Volume 2, No. 6. March 22, 2002
Eric’s Turn
A
powerful two
Those of you who clicked on to the previous issue of THE LOOP on March 8, the
day it was posted, saw a different edition of the newsletter than those who
checked in again after March 9. After posting our story on Cedar Fair removing
the VertiGo rides, we received a report from S&S Power on what they determined
to be the cause of the ride's collapse. Rather than waiting two more weeks to
report the news in this edition of THE LOOP, we decided to update the original
newsletter itself and highlight the change here. To see the revised story, click
here.
This sequence of events exemplifies one of the key changes coming to THE LOOP
thanks to our alliance with Amusement Today described at the top
of this newsletter. One result of the alliance will be the new Web site, www.amusementtoday.com,
which Minton Enterprises, THE LOOP's publisher, will operate as I assume the
title of Web Editor at Amusement Today in addition to my duties as a
writer for the newspaper.
The new site will contain a page called "Extra Extra" that will feature breaking
news in the industry. With the alliance, when either company gets new information
from a manufacturer, an amusement park, a waterpark, a zoo, a family entertainment
center or any other attraction, we will post a brief report of that news on
Extra Extra. You will be able to get more information and insights on the story
in the next issue of THE LOOP or in the next issue of Amusement Today.
As part of this alliance, we will be making some changes to THE LOOP. Most will
be cosmetic, and you'll see those in the next issue (April 12). One important
change, however, will be the "Extra Extra" box on the newsletter itself. This
colored box will be easily identified and continually updated with headlines
of breaking news stories. The headlines will link to the Extra Extra page on
amusementtoday.com where you can view the complete story. When we update Extra
Extra, we update THE LOOP. If a major event merits more coverage, THE LOOP itself
will be appended with the news, and complete details and analysis will be given
in the next issues of THE LOOP and Amusement Today.
This means
that in addition to reading THE LOOP when the link arrives in your e-mail box,
you will definitely want to check back frequently for any new news. To make
that quicker and easier for you, we are posting every current issue of THE LOOP
at a single address, www.gettheloop.com/theloop.html. This issue is parked at
that address, so right now take a second and add this page to your favorites
or bookmarks. Make a habit of checking in every day or every other day to stay
connected with your friends and colleagues. All previous issues of THE LOOP
are moved to an archived address that can be easily accessed through THE
LOOP Home Page Index.
What else does our alliance with Amusement Today bring?
— More value to advertisers through co-operative ad placements.
— A stronger web presence for Amusement Today to assist operators,
manufacturers and readers in everything from getting weather reports and stock
news to ordering subscriptions.
— More resources for THE LOOP, which in turn improves some of our other
services, such as the Connections page and Reading Room.
— Seamless news gathering efforts between the two organizations working
together to provide you with comprehensive coverage and understanding of the
industry in the quickest time.
Several of our friends in the industry have wondered when Gary Slade and I would
team up. "The synergy is so right," they often said, and we both agreed. But
we needed to find a way to make it worthwhile and mutually beneficial not just
for us but for our readers, as well. I have been equally frustrated and amazed
at the many times I called Gary to enlighten him to breaking news only to hear
that it was old news to him. As a competing journalist I was daunted by how
much Gary knew and how easily he got news through his industry connections;
as an industry promoter I also thought it a shame that everyone inevitably had
to wait up to a month to learn all that news. With "Extra Extra," you'll get
the news shortly after Gary and I do.
As for the synergy, it is so right. I first met Gary on May 5, 1999, when I
was writing for Funworld Magazine and we both were covering the opening
of Georgia Scorcher at Six Flags Over Georgia in Atlanta. A fast friendship
formed (who doesn't make friends with Gary from the outset?) and grew as we
crossed paths at subsequent industry events and trade shows. Though last February
as I was undertaking the launch of THE LOOP as a web-based newsletter, I gladly
accepted Gary's invitation to join the Amusement Today team, which includes
oft-time coaster-riding companion Randy Duffer (that's us above on Wild Adventure's
Cheetah in Valdosta, Georgia).
Now, I take great pride in allying THE LOOP with Amusement Today and
solidifying the partnership with Gary. Some might think either we or Amusement
Today are following the old adage "If you can't beat them, join them," but
that's not it at all. Rather, we realized that if we both can do better together,
why not?
