October - December 2021 / Issue 98 / Mumbai Feasibility and Prospects of IACs’ in India - Pg. 16 Water Park Design and Safety - Pg. 20 Parks Post Pandemic - Present Status - Pg. 22 Dear IAAPI family, We are back! This will be the slogan for 2022. We are back to bring smiles. As many people are vaccinated, we are seeing the enthusiasm and the confidence in people to travel again. People are returning to parks around the world, it feels great to see the great resurgence. There is a built-up frustra�on leading to revenge tourism and desire to have fun right now. We will accommodate everything our guests want, and we will do it safely. Many of us have reopened a�rac�ons and resumed entertainment shows in phases by taking proper measures. We all have shown great resilience during this challenging �me, and based on our consolidated wisdom, we made utmost efforts to deliver the greatest possible experience to our Guests. There is a strong momentum in Theme park business right now across the world, and we should con�nue to invest our hope and �me in it. If I look back, it just feels amazing that we have collec�vely emerged out of the challenge and successfully adapted to the new norm. We are at a crucial junc�on: parks are open, guests are back, but we have the burden of two tough years behind us. I understand that capital investment is difficult at this moment, but we can invest two important things to get back in the game. Innova�on and Efficiency. I always talk about innova�on in every area, be it guest management, marke�ng or opera�ons. We should s�ck to one basic thought - “The greatest experience we can offer to our guests.” This thought process starts with the following simple ques�ons: 1. How can we a�ract guests? What can we do differently in our marke�ng? 2. Once they are a�racted, how can we make guest's experience smooth and fric�onless inside the park? 3. How a�rac�ons and shows can to be readjusted to the new norm to enhance guests experience? There is no one simple solu�on for the above ques�ons; each park has its own requirements, own challenges, and unique solu�ons. Although we have to solve these problems on our own, the template remains the same for every park across the world. Go back to the drawing board, ask these ques�ons within your team keeping two things in mind: Innova�on and Efficiency. Look for solu�ons, talk to IAAPI family, and talk to experts. The more we brainstorm, the more we help each other, and the more we grow. Together we can find solu�ons, which will help us beat the challenges and move forward. I am hoping this year to be an economic renaissance for our industry. We should witness rebirth of our industry and not just get back to normal, but go beyond. Let us welcome this new year with new hopes, promises and opportuni�es. Let us start the new chapter and redefine the success of Indian Tourism Industry with our hard-work, grit and compassion. Wish you a very happy, successful and prosperous year ahead. - Rajeev Jalnapurkar, Chairman, IAAPI M E S S A G E F R O M C H A I R M A N We are back! This will be the slogan for 2022. We are back to bring smiles. 03 THRILLER (October - December 2021) www.iaapi.org MESSAGE FROM VICE CHAIRMAN Dear IAAPI family, A�er the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the state governments across the country, have allowed the opening of Amusement Parks and as a result most of our parks are now opera�onal! While visitor responses are mixed and foo�all varies from 50% to 100%, in some cases foo�alls are even higher than the pre COVID-19 era. We are excited as this is bound to grow with the fes�ve and holiday season coming up, and the opening up of schools and colleges, with students coming out from their confine at home. The pandemic for the past 18 months has taught us and the visitors to be digital and going forward buying �ckets online for parks/rides may become new normal to avoid rush and to stand in the queue. Managements have also learnt to improve opera�onal efficiencies with updated rides & improved experiences, lesser man powers, safety protocols as per IAAPI & Government Guidelines. IAC’s are also beginning to look up and bouncing back to their pre COVID-19 revenue figures and now ac�vely looking to invest in se�ng up new projects and comple�ng unfinished ones. Having crossed one billion vaccina�ons, India is resolved to fight COVID-19 and poised for an economic bounce back. On this op�mis�c note, and while reminding us all to wear masks and take all precau�ons, I take the opportunity to give you and your families, the best for the fes�ve season and wishes for very happy safe and prosperous 2022. - Shrikant Goenka Vice Chairman, IAAPI Having crossed one billion vaccina�ons, India is resolved to fight COVID-19 and poised for an economic bounce back. Messages 03 INDEX 08 16 20 22 26 30 33 34 IAAPI Commi�ee Feasibility and Prospects of IACs’ in India Associa�on No�ceboard Water Park Design and Safety Member Update - Interna�onal Member Update - Na�onal Interna�onal News Na�onal News 36 Safety Newsle�er 35 Tender No�ces 42 Ad Index 40 Parks Post Pandemic - Present Status MEP Newsle�er 06 www.mediacraze.in 9967499933 Members • • • • Abhijit Du�a Ajay Sarin Ankur Maheshwari Arunkumar Muchhala Ashok Goel Balwant Chawla Maneesh Verma N. D. Rana • • • • Pradeep K Sharma Rajen S. Shah Sa�sh Raj Deswal Vincent Adaikalaraj • • • • Yogesh Dange • Chairman - Rajeev Jalnapurkar Vice Chairman: Shrikant Goenka SUB COMMITTEE 2021-22 Chairman Vice Chairman NORTHERN REGION Rajesh Arora Kamaljit Singh EASTERN REGION Prashant Kanoria Kamalesh Chandra WESTERN REGION Shivajee Sharma Abbas Jabalpurwala SOUTHERN REGION Ashwin Dange Umesh Prabhu Chairman Vice Chairman Membership Rohit Mathur VGPR Premdas Thriller Arijit Sengupta Kamalesh Chandra Finance Yogesh Dange Raan� Dev Gupta Trade Show N. D. Rana Suraj Muchhala Safety Pradeep Sharma Abhijit Du�a Training Anuj Sarin Razi Halim IAC Ankur Maheshwari Kamalesh Chandra MEP Shrikant Goenka Surender Malik Social Media & Digital Marke�ng VGPR Premdas Ashwin Dange Chairman Interna�onal Rela�ons VGP Ravidas Award Sohansinh Jadeja Print & Rajeev Jalnapurkar, Shrikant Goenka Electronic Media Ajay Sarin & Regional Chairmen PR & Liasioing Rajeev Jalnapurkar, Shrikant Goenka, Ajay Sarin, Yogesh Dange Advisory & Rajen Shah - Chairman, Nomina�on N D Rana, Balwant Chawla, Yogesh Dange, VGP Ravidas MANAGING COMMITTEE 2021-22 REGIONAL COUNCIL 2021-22 IAAPI COMMITTEE 06 THRILLER (October - December 2021) www.iaapi.org ASSOCIATION NOTICEBOARD Mee�ng with Dr. P K Vyas, Addi�onal Chief Secretary - Public Health, Govt. of Maharashtra Mr. Shivajee Sharma - Regional Chairman, Western Region and Mr Anil Padwal - Secretary General, IAAPI met Addi�onal Chief Secretary th on 07 October, 2021 and apprised on impact of pandemic on Amusement Park, Water Park & IAC’s and requested immediate reopening of parks for survival of industry in Maharashtra. Mee�ng with Shri Uddhav Thackeray - Hon'ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra IAAPI Delega�on met Shri Uddhav Thackeray - Hon'ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Mr Suresh Kakani, IAS - Addi�onal Municipal Commissioner th (W.S.) - Municipal Corpora�on of Greater, Mumbai on 17 October, 2021 and requested for reopening of Amusement and Water parks at the earliest in Maharashtra. Chief Minister men�oned that the Task force will be deciding on reopening of Amusement and Water parks and he said that he wishes to start all ac�vi�es in Maharashtra at the earliest. The mee�ng was a�ended by Mr Rajen Shah, Founder Member & Director - IAAPI, Mr Shivajee Sharma, Regional Chairman (WR), Mr Sitanshu Satapathy - VP - Finance, HR & Accounts, Imagicaa and Mr Anil Padwal, Secretary General - IAAPI. IAAPI Recommenda�ons to Ministry of Commerce and Industry at the th session organized by DPIIT, ASCON & CII on 9 October, 2021 Amusement Industry recommenda�ons for the first �me along with key recommenda�ons from various industry were collated in a presenta�on under “Tourism & Hospitality” and presented to Shri. Piyush Goyal , Hon’ble Minister for Commerce & Industry, Tex�les, rd Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribu�on during the report back session held during the 3 edi�on of DPIIT (Department for Promo�on of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt. of India) - ASCON Consulta�on Forum with Industry th Associa�ons’ with the theme “S�mula�ng Growth for Aatmanirbhar Bharat - Leveraging Opportuni�es Post Pandemic” on 9 October 2021. IAAPI is hopeful that the recommenda�ons would be taken up for considera�on by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry. 08 THRILLER (October - December 2021) www.iaapi.org ASSOCIATION NOTICEBOARD Mee�ng with Shri Aseem Gupta, Secretary - Disaster Management, th Government of Maharashtra on 30 November, 2021 to seek clarity on th reopening of Water Park as per 27 November, 2021 order. Waterparks reopen in Maharashtra th As per the order No. DMU/2020/CR.92/DisM-1 dated 27 November, 2021 issued by Disaster Management, Government of Maharashtra men�oned that, in super cession of all earlier orders by the State Government with regard to imposi�on of restric�ons for preven�ng the transmission of the Covid-19 virus, decrees with immediate effect that all economic, cultural, social, sports and entertainment ac�vi�es will now be allowed as per the normal �mings decided by various local or other competent authori�es before the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic. IAAPI’s Board of Directors Meet held on th 15 December 2021 th IAAPI Board of Directors met virtually for the Board Mee�ng on 15 December 2021. We are a leading Manufacturing Spare Parts of AMUSEMENT RIDES, WATER RIDES & VIDEO GAMES i.e. Bumper Car, Slide Mat, Go-Kart, Space War, Bowling Alley etc. E-mail: shivaint@rediffmail.com, shivaintls@gmail.com Call: +91-11-28114545 / 46 / +91-9810076735 / 9811076735 Sale Purchase on Commission basis Specialist in : BUMPER CAR TYRES Address: B-26, Ground Floor, Phase-1, Mayapuri Industrial Area, New Delhi - 110064, India IAAPI Founder Member Mr. Rajen Shah wins the pres�gious IAAPA Outstanding Service Awards The IAAPA Outstanding Service Award recognizes a member who works to foster the spirit of goodwill, professionalism, and higher levels of performance within the global a�rac�ons industry. 10 THRILLER (October - December 2021) www.iaapi.org ASSOCIATION NOTICEBOARD Welcome New Members 2021-22 Members are an integral part of IAAPI and contribute to the growth of the associa�on. We welcome the new members for the year 2021-22 as follows: Sr. Company Name City State Type of Membership 1 Bhaagya Amusement Park Ballary Karnataka Ordinary 2 Divya Mo� Hotels & Resorts Pvt. Ltd. (Fun Kingdom) Jaipur Rajasthan Ordinary 3 Forester Entertainments Pvt. Ltd. Pune Maharashtra Ordinary 4 Shri. Poornima Entertainments LLP Jaipur Rajasthan Ordinary 5 Simcha Island Resort & Adventure Park Indore Madhya Pradesh Ordinary 6 C K Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. Hyderabad Telangana Ordinary 7 Overx Innova�ons Pvt. Ltd. Zirakpur Punjab Ordinary 8 Evoqua Water Technologies India Pvt. Ltd. Chennai Tamil Nadu Associate 9 Gopsons Printers Pvt. Ltd. Noida U�ar Pradesh Associate 10 Nextgen Telesolu�ons (P) Ltd. New Delhi New Delhi Associate 11 Shriniwas Entertainment Buldhana Maharashtra Associate 12 SuchirIndia Hotels and Resorts Private Limited Hyderabad Telangana Associate 13 MakeMyTrip (India) Pvt. Ltd. Gurugram Haryana Associate Member Referral Program IAAPI requests its members to share their industry contacts and encourage them to become IAAPI members. IAAPI will be promo�ng such members who give referrals for membership, once their references become IAAPI members. This will help our industry to grow and get acknowledged at a higher level. IAAPI wishes to thank Ramoji Film City for enrolling 3 members in IAAPI Membership Program for the year 2021-22. Mr. Ajay Sarin - Past Chairman represents Amusement Industry at NCHMCT, Noida IAAPI was invited by Na�onal Council for Hotel Management & Catering th Technology Noida on 12 December, 2021 which is regula�ng the Hospitality educa�on through its largest network of Government Ins�tu�ons as well as private Ins�tu�on's to share inputs / sugges�ons for upda�ng Curriculum / Syllabus in Hospitality and Hotel Administra�on. On the advice of the President of the general body of NCHMCT and subsequent approval of the competent authority of the council, various working groups have been formed to work out the strategy to implement the recommenda�on contained in the Na�onal Educa�on Policy - 2020 (NEP). Mr. Ajay Sarin briefed members present at the mee�ng on the impact created by Amusement Industry through interac�ve entertainment op�ons, its impact on human development, wellbeing linked lifestyle enhancement and it’s important to introduce young well trained, mature talents in Amusement industry businesses. A formal curriculum based subject induc�on will surely help Indian Amusement industry in terms of refined contemporary service deliveries as well as increasing the employability poten�al of students. IAAPI has made humble submission to NCHMCT, CIHMs, SIHMs to consider to start professional programmes in the affiliated ins�tutes of the Council, in the form of Cer�ficate, Diploma courses for students and young professionals to prepare them for working in Amusement Industry. IAAPI is of the view that a graded alterna�ve can be designed for refinement of already employed human assets and laddered courses of knowledge-skill enhancement can be carved out, sui�ng the requirement of the Amusement Industry. 12 THRILLER (October - December 2021) www.iaapi.org FOLLOW US ON OUR SOCIAL NETWORKS 14 THRILLER (October - December 2021) www.iaapi.org Promo�ng Indian Amusement Industry wide IAAPI's Social Media Handles IAAPI is aggressively promo�ng Amusement Park, Theme Park, Water Park, Adventure Park, Indoor Amusement Centres (IAC’s) during Christmas & New Year through its various Social Media handles. This intensive campaign will help in crea�ng awareness about amusement industry as a safe des�na�on to visit for Fun, Joy and Happiness along with families and friends during the fes�ve season. As we take this ini�a�ve to promote Amusement Industry to increase foo�all to parks & IAC’s through our following social media handles: Do like / follow / subscribe IAAPI’s Social Media Handles and encourage your contacts to do the same. This will help to strengthen our Industry. Amusement Centres (IACs) are mushrooming in all ci�es of India. They are an integral part of any mall that you may visit in a metropolis or a �er 2 city. They have become a must for a mall as much as the food court or cineplex. Usually, they are located on the higher levels of the mall and help to draw massive foo�all. In any family ou�ng, children are usually the focal point and they decide the course of ac�on. For them, a trip to an IAC is always the primary choice. Fortunately, IACs usually have a�rac�ons for all ages, so when children are busy with the arcade games, parents can also play a few games at the bowling alley! Malls have come to realize the popularity of this format and earmark anything from 10,000 to 20,000 square feet for the IAC (depending on the overall availability of space). Barriers to entry for se�ng up IACs’ are low; individuals can easily invest in one on their own accord. The licences required from the Government Authori�es are few in number, and usually not a challenge to obtain. There are a few companies in India who are chain operators and have heavily invested in many IACs’ across different ci�es. These companies o�en encash on the law of averages as markets are unpredictable and don’t respond always in the same fashion in every city. They also enjoy benefits from rota�ng their equipment between their centres so that customers can enjoy novelty. Mall owners will o�en invest in the equipment themselves and operate the centre with their own team. This ensures that they can raise the rent value from revenue generated from the IAC and also a steady flow of foo�all for their mall. Recently, mall owners have been undertaking Joint Ventures with individual investors wherein the former provides the space and the la�er, the equipment. A major benefit of inves�ng in an IAC is the cash nature of the business. All the machines in the centre are used with the swipe of a card, which is preloaded by the front desk with the amount desired by the customer. Payment is collected in cash or through card transac�ons from customers before they are given the playing facility. This eliminates the possibility of bad debts. Another benefit of inves�ng in IACs’ is that managing them is also uncomplicated as they are completely IT-enabled. There are a host of Interna�onal companies who offer integrated cashless systems, which can help the proprietor of an IAC to make sales on card through the POS and get reports on sales, revenue, and other business metrics on a daily basis. Procuring arcade games, redemp�on games, rides, video games, Augmented Reality Games, Virtual Reality games, simula�on machines, bowling alleys, and bumper cars is very easy as they can be bought online from a host of Indian and interna�onal companies. Interested investors can also visit mul�ple exhibi�ons exhibi�ng these exci�ng products, which are held all over the world. Addi�onally, as most of the equipment used are amalgama�ons of hardware and so�ware, it is easy to maintain them. So�ware glitches are o�en handled by the manufacturer through remote access, and hardware issues can be resolved by the technical team at the centre. Availability of high quality technical manpower is s�ll a constraint in India. Hence, companies that invest in quality products with sound technology o�en reep benefits with less down�mes and failures of equipment. This may be capex heavy in the beginning, but in long term, it proves beneficial and profitable for the investors. Cer�fied consultants are available to guide poten�al investors in planning the layout of IACs, conduc�ng techno-economic feasibility reports, iden�fying suitable areas, and designing the IAC. Since the aesthe�c appeal of centre is essen�al to its success, investors are recommended to hire professional interior designers for developing the space. Investors must also pay a�en�on to the concept of revenue per square feet when making decisions about the IAC. An investor will o�en get a long-term lease of mall space on the basis of the square footage of the space. Hence, they must be judicious about the selec�on of the games or a�rac�ons that goes into an Indoor Feasibility and Prospects of Indoor Amusement Centres in India - Mr. Prashant Kanoria Mr. Prashant Kanoria is the Director of Prashant Polykra� Pvt Ltd since 1997. He started his career with the manufacturing of billiards & pool table in Kolkata. Presently exclusive distributor for QubicaAMF Worldwide LLC, USA for India, Nepal, Bangladesh Bhutan and Sri Lanka. Also manufacturing and installing Mini golf facility under the brand name of Pu�a Pu�. 16 THRILLER (October - December 2021) www.iaapi.org IAC. All large format games may not work as they may lead to a lower revenue per square feet, so the investor may want to aim for a mix of big and small size a�rac�ons. A�rac�ons like children play area which is an important cons�tuent must be planned ver�cal rather than be flat on the ground. Movement space between the a�rac�on has to be minimal to op�mize revenue. It is also important to maximize the opera�on �mes of equipment at all �mes. Greater the number of equipment in the centre, greater will be the total revenue. IACs all over the world have a typical weekday graph. The number of customers starts increasing at noon and peaks at around 5pm. From 5pm un�l the closing �me, it is usually either constant or dips a li�le. Hence, IACs must concentrate on maximising revenue in the evenings when the crowd is at peak. How do IACs make revenue? Most of the revenue comes from the sale of games, food and event �ckets. The availability of comfort food boosts revenue and shi�s demand from other loca�ons at the mall. Events like birthday par�es and corporate par�es are another great source of revenue, which is why IACs must be planned so as to be able to host these events. It is evident that IACs’ are a �me-tested investment op�on in India today. Investors so far have seen success in this field, and hence more and more are inves�ng with �me. India’s large popula�on is obviously a boon for this industry. Locals in most areas patronize and frequent IACs’ available to them. Income levels of the middle class have risen, leading to greater disposable income and hence greater scope for spending on entertainment. Further, malls are being built in every nook and corner of the country, and hence investors have their pick of loca�ons for building the wonderful source of revenue that is an Indoor Amusement Centre. IAAPI is thankful to Mr. Prashant Kanoria for sharing some useful informa�on on “Feasibility and Prospects of Indoor Amusement Centres in India”. 18 THRILLER (October - December 2021) www.iaapi.org The Water Park Design and Safety - Ms. Sohret Pakis products separate from the rides themselves; thus, we are developing a�rac�ons with these components already designed into them because we have integrated waterslide �ming systems, sensor systems, traffic lights and special effects into the designs, they receive the benefit of truly interac�ve a�rac�ons. We are all living in an era of a social, digital, and mobile world with the rise of smart phones, tablets, and social media. When we think about the next genera�on, when we think about our kids, they were born in this mobile era. This genera�on will be our clients - they will be the ones who will go to waterparks. I believe we should now address them when designing our products. This is our newest challenge. They are smart and very crea�ve, mobile, very ac�ve in social media, and like to ac�vely par�cipate. Above all, however, they like to create entertainment in their own way. They don’t always want to take what is served, but would rather be a part of it, interact, and create their way of fun. Sooner or later I believe we will witness this new world of digitaliza�on, mobiliza�on, and socializa�on being implemented into the designs of water play a�rac�ons. As I men�oned, consumers themselves are now shaping the design. I believe we will begin to witness the synchroniza�on of the various aspects of a�rac�on design. Manufacturers will soon be integra�ng manufacturing and material technologies, design programs, media-based a�rac�ons, and special effects into more and more waterslides and water play a�rac�ons. Waterpark industry is con�nually evolving, waterparks want to offer the most a�rac�ve, exci�ng, and appealing rides. Since we live in a society in which guests demand novelty, I think the biggest challenge for the waterpark operators is to make sure they con�nually offer new, exci�ng rides that a�ract guests, keep their interest, and make them want to come back again and again - especially “exci�ng” waterslides - waterslides that offer the most heart-pounding, intense experiences: high-speed, exhilara�ng ride paths and big drops. We must make sure our clients have the most fun, most exci�ng and most original rides ever created. But safety has to be first in your mind while s�ll maintaining the most exci�ng and exhilara�ng ride paths. Thanks to computer-aided design and simula�on, 100% safe designs can be offered. Interac�vity and theming are overarching trends currently taking place in the waterpark industry. Interac�vity for example has led a new line of waterslides in our por�olio: ‘effects and technology-integrated’ waterslides. Our research shows that guests want interac�vity, uniqueness and rides that allow them to share the fun and overall experience with others. These slides include automated systems, such as waterslide traffic control / signal light systems, sensor systems, �ming systems, control units, and the integra�on of special effect and media-based a�rac�ons such as visual and auditory effects and augmented reality. Another rising trend is “theming”. Customers want waterslides tell them stories. Along with the trend of theming and mul�- rider a�rac�ons, we think guests’ interest in interac�vity is adding a lot of excitement to the industry. It’s also why we have introduced what we refer to as effects- and technology- integrated waterslides. Plus, we are also working to add the digitaliza�on and the socializa�on into the waterpark a�rac�ons. I think providing a�rac�ons with special effects is also going to pose a greater challenge to park owners. That’s why we are pu�ng a huge emphasis on this. On our side, this led to a new line of waterslides on our side which we can name as effects- and technology-integrated waterslides. The incorpora�on of these features has, in fact, affected the overall design of our products. Take traffic lights, for example. We do not want customers to have to purchase these extra IAAPI is thankful to Ms. Sohret Pakis for sharing some important �ps on “Water Park Design and Safety”. Sohret studied Economics at Bogazici University in Istanbul, and went on to further study Economic History at the same university. Her first work experience was at Pfizer Pharmaceu�cals. She started her career at the Human Resources Department. In 2004, she joined the Polin Waterparks team. Sohret is now the Director of Marke�ng & Communica�ons at Polin Group. Sohret has been a commi�ee member of IAAPA EMEA (Interna�onal Associa�on of Amusement Parks and A�rac�ons - Europe, Middle East and Africa) M&S Commi�ee since 2016. Sohret is serving as a board member at Turkish Associa�on of Amusement Parks, Recrea�on and A�rac�ons (TEPEA). She is the head of waterpark and recrea�on commi�ees. She is also serving as the head of the interna�onal commi�ee at Adventure Parks Associa�on (IPAR). 20 THRILLER (October - December 2021) www.iaapi.org