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Six Flags Chief Executive Officer Mark Shapiro says that he needs to find more products to fill a niche and make money at the same time. It's just one of the ways Shapiro urged an estimated crowd of 22,000 at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions' annual show to stop thinking about the industry as "mature" and redefine the ways it entertains.
Read more from The Orlando Sentinel.
And I doubt he spoke to 22k people at the $75 a ticket GM meeting.
Also from the article:
"But Shapiro said the way to find stable financial footing also comes down to basics such as a clean park, friendly employees and fun costumed characters."
Hmmm. This seems to go back my idea that the guy gets it, but he's in a professional situation where his arms are tied much of the time.
Even better is the last bit of the article talking about Seabreeze president Rob Norris:
"He said theme parks need to capitalize on their ability to entertain families and echoed Shapiro's call to intensify how they vie for families' limited leisure time. "We're competing against that soccer field," said Norris, president of Seabreeze Park in Rochester, N.Y."
The idea that theme parks compete against other forms of leisure entertainment more than each other is one that's been floating around with a certain segment of CB'ers for a while now. It's also a valid point.
Honestly, I think these guys get it and it's nice to see some forward thinking going on, because the years of Burke just slapping up some coasters and expecting people to come sure didn't work.
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