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Attractionswww.attractionsmanagement.com management MFC(, H+)'(' M@J@FE8IPK8:K@:J The popularity of 3D and 4D continues to increase
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K? Look into my eyes and… Fly Me to the Moon Pirate Story The World of Sharks Haunted House Jett and Jin TurtleVision Bugs Dinosaurs 6()=-#1+;<9-:89-:-6;:)6-=-9-?8)6,16/41*9)9@7.897=-6+97>,84-):16/B45: that maximize the WOW factor and in-your-face nature of 3D/4D cinema. For more information contact: -,91+ /7,;C%-4 C)? C+1/7,;6>)=-+75C>>>6>)=-+75 )616-)3-9C%-4 C)? C2*)3-96>)=-+75 (North & South America Sales) ## … discover a universal and timeless 3D/4D attraction nWave Pictures proudly presents A 3D/4D experience inspired by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince: an eternally enchanting story. Premiere at IAAPA Attractions Expo 2010 (Booth 5159), Orlando, Florida (USA), 16-19 November azen DESIGN ASSOCIATES For us, inspired design comes naturally... immersive environments, highly naturalistic Conceptual & complete design habitats & landscapes, for zoos, aquariums museums & themed attractions. Detailed visualization & models Creative & technical specification For more information please visit our website www.lazenbydesign.com, or email Interpretive & graphic design us at [email protected] to request a fully illustrated portfolio. Construction art-direction Farnley Park, Farnley, West Yorkshire, LS21 2QF, United Kingdom t.+44 (0)1943 850101 ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT EDITOR’S LETTER INVESTING IN INDIA PHOTO: FERRARI WORLD ABU DHABI FERRARI WORLD PHOTO: ON THE COVER: ews that MGM is in talks to build a $100m Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, p42 N (£62.3m, E71.8m), 70-acre theme park in India, READER SERVICES in partnership with Mumbai-based Lavasa SUBSCRIPTIONS Corporation, further confi rms India’s status as one of the emerging markets for the global attractions industry. Julie Albone +44 (0)1462 471915 The new park will open in 2014 and is the sec- CIRCULATION MANAGER ond for the city: a Spaceworld theme park is already Michael Emmerson +44 (0)1462 471932 under construction down the road – in partner- EDITORIAL TEAM ship with Belgium-based Spaceworld International MANAGING EDITOR – with an opening scheduled for 2012. Kathleen Whyman +44 (0)1462 471918 Opportunities in India are attracting the attention of international investors and EDITOR operators – where even a decade ago such a thing would have been unthinkable Liz Terry +44 (0)1462 431385 – because in spite of ongoing issues with wobbly infrastructure, the middle class in NEWSDESK India has grown to the extent that it’s seen as offering a serious business opportunity. Tom Walker +44 (0)1462 471917 This group already represents 30 per cent of the 1.2bn population and McKinsey Pete Hayman +44 (0)1462 471931 forecasts that India’s middle class will reach the half billion mark over the next 20 years, Sarah Todd +44 (0)1462 471927 saying this ‘unique period in India’s evolution’ will see total consumption in the coun- Martin Nash +44 (0)1462 471933 ADVERTISING TEAM India’s middle class will grow to half a billion people over PUBLISHER the next 20 years, while total consumption in the country will Julie Badrick +44 (0)1462 471919 quadruple, making it the world’s fi fth largest consumer market ADVERTISING SALES John Challinor +44 (0)1582 607970 try quadrupling, making India the fi fth largest consumer market in the world by 2025. Jan Williams +44 (0)1462 471909 For many years, large-scale theme park developments couldn’t be built, because ATTRACTIONS RECRUITMENT government taxes on imported steel made the market for the infrastructure unvi- Annie Lovell +44 (0)1462 471901 able – vendors of rollercoasters just couldn’t compete, for example. As a result, ADVERTISING PRODUCTION India’s attractions were typically local, low-rise in style and with a focus on the- Ed Gallagher +44 (0)1462 431385 meing and soft landscaping. However, changes in government policy have WEB TEAM eased these restrictions and the market has been opening up to change. INTERNET Although these new parks are being built primarily for the local market, India Michael Paramore +44 (0)1462 471926 is also growing rapidly as a tourist destination; 5.37million foreign tourists visited Dean Fox +44 (0)1462 471900 the country in 2008, up 57 per cent from 1996. It also remains an increasingly Tim Nash +44 (0)1462 471917 attractive destination for business travellers and affl uent Indian expatriates. Katie Eldridge +44 (0)1462 471913 As a result, future opportunities for the sector will include attracting inbound Emma Harris +44 (0)1462 471921 tourists, so the adoption of international brands such as MGM will be important driv- FUN-KIT.NET/MUSEUM-KIT.NET ers of business and we’re likely to see more of these kind of deals being done. PRODUCT SEARCH ENGINE India already allows foreign-owned brokers to trade directly on the coun- Sarah Todd +44 (0)1462 471927 try’s exchanges, and a government panel has recommended the fi nance Martin Nash +44 (0)1462 471933 ministry make it easier for foreign retail investors – in particular, wealthy DESIGN Indians settled overseas – to buy shares on Indian exchanges. Andy Bundy +44 (0)1462 471924 Foreign investors will benefi t from this change as they will directly participate FINANCE in India’s growth, making investment an even more attractive proposition. Sue Davis +44 (0)1395 519318 Denise Gildea +44 (0)1462 471930 Liz Terry, editor, [email protected] Rebekah Scott +44 (0)1462 471930 THE LEISURE MEDIA COMPANY PUBLISHES The Leisure Media Company Ltd, Portmill House, Portmill Lane, Hitchin, Hertfordshire SG5 1DJ UK Tel: +44 (0)1462 431385 Fax: +44 (0)1462 433909 e-mail: [email protected] ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT IS THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF SUPPORTED BY www.attractionsmanagement.com © Cybertrek 2010 AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 9 ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT IN THIS ISSUE ISSUE 4 2010 28 Ask an expert: 40 Finance Social networking Invested interest 9 Editor’s letter The opportunities to get involved with Deloitte’s Nigel Bland and Liz Smith pro- 12 Theme park news social networks are seemingly limitless. vide a fi nancial review of the year 2010 14 Museum news But what are the benefi ts? Which ones 16 should you use? We ask the experts. 42 Top team: Science centre news Ferrari World 18 Zoo park news Theme park design: The Ferrari World opened recently to 19 32 Heritage news Grand Designs great fanfare. Read all about the team 20 Waterpark news Innovation and themeing are just as behind the creation of a world fi rst 22 BALPPA news important as having the tallest and fast- est rides. Kath Hudson looks at the latest 46 Interview: projects and trends in park design. Robert Rippy 24 Family Matters: Robert Rippy steps up to take over as Big Mack 36 Multimedia & AV: IAAPA chair for the next 12 months We profi le the German Mack family that Multitasking has been in ride-building business for Telling your story using multimedia 48 Interview: 230 years. This year the Macks are also enhances the visitor experience. We chart Nicolas Moulin, Terra Botanica celebrating the 35th anniversary of the some of the shining examples of exhibi- Evelyn Villame heads to the Loire Valley opening of the Europa-Park. tion design with multimedia at its heart. to pay a visit to the plant life theme park 10 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 ISSUE 4 2010 DIGITAL MAGAZINE: See Attractions Management online: attractionsmanagement.com/digital TODAY’S NEWS AND JOBS: For the latest opportunities in the attractions industry, plus global market news, check out our daily website: www.attractionsmanagement.com or sign up for e-news on www.leisuresubs.com ATTENTION 53 3D & 4D: 72 Consultancy: BUYERS! Visionary tactics Expert opinions Wherever you are How should attractions react to the When costs are being cut on every level, in the world, fi nd recent resurgence of 3D in cinemas? can attractions still justify spending suppliers 24/7 money on consultancy fees? using Attractions 60 Technology Management’s dedicated leisure This time it’s personal 78 Ticketing: search engine: www.fun-kit.net Customised attractions have proved a hit Destination marketing with visitors at Shanghai Expo 2010 Kathleen Whyman fi nds out how ready SUBSCRIBE: the industry is to support destination Be a part of the bigger picture and 62 Mystery Shopper marketing activities –such as having mul- subscribe to Attractions Management. Kingdom of Dreams tiple attractions on just one ticket To sign up, call: +44 (0)1462 471915 Jennifer Harbottle visits India’s new fl ag- ship attraction. And discovers that the 83 Interactives BUYERS’ GUIDE: emphasis is solidly on shopping Social action For suppliers of products and Interactives are a proving great way to services in the worldwide attractions 66 Waterparks: raise the bar and to create thrilling expe- industry, turn to page 83 Splashing out riences for the modern, tech-savvy guest. A look at the latest projects and open- Kath Hudson seeks out and reports on ings in the waterpark sector the latest – from 5D to in-ride devices. AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 11 ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT THEME PARK NEWS PCL to design and build Legoland, FL Merlin Entertainments has appointed PCL Construction Services and Morris Architects to design and build the Legoland Florida attraction, which is scheduled to open in 2011. The 145-acre family attraction, which will be located on the site of the former Cypress Gardens theme park in Winter Haven, is set to include more than 50 rides, shows and attractions. Merlin acquired the park – which The new park is expected to cost around £1.5bn includes the Splash Island Waterpark – in February 2009 for US$23m Euro Disney eyes third Paris attraction (£14.3m, %16.3m) following the bank- ruptcy of the park’s previous owner. Euro Disney SCA has revealed its ambition amendment to an original deal signed in for a third Paris theme park development 1987. A sustainable tourism scheme - Les Vietnam park plans after securing an agreement with the Villages Nature de Val d’Europe - is also French government to expand its opera- planned in partnership with the Pierre and A US$2bn (£1.2bn, %1.5bn) tions. The deal is set to allow the group to Vacances Group and is expected to cost hotel and leisure complex is being develop a new resort in the Marne-la-Vallée %1.8bn (£1.5bn, US$2.5bn). planned for the Ben Luc commune region, alongside the original Disneyland Euro Disney estimates that around %8bn in the Mekong Delta province of Paris and the eight-year-old Walt Disney (£6.7bn, US$11.2bn) is to be invested by Long An, Vietnam. The 338-hectare Studios attraction. 2030 in its proposed developments. (835-acre) Happyland complex is Euro Disney has been given an addi- Euro Disney chief executive offi cer to be fi nanced by the Khang Thong tional 13 years and an increase in the Philippe Gas said: “We are continuing to Group and its subsidiary, the Phu amount of land it has available to build develop our tourist destination and sup- An Construction and Infrastructure on following the agreement, which is an porting France’s tourism leadership.” Development Company. Aqualandia takes New coaster for Six Flags Over Georgia over Terra Mitica Six Flags Over Georgia in Austell, GA, “We’re excited to welcome Dare Devil US is to open a new rollercoaster for the Dive as our 11th roller coaster,” said Following the news that the loss-mak- 2011 season.The 100ft-high ‘euro fi ghter’ Melinda Ashcraft, park president of Six ing Benidorm theme park was being coaster features a 10-storey vertical lift and Flags Atlanta Properties. put up for sale, Terra Mitica has been a beyond vertical drop. “This thrill ride features a vertical lift leased to Mundomar Aqualandia with hill and beyond vertical fi rst drop that our an option to buy the attraction for guests have never experienced before. %75m (£63m, US$103m), the global It will be the perfect complement to an debt of the company. already stellar coaster lineup.” The contract obliges the new manag- The ride is designed and engineered ers to take over the current workforce by Gerstlauer Rides based in Germany, and managers, with Aqualandia paying who also created the popular Tony about the same – %1.8m euro (£1.5m, Hawk’s Big Spin at several Six Flags US$2.48m) – as Terra Mitica is paying parks and Pandemonium at Six Flags in interest on its loans at the moment. New England. There is a further rental linked to both The coaster is scheduled to open visitor numbers and income at the Memorial Day Weekend alongside park. Although Terra Mitica has seen other rides and attractions at Six Flags an upturn in business recently, losses Over Georgia. These include the hyper- after tax at the park last year were still coaster Goliath, Batman: The Ride and %164m (£137m, US$226m). The new Dare Devil Dive at Six Flags Superman: Ultimate Flight. 12 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Smurfs theme park planned for China A US$2.9m (£1.8m, %2m) theme park, based on the Smurf characters created by Belgian cartoonist Pierre Culliford, is being planned for Chengdu, China. The current owner of the Smurf brand, belgium-based International Merchandising, Promotion & Services (IMPS), and Chengdu Teda Sino- Europe Construction are behind the project, which is expected to open in three to fi ve years. Chengdu is an area famous for its The fi rst phase of the Coney Island redevelopment has proven very popular pandas but it is believed that the new Smurfs park will form a crucial part of Visit numbers soar at NY’s Luna Park a wider tourism plan for the region. The Smurfs were created by The Luna Park amusement park on New Amusement International have extended Culliford under the nom de plume York’s Coney Island is reported to have the park’s 2010 season by three weeks ‘Peyo’ and fi rst emerged in 1958. attracted more than 400,000 visitors this until the end of October. They began as comic strips before summer, the highest fi gure for any summer This will include new programming fea- the Saturday morning TV series since Steeplechase Park closed in 1964. turing Halloween themes scheduled to began in 1981. Recently, they have The 3.1-acre park was opened in May debut on 15 October. seen somewhat of a resurgence, with this year by the city of New York and The second phase of Luna Park – the a movie planned for release next year Central Amusement International as part Scream Zone – is on track to open for sum- starring US pop star Katy Perry. of the Coney Island Revitalization Plan. It mer 2011 with an additional four rides. Walygator Parc near Metz in France features 19 attractions, both traditional and The Coney Island Revitalization Plan – originally opened in 1989 as Big Bang new state-of-the-art, which saw in excess of in which the city of New York has invested Smurf. The Smurf characters were 1.7 million rides taken. Based on success more than US$6m (£3.8m, %4.2m) – is withdrawn in 2003. of its inaugural season, the city and Central designed to preserve the historic park. Barnstormer of a new ride for Dollywood Dolly Parton’s Dollywood theme park in Tennessee, US has unveiled its plans for a new ride for the 2011 season. Barnstormer – built by S&S Worldwide and due to open in March – will be a US$5.5m The park would be India’s fi rst (£3.5m) family thrill ride situated in a barnyard-themed area of Universal in talks Owens Farm. Surrounding it is over Indian park to be a play zone for younger children, featuring a 22ft x 16ft Universal Studios and Reliance ADA (6.7m x 5m) bi-plane play area Group have opened talks over the pos- and a pig-pen waterplay attraction. Riders travel on rapidly swinging arms sibility of establishing a new US$1.5bn Taking its name from the daring fl yers (£960bn, %1.1bn) park in India. and stunt pilots of the 1920s, Barnstormer At its highest, riders are 81ft (24.5m) If a deal is agreed, it would be likely features two pendulum arms with seating up in the air. The new ride, with a duration that Reliance, owned by Indian bil- for 32 riders. Seated back to back, riders of 60 seconds and a capacity of 450pph, lionaire Anil Ambani, would own and travel progressively higher on each swing will be situated adjacent to the park’s operate the park while paying Universal of the arms, reaching a maximum speed Mountain Slidewinder attraction, one of royalties and fees for using the brand of 45mph (72.4kph) and 230˚ of rotation. Dollywood’s most popular rides. and its intellectual properties. AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 13 ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT MUSEUM NEWS Rome Cinema plans museum revealed for NMAH nets RIBA The National Museum of American History in Washington D.C., is to install Stirling a new US$5m (£3.1m, %3.5m) cinema. Warner Bros. Entertainment is Prize donating the money, which will allow the Smithsonian museum to turn its 46-year-old, 270-seat Carmichael Zaha Hadid Architects have Auditorium into a modern 3D theatre. picked up the RIBA Stirling To be named the Warner Bros. Prize 2010 for the design Theater, the new attraction will be of MAXXI, the National used for lectures, symposia, concerts Museum of XXI Century and other programmes as well as spe- Arts in Rome, Italy. cial events and gatherings. The contemporary The new theatre is scheduled to art museum held off open next year. competition from fi ve rival shortlisted entries, £10m Birmingham which included Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum - museum plans designed by Rick Mather Architects. Opened in Plans for the creation of a new November 2009, the £9.7m (%11.5m, US$15,5m) wing at %150m (£130m, US$205m) The museum was described as having a “free line” Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery MAXXI building covers have been given the green light by city 21,200sq m (228,195sq ft) of internal fl oor levels, this project shows a calmness that council cabinet members. space and contains a wide range of 21st belies the complexities of its form. This is Work to build and fi t-out Birmingham century artworks. The museum is the fourth a mature piece of architecture, the distil- - A City in the Making is due to get project to earn Zaha Hadid Architects a lation of years of experimentation, only underway by the end of the year, with place on the Stirling Prize shortlist, although a fraction of which ever got built. It is the the top fl oor of the attraction to be it is the fi rst time that the design fi rm has quintessence of Zaha’s constant attempt transformed with the creation of fi ve been awarded the accolade. to create a landscape as a series of cav- new galleries. Proposals drawn up by Speaking on the design of MAXXI, ernous spaces drawn with a free line.” West Yorkshire-based Redman Design the Stirling Prize judges said: “MAXXI Other shortlisted entries included Neues will see four galleries focus on the is described as a building for the stag- Museum in Berlin, Germany by David development of the city from its origins ing of art, and while provocative at many Chipperfi eld Architects. to the end of the Second World War. US$36m Dali Museum near completion The new US$36m (£22.4m, %25.5m) Dali open on 11 January next year, will replace Museum being built in St Petersburg, the current site at 1000 Third St. SE. The Florida, US, is nearing completion; how- new building, designed by Jann Weymouth ever, developers have run into a US$5m at HOK Architects, will be located at (£3.1m, %3.5m) funding shortfall. Bayshore Drive and Fifth Avenue SE. Pinellas County’s Tourist Development HOK said the museum is infl uenced by Council has since recommended that Dali’s Surrealism, and that “though the the county commissioners should spend museum is designed as a treasure box US$2.5m of (£1.5m, %1.7m) its hotel bed that shelters the priceless collection from tax revenue on the project. hurricanes behind thick concrete walls, The county initially refused funding, but the box opens in ways that welcome and the St Petersburg City Council said that it intrigue visitors”. would also donate US$2.5m if the county It will feature the largest collection of matched it. The museum, scheduled to Salvador Dali’s works outside of Spain. AS 14 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT SCIENCE CENTRE NEWS Mike Bruton Targeting a rebirth of Africa The museum will combine the three existing museums, including the Branigan Center oreign investment into the Architect appointed for Las Cruces African continent has quad- F rupled since 2000. The IMF An architect has been appointed to the Museum of Art and the Museum of puts Africa’s average annual growth design the new Museum of Nature and Nature and Science for 2004 to 2008 at more than 6 Science in Las Cruces, New Mexico, US. The project is expected to cost US$5.3m per cent – better than that of most The current site of the museum, at (£3.3m, %3.8m) and the money will come developed economies. Africa would Mesilla Valley Mall, is 3,900sq ft, (362sq m) from the US Department of Energy, therefore appear to be prime territory is not big enough. Housing and Urban Development, the for the establishment of a network of ASA Architects, based in Las Cruces, Bureau of Land Management and state interactive science centres: cash is have been given a US$400,000-plus legislative funds. Groundbreaking for the starting to fl ow, the economy is mov- (£250,000, %289,000) contract to design museum has already been scheduled for ing away from commodities towards a new, larger, building at a downtown loca- May next year, with completion of the build- technology-based services and infor- tion. The new site will combine the three ing expected in September 2012. mation. Furthermore, the modus museums that currently operate as sepa- The museum currently attracts around operandi of science centres exactly rate entities – the Branigan Cultural Center, 155,000 visitors a year. matches Africa’s developmental needs: they offer cost-effective ways of strengthening the science and Multi-million dollar expansion for St. Louis technology culture, and their relatively language-free exhibits, and hands- The Saint Louis Science Centre on, experiential teaching methods, in Missouri, US, is planning are ideally suited to educationally- to build a new 13,000sq ft, disadvantaged but smart learners in US$9.5m (£6.2m, %6.9m) exhi- multilingual societies. bition hall adjacent to its main However, the stark reality is that sci- entrance off Oakland Avenue. ence centres are poorly established The new space will replace on the African continent, confi ned to the existing 1996 Exploradome, around 28 institutions, almost exclu- which, according to centre offi - sively in the extreme north and south. cials, is coming to the end of its Africa has many traditional museums, lifespan and needs to be replaced. Met ilisi. Borper susto odignibh er itat. which have tremendous potential as Site preparation is already seeds for the development of a strong under way and the new hall is scheduled Constructors, will house travelling exhibits, interactive science centre network. to open next summer. It will connect to the such as the current “Real Pirates,” and The hosting of the sixth Science east side of the Science Center, just south special events, such as SciFest. Centre World Congress in Cape Town, of its main entrance and its inaugural exhibit The centre has introduced free admis- South Africa, in September 2011 will be will be announced during the autumn. sion and attracts more than 1.2 million a tremendous boost for this goal. The Exploradome will be taken down visitors annually. Exhibitions include a shortly after the new hall is completed. Omnimax-branded domed theatre space Mike Bruton is the founding director of The The new structure, with PGAV as and a Lego Mindstorms zone. Details: MTN Sciencentre in South africa architect and building work by Alberici www.slsc.org 16 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 turning your world around custom designed suspended family coaster family coasters thrill & mega coasters indoor & custom designed attractions & specialities Amusement Expo Europe 2010 Please visit us at Booth No. 5131 Vekoma Rides Manufacturing B.V. Schaapweg 18, 6063 BA Vlodrop, The Netherlands Tel.: +31 (0) 475-409222 Fax: +31 (0) 475-402115 sales@vekoma.com www.vekoma.com ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT ZOO & AQUARIUM NEWS Walk the Talk: Green Zoos The project will include a new 10,000sq ft facility for reptiles and amphibians s wildlife around the world is Expansion for Pittsburgh Zoo impacted by shifting habitats A and environmental threats, a A fi ve-acre expansion has been proposed have sizes or anything concrete at this critical part of the zoo and aquarium at Pittsburgh Zoo in Pennsylvania, US. time. We are strictly in the design phase mission is to inspire visitors to learn The new project will sit on a section of and working with an architectural fi rm to about the effect of human behaviour. land at the top of the zoo and will consist determine how and where each phase of Every zoo and aquarium accred- of a new veterinary hospital and educa- the project will be built. ited by the Association of Zoos and tion centre, a 10,000sq ft (930sq m) facility “We will start the design work and will Aquariums (AZA) has a conserva- for reptiles and amphibians and 10 to 13 be constructing the project in three phases tion and science education mission. outdoor exhibits. The animals being con- beginning with the two story animal care Educational signage and programs sidered are the snow leopard, orangutans facility. Included in the animal care facil- and fi eld conservation are widespread and Komodo dragon. ity is a room for kids who can play vet by in accredited zoos and aquariums, but Tracy Gray, a spokesperson for the zoo, dressing up and using a toy stethoscope additionally, there is a large increase told Attractions Management: “We don’t and work with plush animals.” in the prevalence of zoos and aquari- ums that have green initiatives. For example, new exhibits and build- ings across the country are attaining Expansion for the globally recognised Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Reid Park Zoo (LEED) certifi cation. Going green is in line with the mis- Reid Park Zoo in Tuscon, Arizona, sion of accredited zoos and US, is to add a new US$8.5m (£5.3m, aquariums, but it is also good for %6.4m) seven-acre exhibit. business. A 2008 PGAV Environmental The Expedition Tanzania project Sustainability Study found that is the largest expansion in the zoo’s The exhibit will cost %28m attractions visitors are 70 per cent- 45-year history, and will dedicate three more likely to visit ‘green’ attractions, acres solely to elephants. Dolphin exhibit for and 30 per cent of visitors have The exhibit will also feature the Genoa Aquarium already made these discriminating Click Family Elephant Care Centre choices. In addition, four in 10 people and an Education Galley. Fifty per The Acquario di Genova in Genoa, Italy, expect to pay more for green attrac- cent of the money has come through is being extended to house a major new tions than other businesses. donations to the Reid Park Zoological dolphin exhibit. Designed by Renzo Piano Actions speak louder than words. Society, with donors including The Building Workshop, the %28m (£23.4m, Accredited zoos and aquariums, with Kresge Foundation, Mrs. Bernadine US$34.1m) development is being funded their built-in conservation mission, are Shirley, Tucson Electric Power, the by public investment, Porto Antico di taking the lead as green attractions John M. Simpson Foundation – Susan Genova (owner of the aquarium) and Costa and, through their actions, inspiring and Mickey Cavender, and numerous Edutainment, which manages the site. visitors to change their own. private donations. A further US$3.7m The exhibit will open in 2012 and is part Linda Cendes, communications assistant, (£2.3m, %2.8m), was donated by the of the aquarium’s strategy to raise aware- city of Tucson through increases in ness of the issues of conservation and Association of Zoos and Aquariums zoo admission and bond elections. responsible use of marine environments. 18 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT HERITAGE NEWS Welsh heritage worth £1.8bn Wales’ historic environment is worth around £1.8bn (US$2.8bn, %2bn) to the nation’s economy and supports 30,000 full-time jobs, according to a major new report. Valuing the Welsh Historic Environment was undertaken by ECOTEC Research and Consulting to explore the impact of Welsh heritage The museum has been designed by Chyutin Architects attractions on the wider economy. The research found that the adapta- New design for Museum of Tolerance tion of historic buildings can be helpful in acting as a catalyst for regeneration, The Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal mated cost of US$250m (£160m, %177m) while many visitors to the Principality Center has unveiled a new design for made it too expensive to build. Hier said: are attracted by historic sites. its planned Museum of Tolerance in “We originally wanted to incorporate some Protecting the historic environment Jerusalem, Israel, to be built at an esti- of his design into the complex, but Frank has also had a positive impact on the mated cost of US$100m (£64m, %72m). said his work was like a sculpture and conservation of landscapes and wildlife The structure will include a theatre that if you take out some of the pieces the habitats, while also helping to create seating up to 1,200 people, an education whole design falls apart.” employment and training opportunities. centre and a glass wall opening onto the The museum scheme was initially chal- Welsh heritage minister Alun Ffred nearby Independence Park. lenged by petitioners who said it should be Jones said: “Wales has a rich and Speaking to The Jerusalem Post, the relocated since its plot is on part of an old diverse heritage which has great value organisation’s founder, Rabbi Marvin Hier, Muslim cemetery. to those who live here in many different said: “We gave an opportunity to three dif- After years of legal wrangling, the ways. Clearly it is important to conserve ferent architectural fi rms and the board Supreme Court ruled in favour of the this environment. voted unanimously in favor of the design State of Israel, which gave the land to “But sometimes what is not by Chyutin Architects. Although the oth- the museum. The recession then caused recognised and what this report shows ers were also fi ne designs, we were most a drop in donations and led to the is that our heritage also has an impor- impressed with this one.” Wiesenthal Center’s decision to abandon tant economic impact, both through the The Chyutin design replaces an earlier the Gehry plan. Hier said he hoped the benefi ts it can bring to local people and one by architect Frank Gehry, whose esti- museum would be open by 2015. the income generated through visitors.” ! " ! ! " # $ % & ' ( ) ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT WATERPARK NEWS Aleatha Ezra Exploring the The planned indoor waterpark would be located less than two miles from a Disney park science of rides Great Wolf to open California resort aterpark rides might get a lot of credit for being amaz- Waterpark operator Great Wolf Resorts has service, family destination resort. Facilities W ingly fun and exciting, but secured a license and management agree- will include 600 family suites, a 100,000sq they don’t always get the credit they ment to open and operate a park in Garden ft indoor waterpark, 30,000sq ft of meeting deserve for being scientifi c marvels. Grove, California, US. space and additional indoor entertainment To the average waterpark guest it The resort will be publicly owned – by areas and amenities. probably seems pretty easy to build a the City of Garden Cove – and located Great Wolf Resorts will receive license good ride: put some tubes together, less than two miles from Disneyland. The fees for use of the Great Wolf Lodge turn on the water and start sending resort will be built by construction com- brand name and other intellectual riders down the slide. However, thanks pany McWhinney. Once complete, Great property at the resort, and will receive to innovations within the industry, Wolf Lodge in Garden Grove’s International management fees to operate the resort some of the latest water rides are West Resort will be marketed as a full- on behalf of the owner. starting to receive proper notice from science practitioners and enthusiasts. Two such recent examples are: World’s Toughest Fixes, a tv show Wet ‘n’ Wild aired on the National Geographic Channel. It offers behind-the-scenes park for Sydney coverage from the fi nal construction of the Wildebeest ride at Holiday World The Australian media fi rm Village & Splashin’ Safari, Santa Claus, US. Roadshow is to build a new AUS$80m It is the world’s longest water coaster, (US$74.7m, %58m, £48.5m) waterpark built by ProSlide Technology and uses in Sydney. Wet ‘n’ Wild Sydney will be a combination of water lubrication built on a 25-hectare site, under a long and ‘HydroMagnetic’ technology to term lease agreement with the New propel riders uphill at high speeds and South Wales Government. The rude towers above the Hanwha Resort through twists and turns. Chair of Village Roadshow, Robert For the show, host Sean Riley and Kirby, said: “We are very excited about Huge water ride to his crew, spent time with ProSlide team the opportunity to bring our water open in Korea going through the fi nal phases of the theme park concept to Sydney. This installation, while also testing sections is a huge step forward for one of our What has been billed as the world’s largest of magnets to see exactly how the sys- foundation businesses.” waterslide has now opened at the Hanwha tem programming works. The project is not yet in the design Resort in South Korea. This type of coverage of the water- stage, but the park will employ water Built by Canada-based waterpark design park industry illustrates how important effi cient design, fi ltration and recycling company WhiteWater West, ‘The Abyss’ it is for these types of innovations to technology. Village Roadshow owns stands nearly 30m (98ft) tall. Using four- receive the attention that they deserve. Wet ‘n’ Wild parks in Queensland, or six-person rafts, its design is said by Aleatha Ezra is the membership manager Australia and in Arizona and Hawaii in WhiteWater to feature bigger drops, higher of the World Waterpark Association the US. The waterpark is scheduled to walls and more near vertical oscillations open in the summer of 2013-14. than any other ride in its class. 20 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 See you in London EDUCATION PASSION PEOPLE Stay connected. Stay informed. Stay ahead. produced by The conference and tradeshow for attractions and leisure industry in Europe. Update your profi le on www.IAAPA.org/EAS and we will keep you informed. ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT BALPPA NEWS Martin Barratt Making the An artist’s impression of the Heart of Africa plans government listen Council backing for Chester Zoo plans ast month David Cameron made a well-publicised speech about Chester Zoo’s plans for a major £225m themed on an African rainforest and will L the importance of tourism to the (US$361m, %256m) expansion have include connected domes housing a water British economy. It was well received been handed a boost after Cheshire West ride and dining facilities. by many involved in tourism, maybe and Chester Council recommended the Locum Consulting was responsible because we’re not used to being scheme for approval. for drawing up the business plan for the noticed by politicians, but what exactly The council’s strategic planning commit- project, which will also boast a 150-bed- can we expect as a result? tee has submitted its decision – along with room hotel; underwater exhibits; new Cameron recognised that many 36 conditions – to the secretary of state. animal paddocks; and a revamped main tourism businesses are in the private A new £90m (US$144m, %102m) bio- entrance. London-based architects Proctor sector and pledged to support them, dome – called the Heart of Africa – is at and Matthews will design the bio-dome but although he mentioned several the heart of the proposals, which will be with the assistance of Faber Maunsell. attractions all of them were national museums and none of them charged for entry. The help he promised was confi ned to waiving some employment Summer time taxes on the fi rst 10 jobs created by new businesses outside London and paper published some minor cuts to corporation tax. There was nothing in his speech A report outlining the benefi ts of intro- that even acknowledged the existence ducing Central European Time (CET) in of commercial attractions. Why is he the UK was published on Thursday 23 not taking the commercial sector seri- September in Edinburgh. ously? Commercial attractions are a The report, which has been written Visits to London sites were up 5 per cent big reason why tourists come to the by Mayer Hillman of the Policy Studies UK and why UK residents are choosing Institute, was commissioned by the London attractions to ‘staycate’. We bring benefi ts to the British Association British Association see growth in August hospitality and service industries, we of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions provide new jobs more cheaply than (BALPPA), which has been one of the London attractions experienced a boost any other sector and we don’t require leaders of the daylight saving cam- in August, as the number of visitors during lottery funding or public money. paign for the last six years. In August, the month increased by 7.5 per cent over When the government understands Prime Minister David Cameron said the same period in 2009. the economic impact of commercial he would “consider seriously” the The Visit London Attraction Monitor, attractions it will start paying atten- bill, which is due to be debated in the which samples 34 attractions both free tion, but that will only happen when Commons in December. and paid, said that the growth follows on we share information and quantify our He added: “It’s up to those who want from the two months prior, which saw gains impact. In the meantime it is up to us the change to make the argument to of 6.3 per cent in June, and 3.4 per cent to push for a level playing fi eld. try to convince people right across the in July. The marked rise over the three country that it’s a good thing. That’s months has resulted in an overall increase Martin Barratt, chief executive, BALPPA the key to winning this argument.” during the last quarter of 5.7 per cent. 22 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 A spectacular new spin ride from MACK endless possibilities of theming interactive splash action low maintenance and between riders and even operational costs non-riders free floating and spinning boats combining the all-star Tea Cup Ride with splashing fun Great for theme parks, water parks and hotel resorts multi-patented innovations with high reliable technology Best capacity and interactive value for your budget MACK – WE MAKE PEOPLE SMILE Innovation built on more than 230 years of tradition & experience Visit us in Orlando at the IAAPA Attractions Show, booth 2427 =8D@CPD8KK K_`jp\XidXibj>\idXe ]Xd`cpYlj`e\jjDXZbI`[\jË )*'k_p\XiXe[ N? 24 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 The Blue Fire megacoaster was installed as part of a 750m upgrade scheme carried out last year, during a time of economic uncertainty Quis elit irit, sequipisi tie vullaorem dio dunt aute velent wisit nullumsan utpat venibh etuerostin endio odole opinions. So, sometimes it’s diffi cult to My brother and I, and my two sons, have that’s necessary to develop a theme park reach a decision that everybody can live gained experience during internships such as Europa-Park. This also applies to with. With the development of Europa- abroad. But we all joined the company the next generation. It will be their duty to Park, the new attractions, hotels and the as soon as we’d completed our studies expand the park, to keep and improve on infrastructure, we discuss everything until and internships. our quality and safety standards and to we can pass a resolution unanimously. We add rides and attractions year after year. never decide by majority! This sometimes N?8K;FPFLI:?@C;I AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 25 =8D@CPD8KK Since it opened, Europa-Park has been the showcase for Mack Rides. The track of Euro-Mir, launched in 1997, is wrapped around large refl ective towers sight. In the beginning of the 1970s my father predicted that our industry would È@knXj[`]ÔZlck`ek_\ develop into a leisure sector. During a trip Y\^`ee`e^%Effe\ to the US, he and I came up with the idea flkj`[\k_\]Xd`cp_X[ to open a theme park with an entertain- ment offer for all age groups. The fi rst XepZfeÔ[\eZ\`ek_\ drafts of Europa-Park were drawn on a gifa\Zkjfnflc[eËknfib beer mat! For us, family entertainment was always our focus and this has never n`k_ljXe[efYXeb changed. We were also increasingly aware nflc[c\e[ljk_\dfe\p% that we needed some kind of shop window K_`jnXjX_l^\Yli[\e# for the rides and attractions made by Mack Rides. We wanted to present our prod- \jg\Z`Xccp]fidp]Xk_\iÉ =I8EQD8:B ucts to potential clients and our company grounds in Waldkich weren’t big enough to On 3 October 2010, the entrepreneur mount rollercoasters permanently. Another challenge is that the and founder of Europa-Park Franz Mack ride manufacturing business is a sadly passed away, aged 89. He was N?8K@JK?<J<:I 26 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 The 350-bedroom Colosseo is one of the Europa-Park’s four hotels K_\fg\e`e^f] THE FAMILY’S HISTORY (./' (//' (0)' (0)( (0*- (0,( (0,) (0,. (0., (00, ZXiXmXej]fi DXZbI`[\j kiXm\cc`e^ XkkiXZk`fej j_fnd\eXe[ Z`iZlj\j tion of our European themed concept. We advantage is that our wide portfolio is for opened our fi rst European themed area, all size parks. Italy, in 1982. Today, we have 13 European countries. Our business policy has always ?8JK?<<:FEFD@::I@J@J8==<:K<; been to expand the park continuously, so <@K?<@E attractions and thrill coasters. Mack Rides is also doing very well and K?<E AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 27 8JB8E Q N_pj_flc[XkkiXZk`fejlj\ jfZ`Xce\knfib`e^6 JfZ`Xcd\[`X`jk_\]Xjk\jk^ifn`e^ZXk\^fipf]`ek\ie\kdXib\k`e^#Xe[`kËj \Xjpkfj\\n_pn_\e=XZ\YffbXcfe\_Xjdfi\k_Xe,''d`cc`felj\ijÆfi gfk\ek`XcZljkfd\ij%9lk[fjfZ`Xcd\[`XXZklXccpY\e\ÔkXkkiXZk`fejfg\iXkfij Xe[_fnZXek_\pkiXZbn_fËjlj`e^`k6BXk_c\\eN_pdXeXjbjk_\\og\ikj lowed by building an authentic special and to quickly deal with any D8I:8JD@K? relationship. The stream can be unsatisfi ed customers. But, ultimately, the Z_`\]jfZ`XcjZ`\ek`jk# daunting, however, and even dedi- aim should be to direct people back to :fee\Zk\[8Zk`fe& cated staff can be overwhelmed your own website where they then can JfZ`XcD\[`XI\j\XiZ_ without tools to focus in on the make an enquiry or booking. =fle[Xk`fe key people and topics that matter These offsite social media sites are to you. One method for creating a however only one aspect of social media clearer picture of the sea of posts, marketing and an effective social media ocial media is important for all messages and tweets is to apply the social marketing strategy should consider both businesses because it’s the place science techniques of social network offsite and onsite social media. J where many customers form and analysis (SNA) that builds maps of collec- Encouraging your online users to upload express their opinions about your products tions of connections between people and comments, photos and videos of their and services. It’s also a powerful way to things. SNA has been an esoteric topic experiences on your own website, pro- provide better support before, during and for years but the rise of social media and vides you with information and imagery after the sale to customers who may social network services have made SNA to use in other marketing campaigns. It understand the strengths and weaknesses more accessible than ever before. also increases the browsing time of your of your product better than you do. Using online visitor, increases organic accurate targeting, it can also be an search traffi c, encourages repeat effective way to get your message out to a J@DFEAFE 28 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 to our website – Facebook is in page and ticket sales. We knew how many \fi^`X8hlXi`ld facet of customer service and it’s an event we’ve heard about, to a competi- an opportunity to not only help tion, to something we’re doing. We try not consumers, but to build brand to talk about ourselves all the time so we loyalty. Social media brings in can add value. Users talk to each other as rom February to May we ran a an audience with different interests. It’s a well and comment on other people’s posts. promotion for people who great way to learn about your community. It’s like a little community. = followed us on Twitter, Facebook However, while it’s an important market- We use Google News alerts to monitor or MySpace. The offer was for free ing tool and one that will grow in the future, what’s being said about us online. Using admission for up to four children under the it can’t be the only tool. A mistake some Facebook Insights, we look at the number age of fi ve and free parking. people make is failing to continue with of fans and how they’re growing. We ask We sold thousands of tickets as a result the traditional marketing tools that have customers where they heard about us of the promotion. The monitoring was always worked – such as advertisements, when they booked and look at referrals directly tied to tracking the unique web commercials and billboards. ● AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 29 K? The authentic medieval French village at the BàNà Hills Mountain Resort hether it’s creating a medieval tion, but uses elements of both. “It blends French village in Vietnam, or the highly themed, immersive environ- a high-tech games centre in ments of a theme park, with modern resort Kuwait, the emphasis this year amenities, such as condos, luxury hotel is on quality, immersive experi- rooms and spa experiences,” he explains. ences.N Operators are demanding with their Many elements have been used to make investments, so budgets are being tightly the village as authentic as possible, going controlled, with the resulting experiences beyond simple themeing. The architecture highly targeted at the end user. is infl uenced by Gothic and Baroque- The US-based Falcon’s Treehouse is in Rococco eras and each building has been the throes of creating an authentic medi- designed as a fully themed architectural eval French village, at Vietnam’s BàNà structure, rather than just having a scenic @kËjefkXccXYflkk_\Y`^^\jkXe[ Hills Mountain Resort. As one of the key front. Existing elements were also inte- ]Xjk\jki`[\j2efn`eefmXk`fe entertainment anchors of the resort, the vil- grated into the design, including French lage aims to set the standard for Vietnam’s chateaus and the cable car station. `jkfgf]k_\c`jkn_\e`kZfd\j emerging entertainment industry, with its Magpuri explains that the design proc- kfi`[\jXe[k_\d\gXib fi ne dining, shopping and hotels. ess began with the creation of a storyline [\j`^e%BXk_?l[jfecffbjXk According to Cecil Magpuri, president for the resort, based on the region’s and chief creative offi cer of Falcon’s French history, which gives a technology cXk\jkgifa\ZkjXe[ki\e[j Treehouse, BàNà Hills is neither a theme timeline and architectural focus. An immer- park nor a typical entertainment destina- sive experience is created with authentic ■ German fi rm HUSS for HUSS, Michael Hesse, says Park Attractions, has just the park was looking for a highly E AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 31 K? Forrec’s National Intangible Heritage Park in Chengdu, China touches, such as the aroma of freshly- ebrate cultural heritage. Forrec was given themed zones representing four continents baked baguettes, a blacksmith, character the brief to create a complex entertain- with corresponding festivals: Asia, with the actors and ‘streetmosphere’ performances, ment facility, which would be exciting and Water-Splashing Festival; South America such as a musical trio acting as minstrels. dynamic during the day and commercial and the Samba Festival; North America “After the massive, all-inclusive devel- night periods, and could appeal to a wide with Mardi Gras and Venice’s Masked opment model of the mid-2000s and the range of audiences, festival attendees to Carnival for Europe. minimal, cautious development model local residents and international tourists. “Each of the four zones needed to have a of the late-2000s, we are happy to see The entertainment portion of the devel- separate architectural style and theme, to a project like the BàNà Hills Mountain opment includes a theme park, a family allow visitors to travel the globe within the Resort,” says Edmonds. “The resort has entertainment centre and a commercial space of the park,” says Forrec’s regional found the perfect middle ground of an urban entertainment centre, which com- manager China, Nancy Patterson. array of developments with an achievable prises restaurants, retail stores, dark rides, “It embodies a global movement to scale, balancing phased development with an IMAX theatre and a cinema complex, as celebrate the preservation of worldwide an existing tourist draw.” the gateway to an outdoor theme park. cultures and provides the opportunity A natural forest theme is used and there for connection to these cultures, through @EK8E>@9C<K? 32 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Project: Gamma LeisurePOS Himmelskibet (Star Flyer), Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen, Denmark Architect Designer / Project Manager: Jonathan Gress Wright Lighting Design: Focus Lighting Inc. MEMBERSHIP gamma dataware Complete business solutions Modular integrated management information systems for visitor attractions, museums, heritage sites and ADMISSIONS RETAIL CATERING BOOKINGS ACCOUNTS theme parks Gamma Dataware Limited Gamma LeisurePOS provides visitor attractions of all types and sizes with a complete end-to-end operational management system from admissions to back office reporting, analysis and accounting. The system’s modular approach allows operators to implement any combination of modules to meet their specific requirements. While the integration between modules ensures that operators can easily produce Changing much more cross departmental reports such as visitor spend than colour analysis. LeisurePOS modules include: A COMPLETE RANGE OF Admissions and Ticketing OUTDOOR LIGHTING SOLUTIONS Bookings and Event Management Membership Retail and Catering Point of Sale Stock Control Purchase Order Processing Martin dynamic lighting for Himmelskibet (Star Mail Order Gift Aid Flyer) – the world’s tallest swing carousel – evokes Integrated Chip and PIN the movement and excitement of the ride itself, Web Interfaces creating a defining symbol for Copenhagen and Gamma Dataware Ltd Accounting and Payroll Tivoli Gardens. Wright Business Centre Reporting and Back Office Management 1 Lonmay Road Martin programmable high-tech luminaires open up Glasgow LeisurePOS options include: all new possibilities for modern theme park design. G33 4EL = #,4(.(55$0'4(/16(+$0'+(.' !70,65 Telephone: Our extensive distributor network guarantees +44 (0)141 773 6273 = ",&-(65$.(5$0'&1..(&6,10-,15-5 = (/1*4$2+,&'$6$&$2674( immediate product availability and support in $: +44 (0)141 773 6283 = !+,2$0' )141))5,6(5$.(5 countries around the globe. E-mail: = 19(%64$05$&6,10)((5 [email protected] = "+($64(1: )),&(5$.(5 Visit us at IAPPA For more information Booth 2472 on dynamic lighting www.gammadata.com applications contact Martin: www.martin.com K? The Kuwait 360˚ Mall is anchored by a Gerstlauer rollercoaster ■ Following the success functional product, at excellent of working on the Sea Life value for money. E 34 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 VISIT US AT IAAPA EXPO, BOOTH 4224 www.battlefieldsports.biz Bertazzon 3B SRL, 31020 Sernaglia (treviso) Italy Phone +39.0438.966291 Fax +39.0438.966165 E-mail: Bertazzon@Bertazzon.com DLCK@D<;@8 8M MMULTIMMUULTT T TTATASKINGASASKKINNG From transporting audiences to a party in 1780 to journeying through a whale’s internal organs, the applications for audiovisual and multimedia are increasingly complex and thrilling. As these recent case studies illustrate, it sets the scene, tells the story, presents historical footage and provides the basis for interactive displays K_\FZ\Xe arner has used sophisticated audiovisual technology, animation and surround sound to make F:<8E 36 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Cfe[feËjY`fd\[`ZXc jZ`\eZ\XkkiXZk`fe# :\eki\f]k_\:\cc#`j XeXcdfjk\ek`i\cp Xl[`fm`jlXc\og\i`\eZ\ s it’s used to deliver almost all of experiments. In another game, guests see the content, audiovisual was key their faces engulfed in fl ame and watch to the success of The Centre of : DLJ AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 37 DLCK@D<;@8 8M K_\[`m\ZX^\ Xl[`\eZ\`jjnXccfn\[ YpXYcl\n_Xc\Xe[ kiXm\cjk_ifl^_`kj `ek\ieXcfi^Xej ell established, but still ahead of Cage can accommodate 12 visitors at its fi eld, Bournemouth a time, where they are immersed in a Oceanarium’s award-winning @EK 38 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 JXfGXlcfËjDlj\l;l =lk\Yfc`j[\[`ZXk\[kf ]ffkYXccXe[i\Õ\Zkj 9iXq`cËjgXjj`fe]fi k_\Y\Xlk`]lc^Xd\ @ejg`iXk`fef]=c`^_k nXj_flj\[`e k_\:_`eX8m`Xk`fe GXm`c`feXkk_\)'(' J_Xe^_X` he Pacaembu stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil has been enhanced AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 39 =@E8E:< @EM hen we last reviewed the a 28 per cent stake in the com- attraction sector for Attractions pany, in a deal that valued Merlin Management at the start of at £2.25bn (%2.56bn, US$3.58bn) this year, 2009 had been – Merlin’s ongoing EBITDA for the a good year for UK and year ending 31 December 2009 European operators, but dif- was £238.6m (%2.7bn, US$3.8bn). N fi cult for the highly leveraged The acquisition provides an US operators. Continual prod- exit for Dubai International Capital uct development looked likely with Blackstone Group reduc- to remain a priority for operators with the ing its stake. The transaction also start of 2010 showing signs of increased provides a windfall for about 300 levels of transactional activity and invest- managers, whose stake in the com- Ripley Entertainment expanded into ment in new parks. pany reduced from 12 per cent to two per Orlando and Missouri in the US and For UK and European operators, 2010 cent. The stake owned by the family who opened sites in Canada and Mexico has seen a continuation of the positive founded Legoland remains unchanged. trends in trading performance. With grow- Merlin will use these new funds to drive ing attendance levels and strong trading its numerous investment and growth of c.%2bn (£1.75bn, US$2.8bn) having despite, in some cases, lower second- plans. In August, Merlin unveiled plans for acquired the business in 2007 for %935m ary spends, many players in the sector renovating Blackpool Tower and the sur- (£820.5m, US$1.3bn). have looked to raise funds in 2010 either rounding area, providing a Dungeons and Parques Reunidos has, however, con- through debt refi nancing or capital raising. a Madame Tussauds attraction. tinued to invest with the acquisition of These funds will be used to drive future The Legoland brand is also set to Movie Park Germany, the third largest growth. For US operators, this year has expand signifi cantly over the next few theme park in Germany, for an undisclosed witnessed the resolution of a number of years. In August, it was announced that amount from Palamon Capital Partners issues with the focus now on the future. a deal had been agreed for an £18.5m in May. This completes the sell-off of the (%21.1m, US$29.5m) hotel to be developed seven former Six Flags parks acquired by @EM 40 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 with Futuroscope about becoming a major Ripley Entertainment, known for its shareholder in the group. Germany’s third largest theme park, Believe It or Not museum-style “odditori- In September, Paris-based Eurodisney Movie Park Germany (above), was ums”, acquired two of its most successful announced plans to open a third theme acquired by Parques Reunidos for an franchises in Orlando and Missouri and park and thousands of holiday chalets on undisclosed sum in May this year also opened new sites both in the US and the outskirts of the city in a £7bn (%8bn, internationally in Canada and Mexico. US$11bn) expansion. Since the start of the year, Cedar Fair GI AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 41 KFGK<8D Ferrari World Abu Dhabi Spanning 86,000sq ft and offering the world’s fastest roller coaster, the fi rst ever Ferrari theme park opens in Abu Dhabi on 28 October. Kathleen Whyman asks the management team about the challenges of building and running the park ANDY KEELING PARK MANAGER, FERRARI WORLD ABU DHABI What is Ferrari World Abu Dhabi? queues longer, so people don’t think ‘why It’s the fi rst and only Ferrari theme park should I walk down to the end of this row offering a multi-sensory experience that when I can jump over the rail’? We’ve also celebrates the passion, the technology, the reduced the width of our queue lines to excellence and the true story of Ferrari. It’s deter people from pushing through. the world’s largest indoor theme park with One of our attractions has a low through 86,000sq m (925,000sq ft) of space offer- foot – a collection of 10 simulators, which ing 20 rides and attractions which cater for are the same as the ones used by F1 different demographics and groups rang- drivers for training. We’ve introduced a ing from children’s driving experiences to timed ticket solution, so rather than wait the world’s fastest rollercoaster. extended periods of time in this area, The park has been developed by Aldar guests can go away and enjoy the rest of Properties PJSC, a property development, our guests. But, by building the world’s their day and come back shortly before management and investment company. fastest rollercoaster you have to then main- their scheduled ride time. It’s being managed by Farah Leisure tain and keep in good repair and honour all Another cultural difference is that many Parks Management LLC, a joint venture safety checks. You have to be very diligent people wear headdresses and fl owing between Aldar Properties PJSC and and committed to what you do. Over time, outfi ts, such as saris. We’ve designed a ProFun Management Group Inc, an inter- we’ve got to fi nd suppliers, as we don’t special wind breaker-type jacket that can national leisure facilities management and want to be importing all our spare parts. be worn over loose gowns and head- operating company. dresses. It holds the clothing tightly onto How have the cultural differences the body and allows guests to ride some of What operational challenges affected the park? the more exciting and fast rides. We have will you face? Our research shows that people here don’t a very clear safety rule that is no loose We’ve brought in a number of rides and like queuing. Rather than dealing with clothing. We fully respect the culture and attractions that are state of the art so it’s the queue jumping situation, we’ve taken religion so we offer free jackets so guests a demanding park for us to operate. We a pro-active approach and redesigned don’t have to remove any clothing to go on gladly take on the challenge because we the size and layout of all our queue lines some of the rides. want to deliver a fantastic experience to to remove all the niggly bits that make Another issue resulted from our two outdoor rollercoasters. Yas Island is still in development and we’re one of the fi rst attractions to be built so it’s not fully land- scaped yet. There are storms and air born dirt. We’ll provide goggles, so when shoot- ing through the environment, guests’ eyes are protected from air-born sand particles. Why is Ferrari World Abu Dhabi so special? Everything is authentic. For example, we have a state of the art simulator by Cruden. On top of this simulator platform is a real Ferrari 430 Scuderia. It’s a track car and car has been raced. So you get into an actual Ferrari when you get into the simula- tor. A lot of the parts used to build the rides are genuine car parts. It would have been so easier to use cheaper replicas, but we didn’t – that shows the commitment and K?<ALE@FI>I8E;GI@O=<8KLI 42 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 K?</-#'''JHD= CLAUS FRIMAND GENERAL MANAGER, FERRARI WORLD ABU DHABI What is your day-to-day role? fl ying staff in, getting visas, housing, As this stage it’s fi re fi ghting. Initially it was healthcare, feeding them and transporting the planning. We decided early on that them around to shops on weekends – it’s we’d be completely ISO compliant. We got all the employer’s responsibility. all the processes and procedures written up as much as we could so when the park Has the economic situation was built it would just be a case of fi ne tun- affected the park’s progress? ing. The advantage of coming in early was Not really. The big advantage and maybe that we worked with the architect, designer, some luck was that the project was so the ride vendors and the contractors so advanced when the economic crisis set in, we put our fi ngerprint on everything, rather that Aldar had everything planned, the con- than living with someone else’s designs. tractors in and everything sourced, so we operate safely and introduce courtesy and progressed according to plan. How did you source your team? customer service. In 2008, there were 10 of us involved We’ve hired staff from more than 45 dif- What are the development plans? with the set up. We had experience ferent nationalities, so we can have native The park is indoors (although two roller from Disney, Six Flags, Tussauds, Planet speakers in most of the languages of the coasters and a tower ride puncture the Hollywood and House of Blues. All our countries that we expect people from. For roof and come back in again) to give us full middle management recruitment was most of the nationalities, their mother lan- climate control all year round, so we can’t done with our industry contacts. We then guage is not English. Our business and expand beyond the size of the building and pulled people from abroad and found training language is English so we have to all the space is occupied. We also have people in the local market who had experi- ensure communication is correct because fi ve major attractions in black boxes, which ence from the other parks in Dubai that of safety issues. are supported by show effects. We can were planned but didn’t happen so we had All the hundreds of staff have one week upgrade, update or swap out any of these a fantastic team from the beginning. of intensive induction and basic training to attractions. We have one live show at the get to know each other and the company moment but could add more. What are the staffi ng challenges? before they’re released to the different We have a large physical area – the Being the fi rst major theme park in this departments to start their specifi c training. piece of land we’re positioned on is 45 region, there’s no structure to manage or hectares. On this there are zones which are support this industry. The fi rst challenge is What about the cultural titled future expansion areas, so we have fi nding a labour pool to work with and train differences with staff? the space to add more attractions when who haven’t worked in a theme park before. The way the employment market works attendance grows – which we are forecast- We have to introduce them to theme parks, here, you have to take complete care of ing, just as Abu Dhabi is predicting growth to high safety standards, train them to your front-line colleagues. This includes in tourist visitor numbers and residents. AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 43 KFGK<8D RANDY SMITH SENIOR PROJECT DIRECTOR, JACK ROUSE ASSOCIATES What was the design brief? kind of typography for the architecture. It had two components. One was design- Through graphics and projection of light- ing the theme park, the other was how ing, each of these buildings will take on a the theme park works in concert with the slightly different character. In one instance, bigger concept of Yas Island. Aldar is each building has a similar architectural developing this resort island, so we had motif, but by changing the lighting and to work around the attractions, hotels graphic techniques, each building has its and shops that had been decided on. We own unique character too. worked with Aldar, Ferrari, ERA, Benoy and Tilke Engineering on the masterplan What technology is involved? and design for the whole island. There was The important thing was to achieve cut- some minor infrastructure on the island, ting edge rides with reliable, tried and but nowhere close to what was needed, so cities through fi lm. Another attraction min- tested mechanisms. For example, the getting this in place was a very serious part iaturises some of the great Italian buildings Formula Rossa is hydraulically launched of the development. and lets you drive through the country past with a catapult-type system. It’s an Intamin these iconic buildings. Another attraction coaster that’s been built before in terms of What is the design? is centred around Sicily – it’s fi lmed as the technology, so we knew it would work The theme park is under one roof, so we though you’re in a road race in Sicily in the and had confi dence that we could reliably concentrated the closed, black box attrac- 1930s. And of course there’s the food! achieve the top speed. tions to allow for a big, fairly open area in one section of the park. The ground is What materials have been What were the challenges? made of different fl oorings from Italian tiles used within the park? Expressing the quality brand that is Ferrari and stonework to different textured and Everything from basic materials such as in a theme park. We had to maintain that coloured concrete, and there are many stained and textured concrete through to untouchable element and then do the trees and plantings, so it feels like a tradi- high end materials like marble, Italian tiles, opposite and make it touchable. tional park in a lot of ways. Murano glass and Italian furniture. Then We also had to make sure that it had an there are large format fi lms and domed appeal to families, young children, moth- How is an Italian theme achieved? screens and the many mechanical devices ers, as well as the easy pickings – guys An Italian architect was used to bring the with each of the different rides. interested in racing and fast cars. If we character of Italy to the park. We also have Each of our buildings within the overall were only going for the car crew, it would a number of attractions that look closely attraction have what we call fi ns – these have been a different kind of theme park. at Italy and tie it back to driving or road are white, curvilinear panels that are per- The hard work was stretching it out to give racing. One attraction tours a dozen Italian pendicular to the building and create a that broad appeal. 89FLKP8J@JC8E; Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is located on Yas Island, a 25 km2 entertain- ment and recreation destination and venue for the fi rst Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Already open are the Yas Marina Circuit, seven hotels, Yas Marina and all the infrastructure and race-related facilities. More attractions will open in the future, including a golf course, a water- park, a music venue and a mall. Yas Island is one component of the mass infrastructure develop- ment outlined in the Abu Dhabi Government’s 2030 Plan to diver- sify and expand the emirate’s economic base. P8J@JC8E;@JK?<?FD<F== 44 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 = ■=FIDLC8IFJJ8 The world’s fastest rollercoaster, reaching speeds of 240kmph ■JG<<;F=D8>@: A 4D journey following a boy’s K?<)''=K>$=FI:<KFN>@F@E@K8C@8 ■K?<G@KN8CC ■;I@M@E>N@K?:?8DG@FEJ ■D8;<@ED8I8E TROY LINDQUIST DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND SALES, FERRARI WORLD ABU DHABI How do you market a galleria where you could host a stand-up brand new attraction? function while surrounded by a gallery of You start with the strengths – Ferrari is vintage, racing and current Ferraris. And a very well-known, iconic brand globally, we have larger facilities for sit-down events. which lends itself well to a very broad, story-telling experience. How do you work with Aldar, Pro Fun and Ferrari? How are you marketing the park? Farah is a joint venture between Aldar and The PR and media attention we’ve been Pro Fun. We have a very respectful and getting because of the brand has been benefi cial relationship. Aldar is the expert very helpful. We’ve been going to a developer in this region so has the wisdom number of the F1 races with a model of of building, developing and running things Ferrari World and have a presence in many any theme park experience, so we pro- in the Middle East region. of the Ferrari stores in the region. mote the experiences that are appropriate Then Pro Fun brings in the actual practi- Ferrari launched a website last year and to both. Geographically we will focus atten- cal experience of planning, preparing and we have our own and are on Facebook. tion on the GCC and Pan-Arab areas, but operating theme parks. The PR and social media have generated will market the park globally as well. We’re the energy on the location, doing a lot of interest. We had around 5,000 the implementation and the fi ne tuning of resumes and CVs from various sources Are there facilities for some of the design elements. without doing much advertising. corporate events? Ferrari is an amazing company and We have some incredibly well decorated brings in passion, excellence of perform- Who are you marketing to? spaces for events, including a mock up of ance and technical innovation. As the While we communicate to fans of Ferrari, the Ferrari headquarters in European F1 license holder they ultimately have a say the family audience is very important in races. We have a fabulous space in the over how we present their product. ● AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 45 GIF=@C< IF9 89FLKIF9 ?fn[fpflc`b\kfjg\e[pfli]i\\k`d\6 N_Xk[i`m\jpfl6 ;f\jXepk_`e^[Xlekpfl6 I love to hunt, fish, play golf and fly planes. I enjoy the operations of businesses and I don’t speak foreign languages all that well. N_XkËjpfli]Xmfli`k\]ff[6 figuring out what makes them tick. I have an I can work my way through a little French, Thin crust pepperoni pizza internal desire to succeed Italian and Spanish, but once I’ve worked my N_XkËjpfli]Xmfli`k\Ôcd6 N_XkËjk_\Y\jkg`\Z\f]X[m`Z\pflËm\i\Z\`m\[6 way through a menu or asked directions, Good Morning Vietnam “Bobby, the greatest thing you can do in your I’m a bit lost. N_f[fpflX[d`i\`eYlj`e\jjXe[n_p6 own business is make sure your employees ?fnnflc[pfl[\jZi`Y\pflij\c]6 I admire all entrepreneurs for what they do are happy.” I make sure my employees know A very happy person for this country and this world. They start the I really appreciate what they do. Hopefully ?fnnflc[fk_\ij[\jZi`Y\pfl6 businesses and give job opportunities to so we create an atmosphere where they enjoy I’m outspoken. I form my opinions and many people coming to work. speak them 46 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 @edfjkZXj\jn\Ëi\dfi\k_Xen`cc`e^kfnfibn`k_fli ^fm\ied\ekjXifle[k_\nfic[Xe[dXb\jli\n\_Xm\jX]\ gXibj#Ylkn\]\\cn\ZXe[fXj^ff[XafYf]gfc`Z`e^flij\cm\j Xjn\_Xm\[fe\`ek_\gXjkXe[n`ccZfek`el\kf[f`ek_\]lkli\ day where people are happy and that’s a very fortunate job to have. I love my job and would probably do it for nothing – but don’t tell my board that,’” Rippy laughs. Likewise, Rippy has fun going to work every day, “which is the main thing you should do in life,” he says. Rippy has looked into expanding the brand and opening Jungle Rapids parks elsewhere but feels that the US market is already mature. “There’s always an oppor- tunity out there,” he says. “But does it make sense? Could we manage it without stretching ourselves thin?” Being only an hour and a half north from Myrtle Beach, he is painfully aware of the risk of failure as this is where Hard Rock Park opened and swiftly closed last year. Like Myrtle Beach, Wilmington has a very short tourism sea- son of about eight or nine weeks. To avoid suffering the same fate as Hard Rock Park, Rippy cannily designed a park that can be open year-round with the FEC and the waterpark located at the back of the park. Building the park wasn’t completely straightforward though. Work started in 1995 with an estimated opening in 1996, but the arrival of three hurricanes during the construction period delayed the open- ing by a year. “We’ve had seven hurricanes since we built it. Our park’s built to with- stand them so there’s no physical damage, but we do make a financial loss.” Industry changes Rippy has seen many changes in the industry in the last 20 years: the failure of many FECs which were built in the wrong I@GGPN@CCGLK8J@;<8CCE AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 47 @EK E@:FC8JDFLC@E Kathleen Whyman talks :flc[pfl[\jZi`Y\Yi`\Õp K_\gXibnXj`egcXee`e^]fiX n_XkK\iiX9fkXe`ZX`j6 cfe^k`d\Y\]fi\fg\e`e^6N_p6 to the director of Terra It’s a theme park dedicated entirely to From June 1998 to December 1999 we con- horticulture. The concept stems from the structed a budget and outlined all the ideas Botanica, which opened region’s economy. Around 25,000 people we wanted to include in the theme park, as in the area work in the horticultural and well as the way we wanted to manage it. We in France earlier this year, botanic sectors – growing seeds, fl owers, then looked for designers and partners to trees and working in green houses. The run and fi nance the park. This took from about the challenges of local university also has courses on the sub- early 2000 to the end of 2002. creating a theme park ject. Finally after four years, in December During this time we began working with 2004, the local government decided to Ira West from Duell Corporation and Don based on plant life. fi nance the theme park which had a total Stuart from ECS and by the end of 2002 budget of %100m (£87.7m, US$140m). we had a masterplan and all the partners in place. At that point the local government decided not to support the project, but we didn’t give up. We redesigned it and came up with a new proposal – which was then approved by the government in 2004. ?fn[`[pflZfd\lgn`k_k_\ `[\Xj]fik_\\ek\ikX`ed\ek6 We didn’t have a set idea of what we would do with the attractions. We visited a number of countries to see what others were doing with similar parks. We realised that, to attract younger people and families, you would have to have more than just trees and plants. So we included a games area, rides and shows. We went to the likes of Efteling, Europa-Park and The Eden Project. The main purpose was to speak to the oper- ators about their experiences. K_\[\j`^e\inXjK_`\iip?lXl% ;`[pfl^`m\_`d]i\\i\`^e6 He had a pretty free hand as far as the design was concerned, but he worked closely with our team. We told him which ideas had to go where and how much budget he had for each idea. ?fn[`[_\Z_ffj\k_\[\j`^e6 The masterplan took about six months because he had to work out how to organ- ise the restaurants and services. The main factors were how people would fi lter through and what the experience would be – what they would hear, see and learn. ?fnnflc[pfl [\jZi`Y\k_\[\j`^e6 It’s a genuine theme park. We present the subject of horticulture in many ways, from 4D movies to games to attractions. 48 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 The team behind Terra Botanica visited a number of European parks N_XkXi\k_\gXibËjZ\eki\g`\Z\j6 for ideas. As a result, the attraction N_Xk]\\[YXZb_Xm\pfl_X[6 People enjoy the 4D theatre. It tells the is a mixture between a botanical The fi rst thing we’ve had to deal with is that story of two rain drops that you follow into garden and an amusement park people think we’re just a botanical garden, a tree and to the rivers. You have to pedal and an expensive one at that. In France through a fi ve-minute trail between trees. you’d usually spend around %5 (£4.40, Nflc[pflZfej`[\i_fjk`e^ US$7) to visit a garden. Our adult ticket N_Xk\[lZXk`feXc\c\d\ekj X:_i`jkdXj\m\ek6 costs %17.50 (£15, $24). [f\jk_\gXib_Xm\6 I visited Efteling and Europa-Park, as they But post-visit feedback has been good. In June we had more than 6,000 children open at Christmas, to see how they han- We need to improve signposting, but fami- visit the park and we usually host between dle it. We have many attractions on water, lies are enjoying their visits and many local four and fi ve classes a day. Each class is a which wouldn’t work at Christmas. Plus we people have bought season passes. full-day experience and we work with the need to close at some point to do technical French Ministry of National Education on updates, so I don’t think we will. @]g\fgc\k_`eb`kËjX^Xi[\e# the content of the programmes. [fpfle\\[kfZ_Xe^\pfli Pfl_Xm\),#'''jg\Z`\j dXib\k`e^`ejfd\nXp6 ?fn[fpfl\[lZXk\[Xp$ f]gcXekj%?fn[fpfl Yes, we need to work on our marketing kf$[Xpm`j`kfij6 ZXi\]fik_\dXcc6 to get the message across. We do show In three ways. Firstly, they learn informa- The park has been designed for sustain- attractions in the marketing, but until peo- tion along their journey through the park able development. We don’t use any ple come and visit, they can’t imagine what about plants’ names, historical information, chemicals when caring for our plants. We the park’s like. Due to the theme, they where they grow and how big they get. use the water from the roof and the trail for assume it’s a garden attraction with some Secondly, we have gardeners working all the lakes and rivers and the plants. additional shows. It’s only once they’ve during the day who are happy to answer been that they realise it’s a theme park. questions and explain what they’re doing. N_Xkfk_\ijljkX`eXYc\ Finally, we have an animation through- \c\d\ekjXi\k_\i\6 ?fncfe^[fg\fgc\ out the day that focuses on different things. We don’t use air-conditioning and have jkXpXkk_\gXib6 For example, one demonstrates how to invested in solar power. We use wood to Dwell time is between fi ve and seven hours. look after tomato plants. provide heat for the greenhouse and use electric engines for almost everything. 8epgcXej]fiX_fk\c6 ?fnn`cck_\gXibZ_Xe^\ As part of our educational aspect, the No, my job isn’t to set up a hotel. There k_ifl^_k_\j\Xjfej6 games in the park explain everything con- are about 2,000 hotel rooms within Early spring it is mainly fl owers and tulips. nected to sustainable development. a10-minute radius and we have many part- From June to late August it’s roses and nerships with existing hotels in the area in vegetables. In autumn it’s more about trees K_\gXibfg\e\[`e8gi`c and around Anjou. and the different colours of the leaves. k_`jp\Xi%?fndXepm`j`kfij The way the park’s designed, it includes _Xm\pfl_X[jf]Xi6 N_\i\[fdfjkf]pfli fl owers and trees for all seasons through- So far [September 2010], we have received m`j`kfijkiXm\c]ifd6 out the whole park. We close for the winter 120,000. Our target is to receive 250,000 Around 50 per cent come from Anjou and in November and reopen at Easter. visitors for the year. about fi ve or seven per cent come from AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 49 8KKI8:K@FEI abroad. In May and June we attract a more local visitor, but from July onwards the visitor mix is more international. All our fi lms and communications are presented in both French and English. N_XkXi\k_\Z_Xcc\e^\j f]ilee`e^k_\gXib6 The challenge will be to bring new ideas and new attractions to the park each year. The park currently covers 11 acres of land, but we have 28 acres of land at our dis- posal, so we can grow. We need to ensure Moulin says he is looking to add new we have the fi nances in place to position entertainment facilities to the park new gardens and attractions. ?fnn`cc`kY\dX`ekX`e\[ each year to encourage repeat visits We’ll put a new attraction in each zone n`k_flk`ek\i]\i`e^n`k_ each year, so that’ll be four new attrac- k_\^l\jkjË\og\i`\eZ\6 tions every year – it could be a ride, a A garden isn’t a garden without being N_`Z_jlggc`\ij_Xm\ show or an attraction. We already have worked on – that’s what makes us differ- pflnfib\[n`k_6 plans in place for next year to come up ent. People enjoy being able to ask the Kraftwerk supplied the 4D theatre, Mack with a new game for kids. We will also be gardeners what they’re doing and why. It’s Rides worked on the river and AAB sup- launching an educational plant garden. part of the animation and experience. plied the fake rocks in the landscapes. ● dren and the young at heart. The park also Children are well catered for with interac- K?< 50 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 D J Willrich Ltd Audio Visual & Multimedia Specialists Beufre Farm, Bucklers Hard Road, Beaulieu, Hampshire, SO42 7XA T. +44 (0)1590 612603 E. [email protected] W. www.djwillrich.co.uk *; +; M@J@FE8IPK8:K@:J +;Z`e\dX`j^f`e^]ifdjki\e^k_kfjki\e^k_#n_`c\*;`jY\Zfd`e^`eZi\Xj`e^cpgfglcXi]fi gcXe\kXi`ldj%BXk_?l[jfecffbjXkjfd\f]k_\cXk\jk[\m\cfgd\ekj`ek_`jYljpdXib\k lthough the economic climate has been tough over the computer graphics production facility Animated Research Ltd. “We last year, this hasn’t dented the desire of many opera- had to have a film that nobody else could access and we did this tors to invest in their attractions and many have looked by making the first ever 3D movie actually filmed in Antartica,” says at 3D, 4D and 5D experiences to up the ante and even Benton. “We wanted real life, not animation. It had to be fun, excit- help to regenerate an area. ing and leave viewers wanting more.” 8Merlin Entertainments is currently working with Blackpool Ice Voyage is a journey to Antartica onboard a cruise ship that Council to restore Blackpool Tower to its former glory as part of delivers incredible footage of the wildlife, icebergs and wilderness. a wider regeneration of the promenade. A 4D London Eye-style But it isn’t just a natural history film, there are some edge-of-the- experience is planned, with the tower-top ride benefitting from a 4D seat moments – the 11-minute film has eight different 4D special pre-show telling Blackpool’s story. effects and culminates with the boat sinking. Simworx has installed the first 4D theatre in Wales, at The Works, the regeneration of the former steelworks at Ebbw Vale into a AN EDUCATIONAL SLANT mixed-use development with leisure, housing, a hospital and other Scotland’s science attraction Our Dynamic Earth also launched a amenities. It’s currently showing a library of films, but a custom- 4D theatre, 4DVENTURE, as this season’s main attraction. Again, a made film – the working title of which is How Green is Our Valley? bespoke film was commissioned, which could excite the audience – is in production and will focus on local history. while imparting an educational message. The curriculum-linked The director of New Zealand’s International Antarctic Centre in film, commissioned from NSC Creative, brings the visitors face to Christchurch, Richard Benton, believes the 4D experience can be face with some fearsome creatures, while also giving the audience a a powerful draw and put an area on the map. The centre will bring greater understanding of the fragility of life on our planet. 4D to New Zealand in November, with the launch of the cinema Our Dynamic Earth chief executive John Simpson says: experience, Extreme. Benton hopes it will have a positive impact “Immediately from the launch of 4DVENTURE in April, we saw an on visitor numbers. “Our market research tells us Extreme will uplift in visitor arrivals, experiencing our busiest day in eight years conservatively add another 10 per cent growth in visitors in year over the Easter weekend. It has proven to have significant longev- one. This is an exciting goal in what has been, for many businesses ity as the snowball effect created by positive word of mouth and around the world, a challenging last 12 months,” he says. “We recommendations has grown. The initial performance has been were looking for a competitive edge, and 4D hasn’t come to New sustained and attendance figures for the summer were among the Zealand yet, so we saw a niche in the market to the be first.” highest achieved since our original opening 10 years ago.” Simworx has provided the theatre and the film has been custom- Other museums taking the 4D route are the RAF Museum in made by Emmy Award-winning cinematographer Mike Single and Hendon, which has installed a Simworx 4D theatre, showing The Mirage3d’s Darwin-based film Natural Selection (left and centre) and Our Dynamic Earth’s 4DVENTURE (right) AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 53 *; +; nWave spent %5m (£4.16m, US$6.4m) on developing its The Little Prince 4D movie Mission, a story of a WWI bombing mission. The project is a rev- Global Immersion is involved in a couple of exciting projects, enue share scheme, with Simworx providing the capital costs for including the multi-million pound redevelopment of Moscow hardware and film licensing for a cut of the revenue. Planetarium into an international attraction. There will be two 4D Also participating in one of Simworx’s revenue share scheme theatres alongside the 3D planetarium; the 11-seat mini dome will be is the Manchester Science Museum, which has installed a new primarily educational, aimed at the teenage market, while a 47-seat theatre with 4D motion seats. theatre will show a range of films and will be able to operate as an London’s Science Museum has used 3D attractions as the attraction in its own right. The latter will be open late into the night main draw for its flight season this summer. Centrepiece of the and has its own entrance. Both will have D-Box motion seats. Fly Zone is a 3D motion effects theatre, Fly 3D, which creates an Global Immersion’s international commercial manager, Ian Dyer, immersive experience of what it would be like to be a Red Arrows says it’s an exciting project as the client is ambitious to create a flag- pilot. Produced for Metropolis Entertainment, by Impact Image, ship attraction for the city. “It will tick all the boxes: entertainment, this year, and showing highlights of this year’s Red Arrows display, educational, scientific and astronomical. There’s an observatory the 3D film is complemented by dynamic motion simulation, sur- next door and telescope data will be used in the dome.” round sound and the aroma of jet fuel. The IMAX cinema also has Global Immersion is also working on the new Tainan Science a new film: Legends of Flight 3D, produced by The Stephen Low and Education Museum, creating Taiwan’s first 3D stereoscopic Company with K2 Communications. astronomy planetarium, which will open early next year. The plan- etarium will have a mainly educational focus and is a purpose-built WORLD-LEADING PLANETARIUMS building, next to an observatory. It will incorporate real time naviga- Planetariums are also scaling up their offering to more dimensions, tion with stereoscopic technology. “With more and more facilities and whereas the norm has been to have a pre-recorded show, the integrating 3D technology, they’re looking for something which will trend in the new wave of planetariums is to have presenter-led live allow them to present live shows, so they can tailor their astronomy, shows, capable of streaming data from observatories. or earth science presentation, to their audiences’ needs, and for this to be capable of instantly streaming out 3D visuals,” says Global Immersion’s Redstar is about marketing manager, Beth Nicholas. to release its The Dutch-based Mirage3d has Christmas produc- completed its second full-dome video tion, Sleigh Ride planetarium film in stereo 3D, which will be shown at the Macao Science Center in China; the Hamburg Planetarium in Germany; and the Imiloa Astronomy Centre in Hawaii. The 41-minute film Natural Selection tells the story of Charles Darwin’s scientific discoveries, and explains the idea of evolution. The film combines 3D action shots of characters, with 3D computer generated backgrounds. “It works extremely well in 3D, especially the underwater scenes, where there is an overhead environment 54 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 don’t ever grow up At Global Immersion, we continually strive to develop and engineer the most innovative, leading-edge immersive theater solutions so your visitors can re-live childlike excitement and amazement during each and every performance. From the exhilaration of a 4D theater, to the wonder of a stunning 3D planetarium, our job is to create your emotion. We understand the fundamentals for captivating and engaging audiences, and we understand that experience is everything. We create immersive theater. Without limits. founding sponsor EMEA+: +44 (0) 845 0 456225 | Americas: +1 303 357 4760 | [email protected] | globalimmersion.com INNOVATION | AND BEYOND WORLDWIDE DISTRIBUTION THE WORLD´S FIRST WATERPARK ATTRACTION AQUAPULCO, BAD SCHALLERBACH (AUT) REDEFINING THE MULTI-MEDIA WORLD OF WATERPARK ENTERTAINMENT The leading global partner for unique, customised, high-tech solutions. From the initial conceptual phase to the fi nal implementation, and beyond. GLOBAL 4D ATTRACTIONS 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) Jesperhus, Nykøbing Mors (DEN) Galeria Bran, Bran (ROM) Aquapulco, Bad Schallerbach (AUT) KRAFTWERK Living Technologies GmbH Tel: +43 7242 69269-0 [email protected] www.kraftwerk.at *; +; Japan’s largest science museum, Miraikan, has launched a new with different layers of life forms all moving over 3D fi lm this year the dome,” says Mirage 3d’s Robin Sip. focusing on World Sky-skan, which has been busy installing Heritage Sites planetariums all over the world, reports there is a defi nite trend for traditional planetariums to upgrade to full-dome video and a high quality optical star fi eld. “In particular, China is adding several spectacular large theaters and asking for the latest and greatest technology,” says marketing director Marcus Weddle. “In India, a large number of classical planetariums are now seeking digital upgrades. Audiences who haven’t seen a planetarium show for a few years are simply blown away by today’s shows. They have exciting visuals which today’s media-satu- rated public still can’t get anywhere else.” Japan’s largest science and technology museum, Miraikan, has launched a new 3D fi lm this year, which incorporates images from DAICHI, the Earth’s observation satellite. It focuses on three World Heritage Sites, in Simworx is launching its S-FX motion theatre at IAAPA. This is New Zealand, the Nile River in Egypt, and Japan’s Itsukushima a fully enclosed 4D theatre with individual motion seats. Monkton Shrine, and tells a story through the eyes of local children. Giant says this has been developed mainly because of demand from ruins and natural scenes are recreated with super high precision projects in Turkey, which don’t have large scale attractions. 3D images, taken by the 4K3D digital camera. Japanese company, These projects illustrate that 4D is marching across the globe. GOTO Inc built the 3D system VIRTUARIUM II-3D, with Sony SXRD, Simworx is even in talks with a company in Columbia about taking and it is powered by Digistar4 from Evans and Sutherland. the experience there. Fortunately, the experiences can be eas- ily refreshed with the library of fi lms on offer. Redstar is about to COMPACT AND BIJOU release its Christmas production, Sleigh Ride. This adventure will In response to customer demand, a couple of new products have involve viewers being splashed with slushy snow and smelling the come onto the market, which offer a 4D experience in a com- aroma of mince pies. pact experience. Alterface launched its new 5Di concept at Asian nWave is launching The Little Prince, a 13-minute, 4D fi lm based Attractions Expo in Kuala Lumpur, this July. “On a limited footprint on the famous French novel by Antoine de Saint-Exupery at IAAPA and easy to install, dismantle and move, the 5Di is a solution for in November. For CEO Ben Stassen, The Little Prince was an obvi- parks and family entertainment centres, as well as shopping malls ous subject choice. “The book sells between seven and ten million or bowling venues,” says Benoit Cornet, CEO of Alterface. copies a year worldwide. This gives operators who show it a big Kinoton recently installed an open air 3D cinema on the grounds marketing advantage, as visitors already know the story and the of a public swimming pool in Mönchengladbach, Germany. The characters,” he explains. “We spent %5m (£4.16m, US$6.4m) mak- Starpac Open-Air Cinema is showing 3D fi lms including Avatar, ing the fi lm, which is a huge amount for an attraction, and have Alice in Wonderland, Forever Shrek, and Step Up. Kinoton installed really raised the bar with the animation.” a DCP Digital Cinema projector and an XPand 3D shutter glasses Kraftwerk has developed a 4D/5D theatre which is aimed system. "The XPand system is fast and easy to set up and provides exclusively to waterparks/wet environments, where people can lively 3D effects on the infl atable matte white cinema screen we’re experience a 4D/5D attraction in swimsuits. The system looks using," says Klaus Kraemer, head of the local Kinoton service team. similar but is totally different, as it needs to work properly and be "Because of the large picture size of 16 by eight meters, we’re using long lasting in wet environments with chlorine and other chemicals a very bright projector with a 6,500-watt xenon lamp." involved. The seats have still up to 3 Dof. The whole steel work is high grade stain- less steel, the entire electronics system is (Below) Sky-Skan is working with situated outside the auditorium and the planetariums; (right) Kraftwerk has speakers are waterproof. developed a 4D/5D theatre for waterparks The main difference of the experi- ence, adding to the fact that people enter wearing swimsuits, is a big watersplash involved at the end of the show. The thea- tre’s fi lms are also played mainly based on water and pirates themes. The fi rst instal- lation will open in spring in Aquapulco Bad Schallerbach, Austria, and many more are currently in planning. Kraftwerk has also recently signed a glo- bal partnership for distribution with Polin Slides from Turkey, which has a global net- work of more than 50 local representatives. AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 57 *; +; 9\eJkXjj\e#: he future of 3D THE depends on the increase of FUTURE the frame rate. If we don’t do OF 3D that,È there’sK no future for 3D. It won’t fully come to maturity until we increase the frame rate from 24 frames per second to 48 or possibly even 72. There are too many technical limitations with a slower frame rate. It would have a big impact on theme park attractions because we can make them much more dynamic in 3D once the frame rate is increased. I hope it’s going to take place in the next year or two – or Ben Stassen, CEO of 3D will be dead in the movie theatre. Because of the limita- nWave, says their latest tions with frame rates, many 3D films shown at the cinema are project is a 3D adven- actually quite bad and it can’t be used in action scenes. I saw ture film based on the a study in the US last week that said 37 per cent of the movie and the 70s – it came and book The Little Prince goers in North America already say they don’t want to pay went. Then we started doing extra to see 3D and more than a quarter of movie goers are film-based 3D attractions in saying they’d rather see the film in 2D. The danger is that this theme parks, museums and IMAXs and 3D became a revolu- figure will only increase if quality isn’t improved. We need to tionary language of cinema. For the first time 3D was enabling react and we need to do something very quickly. film-makers to totally immerse the audience in the film and When it does happen, because it will be expensive, there’s position the viewer within the film space itself. There’s no bet- a good chance that theme parks will be used as a pilot project ter place in the world to see 3D films than in theme parks. for the higher frame rate before it’s rolled out into cinemas, so When we create a 3D film, we try to explode the frame our industry will be the first to benefit. around the picture, and make people forget they’re watching I am often asked why we do feature films in 3D and why 3D a film – instead they’re participating in the story. Our latest has found a new life in theme parks. 3D was around in the 50s project is The Little Prince, which is based on a TV series of the famous book. Our story is that the Little Prince’s rose has disappeared so he goes to three different planets to find it – @_fg\`kËj^f`e^kfkXb\gcXZ\`ek_\e\okp\Xifiknffi*; the planet of time, the planet of music and the planet of the sleeping giant. The film’s been designed to work well as both n`ccY\[\X[`ek_\dfm`\k_\Xki\%9\ZXlj\f]k_\c`d`kXk`fej an immersive 3D and 4D attraction. We’ve designed many n`k_]iXd\iXk\j#dXep*;Ôcdjj_fneXkk_\Z`e\dXXi\ moments in the film, such as water spray and wind, for exhibi- tors who have physical effects in their theatres so they can XZklXccphl`k\YX[Xe[`kZXeËkY\lj\[`eXZk`fejZ\e\j programme them. There’s no better way of taking the audi- ence on a journey throughout space and into the fantastic world of The Little Prince than in 3D.” ● 58 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 K<:?EFCF>P K?@JK@D<@KËJG or years our industry has been New approach experimenting with ways to What’s interesting is not the device, but the F integrate the hand-held digital approach. The groundbreaking ICT mobile world of our guests with the device marks an entirely new way to experi- immersive real dimensional worlds we ence a major pavilion exhibition. create. And at last, here is mass customisa- Every visitor to the pavilion is lent their tion applied to experience design. At the own touch-screen ICT mobile device that Information and Communications Pavilion accompanies them throughout the various at Expo 2010 Shanghai, guests person- stages of the pavilion exhibits and shows, ally imagine a future in which Information allowing them to personalise their experi- Communication Technology (ICT) con- ence and interact with what they see. The nects anyone, anything, at anytime and in device lets users actively participate in the nearly every way imaginable. world’s first multi-dimensional interactive The pavilion combines state-of-the-art network visitor experience. immersive digital media with personal The technology reflects the main interactive wireless network technolo- messages of the Information and gies and tactile (4D) special effects. Communications Pavilion – boundless This involves a new story and technical communication and a futuristic ICT expe- The ICT device was designed with approach to the long-standing industry rience. It is, in effect, a combined Wi-Fi children in mind, so that they can feel dream of combining a shared full-immer- video game, storage device and interactive like they’re part of the story sion story to a hand-held mobile device, media player that can be personalised to with high hourly capacity. give each user a unique visitor experience. K?<G8M@C@FEËJ?@>?C@>?KJ K?<GJG=8:KFI1 Children who come =LEM@JL8CJKPC@E>1 into the pavilion are given their own The animation styles PSP or Gameboy-like ICT mobile include traditional device. This immediately makes them and state-of-the-art feel that this pavilion was designed for CGI techniques. The their generation. It creates a personal quality of the animation connection, which extends to the is a next-generation accompanying parents and grandparents. version of what is seen If the child is happy, the family is happy. in popular Asian and Hollywood shows. K?<@:KGFN8D<@EK 60 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Each guest is lent their own PCT device to accom- pany them on their visit, but they can continue their experience by logging onto the pavilion’s own social networking site, which has three million members ?FN@KNFIBJ ■ In order to keep pace with the huge flow photos and prizes and interact with other The Neilsen Group ranked the pavilion of traffic into the pavilion –1,900 visitors visitors who share their dreams. in the top three corporate pavilions, an hour, and 20,000 per day – 8,000 ICT They can even use the device to choose and in the top 10 pavilions at the Expo mobile devices are on hand at the pavilion, their own dream wallpaper for their web with 2,600 working simultaneously in differ- page based on their choice of the kind of ent show spaces at any given time. dreamer they are. Despite the massive throughput, For example, as the visitor watches an Visitor satisfaction is 97 per cent and supported by a sophisticated Wi-Fi system animated messenger pigeon taking flight the pavilion continued to build momentum and a network of powerful servers onsite to in one part of the show, their device shows heading into the final weeks of the Expo ensure smooth two-way integration with the them the wing speed in a graphic 3D-like season. Children world-wide use personal RFID (radio frequency identification)-tagged format. The device vibrates and an LED mobile devices to play games, connect devices, the ICT mobile device is intimate light alerts them at important moments socially and watch their favorite movies. and personal. It records visitors’ interests, of the story. Guests can choose their own The design of the ICT took this new audi- stores their photos, allows them to delve language from four options (Chinese, ence into consideration and delivered deeper into the content that interests them Korean, Japanese or English) and it even something that made them feel as though after the show, and go beyond what they accommodates the hearing impaired. they were part of the story. see inside the actual pavilion itself. This unique combination of interactiv- Operators should think about the oppor- ity, storytelling and personalisation is tunities their attraction offers of bringing Dream catcher one of the reasons the Information and personalisation and mobile technology As users see things that interest them, Communications Pavilion at Expo 2010 is into their experience. If they don’t consider they make selections via touch screen or, a hit with children and families. The pavil- this, they may be missing an opportunity in some areas, swipe the device over the ion has struck an emotional connection to emotional connect with this very impor- target. The item, or ‘dream’, is collected so with this very important audience in China. tant audience. ● they can learn more about it later at home. Nielsen Group has ranked the pavilion in The device sets up a personalised web the top three corporate pavilions and in Christian Lachel, ICP Pavilion page for each visitor so they can connect the top 10 pavilions at the Expo (there are creative director and vice president, online to continue the voyage, retrieve their more than 200 pavilions). BRC Imagination Arts AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 61 DPJK AN AMBITIOUS NEW CULTURAL ATTRACTION LOOKS LIKE SETTING A BENCHMARK FOR THE INDIAN ATTRACTIONS INDUSTRY, COMBINING OLD WORLD CHARM WITH STATE OF THE ART TECHNOLOGY. JENNIFER HARBOTTLE DISCOVERS WHY KINGDOM OF DREAMS HAS GOT THE LOCALS BUZZING K?<JKL==;I<8DJ8I<D8;<F=6 K?<98:B>IFLE; regions of India, including West Bengal, 8:: The site is made up of three main attractions –Culture Gully, the Nautanki Mahal theatre and the Showshaa theatre 62 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 The staff in the ticket booths are quick, KINGDOM OF DREAMS The sheer size and scale of the buildings but not very informative about the attrac- are an attraction in themselves, as are the tion. With no carry-round map or leaflet to Location: Auditorium Complex, decorative domes and Mogul architecture. read, it’s hard to know what to expect. Sector 29, Gurgaon – 122001. But the most enchanting part of the design The ‘ticket’ is a smart card and costs Haryana, India is the attention to detail, such as candles 750 rupees (£10.50, %12.40, US$16.50). in walls, hand-crafted mosaic tiling on the This is broken down into 100 rupees (£1.40, Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, ceilings and flower petals strewn across %1.65, $2.20) entrance fee, 600 rupees 1pm – midnight water carriers shaped as huge tear drops. (£8.40, %9.90, $13.30) non-refundable The Nautanki Theatre is the second spending money and 50 rupees (£0.70, Admission prices: largest in India and its design is extremely %0.80, $1.10), refundable at the end if you INR750 per person to enter Kingdom opulent. The foyer features gigantic chan- have any money left on your card. of Dreams (theatre entrance is extra) deliers and inside the auditorium is richly INR750 is inclusive of: decorated with plush velvet seating and ;@J89C<;8:: AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 63 DPJK and sell delicate jewellery and silk scarves, WHAT’S THE SCORE? good fun and created a great atmosphere. while others, like the homeware outlet, are The restaurants are simply beautiful and spacious and sell large pieces of furniture. Toilets 10 it feels like a treat to dine in any one of Prices are reasonable – a brass elephant Staff 7 them. Meanwhile, the retail shops are fun coat hanger costs 500 rupees (£7, %8.25, Cleanliness 10 to browse, but after a few, you realise they $11) and natural bars of chamomile tea Experience 5 pretty much all sell the same thing. scented soap are 150 rupees (£2.10, %2.50, Value for money 5 Zangoora at the Nautanki Mahal Theatre $3.30). All items bought are packaged was a show stopper. A live Bollywood musi- beautifully in handmade paper bags. Overall experience 6 cal, complete with 3D screen, fi reworks, aerial dancers and breathtaking costumes, K?<JK8== it was two hours well spent. International Like many businesses in India, Kingdom already look in need of a fresh lick of paint. guests should brush up on their Hindi if of Dreams is fl ooded with staff members. The façades and gardens look incredible they want to understand what’s being said. From doormen to road sweepers, garden- and it appears the budget for this area was My main criticism (and really there’s ers to theatre ushers – did it really take two larger than for any of the interior. only one), is that while it’s an amazing people to show us to our seats? – it’s not place to eat and shop, I’m not sure it’s hard to fi nd a staff member at any given M8CL<=FIDFE 64 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Respected & Installed Worldwide There can only be one leader, and in the world of aquatic technology, Neptune-Benson is it. Our Defender filter continues to lead the industry by reducing space requirements, water consumption and energy demand. The responsible choice for a sustainable world. www.DefenderFilter.com www.NeptuneBenson.com Efk`Z\]fi D\ic`e @ek\i\jk\[gXik`\jj_flc[gifm`[\k_\`iZfekXZk[\kX`cj`ek_\Ôijk`ejkXeZ\efcXk\ik_Xe=i`[Xp,k_Efm\dY\i)'(' kf1 9C8:BGFFC:FLE:@CC<@JLI<8:HL@J@K@FEJ=LE;<;GIFA<:K 9C8:BGFFCKFN8I; N?@K :8J<JKL;P BXe^Xiff@jcXe[#AXdY\iff8Zk`feGXib#8ljkiXc`X amberoo Action Park in New South Wales, Australia, is hoping A to receive planning approval for its AUD$20m (£9.7m, US$15.8m, %11.5m) expansion by the end of this year. Work will then commence on the project, which is called Kangaroo Island. Designed by the park’s directors Jim Eddy and Alan Griffith, the theming, like the rest of the park, represents Australia’s indigenous culture and history. Covering between 10 and 12 acres, the park’s target audience will be families and teenagers with a capacity for 5,000 guests. The new attractions being created are the Rocket, a rocket coaster which will propel people The 400m-long river will link all of the park’s other elements along a tube and up a hill; two aquatic play structures; the Mammoth Mountain Raft Ride; and the Behemoth Bowl, in which rid- carvings; and a 400m (1,300ft)-long, 5m expects a 34 per cent increase in visits ers whirl in a spiral around a massive bowl (16ft)-wide river. The expansion is being when the development is completed and before dropping into a splashdown pool. completed in five stages. The river tornado is employing 100 additional casual staff to Others include the Tornado, in which and aquatic play areas are due to open by manage the attractions, pool maintenance rafts loop and twist down the hill before September 2011; the behemoth bowl and and landscaping. dropping into the huge funnel and shoot- food outlets will open September 2012; the Suppliers involved with the park are ing out into the pool; Tantrum Alley, a Rocket opens September 2013; Tantrum Proslide, White Water/Alan Griffith, Jordan 250m (820ft) -long rock wall with cascad- Alley will be completed by September 2014. Mealey and Partners, Neptune Benson and ing water falls and traditional rock face The fifth stage is still to be confirmed. Eddy Strike Resources. 66 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 The ride has been designed to appeal to both beginners and experts DLIG?PËJN8M It has a load of 250lbs per square foot N8K To launch at IAAPA Expo 2010 is a 22ft (6.7m) section of staircase to be used with waterpark rides and slide towers Total ride time is 2.5 minutes. designed by Water Safety Products. GIFJC@;<K<:?EFCF>P@E: ProSlide’s HydroMagnetic The staircase is a 22ft (6.7m) by technology helps propel the rafts 4ft (1.2m) professionally engineered The world’s longest water coaster opened one-piece stairway. The design is self- in June at Holiday World’s Splashin’ Safari supporting, with 12in (30cm) structural in Santa Claus, Indiana, US. more than two acres, increasing the water channel stringers, with galvanized steel Situated in a wooded area north of park’s size to 27 acres. supports. It has 11in (28cm) closed Bahari wave pool, the 1,710ft (521m) Costing US$5.5m (£3.8m, %4.5m), riser treads and 0.5in (1.25cm) radius Wildebeest experience begins with a con- Wildebeest is 64ft (19.5m) tall and its 14 bullnose. It has a non-slip surface on the veyor ride up the coaster’s lifthill. Following cars with toboggan-style seating hit a top treads and weighs 460lbs (200kg). a 38ft (11.6m) drop at a 45˚ angle, eight speed of 36ft/sec (11m/sec) during the ride. Sheetless ThermoForming linear induction motors power the four- To make the uphill journey possible, Technology™ was used to allow for person boats up seven more hills, through ProSlide used a combination of water moulding large composite parts. two tunnels and round a helix. lubrication, downhill and uphill gravity and Unusually, the staircase is made of Designed, engineered and manufac- the company’s HydroMagnetic technology. HDPE (Polyethelene) with UV stabilisa- tured by ProSlide Technology of Ontario, This uses Linear Induction Motors to pro- tion and colour pigment. Canada, the ride is the world’s first ride-up duce an alternating magnetic field beneath HydroMagnetic water coaster and covers the slide surface that propels the rafts. AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 67 N8K The world’s largest A combination of large and small The waterpark’s roof will help reduce electricity and heating costs The Waterpark Company +1 604 273 1068 • www.whitewaterwest.com AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Some models not available in Canada and United States :8J<JKL;P C\^fcXe[NXk\iGXib egoland Water Park opened C within Legoland California in May. To date it’s the world’s only Lego themed waterpark and is the single biggest addition to Legoland California since the park opened in Greatest waterslide 1999. The 5.5 acre Water Park is a $12m (£7.5m, I’ve ever been on in %8.6m) investment and, like Legoland California, is geared towards two- to my entire life! a trali 12-year-olds. Aus ld, ’Wi The waterpark features t’n We eight rides and attractions including seven slides, Build-A-Raft River, an inter- active platform called Joker Soaker, 22 Lego models and a toddler area called Duplo Splash Safari. Guests create their own inner The centerpiece of Legoland Water Park tubes using Lego bricks and float is a 45ft (14m) -tall tower with four slides: down the 244m-long lazy river Orange Rush – a family tube slide where up to four people can ride together down a 312ft (95m) -long curving track; Twin phony by covering holes creating music Chasers – two side-by-side enclosed red notes with their hands. ark, Mexico al Waterp tube slides that stretch 130ft (40m) and The use of regenerative media filters e la S pan d pour into a wading area below and Splash means that the addition of Legoland Water Ixta Out – a 240ft (73m) open body slide. Park has only increased the resort’s water Designed by the Legoland creative team usage by five per cent. These filters don’t and unique to this waterpark is the Build- require backwashing on a daily basis so A-Raft River where families customise use less water than traditional sand fil- their own inner tubes with soft Lego bricks ters. All rubbish bins, recycling bins and before floating down the lazy river. benches throughout the waterpark are Another unique feature is Imagination made of recycled milk containers. Station where guests build bridges, dams To create the waterpark, Merlin and cities out of Duplo bricks. Also popular Entertainments worked with Whitewater is Aquatune – a musical fountain where West, Prime Play, Funtraptions and children conduct their own water sym- Storyland Studios. FG AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 +1 604 273 1068 • www.whitewaterwest.com Licensed by AquaRena N8K GIFA<:KJ?FN:8J< ?XggpDX^`Z NXk\iZlY\ 8EK?FEPM8E;8D The Happy Magic Watercube in Beijing M@:<GI 70 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 :FEJLCK8E:P expert opinions At a time when cuts are being made, can operators justify the cost of consultants? Kathleen Whyman asks why operators need them and how they can help their business ;8M@;:8DG ;@I<:KFI#<:FEFD@:J 8<:FD n tough times, tough decisions have to be made; but what decisions? How do you know if the changes you make will be for the best? Will pay- roll cuts improve your bottom line or will@ they negatively impact service? Where could you make savings in marketing costs yet still retain impact? What new events and activities can you develop for minimal outlay and maximum benefi t? The most important starting point is the acknowledgement and realisation that changes are needed. It often helps to bring in experienced external heads to aide in the process, but they need to be the right people with the right experience and be able to help the attraction manage- ment team with creative thought and smart Aecom consulted the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, Ireland decision making. Every circumstance is different, yet there are typically common issues and the best available. Groups like Merlin can draw on improvements could be made and what consultants will be able to get to the core large numbers of their own attractions to could be left to carry on working well. issues quickly. It is often a lot easier to see compare an individual site’s performance, The value of this kind of assessment the challenges from an external perspective but most attraction operators cannot. relies on the consultant having accurate than from within and this is one of the great- In our work with Guinness Storehouse information from a range of comparable est values that external advisors can bring. we were able to show the management attractions, a sound understanding of the Measurement is critical to evaluate team that through an assessment of industry and an appreciaton of the charac- change and having sound base data is an benchmarks from comparative attractions teristics of the attraction being assessed. important starting point or else how will in a range of locations, that the market pen- They must also remember that the past you know if the changes and decisions etrations rates, per capita revenues and does not equal the future and that the you make work? The fi rst source is historic operating performance achieved in Dublin greatest strength of the industry – the pas- performance. This is helpful but may be was of a market leading status. From this sion that operators and staff have for their limited to the amount and type of data assessment the team could evaluate where venues – can overcome a lot of challenges. he reasons that operators bear; the expedience of a focused team, A@CC9I@KKFE should and do use consult- unimpeded by day-to-day operations and ;@I<:KFI ants in these diffi cult times are the need for a fresh pair of eyes, are all still the same reasons that apply equally relevant – probably more so during 9I@KKFE in normal circumstances, but times of fi nancial uncertainty. D:>I8K? Know the stakes are higher. These days though, trustees, chief 8JJF:@8K 72 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 (Above and right) One of LM Associates’ clients was the famous Tate Modern in London C asing attraction Consultants are employed development deci- for specifi c tasks, frequently sions on thorough under fi xed-term contracts, research and anal- providing cost effective senior ysis is important resource. The impact on the at9 any time, irrespective of the attraction’s overheads is mini- economic climate. Employing mised, controlled and specifi c consultants to undertake to the task in hand. economic analyses to inform For most operators, the attraction development deci- current economic climate sions (the area that I consult presents a high level of uncer- in) can bring four main areas of benefi t – tainty. The not-for-profi t sector faces cuts a wider context, experience, independence in funding and external capital to fund the and cost control. development of the commercial sector Knowledge of best practice interna- continues to be tough to come by. Despite tionally and the ability to benchmark an strong performances in 2009, the ques- attraction’s performance within the context tion of how long the staycation factor will of a range of comparable attractions pro- continue to offset any impact of economic vides a framework which allows attraction downturn on discretionary spending keeps operators to realistically determine just attractions keenly focused on both income how well their attraction could/should be generation and cost control. use of consultants could result in inter- the risk that comes with trying new things within and without the industry – and the nal unrest and given that the USP of most requires a breadth and depth of experi- clients continuing to do what they do best, leisure businesses is its people, this is defi - ence that internal management may lack. which is day-to-day operations and nurtur- nitely something to be managed carefully. We genuinely believe that to get the most ing a a dialogue with their visitors fi rst hand. However, in our experience, quality advice out of consultants, there has to be a col- We believe that desperate times call not brought in to support internal management laborative, team-based approach. If the two for desperate measures but for bold, inno- can be received with relief by managers parties work well together then there are vative thinking, which will help businesses facing diffi cult decisions. true economies of scale with the consult- rise above the crowd and sustain them for Innovative and lateral thinking is often ants doing what they do best; giving focus future success. We believe that consult- the route to success during diffi cult trad- to particular issues such as objectivity, ants, used at the right time and in the right ing conditions, but the need to manage fresh thinking, application of lessons from ways, can help to achieve this. AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 73 :FEJLCK8E:P B<@K?K?FD8J;@I<:KFIG ecession should be no sur- prise – experience shows that every period of expansion and growth will be followed by a period of retrenchment andI often contraction. These differ only in terms of their severity and nature: a phenomenon to endure, but a time for a shake out of poor attraction concepts and management practices and a re-evaluation of long-held assumptions. It’s also a great opportunity for new ideas and exciting new visitor experiences to be developed. Arguably, much expansion in the attrac- tions sector in the last 10 to15 years was stimulated (with notable exceptions) less by public demand, but rather by increased public sector and Lottery funding, leaving many organisations and institutions pecu- liarly vulnerable when these dry up. Now is the time to put together an action plan for survival. Firstly, make sure you have the right leadership in place. Identify the most skilled in the organisation, agree a survival and growth strategy and trust the team to deliver it. Next, bring in additional The BugWorld Experience in Liverpool is one of Petersham Group’s clients experience and resources if these are lack- ing. The right consultants can be a vital part of the team and can work on fi xed- Manage branded channels to the full, chal- ers, cancel or postpone all but the most price contracts. With their help, lenge sales and marketing to look for new essential capital expenditure, close down review and re-evaluate what markets and segments. Focus manage- poorly performing units and respond you offer to the visitor. Is it ment unremittingly on revenue generation promptly to seasonal variations in demand. still fresh, compelling and and incentivise them with targets. With regards to staff, salary freezes, vital? Do people still want Don’t cut corners on quality. However, reduced hours and benefi ts are preferable to experience your attrac- great customer service can overcome the to head count reductions. Trained staff are tion and will they continue occasional physical shortcoming, so keep a valuable asset – so treasure them. to want to do so? asking your visitors what they think and Organisations that focus on increasing Be brave and prepared to take action if they are critical. Also, watch operational effi ciency, developing new mar- try new methods. Smart and learn from your competition and man- kets, and enlarging their asset bases show marketing is the age your cost base rigorously. For example, the strongest performance on average in key to success. review and re-negotiate terms with suppli- pre-tax profi ts after a recession. ● A<8E$G8LC?8 74 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 NEW THRILLING FAMILY ATTRACTIONS ● Suitable for anyone over 1.1m in height ● Throughputs up to 500 an hour ● Unique track system - people can overtake and choose their own route around the course ● Can be themed to suit your attraction. Jungle and pirate theming options available ● Approved under ADIPS ● Over 600 supplied worldwide SEE US AT IAAPA ATTRACTIONS EXPO, ORLANDO, ON THESE STANDS: Ropes Courses, Inc 4815 Spectrum Sports 4809 Water Wars 4806 Call now for further details: +44 (0)116 288 7263 Email: [email protected] =^\]:cZg\n www.innovativeleisure.co.uk >ciZgVXi^kZ6iigVXi^dch K@:B ; >8K >8DD8;8K8N8I<CK; When working with other tick- ers would inevitably need to eting suppliers, there’s a need to carry out development work to G\k\i=\i^ljfe#dXeX^`e^[`i\Zkfi be able to recognise and proc- ensure they complied with the ess tickets purchased across standard established in terms We already work with a number of visitor different systems. A common of ticket format, reporting and centres and tourist attractions that offer format for bar code, magnetic the exchange of data. multiple or joint ticketing. coding or smart card would be G 76 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Nfib`e^n`k_fk_\iXkkiXZk`fejZXei\jlck`e_`^_\iXkk\e[XeZ\j]fi\m\ipfe\ FDE@K@:B AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 77 K@:B FG I<=K<:?J 78 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Group Sales on the eGalaxy Web Store Eliminate preprinted group sales tickets Move consignments group sales online to reduce labor costs Lead your customers to online self-service group sales purchases Gateway Ticketing Systems, Inc., 315 East Second Street, Boyertown, PA 19512 Phone: +1-610-987-4000 Fax: +1-610-987-4001 Email: [email protected] www.gatewayticketing.com omni? www.omniticket.com SKIDATA Vario.Gate Whether at stadiums, fairs or leisure parks – Vario.Gate prevents misuse, reduces waiting time, guarantees maximum safety and provides a high level ! the numerous advantages of this innovative new generation of readers! www.skidata.com Because time is valuable... Dlck`gc\k`Zb\k`e^jpjk\djnflc[XccfnZljkfd\ijkfgliZ_Xj\k`Zb\kj]fij\m\iXcXkkiXZk`fejXkfeZ\ ...choose Time Pursuit, M AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Time Pursuit is an Open Frontiers solution THE LATEST IN LIVE INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT ChatterBox Mini ON SHOW AT BOOTH % !" & IAAPA 1874 2010 ORLANDO, FLORIDA ' Sea Life Center, Brighton UK IT’Z FEC, Houston, Texas ChatterBox Party Room !" # $ #Host Interactive Quizes #Greet Guests " #Entertain & Educate SEE THE PARTY ROOM IN ACTION AT IAAPA 2010, ORLANDO, BOOTH 1874 A UNIQUE 100 % EXPERIENCE EVERY Call today to find out more about our LIVE new finance and licence options. NO PRE-RECORDED TIME ANIMATION Worldwide USA [email protected] [email protected] WinnerWinner of ofBe Bestst New New Product Product for for Show Show Production and Entertainment +44 (0)1273 417 440 512.540.0855 IAAPA Exhibitor Awards 2009 www.animalive.com ' ! " #$ " #% & '' & ' ( ))*+, -*+ & '. + /01 @EK rom the world’s first inter- active experience on a rollercoaster, to immersive 5D experiences, suppli- ers are using increasingly clever and absorbing methods= to draw visitors in to the world of their making. Interactive experiences are integrating a huge amount of multimedia features and trends include the scaling up of Clostermann’s Haunted House Shooting Gallery concept, which is coming to Vietnam video games into attractions for big- ger groups of players, and using the features to encourage greater interaction as guests travel up the tunnel, they collect time was overcome by using an array of between the players, whether that be com- energy from “stardust clouds”, which will 3D depth sensing cameras mounted in the petition, or group bonding. be used to re-energise the sun. ceiling. These sensors gave an overlapping California-based GestureTek has taken “Guests wave their hands at the tunnel set of 3D images which, when coupled interactivity to a new level at Universal wall to leave an energy trail in the ‘uni- with GestureTek’s custom tracking soft- Studios Japan, with the new Space Fantasy verse’ as they pass through,” says Francis ware, allowed them to track a user from the ride. This is the first in-ride device-free MacDougall, co-founder of GestureTek. time they entered the room until they left. interaction, where 60 people are simulta- The other area of interactivity is the pre- neously given an interactive experience, show, where 60 people at a time can reach I8@J@E>K?<GLCJ< using their hands and heads to directly out their hands and interact with the Sun Saving the Lego princess from mean engage with the ride. The premise of the Fairies on the wall. trolls, by shooting at the screen, is the new ride is the impending death of the sun, so This area needed to be reworked a cou- interactive experience at Manchester’s ple of times: “The intuitive user response Legoland Discovery Centre. 3DBA super- was to poke the fairies, so a version was vised the development of this interactive created which was highly responsive to the dark ride and Alterface implemented the poke gesture,” says MacDougall. “However, show control and shooting/scoring system. this version was a little too responsive and “On this attraction we came up with a new resulted in users banging and punching feature: interactive physical targets,” says the walls as hard as they could to get the Alterface CEO, Benoit Cornet. “Players can biggest reaction from the fairies! The final shoot at videos, but also on real elements version rewarded the user for holding their in the set up. This can be achieved without hand close to the screen and moving it LED, or red dot targets, which don’t look around to give the Sun Fairies energy and good in the scenery.” The Space Fantasy ride’s Sun Fairies, generate animated responses.” Aimed at three to 12-year-olds, the ride which visitors intuitively want to poke! The challenge of providing an interac- features smoke effects, animatronic trolls, tive experience for so many people at a treasure boxes, rats, spiders, bats and AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital 83 @EK Eden’s Eye (above and right) is Meticulous’ new interactive sensory maze at Drusillas in Alfriston, East Sussex is based on the four elements and is designed to allow visitors to lose themselves in Alterface’s Kingdom Quest at Legoland in Manchester the adventure dragon eggs. The seats move with the 9L@C;@E>8K? 84 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 @EK Also included are water squirts, smells, specially composed music to build the atmosphere and touch-based triggers, such as a buddha, who will laughsand give a clue when visitors rub his tummy. D8B@E>J:@ 86 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 Animatronics Suppliers to Gondwana - Das Praehistorium, Germany and Restless Planet, Dubai. Animatronics designed, developed and created from your imagination especially for: • Theme parks • Attractions • Aquariums • Science centres • Museums • Zoos Planning and Design Consulting, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD. Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 5767 Email: [email protected] www.nhm.ac.uk/planning-design www.magicmemories.com TOURISM PHOTOGRAPHY & IMAGING SOLUTIONS AMPLIFY THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT Call +44 (0)1462 471919 to book your space BUYERS GUIDE AMUSEMENT RIDES COSTUME CHARACTERS MULTIMEDIA AV THEMING WORLD CLASS LIGHT, SOUND & VIDEO Amazing Characters! SHOW CONTROL [email protected] +44 (0)8706 268024 SIMULATION THEMED CONSTRUCTION Amusement ride manufacturer since 1952 EXHIBITS ROCKWORK BERTAZZON 3B Srl Sernaglia - Italy WATER FEATURES Tel. +39.0438.966291 FACADES Fax +39.0439.966165 SCULPTURES E-mail: [email protected] Tel: 001-262-677-6060 www.bertazzon.com www.frenzycreative.co.uk www.kraftwerk.at Email: [email protected] BODY DRYERS DESIGN & THEMING SIMULATION RIDES 5D WATERPARK ATTRACTIONS www.explore5d.com Specializing in the ultimate waterslides, interactive play structures and more! Tel: +44 (0)1202 890705 www.joravision.com [email protected] Your Waterpark Company www.haystack-dryers.com 4EL s WWWWHITEWATERWESTCOMwww.whitewaterwest.com COIN SORTERS DESIGN & THEMING WATERPLAY Money Book your advert counters on our website and sorters and be seen by www.scsinteractive.com over 11,000 buyers every month. www.cumminsallison.co.uk www.sandersongroup.com.au COSTUME CHARACTERS INTERACTIVE & 4-D ATTRACTION WET LEISURE PLAY PRODUCTS RAINBOW PRODUCTIONS 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 88 Read Attractions Management online attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 4 2010 ©cybertrek 2010 It’s All Here. The Thriving Marketplace for the Attractions Industry. Products and people. Ideas and innovations. Energy and excitement. IAAPA Attractions Expo 2010 delivers it all! Make connections and discover business solutions at every turn— from product displays and demonstrations, networking events, and behind-the-scenes facility tours to powerful education sessions and access to high-level industry experts. The sights and sounds, promise and possibility of the global attractions industry all come together at IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando. 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