IAAPA, the global association for the attractions industry, is urging for aid to be given to the sector to ensure businesses are ready for recovery and the 700,000 plus employees in the US in the industry are considered in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, which has led to theme parks and attraction sites across the world close indefinitely.
The association has submitted critical policy requests to Congress, seeking critical changes are made to the CARES Act.
IAAPA president and CEO Hal McEvoy, said in a press statement: “The CARES Act is an important step in the right direction to help America successfully emerge from this global crisis. Now, work must be done quickly to ensure critical changes and additional support are earmarked to ensure attractions industry needs are met.
“Parks and attractions remain closed and thousands of employees are either unemployed or indefinitely furloughed. With the start of the traditional summer season growing closer, these businesses need support now to ensure they can reopen when the time is right and continue to support the economies in the communities in which they are located,” McEvoy added.
The IAAPA is urging Congress to take steps to support the attractions industry through the likes of small business administration loans, emergency stabilisation funds and increasing funding for the Paycheck Protection Program.
Expo 2020 Dubai has announced it will possibly postpone until 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Expo 2020 Dubai says it has been working closely with key UAE and international stakeholders to assess the impact of coronavirus. It says it is supportive of the Steering Committee’s proposal made on March 30, to explore the possibility of a one-year postponement.
Expo 2020 said is will follow the guidelines of World Expo, the governing body Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), on deciding whether to delay the Expo by one year.
BIE is working with Expo 2020 and member states to establishing a change in the date. The final decision can only be made by BIE’s General Assembly.
“We continue to face a global situation that is both fast moving and unpredictable,” said Expo 2020 in a statement, adding: “We remain firm in our collective aim to deliver an Expo that is true to its time and to our shared, urgent priorities. But it is clear that this is not the right time.”
It has been announced that Super Nintendo World is coming to Universal’s Epic Universe in Orlando in 2023.
The announcement was made during the 4th Quarter and Full-Year 2019 Results call held by Comcast on January 23, 2020. The call announced that: “The land will first open at Universal Studios Japan, and will then make its way to the US in the coming years.”
Following its opening at Universal Studios Japan, Super Nintendo World will then make its way to the US, being the fourth gate opening at Universal Orlando Resort in 2023.
The 2019 China Theme Park Competitiveness Index Report has been released revealing the best performing theme parks in China in 2019.
In top position was Shanghai Disneyland, which scored 75.99 points in the report. OCT East and Windows of the World ranked second and third respectively.
Also making it into the top ten performing theme parks in China during the last 12 months were Shenzhen Happy Valley, Shenzhen Splendid China Folk Village, Chimelong Happy World, Beijing Happy Valley, Shanghai Happy Valley, Wuhan Happy Valley, and Changzhou Chinese Dinosaur Park.
The Happy Valley brand occupied four of the top ten places in the report, showing the brand’s competitive edge in 2019.
The report was compiled by the China Theme Park Research Institute, the Leisure Research center of East China Normal University and Leisure and Tourism Research Center of Shanghai Normal University.
To feature in the report, the Chinese theme parks had to be large-scale resorts with total area of 600 acres or more, or with a total investment of more than 1.5 billion yuan. .
Around 92 theme parks in China met the criteria, 42 of which were included in the report.
WhiteWater, leaders in the design and manufacture of innovative waterslides and attractions, celebrated multiple wins at the 2019 World Waterpark Association (WWA) show.
Leading Edge Awards, which are awarded by the WWA to individuals and parks for creativity in the development of new facilities, themes, programs and services, were presented to WhiteWater for its work on Perfect Day at CocoCay and on Island H20 Live!
Thrill Waterpark at Perfect Day at CocoCay is part of the Royal Caribbean’s $250m transformation of CocoCay, a small island in the Bahamas that is used exclusively for tourism by Royal Caribbean Cruises.
The waterpark opened in May 2019. Its most iconic feature is the ‘Daredevils’ Tower,’ which is the tallest water slide in North America.
Island H20 Live! opened in Kissimmee, Florida in June 2019. The waterpark features a host of WhiteWater slides, as well as the company’s award-winning technology, Vantage. The technology enables Island H20 Live! to deliver a more personalised, tailored experience to visitors, through the use of relevant data so they can make more informed decisions.
By wearing a Vantage wristband, guests can purchase food and drink seamlessly without having to use cards or cash. They can also upload photos onto social media on real-time, personalise music, lighting effects and more.
Waterpark’s president and CEO, Geoff Chutter, spoke about the companies they had worked with to make Perfect Day at CocoCay and Island H20 Live! such success stories. Chutter said: “What we created with Royal Caribbean International and Aquatic Design & Engineering at Perfect Day at CocoCay is truly exceptional. The park is already receiving an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from guests.
“Island H20 Live! on the other hand, is pushing boundaries by introducing new levels of interactive guest technology with Vantage on their slides.
“Working with Horizon Waterpark, LLC, Aquatic Development Group, and Innovative Attraction Management has been a pleasure and enabled us to bring to life our clients’ vision to make memorable experiences for their guests.
“Our goal is to create an extra dimension of fun and thrill with innovative products and technology, and it is our belief that both Perfect Day at CocoCay and Island H20 Live! really showcase this,” Chutter continued.
WhiteWater’s multiple wins at this year’s World Waterpark Association show, follows Geoff Chutter success at Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year 2019 Pacific, where he was both the Business to Business category and the overall Pacific Regional winner.
Aquatic Development Group (ADG) has won the World Waterpark’s Leading Edge Award 2019 for two innovative waterpark projects – the Kartrite Resort and Indoor Waterpark and Island H20 Live!
The Kartrite Resort and Indoor Waterpark was designed and built by ADG, in partnership with Architectural Design Consultants (ADCI). The Kartrite Resort is located on the Resorts World campus in the Catskill Mountains area of New York.
The site opened in May 2019. It spans an area of two acres, comprising of a four-season indoor waterpark and a luxury hotel.
Greg Silver, president & CEO of EPR Properties, owners of the Kartrite resort, said: “As you can see from this beautiful property, as well as with their portfolio of other successful projects, we know we made the right choice in choosing ADG as our partner. They are first class, best in the country, and that’s the quality of a product we were looking to deliver here at the Kartrite.”
ADG also designed and built Island H20 Live!, Central Florida’s newest waterpark. The park covers 11.5 acres, boasts a tropical theme and is home to more than 20 different attractions.
The centrepiece of the waterpark is a 24,000sq.ft. wave pool, which is powered by ADG’s Wavetek wave system.
Other key attractions include a 1,300ft. long lazy river with a 500sq.ft. beach entry, family raft rides, water coasters and a gated pool escape for adults.
WhiteWater’s president & CEO, Geoff Chutter, has been awarded with both the Business to Business category and the overall Pacific Regional winner, in Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year 2019 Awards in the Pacific NorthWest.
The awards are among the most prestigious business recognition program in the world, designed to recognise business leaders excelling in innovation, showing a personal commitment to their business and communities, and more.
Geoff Chutter founded WhiteWater as a waterslide park in 1980 in Penticton, BC. The resort was one of North America’s first waterparks.
Chutter quickly went on to use his knowledge in the waterpark industry to create a company which designed and built waterslides and other water attractions. Henceforth WhiteWater was born.
Over the next four decades, WhiteWater evolved into an international business, with offices in Dubai, Shanghai and Barcelona, designing and manufacturing slides, wave machines, rides, play structures, and more.
During the awards ceremony, Chutter thanked those who had helped him get to where he is today, stating: “Thank you to my grandfather for exposing me to entrepreneurship my parents for introducing me to globalisation, and my colleagues for finding the right people. What we do is make families happy, and that makes us happy.
“I realised that being an expert in life was knowing just a little bit more than the fellow beside you. It all comes down to the people. To my colleagues at WhiteWater and the clients who have believed in us and supported us throughout the years, I say a tremendous thank you,” Chutter said.
Lui Petrollini, director of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Pacific Program, acknowledged how the judges admired Chutter’s positive approach to challenges and his unwavering perseverance and entrepreneurial spirit.
“When an economic downturn comes knocking, consumer discretionary spending is typically the first to go. But Geoff didn’t let this stop him in the early 2000s. Instead, he turned it into an opportunity and has made WhiteWater a force to be reckoned with ever since,” Petrollini said.
As an increasing number of manufacturers
and suppliers enter the parks and attractions market in China, InterPark talks to a number of companies about their
experiences in working in the country and some of the projects the have been
involved with
Vekoma – Charlotte van Etten, account
manager sales and marketing
‘Every
year millions of people across the globe are delighted and thrilled by the
coasters and attractions of Vekoma Rides Manufacturing. China (and Asia in
general) is a very important market for Vekoma, with the company having already
opened numerous projects in Chinese theme parks with many more due over the
next few years. Having production facilities and offices in China is therefore
considered a great advantage for Vekoma.
In China, more and more investors are stepping into this market and you see a growing number of Chinese companies ranking in top the 10 of amusement parks. New parks are being built while existing parks continue to expand and we anticipate seeing more park openings in the next couple of years. It is noticeable that China parks select to buy high quality coasters and attractions from renowned manufacturers while in addition to the ride selection, parks now also focus on the total guest experience.
Peter van Bilsen, executive VP sales and marketing at Vekoma, discusses yet another project in China
A
park investment requires a substantial investment so park owners will choose
those attractions that have a long lifetime, while at the same time being
innovative and attractive to the guests. China is implementing more and high
value IP, which considerably enhances the total experience. The story line and an
immersive experience are very popular trends in the Chinese market right now.
We
have seen that Asian consumers like thrill rides. However, the large population
in Asia is also very family oriented and therefore rides that the entire family
can enjoy are very popular. To the Asian consumer it does not really matter
whether it is a thrill or family coaster. They care more about their experience
being fun. Park owners realise this and you can see they buy a mix of family
and thrill coasters.
When
buying and operating a coaster, new operators should not only consider the ride
experience. Safety is the first priority, so good and easy maintenance is very
important for the park operator.’
Alterface – Benoit Cornet, founder and CEO
‘Alterface in China is a now a long love story, with moments of intense devotion and moments of misunderstandings. We introduced our first interactive theatres some 13 years ago and since then have been quite active in the market. More recently, we decided to invest more to be close to our Chinese customers, both on a personal level and on the commercial side.
Alterface – Benoit Cornet, founder and CEO
In order to better understand how people think, you need to spend quite some time learning their way of thinking and it is fascinating. The common mistake most western companies are making, in my opinion, is that they consider China as an emerging market that will ultimately evolve to resemble the market in Europe or the US. I think this is not completely correct; the country evolves very fast but this evolution will lead to something else, intensely Chinese and not a copy of other cultures. So we need to project ourselves in what China wants to become and adapt our products and way of working to fit this evolution. A product has to be designed with the target population in mind and it is up to us to adjust, not the other way around.’
Simtec Systems – Andreas Stickel, director
business development
‘The EXPO 2010 in Shanghai opened the door for Simtec to the Chinese market. The Shanghai Pavilion was one of the special highlights at the EXPO 2010. In a record time of less than four months Simtec Systems has developed, built, installed and programmed the motion platform for a new entertainment simulator based on a 6DOF motion base driving on a track with additional rotation of the open guest platform. Visitors experience, together with the simulator and by means of a movie, a journey through the story of Shanghai.
Compared to projects in other areas, our experience is
that Chinese customers are willing to take risks to order prototype systems if
these systems are unique and if you are able to convince them of the technical
capabilities of your company and provide solutions. This was also the success
of the motion simulator of the Shanghai Pavilion in 2010 and our HEXaFLITE®
flying theatres all over China which at the end has been the foundation for the
growth of Simtec in recent years. The company developed from a 15 people organisation
in 2010 to nearly 100 employees in Germany and China in 2019.
We have learned a lot about cultural conditions and
different operational methods, i.e. milestone orientated working. This was one
of our first challenges which we mastered well. Simtec is glad to have started
the “adventure in China” in 2010 and we are looking forward to the coming
years.’
Lagotronics Projects – Carlo Görtjes, president
‘Lagotronics Projects has realised many projects in China; for example the GameChanger at Shimao’s Skyscrapers City, the Moon Bunny Rescue dark ride at EonTime World and some media dark rides for Wanda. I have done a lot of business in China over the years and got to know the people very well. One of the most important things is trust. In China, people will always want to help you, as long as you don’t betray their trust. They work extremely hard and don’t mind to work overtime in the evenings or during the weekends. This is why they can deliver huge projects in a short period of time, for example the high-speed rail network.
Doing business in China often takes more time than in Europe. We were not used to this long-term contract settlement in the past. Now we know that it’s part of the deal and things will work out well in the end. Chinese people are very friendly and helpful. Furthermore, China is a land full of traditions. These traditions need to be respected at all times. You can’t learn them in short period of time; it takes years to understand.
Over
the years, Lagotronics Projects has become very familiar with this beautiful
country. Last year we opened our own office in Shanghai. This works very well
and makes it even easier and more pleasant to do business there. We’re closer
to the Chinese market and are proud to say we have plenty of projects on the
way in China.’
Martin & Vleminckx – Chuck Bingham, senior
vice-president of marketing and sales
‘The
past 10 years have been an exciting journey for Martin & Vleminckx. In
2009, the company delivered the very first wooden roller coaster to China. Over
the years, Martin & Vleminckx has delivered a total of 11 wooden roller
coasters. We are thrilled to say that the coming years also look very
promising.
Some of our most recent projects, the Jungle Trailblazer Ningbo and Jungle Trailblazer Jinan, which offer the new 360 degree barrel roll and the mega high five element for OCT Wuhan, have all been highly acclaimed and serve as a testament to our design process.
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Martin
& Vleminckx coasters undergo a thorough design process by our engineering
partners. In addition to a rigorous design review process from the Chinese
Special Equipment Inspection and Research Institute the end result always
provides an experience unlike steel coasters.
With
a China-based group of technicians that are readily available, Martin &
Vleminckx offers after sales services, maintenance and training to ensure that
our customers operate their roller coaster equipment in a safe and efficient
manner.
Our
experience working on projects in China has been extremely rewarding. In 2017,
Martin & Vleminckx set up two wholly-owned subsidiaries in Shenzhen and
Wuhan. The mission of the two new China companies is to build and maintain
long-term business partnerships with Chinese customers, provide the highest
quality spare parts and offer quick and excellent after-sale services,
including maintenance and consulting services.’
Concept 1900 – Baixuan Wang, business
manager
‘2019 marks the third year since Concept 1900 officially entered China. Our company has always been surprised by the potential of this promising land. The same feelings always come to me as I travel a lot between China and France. In addition, Chinese customers are no less complex than the stock market and a full comprehension would be the key. Here I stand in the perspective of ‘Wai Guo Ren’ and share some feelings after having contact with Chinese customers. Here are a few key words:
Hospitality: At an
exhibition, whether or not there is any purchase intention, they come forward
to have a talk. Sometimes they invite me to their company, to have dinner
together and I needn’t call any taxi from the airport; they even book the hotel
for me! And I think ‘I can do this myself’ but I go with it in order not to
break the harmony.
Collectivism: Chinese
customers will always come in a group to an exhibition. If there are more than
three people wearing uniforms, we should pay extreme attention to them. They are
prospective customers. Generally we’ll have the manager of products, purchase
or operation for the site and even vice-presidents will be present. At this
time, all sorts of questions will be asked. However, the man to the side who is
quietly listening will be the real decision maker. And I can only judge if it
is a positive discussion from his expression during his conversation with his
assistant.
Taste exclusive: In order to
seize the hearts of consumers, many clients want to customise our carousel in a
creative way. Our carousel is actually a pure European vintage style, with a
lively, bright colour as the keynote. However, in China, you need to nationalise
it. They will push hard a mixed plan to confirm their theme, or choose boldly
the pure red as the colour of the canopy instead of two-colour stripes. Red is
their favourite colour that fits almost everything and everywhere!’
The Producers Group – Edward Marks, founder
and co-CEO
‘As
specialists serving clients in the international themed entertainment market,
The Producers Group (TPG) has extended its successful track record building
creative relationships and vital communication tools to fulfill unique client
needs in China.
The
communication and cultural differences between us and our partners certainly
increased the challenge of forging these valuable relationships, but TPG
developed valuable new tool sets and procedures to increase understanding and
productivity.
TPG forged these tools out of necessity when we were engaged to simultaneously create and produce three live shows debuting at one client’s Chinese theme park. Clarity of production scope with our partner was of upmost importance from the kick-off to ensure we both began work on these shows with the same goals in mind.
To
that end, TPG’s team and our specialist consultant ensured that design and
production choices created culturally relevant results for Chinese audiences.
Within parallel production phases, our consultant facilitated TPG’s
presentation of key project milestones at face-to-face meetings that ensured a
meaningful dialogue with our client.
Establishing
this customized communication pipeline also helped TPG overcome the challenge
of sustaining long-term momentum across three simultaneous projects. Efficiency
in face-to-face and long-distance communication grew steadily as partners
adapted to and expanded upon this mutually beneficial feedback exchange.
TPG
incorporated many time-saving tools, including use of storyboard animatics with
dual-language audio tracks to demonstrate each show’s intent to the client
quickly and in context without ambiguity. A crucial, continuous dialogue of
ideas was established. These and other tools enabled immediate, detailed client
feedback that influenced design, staging and pacing of all three live shows
while emphasising their unique themes.’
Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group – Sissi Wu, marketing
manager
‘Vietnam is home to an amazing density of ropeways with Guinness World Records. The Doppelmayr Group co-operated with the Sun Group to build those impressive installations.
The Doppelmayr ropeway tour group in Vietnam
In
order to present Doppelmayr’s quality and innovation, its participation in this
increasingly dynamic ropeway market and state-of-the-art ropeway products to
Chinese customers, Doppelmayr China invited a number of leaders from well-known
scenic spots and snow resorts and ropeway experts to Vietnam for a week-long
ropeway tour through Vietnam. Doppelmayr now has 122 ropeways in China. In June
2018, members of the delegation personally experienced the world-famous 3S
ropeway Hon Thom, the Fansipan Legend 3S ropeway climbing the highest peak in
Vietnam, the reversible aerial tramway Ha Long Queen Cable Car, the longest
mono-cable gondola lift Bana Big Ropeway and two D-Line installations in the
scenic Bana Hills. They conducted in-depth discussions and exchanged operational
experiences with the owners and operators.
And
seeing is believing! Many representatives have expressed their intention to co-operate
with Doppelmayr in the future and we look forward to introducing Doppelmayr
equipment to China!’
Kraftwerk Living Technologies – Kevin Murphy, director of sales and marketing
‘Known for its porcelain craftsmanship from the Tang Dynasty, the Tonguan Kiln International Cultural and Tourism Centre portrays the 1,200-year heritage of Changsha city in Hunan Province on a total area of 1.1 million sq.m, featuring eight museums, five performing centres, three luxury hotels and 18 cultural attractions. Celebrating the region’s craftsmanship, the cultural centre creatively brings its history and stories about this ancient past to life – with state-of-the-art media-based experiences.
Members of the Kraftwerk team exploring during one of their visits to China
Back
in 2016, Austrian audio visual system integrator Kraftwerk Living Technologies
received the order for the largest contract in its 26-year company history.
Now, roughly 30 months later, both attractions – Beautiful Hunan, a 72-seater flying
theatre attraction and the 800-seater Magic Glaze 5D theatre – are completed.
Whilst the flying theater, for which Kraftwerk LT provided the screen and
high-end AV system on behalf of CAVU Designwerks, has been open since October
2018, (featuring a stunning flight over Hunan region) the first park guests
entered the theatre during a soft opening at the end of March 2019 to
experience the highly immersive 5D experience.
To
better serve the Chinese market, Kraftwerk Living Technologies has invested in
setting up a new company in Shanghai as part of the group, with the backing and
experience of Global Kraftwerk LT behind it.’
ProSlide Technology – Steve Avery, manager
of customer success
‘The China waterpark market is growing rapidly, with many projecting it will lead the world by 2025. During my time at ProSlide, I’ve had the great pleasure to travel throughout China spending quality time with our regional clients.
The ProSlide team with the Adventure Island Water World team in Lishui
Recently, our ProSlide team landed in Wenzhou and
headed north west through scenic countryside along the Ou River to Lishui, home
of the exciting Adventure Island Water World. This magnificent waterpark hosts
some of ProSlide’s most iconic attractions, including a massive TORNADO® 60, a
giant BehemothBOWL® 60 and a thrilling TornadoWAVE® 45, among others.
We walked through Adventure Island Water World
examining and verifying each ride complex powered by high-performance ProSlide
innovation to ensure that they were operating at peak performance. After being
in service for nearly seven years, we were pleased to find that all of them
were in great condition, a testament to Adventure Island’s meticulous
maintenance and our ultra-durable attractions.
Throughout our stay, the Adventure Island maintenance
team were actively performing their annual top-to-bottom maintenance on all of
their ProSlide attractions before the winter. Together, we discussed the
ProSlide rides in great detail, finding optimal solutions and follow-up actions
for each specific attraction.
Clip n Climb, the innovative climbing-based concept for leisure and activity sites across the UK, is introducing an exciting new challenge.
The Ascendor is a three-dimensional ladder, which, due to its vibrant colour and being easy to climb, is especially attractive to young children and beginners.
This dual challenge features two different climbing difficulties. One side of the ladder features steps that are closer together and therefore easier to climb, and the other side has steps that are further apart, increasing the difficulty of the climb.
The dual aspect makes Ascendor a great challenge for families with siblings of different ages, or for parents to climb alongside their youngsters.
With an extremely small footprint area, Ascendor can be installed with ease into leisure centres and attraction sites that have limited space.
The largest climbing wall in the world is to open on Yas Island in Abu Ahabi in 2020. The giant wall will be 43 metres high and will be known as Clymb Abu Dhabi.
There will be four walls of different levels of difficulty for climbers to tackle. The project is costing $100,000 and is being developed by Miral Asset Management, the Abu Dhabi government-owned developer responsible for Yas Island’s main leisure and entertainment attractions.
The facility will also be home to the widest flight chamber in the world, where guests can mimic skydiving in a 9.75 metre-wide chamber.
The attraction had been due to open in 2018. However, a fire at the construction site in March, 2018 meant the project has been put back. The world’s largest climbing wall is now due to open some time in 2020.
In view of the sudden increase of new cases of covid-19 in Beijing on June 11th, in response to the latest epidemic prevention requirements of the Beijing Municipal Government, in order to ensure the health and safety of exhibitors and visitors, the China Association of Amusement Park andAttractions decided to set the “2020 China (Beijing) Attractions Expo “originally scheduled on June 22-24 and the concurrent activities are postponed.
We will let you know the new date once it will be set up.