originally posted on 12/13/2019
Photo: Jay Jacobs. View full-sized image.
IAAPA Expo is the annual tradeshow hosted by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions in Orlando, Florida. As the world’s largest trade show, it spills out into air-conditioned tents and an open-air area in the parking lot. Exhibitors feature items used in every area of the amusement industry, including bounce houses, drink cups, food items, paper products, wheels, seat belt buckles and, of course, rides.
ACE is proud to be one of the few booths that does not promote a product but represents a nonprofit that supports the industry. ACE’s goal in attending is to reconnect with park representatives, spread the word about ACE and offer press coverage of the show. Throughout the week, the booth is staffed by members who volunteer for four-hour shifts and receive a badge to enjoy the trade show floor. In addition, a few members act as delegates and work at least four shifts in the booth during the week. This year’s delegates were Robert Ulrich, Cliff Herring, Cheri Armstrong, Elizabeth Ringas and Nicholas Laschkewitsch.
ACE delegates (l-r) Robert Ulrich, Nicholas Laschkewitsch, Elizabeth Ringas, Cheri Armstrong and Cliff Herring.
Photo: Cheri Armstrong Collection. View full-sized image.
Even before the trade show floor opens on Tuesday, the week is always busy. Work begins on Sunday with booth set-up. The team swoops in with all the stored items, and those shipped from various members are retrieved and assembled to prepare to welcome guests to the booth throughout the week. Monday offers a day of classes for those in the industry. This year Communications Director Elizabeth Ringas enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about reading the analytics of social media and to gain insight from a women’s panel. President Robert Ulrich joined her in the analytics class, toured the new IAAPA headquarters and benefited from a class broadcasting a podcast. Live questions from those in the seminar were taken, with Matt Heller (of Performance Optimist Consulting) and Josh Liebman (of Amusement Advantage) as moderators for the AttractionPros (a firm touting “discussions led by attractions pros for attraction pros”) podcast.
Photo: Michael Christopher. View full-sized image.
Before the trade show floor opened Tuesday, S&S presented its sponsor spotlight moderated by Ringas. This was an opportunity to highlight the company’s new developments in 2019 and unveil a new Axis coaster video. Following a short presentation, Executive Director of Administration Preston Perkes, Director of Sales Pete Barto and Executive Director of Sales & Marketing Josh Hays answered questions presented by ACE’s members and social media followers. Following this panel conversation, most rushed off to the Kickoff Event of the Expo.
As the clock struck 10, the trade show floor doors opened, and aisles were flooded with excited attendees to greet friends and see what’s new. Tuesday presented a packed schedule for those interested in 2020’s coaster developments! Press announcements began quickly, starting with Rocky Mountain Construction for the reveal of the car for Iron Gwazi, a beautiful crocodile-themed vehicle in bright purple and turquoise and exquisite detail. Maurer Rides followed, but pipe and drape were hiding most of the booth. The press packed in to see what was being hidden. Soon the car for Bolt: Ultimate Sea Coaster, Carnival Cruise Lines’ new powered coaster car to be installed on the Mardi Gras ship was unveiled. After a few details about the installation, Carnival’s fun ambassador himself, Shaquille O’Neal, made an appearance and joined Carnival’s president, Christine Duffy, for a photo opportunity on the new car.
Shaquille O’Neal made an appearance at the Maurer Rides booth.
Photo: Nicholas Laschkewitsch. View full-sized image.
Photo: Nicholas Laschkewitsch. View full-sized image.
Great Coasters International, Inc. (GCII) was the next booth with something under cover to reveal. Chuck Cureau of SeaWorld San Antonio and Clair Hain of GCII were on hand to unveil the vehicle for Texas Stingray — a beautifully designed lead car with a stingray motif leading the thrills at Sea World San Antonio in 2020.
Photo: Cheri Armstrong. View full-sized image.
If that wasn’t enough excitement for 2020’s coaster thrills, Pantheon’s and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure cars were open for viewing at Intamin’s booth, a new pirate ship-themed car was on display from The Gravity Group and many more black cloths were keeping secrets on the show floor.
Photo: Derek Perry. View full-sized image.
The Gravity Group exhibited an artistic lead car resembling a ship.
Photo: Cheri Armstrong. View full-sized image.
Zamperla’s bright and action-packed booth had two large secrets covered in black with track and wheels peeking out from below. After Alberto Zamperla shared details of Luna Farm, the first farm-themed amusement park in Italy, the covers came off and two new roller coaster designs were revealed — the Lightning Coaster, featuring a reduced vehicle weight and manufacturing time, and the DangleZ Coaster, an addition to the new Tweener RidZ collection announced during IAAPA Expo. The DangleZ coaster’s seats move independently from the chassis below, giving passengers the sensation of dangling outside of the track for a very nontraditional ride experience.
Hear more about these new designs from Michael Coleman, North America Sales for Zamperla, in his ACE exclusive interview.
Photo: Derek Perry. View full-sized image.
Soon crowds swarmed around the large blue cloth at the corner of the Premier Rides booth for the reveal of Ice Breaker’s car for SeaWorld Orlando, followed immediately by the news of the revised name of the new Bolliger & Mabillard coaster coming to SeaWorld San Diego in 2020, Emperor.
After all that excitement, ACE had its own announcement awaiting. During an afternoon press conference, ACE revealed World Roller Coaster Appreciation Month — a month-long tribute to the club’s favorite engineering marvel, which will focus on history, safety, education and fun! Find out more about its dispatch in June 2020 at worldrollercoastermonth.org
Photo: Jay Jacobs. View full-sized image.
Dollywood’s Pete Owens joined ACE’s announcement representing the NRCMA.
Photo: David Lipnicky. View full-sized image.
Other booths were busy with business meetings, greetings with old friends and their own surprises because the show is not just about coaster cars! The ACE booth saw a steady stream of visitors from parks coming to share their 2020 plans, learn about the Share the Moment campaign ACE is co-sponsoring with parks and the launch of World Roller Coaster Appreciation Month. ACE representatives enjoyed visits from many parks, manufacturers and fellow members, including visitors from Kentucky Kingdom, the Knoebels family, The Gravity Group, Give Kids The World, Ride Entertainment, Palace Entertainment Group and so many more.
Many of the volunteers committed extra time to help with ACE’s social media coverage from the show floor. Ringas was busy securing interviews with manufacturers to share insight and more details (see links below). Thursday afternoon Kris Rowberry of ACE’s Ride With Us podcast could be found recording a segment with Coaster Studios’ Taylor Bybee.
Taylor Bybee and Kris Rowberry.
Photo: David Lipnicky. View full-sized image.
The show floor offered many rides to experience first-hand. SBF Visa is offering a new coaster experience with its rollover “hamster wheel” car design known as the Big Air Coaster that many attendees rode and loved. The coaster car is available to mix and match with previously available spinner cars but is not available for the figure-eight-style track because of its height clearance requirement. In addition, rides were available on a drop tower, a mini break dance and 360 pendulum ride. Rides 4 U (representatives for SBF Visa in the United States and Canada, along with other manufacturers) permitted passengers on its Skyflyer, a junior coaster. Outdoors, Rides 4 U presented its WipeOut trailer-based ride. Laughter and screams were well earned by this surprisingly fun and thrilling ride! Zamperla featured rides on its new Tweener RideZ collection, Nebulaz, a thrilling, near-miss spinning ride that offers a ride as amazing as it is beautiful to watch.
The rollover car offered flips on an SBF Visa coaster.
Photo: Cheri Armstrong. View full-sized image.
Photo: Cheri Armstrong. View full-sized image.
It’s not all about the rides because many of the new concepts being revealed are displayed in models and pictures. Skyline Attractions premiered a new model to add to the ever-growing collection of rides. According to Skyline Attractions “Skywarp Orbit features elements that ride lovers crave — negative G's on the airtime hill and a cutback inversion.”
Photo: Elizabeth Ringas. View full-sized image.
Many have admired the SlideWheel rotating waterslide model from Wiegand-Maelzer in previous years and were excited for the announcement that the first one will be coming to North America in 2021 at Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.
A major surprise took place during an evening social event on Wednesday. GCII unveiled a section of steel track at Fun Spot America in Orlando. President Clair Hain elaborated that the track’s purpose was to allow for inversions. Track maintenance is more challenging on overbanked and upside-down inversions. Steel sections resolve that problem. The company’s Infinity Flyer trains have proved to be able to navigate these inversions and are now on the market.
GCII made a surprise reveal: a section of steel track.
Photo: David Lipnicky. View full-sized image.
Infinity Flyer trains are capable of inversions.
Photo: David Lipnicky. View full-sized image.
Finally back to ACE’s booth: Congratulations go to Fun Land of Fredericksburg, which won ACE’s business card drop drawing. It won a one-year corporate membership to ACE!
ACE’s officers and delegates are appreciative of all the ACE members who contributed to this amazing week.
— Elizabeth Ringas
ACE Communications Director
You can see photos of all the models and so much more from the show floor by visiting ACE’s Facebook photo album, which features contributions by many ACE members visiting the IAAPA Expo. IAAPA Facebook Album
A video recap of the week:
An interview with Vekoma Rides Manufacturing B.V. featuring Ricardo Etges, North American sales, and Benjamin Bloemendaal, senior concept engineer.
Michael Coleman, North America sales for Zamperla, in his ACE exclusive interview.
Chuck Bingham, senior vice president of marketing and sales for Martin & Vleminckx
Tom Rebbie, president, CEO and owner of Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters Inc.
Sandor Kernacs, president of Intamin.
Clair Hain, owner/president of Great Coasters International, Inc.
A conversation with Cindy Emerick, senior vice president of business development and technology at Dynamic Attractions!
Maegan Wallace of the Maclan Corporation, specialists in roller coaster wheels and parts.
The year 2019 will be the last year (at least for some time) that all of the Expo’s exhibitors can be in one hall.
Photo: Jay Jacobs. View full-sized image.
@#$%&!
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