APRIL/MAY 2020


4 Park Hoppin’ The latest from Paul Ruben


6-18 Park News Your monthly round-up


20-21 Special Feature Parks in Pandemic


22 Park Law Contract and lease in times of crisis


25-27 FECs and LBE Randy White on post pandemic LBE


28-29 Cover Story Polin Waterparks


30-31 Adventure Play Interview: Walltopia


32 Company Update Rides 4 U


34 Guest Article Crisis Communications


36-37 Park Update Disney’s Avengers Campus


38-39 Guest Article ITEC Entertainment’s Bill Coan


41-42 Guest Article GRUBBRR’s Sam Zietz


43-44 Indusrty Influencer Raymond Oude Groen and Imagine Leisure


45 New Products Your monthly round-up


46-50 Latin America The region’s response to the pandemic


58 Web Guide Online Resources


P46 P38 P28


P14


Park Word


in association


in association with


I hope this issue of Park World finds you well. As the publisher, I’d like to assure you that we are taking all of the appropriate steps to keep our team safe during this terrible crisis. We are all working remotely and will continue to bring you the very latest news and information on the situation as it develops.


While theme parks and museums are gradually reopening across China, it’s a very different story in most other areas of the globe, where gates remain firmly shut with no clear timeline on when it may be safe to re-open.


Of course, the big question is what parks might look like once they do re-open and to what extent it will impact on the guest experience. This is arguably the biggest disruption in the history of the attractions industry, but as an industry famed for its strong, innovative and crucially, collaborative approach to business, we will navigate our way through this crisis and I know we will come out of it stronger.


This issue features a number of articles from industry thought leaders reflecting on and discussing the impact that COVID-19 is likely to have on our industry.


Bill Coan of ITEC Entertainment shares his vision of what a post-COVID-19 theme park is likely to look like, and Randy White, CEO and co-founder of White Hutchinson, takes a look at the practical realities of a post-pandemic LBE and FEC landscape on page 25.


With these and much more to read and reflect on in this issue, Park World will continue to provide you with a platform to share all of your news, views and product information. Keep talking about all of the new rides and experiences you have coming up – delayed or not, your industry colleagues still want to hear about them. Let’s keep the positive stories coming, because in amongst all of this, there are many to be told. Paul Ryder, media director


Editor: Becci Knowles (+44 1622 699140) bknowless@datateam.co.uk


North American Editor: Paul Ruben (+1 585 381 1012) parkw@rochester.rr.com


Guest Editors: Bryony Andrews and Jon Bruford


Sales Manager: Mark Burgess (+44 1622 699124) mburgess@datateam.co.uk


APRIL/MAY 2020


Sales & Events Manager: Julian Davies (+44 1622 699106) jdavies@datateam.co.uk


Publishing Director:


Knock’em for Six!


Polin opens new six-slide waterpark experience in Australia’s theme park epicentre: the Gold Coast


Paul Ryder pryder@datateam.co.uk


Managing Director: Parvez Kayani pkayani@datateam.co.uk


COVID-19


special reports Adventure Play FECs and LBEs + more


THIS MONTH’S COVER SHOT:


The opening of new slide complex Fully 6 at Australia’s biggest theme park consolidates Polin Waterparks role as a leading waterpark designer and supplier ‘down under’. Read more on page 28.


APRIL/MAY 2020 • ISSN 1462-4796 © Copyright 2020. All materials in this publication remain the copyright of Datateam Business Media Ltd and no part of it may be reproduced without the written permission of the proprietors. A request to insert an advertisement is deemed to be an acceptance of Datateam Business Media Ltd’s conditions of trading, copies of


Annual subscription (11 issues): UK £67, overseas £161 +44 1825 765 250 datateam@c-cms.com


Publication Secretary: Tracey Ballard (+44 1622 699109) parkworld@datateam.co.uk


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