originally posted on 1/6/2025
Photo: Tim Baldwin. View full-sized image.
Can you imagine a week more immersive in everything related to amusement parks than Coaster Con? For those attending, IAAPA Expo is a similar week — early mornings, late nights, tons of conversations, fun and celebration and lots of steps. Don’t let all that fun fool you. It is a week filled with work and business — education sessions, networking and business — all the pieces that build a strong structure for success ahead. For American Coaster Enthusiasts, it is a week focused on capturing immersive coverage of the tradeshow for those not in attendance and building relationships with manufacturers and communicating the resources that ACE offers as an organization.
This year ACE focused on sharing three key points with attendees at the tradeshow:
- “The Legacy of Schwarzkopf” release
- What ACE brings and offers all parks: learning the individual needs of each park and manufacturer, offering Adventure Labs for park guests, providing assistance with media days and the like
- Preservation grant opportunities and process
A team of dedicated volunteers made sure the ACE booth was staffed at all times.
Photo: Jospeh Ciza Collection. View full-sized image.
To the delight of many, the ACE booth featured a working model of a Schwarzkopf coaster courtesy of Jared Holladay.
Photo: Ted Ansley. View full-sized image.
To compliment these points, the ACE booth illustrated the message so visitors learned about us both visually and auditorily. The organization offered a gift to strike a third sense — touch. This year the booth underwent an almost complete overhaul to immerse visitors into “The Legacy of Schwarzkopf” documentary. Attendees saw a new background of photos of Schwarzkopf coasters taken by ACE members, a working Schwarzkopf-inspired roller coaster model designed and built by ACE member Jared Holladay and Legacy of Schwarzkopf pins as gifts.
ACE’s coverage of the IAAPA Expo is second to none. Vekoma’s Carin Davits (third from left) and Ricardo Tonding-Etges (second from right) are visited by the ACE team.
Photo: Derek Perry collection. View full-sized image.
Michael Graham of The Gravity Group is interviewed by ACE’s Jessica Gardner.
Photo: Doug Perry. View full-sized image.
In addition to the president, three delegates assisted with executing the duties and responsibilities of the week: Joseph Ciza, who coordinated all the volunteers; Derek Perry, who served as a primary connection point for networking and opportunities that presented themselves during the tradeshow; and Doug Perry, who orchestrated ACE's social media coverage. In addition to these individuals, 30 other volunteers assisted with all that happened on and off the trade show floor. ACE volunteers were capturing content for media coverage of the tradeshow, posting to social media, writing for ACE360 and staffing the booth to connect with visitors. Many assisted with assembling and breaking down the ACE booth. In addition to supporting ACE’s efforts, ACE volunteers supported both the National Roller Coaster Museum and Archives and Park World booths.
ACE joined other industry organizations on the trade show floor such as the National Roller Coaster Museum and Archives.
Photo: David Lipnicky. View full-sized image.
Sunday brought volunteers together to kick off the week. A few individuals picked up the booth’s contents from storage (thank you to the generous member who donates garage space each year) and pulled up to the Orange County Convention Center, ready for fellow volunteers to unload the contents. Ted Ansley made a second run to pick up the new working model coaster from Holladay.
Monday was a day for last-minute details to be finished and EDUsessions to be attended as part of IAAPA Expo. Volunteers settle in for the week, pick up groceries, get to know each other and ensure ACE's processes are clear and clean. Podcast Host Jessica Gardner and President Elizabeth Ringas attended a networking event for female leaders in the amusement park and attractions industry.
The Orange County Convention Center was crowded with thousands of people every morning, as if transformed into a theme park.
Photo: PB&J Studios. View full-sized image.
The Opening Ceremony is always one of the most anticipated components of each year’s expo, and this year was no different.
Photo: PB&J Studios. View full-sized image.
Tuesday was the busiest and one of the most exciting days, as the covers come off, literally. The anticipation and excitement was visible among attendees awaiting the opportunity to enter the show floor at 10 a.m. As the flood of people entered, they saw that many booths had large objects covered. Whatever could be under there? Throughout the day, the press conference team went from booth to booth to capture coverage of the announcements and unveiling during the scheduled press conferences.
ACE’s president, communications director and membership director visited booths to deliver gifts and discuss how ACE can support them. This year ACE also extended an invitation to “The Legacy of Schwarzkopf” screening.
Sampling new rides is a favorite activity of IAAPA Expo attendees.
Photo: Tim Baldwin. View full-sized image.
The day concluded as Chris Kraftchick, ACE’s former operations director and a current assistant rep for the Florida region, was presented with an honorary membership. An honorary membership grants the recipient a lifetime membership in ACE and one year of complimentary attendance at national events. Chris was recognized for his long-term service as a regional rep and region director but most significantly, for his commitment to serve in response to the tragic and unexpected death of Jay Jacobs, who was concluding a two-year term as operations director and was slated to return the next fall to serve again.
The popular drone show returned to help end the expo’s busiest days.
Photo: Derek Perry. View full-sized image.
Wednesday was filled with more press conferences and booth visitors. Erik Stottlemeyer, CEO of Adventure Park USA in Monrovia, Maryland, was invited to stop by the booth. He was presented with a framed copy of the Schwarzkopf poster to express the organization's gratitude for allowing ACE to digitize his Schwarzkopf blueprint.
In the evening, ACE hosted a screening of “The Legacy of Schwarzkopf” at Fun Spot America Orlando. The organization is grateful for the partnership with the park that made this event possible. More than 100 attendees from 18 states and the District of Columbia gathered for an evening that included the opportunity to view the documentary and enjoy dinner with fellow attendees. A silent auction was hosted to support the ACE archives. Winners could take home either the last in the series of limited edition Schwarzkopf posters or the booth background for the 2022 and 2023 IAAPA tradeshow booth.
A section highlighting dark attractions was a new addition to this year’s expo.
Photo: Ted Ansley. View full-sized image.
Thursday and Friday were filled with volunteers capturing content by doing prearranged interviews with industry leaders, greeting visitors to the ACE booth and hosting meetings on specific topics with various companies like S&S Worldwide, IAAPA and Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, Inc.
When the show floor went dark at 4 p.m. on Friday, it felt as if the show had just started, but, reflecting on the week, volunteers realized that ACE had achieved all of its goals. The crates were extracted from under the table and disassembly began. The booth was packed away for another year.
Later, those who contributed volunteer hours throughout the week hosted a debriefing session over dinner. It was noted that the execution and communication continue to improve each year, producing a much higher quality experience. Ideas were shared on how to continue to improve ACE's processes, and a list of what items need to be replaced or purchased for 2025 was developed.
The IAAPA Hall of Fame bisects the trade show floor and highlights important, trend-setting industry figures.
Photo: Paul Daley. View full-sized image.
The incredible achievements of the week, as well as the ingenuity and creativity incorporated, would not have been possible without the extensive team of volunteers who gave their time, energy and vacation days from paid employment to ACE each year. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped ACE to achieve its goals at IAAPA Expo.
If you are interested in volunteering at IAAPA Expo 2025, look for more information and an interest form in April.
— Elizabeth Ringas, ACE President
#ACENews