IAAPA Attractions Expo 2012 Offers Robust Education Program

September 3, 2012

IAAPA Attractions Expo 2012, which takes place Nov. 12-16 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., will offer more than 85 educational seminars, luncheons, roundtable discussions, behind-the-scenes tours, daylong institutes and half-day symposiums designed to keep attractions industry professionals up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in attractions management.

Owned by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, the event attracts supervisors, managers, senior executives, and CEO’s, who will all benefit from participating in the comprehensive education program.

The programs will provide peer-to-peer learning and spur ideas for the future in operational areas, such as: communications and public relations, entertainment, facility operations, emergency preparedness, finance, information technology, food and beverage operations, games, human resources, sales and marketing, retail merchandising, and safety.

Topics include social media, integrated marketing, increasing revenue, training, guest engagement, industry trends, and more. Nineteen sessions also will be translated to Spanish.

“Respected industry leaders will deliver invaluable information about best practices, the latest trends, and the future of the attractions industry during the IAAPA Attractions Expo 2012 education conference,” said Doug Stagner, corporate senior director of operations at SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment and IAAPA education committee chair.

He added, “The conference offers practical takeaways that will appeal to all areas of attractions operations as well as management levels.” 



Attendees can participate in targeted learning tracks that address specific interests related to certain IAAPA member constituencies, including family entertainment centers, museums and science centers, parks and attractions, water parks, and zoos and aquariums.

Daylong institutes offer in-depth professional development programs on select functions of attraction management and family entertainment center operations.

Exclusive behind-the-scenes tours offer exclusive, hands-on learning at area attractions, including Fun Spot USA, “Turtle Trek” at SeaWorld Orlando, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort at Walt Disney World, Legoland Florida, Busch Gardens Tampa, and the Gaylord Palms Resort.

In addition, there will be an accessibility tour of Give Kids The World Village, allowing participants to see how the village is equipped for guests with disabilities.

New this year, IAAPA will offer two half-day symposiums: Inflatables Symposium and Incident Management Symposium.



The Inflatables Symposium is designed for inflatable attractions operators and leaders will discuss such topics as risk management, indoor operations, and more. There also will be an operators roundtable.



The Incident Management Symposium allows participants to experience decision making in a dynamic setting and learn best practices on incident management, command structures, critical response teams, and maintaining essential business operations.

The event will lead participants through a variety of scenarios and, by working in small groups, participants will explore key elements and factors to consider in each scenario.

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