A panel of IAAPA Hall of Famers gathered yesterday (15 November) to share insights from their illustrious careers, giving advice and sharing wisdom picked up over the course of a number of decades.

Hosted by BRC Imagination Arts’ Bob Rogers - a Hall of Famer in his own right - this year’s panel was made up of 2006 inductee Dick Kinzel and 2007 inductee Dick Nunis, along with the newly inducted Tim O’Brien and Roland Mack.

Mack - the eldest son of IAAPA HAll of Famer, Franz Mack, and co-founder of Europa Park - said that to succeed in the attractions industry and to leave a mark, risks need to be taken.

“If you believe in something you have to do it,” he said, explaining how Europa Park succeeded where others have failed in creating an attraction branded around Europe.

“I was a great believer in the ‘Europa’ idea, not only because of our location between Switzerland, France and Germany. We never looked too much to the political situation of Europe, rather the geographic side of things. We took this idea, we kept going with it, we kept spending and expanding and finally we succeeded. When we started the banks said it was going to be the biggest failure ever. You have to be convinced and you have to take the risk. That’s what my father and I did.”

O’Brien - an award-winning photographer and journalist who has been working in the attractions sector for more than four decades - is the first reporter to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Sharing his experience of the industry, he said that one of the main things attractions must be aware of today is the immediacy of social media and the need to be prepared for any eventuality.

“Sensationalism is the key today. It’s so easy right now,” he said. “When I started in the 80s we didn’t have Twitter or cellphones. The only way to communicate was to run back, call the news desk and start spreading the word. Nowadays when something happens, usually someone has filmed it with their camera or phone. They usually know before any of the media does. I think the big difference is the immediacy - if something happens the world knows immediately. Management has to think on their feet and be prepared at all times for things to happen and people to know it immediately.”

Dick Kinzel, who was president and CEO of Cedar Fair until 2012, leading its massive expansion including the acquisition of the former Paramount Parks in 2006, shared the biggest mistake he’d made during his career - trying to copy from Disney.

“We had a bobsleigh ride, which was designed as a horse and came out as a camel,” he said. “It was really a dog ride. Everybody knew it and so when I came back to Cedar Park as CEO we put a big box around it and added some theming. The inside story goes that we had a US$4m box with a dog ride in it, so that was the last time we ever tried to copy Disney in any way.”

Dick Nunis, former chairman of Walt Disney Attractions, has a legacy includes nearly every major milestone in Disney theme park history including the development of “Project X,” - what would eventually become Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

“As a young guy I was playing football at the University of Southern California. Then I got hurt and it ended my career,” said Nunis, telling the story of how he got started in the industry. “I took a temporary job for the summer in orientation training earning US$1.80 an hour. While I was working there a guy by the name of Walt Disney took a liking to me. The history and my story shows you have to do the best job you can with the job you’re given to do. Those that look over the hill can never climb the mountain.”

When discussing what advice he would give today’s up-and-comers in the attractions sector, Nunis was clear, urging the leaders of tomorrow to be heard and take risks.

“I think that the biggest problem with young people today is they don’t have the guts to express their opinion. I learned very young that when you’re asked a question, have the guts to give an answer," he said.

“Years and years ago Walt Disney asked me ‘what kind of attraction should we build’ and I told him we needed a rollercoaster. Long story short I thought I was going to get fired but I told him surely our Imagineers could come up with a concept that combines a rollercoaster and a thrill show. He said ‘ok not a bad idea’. Later he came in and said ’I’m going to give you an early birthday present because we’re going to build a scale model of the Matterhorn and put a bobsled in it.’ That then evolved into what we today know as Space Mountain. That’s a classic example of when you get chewed out, don’t worry about it. If you’re honest and you’re sincere, and you think you know what you’re talking about then have the guts to fight for it.”

Check back with Attractions Management during the week for all the latest breaking news coming from IAAPA 2016.