FEATURE by Andrew Schoendienst
As most of us in the Carnival Industry stretch of the season, we are excited for
ON THE END OF THE SEASON AND GETTING READY FOR IAAPA Reunion of Sorts
a multitude of reasons. Yes, it is of course, the best time of the year for sports. High school, collegiate and professional football are rolling strong as the baseball playoffs are culminating. As I write this, the St. Louis Cardinals bottom of their division, but good news for our late, great
friend and mentor Tom Powell, of the Amusement Business Magazine and OABA ShowTime, his Philadelphia Phillies
look poised to make a run deep into October, so I’ll be rooting with him. Hockey and basketball are getting ready to kick off their seasons this time of year. It is also mine and many likeminded human beings’ favorite season of Fall or “Autumn” if you are a third grade English teacher. All in all, Summer is ending and for better or for worse, the 2024 Carnival to the MOST EXCITING portion of our careers in this great Industry, and that is planning for the FUTURE.
When the majority of Carnival Industry routes come to a close and we all get to spend valued time with Family and Friends and OUR HOMES, we get to take some well-deserved “time off” the road (notice the quotations) and have moments
Saturday and Sunday. Thanks to Dale Negus’s, of Fairplay Games/ Deggeller Attractions, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
and their win against Florida State in Ireland, I’m actually off to a good start.
After a quick “recharge of the batteries,” it’s time to pack up and go to IAAPA. IAAPA can be a special
place for many people. As many wrap up conversations about capital investments or start new ones, many of us transcend to Orlando for a few days or a few hours to put ideas together. It’s one of the most fun aspects of
what we all do. We get to be as creative as we want to be. I
EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE:
•Moser 8.5m Tower — $99,000 •Kilinski Slide (T/M) — $39,000 •Orient Express (T/M) — $99,000
•Zamperla Red Baron — $59,000 •KMG Freakout (T/M) — $499,000 •Zamperla Baja Buggy — $69,000 •ARM High Flyer (T/M) — $275,000
•Visa Mini Bumper Cars (6 cars) — $69,000 •Technical Park Street Fighter (T/M) — $469,000
As my friend Marc Janas, B. Original Foods/ Powers Great American Midways, reminded me a year ago, many of the same families that were around years ago are the same families that are mainstays at these conventions today. That is very unique in this world with ANY industry, and is something we should all be very proud of.
Starting Anew
Whether we are making a new sexy purchase on a new super spectacular ride, having a meeting with our Insurance providers or just worshipping together ideas for the future, IAAPA is a time to think about the long term future. I never had the opportunity to meet my grandmother, but
meet friends and business partners for meals, almost all are one in the same, or attend meetings, we are reminded that we have more in common with each other in the Carnival Industry than we do with most of the other folks attending IAAPA from the “corporate” world. To many, including me, it can be comforting to see familiar faces and their families doing well.
Winnifred Luehrs, founder of Luehrs’ Ideal Rides, preached to my family that IAAPA was a place where you got ideas to stay ahead of the game in the Carnival Industry. I for one, look forward to what all the OABA members put together in the coming years from this Convention. It is up to all of us to think of not only the next 2 years, but the next 20 years to preserve this Industry for future generations. I truly hope that every single person has had a peaceful, safe
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and prosperous 2024. See you in Orlando!
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