CURTAIN RAISER – Holiday Park & Resort Innovation Show 2021

Posted on October 28, 2021

CURTAIN RAISER

A ONE-STOP HUB of business inspiration, the Holiday Park Innovation show makes a welcome return this November.

CURTAIN RAISER

You will need to plan ahead to maximise the potential of your visit to The Holiday Park & Resort Innovation Show which makes a welcome return.
The not-to-be-missed event will be opening its doors at the NEC Birmingham on Wednesday and Thursday November 10 and 11.
Europe’s leading event for the most ambitious holiday park and resort owners, the show runs alongside the Farm Business Innovation Show, Family Attraction Expo, Leisure Food & Beverage Expo, Leisure Toy & Gift and the Leisure Transport Show.
With over 1000 exhibitors, 500 seminars and an outstanding schedule of keynote speakers, it will be benefcial to know exactly what to expect from the show and plan ahead, so if you want to make the most out of the two days, keep reading!
The show offers a unique opportunity to see the latest industry products in action in the Live Demo area. Be sure to make some time to visit this area and possibly even get involved yourself! You can see the live demo timetable on the website under ‘What’s On?’.
This year, the Holiday Park & Resort Innovation Show is launching its frst series of panel debates, where the leading industry experts will be discussing the latest industry topics. This will give you the opportunity to finally ask your burning questions and hear the answers live and in person. From renewable energy to marketing tactics to enhance your holiday park or resort, you do not want to miss this opportunity! Find the full schedule on the website under ‘What’s On?’ and look out for times to incorporate some of these incredible discussions into your day!

THE SHOW OFFERS a unique opportunity to see the latest industry products in action.

EXPERT PANEL
Industry experts from some of the biggest names and associations within the industry will be available at the show to provide their insights into the industry, knowledge, advice and tips and tricks to support you on your innovation journey. From the likes of former MP, Nick De Bois - Visit England, TV Presenter, Author & Designer, Max McMurdo, and Justin Reid from TripAdvisor, listen to the hottest topics and latest trends in the industry right now. Keep an eye out on the website under ‘Speakers’ for the full timetable, coming soon!

INNOVATION AWARDS
The Holiday Park & Resort Innovation Awards will be recognising the companies who have gone above and beyond within the industry, celebrating those that are combining an unprecedented blend of innovation, creativity and uniqueness in their work and customer offering.
It is very important to pre-register for your tickets before attending the Holiday Park & Resort Innovation Show this year, so register for your free tickets now before they are all gone! Doing so now also means you will receive your printed show guide delivered straight to your door, as well as access to the digital show guide, which includes the floor plan, full agenda, and everything you need to know about the show.
Log on to www.holidayparkshow.co.uk to check on latest information including vital covid guidance.

HOLIDAY PARK INNOVATION has earned itself as Europe’s leading event for the most ambitious holiday park and resort owners.

TRAVELLING TO THE NEC
If you decide to drive to the NEC, it is just 8 miles east of Birmingham city centre, and there are 16,500 spaces available in the car park, including plenty of helpful signage and a traffic team to ensure you get to the right area for your event. It is also very easy to catch the train as the NEC is right next to Birmingham’s international railway station. Visit the website and click on ‘Show Info’ to see full details about travel and parking, as well as bus & coach and taxi services.

OPENING TIMES
The Holiday Park & Resort Innovation Show will open at 9am on Wednesday 10th November, and close at 5pm. The event will reopen at 9am again on Thursday 11th and close at 4:30pm. Make sure you go and register for your free tickets now before they are all gone and be on the lookout for your printed show guide so that you can plan ahead and make the most out of your time at the event!

A-Z OF MUST SEE EXHIBITORS

STAND 6153
Selling your Park?
BusinessesForSale.com is the world’s most popular website for buying or selling a business.
Established in 1996, the website is an international marketplace of businesses for sale. We provide a cost-effective route to market for business owners and their representatives and a one stop shop for aspiring entrepreneurs and business buyers.
The website is the world’s largest businesses for sale marketplace, attracting over 1.2 million buyers and sellers every month.
Whether you’re looking to get in, grow or get out, BusinessesForSale.com has everything you need. Come and speak to the team on the stand or browse a selection of our current opportunities at our Wall of Business.

Businessesforsale.com
www.businessesforsale.com

STAND 1140
Leading Wifi Provider
Reliable WI-FI is essential for your business to gain a competitive edge. It allows your guests to stay in contact with friends and family, whilst also keeping up to date with work emails whilst away. Today, your guests expect a WI-FI connection that is swift and secure. We pride ourselves on supplying effcient hard-wired WI-FI solutions and excellent customer service from our 7-day support team and our qualifed professionals with years of experience. Camping Connect ensures the provision of secure, family friendly Internet access in line with EU legislation and is a `Friendly WI-FI` registered WI-FI provider.

Camping Connect
01792 277 231
campingconnect.co.uk

STAND 7131
Washroom Solutions
Cubicle Centre has been manufacturing toilet cubicles, wall panels and washroom panel products for over 20 years. We offer a range of washroom cubicles and wall panel products to suit any budget from our Pennine range where function and price is a factor, through to our vandal resistant Cairngorm range.
At Holiday Park and Innovation 2021 we will be demonstrating our water proof Cairngorm range of toilet and shower cubicles along with made to measure vanity units with both recessed and semi recessed basin units.

Cubicle Centre
01484 457600
washroomcubicles.co.uk

STAND 5132
Futureproof Your Business
Leading provider of IT business solutions to the Holiday Home & Leisure Resort industry, Elite Dynamics, will be a specialist speaker at this year’s Holiday Park & Resort Innovation Show. MD Jamaine Campbell and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Lead Consultant, Andrew Blackie will be giving the audience key insights into how to futureproof and drive forward their holiday park businesses using readily available standard Microsoft Dynamics Technologies.
The team will showcase some of the newest and most innovative technology available on the market today, all of which has been specifcally designed for our industry and to future-proof your business.

Elite Dynamics
0161 641 8926
elitedynamics.co.uk

STAND 5091
Cloud Based Solutions
GemaPark is an internet-based Booking System designed to help you manage self-catering, glamping pods, and touring and camping.
From the interactive availability chart you can see all your bookings, blackout dates, add bookings and check availability and live pricing. An arrival day dashboard shows you today’s arrivals and departures including unit clean status. Online booking and online check-in can be integrated with your website with no commission to pay. Standard customer documents and ad-hoc emails can be sent directly from the system.
Netguides ensure GemaPark is PCI compliant and GDPR compliant. Whether you’re starting out or wanting to make life easier come and see us on our stand.

GemaPark
01983 282420
gemapark.co.uk

STAND 7180
Bring OnThe Heat!
Visitors are invited to stand 7180 where the Golden Coast team will be on hand to demonstrate its popular heat pump for pools and hot tubs.
Delivering output up to 13 times greater than an electric heater, a Golden Coast inverter-driven heat pump operates on a low current without compromising on performance and ensures whisper-quiet noise levels as low as 25dB. It even operates in low temperatures, enabling parks to continue offering enjoyable hot tub experiences all year round.
By using less electricity, the energy-efficient heat pump can help cut a park’s carbon footprint whilst saving thousands on running costs and allowing a faster return on investment.

Golden Coast
01271 378100
goldenc.com

STAND 8112
Stand Out From The Crowd!
Holiday Park Scene magazine is an unmissable read for anyone involved in the management of a Holiday Park, Campsite, Caravan Park & Glampsite. At least 5,000 copies of Holiday Park Scene are distributed four times annually to key personnel in all aspects of the holiday park industry across the UK and Eire.
Offering the inside track on the latest market news and reports covering all aspects of holiday park management.
We’re not just big in PRINT we have huge online coverage through our WEBSITE, EMAIL NEWSLETTERS & SOCIAL MEDIA!
If you would like to be featured in the magazine, we would love to hear for you.

Holiday Park Scene Magazine
01353 666663
holidayparkscene.com

STAND: 6081

WiFi Game-Changer
Holiday Parks no longer have to put up with nightmare broadband connections thanks to the introduction of ParkLink from Vital Wifi which enables super-fast speeds ‘Direct to the Van’ at a fraction of the cost of fibre.
It uses revolutionary technology designed to deliver consistently high-quality broadband across wide open remote outdoor sites.
ParkLink from Vital Wifi is a dedicated wireless package for holiday parks that provides fibre-like Internet speeds at a significantly lower cost of ownership without the disruption of installing fibre infrastructure.
New game-changing Internet distribution technology, used by ParkLink, is making reliable, park-wide high-speed Internet affordable and accessible to campsites, caravan and holiday parks.
Come and see us on our stand for more information.

ParkLink – Powered by Vital Wifi
0333 3583 111
parklink.co.uk

STAND 9213
Park Protect Scheme
The Park Protect scheme provides commercial insurance for more than 200 caravan parks up and down the country.
Having spent 15 years building strong relationships in the caravan and holiday park market you can be sure Park Protect will give you – the park owner – the protection you deserve.
Whatever type of leisure business you operate you need to stay up-to-date with legal changes, health & safety legislation, and issues that can affect your leisure property. Our knowledge and experience as specialist insurance brokers for the leisure industry means we tailor individual solutions to protect your employees and visitors.

PIB Insurance Brokers
01422 358 525
pib-insurance.com

STAND 10161
Award Winning Waterplay
Established in 1966, Ustigate have specialised in the design, build and maintenance of inclusive indoor and outdoor water play facilities for 55 years and have completed over 100 aquatic play installations to date. Ustigate Waterplay is excited to introduce over 300 products that promote active play; all designed and developed by their global leading aquatic partner of eighteen years, Vortex Aquatic Structures International Inc. The portfolio offers theming and an aquatic play favourite for every age and ability; incorporating climbing, sliding and multiple interactive activities via collections such as award winning Water Journey™, Elevations™ and Explora.

Ustigate Waterplay
01322 424445
ustigatewaterplay.co.uk

STAND 6270
Making Park Payments Easy
Make it quick and easy for your guests to pay for on-site facilities with a VMC cashless payment system. A seamless tap and go payment experience really adds value for the customer and is an opportunity to incentivise and increase visitor spend.
Our payment readers are ideal for catering and bar areas but can also be fitted to almost any unattended machine making them ideal for parking, charging, power, amusements, pool tables, laundry, bike hire, vending, and much more.
For parks wanting to incentivise and reward customers for onsite spend, VMC can also provide a private onsite payment system using branded cards, wristbands or biometrics.

VMC (UK) Ltd
01926 816400
vmcltd.co.uk

STAND 7242
Family Fun For Everyone!
For 50 years, World of Rides have been the leading UK manufacturer of children’s leisure rides in the United Kingdom.
From our factory in County Durham we supply major shopping centres, retailers, visitor attractions, farm parks, holiday parks, garden centres, family entertainment centres and hospitality centres both nationally and internationally, as well as leading single-site operators.
Our vast knowledge and experience ensures that every ride we manufacture and sell is rigorously tested both in the factory and on-site before being released for sale.
Come and see us on our stand for further information.

World of Rides
0191 49 20 999
worldofrides.com

MAXIMISING VISITOR SPEND ON SITE

Posted on October 28, 2021

MAXIMISING VISITOR SPEND ON SITE

CASHLESS PAYMENT systems offer touch-free purchasing on-site.

For park operators, a cashless payment system is an opportunity to incentivise and increase visitor spend. Easy, quick, and safe payments also offer a great customer experience.
In the wake of COVID-19 cleanliness is still front of mind for all of us. Contactless is the safe payment of choice, with no need to even touch the terminal or pin pad. By adding this form of payment to more of your onsite services and facilities you’re making it simpler for the customer and increasing the chances of impulse purchasing.
For parks wanting to incentivise and reward customers for onsite spend, VMC can also provide a private onsite payment system using branded cards, wristbands or biometrics. With a choice of payment types; cashless, contactless, mobile payments and QR codes, our system is also packed with other great features like online pre-order, loyalty, meal deals and promotions.
There is a mobile app for customers, to top up their account as they go or spend and settle on check out. They can even start saving in their account before they arrive, so the holiday fund is ready for their arrival.
A seamless payment experience really adds value for the customer, not needing cash to pay for anything during their stay keeps things effortless and simple. Cashless payment can help park operators to manage additional facilities more efficiently, or even add new ones without impacting on staffing. Ideal for parking, charging, power, amusements, food and drink, vending, laundry, bike hire, pool tables and much more. The possibilities are endless.

VMC (UK) Ltd.
Tel: 01926 816400
E: sales@vmcltd.co.uk
www.vmcltd.co.uk

All About The Swag !

Posted on March 20, 2018

All About The Swag !

Amusement arcades offer fun for all the family

A visit to the amusement arcades has been a much-loved part of the Great British holiday for decades. Who can resist the pull of the retro coin pushers or the anticipation of the prize cranes? “Amusement machines add to the mix of attractions for customers at holiday parks,” says James Anderson, Sales and Commercial Director of BANDAI NAMCO Amusement Europe Ltd (BNAE). “There is a long history and heritage of coin-operated games at the coast and people playing them on holiday. “Parents are nostalgic about the fun they had as kids playing in arcades, whilst children love the chance to play the latest games and to win prizes on redemption machines,” he adds. “The amusement arcade at a holiday park is often one of the aspects most loved by children and it offers a chance for he whole family to play together.” According to Graham Bray, Marketing and Business Development Manager of Searles Leisure Group in Norfolk, the onsite arcade at Searles Leisure Resort in Hunstanton is perennially popular with guests, young and old.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY

“The Arcade is not the main reason for families to choose a holiday at Searles, but it certainly adds another family-friendly activity, especially when the weather is inclement,” says Graham. With around 90 machines, the arcade games are extremely lucrative for Searles and the vendor. Graham says: “The arcade is the number one income stream for any activity on the park. “It also helps to keep guests ‘on-park’ rather than visiting the other numerous arcades in the Hunstanton town and promenade area. The arcade offers hours and hours of entertainment on-site.” Whilst older visitors might be content to gamble their cash and accept losing as part of the fun, younger visitors are not so keen to walk away from arcades empty-handed. The industry trend for redemption games shows no signs of abating. As Graham says, “It’s all about the SWAG!” A spokesperson for Parkdean Resorts, which has over 70 holiday parks across the UK, say the most popular games at their parks are “cranes, pushers and redemption games. The company also ensures that its adult holidaymakers have a relevant offering via over 18 facilities within licenced Family Entertainment Centres (FECs).” Parkdean Resort’s arcades feature prominent redemption prize shops and enhancements are currently underway across some parks, which will see prize shops refurbished and extended. A spokesperson said, “New cranes, redemption pushers and other redemption equipment are being installed ahead of the 2018 season. There will also be new video pieces at some parks.”

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Just a Penny More…

Posted on March 7, 2017

Just a Penny More...

A holiday experience wouldn’t be complete without trying your luck on the prize crane or the coin tipping machine. In fact, the arcade has been a staple attraction of the Great British seaside holiday since the early 1900’s. Part of the Bourne Leisure group, Haven currently operates 37 arcades at its parks across the UK and has seen a shift from traditional arcades moving to all-encompassing family entertainment centres. “Our guest feedback indicates that arcades are a valued part of the holiday offering.

I wouldn’t suggest that anyone books a holiday based purely on the arcade offering, as we have seen a focus towards our Nature Rockz activities, but it is a very wellused facility and part of the overall holiday experience,” says Kevin Scott, Head of Arcades at Bourne Leisure. “The arcades are now environments where families can play together and often we include other family products such as soft play.” Redemption games, where the player is rewarded proportionally to their score, are Haven’s most popular arcade games, closely followed by cranes and coin pushers.

“We have expanded the redemption and prize offers at the expense of the gaming element of the business. A very high proportion of our games offer has a prize element which is very well received by both the holiday makers and our owners,” reveals Kevin. He adds: “Arcades have long been and are still very much part of the seaside family holiday and there is no indication to suggest that this will change in the near future.” Before investing in arcade games and equipment, it is advisable to seek advice from a reputable dealer or manufacturer, who offers a warranty and will give you fast and efficient after-sales care and service for the entire life of the equipment.

ATTENTION TO DETAIL “Too many park owners become totally disillusioned by a particular attraction that has failed in the past and this fazes their judgement for ever buying anything similar ever again - all because they were badly advised in the very beginning,” comments David Robinson of World of Rides. He continues: “Never buy any rides or equipment based on the lowest price, as every month we receive at least one sad story of cheap failed equipment at peak times of the season, which has resulted in lost income, and more importantly, disappointment and lost customer satisfaction.”

World of Rides is a leading UK manufacturer of battery operated land and water-based leisure rides. The company’s three biggest selling rides for 2017 so far are the fully operational Driving School Car, which has all the same controls as any normal road car, the glow in the dark Future Bike, which has under-LED lighting, and the new Baby Beetle Car for smaller children. “Our entire 12v/24v range of rides are becoming very much more popular with holiday park owners, partly due to the fact that they are nearly all able to carry either two children or a parent and child, but also because they all run without any noise, air or water pollution,” says David. “With trade prices starting at only £2,750 each, they still remain the highest earning children’s rides, due to them being fully directional and interactive with the riders.” According to David, really good rides and amusements will normally achieve full return on investment a number of times over in any one season, providing that they are operated correctly and looked after.

LIFE SPAN “All modern EEC and UK made rides have a long life expectancy, but in order to keep guests and visitors coming back every year, and incomes retained at their maximum, the rides should ideally be run on a rolling five-year-plan, with at least one new ride attraction being added to the park every year,” says David. “After that, each ride should be subsequently downgraded or replaced after year five, depending on its continued income potential and key position in the park,” he adds. For holiday parks that choose to hire their arcade equipment, it is advisable to work with fully vetted and experienced operators who use up-to-date rides that are tested and documented using H.S.E.-ADIPS safety testing every year. It is also important to check that the operator can show documentary evidence of themselves being fully insured for Public Liability for a minimum £10,000,000, in the event of any incident.

INSURANCE MATTERS Another key consideration is to ensure that your arcade equipment is covered by a suitable insurance policy. According to Compass Insurance, the key message when it comes to rides and machines - whether they are relatively simple coin-operated equipment or larger, more complex facilities - is to have a conversation with your insurer or broker before you go ahead and sign a hire agreement or make a purchase. “Park owners and managers should be aware that your insurer or broker may decline cover,” advises Chris Jones, Retail Underwriting Manager at Thistle Insurance Services. “An increase in premium could otherwise apply – and in the worst case scenario this could make the rides or machines commercially unviable. It’s always best to have the conversation up front.”

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The Fun Factor

Posted on March 29, 2016

The Fun Factor

For many holidaymakers, the lure of an arcade is an essential item on the wish list, providing hours of entertainment for the whole family.

For the park operator, selecting the right balance of amusements, games and gaming machines can be a precarious balancing act between customer satisfaction and maximum return on investment while still delivering the fun factor that keeps the visitors coming back time and time again. Historically, the first popular arcade attractions were early games such as shooting galleries, ball toss games and early coin-operated machines, such as fortune tellers and strength testers. More modern gaming has been led by the popularity of online games and casino games. Penny fall coin pushers have been Crown Direct’s bestselling lines in recent years and 2015 was no exception with The Simpsons-themed Donut Daze machine, which was the company’s the most popular product of the year.

“It’s not a case of games having a fixed shelf life, but you should always have something new every season for holiday makers to play, advises Dean Harding, managing director at Crown Direct. Many come back to the park every year, so you need to keep the offer fresh.”

Crown Direct is a leading UK supplier of all types of coin operated equipment, as well as operating third party arcades and owning a number of their own. The Wigan-based company supplies equipment to holiday parks and family amusement arcades across the UK and Eire. Supply can be by way of outright purchase, rental or they can operate your arcade for you on an income share basis.

“There is merit in both rental and purchase and it really comes down to the holiday parks view on capital expenditure and appetite,” explains Dean. “We have large and small holiday park customers that are complete opposites in their approach to their amusement requirements. Some buy, some hire, and some lease the arcade space to an operator. Also, if customers thinking of buying there are some good second hand games available offering great value for money.”

Dean stresses the importance of keeping all arcade equipment in full working order and advises his customers to consult their suppliers if anything goes wrong: “Arcade games can go wrong and break down - coins get into all sort of places in a machine. Seeking technical expertise is essential as maintenance and repairs are a skill.”

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Winning Odds

Posted on February 6, 2014

Winning Odds

Coin-operated air hockey, football tables and pool tables are coming back into fashion, now that the video side is being overtaken by home based consoles.

Choosing the right combination of amusements, games and machines can be a precarious balancing act between customer satisfaction and maximum pay back.
The right combination can enhance the guest experience and help create that elusive fun factor that keeps them coming back year after year.
But with a plethora of choice available, selecting the winning formula can be a tricky recipe to perfect.
JS Classics provide retro arcade machines to both the home market and corporate sector. Over the years the company has grown and now deals with all aspects of gaming throughout the corporate sector.
Jonathan Thompson of JS Classics advises: “The key to a successful games room or arcade is variety - there must be something to appeal to kids, parents and grandparents alike.
“There are also certain arcade games that will always big revenue earners. So-called ‘legacy’ games such as Pac-Man and anything Star Wars related have always been and continue to be popular. Air Hockey tables also remain a favourite among all age groups.”
Jonathan continues: “Eventually video arcade machines will become out of date and will need to be changed, but as long as you buy right and choose popular titles their earning potential can last for years. On the whole, kids will enjoy playing on the games they are presented within a closed holiday park environment.”

MAXIMISING PROFIT

Air hockey tables remain a favourite among gamers of all ages.

Arcade machines come in a huge range of sizes from what’s known as a single player upright machine through to multiplayer games held in small cinemas. In general, the larger screened machines are known as ‘deluxe’ models and the more conservative sized machines are known as ‘standard’ cabinets.
Jamie Stanford managing director of Liberty Games says: “Much of the UK market revolves around refurbished machines because of the rather hefty price tag of a new machine. Prices range from good second hand machines at around £2500 right through to the latest Sega full motion machines stretching in to the hundreds of thousands.
“The payback of a machine is directly related to how well the machine is purchased in the first place. I would advise reducing your capital input by buying second hand – these machines depreciate at quite a rate in the first few years so bargains are out there. In most cases we see machines paying for themselves in the first 3 months and the owners enjoying profits from that point onwards,” he adds.
Liberty Games sell a comprehensive choice of both new and refurbished arcade machines covering a wide range of genres, from dance, driving and quiz machines, to prize redemption machines such as grabbers and cranes.
Jamie continues: “Currently our most popular products are the Galaxy and Cosmic range of machines. The cabinets hold up to 350 games and give the user a much richer experience than a single game.
“Apart from that, we find that the arcade machines that have not been well replicated on home based consoles are still very popular. Shooting games for example have not yet been replicated to any high standard in the home environment so consequently can still pull in the crowds at the arcades.”
Outside of the games room, larger scale games and rides such as bumper cars, dodgems and go-karts are also a firm favourite among families. Specialising in coin-operated family games and rides, World of Rides’ most popular range is their ‘Mini Moto’ pollution-free battery operated cars, which run on a hardstanding oval track.
David Robinson, general manager of World of Rides comments: “Battery rides are always a win-win investment as financially they are hardly ever viewed as an expense by operators, as they have such a rapid pay-back period.
“Our battery operated cars have remained virtually recessionproof over our past forty years of production. Parents and children love them as they are such fun, and operators and local authorities love them as they are pollution-free, and contribute to lowering their carbon footprint.”
David continues: “Incomes for such rides will vary at differing times of year, but our customers tell us that an average income, at a normal price of £1.00 per three minute ride, is normally around £100.00 per vehicle per day, which increases further at peak holiday periods.”

Company Contacts

JS Classics
Tel. 0800 112 33 41
www.jsclassics.net

Liberty Games
Tel. +44 (0)1372 736470
www.libertygames.co.uk

World of Rides
Tel. +44 (0)191 49 20 999
www.worldofrides.com

EMBED International
Tel. +44 (0)1225 311323
www.embedcard.com

Pure Novelty
Email. sales@purenovelty.co.uk
www.purenovelty.co.uk

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