Volume 1, No. 18. October 5, 2001
Eric’s
Turn
Troubled waters
The year has been, for the most part, a good one for waterparks in North America.
After a soggy early summer, the weather turned glorious in much of the country,
and many parks were reporting attendance increases over what was generally considered
a disastrous 2000 season (which had seen attendance top 71.2 million people,
a 4.7 percent increase over 1999, according to the World Waterpark Association).
This year's attendance boost came without much capital investment, the second
year in which fewer parks were placing orders.
That last point is the prevailing concern as the waterpark industry gathers
at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, next week. The terrorist
attacks of September 11 have thrown even more consternation at the industry
convocation, even prompting the agent for Olympic athletes Mark Ruiz and Brook
Bennett to temporarily cancel their promised and promoted appearances at the
show (as of this posting, the athletes do plan to be at the show, but will not
post scheduled booth appearances). Though the WWA board and staff has marshalled
an impressive letter-writing campaign to encourage members to attend in spite
of current travel restrictions and trepidations, the trade show was already
facing an uphill battle for attendance by it's choice of venue. Orlando is a
prime draw in most years, but in a year when the IAAPA Trade Show had already
scheduled for the same convention center just a month hence, many operators
were opting out of two trips to central Florida.
Such issues are magnified in a year when the show needs to succeed to boost
the association's viability and, more importantly, the industry itself needs
to rebound from the sluggish sales and downsizing suppliers of the past year.
The WWA is doing its best to bolster the efforts of the 180 companies listed
to exhibit. On Friday, the WWA will be drawing for cash prizes totalling $2,000.
Attendees can register at Booth 657, and prizes will be awarded beginning at
12:30 p.m. (12,30) and thereafter every half hour to 3:30 p.m. (15,30), the
amounts rising from $100 per drawing to $400. "It will pay to stay!" is the
slogan of this promotion.
Despite the troubling waters beneath the surface, this edition of the WWA Convention
and Trade Show promises to be a special one. The opening general session at
11 a.m. Thursday will include a dedication to the association's founder, Al
Turner, who died in April. The beach party that evening at Walt Disney World's
Typhoon Lagoon will include a special toast to Turner, as well. Anybody who
has attended a WWA knows that this group will get into the party spirit, even
in memorium to their long-time leader. Next week's show also will be the membership's
introduction to new President and CEO Rick Root.
WWA Conventions often schedule no-holds-barred seminars, from water quality
issues to emergency response training. This year's course work includes Tina
Bruno, new executive director of Time to Learn, who will present the seminar
"Is the August Creep Hurting Your Business?" at 1 p.m. (13,00) Wednesday. With
her successful organization of a grass-roots campaign to roll back the school
calendar in Texas (LOOP
June 1, 2001), Bruno's tips on marshalling resources in your locality
to combat over-extending school administrators is must hear matter.
Even if the WWA should see low attendance next week or slow sales on the trade
show floor, too many mitigating factors will keep the show from being an accurate
barometer of either the state of the industry or the state of the association.
However, if despite the obstacles attendance and business is good, the whole
amusement industry will have much to hope for.
LOOPing to success
For those suppliers attending the IAAPA Trade Show in November, you still have
time to bolster your own chances at a successful show by promoting your presence,
your new products and your show specials in THE LOOP. Click here
for more details on our show specials, or email our advertising manager, Lynne
Mosman, at lynne@gettheloop.com.