www.inparkmagazine.com Liquid Profits

Operators discover the benefits of adding water InPark News Editor Joe Kleiman dives into the discussion

dding and expanding water parks helps three park chains otherwise be interested in the ‘typical’ theme park experience. After Aboost guest experience and surge to higher attendance and all, a waterpark allows guests to spend much more time together revenue. France-based Looping Group, US-based SeaWorld Parks than most theme parks.” & Entertainment, and Australia-based Village Roadshow. Interview with Arnaud Coste, COO of “A recipe for both” - Looping Group Looping Group:

How does a regional park differentiate itself within its market, and How has Compagnie des Alpes work to ensure repeat visitation of locals while also engaging tourists? influenced Looping Group’s Looping Group, integrated waterpark attractions into the company’s operational strategy? existing theme parks. Although CDA is no longer an investor Looping Group was founded in early 2011 when investment firm in Looping Group, they influenced our HIG Capital France purchased a portfolio of seven attractions from strategy in a certain way in the beginning, Compagnie des Alpes (CDA). Included in the sale were: Bagatelle mainly because they did such a great job Park, the Aquarium at Saint Malo, the Mini Château Park and Val de at all their sites. Loire Aquarium, all in France; the Bouveret waterpark in Switzerland; Avonturenpark Hellendoorn in the Netherlands; and Pleasurewood How does Looping Group differentiate itself from its Spanish Hills in the United Kingdom. In 2012, Cobac Park in France was competition? added and in 2013, Isla Magica in Sevilla, Spain joined the company’s We can say our business model is really a mix between CDA and the portfolio. major Spanish companies (Parques Reunidos and Aspro for example) but is focused on regional parks. It means every operation is close to Beginning in 2013, Looping Group worked in conjunction with the local management. Polin, a leading supplier of interactive water attractions, to integrate these new waterparks into two of its theme parks - Avonturenpark You recently added full-scale waterparks with the assistance Hellendoorn and Isla Magica. According to Laurent Bruloy, CEO of of Polin to two of your existing theme parks. How have these Looping Group, “We know that these waterslides will help build guest additions affected visitation numbers? loyalty because they are unique and thrilling.” Waterparks / slideparks added to our existing theme parks significantly Guillermo Cruz, the General Manager of Isla Magica’s waterpark, Aqua increased attendance and revenues of both Avonturenpark in Magica, adds another key benefit of the water attractions, “Waterslides Hellendoorn, Netherlands and Isla Magica in Sevilla, Spain. and water play structure are appealing to families who might not

www.inparkmagazine.com 21 Why choose waterparks, given that the summer season in SEAWORLD re-themes and re-invents Europe is relatively short? Another company that has found success In Sevilla, we operate a real, full-scale waterpark in Southern European integrating a waterpark inside a theme park weather, and in Hellendoorn where we operate a slide park in is SeaWorld, which in 2012 transformed Northern Europe with a very short peak season. Yet in both cases it’s its existing Lost Lagoon waterpark in San clear the waterpark business model is a perfect tie-in with the theme Antonio into the company’s Aquatica park for improving profitability. We consider this to be at the heart of brand. As part of the brand change, the Looping Group’s innovation and what makes the difference between waterpark changed from being free with us and our competitors. admission to the main marine life park to imposing an upcharge. The waterparks are an upcharge experience on top of admission to the theme park. Why was this approach taken According to Tim Morrow, Vice President of rather than operating them as a second gate? How has the SeaWorld San Antonio and General Manager of Aquatica, “Re-theming guest response been to this strategy? of the existing areas of Lost Lagoon into the Aquatica brand was quite a challenge. We focused on keeping the attractions and areas that our Asking about one or two gates is like asking “To be or not to be”… For guests loved and revitalizing them. We elected to keep many existing economic reasons and based on our guest’s needs and experiences, waterpark areas, and we basically doubled the size with many new the one-gate concept is better than a completely separate gate attractions including first-of-their-kind slides, resort pools, swim-up because visitors feel they are at an all-inclusive resort. But it depends bar, 42,000 square feet of white sand beaches, animals at every turn on the market and in our case Isla Magica is different than Hellendoorn. and much more. It truly became a new waterpark.” You have to choose between a lot of visitors (one gate/all-inclusive) or less (two gates/two rates) but with higher margin…We have a The Aquatica parks are unique in their integration of live animals recipe that uses both… into the guest experience. Aquatica San Antonio took its cue from

22 www.inparkmagazine.com www.inparkmagazine.com SeaWorld’s Discovery Cove, which Morrow refers to as “a hybrid Interview with Village Roadshow CEO waterpark” complete with elaborate animal interactions. “I was part Tim Fisher: of the opening team of Discovery Cove and wanted to bring that feel to Texas,” said Morrow. “We deliberately worked to create our Aquatica A Wet ‘n’ Wild park is planned as part in Texas to have much of the aesthetics of both Discovery Cove and of the Ocean Paradise resort under Aquatica Orlando. We really focused on the resort feel of a waterpark construction on Hainan Island. Will this and especially the interactive aspects. Our reef and ray interaction and and other Asian parks under the Wet aviary are very similar to the past and present attractions at Discovery ‘n’ Wild brand resemble the new parks Cove.” in Las Vegas and Sydney? What unique elements will there be? Morrow pointed out that Aquatica San Antonio is home to nearly 1,000 animals, including fish, stingrays, birds, tortoises and more. “We Wet ‘n’ Wild Hainan is currently under construction as part of the created Stingray Falls to allow guests to experience our Ke-Re Reef Ocean Paradise resort. While there are similarities to our recent water in multiple ways. Guest can view, touch, feed, ride underwater in a park developments in Las Vegas and Sydney, all Wet ’n’Wild parks have family raft ride, or get in the water and actually wade with stingrays.” their own style and character. This is one of the things that makes Roa’s Aviary, which opened in 2014, is an interactive, free flight aviary visiting a Wet ’n’Wild park a unique and enjoyable experience. that features 50 species and some 300 birds, and offers many ways to experience the birds. Guests can float, walk or swim into the aviary Does Village Roadshow have the rights to other parks in the through Loggerhead Lane river, enter through a resort pool or walk in South Korean resort area that will house the FOX World park? through the aviary pathways. Currently our primary focus is working with our partners on the One specific driver for the park is its dedication to cater tothe development of Twentieth Century Fox World Korea. However, we family dynamic. Morrow elaborates on this strategy: “All of the new look forward to being able to explore other opportunities within the attractions we have added since we built Aquatica in 2012 have been market in the future. family oriented. This is what our guests tell us they are looking for and we want them to have these shared experiences and memories Under the letter of intent with SeaWorld, how will ownership, here.” design, and operation of new parks be split or shared between the two companies? Each Aquatica park has its own animal elements and attractions and the company is planning more overseas with its plans to expand the We continue to work with our colleagues at SeaWorld Parks & SeaWorld brands into a number of territories, including the Middle Entertainment to fully define details of our partnership in the China, East, Eastern Europe and Asia, some of which is covered in the next India and Russia markets. segment. With Hainan being the first, how many locations are feasible VILLAGE ROADSHOW – Taking the roadshow for Village Roadshow projects in China before the market across Asia starts to hit saturation?

Recently, as part of its international expansion strategy, SeaWorld There are a number of great opportunities in the China market. We Parks & Entertainment signed a letter of intent with Australia’s Village continue to be very excited about what the future holds for Village Roadshow Parks to develop new parks in Asia, India, and Russia. Roadshow Theme Parks in China, and the greater Asia market.

Already experienced in foreign park operations through investments What types of cultural considerations must be made for in Wet ‘n’ Wild parks in Phoenix and Hawai’i, the company recently designing and operating parks outside the US and Australia? opened two new waterparks under the brand in Las Vegas and Sydney. Additionally, two waterparks are currently in the works in We fully appreciate the cultural differences between countries, and China: a Wet ‘n’ Wild park on Hainan Island which will adjoin Village the need to be sensitive to those differences in the various aspects of Roadshow’s Ocean Paradise marine life park, both slated for a 2016 planning, design, product mix, and operation. As examples, we know opening, and an unnamed waterpark in Gunaxi Provence. that shows are preferred over rides in some Asian countries and there are distinct differences with regard to food preferences. • • • Village Roadshow is also designing and will operate a Twentieth Century Fox-themed park in South Korea, and is presently in discussions for a number of projects in China and Malaysia.

www.inparkmagazine.com www.inparkmagazine.com 23 Around the World in 80 Slides Polin takes us on a journey around the globe to eight waterparks that opened or expanded in 2014 with their slides and water features in place. We will visit three continents and six countries, some of whom are new to the waterpark market. Photos and captions courtesy of Polin

CN Amazone, Thailand Opened on October 3, 2014, Cartoon Network AMAZONE is a nod to the lush Amazon Rainforest while infusing the world’s most popular animated series and toon heroes including Ben 10, The Power Puff Girls, Johnny Bravo and The Amazing World of Gumball.

This one-of-a-kind waterpark features 30 breath-taking state of the art water rides and slides, live Cartoon Network entertainment shows, mascot meet and greets, thrill attractions and interactive water play fun for the entire family.

24 www.inparkmagazine.com www.inparkmagazine.com Aqualand Maspolamas, Gran Canaria, Spain Aqualand Maspalomas kicked off its second season in a colossal way with the installation of one of the biggest waterslides in Europe-and the first of its kind in Spain: a Racer Twin Turbolance.

The waterpark in Las Palmas, a beach-resort city on the southernmost tip of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago, is part of the Aqualand waterpark chain, the largest in Europe. Owned by Aspro Group, the park is among 20 located across the continent in France, Portugal, Finland, Switzerland and Spain.

Cowabunga Bay Water Park, Las Vegas, USA Opened July 4 and sitting on 23 acres, the park features eight waterslides, three pools, three restaurants, cabanas and a family area just for children. Among its many attractions is the world’s first Surf Safari waterslide. Cowabunga Bay is marketing the ride under the name Wild Surf. Polin designed and created the attraction exclusively for Cowabunga Bay. The giant slide features a four-person raft that begins with a long, rushing trip through the dark followed by a dizzying 55-foot drop into the world’s largest manmade parabolic “wave.” Riders twist and turn along the ride’s path, speeding through unexpected changes in momentum until they shoot through the wave’s crest, get drenched by a water shower spilling from the lip of the wave and slide from side to side, forwards and backwards, before splashing into the pool below.

www.inparkmagazine.com www.inparkmagazine.com 25 H2O Waterpark, Rostov-on-don, Russia The waterpark is a part of the Horizon Megacenter Mall (also known as the Gorizont) after only five months of construction. The waterpark addition to the mall - the largest mall in Southern Russia - covers more than 24,000 square meters (78,740 square feet) with more than 6,000 square meters (64,583 square feet) devoted to the waterpark. While the mall offers a wide variety of amenities to patrons-including a multiplex cinema, a family entertainment complex, a bowling alley and a fitness center-owner NGO Gorizont LLC believed the new addition would be an important addition to the mall’s success. They invested 1.393 billion rubles (US$45 million) into the all-season complex, which accommodates up to 2,500 people and employs 160 people. Polin manufactured and supplied all waterslides in the park.

Pirates of the Cactus, Bodrum, Turkey Owned by the Cactus Hotels Group, Pirates of Cactus Waterpark opened in Bodrum, Turkey in June 2014. Located on 4,500 square meters (48,437 square feet), Pirates of the Cactus provides a range of aquatic attractions for all ages of family members. The waterpark features nine different slides, a children’s pool, a swimming pool, a wave pool, pool games, aerobics, competitions and terraces for relaxing. All food and beverage is included in the park’s entry fee.

Istralandia Waterpark, Istria, Croatia Owned by the construction firm Istrakop Ltd., a Poreč, Croatia-based company, the ground-breaking waterpark is located about an hour’s drive north of the city of Pula, near Brtonigla and Novigrad. It covers more than 8.1 hectares (20 acres) and exclusively features the award-winning waterslides of Polin Waterparks.

Istrakop spent €10 million (US$13.13 million) to build Istralandia and installed more than 1.2 kilometers (0.75 miles) of pipe beneath the park’s extensive grounds to supply the water that feeds the park’s 27-meter- high (88.6-feet-high) waterslide and 2,500-square- meter (26,910-square-foot) wave pool, the largest in the Mediterranean. The facility pulls its water from local groundwater wells and recycles 90 percent of it. The additional 10 percent goes through a biological purifier.

26 www.inparkmagazine.com www.inparkmagazine.com Santorini Water Fantasy, Cha-am, Thailand Santorini Water Fantasy is the new waterpark add-on to the existing Santorini theme park. The waterpark, as well as the existing amusement park and retail center, is located in the southern part of the Phetchaburi Province in central Thailand. Sitting on about 4 acres (12 rai), the new waterpark has attracted increased numbers of guests to the area, which already drew up to 10,000 visitors a day before the waterpark opened. The aquatic options of Santorini Water Fantasy include a mix of rides. Designed by Polin Waterparks, the park features 12 water-play areas and can accommodate up to 3,500 guests. The park’s main attraction is its King Cobra waterslide. Featuring bold red, black and white scales, the King Cobra’s impressive veneer extends along its massive 50-foot (15.24- meter) height and 260-foot (790-meter) length.

Serra Palace, Antalya, Turkey The exclusive Club Calimera Serra Palace is located directly on the beach of Kizilot in Antalya. Spanning 1500 square meters, the hotel includes the largest water play structure (Pirate of the Ocean) in Turkey that is designed and manufactured by Polin.

www.inparkmagazine.com www.inparkmagazine.com 27 A Return to the Wet ‘n’ Wild With WWA returning to Vegas for its annual conference, InPark decided to revisit Wet ‘n’ Wild Las Vegas for a look at what has helped the park succeed by Judith Rubin, Martin Palicki and Jill Bibby

Last summer, Wet ‘n’ Wild Las Vegas opened and InPark took According to Wet ‘n’ Wild Las Vegas General Manager Takuya readers inside for a first look. (http://www.inparkmagazine. Ohki, Howard Hughes owns most of the land in this area, and had com/gettin-wild-in-las-vegas/). With the park completing a earmarked a chunk of land for park or athletic field development. successful second season, we went back for a second look With the county seeking a source of tax revenue, the deal with Village and conversation with the operators. Roadshow was a win for everyone, taking half the land off Hughes’ hands for development, and providing tax revenue to the county But first, a little history which doesn’t have to develop or maintain the land. Wet ‘n’ Wild Las Vegas is a partnership between SPB Partners (a private equity fund managed by Roger and Scott Bulloch) and Village Presentation matters Roadshow Theme Parks (for more on Village Roadshow and their Waterslides, says Ohki, are the “eye candy of the park” and a major expansion plans, read our interview on p.21). Investors include Andre part of the guest experience. He explained that to help keep the Agassi, Dr. Steven and Karen Thomas (Thomas & Mack Companies) slides looking their best in Vegas’ unrelenting sun, Wet ‘n’ Wild opted and members of the Binion family. It opened May 25, 2013. to use SilkGel slides from WhiteWater, which come with a 10-year warranty against fading. “We ask WhiteWater to come to us with new While not formally part of the ownership structure, Kevin Orrock of The technology for the park,” he says. “WhiteWater is a great partner to Howard Hughes Company and Clark County District F Commissioner work with, and we provide a testing ground for them.” The park has Susan Brager were instrumental in the development of Wet ‘n’ Wild Las recently been testing WhiteWater’s Slideboarding product, which will Vegas. The land is being leased from The Howard Hughes Company be available to attendees of the World Waterpark Association’s mixer LLC and is contiguous to a park controlled by Clark County. on Wednesday, October 29th, 2014.

The Details of Defender

Since Wet ‘n’ Wild uses the Defender filtration system, we asked the manufacturer, Neptune Benson’s Director of Marketing, Jill Bibby, to tell us more about the product.

What have the options been for water filtration?

Filtration and disinfection for attractions have changed dramatically over time. In years past, choices were limited to cartridge, diatomaceous earth (DE) and sand filters. Typically cartridge filters are hard to clean, expensive to replace and do not achieve the water quality you get when DE is used. DE, on the other hand, affords good water quality but is messy to work with and requires special disposal. Sand filters tend to be user-friendly but have a large footprint and use extra energy and water for backwashing. For a waterpark in particular, the large number of sand filters required to do the job tends to take up quite a bit of space and consume a lot of water.

28 www.inparkmagazine.com www.inparkmagazine.com 2014 saw Wet ‘n’ Wild also add a major ProSlide feature: the ProSlide Waterparks serve community interests in more ways than one. “A Tornado, designed for a shared thrill where guests can ride together season pass here is affordable compared to the cost of maintaining and watch one another’s reactions as the raft navigates the slide. a pool at home, and a waterpark is a more efficient use of water resources than everyone having their own pool,” said Ohki. Filtration and conservation The filtration system Wet ‘n’ Wild Las Vegas depends on is a Defender The tech side system from Benson Neptune. According to Ohki, the Defender is Wet ‘n’ Wild reflects the growing importance of technology more commonly the choice of aquariums than waterparks, which infrastructure in parks. Ohki prefers revenue share systems with such tend to use sand filters. He reports that the Defender system filters to vendors as Omniticket, which provides the park’s ticketing suite. “A 2 microns as opposed to a typical sand filter’s 4 microns. He finds the revenue share gives the developer incentive to keep improving the performance, in terms of keeping the water clean and clear, worth product,” he says, noting that as a customer, he gets the benefit of the higher cost and declared, “I would not build a waterpark without feedback from the supplier’s entire client base, which tends to be Defender.” reflected in software and system updates.

With water being a precious commodity in the desert, the park was Using digital signage systems for ticketing and in-park purchases designed to minimize water loss. Since evaporation is the primary allows the park to change prices and other information on the fly. enemy, the park stores excess water underground as much as Ohki forecasts that the next round of park efficiency will usher in possible. And instead of having a 3-4 foot deep pool at the end of connected systems controls, rather than individual systems. He points slides, the park employs shallower run-outs that hold only about 12 to the Sydney Wet ‘n’ Wild (the newest park for Village Roadshow) as inches of water and are sufficient to slow guests down at the end of soon rolling out a single wristband for ticketing, queuing, purchases the ride. Water that splashes from the run-outs flows through grates and more. Says Ohki, “We are the next to adopt [a wristband system] and to the filtration system and holding tanks. Ohki noted that the after Disney.” • • • run-outs provide the additional benefit of reducing the height limit to 42 inches instead of the more common 48 inches.

How does Defender work? One of the other areas of financial benefit is the savings in energy, related to the reduced head or pressure loss in the system. In most The Neptune Benson Defender® filter utilizing regenerative media cases, there is a drop of roughly 10’ TDH in an RMF designed system filtration (RMF) technology was an advancement in its ability to compared to sand. This is also related to the function of depth vs. remove particles down to 1 micron in a single pass. The RMF system surface filtration. Without having to push the water through the sand filters on the premise of surface filtration as compared to adepth bed, the system pressure is favorably reduced lowering horsepower filtration function with sand filters. With approximately 10 times requirements and daily power consumption. While there is an the filter area in an RMF system, the dirt holding capacity was vastly up charge for the Defender (RMF) filters, some parks have realized improved compared to sand filters. Wet ‘n’ Wild’s Lazy River, Wave Pool paybacks in as little as one year. and Children’s Play Area are all protected by Defender®. What else should facilities like Wet ‘n’ Wild consider when What are the benefits and costs of the Defender system? examining filtration systems?

The primary benefits of the Defender filter start with a filter room Parks should think about, and account for, resources like water and footprint that is roughly ¼ of the space required by conventional wastewater, fuel and chemicals and electricity. The US average for sand filters. On a big park, this translates to major construction savings water and sewer costs is $7 per 1,000 gallons. For electricity, it’s $0.08 and possibly the option of including more attractions with the space to $0.12 per kilowatt hour. Fuel and chemicals include gas or oil for savings. The technology of the design virtually eliminates the costly heating, chemicals for maintaining the water and storage for those infrastructure of drainage systems and waste basins as required with chemicals. sand filters. The unique design and operation of the RMF filter saves millions of gallons of water annually on average size parks due to the Take a look at your facility’s footprint. Consider the labor costs to build regeneration (bumping) process that dramatically prolongs the filter or retrofit, your mechanical room space, backwash holding tanks and cycle. Some parks may achieve 3 week long filter cycles as compared whether or not you are looking to earn LEED points or otherwise to 1 day with sand filters. This translates to major savings in water, improve your facility’s environmental footprint. Finally don’t forget energy, waste and chemicals. to take ongoing equipment maintenance into consideration. The systems you choose can have a dramatic impact not only for today but for tomorrow as well.

www.inparkmagazine.com www.inparkmagazine.com 29 TOP 20 WATER PARKS WORLDWIDE 2013 attendance figures

PARK AND LOCATION CHANGE 2013 2012 PARK AND LOCATION CHANGE 2013 2012 Published by the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and the Economics practice at 1 CHIMELONG WATERPARK, Guangzhou, China 7.5% 2,172,000 2,021,000 11 AQUAVENTURE, Dubai, UAE -7.7% 1,200,000 1,300,000 AECOM, this excerpt highlights the top visited waterparks from around the world.

2 TYPHOON LAGOON AT DISNEY WORLD, Orlando, FL 2.0% 2,142,000 2,100,000 12 SUNWAY LAGOON, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -8.3% 1,100,000 1,200,000

3TOPBLIZZARD 20 BEACH WATER AT DISNEY WORLD, PARKS Orlando, FL WORLDWIDE2.0% 1,968,000 1,929,000 13 SHENYANG ROYAL HAWAII WATER PARK, Shenyang, China 10.0% 1,100,000 1,000,000

4 OCEAN WORLD, Gangwon-Do South Korea -1.2% 1,700,000 1,720,000 14 PISCILAGO, Girardo (Bogota), Colombia 0.2% 1,035,000 1,033,000

5 THERMASPARK AND DOS LOCATION LARANJAIS, Olimpia, Brazil CHANGE26.9% 1,650,0002013 1,300,0002012 15 PARKSCHLITTERBAHN, AND LOCATION New Braunfels, TX CHANGE1.0% 1,027,0002013 1,017,0002012

1 CHIMELONG WATERPARK, Guangzhou, China 7.5% 2,172,000 2,021,000 11 AQUAVENTURE, Dubai, UAE -7.7% 1,200,000 1,300,000 6 CARIBBEAN BAY, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea 7.6% 1,623,000 1,508,000 16 WOONGJIN PLAYDOCI WATERDOCI, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea -0.6% 997,000 1,003,000

2 TYPHOON LAGOON AT DISNEY WORLD, Orlando, FL 2.0% 2,142,000 2,100,000 12 SUNWAY LAGOON, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -8.3% 1,100,000 1,200,000 7 AQUATICA, Orlando, FL 1.0% 1,553,000 1,538,000 17 ATLANTIS WATER ADVENTURE, Jakarta, Indonesia -2.0% 980,000 1,000,000

3 BLIZZARD BEACH AT DISNEY WORLD, Orlando, FL 2.0% 1,968,000 1,929,000 13 SHENYANG ROYAL HAWAII WATER PARK, Shenyang, China 10.0% 1,100,000 1,000,000 8 WET N WILD GOLD COAST, Austrailia, 17.4% 1,409,000 1,200,000 18 BEACH PARK, Aquiraz, Brazil 14.4% 964,000 843,000

4 OCEAN WORLD, Gangwon-Do South Korea -1.2% 1,700,000 1,720,000 14 PISCILAGO, Girardo (Bogota), Colombia 0.2% 1,035,000 1,033,000 9 WET 'N WILD, Orlando, FL 1.0% 1,259,000 1,247,000 19 SUMMERLAND, Tokyo , Japan -5.2% 939,000 990,000

5 THERMAS DOS LARANJAIS, Olimpia, Brazil 26.9% 1,650,000 1,300,000 15 SCHLITTERBAHN, New Braunfels, TX 1.0% 1,027,000 1,017,000 10 RESOM SPA CASTLE, Deoksan, South Korea 2.7% 1,189,000 1,158,000 20 THE JUNGLE WATER ADVENTURE, Bogor, West Java -7.5% 880,000 951,000

6 CARIBBEAN BAY, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea 7.6% 1,623,000 1,508,000 16 WOONGJIN PLAYDOCI WATERDOCI, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea -0.6% 997,000 1,003,000 TOTAL 7.1% 26,887,000 25,100,000

7 AQUATICA, Orlando, FL 1.0% 1,553,000 1,538,000 17FigureATLANTIS 3B WATER ADVENTURE, Jakarta, Indonesia -2.0% 980,000 1,000,000

8 WET N WILD GOLD COAST, Austrailia, 17.4% 1,409,000 1,200,000 18 BEACH PARK, Aquiraz, Brazil 14.4% 964,000 843,000

9 WET 'N WILD, Orlando, FL 1.0% 1,259,000 1,247,000 19 SUMMERLAND, Tokyo , Japan -5.2% 939,000 990,000

10 RESOM SPA CASTLE, Deoksan, South Korea 2.7% 1,189,000 1,158,000 20 THE JUNGLE WATER ADVENTURE, Bogor, West Java -7.5% 880,000 951,000

TOTAL 7.1% 26,887,000 25,100,000

Figure 3B © 2014 TEA / AECOM www.inparkmagazine.com 3016 www.inparkmagazine.com 17

© 2014 TEA / AECOM

16 17 TOP 20 WATER PARKS WORLDWIDE

PARK AND LOCATION CHANGE 2013 2012 PARK AND LOCATION CHANGE 2013 2012

1 CHIMELONG WATERPARK, Guangzhou, China 7.5% 2,172,000 2,021,000 11 AQUAVENTURE, Dubai, UAE -7.7% 1,200,000 1,300,000

2 TYPHOON LAGOON AT DISNEY WORLD, Orlando, FL 2.0% 2,142,000 2,100,000 12 SUNWAY LAGOON, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -8.3% 1,100,000 1,200,000

3 BLIZZARD BEACH AT DISNEY WORLD, Orlando, FL 2.0% 1,968,000 1,929,000 13 SHENYANG ROYAL HAWAII WATER PARK, Shenyang, China 10.0% 1,100,000 1,000,000

4 OCEAN WORLD, Gangwon-Do South Korea -1.2% 1,700,000 1,720,000 14 PISCILAGO, Girardo (Bogota), Colombia 0.2% 1,035,000 1,033,000

5 THERMAS DOS LARANJAIS, Olimpia, Brazil 26.9% 1,650,000 1,300,000 15 SCHLITTERBAHN, New Braunfels, TX 1.0% 1,027,000 1,017,000

6 CARIBBEAN BAY, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea 7.6% 1,623,000 1,508,000 16 WOONGJIN PLAYDOCI WATERDOCI, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea -0.6% 997,000 1,003,000

7 AQUATICA, Orlando, FL 1.0% 1,553,000 1,538,000 17 ATLANTIS WATER ADVENTURE, Jakarta, Indonesia -2.0% 980,000 1,000,000

8 WET N WILD GOLD COAST, Austrailia, 17.4% 1,409,000 1,200,000 18 BEACH PARK, Aquiraz, Brazil 14.4% 964,000 843,000

9 WET 'N WILD, Orlando, FL 1.0% 1,259,000 1,247,000 19 SUMMERLAND, Tokyo , Japan -5.2% 939,000 990,000

10 RESOM SPA CASTLE, Deoksan, South Korea 2.7% 1,189,000 1,158,000 20 THE JUNGLE WATER ADVENTURE, Bogor, West Java -7.5% 880,000 951,000

TOTAL 7.1% 26,887,000 25,100,000

Figure 3B

© 2014 TEA / AECOM www.inparkmagazine.com 16 www.inparkmagazine.com 1731 TOP 20 WATER PARKS PARK AND LOCATION CHANGE 2013 2012 1 DISNEY’S TYPHOON LAGOON AT DISNEY WORLD, Orlando, FL 2.0% 2,142,000 2,100,000

NORTH AMERICA 2 DISNEY’S BLIZZARD BEACH AT DISNEY WORLD, Orlando, FL 2.0% 1,968,000 1,929,000

3 AQUATICA, Orlando, FL 1.0% 1,553,000 1,538,000 Where are the top 20 water parks in 4 WET 'N’ WILD, Orlando, FL 1.0% 1,259,000 1,247,000 North America? 5 SCHLITTERBAHN, New Braunfels, TX 1.0% 1,027,000 1,017,000

6 WATER COUNTRY USA, Williamsburg, VA -2.9% 726,000 748,000

7 ADVENTURE ISLAND, Tampa, FL -2.0% 638,000 651,000

8 SCHLITTERBAHN, Galveston,TX 0.0% 546,000 546,000

9 HYLAND HILLS WATER WORLD, Denver, CO 0.0% 538,000 538,000

10 SIX FLAGS-HURRICANE HARBOR, Arlington, TX 2.0% 518,000 508,000

11 SIX FLAGS-WHITE WATER, Marietta, GA 0.0% 505,000 505,000

12 WET ‘N' WILD, Phoenix, AZ 2.4% 472,000 461,000

13 SIX FLAGS HURRICANE HARBOR, Jackson, NJ 1.9% 432,000 424,000

14 RAGING WATERS, San Dimas, CA -5.6% 423,000 448,000

15 SPLISH-SPASH, Riverhead, NY -5.5% 411,000 435,000

16 WET ‘N' WILD EMERALD POINT, Greensboro, NC -2.0% 398,000 406,000 1 PARK 2 PARKS 3 PARKS COLORADO, U.S.A. OHIO, U.S.A. 17 SOAK CITY CEDAR POINT, Sandusky, OH -6.0% 379,000 403,000 19 15 NORTH EAST U.S.A. 9 17 13 20 18 KNOTT'S SOAK CITY USA, Buena Park, CA 5.1% 368,000 350,000 6 14 12 18 16 11 3 PARKS 19 CAMELBEACH, Tannersville, PA 0.0% 367,000 367,000 2 PARKS 10 5 SOUTH EAST U.S.A. CALIFORNIA, U.S.A. 8 1 2 20 ZOOMEZI BAY, Powell, OH -7.5% 360,000 389,000 PARKS 3 7 3 TEXAS, U.S.A. 4 TOTAL -2.3% 15,030,000 15,386,000 5 PARKS FLORIDA, U.S.A. Figure 7B

VISITORS (MILLIONS)

Up to 1m 1m–2m -2.3% 15.0m 15.4m 2 m+ 2013–12 top 20 water parks North 2013 top 20 water parks 2012 top 20 water parks America attendance growth North America attendance North America attendance Figure 7A

© 2014 TEA / AECOM www.inparkmagazine.com 3232 www.inparkmagazine.com 33 North America? Where are the top20waterparks in 32 Figure 7A (MILLIONS) VISITORS NORTH AMERICA TOP 20 WATER PARKS 2 1 1 to Up m–2m m+ CALIFORNIA, U.S.A. CALIFORNIA, m 2 PARKS COLORADO, U.S.A. COLORADO, 14 18 www.inparkmagazine.com 1 TEXAS, U.S.A. TEXAS, PARK 12 3 PARKS 9 10 5 OHIO, U.S.A. OHIO, 2 8 PARKS 7 11 4 1 20 17 16 3 2 6 19 FLORIDA, U.S.A. FLORIDA, 5 13 15 SOUTH EAST U.S.A. EAST SOUTH 3 PARKS NORTH EAST U.S.A. EAST NORTH 3 PARKS PARKS America attendance growth attendance America North 2013–12 parks water 20 top - Figure 7B 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 TOTAL 2.3 ZOOMEZI BAY, Powell, OH CAMELBEACH, Tannersville, PA Buena USA, Park, CA SOAK CITY KNOTT'S CEDARSOAK CITY POINT, Sandusky, OH ‘N'WET WILD EMERALD POINT, NC Greensboro, SPLISH-SPASH, NY Riverhead, RAGING WATERS, San Dimas, CA SIXHURRICANE FLAGS HARBOR, Jackson, NJ ‘N'WET WILD, AZ Phoenix, SIX FLAGS-WHITE WATER, GA Marietta, TX SIX FLAGS-HURRICANE HARBOR, Arlington, HILLS WATERHYLAND WORLD, Denver, CO Galveston,TX SCHLITTERBAHN, ADVENTURE ISLAND, Tampa, FL WATER Williamsburg, VACOUNTRY USA, NewSCHLITTERBAHN, TX Braunfels, 'N’WET WILD, FL Orlando, AQUATICA, FL Orlando, WORLD, AT DISNEY BEACH BLIZZARD DISNEY’S WORLD, AT DISNEY LAGOON TYPHOON DISNEY’S LOCATION AND PARK % North America attendance America North parks 2013 water 20 top 15.0 www.inparkmagazine.com m Orlando, FL Orlando, Orlando, FL Orlando, CHANGE -6.0% -5.6% -2.3% -5.5% -2.0% -2.0% -2.9% -7.5% 2.0% 2.0% 2.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 2.4% 1.0% 1.0% 1.0% 1.9% 5.1% North America attendance America North parks 2012 water 20 top 15.4 15,030,000 1,968,000 1,553,000 1,259,000 2,142,000 1,027,000 546,000 546,000 505,000 505,000 638,000 638,000 m 538,000 538,000 368,000 368,000 360,000 360,000 398,000 398,000 432,000 432,000 726,000 423,000 379,000 472,000 518,000 367,000 411,000 2013 © 2014 TEA / AECOM 15,386,000 1,538,000 1,929,000 2,100,000 1,247,000 1,017,000 448,000 448,000 546,000 546,000 406,000 406,000 403,000 403,000 508,000 508,000 505,000 505,000 435,000 435,000 538,000 538,000 350,000 350,000 389,000 389,000 424,000 748,000 461,000 651,000 367,000 © Disney 2012 33 33 TOP 10 WATER PARKS PARK AND LOCATION 2013 1 THERMAS DOS LARANJAIS, Olimpia, Brazil 1,650,000

LATIN AMERICA 2 PISCILAGO, Girardo (Bogota), Colombia 1,035,000

3 BEACH PARK, Aquiraz, Brazil 964,000 Where are the top 10 water parks in 4 PARQUE ACUATICO XOCOMIL, San Martín Zapotitlán, Retalhuleu, Guatemala 786,000 Latin America? 5 BAHAMAS AQUAVENTURE WATER PARK, Paradise Island , Bahamas 450,000

6 WET 'N WILD SAO PAULO, São Paulo, Brazil 395,000

7 RIO WATER PLANET, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 350,000 1 PARK 5 THE BAHAMAS 8 PARQUE ACUATICO EL ROLLO, Morelos, Mexico 300,000

9 9 WET 'N WILD, Cancun, Mexico 250,000 2 PARKS 8 MEXICO 10 HOT PARK RIO QUENTE, Caldas Novas, Brazil 250,000 4 TOTAL 6,430,000 1 PARK GUATEMALA Figure 8B

1 PARK 2 COLOMBIA

3

10

1 7 PARKS 6 5 BRAZIL

VISITORS (MILLIONS)

Up to 1m 1m–2m 6.4m 2m+ 2013 top 10 water parks Latin America attendance Figure 8A

© 2014 TEA / AECOM www.inparkmagazine.com 3434 www.inparkmagazine.com 35 TOP 10 WATER PARKS PARK AND LOCATION 2013 1 THERMAS DOS LARANJAIS, Olimpia, Brazil 1,650,000

LATIN AMERICA 2 PISCILAGO, Girardo (Bogota), Colombia 1,035,000

3 BEACH PARK, Aquiraz, Brazil 964,000 Where are the top 10 water parks in 4 PARQUE ACUATICO XOCOMIL, San Martín Zapotitlán, Retalhuleu, Guatemala 786,000 Latin America? 5 BAHAMAS AQUAVENTURE WATER PARK, Paradise Island , Bahamas 450,000

6 WET 'N WILD SAO PAULO, São Paulo, Brazil 395,000

7 RIO WATER PLANET, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 350,000 1 PARK 5 THE BAHAMAS 8 PARQUE ACUATICO EL ROLLO, Morelos, Mexico 300,000

9 9 WET 'N WILD, Cancun, Mexico 250,000 2 PARKS 8 MEXICO 10 HOT PARK RIO QUENTE, Caldas Novas, Brazil 250,000 4 TOTAL 6,430,000 1 PARK GUATEMALA Figure 8B

1 PARK 2 COLOMBIA

3

10

1 7 PARKS 6 5 BRAZIL

VISITORS (MILLIONS)

Up to 1m 1m–2m 6.4m 2m+ 2013 top 10 water parks Latin America attendance Figure 8A

© 2014 TEA / AECOM www.inparkmagazine.com 34 www.inparkmagazine.com 3535 TOP 15 WATER PARKS ASIA-PACIFIC PARK AND LOCATION CHANGE 2013 2012 1 CHIMELONG WATERPARK, Guangzhou, China 7.5% 2,172,000 2,021,000

2 OCEAN WORLD, Gangwon-Do South Korea -1.2% 1,700,000 1,720,000

3 CARIBBEAN BAY, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea 7.6% 1,623,000 1,508,000 Where are the top 15 water parks in 4 WET ‘N’ WILD GOLD COAST, Austrailia, 17.4% 1,409,000 1,200,000 Asia-Pacific? 5 RESOM SPA CASTLE, Deoksan, South Korea 2.7% 1,189,000 1,158,000

6 ROYAL HAWAII WATER PARK, Fushun, China 10.0% 1,100,000 1,000,000

7 SUNWAY LAGOON, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -8.3% 1,100,000 1,200,000

8 WOONGJIN PLAYDOCI WATERDOCI, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea -0.6% 997,000 1,003,000 6 9 ATLANTIS WATER ADVENTURE, Jakarta, Indonesia -2.0% 980,000 1,000,000 1 PARK 2 3 14 JAPAN 10 SUMMERLAND, Tokyo, Japan -5.2% 939,000 990,000 PARKS 8 5 10 3 13 CHINA 11 THE JUNGLE WATER ADVENTURE, Bogor, West Java -7.5% 880,000 951,000 5 PARKS SOUTH KOREA 12 OCEAN PARK WATER ADVENTURE, Jakarta, Indonesia 6.7% 800,000 750,000 1 13 PLAYAMAYA WATER PARK, Wuhan, China (new) NA 740,000 NA

14 RESOM OCEAN CASTLE, Chungcheongnam-Do, South Korea 7.4% 685,000 638,000

15 ADVENTURE COVE WATERPARK, Singapore (new) NA 648,000 NA 1 PARK 1 PARK TOTAL 6.0% 16,962,000 15,999,000 7 SINGAPORE MALAYSIA 15 Figure 10B

9 12 11 3 PARKS INDONESIA

4 1 PARK AUSTRALIA

VISITORS (MILLIONS)

Up to 1m 1m–2m 6.0% 17.0m 16.0m 2 m+ 2013–12 top 15 water parks 2013 top 15 water parks 2012 top 15 water parks Asia-Pacific Asia-Pacific attendance Asia-Pacific attendance Figure 10A

© 2014 TEA / AECOM www.inparkmagazine.com 3644 www.inparkmagazine.com 45 TOP 15 WATER PARKS ASIA-PACIFIC PARK AND LOCATION CHANGE 2013 2012 1 CHIMELONG WATERPARK, Guangzhou, China 7.5% 2,172,000 2,021,000

2 OCEAN WORLD, Gangwon-Do South Korea -1.2% 1,700,000 1,720,000

3 CARIBBEAN BAY, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea 7.6% 1,623,000 1,508,000 Where are the top 15 water parks in 4 WET ‘N’ WILD GOLD COAST, Austrailia, 17.4% 1,409,000 1,200,000 Asia-Pacific? 5 RESOM SPA CASTLE, Deoksan, South Korea 2.7% 1,189,000 1,158,000

6 ROYAL HAWAII WATER PARK, Fushun, China 10.0% 1,100,000 1,000,000

7 SUNWAY LAGOON, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -8.3% 1,100,000 1,200,000

8 WOONGJIN PLAYDOCI WATERDOCI, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea -0.6% 997,000 1,003,000 6 9 ATLANTIS WATER ADVENTURE, Jakarta, Indonesia -2.0% 980,000 1,000,000 1 PARK 2 3 14 JAPAN 10 SUMMERLAND, Tokyo, Japan -5.2% 939,000 990,000 PARKS 8 5 10 3 13 CHINA 11 THE JUNGLE WATER ADVENTURE, Bogor, West Java -7.5% 880,000 951,000 5 PARKS SOUTH KOREA 12 OCEAN PARK WATER ADVENTURE, Jakarta, Indonesia 6.7% 800,000 750,000 1 13 PLAYAMAYA WATER PARK, Wuhan, China (new) NA 740,000 NA

14 RESOM OCEAN CASTLE, Chungcheongnam-Do, South Korea 7.4% 685,000 638,000

15 ADVENTURE COVE WATERPARK, Singapore (new) NA 648,000 NA 1 PARK 1 PARK TOTAL 6.0% 16,962,000 15,999,000 7 SINGAPORE MALAYSIA 15 Figure 10B

9 12 11 3 PARKS INDONESIA

4 1 PARK AUSTRALIA

VISITORS (MILLIONS)

Up to 1m 1m–2m 6.0% 17.0m 16.0m 2 m+ 2013–12 top 15 water parks 2013 top 15 water parks 2012 top 15 water parks Asia-Pacific Asia-Pacific attendance Asia-Pacific attendance Figure 10A

© 2014 TEA / AECOM www.inparkmagazine.com 44 www.inparkmagazine.com 4537 The Art of COST by Martin Palicki

InPark’s editor-in-chief does a little Midwestern bonding and pays a 200 full time employees. The recent economic downturn has had an visit to COST of Wisconsin impact, but mostly in terms of which markets are flourishing. “We did a lot of casino work until 2007,” said Stanwyck. But as that market ehind the fantasy facades and intricate rockwork that are integral slowed down, zoo and museum work started to increase. Stanwyck Bto so many guest experiences at theme parks, waterparks, zoos, attributed the rise to revenue sources shifting from government and casinos, there’s a team of talented artists and artisans. Now in funding to attendance fees. Zoos and museums have been upgrading its third generation of family ownership, COST of Wisconsin (COST) their facilities, recognizing the need for more themed environments has fine-tuned a specialized team to support the visitor attractions to entice visitors. [See InPark’s AZA report on page 18 for more market with fabrication and construction services. information about new exhibition directions at zoos and aquariums.]

The company started out in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1957, creating The theme park market is also picking up. We saw solid evidence of rock environments for the Milwaukee County Zoo, and quickly began this first-hand on the COST shop floor, in the form of giant Roman adding more construction services to its portfolio. As the company columns being fabricated. (They were later installed at the entrance expanded in response to increasing demand, it moved from Milwaukee of Six Flags Great America’s new Goliath roller coaster.) to Germantown and then to its current headquarters, Jackson (all in Southeast Wisconsin). Convenient shipping logistics are one of the COST of Wisconsin divides up its core services into three groups: advantages the company enjoys in its central US location. COST also Fabrication (25%), Shop Drawings & Fabrication (50%) and Design/ has offices in Seattle, Orlando, and Winnipeg. Build (25%). “Clients come to us for more than just building things,” said Stanwyck. Touring the Wisconsin shop with Executive V.P. Lance L. Stanwyck, we learned that it covers 140,000 square feet and the company has The company is especially proud of its model work. Even with digital technologies advancing, oftentimes a scale model is still the best option for determining how an area will look and function when complete. Scale models are not only used for approvals, they serve as a construction tool for fabrication and construction. “Knowing a project works in model form saves cost and time down the line,” said Chris Foster, VP, Sales and Marketing.

The company also uses technology to supplement artistic skills, recently acquiring a 5-axis cutter to carve out complex designs. But will there be a time when the artist disappears from the equation? Could 3D printing change the formula? “The blending of artistry with technology is a great marriage,” said Stanwyck. “We will never get to the point where artists are not necessary. Whether the artist carves a model or the final piece, you still need an artist.”

On the consumer side, Stanwyck feels the technology we all have in our pockets has changed things. Our cultural attention shift towards phones has led us to interact directly with one another less. But it seems that has, in an ironic way, helped boost the demand for high- quality fabrication and sculpture. “The most popular attractions are those where guests move through an actual environment,” said Stanwyck. “A virtual stimulus is never as effective as a natural one.”

That enduring need for placemaking has helped COST of Wisconsin survive and thrive over more than half a century of doing business. The team at COST also credits their focus on pleasing the customer as a major factor in the company’s success. As Jon J. Stanwyck, president of COST says, “If the client’s dream is met, then my goal is accomplished.” • • • Visit us at WWA Booth #617