INSIDE: IAAPA coverage TM & ©2019 Amusement Today, Inc. SEE BONUS SECTION B January 2019 | Vol. 22 • Issue 10 www.amusementtoday.com IAAPA Attractions Expo 2018 Northern Calif. fairgrounds activated sets records, debuts new logo by American Red Cross in wildfires ORLANDO — The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) capped its Evacuees find shelter, centennial year in grand fashion as its annual trade show food during state’s became the organization’s largest and best-attended ever. deadliest blazes IAAPA Attractions Expo 2018, which ran Nov. 12-16, drew a record 42,000 registered attractions industry profes- AT: Pam Sherborne sionals. The event covered 600,375 net square feet at the [email protected] Orange County Convention Center, where 1,151 compa- nies displayed innovative new products and services. NORTHERN CALIFORNIA “There is no better way to celebrate IAAPA’s centen- — Several county fairs in north- nial anniversary than with a remarkable and record-break- ern California canceled regular ing Expo,” said Hal McEvoy, IAAPA president and CEO. business during the second week “IAAPA’s mission is to connect attractions professionals of November and began operat- with each other and with new and innovative ideas. All that ing in an entirely different capac- and much more happened in Orlando.” ity as official American Red A wildfire that started Nov. 8 in California’s Butte County Aside from the crowd on the trade show floor, 15,128 Cross shelters. devastated neighborhoods and killed dozens. Several fair- people participated in 149 education experiences, which The Red Cross activated five grounds, including the home of the Silver Dollar Fair in Chico included multiple-day institutes and symposia, behind-the- county fairgrounds closest to a (shown below), served as evacuation centers. scenes tours of area attractions, roundtable discussions woodland fire that reportedly COURTESY GLENN COUNTY FAIR & FAIRGROUNDS (FIRE); and constituency lunches. began Nov. 8 near Camp Fire AMERICAN RED CROSS/GOLD COUNTRY REGION Road in Butte County, resulting Expo participants also raised approximately $120,000 in its designation as the Camp for Give Kids the World through a golf tournament, a Fire. Fueled by dry conditions motorcycle ride, a fun run and walk, individual and cor- and fanned by strong winds, porate donations, and a hole-in-one challenge. IAAPA the outbreak spread rapidly and members raised approximately $50,000 for the IAAPA massively, becoming the deadli- Foundation through a silent auction, benefiting programs est wildfire in the state's history. that support tomorrow’s industry leaders and the Al By the time Amusement Today Weber Scholarship Fund. went to press, 85 were confirmed IAAPA revealed a new logo (shown below) at the dead in the disaster, which Kickoff Event as part of a branding initiative designed to burned more than 150,000 acres launch the organization’s next 100 years. Reflecting the and destroyed more than 18,000 energy and diversity of IAAPA’s global membership, its structures, including hundreds official debut was Jan. 1. of homes in Paradise, Calif. The County Fair, Gridley; Yuba- At the height of the emergen- •iaapa.org cause of the fire was still under Sutter County Fair, Yuba City; cy, the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds investigation. Glenn County Fair, Orland; housed some 6,000 firefighters A concurrent wildfire in Plumas-Sierra County Fair, and search-and-rescue team Greater Los Angeles called the Quincy; and Silver Dollar Fair, members from across the U.S. Woolsey Fire added to the total Chico. The fairs played a signifi- It was backed by the California losses in the state, killing three, cant role in the response. Conservation Corps, a state gov- burning just under 100,000 acres “The operation here has ernment department that falls and destroying almost 1,500 been more like a mini-fair for under the California Resources structures. us in the way in which it was Agency. The Northern California operated,” said Melissa Fornof, “They brought in their own fairgrounds activated by the exhibit representative of the Red Cross are home to the Butte Silver Dollar Fair. 4See WILDFIRES, page 4 AMUSEMENT VIEWS BUSINESS Page 2 Pages 23-28 Dated material. material. Dated RUSH! PARKS & FAIRS SAFETY NEWSPAPER POSTMASTER: PLEASE 27, 2018 December Thursday, Mailed Pages 6-19 Pages 29-54 PERMIT # 2069 # PERMIT FT. WORTH TX WORTH FT. PAID US POSTAGE US WATER PARKS CLASSIFIEDS PRSRT STD PRSRT Pages 20-22 Page 55 2 AMUSEMENT TODAY January 2019 AMUSEMENT VIEWS AT NOTEBOOK: Tim Baldwin, [email protected] FLINT’S VIEW: Bubba Flint What’s refreshed is new again While the old adage, “What’s old is new again,” quite often refers to style and trends, there is something very encouraging when a park reinvests in an established — or even ag- ing — attraction to keep it not only running but give it new life. Baldwin Europa-Park comes to mind. In 2018, its big investment was a major overhaul of its indoor EuroSat coaster, but management didn’t stop there. Two other attractions, a dated dark ride and a children’s out- door electric car ride, got a wonderful refresh. Where once was a tired dark ride about the age of dinosaurs is now a de- lightfully rethemed adventure called Madame Freudenriech – Curiosités, about an elderly woman raising dinosaurs in her backyard. Elsewhere in the park, a children’s simple electric rail outdoor ride has had scenes and sets added along the way and now tells another children’s story, Jim Button – Jour- ney Through Morrowland. Six Flags Fiesta Texas introduced a first-of-its-kind single- rail roller coaster, Wonder Woman Steel Lasso Coaster, but GUEST OPINION: Erik H. Beard, Managing Member / Gen. Counsel, International Ride Training in so doing had to relocate the park’s carousel. The move prompted a total revamp of a sleepy area of the park and Guest engagement as a safety tool refurbishment of the carousel, along with added embellish- If you’ve flown on an airline recently, and rider warnings. Beyond simple warm, ments to the area that truly enhance its atmosphere. With the you have surely noticed a change in fuzzy feelings, engagement is about mak- release of an older IP theme for its dark ride, instead of sim- many of the pre-flight safety announce- ing our guests safer. ply retiring the attraction, the park opted to exercise some ments. Mostly gone are the days of a How do we improve guest engage- flight attendant standing at the front of ment? Obviously, not every park can take creativity and keep it by adding an original storyline. The in- the cabin making monotone announce- a cue from the airlines and show enter- house team came up with the designs and built many sets ments about emergency exits, floor taining videos at every ride location. But themselves, reworking the ride into Pirates of the Deep Sea. lighting and seat belt usage. Instead, Beard there are other things that can be done, In the past, Schlitterbahn took an unpopular lazy riv- airlines have turned to sophisticated, such as infusing automatic spiels with er and, with moderate expense, turned it into a market- energetic and, yes, even entertaining videos to more entertaining and lively instructions to cut able powerhouse called Congo River Expedition by add- convey safety information to passengers. through the noise on ride platforms. Train the Why? Because the airline industry has fig- ride operators not only what to say, but how ing themed scenes. And this summer, Knott’s Berry Farm ured out that engaging passengers maximizes to say it in an interesting manner. And within will debut Calico River Rapids — a refresh, accomplished the likelihood that they will pay attention to this reason, give ride operators freedom to infuse through a themed overlay and animatronics, that will add information. Wouldn’t that also be the case at an their spiels with their personalities so that not new guest appeal and marketability to a 30-year-old rapids amusement ride? every operator sounds the same — even as the ride. (See page 11.) Unfortunately, guest engagement in the content of the information remains consistent. In years when parks can’t afford to install a massive new attractions industry is often thought of only as a Most importantly, expect, don’t just encourage, guest service issue. Our employees are trained operators to speak to guests one-on-one by ride, there are certainly opportunities to upgrade an existing to be nice to our guests, to anticipate their treating engagement the same as other safety attraction — a train, a car ride, a log flume — and add promo- needs and to ensure that they feel welcome policies from a management perspective. tional clout while invigorating an old favorite for generations at our facilities. All of that is important, but Safety is as important in our industry as it to come. It’s an idea worth pondering when taking a daily engagement goes deeper. Just as on an air- is in aviation. So why not borrow what’s work- stroll through the park. plane, guests who feel engaged are more likely ing for the airlines to enhance safety on our to listen to safety spiels, onboard instructions attractions? 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. Box [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 5427, Arlington, Texas 76005.