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Park Profile
www.parkworld-online.com
Minitalia
Leolandia
Zamperla’s new showroom!
As part of a strategic upgrade to the 22-hectare
facility near Milan, 19 new rides have been added
since the start of the 2008 season and now two
thirds of the park’s major attractions are Zamperla-
built. Attendance last year more than doubled and
land has been purchased for a second expansion
including a hotel and conference facilities.
Alberto Zamperla, who in May 2007 took a stake
in the park together with the Thorus Leolandia Group
(a local real estate company), admits to spending
most weekends there when he is not travelling.
“I won’t be having any more holidays,” he laughs.
“When it is a holiday I am here. It will be different in
the future, but first you must be here to learn
everything yourself.”
So why did the president of Antonio Zamperla SpA
decide to invest in an amusement park? “First of all,
my family used to be ride operators,” he explains.
“Zamperla is one of the most innovative companies
in the business and we have come up with many new
rides in recent years. To have all these new rides not
far away from the factory, it’s a great thing. The park
also benefits because it gets new rides on the market
that no on else has; there is a very good synergy.”
Alberto adds that, although he has not had this
LEFT TO RIGHT: MinitaliaLeolandia
level of co-operation before with any other local
marketing manager Massimilano Freddi, Marco
park, he was keen to ally himself to an existing
Mazzucchi and Alberto Zamperla of Antonio Zamperla
SpA, and Andrea Caldonazzi, park managing director
property rather than create something from scratch.
“In Italy it is very difficult with zoning and getting
licences; it’s much easier to find a park that is
already there. To build this park, if we had been
Zamperla’s product range is such that no single lucky, would take years. Can you imagine trying to
factory, showroom or trade show is large forecast five years ahead the way the economy is and
enough to show it all. That’s why the leading all that’s happened?”
Italian ride manufacturer recently established a
relationship with a park just 90 minutes from its The Di Vinci Connection
Vincenza headquarters. Owen Ralph visits A miniature representation of some of the country’s
MinitaliaLeolandia to discover the raft of most famous landmarks, Minitalia opened its gates
changes that have been made the last two for the first time in 1971. Located near the town of
seasons Bergamo on the northern outskirts of Milan, it
became an amusement park during the ‘90s and was
C
omparisons to Europa-Park, the Mack renamed Fantasy World Minitalia. As well as a
family’s amusement park in Southern handful of rides, an aquarium, reptile house and
Germany, are obvious. Both venues provide children’s farm were added. Visitors numbers peaked
a useful platform for the respective ride at 800,000 a year. The park’s current owners bought
manufacturer’s products, and both are family- the property from a travelling showman after a
focused parks. Yet while Europa-Park’s market- period of sharp decline in the ‘00s.
leading position had propelled it to such heights The name Leolandia – a tribute to Leonardo da
that the park now eclipses Mack Rides as the family’s Vinci – was added by Zamperla’s team at the start of
Electro Spin (Mega Disk ‘O’) main area of business, MinitaliaLeolandia accounts the 2008 season, along with a new logo and
for a relatively small part of Zamperla’s efforts – at mascot. MinitaliaLeolandia was born. The
least for the time being. management stopped short of abandoning the
30
AUGUST 2009
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