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Friday, May 24, 2013 Why Safety Policies Matter for your Theme Park or Attraction    Safety is a mantra that those people in the amusement industry use consistently, but remember, it is not just safety of your patrons, but safety for your workers and your contractors as well. If you fail to provide proper safety measures for your employees or contractors, it may have a devastating effect on your business. ...View more

Thursday, May 02, 2013 Mammoths at the Zoo? Common Ground in the Grey Zone of De-Extinction    I know you felt it just like me; awash in the wonder of that first encounter with the herd of long-extinct dinosaurs wandering the open plain in Jurassic Park. The magic of seeing those animals, alive, in the flesh, is exactly why scientists the world around are currently chest-deep in discussions about the implications of the imminent technologies that will very soon allow this to occur.
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Tuesday, April 23, 2013 What Do They Really Think?    Interesting question – what do our visitors really think, learn and do during a visit to our facilities; and what do they remember after a visit? ...View more

Tuesday, April 02, 2013 National Museum admission charges: time to think again?    With cuts of between 25-30% in state funding announced, Spain’s museums are raising entry prices, sending works abroad, seeking private donations and opening longer to offset. ...View more

Tuesday, January 15, 2013 Waterparks: Turkish Delight at Polin’s Annual Dealer Conference, Antalya, Turkey    The annual Polin Dealership Conference was held at the end of November 2012 in Antalya, Turkey. A two day event, which Blooloop was fortunate enough to attend, the conference brought together 180 attendees of 32 nationalities for a program of presentations and site visits in southern Turkey....View more

Friday, January 11, 2013 ‘Englishnization’/ ‘disgalapagosisation’: globalisation the Rakuten way    Employees to learn English in 3 months and clean their own desks; globalisation strategy from the Japanese internet shopping giant Rakuten.
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Friday, December 14, 2012 Directors of the World’s Zoos and Aquariums Meet in Melbourne    What do Ural Owls, Ozark Hellbenders and pygmy possums have in common? They are all species of animals which members of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums are trying to save from extinction....View more

Tuesday, November 27, 2012 IAAPA's 12th Annual Charity Golf Day: Helping Give Kids The World.    The 12th annual International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Give kids The World Charity (GKTW) Golf day took place Sunday November 9th at Hawks Landing Golf Club in Orlando. ...View more

Thursday, November 15, 2012 In Remembrance of Disney’s Dave Herbst    There’s a common misconception about Giants. To be a Giant, you don’t have to be big or tall or otherwise physically imposing. You just have to be strong. That’s why Dave Herbst was a Giant—because he was strong in so many ways....View more

Saturday, November 03, 2012 Attractions and the Experience Economy    Increasingly we’re finding that countries, regions and cities worldwide are realizing the true value of the Experience Economy, that blend of Leisure and Entertainment, History and Culture, Shopping and Dining Out that as an example was most recently valued in the UK at over £115 billion or 8.9% of GDP. ...View more

Friday, October 05, 2012 Battersea Power Station: Preserving an Eyesore?    Battersea Power Station is in the news again, now that its owners have announced that they will begin an £8 billion revamp in 2013. The Malaysian consortium, which bought the site for £400 million, plans to build homes, offices, shops and a park....View more

Wednesday, September 26, 2012 Cape Town’s International Aquarium Congress: Sharing Ideas, Challenges and Solutions    From ideas for improved visitor interpretation, to thoughts on how to generate more revenue, suggestions on sustainability in aquariums to challenges facing collections – the 8th International Aquarium Congress covered a wide range of topics pertinent to aquariums throughout the world. ...View more

Friday, September 21, 2012 Fur farm Marketing deal with Tivoli provokes Social Media Backlash    Danish amusement park Tivoli has entered an agreement for a new sponsorship with Kopenhagen Fur, the world's largest fur auction house. Kopenhagen Fur will be the official partner for Christmas in Tivoli the next 3 years. ...View more

Tuesday, August 28, 2012 Euro Attractions Show 2012: Unique Tours, Notable Firsts at Berlin's EAS    Just coming back from meetings in Berlin, and only 7 weeks prior to the Euro Attractions Show, we are now coming closer to the finish line, the opening of EAS 2012. With a record number of exhibitors and exhibit space, things look great and promising....View more

Tuesday, August 21, 2012 Korea’s Second World’s Fair, Expo 2012, Concludes Three-Month Run with 8 Million Visits    On August 12th, most of the world’s attention was focused on the closing ceremony at the 2012 Olympics in London. That same day, the small town of Yeosu, South Korea was hosting the closing ceremony of this year’s world’s fair. Nineteen years ago, Daejeon, South Korea hosted Expo ’93....View more

Tuesday, August 07, 2012 IAAPA's Euro Attractions Show: A "New Adventure" in Berlin    Having been with IAAPA for over 12 years and being responsible for the Euro Attractions Show since IAAPA became involved eight years ago, every show is always a new adventure: especially when coming to a completely new city as it is once again the case with EAS 2012 Berlin. ...View more

Thursday, July 19, 2012 Between a Rock and a Hard Place or You can’t Always Get What You Want    Besides being titles to Rolling Stones songs (who are celebrating 50 years in the business), this title clearly explains the predicament amusement facilities experience with challenging patrons. Patrons to amusement facilities come in all shapes and sizes....View more

Sunday, June 10, 2012 Why Disneyland Works    For many Disneyland guests, there is a sense of timelessness inside the earthen berm that surrounds the park. In Disneyland Through the Decades, Jeff Kurtti said that frequently visiting the park “is revelatory in the drastic change you will see – and the almost complete lack of change you will see.” If you want to get a sense of the tremendous change that has occurred over the years, there is a model of Disneyland on opening day in 1955 tucked into a wall at the museum on Main Street....View more

Tuesday, June 05, 2012 Parkology: Disneylandia Debunked – Myth #2 “Disneyland was a reaction against Coney Island and traditional amusement parks”    parkology

(park•ol’•o•gy)
n.
1. The systematic study of the art and science of the theme park, especially the study of the origins, organization, development, and nature of said art form.
2. The indulgent ramblings of an industry veteran trying to make sense of it all.

also, park•ol’o•gist n....View more

Packing for the International Aquarium Congress, Continued....    Well another month has gone by and I have procrastinated a lot. Did I order our booth for the IAC in South Africa? No! Did I register for the IAC? No!   Did I get our airline reservations to IAC? No! Did I almost lose out to going on a safari with a bunch of friends (many who went with us on a pre tour in China at the last IAC)? Damn close! ...View more