Education on an Executive Level

We’re less than a month away from one of IAAPA’s preeminent learning opportunities, as the Institute for Executive Education at The Wharton School runs from Feb. 3-6 at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

The focus of this year’s program is on technology and guest service—more specifically, how the twain meet in today’s amusement facilities. You can find everything you need to know about it over here at IAAPA.org, but we also thought you’d like to hear from someone who’s already planning to attend. Doug Stagner, vice president of park operations for Busch Gardens Europe in Williamsburg, told us the following about why he’s coming to Wharton this year:

I'm very much looking forward to attending the Institute for Executive Education at The Wharton School next month. It will be a great opportunity to meet and network with industry peers and leaders from around the globe.

The “High Tech and High Touch” theme to this year's program is well timed, with the continuing focus on service and rapid expansion of the use of technology in the amusement industry. Professional development is important to anyone looking to learn and grow.

The Wharton program is unique in that it is offered by one of the leading business schools in the country, yet is tailored to our industry. I participated in the IAAPA Cornell program in 2000 and found it to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. I look forward to the Wharton program to be just as rewarding and exciting.