ARENA PROFESSIONALS REFLECT ON INDUSTRY CHALLENGES AND GROWTH TACTICS
Pete Carlson Senior Director of Operations and Programming Schwan SuperRink Blaine, Minn.
Debby Kwasman Director of Operations RDV Sportsplex Ice Den
Orlando, Fla.
Dan Hanson
Executive Director RMU Island Sports Center
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Jim Bugenhagen General Manager Vice President Sky Rink
Chelsea Piers – Pier 61 New York, N.Y.
With a new year begun, we felt it was an ideal time to reach out to ice arena members to hear their thoughts on the most significant challenges facing not only their rink/s, but also the ice arena industry as a whole. Nine ice arena professionals took time out of their busy schedules to share their views on this, as well as their plans for continued growth and the role ISI plays in helping them to achieve their goals. Their responses are as follows:
BIGGEST CHALLENGES
Ronald Corker General Manager Dr Pepper StarCenter Farmers Branch Farmers Branch, Texas
What are the biggest challenges facing your facility?
Carlson:
Christy Malacrea Skating Director Dr Pepper StarCenter – Farmers Branch Farmers Branch, Texas
Nic Bologna Supervisor of Recreation
Community Service Parks and Recreation Line Creek Community Center Ice Arena Kansas City, Mo.
Te biggest challenge in our facility is that the SuperRink is pushing 20 years old. When a facility is aging, it takes an entire new way to manage it. We are not just fixing things that break, we are replacing things that break. Te expense line in the budget is not going down; it is only going up. Tat, of course, puts pressure on ice sales, sponsorship and hospitality.
Kwasman:
Amy Fankhauser Director of Skating Line Creek Ice Arena Kansas City, Mo.
• Continuously trying to stay on top of aging equipment and an aging facility that opened in 1998.
• Finding capable part-time staff.
Lauren Hunt Skating Director World Ice Arena Flushing, N.Y.
• Finding available ice to fulfill the demand; offering non-traditional times; and getting creative about how to use the ice for all of our programming/user groups.
ISI EDGE SPRING 2017 Hanson:
For us, it is the possible over-saturation of skating facilities in the greater Pittsburgh area, as well as the rising costs of doing business that has to be passed on to participants, from beginners to veterans, in any of our programs — a cost that is driven by increasing energy, payroll and maintenance expenses.
Bugenhagen:
Increase in costs related to operation, and upkeep of the facility related to maintenance, utilities, and payroll in relation to our programming price increases, which are far smaller in comparison. I have been very price conscience for our customer base over the last few years and try to build business on volume, being careful not to impact the customers’ experience.
Corker:
Tere is a tremendous opportunity for ice sport in the Dallas Metroplex. At the same time, we are still emerging from being a non-traditional ice sport market. Increasing ice utilization will always be at the top of the list in my opinion.
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