INSIDE: Flume in 2020 for Luna Park TM & ©2018 Amusement Today, Inc. PAGE 24 October 2018 | Vol. 22 • Issue 7 www.amusementtoday.com Camelbeach Mountain's 2018 WWA Symposium and Trade ProSlide Tornado stirs thrills Show to highlight industry’s best AT: Jeffrey Seifert [email protected] Annual event will offer attendees the chance TANNERSVILLE, Pa. — Camelbeach Mountain to hear about the latest trends Waterpark, nestled in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains, mixes business, in food and beverage, group unveiled its latest thrill ride over the summer. fun in Las Vegas sales and marketing strategies High Noon Typhoon, a ProSlide Tornado with an that deliver the best results for AT: Pam Sherborne extended ProSlide Mammoth River lead-in, complements each revenue category. [email protected] educational sessions covering the park’s 36 other water attractions — adding a high-thrill In addition to these new topics from safety to mainte- ride to its extensive collection of waterslides. It occupies workshops, the WWA educa- nance to marketing to hiring the mountainside water park's highest point. LAS VEGAS, Nev. — tional program will feature best practices. All-day certi- Ken Ellis and Arthur Berry, III, co-owners of Water park industry profes- two leading keynote speakers. fication workshops start on Camelback Mountain Resort, of which the waterpark is sionals and suppliers will Up first on Thursday, Oct. 25, Sunday, Oct. 21. a part, celebrated the opening of the attraction in mid- descend on Las Vegas Oct. is Mark Scharenbroich, CSP, In addition, Root said that July with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and an inaugural ride 23-26 for the 2018 World CPAE, who will discuss his as of mid-September they were down the slide. Waterpark Association Nice Bike concept and how expecting about 350 booths “There’s nothing Art and I love more than seeing (WWA) Symposium and making the right connections on the trade show floor. The Camelbeach guests of all ages enjoying themselves on Trade Show. move people. trade show runs for two days, these slides, so we do the important research,” said Ellis, All activities, exclud- Next up on Friday, Oct. 26, 12:30-6:30 p.m., Wednesday, who took the plunge in full business attire. “The only way ing the WWA Annual Golf is David Avrin, CSP, who will Oct. 23, and 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m., we know a slide will deliver the thrills is to ride it ourselves. Tournament and the WWA shine a light on the monumen- Thursday, Oct. 24. That’s why we wore our ‘wet suits’ to work!” Annual Reunion Party at tal shift in purchasing behavior Wet'n'Wild Las Vegas, are This year’s educational and expectation while show- 4See TORNADO, page 6 being held at the Westgate Las program includes two new ing everyone’s role in elimi- Vegas Resort and Casino. The workshops, both taking place nating barriers, engaging pros- week will be filled with work- Tuesday, Oct. 23. The first is the pects and creating customer shops, educational sessions, Executive & Senior Officials experiences worth sharing. networking and social events. All Hazards Preparedness “Our attendees have high “The WWA show is about Workshop, presented by the expectations for the WWA bringing people together,” said Texas A&M Engineering educational program and we Rick Root, WWA president. Extension Service and funded work closely with our com- “Our industry does well when by the U.S. Dept. of Homeland mittees to develop content the people working within it Security. This workshop is that is actionable, meaning- can connect with like-minded being offered at no cost to ful and highly impactful,” professionals and learn from attendees. It will offer those said Aleatha Ezra, director of each other. who attend the opportunity to park member development for “We’re excited to be in Las take home an action plan for WWA. Vegas, a city that offers an water park-specific scenarios, WWA has a tool on the unmatched level of energy and such as a major weather event, Who’s Exhibiting page at excitement for our show,” Root as well as general emergency wwashow.org that allows High Noon Typhoon, a Tornado waterslide from ProSlide said. “It’s always an appeal- situations. attendees to find companies Technology, Inc., of Ottawa, Canada, began whipping ing location for us, and we’re The second is a workshop with whom they wish to up thrills in July at Camelbeach Mountain Waterpark in expecting a strong turnout.” titled WWA University: Fuel schedule an appointment and Tannersville, Pa. Your In-Park Revenue with COURTESY CAMELBEACH MOUNTAIN WATERPARK WWA Show 2018 will bring attendees more than 40 Marketing Strategies, which 4See WWA, page 7 AMUSEMENT VIEWS BUSINESS Page 4 Pages 44-53 Dated material. material. Dated RUSH! Tuesday, September 25, 2018 Tuesday, PARKS & FAIRS SAFETY NEWSPAPER POSTMASTER: PLEASE Mailed Pages 10-30 Pages 54-61 PERMIT # 2069 # PERMIT FT. WORTH TX WORTH FT. PAID US POSTAGE US WATER PARKS CLASSIFIEDS PRSRT STD PRSRT Pages 31-43 Page 62 4 AMUSEMENT TODAY October 2018 AMUSEMENT VIEWS AT NOTEBOOK: Jeffrey Seifert, [email protected] FLINT’S VIEW: Bubba Flint Aquatics for civic health Civic groups and government leaders are recognizing the benefits that aquatic facilities provide for their city, county or state. The result has been a major push to provide the funding necessary to re- place dilapidated city pools and build Seifert new facilities. Fortunately, community support is typically strong, particularly if the community is involved with the decision-making. Taxpayers understand that a few more dollars raised through slight increases in property and sales taxes can produce significant results. Sometimes cities get creative with the taxes, as in the case of Aurora, Colo., which de- cided to use a marijuana tax to fund its latest water park. Other cities have received monetary help from civic groups, such as Kiwanis Clubs, or private compa- nies and enterprises that have a major presence in the community. When El Paso, Texas, realized that people were leav- GUEST OPINION: Rick Root, President, World Waterpark Association ing the city for better opportunities elsewhere, the com- munity banded together to form a citizen initiative to To create great experiences, inclusivity is key pass a $473 million Quality of Life bond program that In the past few years, more and more magazine — thanks to its safe, barrier-free included $37.5 million for aquatic facilities. water park operators are taking a look at environment for children with special needs. Last winter, Grand Prairie, Texas, opened Epic Wa- how to make their websites, facilities and Other parks implementing “access for all” staff more accessible and welcoming to programs include Hersheypark in Hershey, ters, the largest indoor, city-owned water park in North guests with disabilities — both physical and Pa., and Sesame Place in Langhorne, Pa., to America. Epic Waters was funded by a 1/4-cent sales cognitive. At their core, water park opera- name a few. tax originally passed 25 years earlier to build a horse tors want to provide the best, most enjoy- Outside the U.S., Sandcastle Waterpark racetrack. When the racetrack was paid off early, Grand able experience they can for families visiting Root in Blackpool, U.K., has received numerous Prairie citizens opted to keep the tax in place to fund their facilities. This motivation is one of the awards for its commitment to inclusive tour- recreational facilities. reasons our industry is embracing the concept of ism. For the Sandcastle Waterpark team, it’s been inclusive tourism. about thinking through the complete guest experi- In New York State, Gov. Andrew Cuomo awarded As defined by Push Adventures (pushadven- ence from pre-visit to visit to post-visit. The park $10 million to the City of Oswego to build a water park tures.com.au), an inclusive tourism consultancy has installed a variety of inclusive services while also to link to convention facilities as part of a downtown re- based in South Australia, “inclusive tourism is about training staff to treat each guest, regardless of ability, vitalization package. reducing uncertainty around what to expect from a with care and understanding. From splash pads and water parks to swimming destination or service. It creates increased participa- As Push Adventures states, inclusive tourism tion in tourism activities and embraces the entire goes beyond providing a ramp: “Not all disabilities pools and aquatic centers, water play is an important community of travelers, regardless of ability.” are visible and every person is unique. There are so part of every community. Aquatic facilities draw people Several water parks are already leading the many small details that can make the world of differ- out of their homes, encouraging them to interact with charge by introducing an “access for all” approach. ence to a person’s travel experience.” each other, enjoy the sunshine and reap the benefits of A leading example within the U.S. market is Morgan’s Increasing our focus on inclusive recreational healthful activity. The social, cultural, recreational and Inspiration Island at Morgan’s Wonderland in San experiences as we expand our parks, attractions and therapeutic opportunities of city-funded aquatic centers Antonio, Texas. Designed with special needs individ- services will not only serve our guests well, it will uals in mind, Morgan’s Inspiration Island was recently position our businesses and our industry as preferred cannot be overstated. named one of the “World’s Greatest Places” by Time destinations for this growing market segment. Opinions expressed on this page do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Call (817) 460-7220 for advertising, circulation or editorial inquiries Amusement Today is an independent, privately- Founder & Publisher Managing Editor Production Manager owned trade newspaper published 14 times Gary Slade • (817) 460-7220 x3 Dean Lamanna • (817) 460-7220 John Robinson • (513) 256-1441 per year by Amusement Today Inc., P.O.