By Karen Staley, Vice President IAAPA Europe

Euro Attractions Show 2012 will be the largest show in the history of EAS and we can’t thank enough the IAAPA members and exhibitors for their continuous support.

Related:  IAAPA's Euro Attractions Show: A "New Adventure" in Berlin / IAAPA's Euro Attractions Show (EAS) 2012 Opens Fifth Hall to Accommodate Record Exhibit Sales / London- IAAPA's Record Breaking Euro Attractions Show

To further improve EAS we always think about what we can do to deliver a better experience for our members. We have spent a lot of time talking to members and working with our committees to provide the visitors with more knowledge in seminars, additional presentations on best practices, improved networking, and overall better ideas for operating facilities in Europe. This is why EAS 2012 will have some good old favorites, some improved experiences, and some even very new ones.

The first day of the Euro Attractions Show, Tuesday 9th of October 2012, will start with two complete new events: at 9:30 in the morning, EAS will present a new seminar -- attendees will have a glimpse at the latest innovations of high-tech exhibitors at the high tech seminar. Several companies will present here their latest innovations in that field and give participants an idea of what’s hot in tech products!

For the first time ever, EAS will have an “Official Opening Ceremony”: a short presentation of the 2012 highlights in the European attractions industry, entertainment acts, and greetings from IAAPA Chairman of the board Roland Mack (above left, with Chip Cleary))will be the essence of this years opening ceremony.

Looking back at the last year, the European committees of IAAPA have decided to host only one special evening networking event this year at EAS. Focusing on the evening of the 9th of October, we plan to offer attendees an exciting Opening Reception, which will include more live entertainment, more food options and some more special surprises!

With the success of the first European Leadership Breakfast in 2011, we were convinced that we need to repeat this event. We asked our Chairman of the Board, Roland Mack, to share his vision of the industry once we are in his home country. And it was actually Herr Mack, who invited Fernando Aldecoa, CEO of Spain’s PortAventura, to join him on the stage for a discussion on the past, the present, the future, and the green strategy of the two parks.

Traditionally, the conference programme includes hands-on presentations of best practices for all level of parks and departments lead by fellow attractions colleagues from Europe. In an effort to constantly improve the seminar programme, we always try to go the extra step and offer something, which attendees can bring home. Seminars this year will encompass Halloween events, safety, emerging markets, social media, guest services, sustainability, and pricing. We are very happy as well to welcome for the first time the F&B industry with three different market leaders (Coca-Cola, Segafredo, and Unilever) offering their views of trends and best-selling ideas.

Our intention each year is to offer two tours to top –class facilities and unique sites and we are happy that we able to offer a tour to the unique Tropical Island Indoor Waterpark Resort and  the historic movie studio Filmpark Babelsberg, two very proud members of IAAPA just outside of Berlin: On Friday 12 October IAAPA will host as well again the EAS Post Tour with visits this year to Heide-Park, Hansa-Park, and Hamburg in a small and intimate group.

We want all of industry professionals to take part in Europe’s premier event for the attractions industry. So REGISTER NOW and join colleagues, friends, and the IAAPA team in Berlin for EAS 2012.
We look forward to seeing all of you in Berlin.

Image: Roland Mack with Chip Cleary, kind courtesy Europa-Park

Ironically, it was world’s fairs that helped get the modern Olympic movement started. The second and third modern Olympic games were held as side events to Paris’s 1900 Exposition Universelle and St. Louis’s 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition.

By Urso Chappell (above, in the Australian pavilion)

Related: What's a World's Fair? / World's Fairs: Expo Beginnings (part 1) /  World's Fairs: Expo Beginnings (part 2) /  Aspects of EXPO 2010 -an Audiovisual Review

These days, world’s fairs (known variously as “international expositions,” “world expos” or simply “expos” around the world) come in two different sizes. Starting with Expo 2000 in Hannover, large “sanctioned” expositions are held every five years and last 6 months. Smaller “recognized” expos can be held once in between the larger ones and last 3 months. In some ways, you can draw an analogy with the Summer and Winter Olympics.

Each world’s fair has a different theme. Expo 2012’s was “the Living Ocean and Coast.” Situated on 62 acres of coastland in the city of Yeosu, on the very southern coast of the country. Despite being hours from Korea’s urban center, Seoul, it achieved its goal of 8 million visits in it’s three months. Much of this was possible with the extension of Korea’s KTX high-speed rail system to the coastal town.

The exposition’s main architectural icon (above) was the rather curiously named “Big-O.” Living up to its name, it’s a large “O.” During the day, it served as a backdrop to the main central floating stage area and the adjacent fountains. At night, it was the centerpiece for an elaborate nighttime spectacular. Featuring projected video on curtains of water, lasers, smog effects, water effects, as well as fire effects, the Big-O illustrated and celebrated the oceans and coast theme.

Nearby, 104 nations participated in what I could perhaps call a huge three-level Mall of Nations. Given the short run of this exposition, national pavilions are relatively modest in scope, but can sometimes still be very revealing about each nation’s character.

For example, Russia (above right) took the problems of global warming on oceans and made lemonade out of lemons – touting better trade access through the Arctic! Russia, along with Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Thailand, also made sure to promote their own bid for Expo 2020.

Japan presented an animated tale of the power of oceans as seen through the lens of a young tsunami survivor.

Even Switzerland (left), a landlocked country, was able to leverage the theme to talk about the origin of the ocean’s waters: rivers.

Not surprisingly, Korea’s corporations participated with their own stand-alone pavilions: Samsung, Hyundai, and Lotte’s efforts were the most noteworthy. Given Lotte’s experience with themed entertainment, they seemed to know exactly the right approach: a simulated hot air balloon ride consisting of a 360º screen surrounding a large tilting platform. It could almost be seen as a cousin to Disney’s Soaring Over California.

In London’s Summer Olympic Closing Ceremonies, the flag was passed to Rio de Janeiro for 2016. In Yeosu, a flag was passed as well. This one to Milan, who hosts Expo 2015 under the theme “Feeding the Planet; Energy for Life.”

All images kind courtesy Urso Chappell.

Below 1. A 360º panorama taken in the International Pavilion and 2. Expo 2012’s Lotte Pavilion featured a 360º film viewed from a large tilting platform

By Karen Staley, Vice President IAAPA Europe

Related: IAAPA's Euro Attractions Show (EAS) 2012 Opens Fifth Hall to Accommodate Record Exhibit Sales/ IAAPA's Record Breaking Euro Attractions Show

Working with the European M&S Sub-Committee and the European Advisory Committee on selecting a host city is always a lengthy process taking various factors into consideration: size of exhibit halls, costs to rent the halls (exhibit halls in Europe can be very expensive), location of city and building, availability of hotels, size of the industry in the country, just to name a few. During the whole process, our only goal is to offer suppliers AND attendees the best platform possible to meet each other. It’s the attraction’s industry show, it’s the event for all those who work in any and all types of attractions, and IAAPA is their association. Through various discussions with members and an in depth analysis of attendee and supplier needs it became apparent to IAAPA that we needed to bring EAS back to Germany, after EAS 2008 in Munich.

Despite being only 8 years old, EAS has grown into a solid show with very positive international reputation. We believe the hard work of all the IAAPA staff, the support of a strong global association and the commitment of the exhibitors and attendees have influenced the EAS reputation of being a high quality event. 

Moving from a great event in London to Berlin has been the right decision. EAS 2012 in Berlin is attracting many specialized companies from the home country. Never before EAS has had so many confirmed exhibitors on the exhibit floor so early in the booking process with currently 330 companies on the exhibit floor. With still so many incoming requests, EAS has opened a fifth hall to accommodate the increasing demand and we expect more than 350 exhibiting companies to be present in Berlin.

We are convinced that we have once again with the IAAPA European Education Committee compiled a very relevant and interesting conference programme complimenting the trade show floor. EAS will begin with a complete new opening ceremony, offers an improved opening reception on the evening of October 9, and will host a leadership breakfast with IAAPA Chairman of the Board and Europa-Park Managing Partner Roland Mack and PortAventura CEO Fernando Aldecoa. Furthermore attendees will have access to more than 20 hours of seminar programme, two tours to unique attractions around Berlin ( Babelsberg Film Park and Tropical Island Indoor Waterpark), and the second edition of the EAS Post Tour to visit Heide-Park, Hansa-Park, and Hamburg with Hagenbecks Zoo!

We are thrilled to be in Berlin. And excited to welcome you all to EAS 2012!

Please visit the website www.IAAPA.org/EAS for further information on the programme, exhibitors, travel and hotel details, and registration. If you register throughout the month of August, you get a ticket to attend the Opening Reception for free!