Our industry is all about story telling and immersing our guests into an experience. Today, we had the genuine pleasure of being guided through much of Universal Studios in Orlando by a good friend. We thoroughly enjoyed peeking behind the scenes at the magic and also touring some of the big new attractions. They were awesome! But the highlight of the day was an experience most guests don't take the time to enjoy. Our friend encouraged us to take in the dinosaur photo opportunity. The signage was minimal and the lineup was a small hidden trail leading off the main path. Each group was encouraged to stand near the fence, behind which a raptor was 'caged'. We watched the guests interaction as we waited. By the time it was our turn we had figured out what would happen and even how the illusion was pulled off. But when we stood by the fence for our photo, our state of unbelief instantly vanished. Our guest host skillfully captured our attention as he posed us and then the dinosaur behind us took full control and made the situation fully believable. This is themed entertainment at it's very best!
It's a set up
I love it when a plan is perfectly executed and our setup for the IAAPA show turned out to be exactly that. We walked into the convention center just before 9:00 am, got our show badges and found our space on the floor. Our booth was waiting just outside our space. We removed the (heavy) tarp and summoned a forklift to move it into position.. Then we strung the cords, tested the TV and lights and unpacked the business cards and brochures. Everything tested out fine and we were back in the hotel before 10:00 am. Tomorrow morning we will go in to unroll the carpet and check things out one last time but we are basically ready for our debut at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions EXPO in Orlando. We are booth number 2159. See you there starting Tuesday!
Arrived in Orlando
After a long day travelling we have arrived in Orlando. Our hotel is near the Orange County Convention Center. We'll be up early tomorrow to do our set up. Hopefully the booth will be in place and it is a simple matter of taking off the cover and rolling out the carpet. After a year of preparation of waiting the show is now a real thing!