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® Inside the Food and Beverage of the Future p. 52 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023 Virginia Aquarium Floats Above Expectation p. 48 How the Knott Family created Tennessee’s massive The City Forum FECA Global Leader in Miniature Golf & Game Court Design/Installation U.S. ( 888 ) 725-4386 • INT’L ( 231 ) 922-8166 Traverse City, MI | Chicago | Miami | Venice, FL AGSGolfAndSports.com EUROPEAN DEALERS WANTED Email: cathy@adventureandfun.com For Fun & Profit – Miniature Golf & Game Courts! Indoors, outdoors or on rooftops… permanent, temporary or fully portable… from our new gamified high-tech 360GOLF, our Modular Advantage™ Mini Golf system and SplashGolf®, to pickleball, bocce ball and more, we have ideas and solutions to make your venue more inviting, profitable and fun! Here are some of the ways we can help you add or enhance a family- friendly revenue stream: Modular Advantage™ This eco-friendly system uses interlocking patented panels to give you the look and feel of a permanent concrete course with faster installation, less maintenance and less cost. Panels are made of recycled materials and are permeable for water drainage. Can be ADA compliant. If desired, course can be moved! Portable / Modular Play mini golf wherever and whenever you like with all the fun and features of a permanent course – topography, waterfalls, ponds, themed scenes, landscaping, etc. Modular design means you can install yourself or engage an AGS professional crew. Above is a “Pop-Up” Park used at Delta, British Columbia. Custom Modular Mini Golf! Installations on rooftops, piers or indoors often require lighter weight construction elements. Our unique modular system can be custom designed to fit your space while providing all the features of a permanent concrete course like waterfalls, ponds, obstacles, and more! Shown above is an indoor course designed and built for Great Wolf Lodge in Scottsdale, AZ. From custom designs to “ready to go” systems, put our 35+ years’ experience to work for you – saving you time and money. Contact us today! 18-hole custom concrete course featuring multiple levels, stone boulders and water elements at the Thrillsville Adventure Park in Slade, KentuckyFEATURES SAMUEL MURPHY INSIDE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023 COVER STORY | page 38 Serial Entrepreneurs How the Knott Family created Tennessee’s massive The City Forum FEC ON THE COVER: Three generations of the Knott family assemble inside the cavernous The City Forum family entertainment center (FEC) north of Nashville. Read how the entrepreneurs turned an old factory into a gigantic FEC and the considerations they made along their journey to opening the doors. COVER IMAGE: SAMUEL MURPHY AIDA CRUISES VIRGINIA AQUARIUM & MARINE SCIENCE CENTER 44Head of the Class Finding success when preparing for school field trips SCIENCE CENTRAL 48Swimming to Success How the Virginia Aquarium excels at animal care and guest satisfaction amid a sea of change The Eat is On What attractions expect from food and beverage of the future, p. 522 Funworld | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023 | IAAPA.org/Funworld O—FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT CENTERS Hot Diggity … 9 O—REGIONAL UPDATES … 12 O—FIRST LOOK Mission Transformation: Space Center Houston’s Shift to Exploration … 16 JANUARY/FEBRUARY VOLUME XXXIX • ISSUE 1 Funworld is a member benefit of IAAPA, the global association for the attractions industry. 23ASSOCIATION NEWS IAAPA EXPO RECAP IAAPA Expo Connects in Orlando … 24 Careers for BGSU Students Forged at IAAPA Expo … 28 FRESH START A New Era Begins … 29 IN MEMORIAM Larry Cochran’s Legacy Lives On … 30 EVENT PREVIEW IAAPA FEC Summit to Rock Music City … 31 2023 Event Previews … 32 MEMBERSHIP Welcome New Members … 34 LEADERSHIP IAAPA Welcomes New 2023 Board Members … 36 CALENDAR … 37 DEPARTMENTS LETTER FROM IAAPA … 6 AD INDEX … 62 TIM’S TURN … 64 ® Launch BUSINESS RESOURCES STRONG NATIONAL MUSEUM OF PLAY O—COMING ATTRACTIONS Insights Into the Strong Value of Play … 17 O—MOVERS AND SHAKERS … 20 O—THE ART OF ATTRACTIONS Dreaming the Future … 22 INSIDE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023 56The Great Escape How escape rooms and family entertainment centers can be a great fit 59Party On! Festivals drive attendance, expand audiences CREATIVE WORKS GARDALANDELECTRIC GO-KARTS FREE-ROAM VR ARENAS BATTING CAGES & PITCHING MACHINES 1-800-438-3558 amusementproducts.com For over 60 years, we have manufactured innovative, immersive and award-winning attractions for FECs around the world. Unsurpassed technology is built into all of our products to maximize efficiency, safety, and profit without compromising unique and thrilling experiences for your customers! Call us today or send us a web inquiry to learn more about our attractions! 4 Funworld | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023 | IAAPA.org/Funworld Rope Drop 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 offices. 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. ©2023 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 rep- resentations 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 par- ticular purpose. IAAPA does not guaran- tee, 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, indi- rect, special, punitive, or consequential damages of any kind (including without limitation attorneys’ fees and expenses). 4155 West Taft Vineland Road | Orlando, FL 32837 USA +1 321-319-7600 Funworld Magazine Team Managing Editor, Global Communications and Digital Content Scott Fais SFais@IAAPA.org Assistant Editor, Funworld Magazine Avery Matteo AMatteo@IAAPA.org News Editor Keith Miller KMiller@IAAPA.org Contributing Editor Juliana Gilling julianagilling@gmail.com Manager, Global Advertising Sales Julie Rice-Witherell JRiceWitherell@IAAPA.org Production Manager Michelle Wandres MWandres@IAAPA.org IAAPA.org/Funworld IAAPA Chairman of the Board Jim Pattison Jr, ICAE IAAPA President and CEO Jakob Wahl, ICAE Special Executive Advisor Hal McEvoy, ICAE IAAPA Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Engagement Officer David Mandt IAAPA Vice President, Global Marketing, Communications, and Membership Patrick Haller IAAPA Asia Pacific Vice President and Executive Director June Ko IAAPA Europe, Middle East, Africa Vice President and Executive Director Peter van der Schans IAAPA Latin America, Caribbean Vice President and Executive Director Paulina Reyes IAAPA North America Vice President and Executive Director Michael Shelton IAAPA.org ® IAAPA NEWS KABOOM! Colorful streamers hit the rafters and confetti rains upon attendees as IAAPA Expo opens with a bang. The 1,116 attendees at the Opening Ceremony participated in a new Guinness World Record for the greatest number of people launching confetti cannons simultaneously. For a look at the highlights of the annual conference and trade show, turn to p. 23. The November/December 2022 edition of Funworld incorrectly identified Ripley Entertainment. IAAPA News regrets the error.www.neveplast.it YOUR TUBING SOLUTION MORE THAN 2100 INSTALLATIONS WORLDWIDE neveplast artificial snow fun6 Funworld | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023 | IAAPA.org/Funworld IAAPAMission: We inspire, grow, and protect the global attractions industry through member connections. ® As I step into my new role as president and CEO of IAAPA, I want to thank Hal McEvoy for his leadership running our association. During the past five years, Hal not only navigated IAAPA’s relocation from Alexandria, Virginia, to Orlando, but also worked with the Relocation Task Force to design and build IAAPA’s new global headquarters. Soon after, he steered IAAPA through the global storms of COVID-19, all while serving as a caring leader to IAAPA’s global team members. When the coronavirus shuttered attractions in early 2020, IAAPA quickly pivoted under Hal’s leadership by developing industrywide reopening guidelines—which helped attractions across the world to not only reopen safely—but also provided guidance to governments highlighting the safety of our operations. With Hal’s support, we also introduced new ways for members to connect virtually, while effectively managing the association’s finances following the cancellation of all three Expos in 2020. Thanks to his guidance and expertise, we successfully brought back Expos in Europe and Orlando in 2021 and we’re on the path to once again returning to Asia in 2023. As many owners and operators found themselves contemplating tough decisions, Hal was not shy of cutting costs or making tough decisions. But at each moment, he kept the spirit of the association, its members, and the team alive, effectively bringing us through this difficult time. His planning put IAAPA on the road to recovery, where today, we’re in the most stable position in the 105-year history of this association. Join me in congratulating Hal on his nearly four-decade career in the industry and seven years with our association. He has provided IAAPA members support and unity in a manner we’ve never experienced before. With Gratitude, Jakob Wahl Honoring IAAPA’s Famed Leader: Hal McEvoy Letter from IAAPA DEAR IAAPA MEMBERS,Next >