World Waterpark Association Symposium and Trade Show Set to Begin in Las Vegas

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Vegas, NV, USA -- Taking place over four days, Oct. 2-5, 2012, at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, the WWA Symposium is the first choice of water leisure professionals for emerging information and best practices.

Sessions are scheduled on anarray of topics that apply to all segments of the waterpark industry.  The Symposium offers more than 50 seminars and intensive workshops on a vast number of water-leisure topics.

Whether a waterpark in the public sector, affiliated with a hotel/resort, part of a corporate chain, privately owned or international, WWA’s educational program covers topics that will interest operators.

Specific tracks focus on:

• Marketing
• Risk Management
• Maintenance
• Food & Beverage
• Aquatics
• Development
• And other related topics!

The WWA Trade Show, Oct. 3 & 4, 2012, offers opportunities to connect with the industry leading waterpark designers, builders and manufacturers. Attendees will get access to the most up-to-date info on products and services and get your questions answered by industry experts.

The show floor is where exhibitors come to unveil their latest product innovations. In fact, the prototype for the first uphill water coaster was revealed at a WWA Show.

For more information on the WWA Symposium and Trade Show, visit http://www.waterparks.org/convention.asp

City of Los Angeles Approves Revised Universal Expansion and NFL Stadium Addition to Downtown Urban Entertainment Center

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by Joe Kleiman, IPM News Editor

Los Angeles, CA, USA (October 2, 2012) -- On September 27, the Los Angeles City Planning Commission authorized the NBC Universal Evolution Plan Alternative 10 to proceed to the next stage of approval.  According to paperwork filed with the city, this "No Residential Alternative would eliminate all 2,937 residential units  of the proposed Project and 180,000 square feet of neighborhood and community serving commercial uses and would add approximately 307,949 additional net new square feet of Studio Uses of which 50,000 square feet would be located within the City, approximately 647,320 additional net new square feet of Studio Office uses of which 205,000 net new square feet would be located in the City and an additional 1,000 Hotel rooms of which up to 500 rooms would be located in the City within the Entertainment Area. Alternative 10 includes additional parking structures."

The Los Angeles Times reports that a key provision in allowing the plan to go forward was NBC Universal's agreement to invest in bike paths on the property:

"The bike path along the L.A. River was a key demand of environmentalists and bicycle enthusiasts, who were among the most vocal opponents of NBCUniversal’s original expansion plan.

"On Thursday, the movie and television production company agreed to commit more than $3.3 million for planning, construction and improvement of future bikeways between the movie studio and the waterway and bike-related facilities on nearby streets."

One day later, September 28, the Los Angeles City Council approved construction of the $1.2 billion dollar Farmer's Field, a downtown NFL stadium to be developed at the LA Live Urban Entertainment Center (UEC) by Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG).  No public funding is expected to go into construction of the new stadium.

AEG owns and/or operates a number of arenas, stadiums, convention centers, and concert venues worldwide, as well as two UEC's, the O2 in London (formerly the Millennium Dome) and LA Live, adjacent to the Los Angeles Convention Center, and which is comprised of two luxury hotels, the Grammy Museum, a movie complex, residential development, shopping and dining options, the Nokia Live theater, and the Staples Center sports arena, home of the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers of the NBA and the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL.

Los Angeles has been given priority by the NFL for a new team as, since the mid-90's, it has been the largest metropolitan market without a franchise.

The Council's decision comes two weeks after billionaire Phil Anschutz placed his company, AEG on the auction block.

projectiondesign Highlights Fashion Exhibition at Victoria and Albert

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Fredrikstad, Norway -- Proving once again its ability to provide projection solutions that are ‘tailor made’ to the application, Norway’s projectiondesign® has supplied four pairs of F32 DLP® projectors to a special exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A).

The design for the exhibition’s AV systems was undertaken by Sysco, with on-site integration and implementation by Electrosonic. “The exhibition is on two levels and occupies a splendid domed space, with four alcoves leading off it,” explains Bob Simpson, Founder of Electrosonic.
The four-alcove walls form curved projection surfaces that are taller than they are wide, necessitating the use of a pair of vertically stacked, edge-blended projectors for each alcove. With no alternative but to use the upper level of the exhibition display as the location for the projectors, the integration team designed special housings for them, colour-matched to the décor and perforated to allow for ventilation.

“In meeting the specific requirements of this installation, we turned to projectiondesign as they were the only manufacturer able to supply us with a stylish and compact F32 projector solution that uses very wide-angle lenses and precision optics, together with a lot of fine-tuning which is very important for a project like this. As well as the their installation flexibility, the F32s are capable of running at a very high resolution, WUXGA, which perfectly conveys the image quality, colour accuracy, sharpness and brilliance of the video sequences. The projectors also have a low cost of ownership which is a very attractive benefit for the V&A."

“It was a lot of work to get everything running right, but the end result is extremely nice!”


Anders Løkke, Marketing Director, projectiondesign, says: “The ability to provide projectors to match the specific requirements of installations is one of the things that sets projectiondesign apart from other manufacturers. Around 7,500 people per week are visiting the V&A’s Ballgowns exhibition, and we are delighted to have played such a key role in bringing this landmark project to fruition.”

Titled ‘Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950’, the exhibition presents 60 ballgowns from 1950 to the present day. Displayed over two floors, Ballgowns shows specially-made designs for social events such as private parties, royal state occasions, debutante balls, opening nights and red carpet events. Tour de force eveningwear from the V&A’s vast collection by designers such as Norman Hartnell, Victor Stiebel, Zandra Rhodes, Catherine Walker, Jonathan Saunders and Hussein Chalayan are on show, as well as dresses fresh from the catwalk shows of Roland Mouret, Giles, Erdem, Roksanda Illincic, Antonio Berardi and Mary Katrantzou. The result is a stunning display of British fashion design at its most elegant and evocative – made all the more atmospheric by the creative use of AV technology.

“The V&A specially commissioned some very fine photographs of some of the exhibits, by fashion photographer David Hughes, so it seemed natural to try to incorporate them into the exhibition. This was done by Rollo Hollins of production group Fletcher Wilson, who designed video sequences to appear in the alcoves,” adds Simpson.

For further information about this and other leading products please visit projectiondesign.com

About projectiondesign
projectiondesign is a Norwegian company that designs, manufactures and markets a range of high performance projectors for professional, business and consumer applications. Amongst its core markets are high-resolution scientific visualization, visual training and simulation, medical imaging, broadcast and post production, public media and entertainment. Numerous industry milestones that distinguish projectiondesign's award winning, innovative technology include the introduction of the world's first single-chip SXGA DLP projector in 2002, the first commercially available 1080p DLP projector in 2006, the first WUXGA resolution DLP projector, and the first portable and high-resolution active 3D stereoscopic projector in 2008. In 2009, projectiondesign introduced its first 3-chip projector and debuted LED illumination. 2010 signified the company's first image warp and blend product with the Multi Image Processors, as well as the world premiere of the WQXGA resolution (2,560 x 1,600) projector, and revolutionary patented Remote Light Source technology. The entire professional product range is warranted for 24/7 usage.
projectiondesign is located in Fredrikstad, Norway, with representatives in more than 20 offices throughout the world, and regional headquarters in New York and Beijing.

Gaylord Entertainment Renamed Ryman Hospitality; Marriott Now Managing Ryman Hotels and Nashville Attractions

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EDITOR'S NOTE: On Friday, Sept. 26, the Dollywood Company officially backed out of a partnership with Gaylord for a $50 million snow and waterpark in Nashville, following Gaylord shareholders' decision to convert the company into a real estate trust.  Dolly Parton released the following statement: "Gaylord makes decisions that they feel are good for their company and their stockholders, and I have to make decisions based on what is best for me and the Dollywood Company.  I think everyone knows I love Nashville, and I hope the work we’ve already done will spark more family entertainment in Nashville.” A Herschend Family Entertainment representative confirmed to The Tennessean newspaper that Herschend, Dollywood's parent company, was only involved in the deal through its Dollywood subsidiary and therefore would not continue to be involved with development of the Nashville park on a corporate level.   -JK

Nashville, TN, USA /BUSINESS WIRE/ -- Gaylord Entertainment Company completed the sale on Oct 1 of the Gaylord Hotels brand and the rights to manage its four hotels to Marriott International, Inc. for $210 million. In addition to assuming the management responsibilities for Gaylord’s four hotels, Marriott also assumed the management responsibilities for local Nashville attractions such as the General Jackson Showboat, Gaylord Springs Golf Links and Wildhorse Saloon. Marriott is expected to assume management duties for the Radisson Hotel (to be renamed the Inn at Opryland) on December 1, 2012.

“We are excited that the Marriott transaction is now complete and we are another step closer to officially operating under the REIT structure,” said Colin V. Reed, Ryman Properties chairman and chief executive officer. “We chose Marriott as a partner for this transaction because they share our commitment to building a strong employee culture and delivering a superior customer experience. After completing this transition we are more confident than ever that working with Marriott, we will be able to achieve significant cost synergies within our business and drive additional revenue at our properties, ultimately benefitting our shareholders and positioning our company for sustained growth.”As a restructuring step in its proposed conversion to a REIT, Gaylord also merged with and into its wholly-owned subsidiary, Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. Ryman Properties, the successor to Gaylord’s business, is trading today on the NYSE under the ticker symbol RHP. As a result of the merger, the outstanding shares of Gaylord common stock converted into the right to receive the same number of shares of Ryman Properties common stock. Ryman Properties intends to elect to be taxed as a REIT for federal income tax purposes effective as of January 1, 2013.

Arne Sorenson, Marriott’s president and chief executive officer, said, “We are excited to complete this transaction and begin managing these fantastic properties. All along, our relationship with Colin Reed and his team, as well as the Gaylord organization, has been excellent and the transition process involving the hotels and their STARs has been exceptionally collaborative. We look forward to our Gaylord guests continuing to get the superb service and have the wonderful experiences they expect.”

About Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc.
Ryman Hospitality Properties (NYSE: RHP), formerly known as Gaylord Entertainment Company, a leading hospitality and entertainment company based in Nashville Tennessee, is in the process of restructuring its assets and operations in order to elect to be taxed as a real estate investment trust (REIT) for federal income tax purposes effective as of January 1, 2013, at which time, Ryman Properties intends to specialize in group-oriented, destination hotel assets in urban and resort markets. Ryman Properties’ owned assets include a network of four upscale, meetings-focused resorts totaling 7,795 rooms that are managed by world-class lodging operator Marriott International under the Gaylord Hotels brand (gaylordhotels.com). Other owned assets, managed or to be managed by an independent third-party manager prior to the REIT election, include Gaylord Springs Golf Links, the Wildhorse Saloon, the General Jackson Showboat and the Radisson Hotel Opryland, a 303-room overflow hotel adjacent to Gaylord Opryland. Ryman Properties also owns and operates a number of media and entertainment assets including the Grand Ole Opry (opry.com), the legendary weekly showcase of country music’s finest performers for nearly 90 years; the Ryman Auditorium, the storied former home of the Grand Ole Opry located in downtown Nashville; and WSM-AM, the Opry’s radio home and the only clear-channel station in the U.S. broadcasting music. For additional information about Ryman Properties, visit www.rymanhp.com.

Sally and Warner Bros Movie World Bring the Justice League to Life in Australia

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Oxenford, Australia -- Sally Corporation's new, action-packed interactive dark ride, Justice League: Alien Invasion 3D, was unveiled on September 22 at Warner Bros. Movie World, on Australia's Gold Coast, bringing the world's most famous super heroes to life...battling alongside park guests in an epic fight to defeat one of the most feared villains in the DC Universe. A large crowd waited in line for the much-anticipated opening, excitedly participating in the epic battle.

The Sally team worked closely with Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC Entertainment, to create this dynamic adventure featuring Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, and Supergirl in a fight to save Earth from destruction. They are aided by the amazing Cyborg who recruits guests for the volunteer force and demonstrates how to defeat the alien spores that are attacking citizens in cities throughout the world.

Almost two years in production, the ride features state-of-the-art animatronics and 3D video technology, together with numerous special effects. The five minute ride incorporates eight huge 3D screens, twenty custom vehicles equipped with special laser optical blasters, a dramatic custom musical score, numerous animatronic citizens whom riders must fight to save from the alien spores' evil mind control, and culminates in a dramatic struggle between Superman and the evil villain, in which riders play a decisive role.

The exterior of the 2,000 square meter building is themed as the Hall of Justice. As they enter, visitors are immediately immersed in the story of the alien attack via a "live" newscast anchored by Vicki Vale, who urges viewers to take shelter at Justice League embassies worldwide, and to help defend Earth against the alien threat.


Passing through a high-tech scanning device into the pre-show area, guests discover the animatronic Cyborg in his test lab, and Batman beaming in from the Justice League Watchtower Command Center, in orbit around the Earth. Once aboard their custom tactical assault vehicles, riders are teleported into the dark streets of Gotham City and join the Justice League in an epic battle. Scores are recorded on in-car consoles.

"Our goal was to create a ride based on the Justice League heroes that could be a fun and exciting experience not only for hardcore fans of the franchise, but also those not so familiar with the characters," says Sally Corporation CEO John Wood. "There's a lot of action and interaction throughout the ride, and you're immersed in the experience. There are full-scale three-dimensional sets, scenery, animatronics and special effects throughout, and blended into the city streets and spaceship interiors are high-definition CGI animated sets and characters...allowing us to take the action to new heights."

Tim Fisher, chief executive officer of Village Roadshow Theme Parks, owner of Warner Bros. Movie World, says, "Justice League: Alien Invasion 3D is the perfect fit for this park as it combines the hugely popular DC Entertainment Justice League franchise with a ride jam-packed with action and 3D thrills the whole family will love."

To create this one-of-a-kind dark ride, Sally Corporation pulled together an experienced team including Threshold Animation Studios, Alterface, Techni-Lux, RealD, Bose, Bertazzon, Wyatt Design Group, and Sculpt Studios (Australia), among others.

JUSTICE LEAGUE and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC Comics. (s12)

www.sallycorp.com

About Warner Bros. Consumer Products
Warner Bros. Consumer Products, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world.

About DC Entertainment
DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating its content across Warner Bros. Entertainment and Time Warner. DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to un leash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world. In January 2012, DC Entertainment, in collaboration with Warner Bros. and Time-Warner divisions, launched We Can Be Heroes--a giving campaign featuring the iconic Justice League super heroes--to raise awareness and funds to fight the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.

Miziker Entertainment Brings Resident Evil to Terrorize Universal Studios Japan

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Osaka, Japan -- Miziker Entertainment has turned Gramercy Park at Universal Studios Japan into "Raccoon City" from Capcom's Resident Evil game franchise, and created a live event inside the Terminator 2:3D theater, with all new sound design, video segments, and a horror maze. The cast of 35 includes stunt performers, actors, zombie contortionists, parkour "freerunners", and costumed creatures that emerge from the darkness.
Outside, there are over 200 feet of animated architectural projection mapping generated by 32 20K projectors mounted on rooftops. The sound design from the Dreams Are Universal stage and parade route is all original.
The park has seen over 40,000 guests at 6pm each night and Biohazard runs from now until November 11 as part of Halloween Horror Nights. The maze is designed for 1600 guests per hour, in groups of 200.
Biohazard has a huge fan base in Japan and Miziker Entertainment worked closely with Capcom to bring the world of the video games to life.
www.miziker.com

You are awesome!!!!

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 My awesome writing friend, Heidi Willis, shared a book that had been recommended to her during her residency.  Her post was so good it made me wanted to share it with you.
 Heidi wrote this amazing book (and me saying that is a lot because I'm not a huge women's fiction reader).  If you, anyone in your family, or a friend have ever battled with health questions you should read this book....It really and truly is wonderful.  My heart was full when I finished it.

You can check it out on Amazon.
(Oops, I got of topic.)

I think we all (writers or otherwise) struggle with accepting and acknowledging that we are good at certain things.  You Are Good At Things A Checklist points out that there are so many things a person can be good at.  I'm a firm believer in saying positive affirmations.  It sounds like this book is a great way to remind yourself that there are lots of things you are good at.(I'm going to order it on my next amazon order.)  Big or small recognizing your strengths is valuable.  You should remind yourself of all the things you are good at.

What are you good at?  

I'll go first?

1. I'm good at encouraging people.
2. I make a great cup of coffee.
3. I'm good at hosting parties.
4. I'm good at shoveling snow.
5. I'm good at decorating.

Your turn... 
(I almost forgot...The Writing Nut is hosting me over on her blog on July 25th.  If you have time to hop over that would be awesome.)