Volume 1, No. 17. September 21, 2001
Eric’s
Turn
We ARE the world
"I would like you to meet my good friend, Oktay Orhon," said Suzanne Melas,
introducing me to the vice president of the Dedeman group which owns several
waterparks in Turkey. Suzanne is the director of WaterWorld Waterpark in Ayia
Napa, a resort on the south coast of Cyprus, and we were gathering for an international
waterparks roundtable session at last year's World Waterpark Association Symposium
and Trade Show in San Antonio, Texas. That's Suzanne above posing with the Egyptian
construction crew that built her latest ride.
For those of you with knowledge of history or geography, the significance of
Suzanne introducing Oktay as her "good friend" should not be lost on you. This
was the third time the two had worked a symposium together, yet the two cannot
visit each other's waterparks or homes. Their countries are, effectively, in
a state of war with each other, and have been since 1974 when a Turkish invasion
of Cyprus divided the island nation into Turkish Cypriot (northern) and Greek
Cypriot (southern) zones. The hatred between these two ethnicities runs deep
and long (some 12 centuries, in fact), and the political animosity is such that
travel between Turkey and the nation of Cyprus is virtually prohibited.
Yet, here were Suzanne and Oktay conversing like old pals. Having lived in Turkey
as a child, and having visited Cyprus two years ago, I was deeply moved by their
obvious respect and regard for each other. I knew at that moment, too, this
was not just a tribute to two exceptional people, but to our whole amusement
and attractions industry. Our mission is to provide fun and smiles to all people,
any people, a mission which transcends national borders and political boundaries.
Wherever you live in this world you were probably shocked and possibly overwhelmed
by the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. last week. Several
of you may have been personally impacted by the events. It is typical in the
aftermath of earth-shaking tragedies and at the start of the uncertain times
to come to "put our jobs in perspective," which is a manner of denigrating the
importance of our work as amusement operators, suppliers and promoters. I disagree
with that notion. Never has our industry played a more significant role than
it does in the present environment, if only for the example we provide. We bring
pleasure, enlightenment and a regard for life in all its richness and excitement
through our products. And through our camaraderie, we engender respect, trade
and friendships on a global scale.
That global aspect is what originally inspired us to publish THE LOOP through
such an international medium as the aptly named World Wide Web rather than using
a print publication. The internet is the quickest and most convenient way to
share industry news and insights around the world. At the same time you are
reading this, people on five other continents are reading it, too. All those
readers living in dozens of different countries and representing scores of different
cultures are, hopefully, learning and smiling and prospering as they read THE
LOOP. For us, the most rewarding aspect of publishing THE LOOP is how frequently
we converse by phone or email with readers—friends—in countries far
afield from our Dayton, Ohio, operations.
To that furtherance of world understanding, respect and cooperation, we dedicate
this issue of THE LOOP to the victims, hailing from 63 different nations, of
last week's terrorist attacks, to the rescue workers and to the members of the
armed forces in all the countries who will risk their lives to remove terror
as a political option the globe over.
Thank you
I was covering the American Zoo and Aquarium Association conference in St. Louis,
Missouri, when the terrorist attacks occurred in New York and Washington (see
story above by clicking here). Needless to say, my flight home was canceled.
I want to thank the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, especially Patty Peters, associate
zoo director/marketing, for offering me a ride in one of their vans, which the
zoo sent down to St. Louis to fetch its people home. Not only did I make it
home only a few hours after my flight was scheduled to get in, but I enjoyed
pleasant company on the five-hour drive; and company was what we all needed
at that time.