Show Review
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Asian Attractions Expo H
ong Kong is one of the original host cities of Asian Attractions Expo (AAE), but last month’s event in the Chinese Special Administrative Region was one of the busiest ever. Owen Ralph reports
IAAPA event highlights continued growth in region Education opportunities
IAAPA executives open the show
Since IAAPA acquired the event over a decade ago, AAE has moved around Asia on an annual basis, taking in Singapore, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Beijing. Yet thanks to its ease of access, business- friendly backdrop and entertainment options, Hong Kong has always been a popular location. With an estimated 8,500 visitors, just short of last
year’s record 9,000+ attendance in Beijing, the event was 65% busier than last time it visited the Hong Kong in 2012. Participants from 74 countries were able to tour a 9,432 square-metre show floor featuring a record 353 exhibitors from 40 nations. Whichever way you look at it, IAAPA has a hit event on its hands. Yet the visitor numbers tell only half the story. Even though it felt quiet on the floor at times, there was business being done and many of the exhibitors Park World talked to spoke of a higher quality of buyer than in Beijing.
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“The successful show here in Hong Kong illustrates the strength of the industry throughout the entire Asia- Pacific region,” remarked IAAPA chairman and CEO Paul Noland. “It’s been great,” added Mike Barclay, CEO of Singapore’s Sentosa Development Group. “We’ve got lots of new leads and ideas. We’re moving forward on a few projects. I think there’s more energy than in years before on a bigger scale.” Located on the third floor of the imposing Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre overlooking Victoria Harbour, the event took place from June 17 to 19. After various pre-event meetings and educational opportunities, including the IAAPA Institute for Attractions Managers and IAAPA Safety Institute, the exhibition was officially opened on Wednesday morning. A high energy opening ceremony in the IAAPA Theatre featured performers from Ocean Park and Hong Kong Disneyland, China Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (CAAPA) president Liu Jingwang and senior IAAPA executives including Paul Noland, chairman Gerardo Arteaga and new Asia-Pacific vice- president June Ko.
”This is an amazing industry and it has been great to see operators and suppliers from around the world gather here in Hong Kong,” reported Ko. “I’ve been particularly impressed by the calibre of the education programmes and the popularity of the special events. Clearly, there is a thirst for more industry knowledge and everyone enjoys connecting with their peers and colleagues from throughout the Asia-Pacific region and from around the globe.”
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Those keen to feed that knowledge could sit on seven seminars during the expo, the highlight of which for many was the What’s New In Asia session, chaired by past IAAPA chairman Mario Mamon and featuring presentations from Universal Studios Japan’s Mike Davis, Chimelong’s Tony Sze and Tim Newman- Morris of Lollipops Playlands in Australia. On Thursday morning there was also a keynote Leadership Breakfast address from Six Flags chairman, president and CEO Jim Reid-Anderson. Those hoping to hear detail about the group’s plans for parks in China would have left disappointed, although there were some probing questions from representatives of the company’s Chinese partner, the Riverside Group. Meanwhile on Thursday night, Ocean Park hosted a Young Professionals Forum. The hot ticket, however, was the Opening Night Event at Hong Kong Disneyland (see panel), which sold out in advance of the expo. There was no official event on the second night, but the TEA (Themed Entertainment Association) held a reception at the Renaissance Harbour View hotel adjoining the exhibition centre. On Friday evening, straight after the show, almost 100 hundred Expo attendees headed over to Ocean Park for a facility tour of this excellent attraction. A total of 52 people signed up for the Post- Expo Tour to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, enjoying the weekend at this ambitious marine theme park and resort at Hengquin Island near Macau. Meanwhile the Zhongshan-based (not far from Hengqin Island/Zhuhai) ride manufacturer Golden Horse Amusement Equipment took advantage of the show’s location to take a party of 20 on a tour of its factory after the show. “IAAPA shows are always good,” smiled the company’s David Jia. “There were not so many new faces this year,”
reported Zamperla’s vice-president for sales, Tullio Faccin , who specialises in the Asian market. “Maybe this is because of the CAAPA shows in March and September, but China is the market and we have to be here.” “Actually, I am not here to see Chinese people,” confessed Marco Grigolo from fellow Italian manufacturer Technical Park. “We’ve seen a lot ore visitors than usual this year from Australia, also the Philippines, Malaysia and Russia.”
For those that were focusing on the Asian market, there were several key trends, including continued demand for media-based attractions and the desire to manufacturer locally.
Local presence
“With the market being where it is, fabrication in Canada and shipping to Asia does not make a whole lot of sense,” noted Guy Nelson, CEO of Dynamic Attractions, which has established production facilities
JULY 2015
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