This September, the Euro Attractions Show (EAS) ramps up its educational programme, offering attendees more seminars, workshops, forums and presentations than ever before. Leading industry figures have been invited to discuss a variety of pressing issues and hot topics, and with hands-on workshops too, over 20 hours of educational content will be available.
According to Karen Staley, vice-president of IAAPA Europe, the expo is a great way to see where the industry is going, but the educational programmes “actually teach you how to anticipate these developments by learning from best practices and experts from the industry.” Attendees also learn from others’ experiences. “People really look forward to the CEOs Talk and the Leadership Breakfast. Their ways of working, philosophies and visions broaden the horizon for many people,” Staley says.
The three-day event, from 23 to 25 September at the RAI Exhibition and Convention Centre in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, will host 375 exhibitors and an estimated 8,500 visitors. It’s easy to get involved, with a range of educational activities for managers and leaders. “We always try to prepare a programme with a holistic approach, incorporating HR, marketing, new ideas and hot topics,” Staley says. “Based on last year’s feedback, we’ve focused on more practical seminars this year, such as Fright Fest – how to develop, market and manage a haunted attraction – and Old Wine, New Bottles, a panel session on how to refresh existing products and make them more profitable, extremely interesting for both management and executive staff.”
Then, the Institute for Attraction Managers is a regularly held training course with an edition to coincide with EAS. “It’s aimed at industry professionals with three years’ management experience who have demonstrated the potential and commitment to be on your senior management team,” Staley explains. “The programme includes extensive education on attraction finance, marketing, leadership, operations, safety and revenue operations such as F&B and retail.”
There is an event for attendees at an earlier stage in their careers; the Young Professionals Forum, taking place at the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam on 24 September. It’s a great opportunity for those relatively new to the industry to share, network and learn about the steps others have taken to develop a successful career. “We have speakers from Toverland, BRC Imagination Arts and CoasterLab,” Staley says. “Also, Professor Erwin Taets from VIVES Flanders Leisure Academy will share his experiences.”
With the largest exhibition floor in the history of the European event and the strong focus on inspirational and informative parallel sessions, the show looks set to be one of the most exhilarating yet.
Stimulating Seminars Seminar topics range from crisis management to dealing with online reviews. These are some highlights from the educational conference programme schedule 23 September - 13.45 - 15.15 Fun, Fright and Festivals: How to develop seasonal events to increase attendance and revenues The off-season can be tough, especially in European climates. This seminar, presented by park event managers and show designers, explores how the potential of festivals like Halloween can be harnessed to extend your season and boost business later in the year. This seminar also discusses one-off events such as music concerts, giving guidance on how to develop, market and manage special events.
23 September - 15.30 - 17.00 Branded Goods: Is using intellectual property the right choice for your facility? More and more parks are investing in IP, and it’s often a surefire way to attract new customers and boost profits. But intellectual property rights can be a complex area with potential disadvantages and pitfalls as well as its advantages. The panel here — attraction designers, IP license-holders, park operators, industry consultants — will share their experiences and advice on this popular subject.
24 September - 12.45 - 14.15 Old Wine, New Bottles: What mature attractions can do to renew and refresh their facilities It’s vital in the attractions industry to renew our offerings and tempt customers to return, and perhaps most germane to those more mature attractions. This session will be conducted by a panel of planners, designers, operators and owners who will share a five-point strategy to growing attendance at older attractions, and present case studies to illustrate their insights in practice. top-class talks
23 September - 17.00 - 18.00 CEOs Speak: A quartet of CEOs talks about the industry past, present and future Learning from the experts who possess a wealth of experience can be invaluable, and it’s central to the EAS ethos. Continuing the CEOs Speak series of talks this year, the event has invited four heads of family-oriented amusement parks to share their knowledge and insights with fellow attendees. The panel will be made up of Andreas Anderson of Liseberg Amusement Park, Sweden; Roderick van Zuylen of Duinrell Park, the Netherlands; Mascha van Till of Walibi Holland and Tolga Alisoglu of Vialand, Turkey.
24 September - 8.30 - 9.55 EAS Leadership Breakfast Breakfast features Plopsa Group CEO Steve van den Kerkhof as the keynote speaker. Van den Kerkhof, chairman of the board of Belgian children’s TV company Studio 100, who owns the Plopsa parks, will talk about the relationship between Studio 100 brands and the parks, with the Plopsa sites attracting fans of the studio’s characters and creating further marketing and merchandising opportunities. practical programmes & Fascinating forums
21-23 September Institute for Attractions Management IAAPA’s management development training course is in session at the Heineken Experience, giving mid-career professionals the chance to learn new skills.
24 September - 15.00 - 19.30 Fifth Annual IAAPA Europe Waterpark Forum This forum held at Center Parcs Eemhof involves presentations, a park tour and a briefing on the waterpark industry.
25 September - 9.45 - 15.00 Family Entertainment Centre / Indoor Play Centre Programme Exclusively designed for FECs and indoor play centres, with a series of activities and seminars dedicated to these sectors.
Get insights
Get educated
Get inspired
Get insights
Get educated
Get inspired
Get insights
Get educated
Get inspired
Karen Staley, vice-president IAAPA Europe
COMPANY PROFILES
TechnoAlpin
TechnoAlpin is the world leader for snowmaking systems. Our product portfolio includes all different [more...]
instantprint
We’re a Yorkshire-based online printer, founded
in 2009 by Adam Carnell and James Kinsella. [more...]
Holovis
Holovis is a privately owned company
established in 2004 by CEO Stuart
Hetherington. [more...]
Taylor Made Designs
Taylor Made Designs (TMD) has been supplying the Attractions, Holiday Park, Zoos and Theme Park mark [more...]
This September, the Euro Attractions Show (EAS) ramps up its educational programme, offering attendees more seminars, workshops, forums and presentations than ever before. Leading industry figures have been invited to discuss a variety of pressing issues and hot topics, and with hands-on workshops too, over 20 hours of educational content will be available.
According to Karen Staley, vice-president of IAAPA Europe, the expo is a great way to see where the industry is going, but the educational programmes “actually teach you how to anticipate these developments by learning from best practices and experts from the industry.” Attendees also learn from others’ experiences. “People really look forward to the CEOs Talk and the Leadership Breakfast. Their ways of working, philosophies and visions broaden the horizon for many people,” Staley says.
The three-day event, from 23 to 25 September at the RAI Exhibition and Convention Centre in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, will host 375 exhibitors and an estimated 8,500 visitors. It’s easy to get involved, with a range of educational activities for managers and leaders. “We always try to prepare a programme with a holistic approach, incorporating HR, marketing, new ideas and hot topics,” Staley says. “Based on last year’s feedback, we’ve focused on more practical seminars this year, such as Fright Fest – how to develop, market and manage a haunted attraction – and Old Wine, New Bottles, a panel session on how to refresh existing products and make them more profitable, extremely interesting for both management and executive staff.”
Then, the Institute for Attraction Managers is a regularly held training course with an edition to coincide with EAS. “It’s aimed at industry professionals with three years’ management experience who have demonstrated the potential and commitment to be on your senior management team,” Staley explains. “The programme includes extensive education on attraction finance, marketing, leadership, operations, safety and revenue operations such as F&B and retail.”
There is an event for attendees at an earlier stage in their careers; the Young Professionals Forum, taking place at the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam on 24 September. It’s a great opportunity for those relatively new to the industry to share, network and learn about the steps others have taken to develop a successful career. “We have speakers from Toverland, BRC Imagination Arts and CoasterLab,” Staley says. “Also, Professor Erwin Taets from VIVES Flanders Leisure Academy will share his experiences.”
With the largest exhibition floor in the history of the European event and the strong focus on inspirational and informative parallel sessions, the show looks set to be one of the most exhilarating yet.
Stimulating Seminars Seminar topics range from crisis management to dealing with online reviews. These are some highlights from the educational conference programme schedule 23 September - 13.45 - 15.15 Fun, Fright and Festivals: How to develop seasonal events to increase attendance and revenues The off-season can be tough, especially in European climates. This seminar, presented by park event managers and show designers, explores how the potential of festivals like Halloween can be harnessed to extend your season and boost business later in the year. This seminar also discusses one-off events such as music concerts, giving guidance on how to develop, market and manage special events.
23 September - 15.30 - 17.00 Branded Goods: Is using intellectual property the right choice for your facility? More and more parks are investing in IP, and it’s often a surefire way to attract new customers and boost profits. But intellectual property rights can be a complex area with potential disadvantages and pitfalls as well as its advantages. The panel here — attraction designers, IP license-holders, park operators, industry consultants — will share their experiences and advice on this popular subject.
24 September - 12.45 - 14.15 Old Wine, New Bottles: What mature attractions can do to renew and refresh their facilities It’s vital in the attractions industry to renew our offerings and tempt customers to return, and perhaps most germane to those more mature attractions. This session will be conducted by a panel of planners, designers, operators and owners who will share a five-point strategy to growing attendance at older attractions, and present case studies to illustrate their insights in practice. top-class talks
23 September - 17.00 - 18.00 CEOs Speak: A quartet of CEOs talks about the industry past, present and future Learning from the experts who possess a wealth of experience can be invaluable, and it’s central to the EAS ethos. Continuing the CEOs Speak series of talks this year, the event has invited four heads of family-oriented amusement parks to share their knowledge and insights with fellow attendees. The panel will be made up of Andreas Anderson of Liseberg Amusement Park, Sweden; Roderick van Zuylen of Duinrell Park, the Netherlands; Mascha van Till of Walibi Holland and Tolga Alisoglu of Vialand, Turkey.
24 September - 8.30 - 9.55 EAS Leadership Breakfast Breakfast features Plopsa Group CEO Steve van den Kerkhof as the keynote speaker. Van den Kerkhof, chairman of the board of Belgian children’s TV company Studio 100, who owns the Plopsa parks, will talk about the relationship between Studio 100 brands and the parks, with the Plopsa sites attracting fans of the studio’s characters and creating further marketing and merchandising opportunities. practical programmes & Fascinating forums
21-23 September Institute for Attractions Management IAAPA’s management development training course is in session at the Heineken Experience, giving mid-career professionals the chance to learn new skills.
24 September - 15.00 - 19.30 Fifth Annual IAAPA Europe Waterpark Forum This forum held at Center Parcs Eemhof involves presentations, a park tour and a briefing on the waterpark industry.
25 September - 9.45 - 15.00 Family Entertainment Centre / Indoor Play Centre Programme Exclusively designed for FECs and indoor play centres, with a series of activities and seminars dedicated to these sectors.
Off the back of the success of the first round of Everyday Heritage Grants in 2022, Historic
England is funding 56 creative projects that honour the heritage of working-class England.
Universal has revealed it will be adding new Harry Potter attractions, alongside Super Nintendo
and How to Train Your Dragon worlds to its Florida resort.
Populous have unveiled their plans for a state-of-the-art e-sports arena, designed to stand as a
central landmark in Qiddaya City’s gaming and e-sports district, Saudi Arabia.
Immersive entertainment specialists, Layered Reality, is creating a tribute to Elvis Presley
featuring a concert experience with a life-sized digital Elvis.
