“ We have the most interactive, fun and memorable award-winning party program; it’s our pride and joy.”

—Gaston Larios SDIA hosts an average of 30 parties

each month — which translates to an incredible 6,000 children annually. “We have the most interactive, fun and memo- rable award-winning party program; it’s our pride and joy,” Larios says. “It has taken us years to develop something so unique in all of San Diego.” Parties are set in the Ice Qub Party Hall

and the smaller Zaney Room, with themes including the Kids’ Hero Party, the Kids’ Zaney Party and the Teen Meltdown Party.

“ Our biggest interest is to make sure our industry is always growing.” — CJ Scheurman

“Our ‘Five Steps to an Amazing Party

Experience’ (featured in the Fall 2012 ISI EDGE) have been the key to position- ing us as the best in the country,” Larios explains. For the past 15 years, SDIA and the

YMCA facilities of San Diego have teamed up to offer the Fun & Learn summer ice skating and hockey camp program. Te partnership involves each YMCA location promoting its two-week camp session in its facility, taking enroll- ment and providing transportation and camp leaders. SDIA, in turn, offers a four-hour daily session including skat- ing and lunch, affordably priced as an admission and lesson to allow the Y to add its transportation and staff costs. “It’s a win-win situation, since these are chil- dren who come back to our programs,” Larios says.

SDIA is not only focused on its own

business growth and development, but also that of the ice skating industry as a whole. Each winter, SDIA manages an outdoor ice rink in the heart of down- town San Diego called Fantasy on Ice, a nonprofit effort that donates all pro- ceeds to a cancer program at Rady Children’s Hospital. “It’s a complicated setup in the center of the city that runs for two months, but it’s all worth it,” says Scheurman. “Once it opens, it hosts close to 35,000 skaters in those two months. It has raised the awareness of our sport and helped the industry overall in San Diego. Our biggest interest is to make sure our industry is always growing.” ISI administrative membership and

participation has been an SDIA priority since the Linssens took ownership in 2000.

“Te combination of ISI’s focus on ice skat- ing as a recreational sport and our focus of wowing the customer has been successful for us,” notes Philip Linssen. “Part of our success is a result of keeping up with the industry and exploring new ideas through ISI programs and events. We’ve been part of ISI conferences, seminars and educa- tional programs, developing our people through the ISI from the beginning of our business. Four of our top management employees hold iAIM certificates, and we even have a Certified Arena Executive in the house.” Linssen says iAIM training has provided

SDIA with the tools to reduce turnover and increase professional growth, confi- dence and consistency. SDIA’s healthy ISI membership regis-

trations have allowed the facility to earn Membership Rewards, which they have applied toward iAIM and conference registrations. For San Diego Ice Arena, leading the

SDIA manages an outdoor winter rink in the heart of downtown San Diego called Fantasy on Ice, a nonprofit effort that benefits a cancer program at Rady Children’s Hospital.

pack isn’t about being competitive with other ice arenas. “We face many com- petitors in our city, but none of them are rinks,” Larios explains. “In this beautiful city with this close-to-perfect weather, we are competing against the beach, the out- doors and amusement parks. So, for us, there is no option to just be open; we have to work hard to make sure every skater has a WOW experience.”

16 ISI EDGE WINTER 2014