Post Con By Julie Ritzer Ross


Attractions Expo Thrills IAAPA Executives


EVENT: IAAPAAttractions Expo 2009, owned and produced by the In- ternational Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA)


2009MEETING(NOV.16–20):Anun- precedentedvarietyofworkshopsand “institutes,”programming tied tothevenue,aco-locatedevent, andother featureshelpedlure as manyattendees toIAAPAAt- tractionsExpo2009as came to IAAPA2008.More important, saidIAAPAPresidentandCEO Charles Bray, IAAPA2009drew 17percentmorebuyers overall and23percentmore seniorbuy- ers thanthe2008show.There werealso significant increases in thenumber of first-time atten- dees (15percent),buyersfrom smallparks (28percent),family entertainment centers (20per- cent),waterparks (24percent), carnivals (63percent),andcasi- nos (138percent)—as well asa 52-percent jumpinbuyer atten- deesfromoutsidetheUnitedStates.Ex- hibits sponsoredby1,074companiesoc- cupied405,000net square feet of space at theLasVegasConventionCenter.


“oneoftheworld’smostdynamicenter- tainmentdestinations”madeitanespe- cially appropriatebackdropfor the event,Braysaid. Capitalizingonthis con- vergence, theagendafeatured behind- the-scenes tours ofseveral theatrical pro- ductions.Some500guests attendedaLas


Vegas–themed“Bright Lights Party” at theLAXNightclub,andanElvis Presley impersonatorwaspartofakickoffevent. Additionally,MattGoldman,co-founder ofBlueManGroup,headlineda“Gener- alManagersandOwnersBreakfast” for 340industry leaders. Ontheeducationfront,a


VERY AMUSING: IAAPA Attractions Expo 2009 brought 23,800 attendees to the Las Vegas Convention Center last November.


record 8,900delegates flocked tomore than100workshopson social-mediastrategies, food- and-beverageoperations, retail management, revenuegenera- tion, safety,andsecurity, plusa varietyofdaylongandmultiday “institutes”that delvedmore deeplyintotheseandother top- ics ofspecial interest tosenior management. Specialtytracks encompassed programmingspe- cific todifferent industry seg- ments, suchas aquariums/zoos, museums/science centers,water parks/resorts,family entertain- ment centers,andcasinos. Educationprogrammingalso includedaroundtable discussion


IAAPAATTRACTIONS EXPO 2008 Orlando


CHALLENGE:IAAPAmanagement wantedtoupholdthe event’s reputation asboththe world’s largest conference andtradeshowfor the $24-billion attrac- tions industryand“themarketplacefor industry leaders, decision-makers,andvi- sionaries,”Braysaid.Otherpriorities in- cluded leveragingLasVegas’unique qualities asameetingdestinationanden- couraging asmanydelegates as possible tomaximizethe educational opportuni- ties available during the five-day event.


INITIATIVES:Last yearmarkedthe first timeIAAPAAttractionsExpohadever beenheld inLasVegas,whosestatus as


12 pcmaconvene March 2010


23,800 23,800


Attendees


1,154 Exhibitors 2009 Las Vegas


Attendees 1,074 Exhibitors


withrepresentativesfromWaltDisney Imagineering, the designanddevelop- mentarmoftheWaltDisneyCompany. Othertargeted roundtable discussions andnetworkingevents catered to con- stituenciessuchasyoungprofessionals, gamesmanagers,andcarnival operators. Inanother first-timeinitiative, the


eventco-locatedwiththeAmusement IndustryManufacturers&Suppliers (AIMS)International SafetySeminar, whose content centeredontrainingand certificationprograms.Thetwoevents will co-locate againat IAAPA2010in Orlando.“Wehadsome concernsabout theeconomicconditions ofthepast year, butLasVegas deliveredthebuyers aswe anticipateditwould,”Braysaid. “Itmay have takenus91years togethere,but basedonthese results,welookforward toour return in2011.”


www.pcma.org


ILLUSTRATION BY ALEX WILLIAMSON


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  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108