WWA Show Attendees Look Ahead to 2018 Having Found Fresh Ideas & New Products in West Palm Beach

Overland Park, KS, October 26, 2017 —WWA attendees experienced ‘the best of everything’ in West Palm Beach, Florida, a place where the clouds roll through fast and the sun always comes back more brightly than before. Looking to turn the page on their own cloudy days, waterpark professionals from 22 countries on 6 continents came together to learn, network and benchmark new products during the WWA Symposium & Trade Show, October 16-19. The 37th annual event welcomed more than 1,400 owners, operators, developers, suppliers and designers, who were eager to come together with their fellow water leisure professionals to find new ways to become safer, smarter and better in 2018 and deliver more memorable experiences to their guests.

“This was a year of challenges for many in our industry. Globally, we saw operators dealing with multiple hurricanes, earthquakes, fires and rainy, inclement weather throughout North America and beyond,” said Rick Root, WWA President. “Yet, our industry knows that good and bad seasons come and go. Whether up or down, they remain resilient and laser focused on working together to set new goals, overcome challenges and look ahead to bigger success in the coming year.”

“I came away with much more than I expected. I not only have new ideas to try, but also new perspectives on old problems,” said Winter Prosapio, Corporate Director of Communications and Government Relations, Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Resorts. “It was an energizing experience and I’ll be tackling all kinds of projects based directly on the symposium.”

“Attending the annual WWA Show gives me an opportunity to not only network with my peers and vendors, but enables me to keep up to date on the newest technology and trends in the ever-changing waterpark industry,” said Thatcher Robertson, Corporate Director of Waterparks, Kalahari Resorts & Convention Center.

“The WWA Show continues to act as a guidepost for where leaders are headed in making our industry stronger and more innovative than ever. We're proud to be a part of that,” said Sohret Pakis, Director of Marketing & Communications, Polin Waterparks.

Attendees travelled to sunny West Palm Beach, Florida from parks large and small, public and private, indoor and outdoor, from all over the world. Active leisure markets were represented from 22 countries, including: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States of America.

“In 2017, we saw the launch of several much-anticipated projects in North America, Latin America and Asia and these waterparks are already making a big impact in their markets,” said Root. “Welcoming these new parks into our water leisure community is exciting and inspires us all to continue striving for new heights.”

One of the focuses of this year’s WWA Show was to build engagement between waterpark professionals at all levels of their career. “One of our key strengths of the WWA Show is our ability to create interaction points between attendees,” said Aleatha Ezra, Director of Park Member Development, World Waterpark Association. “Whether it happens in a classroom setting, around a table at a networking event, in a booth on the trade show floor or within the WWA Show App, we want our attendees to forge new relationships and build upon their industry connections while also having fun." 

“It’s the quality of the people. The WWA Show is really a show of unity and support for the industry we love,” said Rick Hunter, President and CEO, ProSlide Technology. “It’s critical that we as an industry support this important event, and encourage even more folks to come out every year.” 

“From amazing venues, helpful and convenient printed materials, fun social events for networking and a vast collection of the brightest individuals in the industry, the WWA Show provides perhaps the best return on investment you can make for your park,” said Patrick Patoka, Director, Avalanche Bay Indoor Waterpark.

WWA’s Education Program Sets The Standard 
The WWA Show is well known for its high-quality educational events and this year’s program continued the tradition of providing attendees with access to thought-provoking speakers sharing their best ideas on the things that matter most: guest safety, operational excellence, quality customer service, top-line employee training and much more. Throughout the show, many rooms were filled to capacity with attendees ready to ask insightful questions and take home proven tactics to make their teams safer, smarter and more successful.

“We proudly sponsor the Education Sessions knowing that they are the best that are offered, industry-wide,”said Trish Hughes, Events & Trade Show Lead, WhiteWater. “The WWA Show always offers us a unique opportunity to connect and network with our important contacts be they clients, partners or suppliers in a relaxed and fun environment.”

“Once again, the show was very well organized and executed,” said Eugene Vanderwalt, Director of Waterpark Operations, Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center. “The session topics presented were spot-on for what all of us in the industry are struggling with on a daily basis.”

“I look forward to the WWA Show every year, and it always delivers,” said Gaylee Gillim, Owner, Kentucky Kingdom and Hurricane Bay. “I count on returning to our park with not only new leadership tools but also practical tips for operators.” 

Highlights from the educational program include: “Leadership Matters – Inspiring Excellent Performance From Your Management Team,” “Navigating The Social Media Maze,” “Group Sales Rocks – Pillars For A Successful Sales Department,” “Revitalizing Aging Waterparks for Sophisticated Patrons,” “Waterpark & Resort Trends Across The Globe” and “Working With DHS To Increase The Security Of Your Guests.” Other timely topics covered at this year’s show include: avoiding water recreational illnesses, designing new facilities to allow more accessible play, employing generational marketing strategies and revitalizing guest service culture. 
     
“This was my second WWA Show, and it was a great opportunity to build on ideas that have been germinating since my last visit, while learning some new ones as well,” said Mary Rodgers, Corporate Marketing & Communications Officer, City of Windsor/Adventure Bay Family Water Park. “The quality of the sessions is always high, and the opportunity to meet and network with our peers in the industry is invaluable.” 

“The way the WWA Show is organized is truly impressive—it’s efficient, sleek and fun. I am sure more parks in the world would benefit from being here,” said Raylean Guan, Wanda Group. “I definitely will encourage colleagues to be part of it in the future.”

Best speaker awards went to:
   • Nick Licastro, Great Wolf Lodge-Concord
   • Ashley Wolfe, Roaring Springs Waterpark

Expert Keynotes Share Key Insights On Crisis Communications & Transforming Your Team
In addition to the wide variety of breakout sessions and workshops, this year’s WWA show offered two inspiring keynote addresses; the first discussed what facilities should do when a crisis response is needed and the second took a humorous look at how supervisors can avoid making common mistakes when it comes to managing people.

First up was Chris Nelson, the crisis management lead for the Americas for leading public relations firm, FleishmanHillard. Nelson shared best practices on how waterpark operators can better prepare for and recover from a crisis situation. “Anyone could have a crisis, and organizational stakeholders know that.  What they evaluate is how a company responds, which is why it’s critical to surpass their expectations,” said Nelson.  “By going beyond what stakeholders expect, companies can go from being the villains in the story to being stewards of the resolution.”

Next up was Marlin D. Smith, a passionate HR professional with more than 15 years in human resources leadership. Referring to some of his life lessons learned raising three small children, Smith addressed several of the challenges that come along with managing people, as well as some common missteps that supervisors and managers make. “There is a difference between being a boss and being a leader,” said Smith. “Leaders know how to create learning opportunities, say thanks, protect their employees, model behavior and invest in people for the future.”

WWA Exhibit Hall Unveils New Products & Services For 2018
The 2017 WWA Trade Show featured 100,000-square-feet of exhibit space with more than 250 companies showcasing new products and services in 398 booths.

“Exhibiting at the WWA Show allows us to effectively reach a concentrated group of waterpark owners and operators,” said Justin R. Nagel, Business Development Associate, Architectural Design Consultants, Inc.
       
“We enjoy the pace of the show, as it provides us time to nurture relationships both old and new throughout the week.” 
     
“The WWA show continues to be the core for waterparks & suppliers to maximize their businesses.  It was a fun and productive week and, as always, it was great to see our waterpark family,” said Ken Handler, Global Management Amusement Professionals

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.

“We were able to meet with clients on a personal level, which is an important element of the WWA Show,” said Craig Duncan, Ideal Software. “This year, we also saw many new contacts in West Palm Beach!” 

“The ability to actually see and speak to various vendors to evaluate different products in person is a tremendous advantage,” said Thatcher Robertson, Corporate Director of Waterparks, Kalahari Resorts & Convention Center. “I found it to be one of the more important aspects of my attendance to the show.”  

The following companies were awarded for their creative and impactful exhibits at the show:
   • Best One-Booth Category: Techni-Lux, Orlando, Florida, U.S.A.
   • Best Two-Booth Category:  Ledge Lounger Inc., Brookshire, Texas, U.S.A.
   • Best Four-Booth Category: Polin Waterparks, Kocaeli, Turkey
   • Best Eight-Booth Category: ProSlide Technology, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
   • Best of Show: Vortex USA, Pointe Claire, Quebec, Canada

WWA Board Presents Industry Awards & the 2017 Hall of Fame Inductees 
Recognition of industry leaders and pioneers by WWA’s Board of Directors is always a highlight of the WWA Show, with the ceremony being held during the Opening General Session on October 17, 2017 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center. Each year the Board recognizes member contributions in a variety of areas significant to the industry’s success such as: dedication to guest and employee safety; excellence in leadership; innovation and creativity in designing new themes and attractions; among others.

“We have an incredible mix of leaders out there who are making a difference in the communities in which they serve,” said Steve Miklosi, Chair of the WWA’s Board of Directors. “These are people who are hitting it hard each and every day. They are training our future leaders, developing our next big ride innovations and providing guidance on how to make our parks safer and more successful.”  

WWA Hall of Fame: