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® The Essentials of +8H/->3@/<3=3= Management Plan p. 54 $3:=>9/@/69:+ #7+<>:298/ 963-C+> = p. 52 Leading Leading with the with the /+<>/+<> Silver Dollar City’s Brad Thomas believes there’s good ahead JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 FEATURES INSIDE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 JASON AVANT 43 FECs in the Age of Coronavirus How two family entertainment center companies continue to adjust in the pandemic 48 First and 10 From the football field to family entertainment centers, former professional athlete Jason Avant scores with Launch 52 Screen Down How family entertainment centers can get employees to put away their smartphones Cover Story | page 36 Leading with the /+<> Brad Thomas, president of Silver Dollar City Attractions, shares his leadership style and “master plan” for the Missouri park’s growth ON THE COVER: 2020 marked Silver Dollar City’s 60-year anniversary, where Park President Brad Thomas led the team that produced “An Old Time Christmas” featuring 6.5 million lights. COVER PHOTO BY BOB LINDER BOB LINDER2 ?8A9<6. | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 | IAAPA.org/Funworld O— FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT CENTERS Exotic Attractions, Art, and Entertainment Connect in AREA15 … 9 O— REGIONAL UPDATES … 12 O— FIRST LOOK Strolling and Soaring Above Ferrari World … 20 O— IN DEPTH L/6381 3@9>=09<963.+C@/8>… 21 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 VOLUME XXXVII • ISSUE 1 Funworld is a member benefit of IAAPA, the global association for the attractions industry. ## $ '# VIRTUAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE RECAP IAAPA Expo | Virtual .?-+>398980/</8-/ Reunites Global Attractions 8.?=><C 8638/ … 25 AWARDS +6690+7/ Awards … 26 IAAPA Service Awards … 27 )9?81 <90/==398+690 the Year Award … 27 EVENT RECAP #+0/>C8=>3>?>//6. in Shanghai … 28 MEMBER BENEFIT IAAPA Partners with #/<@#+0/ … 29 EVENT PREVIEW IAAPA Latin America Summit 2021 … 30 NEW MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Future Kid Entertainment and Real Estate 97:+8C … 32 MEMBERSHIP Welcome New Members … 33 CALENDAR … 35 DEPARTMENTS LETTER FROM IAAPA … 6 AD INDEX … 62 TIM’S TURN … 64 ® H/->3@/<3=3= Management A PR and crisis management expert shares tips and insights to help attractions prepare to manage a crisis 56 Movies Make Waves Water park operators share insights on hosting “dive-in movies” INSIDE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 Launch EDWARD SEGALCEDAR FAIR ENTERTAINMENT COMPANYHOLIDAY WORLD & SPLASHIN’ SAFARI PETER RUPRECHT 58 Listen Up! Leveraging the power of podcasts %# ##"# %"# O— MOVERS AND SHAKERS … 22 O— WHAT’S NEW … 23 O— THE ART OF ATTRACTIONS >c=$37/09< C 99>//6=>9,/ Wandering … 244 ?8A9<6. | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 | IAAPA.org/Funworld "9:/<9: Funworld (ISSN 08923752; mailed in Canada under IPM #0902179) is published bimonthly by IAAPA, 4155 West Taft Vineland Road, Orlando, FL 32837; phone: +1 321-319-7600. Periodicals postage paid at Orlando, FL, and additional o!ces. The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization have not changed during the preceding 12 months. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Funworld, 4155 West Taft Vineland Road, Orlando, FL 32837. Subscriptions are available to IAAPA members for US$50 and US$60 for nonmembers. Single issues are $10. ©2020 IAAPA. No material or part thereof may be reproduced or printed without the written consent of IAAPA. Ride-along may be enclosed. DISCLAIMER. IAAPA makes no representations or warranties about the accuracy or suitability of any informa- tion or materials in this publication; all such content is provided on an “as is” basis. IAAPA hereby disclaims all war- ranties regarding the contents of this publication, including without limitation all warranties of title, non-infringement, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose. IAAPA does not guarantee, warrant, or endorse the information, products, or services of any corporation, organization, or person. IAAPA shall not be liable for any loss, damage, injury, claim, or otherwise, whether an action in contract or tort and further shall not be liable for any lost profits, or direct, indirect, special, punitive, or consequential damages of any kind (including without limitation attorneys’ fees and expenses). '/=>$+L&38/6+8."9+.o <6+8.9N %# Ń \ \ ?8A9<6. +1+D38/$/+7 Director, Global Publishing and Content Strategy Prasana William PWilliam@IAAPA.org Managing Editor Scott Fais SFais@IAAPA.org Assistant Editor Juanita Chavarro Arias JChavarroArias@IAAPA.org News Editor Keith Miller KMiller@IAAPA.org Contributing Editors Mike Bederka michaelbederka@gmail.com Juliana Gilling julianagilling@gmail.com Advertising Sales Dana Jasat DJasat@IAAPA.org Production Manager Michelle Wandres MWandres@IAAPA.org M9<1m?8A9<6. IAAPA Chairman of the Board Amanda Thompson OBE, ICAE IAAPA President and CEO Hal McEvoy, ICAE IAAPA Chief Engagement O!cer and Executive Vice President David Mandt IAAPA Asia Pacific Vice President and Executive Director June Ko IAAPA Europe, Middle East, Africa Vice President and Executive Director Jakob Wahl IAAPA Latin America, Caribbean Vice President and Executive Director Paulina Reyes IAAPA North America Vice President and Executive Director John Hallenbeck M9<1 ® River Rush Silver Dollar City’s new “Mystic River Falls” opened in 2020, featuring an upper channel where rafts navigate an elevated flume before plummeting down a 4.5-story waterfall. Park President Brad Thomas believes in uplifting Silver Dollar City’s 1,500 “citizens” and celebrating their individualism. Turn to p. 36 SCOTT FAIS26 meter high splash 75 kph drop speed 1,800 hourly throughput SMILES, DAILY! The biggest SPLASH in the business. From the tallest splash on the market, at 26 meters high, to a variety of splash sizes, WhiteWater has a full range of water rides to meet your ‘wet pants’ requirements. To build your custom splash, email us at: water.rides@whitewaterwest.com to schedule a free design workshop. THE BIGGER THE SPLASH, THE BIGGER THE SMILES. 10,000 10,000 up to6 ?8A9<6. | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 | IAAPA.org/Funworld IAAPA Mission: We inspire, grow, and protect the global attractions industry through member connections. ® WHEN I WAS A KID GROWING UP IN RURAL PENNSYLVANIA , one of my favorite teachers would spin fantastical tales of her summer trips to Walt Disney World. She conjured up twirling teacups and singing birds and dancing dolls, but the story I made her retell the most was about the ghosts waltzing in a seemingly empty ballroom. As an adult still obsessed, the internet opened up a whole new set of stories, disclosing the Hatbox Ghost and rooms in “The Haunted Mansion” my teacher never dared describe to an elementary school kid—information from online fans far and wide. Now Funworld is very excited to open up our own new set of stories. You’ll have even more ways to access Funworld’s reliable industry reporting with new content available online every week. Starting in February, hear, watch, and read the in-depth stories of attractions all over the globe with rich multimedia storytelling from Funworld’s international reporting team. Pop into Funworld’s online home at IAAPA.org/Funworld or catch up with the bimonthly Funworld newsletter. You can also become a part of the story with our regular Funworld Live chats, which take you deeper into the topics on the mind of the industry and give you the chance to ask questions of the experts themselves. We’re making the same trustworthy coverage Funworld has built a reputation for over the last three decades available where you want it, when you want it. When I finally made it to “The Haunted Mansion,” it delivered everything I had been promised after years of stories. You see, there’s nothing like the original. IAAPA will continue to publish the print edition of Funworld you know and love on a bimonthly basis—that’s six issues delivered to you starting with this one. I like to think those stories told online and by my teacher made my experience with the original that much better, and I know our new era of storytelling at Funworld will too. See you online (at IAAPA.org/Funworld specifically, of course!) Prasana William Director, Global Publishing and Content Strategy IAAPA A New Era of Storytelling Letter from IAAPANext >