Behind the Scenes: Earning Our Fun Degrees

Did you know that every year Funderland management takes off on an exciting adventure to IAAPA to learn more about the latest and greatest in the amusement park industry?\n\nIAAPA stands for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, and it is truly a sight to behold. Imagine if you can, a trade show floor filled with all of the fun things that make up amusement parks and fun centers around the country: coasters, 6D experiences, new food concoctions, bowling, arcade games, haunted houses, zip lines, carnival games, laser tag, bounce houses, water rides, you name it.\n\nNow, imagine (if you can), that all of these things are free and unlimited; imagine there are no lines.\n\nImagine men in business suits drinking ICEE’s and holding meetings on zip lines. Imagine grown women in bounce houses. Imagine an entire arcade of grown-ups hovered over pinball and air hockey for hours while scarfing down Dippin’ Dots and funnel cakes. Imagine yours truly spending 3+ hours perfecting the art of claw machines. If you can imagine all of these things, you’re getting close to the spectacle that is IAAPA.\n\nYou know how your entire impression of school changes when someone says “Hogwarts”? Well, IAAPA is sort of the Hogwarts of trade shows. It’s magical.\n\nBut we don’t just go to have fun and remember what it’s like to be a kid, we also go to learn from some of the best in the industry: Sea World, Disney, Six Flags, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and others! They all show up to tell us the new things they’re working on and the great success stories we can take back and implement in our own parks. We also get to learn tips and secrets of the trade from other people around the globe who work in amusement parks very similar to our own.\n\nThere are sessions on amusement park food, new rules and regulations we’ll need to abide by, being great managers, hiring the right staff, generating buzz, having educational programs, creating integrated marketing campaigns, implementing new technology, and more! In other words, it’s a one-stop-shop to learn about all the new things going on in the industry!\n\nSo, now you know a little bit more about we do behind the scenes to stay on top of changes in our industry as we continue to improve our little world of fun here in Sacramento, CA.\n\nPhoto Credit