Back To News/PR Index | | WWA Show Attendees Discover That Big Success Lies in the Details || #wwashow | “From our invigorating education program to the re-launched Women of Water Breakfast event to the exhibit hall filled with product innovations, Palm Springs was an intimate host venue that really delivered for our attendees,” said WWA President Rick Root. “The World Waterpark Association’s 2015 Symposium & Trade Show was one of the best ever. The number of quality attendees, presenters and vendors made the entire experience more educational and meaningful than ever,” said Joann Cortéz, Hyland Hills Water World. Attendees travelled to Southern California from parks large and small, public and private, indoor and outdoor, from all over the world. Active leisure markets were represented from 30 countries, including: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Columbia, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Indonesia, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Nigeria, Qatar, Spain, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. “We were pleased to have such strong international attendance and to be in a venue that provides so many opportunities to connect with other operators,” said Root. “We always expect some retraction in attendance following a Vegas year, but from the feedback we’ve received, our 35th show was another home run.” “WWA seems to broaden its membership base each year and this year was no exception. I truly enjoy the intimacy of the show, as you really had a venue in which you can communicate on an enhanced personal level,” said Pete Downs, Shade Creations by Waterloo Tent. “We enhanced existing relationships and created new ones, a worthwhile investment.” This year’s intimate host venue in Palm Springs allowed attendees to spend time together on a level that is hard to replicate in larger venues like Vegas. “In Palm Springs, people were surrounded by their fellow waterpark professionals virtually everywhere they went,” said Aleatha Ezra, Director of Park Member Development, World Waterpark Association. “Not only were spirited conversations taking place in classrooms and in booths, but they were happening in hallways, on elevators and around lunch tables. Plus, our attendees interacted with WWA’s social media feeds in a major way with close to 10,000 impressions generated just during the week of the show!” “I have been in the business for almost 40 years and I continue to learn from the experts that are willing to give of their time at the conference,” said Pete Fingerhut, Zoombezi Bay & Columbus Zoo. Standing-Room-Only
During WWA’s Education Program
“The Palm Springs show provided an unrivaled opportunity for learning what is cutting edge in the waterpark industry while also providing networking opportunities with other professionals!” said Nicole Van Winkle, Counsilman-Hunsaker. “The educational sessions were informative, engaging and interactive and carefully crafted to support all learning styles and levels of professionals.” Highlights from this year’s program include: the new WWA University: In-Park Revenue School and the Developing and Enhancing Your Marketing Plan workshop, as well as updated content for the WWA University: Waterpark Maintenance School, among others. Attendees also had the option to select from dozens of breakout sessions on timely topics such as EMS updates, impacting the next CMAHC through voting, using social media more effectively, ensuring lifeguard vigilance, hiring, training and retaining right-fit employees and motivating staff. “The WWA Symposium and Trade Show has become an indispensable part of our business at Hurricane Alley,” said Jim Kunau, Hurricane Alley Waterpark. “I am getting 5 to 10 times my investment by coming and hearing new revenue ideas, although I believe that many of the sessions provide safety, training, and maintenance tips that don’t get measured on the spreadsheet.” Best speaker awards went to:
In addition to the wide variety of breakout sessions and workshops, this year’s WWA show offered two inspiring keynote addresses; the first explored the shift from focusing on time management to YOU management and the second explored training and coaching work ethic in employees. First up was Colette Carlson, a human behavior expert, author and humorous speaker who shares the tools, terminology and techniques that encourage people to excel. Carlson discussed the negative role that stress plays in the lives of all working professionals despite their best intentions. “Black or white, all or nothing thinking stops us from embracing healthy strategies to reduce our stress. Instead, Go for the Gray! Just ten minutes of brisk walking produces feel-good chemicals, drops your blood pressure and resets your mindset,” said Carlson. She also shared with attendees the importance of striving for work-life integration because it allows you to gain focus and energy. ““People always say, ‘I don’t’ have time to take a break.’ Well, then when do you have time to get sick? Breaks now are better than break-downs later. Besides, breaks create break-throughs! That’s when the juice comes, that’s when the brain candy kicks in, when you’re off the grid.” Next up was Josh Davies, a published author and frequent presenter on developing foundational work behaviors in everyone from high school students to returning veterans transitioning into the civilian workforce. During his Keynote, Davies shared insights on why work ethic matters and how to successfully make it a clear and defined focus when hiring and training new employees. “Employers across the country are looking less for education and specific skills, and now say that the two characteristics they look for the most in new employees are work ethic and attitude,” said Davies. “In order to be effective in teaching work ethic, managers need to be specific about what behaviors they expect, and be prepared to model the same behaviors every day at work. WWA
Exhibit Hall packed with products and people in 2015
“The WWA show continues to deliver a unique show experience where quality time with potential and new clients is abundant,” said Richard A. Carroll, Jeff Ellis & Associates. The exhibit hall floor proved to be the perfect place to bring together experts that offer the water leisure industry’s most innovative products and the people who put them into play on a daily basis. “In the past 25 years I have had the privilege to attend many conventions and trade shows. I was very impressed to observe the business being conducted on the trade show floor and orders being taken,” said Norma R. Stewart, Cowabunga Bay Water Park. “I found the WWA Show to be extremely beneficial with an abundance of opportunities to learn.” “The show for IAM provides a critical opportunity for us to connect with our current client base as well as provide exposure to others both domestically, as well as internationally, the many services IAM has to offer,” said Mike Friscia, Innovative Attraction Management, LLC. The following companies were awarded for their creative and impactful exhibits at the show:
Continuing on its commitment to offer new and vital member benefit programs to move the industry forward in meaningful ways, the WWA announced a couple of new, key member benefit programs and services that will have broad-based appeal. “We are incredibly excited to get members engaged with our new Waterparks.org website and our new sponsorship program,” said Root. “Our new site is especially important because it will help build even more opportunities for members to communicate both with the WWA and each other.” WWA Launches New Waterparks.org – Honored by Advanced Solutions International with a 2015 Great Things Award for its design, functionality and integration, the newly launched Waterparks.org will provide members with easier access to popular programs such as Webinar Wednesday events and WWA digital publications, as well as valuable tools like an Events Calendar, How-To article and video archives and member community groups, where like-minded members can converse online 24 hours a day. “This new industry site is the perfect compliment to the show site we launched in 2013,” said Ezra. “Not only is it more eye-appealing and modern, but it is fully integrated with our member database which will make it even easier for members to keep their team leaders more connected to the WWA community.” WWA Advertising and Sponsorship Program – Following on the successful model of the WWA Insurance Program, the Association will launch the WWA Advertising & Sponsorship Program for 2016. Five year’s ago, the Association’s members banded together to take control of their insurance costs and availability by combining their purchasing power and spreading their risk across an aggregated membership group. By partnering with market leader Haas & Wilkerson Insurance, they have transformed the insurance landscape of the waterpark industry with increased coverage and insurance form enhancements while stabilizing premium costs for members in and outside of the program. In 2016, the Association will launch the WWA Advertising & Sponsorship Program by following the same type of model that has generated so much success for our members in the insurance program. By aggregating the consumer reach of member waterparks, the WWA will provide a turnkey program designed to increase ancillary revenue for park operators by leveraging their combined scale to increase their individual attractiveness to regional and national brands. In order to ensure the success of this new member program, the WWA has partnered with H20 Media Solutions, a leading media and activation firm who’s partners have existing relationships with key national and regional brands, as well as experience in association program development and backgrounds in the waterpark and theme park industries. The combined strength of the WWA and H20 Media Solutions will enable the Association’s members to generate sizable ancillary revenue that they would be unable to generate individually. WWA
Board Presents Industry Awards and the 2015 Hall of Fame Inductees
“The WWA’s Board Awards program is our small attempt to celebrate the best achievements made by outstanding water leisure professionals either in the past year or over the lifetime of a storied career,” said Mark Moore, Chair of the WWA’s Board of Directors. WWA
Hall of Fame:
Board
of Directors Awards:
“You could say the waterpark was Chris’ church and mentoring young kids was his mission,” said Joe Schmitz, Stand Rock Hospitality. “Chris lives on in the leaders we have in the industry today, some spent years with him, some just hours, but each one has a story about how Chris influenced them, encouraged them or helped them to get where they are today,” said Christine Palma, Breakwater Beach. “He always had an encouraging word and a pep talk to pull us out of our funk and get us motivated to try again and get a better result.” Now in its third year, the Chris Stuart Emerging Leaders Scholarship program was created to give individuals in the beginning of their water leisure careers the opportunity to attend the WWA show. This year’s recipient was Justine Green, a seasonal employee with Hurricane Alley Waterpark, Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S.A. “The exceptional quality of scholarship applicants we received in 2015 for the Chris Stuart Emerging Leaders Scholarship program made the selection of one candidate nearly impossible,” said Rick Root, WWA President. “We have some outstanding young people working in our industry and it is our goal to give them every opportunity to grow into our future leaders.” Other scholarship finalists were: Chelsea Loux, LEGOLAND California, Carlsbad, California, U.S.A.; Jessi O’Daniel, Kentucky Kingdom and Hurricane Bay, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.A.; and Emily Polinski, Wet ‘N Wild Water World, Anthony, Texas, U.S.A. Wave
Review Awards:
Multi-category winners were: Schlitterbahn Waterparks, New Braunfels, Texas, U.S.A.; Summit Family Aquatic Center, Summit, New Jersey, U.S.A., Castaway Cove Waterpark, Wichita Falls, Texas, U.S.A.; among others. (The full list of Wave Review winners is available in a separate attachment.) Bringing
people together in memorable ways
“We are thrilled to have celebrated our milestone 35th year of serving the water leisure industry with our members in Palm Springs,” said Root. “There’s nothing like being in an intimate location like Palm Springs where quality face-to-face conversations can take place at every level.” Highlights of this year’s networking events included:
“We received record support from our sponsors this year. Thanks to their support, we are able to provide attendees with many of the key touches they most appreciate like waterpark tours and buffet lunches,” said Moore. The 2015 WWA Sponsors included:
The Association announced they will take attendees back to New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A. in 2016. “Few places have the history, flavor and energy you’ll find in New Orleans,” said Root. “We are excited to be able to return to a venue that proved to be such a hit with attendees the first time around.” The WWA Show, October 11-14, 2016, will be headquartered at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, which is adjacent to the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. About
the Convention
The WWA is the world’s premier water-leisure trade Association serving more than 1,000 park and supplier members representing 50 countries. For more information and additional convention photos, contact Aleatha Ezra, Director of Park Member Development, at 913-599-0300 or aezra@waterparks.org. |