Related: Optimism with a Frosty Reception : The IAAPA Expo 2010 / Well Above Par: at IAAPA’s Charity Golf Event / Industry Optimism, Return to Orlando Fuel Success for IAAPA Attractions Expo 2010
At the show S & S Worldwide, Inc. introduced its new kiddie rides. The first two were in an outdoor exhibit area and were brightly themed with splendid toucans and parrots. Equally colourful was the coaster car (above) on their indoor booth.
Polin had some eye catching innovations on display too. Their Natural Light Effects offer some stunning displays for tunnel rides and the use of LRTM (Light Resin Transfer Moulding) 
closed moulded technology, widely used in space shuttle manufacturing, allows beautiful smooth shiny themed surfaces (left). Aside from being visually appealing, both technological advances offer step changes environmentally in terms of the need for internal lighting of slides and lower waste and emissions from manufacturing.
Polin have evidently been busy; they have strategic alliances with Kraftwerk Living Technologies to create 4D Spash Cinema and with American Wave Machines to combine technologies for SurfStream®, the world’s first standing wave machine. Watch this space…
Robocoaster’s alliance with 3DBA, Holovis and Snox promises to deliver some exciting state of the art rides. Gino De-Gol, founder of Robocoaster was working in the car industry when he spotted the potential to use the robotic technology for thrill rides. Robocoaster now gives us cutting edge amusement ride engineering. De-Gol’s story is like a modern fairy tale and could be worthy of a film in itself. He has in fact dabbled in the film industry, with his robots appearing in Thunderbirds and James Bond films.
Cruden’s F1 simulator looked amazing and had huge queues every time I went past. The drivers I spoke to raved about the experience!
Catching the Eye and Interactive Games
I liked BauArt’s wooden playground equipment (right) . Empex Watertoys also had a fun display (see image at bottom).
I love playing interactive cinema games. Alterface and Triotech had great shooting games at the show with fun elements and a lovely touch allowing the winner’s picture to be displayed. Did I mention that I won both games?
My favourite of EyeClick’s many, many lovely EyePlay interactive formats involved stomping on the noses of cute little mice popping through holes in Emmenthal. I know my kids would love to see the poor little mice rubbing their sore red noses when a direct hit is scored. Also fun in the same kind of cruel/funny way were splatting frogs (above left) but for the more delicate souls there were butterflies to waft and candles to extinguish.
I also had fun playing Art Attack’s Time Freak– a simple concept involving running around a black light space pressing lit up buttons under time pressure playing against an opponent.
Cinema
nWave 3D’s Little Prince 4D show (right) was simply magical. Clear crisp images and a beautifully realised adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry‘s story.
Seminars
I meant to get to more seminars and will definitely do so next year. The two I attended were really fascinating. Great Wolf’s Project Green Wolf presentation delivered by Tim Black was inspiring and Dave Cobb‘s Social Media discussion was mind blowing .
Food
The award for the best aroma of the show has to be for the lovely spicy roasting nuts from German Nut Roasters . Just when I thought there couldn’t be a new idea in sweets I discovered chocolate covered jelly beans and I loved the light up candyfloss sticks from GloCone. Finally, Dippin’ Dots new coffee dots ("Forty Below Joe") was a god send for caffeine addicts trapped in the exhibition hall. The maximum strength double shot espresso dots did indeed deliver a fantastic “off-the-chart” buzz – “you will likely be wired”. Like the acceleration on The Incredible Hulk at Universal’s Islands of Adventure Theme Park – you have been warned – not for insomniacs.
