Finance in the spotlight at industry forum

The funding of amusement projects and new ideas that can help operators find greater success in an increasingly competitive market will be in focus at a series of seminars running on the sidelines of the Dubai Entertainment Amusement and Leisure Show this week.

The exhibition begins tomorrow and runs until Thursday at the Dubai World Trade Centre, but the two-day education programme begins today at the same venue. Aimed at owners, managers, operators and the staff at amusement and water parks, family entertainment and leisure attractions — both indoor and outdoor — as well as entrepreneurs and newcomers, on the agenda is a range of seminars and interactive sessions by international and regional speakers. The seminars form an integral part of the expo, giving industry participants an opportunity to be on top of the game.

Forum Chair by Alex Nicholls from IMG theme park kicks things off. The forum, which deals with safety, will give operators of equipment — including ministries in the region — an overview of the latest international safety regulations on design, build, operation and maintenance. A special Middle East Safety Club will also be launched at the event.
 
Future projections
This afternoon, industry participants will also be able to get their questions on the state of the market and the projections for the coming year answered during the ME Industry Forum. Moderated by Kevin Williams, it will feature a panel of experts including equipment suppliers and ME park and Family Entertainment Centre (FEC) operators.

Two other sessions run in parallel. Directors and senior managers will be able to discover practical solutions for employing staff to deliver income in People Power That Pays, a session hosted by Adam Senior from Crew UK. Senior will explore industry examples of income generation through proactive customer service, mobile visitor entertainment, interactive talks, shows and product demonstrations. For managers and staff offering indoor leisure facilities, Indoor Play will cover all aspects relating to indoor leisure, from design, equipment selection, catering, education, fitness to fun, and most importantly, how operators can make better profits.

Games People Play will be a review of the most popular amusement games played in FECs and current trends in out-of-home entertainment. The expo will also see a first-ever Middle East session related to project financing, aimed primarily at those involved in new business ventures, or those companies wishing to expand their current facilities.

Money matters
Finance takes the spotlight at sessions today and tomorrow. Giving an overview of the ever-evolving management systems used in FECs and amusement centres in a session on Debit Card Systems, presenter Andrea Bisis will shed light on the marketing opportunities that new management systems can offer and the importance of good systems in allowing the facility to be operated according to management expectations.

Tomorrow afternoon’s event is aimed at entrepreneurs and companies looking to expand their operations. Dr Wolf Veirich of the Vitala Group UK will present a session on successfully finding funding for new ventures. Over the course of three hours, delegates will learn the right way to secure finance, avoid costly upfront fees and ways to deal with intermediaries who make promises but fail to deliver.

Other seminars today and tomorrow will see the sharing of new ideas and best practices, with water parks a particular focus. Speakers include innovative designers and developers and on offer will be the chance to visit the Yas Waterworld in Abu Dhabi for a hands-on tour of the 43 slides and attractions.