What, you might ask is an IAAPA Trade Summit? This is a new concept from IAAPA, the global association for the attractions industry, combining educational conferences with insightful guided tours to world-class facilities and a mini trade show element.
After a first Trade Summit was held in the APAC region in 2022, in Bangkok, the association concluded that this type of event was worthwhile. Now, the concept has expanded further in 2023, with Trade Summits in EMEA (Riyad) and North America (San Diego). And thus, around 160 participants found themselves in San Diego, California, from 20 – 23 March for the very first IAAPA North America Trade Summit.
The packed program included five facilities visits, three keynote speakers, and, of course, the trade show element. The event balanced education and inspiration and as such provided good value to participants.
Speakers for the first IAAPA North America Trade Summit
The first two speakers had the floor on the first morning of the program. This followed the opening reception at Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The facility, set on a cliff with views of the Pacific Ocean, is home to over 60 marine habitats and interactive exhibits. These demonstrate the cutting-edge research being done to protect the planet.
George Walker is an experienced designer who began his “career” in his teens by designing a mini-theme park in his family’s backyard. He gave a talk entitled Authentic Reality Evolves. In this, he first established that, regardless of who we are in the industry, be it a park, FEC supplier or design firm, we all have the same boss: the audience.
Walker then traced the evolution from “ordinary reality” (think kids playing outside in the forest) to “heightened reality” (i.e. mechanical rides such as Ferris wheels that allowed us to see the world from a different perspective), “artificial reality” (the advent of amusement and theme parks, thank you Mr Disney), “virtual reality”, and now, what the audience wants today: “authentic reality”.
It is an emerging shift to authenticity. Walker made the point that today’s audiences want experiences that supersede a branded or pre-packaged happening. Audiences want an emotion as the result of an experience. They do not want a product, they want authenticity.
Speakers explore authenticity and teamwork
Troy Sacco followed with a high-spirited talk that involved interesting discussions with the IAAPA Trade Summit audience. He demonstrated that as a leader, you cannot motivate anyone. You can only inspire a motivated person. Using the seven ways that individuals are inspired as a basis, he then proceeded to present the four types of leaders. These are Sherriff, Mayor, Mechanic, and finally Governor which is the best style.
In his system, there are also four types of teammates, Adversary, Associate, Ally, and Advocate. You can guess which is the best (hint; it’s not the Adversary). Placing the Leaders and Teammates in a clever matrix, Sacco shared hints and solutions for every combination based on the two axes. These are Compassion and Loyalty VS. Alignment and Intelligence. The audience appreciated the down-to-earth practicality of his presentation.
The third speaker, Cherrie Davis, SHRM-SCP, closed the IAAPA Trade Summit with an inspirational talk given on USS Midway. Her message revolved around authenticity and bravery. She underlined how, as humans, we have lost touch with the importance of connecting. Therefore, we must all embrace change and to do that, we need to do three things:
- Follow our gut. Our brain will trick us, but our gut speaks true.
- Be a loud voice. Make a difference.
- Gain perspective. Park your bias at the door.
Davis concluded on the importance of agility, especially as it pertains to how we think and deal with preconceived ideas.
The facilities
IAAPA put together a well-balanced program for the Trade Summit, with an aquarium (Birch), a zoo, (the world-famous San Diego Zoo), a theme park (SeaWorld), an almost 100-year-old ocean-side amusement park (Belmont Park), and of course the wonderful finale, the USS Midway Museum. This explores the evolution of aircraft carriers and naval aviation from WWII to today.
In each of these visits, except the opening reception, the operators were extremely generous in showing back-of-the-house insights. Attendees even had an exclusive look at SeaWorld’s next attraction, Wild Arctic, which will open later this year. These visits were well-balanced with time to experience attractions and exhibits.
The trade show at the IAAPA North America Trade Summit
Billed as Trade Connections, the trade show was not in conflict with the conferences and visits. Instead, it took place during breakfast, lunch, and breaks. Trade partners (manufacturers and suppliers) had simple desktop booths with a printed background. There were just over 20 exhibitors present at this summit.
In conclusion, the first-ever IAAPA North America Trade Summit was a success based on the insightful presentations and detailed, varied facilities visits. It is a formula that is bound to take hold in IAAPA’s offering.
