I had the opportunity to attend the IAAPA Trade Show / Conference for the first time with my colleague, Renee Clarke. Greenheart is a member of IAAPA because we work with many amusement industry companies. This membership allows us to develop partnerships with theme parks and to better understand their seasonal staffing needs as it relates to Greenheart’s Summer Work Travel program and our participants from all around the world.
At the conference, we met with many of our current host organizations and discussed ideas to increase our partnership and improve the experience for both participants and their businesses. Additionally, we introduced our Work Travel and Intern/Trainee programs to new-to-Greenheart businesses who could benefit from engaging with a culturally-diverse exchange program.
To have the opportunity to share the space with the leading industry attractions, supplier companies, consultants, and members from more than 100 countries was an experience of a lifetime. There were several member representatives who host Greenheart’s Summer Work Travel BridgeUSA participants including Cedar Point, Lagoon Amusement Park, HB Leisure, Holiday World, and many more. It was great to see them in their element.
We attended many sessions with our hosts to learn about the day-to-day of their operations, what works, and the WINS. Members discussed critical business needs, while education sessions and panels shared best practices, the latest products, and some spectacular innovations. Cedar Point partnered with Zamperla to unveil the Top Thrill 2 Train on the trade show floor and Holiday World unveiled their gravy-boat shaped train at the Vekoma booth. What a thrill!
Another highlight was volunteering at the Give Kids the World Village, an organization dedicated to creating magical, beautiful wish vacations for critically ill children and their families. Special events, plus donations made from IAAPA attendees raised $160,000 to support the Give Kids the World mission!
We are grateful to have met so many people and look forward to speaking again soon. Should we inadvertently miss you in our call backs, please reach out to Renee Clarke ( rclarke@greenheart.org ) or to me, Kathleen Mears ( kmears@greenheart.org ).
Thank you Kathleen for sharing your experience!
