Volume 1, No. 19. October 19, 2001
Turner
and turn again
Early in a video parade through the late Al Turner's life, a photo of a pre-school
Al sitting in a backyard, inflatable wade pool provoked an appreciative chuckle
from the audience at Thursday's general session. With Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's
soulful acoustic medley of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" and "What A Wonderful
World" serving as the soundtrack, Turner's career and contributions played out
in the images of the WWA founder posing with amusement industry leaders, visiting
with Arab operators and playing air guitar with a crutch. The tribute left members
of the audience simultaneously wiping away tears and applauding. With the general
session tribute and a toast at the Big Al's Beach Party that night at Disney's
Typhoon Lagoon, Turner was remembered with more humor than grief in keeping
with the casual, fun atmosphere Al himself insisted should be the prevailing
spirit of the WWA's annual trade show.
Notably, the week's activities and attitudes proved that Turner's passing last
April did not create a power vacuum at the top of the WWA. Among Board Chairman
Terry Turner (no relation to Al), new CEO and President Rick Root and Executive
Vice President Dave Bruschi, direction was very much in evidence at the WWA.
If last week's symposium had an underlying theme it would have been "same vision,
new glasses" as the association set about establishing the second generation
of leadership. And any notion that the WWA would die with Al's death was put
to rest by the news that the 2002 show had already been scheduled for Las Vegas
October 7-11. Such a winning convergence of locale and date suggests the WWA
is not playing the trade show game on whims, as appeared the case with the choices
of Santa Clara, California, in 1999 and Orlando this year.
Still, Al left more than a legacy with the WWA. Near the end of the video tribute
appeared the picture of a piece of notepaper bearing Al's handwriting, a selection
of some of his poetry. This one he wrote for the occasion of the trade show
four years ago: