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.”

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ILLUSTRATION BY ALEX WILLIAMSON