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Letters

From Attractions Management 2023 issue 2

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Let us know what you think about the issues that matter to the industry. We’d love to hear from you – editor@attractionsmanagement.com

Liseberg is getting a new €110m waterpark on its 100th anniversary Photo: Liseberg_QuarryFoldStudio_2020

The years 2020 and 2021 will go down in history as the times that changed the way we look at life, freedom, globalisation, trade, travel, work and togetherness.

We realised the fragility of everything we’d taken for granted and even though we’ve risen – as individuals, companies, societies – the years have left scars that are sometimes hard to conceal.

But now, with the pandemic in the rear-view mirror, I can’t help but reflect on how COVID-19 helped Liseberg in many ways.

It turned everything upside down and we had to pivot and after doing things the same way for almost 100 years, it made us dare to challenge everything we’d previously taken for granted in our business.

The pandemic became a lever, a force that pushed us over the edge and into the unknown, to the point where now we conclude that the changes we were forced to make rescued us in many ways.

Firstly, 2022 goes down in history as the most profitable year in Liseberg’s history and many of the changes we introduced, such as capacity restrictions, differentiated pricing, continued focus on maximising guest satisfaction, are likely to transform the way Liseberg operates for good.

And now, as we move through 2023 – our centenary year – it feels both exhilarating and frightening. Exhilarating because we have so much good going on – the best team ever, a new hotel, an exciting coaster and all the experience we’ve gained over the last few years. Frightening because of uncertainties – the war in Ukraine, inflation, the ongoing energy-crisis, and a potential recession, to name just a few.

But, as always, something good may come out of all this. As Winston Churchill famously said when he was working to form the United Nations after WWII, “Never let a good crisis go to waste”. Our situation is obviously less complex, but we‘ll do our best to ensure 2023 will not only be a year of celebrating the past, but also the start of something new.

Photo: Anna-Lena Lundqvist

"We’ll do our best to ensure that 2023 will not only be a year of celebrating the past, but also the start of something new" – Andreas Andersen, CEO, Liseberg

Paul Kelly

CEO, BALPPA (The British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers & Attractions)

Photo: BALPPA

In our fantastic industry, we’re always keen to attract new businesses and people to work in the sector. Having been in the industry myself for many years, working in great businesses and with great people, I know what an amazing and long-standing career you can have.

That’s why in 2022 at BALPPA we made a change in the way we do things and opened up our association to individuals as well as businesses, by launching an Individual Membership category.

The new category was launched to help support and develop people already working within attractions businesses looking to progress their career, as well as those who might have left an industry business but want to keep in touch. We hope this category will also attract new people who are looking to pursue a career within the industry, either as an operator or as a trade supplier or service provider.

As a member-to-member association, which has over 300 members and has represented the interests of the UK’s commercial leisure parks, piers, zoos, visitor attractions and family entertainment and indoor play centres since 1936, we want to develop this new category to make membership an affordable and attractive proposition for individuals and not just businesses.

We’ve been delighted to welcome many individuals to the association who’ve joined via the new category of membership from various backgrounds and businesses and with varying levels of experience. We’re currently planning our first event for individual members where they will have the opportunity to visit a member attraction, network with their peers and hear from and speak to members of BALPPA’s management committee.

We want to encourage more individuals to join us and get a head start in their career, so if you’re an individual working within the industry and maybe looking to progress to a more senior position, simply want to engage directly with BALPPA and its members, or you’ve left a leisure business and would like to continue to network with members, this is for you. Individual membership is priced at just £100 per person for one year.

This membership category provides a series of benefits including access to BALPPA’s events, webinars, newsletters and other guidance documents, as well as access to specific events for this group.

More information on our new membership category is live on the BALPPA website (www.attractionsmanagement.com/balppaindie) where you’ll also find more information on the benefits of membership and the application form. You can also contact us at information@balppa.org

We want to make membership an affordable and attractive proposition for individuals

BALPPA has opened its membership to individuals / Photo: Paultons Park

Originally published in Attractions Management 2023 issue 2