ASTM Update

Recently I attended the ASTM International F-24 Committee meeting in New Orleans. Although I talk about safety standards and ASTM all the time, this was my first time actually attending a meeting—and I was in awe over not only the amount of work that got accomplished in such a short timeframe, but also at the talent and passion committee members have for the attractions industry.

More than 125 individuals from eight countries attended the F-24 committee meeting, which lasted three days. I personally attended meetings on water attractions, terminology, restraint systems, and a Canadian harmonization session, but there were many other meetings on topics such as ziplines, ropes courses, and challenge courses; fall protection; training, and certification; and, my favorite name for a task group: Gravity or Patron Controlled Non-mechanical Spherical Devices.

One of the highlights of the meeting was when Walt Disney Imagineer Mike Withers was presented with ASTM’s highest award, the ASTM Award of Merit. Mike is only the second member of the F-24 committee to receive this honor, which makes him a “Fellow” of the ASTM society. I have worked with Mike regularly during my time at IAAPA, and can personally attest to why he is deserving of this award, but I think the Awards Task Group’s nomination remarks describe Mike’s talent and passion so much better:

“[we] nominate Mike for this award for his technical expertise combined with his engaging personality, his reputation for integrity, fairness and openness, and his unique ability to solicit compromise between opposing views that have led to increase the standing and relevance of Committee F24 and ASTM in the global marketplace. The work that he has shepherded, participated in or successfully incorporated in regulation has set the bar for safety that will allow for countless happy experiences for generations to come. His contributions have made ASTM the leader in standardization in our industry and have helped us all to address our single most important responsibility – safety.”

The next ASTM F-24 Committee meeting will be held Oct. 13-15, 2011, in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the Valley Ho Resort. If you are passionate about safety in the attractions industry, you should definitely check it out. Membership on ASTM Committee F-24 gives you the opportunity to work with industry and technical experts from around the world in the premier ASTM standards development forum. You’ll help craft the standards that support the global amusement ride industry and promote safety for ride and park visitors everywhere.

For more information on the fall meeting, or becoming a member of the F-24 committee, check out ASTM International’s website.

Maximize F&B Sales at Your Waterpark

Now is the time to fine-tune your plans for maximizing revenue, guest satisfaction, and attendance. This month’s IAAPA webinar, set for Feb. 23 at 1 p.m. EST, focuses specifically on how waterparks can boost food and beverage sales, but any park with concessions can learn from our experts. Ken Whiting of Whiting’s Foods/Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk shares some insight into what participants can expect from the session.

What are the key areas of focus during this webinar?
We’ll address some current trends and strategies that work for all food and beverage operations in the attractions industry, as well as some waterpark-specific areas, including:
- cabana sales
- maximizing beverage revenue
- cashless payment systems
- healthier food options

Can you share a challenge waterparks face in refining and updating F&B offerings?
The spending patterns within waterparks are different than in a dry park. Being in bathing suits without constant access to money limits spending. Aligning their operation with services, menu items, and payment methods that enhance and encourage spending is key.

What types of information can participants in this webinar implement immediately?
There will be best practices and strategies shared that work in our industry. Menu item development, peak sales period management, and staff motivation ideas are typically low cost, easy to implement, and able to be acted on right away.

What is the most appropriate audience for this session?
Anyone with food service, retail, or general management responsibilities at a waterpark attraction will benefit from the information.

What can small/independent operators with tighter budgets glean from this session?
Many operators believe they have to spend big for large returns. Often that just isn’t the case. We’ll provide many proven tactics that are low cost, high return, and industry specific. Even with little or no budget, significant gains can be had. Everyone who participates in this webinar will leave with ideas that will work for them.

To learn more about IAAPA’s free member webinars and to register, click here.

New CPSIA Resources

Product Safety Daily is a free daily e-mail publication that focuses on global consumer product safety news. Consumer product safety has been a hot topic in the U.S. for the past several years, with the passage and implementation of the Virginia Graeme Baker Act and the Consumer Product Safety Improvements Act, but there have also been major consumer product safety reforms in other parts of the world, such as Canada and Europe. If you’re not already receiving it, I recommend you sign up for Product Safety Daily.

Speaking of the CPSIA, its implementation has been a difficult-to-follow process. Provisions are stayed and stays are then extended, making it can be difficult to keep track of what parts of the law are in effect now. CPSC has created a chart of CPSIA requirements and their stays of enforcement—such as the recently extended Section 102 Testing and Certification requirements. IAAPA members can reference this chart to review the status of the many CPSIA provisions that impact the attractions industry.

You can find the chart and other CPSIA resources over at IAAPA’s Toy Safety webpage.

Start Planning: National Tourism and Travel Week Is Coming!

Every year the first full week of May is recognized as National Travel and Tourism Week in the U.S. During this week cities, states, and travel businesses nationwide sponsor rallies and other events to celebrate the power of travel.

The week began as National Tourism Week, and was established by Congress in 1983. In a 1984 White House ceremony, President Ronald Reagan signed a Presidential Proclamation urging citizens to observe the week with “the appropriate ceremonies and activities.” Since its establishment, the U.S. travel community has collectively marked the event in a number of creative ways, from staging local rallies and conducting media outreach to securing proclamations and resolutions from local legislative bodies.

This year, the event will be May 7-15, with the Travel Rally Day occuring May 10.

Travel Rally Day is a concerted effort to demonstrate travel's impact on local workers, businesses, and economies. Individual events are staged in cities nationwide during National Travel and Tourism Week. The goal of Rally Day is to unite a community's travel workers and supporters and publicly represent the industry to media, elected officials and residents with a message that travel matters to this nation and to local communities.

Now is the time to start planning for National Tourism and Travel Week and the Travel Rally Day. Our friends at the U.S. Travel Association have compiled a website of helpful tips and tools to help you plan. Your local visitors bureau or state tourism agency may already have something in the works, so you may want to combine forces with them, or start your own!

If you are planning to participate, tell us, so we can help promote your event.

New Pilot Program for J-1 Visa Summer Workers

Last fall, the U.S. Department of State announced a pilot program which will make changes to the J-1 visa Summer Work Travel (SWT) program. The pilot program is effective now and only applies to SWT participants in six countries (Belarus, Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania, Russia, and Ukraine). It is rumored that this pilot program will be expanded to the entire SWT program through a rulemaking early this year.

Some of the changes included in the pilot program are:

- Students are required to have accepted a job offer prior to interviewing for a visa.
- Certain “inappropriate” job placements are prohibited.
- A public database will be created that identifies all local agents that work with sponsor companies, including evaluations or rating of the local agents.
- Students will be required to complete a survey at the end of their stay.
- All participants (students, sponsors, agents, etc.) will need to abide by a new Code of Conduct.

IAAPA has been told there will be a regulatory action on the SWT program in the first few months of 2011. We have also been told the regulatory action will be the release of an interim final rule with an open comment period where interested parties can submit their comments to the Department of State. We do not know if the interim final rule will be effective in time for the 2011 hiring season.

IAAPA is monitoring the issue, and will alert members when the regulatory action occurs and how IAAPA members can submit comments on the proposed rules.

IAAPA Submits Comments on ADA Rulemaking

Yesterday the comment period closed for several Advanced Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on regulations related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). IAAPA submitted a comment letter to the U.S. Department of Justice, explaining the potential effects these proposed rules could have on the attractions industry.

The proposed regulations do not replace the final rules that go into effect March 15. Those final rules address standards of accessible design and barrier removal activities. If implemented, these proposed rules will address websites, self-service equipment such as vending machines or ticket kiosks, and movie captioning.

The attractions industry is committed to providing accessible entertainment for all guests. IAAPA agrees with the intent of the proposed rules, but did ask that flexibility be granted for some of our members' unique attractions. We also requested DOJ grant the industry adequate time between when the final rules are published and their effective dates.

Next Steps

What should happen next is DOJ will review all of the comments it received and move forward with a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), which will be open for comments. After considering those comments, DOJ will publish a final rule. I have not heard a timeframe on these regulations, but it probably won't be until later this year, or even in 2012.

Safety Update: Web Conferences on CPSIA Database and OSHA Regulatory Agenda

On Thursday, January 20, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) will hold a webcast demonstrating the new Publicly Available Consumer Product Safety Information Database. IAAPA members will remember the database is part of the Consumer Product Safety Improvements Act and allows consumers to make "reports of harm" about consumer products.

During the webinar, CPSC Commissioner Bob Adler and database Project Manager Ming Zhu will demonstrate key functions of the database, including the new Business Portal, where manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers can register to receive notification if a report is made about a product. The Business Portal is designed to facilitate more efficient electronic notice, review, and comment on reports of harm before they are published in the database. Businesses will be able to register an account on the Business Portal during this demonstration.

Webinar participants will also learn how a consumer will use the online reporting form and how to search the database for information about consumer products.

Participation is free, but advanced registration is required.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Labor held a series of webchats about its current regulatory agenda. The archived chats are available on the Department of Labor’s website. IAAPA members should pay close attention to the chats concerning the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Wage and Hour Division .