Alexandria, VA, USA — IAAPA Leadership Conference 2014 will bring together leaders from amusement parks and attractions worldwide to learn how to leverage their companies’ story to drive business, March 5 -7 in San Francisco, California. Owners and management from amusement parks, water parks, family entertainment centers, museums, science centers, zoos, aquariums, and attractions industry suppliers will visit four San Francisco-area attractions during the conference, including Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, a 100-year-old seaside amusement park that weaves its history into every guest’s experience.
Officials from Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk will give conference attendees a behind-the-scenes look at the unique work areas below the boardwalk, tell the story behind the park’s oldest ride, the 1911 Looff Carousel, and see how the free-admission park monitors its more than 20 access points. Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk President Charles Canfield will discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by being a family-owned park and how the company engages its employees, keeps its nostalgia current, and creates an emotional connection with its guests.
“We regularly hear from guests who tell us that they visited the Boardwalk with their parents and grandparents when they were children, and now they love to share the Boardwalk with their own children,” Canfield said when asked about the lasting connections between the Boardwalk and its guests. “They are particularly impressed by how the Boardwalk has remained essentially the same for generations, and yet continues to always get better. After talking to so many guests over the years, it is very clear that the experience of visiting the Boardwalk has made a very deep, life-long impression.”
IAAPA Leadership Conference 2014 also includes informative visits to the Exploratorium, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, and the San Francisco Zoo, as well as a keynote speech from Roger Gould, creative director, theme parks, Pixar Animation Studios. Additional information regarding IAAPA Leadership Conference 2014 registration, event details, and sponsorship opportunities are available at www.IAAPA.org/