IAAPA EXPO RECAP — PAGES 43-54 © TM Your Amusement Industry NEWS Leader! Vol. 17 • Issue 10 JANUARY 2014 SPOTLIGHT ON SAFETY AIMS seminar offering 100-plus hours of new classes NAARSO’s 27th Annual Forum STORY: Pam Sherborne at the Doubletree by Hilton heads to Charlotte and Carowinds [email protected] Orlando at SeaWorld. Some of the new class- STORY: ORLANDO, Fla. — This Pam Sherborne es include Wood Pole In- [email protected] year’s Amusement Industry spections; Introduction to Manufacturers and Suppliers Ziplines, Operations and ORLANDO, Fla. — Clyde (AIMS) International Safety Standards; Operations Duck Wagner, 2013 president of Na- Seminar, set to run January Dynasty Style; and My At- tional Association Ride Safety 12-17, will offer an abundance traction Got Hacked – What Officials (NAARSO), was very of new classes. is Your Attraction Network pleased with the success of The annual AIMS Security? the association’s newest op- International Safety Seminar “We also offer a great erations certification program is a comprehensive safety- son for the AIMS seminar, autism class as well as a introduced during the 2013 training experience for said of the 360 hours of class- class about ADA for Aquat- Annual Ride Safety Inspection individuals responsible es offered this year, 100 plus ics,” Beazley said. “We are Forum. for the care and safety of hours are new classes. He anticipated that this also very pleased to be able County Convention Center in the amusement industry’s “Registration for atten- to offer a Level I program in second year for the operations certification program as part of Orlando. guests. The seminar presents dance is going well,” Beazley Maintenance and Operations the 2014 forum would be just The 2014 Annual Ride a diverse curriculum and said, shortly after returning in Spanish this year. We felt as well received. Safety Inspection Forum, a planners work hard to bring from the International Asso- it has become very important “We anticipate a large forum, which gives attendees, in top instructors, all of whom ciation of Amusement Parks for us to be able to do this.” class this year as well,” Wag- the knowledge to become are volunteers. The AIMS and Attractions Expo in Or- The AIMS seminar ner said, during last Novem- certified in ride inspections, organization is dedicated to lando in November. “We had offers certification ber’s International Association is in its 27th year. This year’s providing safety information 325 folks last year and we programs in the following: of Amusement Parks and At- seminar will run January 26-31. to the amusement industry. hope to hit 350 this year.” Certified Maintenance tractions Expo at the Orange Inspector Certification Exams Patty Beazley, spokesper- The seminar will be held 4See AIMS, page 5 4See NAARSO, page 6 New ride operator safety certification company announced; training set for Las Vegas International Ride Operator Certification safety procedures are taught consistently with out- set for Circus Circus, Feb. 5-7, 2014 comes that produce stringent standards of perfor- mance,” Beazley said in making the announcement. ORLANDO, Fla. — When Pigs Fly, LLC Cre- Huddy said that they were excited to create the ative Operational Concepts announced at the IAA- new name that more closely describes the compa- PA Expo last November a new company, Interna- ny’s focus. tional Ride Training, LLC (IRT), that will focus on “It was just time to do so,” she said. amusement ride and water slide training certifica- for February 5-7, Las Vegas, Nev., at the Circus Cir- New in 2014, IRT will offer: tion courses, safety audits and professional consult- cus Adventuredome. •Gold standard accreditation that offers CEUs; ing services. Company co-owners Cindee Huddy, Patty •Instructor licenses; When Pigs Fly, LLC will continue to provide Beazley and Darlene Reese-Sittig have all worked •Trainer certifications; and leadership, guest service and other soft skill classes in amusement parks starting off as front-line op- •Convenient training delivery administration for amusement industry management. erators and advancing through the years to senior and tracking via web portal. The company’s seventh annual Ride Operator leadership roles. The three offer a cumulative total “We want to help the industry continue it’s Trainer Certification school (ROTC) is rebranding of 90 years of experience. excellent safety record by providing an innovative, as IRT’s iROC International Ride Operator Certifi- “We are excited to provide a program that state-of-the-art train the trainer program for our cation school. This year’s iROC school is scheduled enhances a trainer’s ability and skill set to ensure 4See iROC, page 5 SUBSCRIBE TO Extra! Extra! Desktop Edition Dated material. material. Dated AMUSEMENT TODAY RUSH! Get FREE news delivered to NEWSPAPER POSTMASTER: PLEASE 23, 2013 Dec. Mailed Monday, (817) 460-7220 your inbox EVERY DAY! PERMIT # 2069 # PERMIT FT. WORTH TX WORTH FT. com PAID amusementtoday Sign up now at: US POSTAGE US PRSRT STD PRSRT www.amusementtoday.com 2 AMUSEMENT TODAY January 2014 NEWSTALK OPINIONS CARTOON LETTERS AT CONTACTS EDITORIAL: Gary Slade, [email protected] CARTOON: Bubba Flint Tidbits Congratulations to AT cartoon- ist Bubba Flint whose artistic ability is featured in a new children’s book titled Hungry for Snook. Written by Sheila Powell Potts and published by Tate Publishing Children’s Division, the book Slade features Bubba’s fantastic illustrations throughout. • While on the subject of books of interest, AT’s own Scott Rutherford recently penned a book on the history of Carowinds for Arcadia Publishing. The 128-page book Images of America Carowinds gives a great history of the park and is loaded with a large selection of photos showing the park’s history. Look for a review of the book in a future issue of AT. The book may be purchased at: www.arcadiapublishing. com. • AT says thank you to NJAA’s John Maurer and Kim Samarelli who honored AT at the NJAA EDITORIAL: Andrew Mellor, [email protected] Breakfast Meeting during the IAAPA Attractions The greatest (trade) show on earth! Expo in Orlando. The award was presented to AT publisher Gary Slade (see page 40) for the year-long I am writing this column venue for the show and all the other elements just a couple of weeks after the that make up the convention as a whole. commitment the publication made to cover the 2013 IAAPA Attractions Expo Among these, as always, are the fund Jersey Shore recovery efforts following Superstorm in Orlando so the event is still raising events for Give Kids the World, including Sandy. AT would also like to recognize West Coast very fresh in my mind, although the annual golf tournament and motorcycle Correspondant Dean Lamanna for his hard work and it will probably seem a distant run. As a way of getting the week off to a good memory by the time this is start they are perfect and I was delighted to be a job well done on the Sandy editorial coverage. actually published. involved in the golf tournament which was again Mellor • Be that as it may, I can’t hugely enjoyable. And all for a good cause that AT has exciting news coming soon as the let this annual event go by is so close to our industry’s heart. publication will be launching e-edition of issues for without commenting on it here. Once again the Of course many other events were attended reading on your mobile touch screen devices. The convention and trade show did the industry — during the week and I naturally made the most and its organizers IAAPA — proud in bringing of the opportunity to see as many industry e-editions will only be available to paid print together members of the business from all friends and colleagues as possible during my subscribers. Complete details will be announced very corners of the globe and creating a shop time in the Sunshine State (which actually wasn’t soon on Extra Extra Desktop Edition and at window of all that any park operator might need as sunny as it could have been!) One of those amusementtoday.com. Stay tuned! to successfully run their venue. was Sally Corp.’s John Wood, one of the first According to official figures, there were people I ever interviewed at my first IAAPA • approximately 29,000 registrants for the event, show in New Orleans in 1980, and who this It was good to see all the positive energy flowing up from previous years, and it just goes to show year was inducted into the IAAPA Hall of Fame. during the four-day IAAPA Attractions Expo trade that although some would like the Expo to move So many congratulations to John for this well show. This can only be good news for parks as they around each year like it used to do, Orlando deserved accolade. gear up for what should be a successful 2014 season. still pulls ‘em in. Indeed, notwithstanding the And I’m already looking forward to plethora of great parks attendees can visit, the November this year when we’ll be doing it all convention center itself provides the perfect again. Gary Slade is founder and publisher of Amusement Today AMUSEMENT TODAY STAFF Gary Slade, Founder Dean Lamanna Sammy Piccola Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Editorial Accounting / Circulation [email protected] [email protected] (817) 460-7220 [email protected] Deliveries Member of: Stacey Childress / Childress Media Pam Sherborne 2012 E. Randol Mill Rd., Suite 203 IAAPA, AIMS International, PAPA, Web & Graphic Design Editorial Sue Nichols Arlington, Texas 76011 NEAAPA, NJAA, OABA, WWA, TTIA, [email protected] [email protected] Advertising NAARSO and IISF (615) 662-0252 Subscription rates are: 1 year (14 issues) $75 in the USA; $100 elsewhere; 2 years (28 issues) $140/$180; John Robinson / W.H.R.