Related:  Favourite ride unavailable? Refunds recommended in Taiwan / Operator of Extreme World SCAD charged with felony / Happy Eating at Dutch Amusement Parks

By Greg Van Gompel

• The continuing criminal trial for Charles Carnell, a Wisconsin Dells SCAD operator who has been charged with first-degree reckless injury, a felony and faces possibly 25 years in jail.

• The dispute between the Kentucky State Fair Board and Six Flags over the rides that were located at the former Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom site.

• Q Funding’s push for more dividends and the split of the chairman’s position from the CEO position.

• Will legal action commence stemming from the design defect of the Space Journey at the Overseas Chinese Town East (OCT East) tourist resort in  Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China?

• Continued legal action surrounding the failure of Freestyle Music Park.

• What legal ramifications, if any, will result from the extended time period (nine months and counting) that Battlestar Galactica, a signature roller coaster ride at Universal Studios Singapore, has been inoperable due to design flaws?

By Martin Barratt, CEO BALPPA

Related:  Merlin Entertainments: Rocking around the World  /  Whisky and High Ropes in Bonnie Scotland  /  Interview with Colin Dawson, BALPPA

I once knew a bluff spoken Yorkshireman who would dismiss customer service training with the phrase “You can’t polish a turd”. We can all deplore his choice of words, but the more I examine the difference between attractions who provide good service and those who don’t, the more I must reluctantly admit that he was right.

Like most service businesses the attractions industry pays the least to those who interact most with customers, so we’re not going to give much time to recruiting such low paid employees are we? Similarly, how many of us check that the managers we recruit have good interpersonal skills or work well in teams? Instead we recruit those who do well in an interview. And how do you get good at interviews? That’s right; you do a lot of it…

How do US basketball teams recruit players? They start by looking for tall kids – after all you might be able to teach some of those kids to play basketball well, but you can’t teach a good ball player to get tall. So in our industry we have to start by recruiting people who are naturally helpful, who like talking to their customers, who like to work in teams. Recruiting people who have experience of pushing the right buttons and hoping to train them to be friendly is like trying to teach a basketball player to grow taller.

So good interpersonal skills should be seen as a basic requirement, but how do you check for them?

The only way is to take every potential employee through a process where they must express themselves, where they must work in teams and be seen to react well to pressure. It doesn’t have to take long; I’ve seen effective programmes working in theme parks, museums and other attractions that take no more time than conducting simple interviews.

Great customer service is no longer a nice to have. It’s a basic requirement of our customers who rightly feel they deserve it. If you’re leaving it to chance you run the risk of being left behind.

Related:  Optimism with a Frosty Reception : The IAAPA Expo 2010  /  Well Above Par: at IAAPA's Charity Golf Event  /   Industry Optimism, Return to Orlando Fuel Success for IAAPA Attractions Expo 2010

At the show S & S Worldwide, Inc. introduced its new kiddie rides. The first two were in an outdoor exhibit area and were brightly themed with splendid toucans and parrots. Equally colourful was the coaster car (above)  on their indoor booth.

Polin had some eye catching innovations on display too.  Their Natural Light Effects offer some stunning displays for tunnel rides and the use of LRTM (Light Resin Transfer Moulding) closed moulded technology, widely used in space shuttle manufacturing, allows beautiful smooth shiny themed surfaces (left).  Aside from being visually appealing, both technological advances offer step changes environmentally in terms of the need for internal lighting of slides and lower waste and emissions from manufacturing.  

Polin have evidently been busy; they have strategic alliances with Kraftwerk Living Technologies to create 4D Spash Cinema and with American Wave Machines to combine technologies for SurfStream®, the world's first standing wave machine.  Watch this space…

Robocoaster’s alliance with 3DBA, Holovis and Snox promises to deliver some exciting state of the art rides.  Gino De-Gol, founder of Robocoaster was working in the car industry when he spotted the potential to use the robotic technology for thrill rides.  Robocoaster now gives us cutting edge amusement ride engineering.  De-Gol’s story is like a modern fairy tale and could be worthy of a film in itself.  He has in fact dabbled in the film industry, with his robots appearing in Thunderbirds and James Bond films.

Cruden’s F1 simulator looked amazing and had huge queues every time I went past.  The drivers I spoke to raved about the experience!

Catching the Eye and Interactive Games

I liked BauArt’s wooden playground equipment (right) .  Empex Watertoys also had a fun display (see image at bottom).

I love playing interactive cinema games.  Alterface and Triotech had great shooting games at the show with fun elements and a lovely touch allowing the winner’s picture to be displayed.  Did I mention that I won both games? 

My favourite of EyeClick’s many, many lovely EyePlay interactive formats involved stomping on the noses of cute little mice popping through holes in Emmenthal.  I know my kids would love to see the poor little mice rubbing their sore red noses when a direct hit is scored.  Also fun in the same kind of cruel/funny way were splatting frogs (above left) but for the more delicate souls there were butterflies to waft and candles to extinguish. 

I also had fun playing Art Attack’s Time Freak– a simple concept involving running around a black light space pressing lit up buttons under time pressure playing against an opponent. 

Cinema

nWave 3D’s Little Prince 4D show (right) was simply magical.  Clear crisp images and a beautifully realised adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's story.

Seminars

I meant to get to more seminars and will definitely do so next year.  The two I attended were really fascinating.  Great Wolf’s Project Green Wolf presentation delivered by Tim Black was inspiring and Dave Cobb's Social Media discussion was mind blowing .

Food

The award for the best aroma of the show has to be for the lovely spicy roasting nuts from German Nut Roasters .  Just when I thought there couldn’t be a new idea in sweets I discovered chocolate covered jelly beans and I loved the light up candyfloss sticks from GloCone.  Finally, Dippin' Dots new coffee dots ("Forty Below Joe") was a god send for caffeine addicts trapped in the exhibition hall.  The maximum strength double shot espresso dots did indeed deliver a fantastic  “off-the-chart” buzz – “you will likely be wired”.  Like the acceleration on The Incredible Hulk at Universal's Islands of Adventure Theme Park – you have been warned – not for insomniacs.

Related: Merlin Entertainments Group acquires Sydney Attractions Group from Village Roadshow / Blooloop News /   Compagnie des Alpes - poor weather and economic depression lead to a fall in sales for 2010 / A look at EuroDisney's 2010 results / EuroDisney’s Strategy to 2030: Doubling Capacity and Eco Tourism / OLC's 2013 Strategic Plan: Bringing Happiness / Blooloop talks to Great Wolf CEO Kim Schaefer

In the current chilly economic climate where for most companies finance is hard to come by and expansion by licensing is the trend to conserve capital, Merlin yesterday announced that they are acquiring Village Roadshow’s Sydney Attractions Group signifying their intention to strengthen their presence in the Asia Pacific region (as well as everywhere else!).

The A$115million deal includes:

• Sydney Aquarium,
• Sydney Wildlife World, 
• Oceanworld Manly, 
• Sydney Tower Observation Deck and Sky Walk,
• Hamilton Island Wildlife Park in Queensland, and
• Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World, in Auckland

Merlin CEO Nick Varney said, "This will be the perfect springboard as we work to continue the roll out of the SEA LIFE, Madame Tussauds, Eye and LEGOLAND brands in the Asia Pacific region, complementing our existing strength in Western Europe and North America."  Merlin’s magic touch has delivered double digit growth (excluding acquisitions) in each of the last 9 years and ensured that they are never short of cash when they spot a bargain.

In contrast the Compagnie des Alpes Group (CDA) announced lacklustre performance from its leisure park operations (39% of it’s business) in its annual report. 

Visitor numbers declined by 6.3% to 9 million visits with EBITDA down 18.1%.  CDA blame poor weather and a depressed economy as well as the continued renovation work at Aqualibi and delays in obtaining permits to introduce dolphins to the public at Safari Africain and Planète Sauvage. 

Unlike Merlin who started their journey with a relatively clean slate, CDA are in the process of tidying up their portfolio.  In keeping with the strategy set out in 2008, the Group is looking to divest parks the following parks which are seen as not core to the business:

• Bagatelle park, the Aquarium at Saint Malo,
• the Mini Chateaux parks and Val de Loire Aquarium,
• the Bouveret waterpark in Switzerland,
• Avonturenpark Hellendoorn in the Netherlands and
• PleasureWood Hills in the United Kingdom

Talks with the H.I.G. Capital France mutual fund, including Laurent Bruloy former manager of Aqualud du Touquet, to dispose of the seven parks have reached “an advanced stage” and exclusive negotiations are underway until the end of January 2011. 

Cash generated from the sale as well as from refinancing debt in 2010 should give CDA “additional flexibility to carry out a selective and forward looking growth strategy, both organic and through acquisitions” (Dominique Marcel, Chairman and CEO).  Brighter times ahead then in 2011 as CDA looks forward to the integration of Futuroscope and relaunch of the Walabi brand.

On lighter note, Blooloop was (probably unfairly given our complete lack of proficiency in French) tickled to read in the press release from CDA that the Group is looking to “maintain and expand its margins over the medium term by enhancing its products rather than adopting a widespread promotional campaign that is aggressive and abusively effective”.  Fine sentiments indeed but perhaps something was lost in translation!

By Katie Bruno.

Related:  NOW OPEN! - The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort  / Not bad for a Boy Wizard! Universal's Magical Ride  /   Optimism with a Frosty Reception : The IAAPA Expo 2010   /  Well Above Par: at IAAPA's Charity Golf Event  / Cold-Blooded Fun at Orlando's Gatorland Theme Park    /

Remember, if you are old enough, when the first Star Wars movies came out?  How excited everyone was for the first movie and how much it permeated the entertainment and retail space?  Today, kids are rediscovering the franchise through the Clone Wars animated series, but the impact can’t compare to waiting for that next movie to come out and experiencing it for the first time with the whole world.

Add to that feeling from the Harry Potter books and movies The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park  and it is almost overwhelming.

During the last IAAPA conference and exhibition, the Thursday night “special event” was a party at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  Coincidentally, it was also the opening night of the seventh movie!  

The event started at night, so we did not arrive until after dark.  I don’t know if the “magic” is as strong in the daytime, but in the evening it was spectacular.  The attention to detail in all of the surroundings made it all feel so authentic.  And the butterbeer…ah the butterbeer…it tasted just like you imagined it would.

The “Castle Ride” as everyone called it, which is actually Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, was nothing short of amazing.  The line itself is such a cool experience with talking pictures and holograms of characters that talked that I actually think I liked the line best and would love a whole attraction done that way.   I went through the line a couple times and skipped the ride!

The ride…well the ride…it is quite unbelievable.  It is a mix of live action and film that leaves you never quite sure what is real and what isn’t (“real” being a relative term here).  One minute you’re playing Quiddich (I’m serious) and the next minute you are face-to-face with a dragon spewing smoke into your face.   It is wonderful and fun and thrilling and terrifying.  Once was enough for me.  Although I LOVED it, these “4-D” experiences tend to disturb my equilibrium uncomfortably.   My 13 year old son, Jack, who has grown up in the amusement industry said “I haven’t been thrilled by a ride in a while, and THAT was thrilling.”  He of course rode it several times.

I so enjoyed just wandering the streets and shops.  When the girls from Beauxbatons came out on the street and did their thing, I nearly started to cry it was so much like being at Hogwarts.  You can ask my husband, I was literally tearing up it was so darn cool.

We didn’t end up watching the midnight showing of the seventh movie that night; it had been a long day.  However, when we did go only a few days later I was all primed from just being immersed in that world.

It is really quite amazing that all of this has grown from nothing more than words on a page.    It speaks to the power of “story” and this is one great story.

Image at top: Hogsmeade, © Universal Studios, All Rights Reserved

Related:  Industry Optimism, Return to Orlando Fuel Success for IAAPA Attractions Expo 2010  / IAAPA Inducts Master Storyteller Bob Rogers into Hall of Fame / KCC Entertainment Design wins the 2010 IAAPA Brass Ring Award  /  Xperience debit card reader by Coin Tech at IAAPA /  Ocean Park Hong Kong has first-ever Asian winner for the IAAPA Brass Ring Spirit Award / The world’s first 7Di attraction at IAAPA with Triotech

After golfing on Sunday (see Well Above Par: at IAAPA's Charity Golf Event) and the earlier part of the day at Gatorland (see Cold-Blooded Fun at Orlando's Gatorland Theme Park), Monday evening  saw leading design company BRC Imaginations Arts hold its European dinner  at Charley’s Steak House on International Drive.  Most of the attendees were European, though a few Americans had managed to slip through the tight security.  I sat with, Carl-Otto Wenzel  of Wenzel Consulting , Peter van Bilsen from Vekoma Rides Manufacturing , BRC’s Greg Lombardo and BALPPA’s CEO  Martin Barratt. Carl-Otto  is one of Europe’s leading consultants in the field of leisure and tourism and we chatted  about how and why  the continent’s biggest indoor theme park - The Space Centre in Bremen – had not worked out,  while Martin looked on as I ate  alligator thinking  it was particularly tough chicken. 

Stickin' to the Floor

One of the great things about the IAAPA show is that all the exhibitors are engaged in the business of entertaining people so the show is fun, a kind of visitor attraction in itself, with rides , games and food thrown in .  Doubtless “Late Phase Drug Development World”, “The Industrial Pumps Valves & Systems Fair” and “Concrete Panarama” serve their industries well but I can’t imagine they quicken the pulse as much, or are such fun for attendees as the IAAPA show.

At last year’s Vegas expo our  neighbouring booths were a waterslide manufacturer and an Eastern European dating agency. This year we had a crooning robot to our right (Engineered Arts) and to our left Pale Night Productions who were showcasing their products for the fast growing horror and Halloween market . Last year’s scantily clad Slav was replaced by an axe wielding asylum inmate and a zombie which had its head blown off every 5 minutes.

Further down our aisle was the Hurricane Simulator, a kind of man sized pod into which a gale force wind is unleashed.  The occupant experiences the full force of a hurricane without the inconvenience of having to wait for hurricane season, or indeed driving rain and wind borne debris.

The Black Hills Institute, based in South Dakota  is involved in the discovery, extraction and academic study of fossils and Larry Hutson, Sales Manager, represents its commercial arm at trade shows, selling museum quality replicas.  Like any 43 and a half year old boy I have a driving passion for prehistoric animals and Larry is happy to indulge, giving me postcards of different species and a copy of the institute’s brochure.  “For my kids”, I suggest and he smiles, his eyes saying, “yeah right”.

Sally Corporation had departed from their traditional, corporate exhibit,  going with a much more eye-catching  display this year, the animatronics , colours and lighting all serving to make their booth stand out from the crowd and bringing the dark ride experience to the show floor.  TAA Industries also had a remarkable booth;  half a Spanish galleon. I had a coffee on the poop deck.  Like the booth of Daniels Wood land (luxury tree houses) these exhibitors were saying not just, “here’s  a picture of what we do” but “here is what we do, you’re standing in it”.

Ice, Ice, baby

After the show it was BRC Imagination Arts’ cocktail reception, which was held at The Ice bar, the USP of which is that in addition to its main bar /dance floor area it has a separate room, made entirely of ice. On entering, we were handed cloaks and gloves, like hobbits setting out on a quest. Inside, the glasses, chairs and the bar were made of ice and it was a bizarre experience to stand with your teeth chattering and your breath hanging in the air just yards from Orlando’s palm trees. 

Two parties on the Wednesday, both at Universal Orlando Resort . The first was a very sophisticated soirée courtesy of Gateway Ticketing at Universal Citywalk’s Pat O’Brien’s.  This bar is an authentic reproduction of a renowned New Orleans’ bar with a  carriageway entrance , old slate flooring and crossed muskets at the entrance.  Monterey Aquarium’s David Rosenberg and Mike Chamberlain (above left, with Blooloop's Tara Pies) talked  about the Great Whites the aquarium keeps on occasion -5 so far- to promoting study, awareness and conservation of the species.  I had assumed they were released back into the wild after 6 months because of something complicated to do with their sensory organs , biomechanical challenges or perhaps a need to migrate.  It’s simpler than this, they start eating the other sharks which is considered ill mannered.

We then headed over to the Electrosonic party at Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park, a buffet in front of the Jurassic Park Discovery Center, right by the lake.  As dusk grew into night it was a stunning venue, the inky blackness of the water trimmed by the glittering lights of the park , The Incredible Hulk coaster towering on the skyline.

Wonderous Stories

The signature ride, “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey”  at the park’s new (ish) Wizarding World of Harry Potter island had been opened for the evening, so guests had the opportunity to try it out.  As ground breaking and stunning as the ride itself turned out to be –a unique, scenic dark ride utilising state-of-the -art coaster and projection technology -  the pre-show was equally impressive. The fabrication, the design and the theming throughout the castle interior and the approach to the ride brought J.K. Rowling’s books wonderfully to life.  It was a totally immersive environment. The “living” paintings were an astonishing effect .

Eletrosonic then provided a buffet with a small jazz band.  I’d known Tommy Bridges,  Alcorn McBride’s sales manager was a superb trumpet player (at 14 he once played the young Hoagy Carmichael in a film) but he’d neglected to mention that he was brilliant on the piano too.  Enjoyed meeting Mike Davis , Senior VP at Universal Studios Japan, who travels long distances so frequently that a 5 hour inter state flight in the US finds him just settling down as it starts to land.

I was lucky enough to enjoy a second visit to the Wizarding World later in the week as I joined IAAPA’s “behind the scenes” tour . We had an interesting half hour with Mark Woodbury, president of Universal Creative  and discovered that Butterbeer is in fact magical.  Tough to nail it down, but nWave’s Janine Baker and Sarner's Ross Magri (left) reckoned it was like a root beer float.  I detected a hint of cream soda.

I've Seen All Good People

Throughout the week the TEA (Themed Entertainment Association)’s booth proved a great spot to unwind and catch up with old friends.  Like a lake attracting migratory birds it drew in a variety of glamorous types , invited in not by sunlight glinting on the water but by the smell of the coffee.  A whole host of Californians could be observed , including Frank Bencivengo, Lexington’s CEO and ace designer John Hogg,  BaAM productions’ Christine kerr, Yas Takata (CEO , Blur Studio), Mel McGowan (CEO, Visioneering) and Nick Winslow (Nick Winslow Consulting) together with the occasional British visitor, Red Star's’s  Ben Smith , Nick Farmer of Farmer Attractions Development  and  Adrian and Marie Fisher (Adrian Fisher Designs) all passing through.

Exhausting as it was (some people guessed they covered over 10 miles over the 4 day show) I love walking the aisles at IAAPA mainly because you never know who you’re going to bump into.  Tom Mehrmann and Paul Pei (Ocean Park CEO and Exec. Director respectively) were over from Hong Kong .  Arnaud  Palu  , COO Majid Al Futtaim and Jean Habre, General Manager Amusement Sector, Al Hokair Group were over from the Gulf  and Rajive Kaul, CEO Nicco Group, from India.  It was great too, to meet The Orlando Sentinel’s Jason Garcia, leading theme park journalist and possessor of my favourite Twitter avatar (left) and also marketing specialist and ex Disney Destinations Director Vickie Johnson, each of whom have been good enough to interview with Blooloop in the past.  Scot Barbara Smith was there too, just weeks into her new role as CEO of the UK’s biggest Zoo, Chester and clearly relishing the new challenge.  Met Michael Blau and Amy Lynch (VP and Exec. Assistant ) of Adirondack studios. Michael is based out of Singapore while Amy is in the company’s head office in New York, close to the Adirondack mountains.

While the TEA provided a much needed pit stop throughout the day, leading design firm JRA waved the chequered flag at 5 with Italian wines and chocolates in celebration of their work on Ferrari World Abu Dhabi.   Mike Oswald, and Kevin Ulgenalp , (Director of Operations  and Director of Business Development at Farah Leisure Parks Management) were both over from their respective  Yas island projects, Kevin on Ferrari World, Mike on the water park. 

Ready For The Good Times

If there were perhaps  few game changing rides or ideas on display and the odd  empty booth dotted around, there was undoubtedly a positive mood and many exhibitors reported an enormously successful show.  Line management company Lo-Q’s CEO Tom Burnet estimated they had received over 70 positive leads and EyeClick’s Yuval Golan -  at his first IAAPA  - was pleasantly surprised by the amount of interest  and the quality of the visitors to his booth.  S&S Worldwide’s CEO Rich Allen said that though they are growing rapidly in Asia, “the American economy is definitely recovering and this is reflected in the interest and good leads we are getting from the show.”

As the show closed down for another year and I headed home to be greeted by snow and ice of the non-simulated kind, I reflected on a great week. So what did I learn? That is it entirely possible to exist on a diet of Dippin’ Dots and MiniMelts alone; that the new Harry Potter ride has raised the bar in terms of ride innovation and that the attractions industry, like the head on a Butterbeer, shows extraordinary resilience.

Images : from the top - 1. model surfer on the American Wave machines booth. 2. Robt "singing in the rain" courtesy Engineered Arts. 3. Clown fish by BauArt. 4. David Rosenberg and Mike Chamberlain of Monterey Bay Aquarium with Tara Pies 5. Dragon skeleton at The Wizarding Wolrd of Harry Potter. 6 Ross Magri and Janine Baker 7.Gorgosaurus skull.