TEST DRIVE: Trying out new attractions is part of theAttractions Expo mix, but the event is more than fun and games. At 125 sessions at Expo 2011, attendees learned about hot industry topics affect- ing venues in the United States—including the new U.S. Americans with Disabilities Act recreation rules, and travel trends based on the 2010 U.S. Census—as well as new attraction development and expansion around theworld.
Runzler, vice president of convention sales and services forVisit Orlando. The teams at bothVisit Orlando and VISITFLORIDA work with IAAPA’s staff to help attract a bigger local audience. “People love this show being here,” Runzler said. “In the years the showwasn’t here, the community actually missed it, and that doesn’t happen a lot. There’s very much a local loyalty to this show.” And loyalty within IAAPA’sowncommunity as well—on the
part of both members and staff. “I think we’ve had a number of challenges, from moving to cities that may or may not have been hugely popular with our attendees, to combating economic or weather issues within the industry,” Parsons said. “Iamtremen- dously proud of the fact that our attendees and members place such significant value in each other.We have not seen a negative, which is huge, and the fact that we’ve continued to grow dur- ing the past three years has been phenomenal.”
‘Kind of at a Standstill’ Another major component that show organizers say has helped contribute to rising attendance — and membership — is an
First-Timers Get A Boost
About four years ago, in an effort to reach out to new exhibitors, IAAPA initiated a mentor programfor first-time exhibitors, pairing them with veteran exhibitors. IAAPA also dedicated a portion of the show floor exclusively to first-timers, making it easier for buyers to find them. The program has been a success—more than 200 new exhibitors participated in Attractions Expo 2011. “Veteran exhibitors give them tips on what they can do to attract
more people to their booth and gain sales,” said Julie Parsons, IAAPA’s vice president of membership and marketing, adding that the show floor tends to be “daunting” to first-timers. Stacey Mills, CMP, director of conference and trade-show oper-
ations for IAAPA, said: “To keep exhibits strong through the tough times, we focused on how to make their first-time experience bet- ter. We wanted to make sure they had a successful show to help bring them back and attract even more attendees.”
increased focus on educational offerings. Education is free to IAAPAmembers, so many non-memberswhoattend Attractions Expo—and pay about $300 to attend educational sessions— end up joining. And new tracks have been created to accom- modate the industry’s more targeted specialty markets such as museums, science centers, aquariums, and zoos. “Five years ago, we decided that as a marketplace and as an educational confer- ence we were kind of at a standstill,” Parsons said. “We were