SHOW REPORT

IAAPA 2009

Forrec’s Steve Shah

The Barnyard ride earned Zamperla an honourable mention award in the Kiddie ride/Attraction category

Of course in addition to the hive of activity that is the

revealed during the show but it is intended to have the first test runs of the new attraction at the end of September 2010. “Considering the current financial situation and crisis, this

was a successful show for KMG,” Theunisz added. Wyeth Tracy, president of Empex Watertoys, stated that:

“The show was a raging success and we had an excellent reception at our booth. International visitors seemed to be at an all time high and we feel we had a very successful show.” Empex introduced its new C series Aquadeck, a curvilinear structure with several interactive Aquanetic features, allowing children to control a total of 12 water activities including different sprays, jets, spinning paddle wheels, pinwheels, gears and pelton wheels and water spinners. Another company utilising the 2009 IAAPA event to

launch a new product was Cruden BV from the Netherlands, who’s commercial director Frank Kalff was very upbeat about the results from the show. “Having exhibited at IAAPA for seven years previously,

Cruden chose to launch its latest generation Hexatech interactive racing simulator at this year’s show. The reaction to our three-seater (3CTR) simulator - thought to be the first entertainment simulator ever to combine guest-led interaction and a passive ride experience - was staggering, and we are going to be kept very busy for the rest of the year following up on some very serious sales leads. “We go to shows like IAAPA to challenge commonly

understood ideas of what ‘simulation’ and ‘interaction’ mean in the entertainment context and to prove that extreme reality is actually the most compelling fantasy. I think we achieved that in Las Vegas.” The quality of visitor at the 2009 event was also noted by

Ian McMillan at leisure and attractions industry computer systems specialist Centaman, who commented: “While two of the four days were very quiet for us, we had some very busy moments but more importantly, we have a good number of high quality prospects. We participated in two Vendor tours (POS and RFID) and the Technology Showcase presentation which brought us additional exposure. “This is only our second year at IAAPA Attractions Expo

(US) and we expanded our presence significantly this year which really paid off from a branding and image perspective – we had some great feedback on our booth design. We are definitely on board for next year and looking forward to a bigger and better show for Centaman.”

29

trade show floor, a comprehensive conference and seminar programme ran throughout the Expo week as usual, accompanied by numerous receptions, parties and other networking opportunities, special events, behind the scenes tours and more, all of which make this annual event such a “must attend.” The educational programme again provided

attendees with a huge choice of seminars and workshops, covering an equally huge range of subjects from food and beverage, midway games and marketing to operating birthday parties, media communications and human resources - and much, much more. Dedicated tracks also covered specifics for various industry sectors including zoos and aquariums, FECs, museums and science centres, waterparks and small parks and attractions. Social gatherings always form an important part of the

week too and Las Vegas was no exception. Among these the charity golf tournament held at the beginning of the week in aid of Give Kids the World raised an impressive US$45,000, with 130 industry representatives taking part, while a variety of other official IAAPA events, breakfast meetings, trade association get-togethers and company parties all provided excellent opportunities to join with colleagues old and new. Additionally, and always a popular occasion, the

General Managers and Owners’ breakfast was attended by 340 industry leaders who heard Blue Man Group co- founder Matt Goldman discuss how the group intersects with the attractions industry, while the final official event saw 470 guests attend the IAAPA Bright Lights Party at LAX Nightclub. And so, looking ahead to November 2010, it’s back to

the familiar surroundings of Orlando’s Orange County Convention Centre. Again the industry faces an interesting and challenging year before we get there, so let’s hope the generally positive atmosphere of the 2009 Attractions Expo is still around when we arrive in Florida

David Shelmerdine (left)

and Shaun O’Brien on the booth of Garmendale Engineering from the UK Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44