Volume 2, No. 18. September 27, 2002
Eric's Turn
A
host of good times
Angela Wright, owner and general manager of Crealy Adventure Park in Devon,
England, was so eager to meet Dick Kinzel. This was on Saturday, September 14,
day four of the IAAPA Summer Meeting at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. She asked
me to introduce her, which I happily did.
But it struck me a bit odd: she had yet to meet the Kinzels? Dick and Judy (above)
seemed to be everywhere we were that week, welcoming the guests to the various
receptions, greeting people getting on and off the boat to Put In Bay, greeting
people getting off and on the buses at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As titular
hosts, they were Emily Post-perfect. However, as someone pointed out to me,
even while playing host the Kinzels maintained a low-key presence, blending
in with us rabble. They never once brought the spotlight on themselves until
IAAPA Chairman Alain Baldacci persisted in bringing Dick on stage at the closing
banquet to accept a thank-you gift from the association.
For me, the IAAPA Summer Meeting was the centerpiece of a two-week continuous
trip that started from my new home in Tucson and took me to the AZA Annual Meeting
in Fort Worth, Texas, then to Cedar Point, then to Fun Expo in Las Vegas and
finally to Charlotte, North Carolina, for my brother’s wedding (the happy
couple are currently honeymooning at Orlando theme parks). So discombobulating
was the journey that when I checked in at Dallas-Forth Worth International Airport
for my flight to Ohio, the Delta representative behind the counter called her
colleagues over to look at my itinerary. I was glad to be the cause of good-natured
laughter that day, which happened to be September 11.
Though physically tiring, the trip rejuvenated my spirits and rekindled at a
most timely moment my love for the amusement industry: or, more accurately,
my love for the people who make up this industry. The fellowship at the AZA
conference was so fun it pained me to tear away at midweek. The enthusiasm at
Fun Expo was contagious. Attendance at both was higher than expected, offering
hope that our economic doldrums may have bottomed out and we’re on the
rise again.
The highlight of my twice-transcontinental journey was the Summer Meeting. There,
the industry and all its fractious factions were fused together in feelings
of mutual respect, at least, if not in a common goal. There were no haves and
have nots, no reserved tables, no VIPs. All around us was Cedar Point and its
stellar staff. And in the middle were Dick and Judy Kinzel, generous of their
time and resources, gracious as gracious can be.
To them and all the industry fellows I encountered through those two weeks,
thank you for the smile I’m still wearing.
Classified
material
As a business-to-business news organization with global reach, THE LOOP has
always been a forum for connection among amusement industry professionals and
shared ideas. Such a forum is a natural venue for classified advertisements
whereby readers for a low fee can advertise products or jobs (or themselves
for jobs).
OK, it may be a natural fit, but we didn’t think of it. A handful of readers
have approached us the past couple of months asking for the opportunity to run
classified ads, and we are now ready to do just that. Beginning with the next
issue of THE LOOP (posting October 11), we will offer classified ads on the
newsletter itself. You can use it to seek jobs, find job candidates, sell used
equipment or post announcements. The rate for a two-issue (one-month) run is
$20 for a 30-word ad ($1 for each additional word). To the left is an example
of how the new classified ad section will look.
If you would like more information, click on the advertising button near the
top of this newsletter or contact our ad manager, Lynne Mosman, lynne@gettheloop.com,
866-902-LOOP (outside North America, dial 1-937-294-3406).
©2002, Minton Enterprises
LLC
All rights reserved