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IAAPA Expo 2022: A review


IAAPA Expo


November last year saw the industry unite for IAAPA Expo 2022 in Orlando, Florida. From company announcements to expert insights, here are some of the highlights.


N


o less than 36,882 registered attendees came together at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando for IAAPA Expo 2022. With 25,561 qualified buyers representing 11,869 buying


companies, and 1,077 exhibiting companies, it was clear that the industry is gearing up for a busy 2023. It’s a globally optimistic time as the sector gets back into the swing of things post pandemic; this was reflected at the Expo, where attractions professionals from 104 different countries were in attendance. Organised by IAAPA, the global association for the attractions industry, the


Expo began on 14 November with a day of insightful panel discussions and seminars. The trade show floor opened the following day.


Evolving trends IAAPA Expo has long been an event where the industry can share in and explore the latest trends, knowledge and ideas - and 2022 was no exception. The role technology has to play in improving operations for parks and attractions became a common theme. Andy Povey, UK managing director at Convious, a leading eCommerce


platform for the leisure industry, explained that we are seeing “a move to data” as part of the fourth industrial revolution - intelligence. However, he said, the right tools are required to use that data. With the pandemic having increased the uptake of digital platforms by consumers, Povey explained that attractions must start considering autonomous commerce, whereby they can automatically increase staff, ticket price, and inventory and decrease advert spending during high demand. They would be able to do the opposite in times of low demand, too, The clear consensus was that attractions need to take things digital - and


that includes the guest experience and consumer journey. What’s important is that the technology guests are using complements and enhances their visit to an attraction; this is what makes for an exceptional experience. John Pendergrast, CEO of RocketRez, the end-to-end cloud ticketing platform for tours and attractions, led a session called The Incredible


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Customer Journey, detailing how to follow data through every digital touchpoint of the customer journey. Pendergrast stated that millennials want to spend money on experiences, which become stories and then memories which don’t fade, so they become nostalgia. He explained that attractions “are providing nostalgia”. Operators have to


remember that it is people who are at the core of this industry. Visitors will talk about the experience they had, not the technology - unless they have a bad technology experience. There are more touchpoints in the customer journey now, and many


different systems and solutions available, from ticketing, POS, retail, hardware, to websites. Pendergrast stated that it must all work together, which is challenging but nevertheless important because “software powers each revenue stream” of tickets, food and beverage, and retail. Guests experience everything in one - it is holistic - and so the systems have to be seamless.


Company announcements Sally Dark Rides unveiled its latest attraction, the all-new Haunted Hotel it is creating exclusively for Funtown Splashtown in Saco, Maine. Set to open in 2023, Funtown Splashtown has partnered with Sally to add the Whispering Pines Hotel to their property, which guests will quickly learn is really the park’s Haunted Hotel dark ride attraction. “We are really excited to work with Funtown Splashtown,” shared John


Wood, chairman and CEO of Sally Dark Rides. “Blending a magical, spooky theme with our company’s interactive technology and unmatched theming allows us to deliver a one-of-a-kind experience that is both cursed and family- friendly!” Mystery, magic, and Sally’s masterful creativity all come together to bring


this latest ride to life. The star of the attraction is a mesmerising animatronic witch, who has cast a spell on the hotel, built on the land that was once her home. It will be up to Funtown’s guests to help eradicate her and declare the place safe from her spells and wicked ways. Four-passenger ride cars will mystically move guests through 14 scenes -


JANUARY 2023


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