The WWA Symposium & Trade Show is a once-a-year-opportunity for the global waterpark community to come together and learn from and about each other.  “This past year was a particularly challenging one for our operators and this year’s educational program was designed to address those challenges by offering new and innovative ideas and solutions,” said Aleatha Ezra, Director of Park Member Development, World Waterpark Association.

    “The WWA’s Symposium is one of the best educational opportunities around,” said Pat Daly, Rays Splash Planet.

    In addition to 50 break-out sessions, including 30 new topics, this year’s Symposium offered attendees the chance to experience two special workshops facilitated by Disney: The Disney Institute’s Leadership-Disney Style Workshop and the Innovation In Action Tour. The Leadership-Disney Style Workshop explored the core principles of Disney’s organizational strength and revealed the fundamental leadership philosophies behind one of Walt Disney’s greatest successes: Walt Disney World Resort. The Innovation in Action Tour took attendees behind-the-scenes of some of Disney’s most innovative areas, including Magic Kingdom, textile services and the Walt Disney World Nursery and Tree Farm.

    Recognizing that individual members tackle different issues, WWA break-out sessions and workshops are organized to support specialized learning tracks for different segments. Each track included courses led by experts and professionals from within the specific segments including: Public-Sector, Waterpark Resort Operations, Development, Marketing and Communications, Safety and Operations and, new for 2009, a Legal track.

    In total, 108 speakers appeared in WWA’s workshops and Symposium sessions. Among the highly relevant courses were sessions on industry hot-topics, including: “Safety: What Aren’t You Doing and Why?,” “Successful Marketing Strategies in a Down Economy,” “Emergency Response Plans Made Easy,” “Developing the U.S. Model Aquatic Health Code,” and many more. “All the classes were great for me, especially as a younger person just starting out in the industry,” said Nick Demichina, Daytona Lagoon.

    “It’s always nice to come to WWA and hear about the hot issues and topics and stay abreast of new developments and codes,” said Bryan Fish, Daytona Lagoon. “I hadn’t heard about some of these new issues until I came to the show.”

The WWA will continue to expand its Be Water Aware initiative and National Water Safety Month program in 2010.
During the General Session, Root acknowledged the WWA Marketing Committee and their work on the Be Water Aware member kit and presented new Be Water Aware PSAs for 2010 featuring gold medalist swimmer and the voice of NBC’s Olympic Swimming coverage, Rowdy Gaines.

    Root also announced a major new promotional event to help kick off the 2010 Be Water Aware campaign. The WWA and its presenting partners will break the Guinness World Record for The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson on Thursday, June 3, 2010.  To date more than 10 different training and water safety organizations have signed on as presenting partners for the event including:
          • American Red Cross
          • American Pool & Spa Professionals
          • Ellis & Associates  
          • International Swimming Hall of Fame
          • Independent Pool & Spa Service Association 
          • International Swim Instructors Association
          • National Aquatic Safety Company
          • National Recreation & Park Association
          • Swim For Life
          • Starfish Aquatics Institute

    “We’re thrilled to have so many great organizations involved with this new event,” said Root.  “It will provide a terrific media hook allowing us to educate the general public about the vital importance of teaching children to swim.”

     “The WWA will provide members with all the tools they need to participate in the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson to make it an exciting success in their local markets,” said Root.

One of the keynote events of each year's WWA General Session is the announcement of WWA Board Award recipients. The awards recognize 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; and the development of standards that raise the bar for everyone employed in water leisure.

"The WWA Board Awards were designed to acknowledge the special talents and achievements of individuals and companies that contribute to the success of the waterpark industry," said Chris Swartz, Chair of the WWA's Board of Directors.
In the Board Awards ceremony, Swartz acknowledged the significant accomplishments of 21 exceptional recipients including:

• Executive Board Award, for special accomplishment in the water leisure industry. Contributing to the building and industry expertise through education, training and development of the WWA membership: Rick Fuller, Hyland Hills Water World, Federal Heights, Colo., Brian Freber, Water Technology, Inc., Beaver Dam, Wis., Mike Kaminski, Chula Vista Resort, Wisconsin Dells, Wis. and Jim Dunn, Aquatic Development Group, Cohoes, N.Y.
• Kelly Ogle Memorial Safety Award, for significant contribution to guest and employee safety: Jenkinson's Breakwater Beach, Seaside Heights, N.J., Tom Werts, City of Kissimmee, Kissimmee, Fla. and the ASTM F24.70 Aquatic Play Task Group.
• Al Turner Memorial Commitment to Excellence Award, for leadership in excellence over the years. Creating a sense of community with collaboration, networking and partnering, influencing WWA's growth by their consistent example of business and operational excellence: Tiffany Quilici, Roaring Springs Waterpark, Boise, Idaho and The Rapids Water Park, West Palm Beach, Fla.
• Industry Leadership Award-Waterparks, for setting an exceptional standard for the industry over the years: Tim Gantz, Noah's Ark Waterpark, Wisconsin Dells, Wis., Busch Entertainment Corporation, Orlando, Fla. and Great Wolf Resorts, Madison, Wis., both for their Green Programs.
• Industry Leadership Award-Suppliers, for setting an exceptional standard for the industry over the years: Mike Holtzman, Profitable Foods Facilities, Poway, Calif., Kenn Ramage, Van Stone Conveyor / Launch Logic, San Dimas, Calif. and Steve Wilson, Grundfos Pumps / PACO Pumps, Olathe, Ks.
• Industry Innovation Award-Waterparks, for creativity in new themes and new ideas in water leisure: Atlantis The Palm, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sahara Sam's Oasis, Berlin, N.J. and Water Waves Land, Mashhad, Iran.
• Industry Innovation Award-Suppliers, for creativity in new themes and new ideas in water leisure: Haystack Dryers, Murfreesboro, Tenn.

The General Session also welcomed two new inductees into the WWA Hall of Fame. The WWA has inducted a total of 56 individuals into its Hall of Fame, which honors the water leisure industry's most important pioneers and innovators. This year's honorees were:

• Ron Sutula, Schlitterbahn Galveston Island
• Joe Gibbons, Sega Republic Dubai

Recipients of WWA's popular Wave Review marketing competition and SWIM! (Superior Waterpark Inspiration and Motivation) Awards for Training and Supervision were also recognized during the General Session.

“As a whole, the trade show industry has reported significant drops in floor space and number of exhibitors,” reported Root. “Our strong supplier participation resulted in more paid booths on the 2009 trade show floor than our last trade show at Disney.”

    "We really had a fantastic show this year. Not only did it exceed our expectations, I would have to say it was one of the best WWA shows we have had in years—more purchase planning on the floor," said Darren Schauff, F.A.S.T. Corporation.

    "All in all we were quite pleased with the outcome of the WWA Show!  The quality of the leads obtained exceeded our expectations. The show proved that projects continue to be developing, albeit slowly, and that there are active plans for park expansions and new projects," said David Kiem, Aquatic Development Group.

    "WWA has a strong following and lots of support from its members. It’s always great to see that in full swing. Touching base with all of the exhibitors and consistently hearing that the show was a success was a real pleasure. A big thank you to everyone!" said Patty Miller, Director of Tradeshow and Supplier Relations, World Waterpark Association.

    The WWA welcomed many new exhibitors to its trade show floor, hosting 342 booths in the 100,000 square foot exhibit hall.  “As a first-time exhibitor we were pleasantly surprised and impressed by the quality and quantity of attendees,” said Dan Gundrum, eProfit Solutions, LLC.

    "The show generated a positive feeling amongst the exhibitors and attendees. In spite of our current economic climate…there was an air of optimism at the WWA Show.   It exceeded our expectations!" said Rob Lawson, Lawson Aquatics.

    “Everybody was so helpful and open to listening to new ideas. With such a good mix on the trade show floor, we feel that we addressed all our needs,” said Jim Hale, Dynamic Waters, LLC.

    Representatives from 22 countries including Argentina, Brazil, Bahrain, Kuwait, Germany and the United Arab Emirates explored the trade show in search of new, innovative products and services. “As an international developer, I believe being at WWA is a healthy endeavor,” said Mohammed Khoursheed, Aqua Park/Al Jazera Entertainment Enterprises. “Learning about the newest products that improve things like water quality is imperative. Plus, [at the show] you get hands-on experience and you get to share your ideas with innovative suppliers and other operators.”

    Exhibitors provided show attendees with terrific offerings. The following companies were awarded for their creative and educational exhibits:
  Ÿ Best One-Booth Category: Ideal Software Solutions
  Ÿ Best Two-Booth Category:  Salvin H2O Screen
  Ÿ Best Four-Booth Category: Aqua Kingdoms
  Ÿ Best Six-Booth Category: Water Technology, Inc.
  Ÿ Best of Show: SplashTacular Entertainment

Splash Radio/Splash TV Member Benefit Programs

    The WWA launched two new benefit programs designed to save money and build revenue potential with affordable TV advertising and a new high-quality in-park radio program. The first, Splash Radio, provides waterparks with a customizable in-park radio network that can be sold to local sponsors. The program’s goal is to help parks better monetize operations by providing a professional, quality entertainment option for customers. The second, Splash TV, is a new television advertising campaign that will be available to WWA members starting in April 2010. The humorous campaign is designed to connect with two ultra-targeted groups: moms and kids.

    “We are very excited by the response both of these programs received at the show,” said Ezra. “Our partners, Clear Marketing Concepts, were busy talking with members about these programs every moment the show was open. We believe these are going to be benchmark programs for the WWA membership.”

    “The response to both products was just tremendous and we're excited about working with parks all over the world in the coming months,” said Eric Jontra, Clear Marketing Concepts.

New WWA Insurance Program Announced

    “The WWA Board decided the time was right to leverage the current market and take action to shape our future by developing a dedicated WWA insurance program that will give us influence and leverage in the insurance market place and help us avoid skyrocketing premiums or loss of coverage in the future,” said Swartz during his General Session announcements.
    Swartz reported that the WWA insurance program committee developed a detailed RFP which was submitted to almost 30 insurance brokers to identify an agency partner for the new program.

    “After considering their experience, their reputation and their willingness to listen, we are proud to announce we’re signing a letter of intent here today with Haas & Wilkerson to partner on the development of the new WWA insurance program,” said Swartz during the General Session.

    The WWA and Haas & Wilkerson will spend the next few months working with WWA members to craft a program that reflects the waterpark industry’s unique needs. The program will be rolled out in early January 2010 to meet the needs of members with spring insurance renewals.

    “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the WWA Board and its members to develop the first ever association-based waterpark industry insurance program,” said Ryan Wilkerson, President and CEO of Haas & Wilkerson.  “We pride ourselves on listening and responding to our clients and look forward to hearing and learning from the WWA’s members.”

New WWA Certification Program Announced

    Long known as the leading resource and provider of educational programs for the waterpark industry, the WWA announced the development of a new WWA Waterpark Certification program. The new WWA certification program will provide industry safety & operations testing and certification for Association members. The certification program curriculum will be developed by the WWA Education Committee in partnership with Human Kinetics and will be presented in conjunction with an accrediting educational institution.
The program will cover a wide array of topics and disciplines offering multiple levels of certification in each discipline.  WWA Certification Program courses will be offered at WWA events, through WWA partners and online. The first phase of the program will begin testing and certifying members in 2010.

    “It’s apparent that creating a WWA Certification Program with a curriculum developed by our members, for our members, will be immensely beneficial to the industry,” said Root. "Developing this new program with the benefit of research and data gained through the WWA Insurance Program will provide us with an unprecedented knowledge base to educate and train our members and improve operations standards for the industry.”

    The WWA announced its return to San Antonio, Texas on Oct 6-10, 2010, for the 30th anniversary WWA Symposium and Trade Show. Complete with incredible waterparks, outstanding food and the picturesque River Walk, San Antonio, Texas has been a favorite convention site for WWA members for years.
The association will also produce three regional education events in 2010.

• January 27 & 28, WWA heads to Chicago for a special regional symposium held in conjunction with the Illinois Association of Park Districts and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association’s annual conference at the Chicago Hilton. More than 4,500 Illinois park and recreation professionals and students are expected to attend the IAPD/IPRA conference featuring 200 educational sessions and 300 exhibitors.

• March 2&3, the 5th Annual WWA European Symposium will take place at The Alpamare Resort in Bavaria, Bad Tölz, Germany. Long considered an institution and trendsetter in the industry, The Alpamare has hosted more than 14 million guests since it opened in 1970. The distinctive waterpark and spa resort offers attendees an inside look at a world of attractions offering both relaxation and adventure including: the longest waterslides in Germany, the new IceXpress slide, Europe’s first indoor surfing installation, an indoor wave pool and the unique salt water Thermal Springs.

• April 24 & 25, WWA returns to Dubai, for the 3rd Annual Middle East Symposium presented in conjunction with The Dubai Entertainment Amusement & Leisure Show. The Middle East Symposium provides vital insight into this growing market and its unique issues, along with a first hand look behind-the-scenes of some of the world’s most elaborate and cutting edge attractions.
 

    WWA takes special pride in offering networking events that give attendees and exhibitors an opportunity to socialize and really connect with colleagues. “We think our networking events are a vital part of the WWA show experience because they build the feeling of community and camaraderie, allowing attendees to share their experiences and information that make the industry as strong and safe as it is,” said Ezra.

Highlights of this year’s networking events included:
    • WWA’s Annual Golf Tournament and Luncheon. This year, Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course played host to the industry’s top golf enthusiasts. The team of Greg Mastriona, Roger Gudenkauf, Mike Shelton and JR Berninzoni took 1st place at this year’s tournament. This annual gathering continues to be a highlight for golf enthusiasts, including park owners, park operators and supplier representatives.

    • The WWA Kick-Off Reception at Disney’s Coronado Springs. The kick-off event got the WWA show off to the right start with time to relax, grab a crab cake and meet up with old friends at the Casitas Courtyard at Coronado Springs Resort.

    • The WWA Annual Reunion Party at Typhoon Lagoon. One of Disney’s and the world’s premiere waterparks played host to a lot of food and fun for WWA attendees. Those who were interested got behind-the-scenes tours of Typhoon Lagoon’s attractions, including one of the world’s largest wave pools. The event also provided the backdrop for the annual group shot of all the attendees to be featured on the December issue of “World Waterpark Magazine.”

    “Great show, great food, great weather ... looking forward to the 2010 show in San Antonio,” said George Fischer, SlideRenu