Find great staff ™ Jobs start on page 26 MANAGEMENT NEWS 17 APRIL 2019 ISSUE 128 www.attractionsmanagement.com Harry Potter studio tour welcomes Gringotts Warner Bros' Harry Potter studio tour outside London, UK has opened its biggest expansion to date, with the launch of the iconic Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Offi cially opened on 6 April, the 16,500sq ft expansion has been designed and built by many of the original crew members who worked on the hugely successful magical fi lm series – including Oscar and BAFTA-winning production designer Stuart Craig, construction manager Paul Hayes and head propmaker Pierre Bohanna. The Gringotts bank – run by goblins QThe Gringotts bank – run by goblins – – features heavily in the Harry Potter features heavily in the Harry Potter universe universe, especially on fi lm. The permanent attraction will allow visitors "There are hidden gems everywhere to walk through the bank, the Lestrange and secrets to fi nd," said special vault, a gallery of goblins and more. effects supervisor John Richardson, Lined by towering marble pillars, describing the new addition. "The the grand banking hall features the children love it because it's magical and There are hidden goblin tellers’ desks – complete with the grown-ups all love it because many gems everywhere inkwells, quills, ledgers and piles of them grew up with Harry Potter." and secrets to fi nd of galleons, sickles and knuts. MORE: http://lei.sr/C7R7M_A John Richardson MUSEUMS NEW OPENING MAJOR PROJECT National Children’s Museum Germany’s largest Smurfs attraction for to open in November science centre opens Shanghai’s Dream City Crystal Bowyer wants to p4 Experimenta hopes for p10 Shanghai site to house p13 create a "dream-like world" 250,000 visitors each year 20 themed attractions Attractions people Know your people, know yourself: insights from Disney's top female execs hat does it take for a that meant for the guest Wwoman to be successful experience," she said. at Disney? Talent and "I became a housekeeper determination are a given, and a greeter so I could learn but in an article in Attractions what it meant to be day-in Management Q1 2019, a and day-out with our guests." panel of the organisation’s For Melissa Vallquete, vice female leaders give extra president, Epcot, Walt Disney insights into their journey to World Resort, there used the top and the challenges to be a great deal of advice they faced along the way. that she should have more Tracey Powell, for example, is "command" or "physical now vice president of revenue presence" in her leadership management at Walt Disney style. "It felt to me like I was World in Florida, but she had QTracey Powell is VP of revenue management at Walt Disney World being coached to be a little previously built a career to more masculine," she said. executive director level at "I had the opportunity to lead 10,000 Vallquette now reflects that Carnival Cruise Lines. She took cast members and I had to learn it doesn’t matter if someone a step backwards to join Disney what it meant to be frontline" at the top looks or acts but became an executive differently to you and your own again within two years. guests was to "walk a mile cast members and I had style. "You can be the first one Her great lesson in in their shoes": "I had the to learn what it meant to to do it your way," she said. managing both teams and opportunity to lead 10,000 be frontline, and what MORE: http://lei.sr/C4d9u_A £27m Bauhaus Museum designed by Heike Hanada opens its doors in honour of minimalist design school new museum celebrating "When they told me where they A the works and impact wanted the museum I thought they Bauhaus movement, were crazy – in fact, I got quite angry" the German design school built on the famous "form designed to coincide with spoke of the movement’s follows function" ethos has the 100th anniversary of impact itself, adding: opened in Weimar, Germany. the Bauhaus movement. "Bauhaus has influenced The €27m (US$30.3m, "When they told me where design all over the world. £23.3m) Bauhaus Museum, they wanted the museum I "Bauhaus pioneers designed by German architect thought they were crazy – in dealt with urgent issues of Heike Hanada, is true to form fact, I got quite angry," their times, like housing in its minimalist appearance said Hanada. "But then I shortages which are QHeike Hanada's design for – one solid concrete cubic began to see its potential. still relevant today." the museum was inspired by structure with very few frills The goal was to give this Museum officials the minimalist appearance on the city's outskirts. place a new identity." expect to attract 100,000 of the Bauhaus movement The opening of the Museum director Ulrike visitors a year. museum on 6 April was Bestgen, meanwhile, MORE: http://lei.sr/h6e6Q_A 2 attractionsmanagement.com ©Cybertrek Ltd 2019 ISSUE 128 JOBS START ON PAGE 26 >>> MANAGEMENT NEWS Contents issue 128 4 Dreamworld owner Ardent restructures finance Operator secures new financing deal that it says will allow it to invest further in its parks. 4 National Children’s Museum to open in November New Washington DC attraction will give young guests a chance to float, explore and "dream of the impossible". 6 Australia's Monarto Zoo reveals AU$16.8m expansion Addition forms the first phase QGovan has been director of the LA County Museum since 2006 of the Wild Africa expansion, which will allow visitors overnight stays for the first time. "Now we can go ahead with construction drawings and go 10 Germany’s largest raise the rest of the funds" science centre opens New attraction backed by the Dieter Schwarz Foundation, Michael Govan hails decision to a non-profit investment arm approve S$650m LACMA plans of supermarket giant Lidl. new home for the Los drawings and go raise the rest A Angeles County Museum of the funds with the assurance of Art (LACMA) – worth this is going forward.” CLASSIFIED & JOBS an estimated US$650m Diana Thater, an artist who (€574.6m, £497.3m) – has has exhibited at the museum, Job opportunities 26 cleared a major hurdle having added: “I want L.A. to have had its plans approved. this building. The city needs a Designed by Swiss architect beautiful, memorable museum Sign up to Leisure Opportunities: Peter Zumthor, a former that people will flock to visit. Online: www.leisuresubs.com Pritzker Prize winner, the The design could potentially Email: [email protected] new building’s plans were unify the campus, creating Tel: +44 (0)1462 471930 approved at a county vote, a more expansive, parklike Annual subscriptions: UK £48, which also cleared US$117.5m setting and establish a UK students £25, Europe £65, RoW £94 (€103.9m, £89.9m) in horizontality where art from taxpayer funding for it. different cultures can be Attractions Management News is published 26 times a year by The “This is the big green light considered simultaneously.” Leisure Media Company Ltd, Portmill House, Portmill Lane, Hitchin, everybody has been waiting The project is expected to Herts SG5 1DJ, UK. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. All for,” said the museum’s director take five years and the museum rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored Michael Govan. “Now we can is set to open in 2024. in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by means, electronic, mechanical, recorded or otherwise, without the prior permission of the go ahead with construction MORE: http://lei.sr/E4r8v_A copyright holder, Cybertrek Ltd. ©Cybertrek Ltd 2019 ISSN 2516-9114 ISSUE 128 ©Cybertrek Ltd 2019 attractionsmanagement.com 3 news THEME PARKS Dreamworld owner Ardent restructures finance Ardent Leisure Group, existing Australian bank debt, owner of the Dreamworld, and the company’s statement WhiteWater World and said that "the balance of the SkyPoint theme parks in proceeds will be available to Australia, has secured a support investment in theme new financing deal that it parks and Main Event, as says will allow it to invest well as general corporate further in its parks. purposes". Main Event The US$200m (€177.3m, operates family entertainment £152.8m) term loan facility centres with activities such is secured and guaranteed as billiards, bowling, mini by Ardent’s wholly-owned golf arcade games, rock US subsidiary, Main Event climbing and gravity ropes. Entertainment, and is non- In a statement regarding QArdent theme parks will benefit from the new finance facility recourse to other assets the arrangement, Ardent of Ardent. It consists of a Leisure said that the funding US$125m drawn term loan would "enable it to make and a US$75m delayed the necessary investments The funding will enable draw term loan. A US$25m to return the Theme Parks Ardent to make the necessary (€22.17m, £19.11m) revolving operations to profitability and investments it needs to return credit facility is also available. to support the development the parks to profitability The funding has enabled of new Main Event centres". Ardent Leisure to repay its MORE: http://lei.sr/K4Y3J_A MUSEUMS National Children’s Museum to open in November After a nearly five year closure, the National Children’s Museum in Washington, DC, has announced that it will re-open on 1 November 2019. QA rendering of the Dream Machine concept Its new home is a 30,000sq ft at the National Children's Museum (9,144sq m) space between Pennsylvania Avenue and the Mall – a US$15m "Our goal is to create a dream- (€13.3m, £11.47m) development that like world where children can see will focus on STEM education and will themselves accomplishing something include a 50-foot climbing and sliding they never thought possible," said structure called The Dream Machine Crystal Bowyer, president and CEO of Our goal is to create as the museum’s centrepiece.