Australasian Leisure Management issue 148 2022

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ATTRACTIONS

The Business of URBNSURF Australia’s New Theme Park Rides

ISSUE 148

EVENTS

Ungerboeck’s Ongoing Growth Theatre Royal Sydney

TOURISM Print Post Approved PP100022562

Google’s Booking Revolution Prospects in Outback Queensland

FITNESS

Global Health and Fitness Alliance The Future is Ecosytems

PLUS

Planning Forests All-Weather Courts Western Australian Aquatic Facilities

contents

Issue 148

16

58

44

24

56

38

features 16

The Excitement Returns Australian attractions’ new rides and experiences

24

Crystal Waves, Silver Lining The expansion of URBNSURF’s wave lagoons

28

Robust State The performance of Western Australia’s aquatic centres

30

Looking to the Future of Events Ungerboeck’s year of unprecedented growth and innovation

36

Revolutionising Bookings The potential of Google’s new ‘Things to Do’ feature

COVER: Ungerboeck is ready for the return of events in 2022. See page 30.

38

Laykold’s revolutionary cushioned tennis surface

44

regulars 6 From the Publisher 8 Two Months in Leisure 49 People in brief

An Essential Service The Global Health and Fitness Alliance’s Advisory Council

50

The New Fitness Ecosystem The future of fitness in ecosytems

54

Time to Stop Planning Parks and get into Forests Why Australia needs to focus on urban and rural forests

56

The Biggest Backyard Prospects for Outback Queensland tourism in 2022

53 People 60 Products

Absorbing the Force

58

Theatre Revival The reopened Theatre Royal Sydney

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From the Publisher Can we dare to hope?

Published by Australian Leisure Media Pty Ltd, 102 Taiyul Road, North Narrabeen, NSW 2101 (PO Box 478, Collaroy, NSW 2097) AUSTRALIA ABN 32 092 549 721

Tel: 02 9970 8322 E-mail: leisure@ausleisure.com.au www.ausleisure.com.au Twitter: @AusLeisure Facebook: www.facebook.com/AusLeisure Editor Karen Sweaney Publisher Nigel Benton Design Australian Leisure Media Pty Ltd Contributors James Croll and Gwen Luscombe

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The views contained in Australasian Leisure Management are not necessarily those of Australian Leisure Media Pty Ltd or the Editor. While every care is taken with advice given, Australian Leisure Media Pty Ltd and the Editor can take no responsibility for effects arising therefrom. Views expressed by contributors may be personal and are not necessarily the views of their employers or professional associations.

© Australasian Leisure Management, 2022.

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Is it too optimistic to think that with a significant part of the population vaccinated, most Coronavirus restrictions eased and borders reopening, that 2022 may mark a return to some sort of normality for this industry and the nation as a whole?

Of course, cases of the Omicron variant remain large in number in the community and restrictions still see live events impacted but there appears to be some confidence in the industry and, above all, opportunities to plan.

We also seem to be in a position to live with Coronavirus in our midst while carrying on with day-to-day activity.

However, among the many challenges facing this industry in 2022 is how consumers will behave in a post-COVID world. Will they return to how they acted prior to 2020 or will lockdowns and restrictions see their behaviour and spending habits changed?

Certainly this industry needs to be prepared to counter the ‘homebody economy’ and satisfy pent-up demand for out-ofhome leisure activities and experiences.

Staff Shortages Staff shortages in key customer facing roles have continued to impact many parts of the industry during the summer months.

Former casual staff appear to be lost to the industry, with employers facing some real challenges as a result, notwithstanding a range of training opportunities for employees.

And not only are operators unable to fill positions, research from Humanforce shows that, for a variety of reasons, up to one in four staff don’t appear for shifts.

To avoid this recurring, as the economy reopens the industry will increasingly need a motivated and engaged workforce to meet customer demands.

Without offering the right opportunies and conditions, the industry will face a challenging route to full recovery.

Tasmanian School Tragedy The deaths of six children on a jumping castle at a school in Tasmania before Christmas was unbelievably tragic and all would be deeply saddened by the loss suffered by the childrens’ families and community.

However, their deaths would appear to have been avoidable, which makes me angry that this could have happened.

There have been enough experiences of jumping castles taking flight and enough guidance issued so that something such as this should not happen.

Serious questions need to be asked of the school and whoever managed and provided the inflatable, with those responsible not able to hide behind ignorance, liquidated entities and/or government bailouts.

Paying for our online news In order to resource the online news that we publish at www. ausleisure.com.au and to develop expanded levels of content in the future, we are transitioning to a user pays arrangement on the website.

As a result, you will need to subscribe to get access to the business news you need on your industry - aquatics, attractions, entertainment, events, fitness, parks, recreation, sport, tourism and venues - from Australia, New Zealand and the Asia-Pacific region, all for less than the cost of a cup of coffee a week.

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Two Months in Leisure Some of the industry headlines over recent months.

Daily industry news can be read at www.ausleisure.com.au

A Tasmanian Tiger at the Hunter Valley Wildlife Park.

Sport Australia report reveals ‘worrying trends’ in participation Sport Australia’s release of its full Emerging Trends in Sport Participation report has presented what the Federal Government agency refers to as “worrying trends” in sport participation, acknowledging that “social and recreational habits in Australia are changing and organised sport is not necessarily the most popular choice for many.”

The report highlights that “recreational trends, plus the rise of digital options, present challenges for organised sport.”.

Acknowledging the role of technology, it advises “hybrid sports, incorporating simulated sport in a digital environment will only increase in sophistication, popularity and affordability and thus place even more competition on traditional sport participation. “(However) there is an opportunity to integrate this evolving version of sport into modern sport offerings such as with AusCycling’s and e-cycling platform Zwift’s competition series which began in 2020.”

Hunter Valley Zoo relaunched with Hunter Valley Wildlife Park branding

Auckland gym gets $12,000 penalty for defying New Zealand’s vaccine mandate

Australian Wildlife Parks have officially relaunched the Hunter Valley Zoo as the Hunter Valley Wildlife Park, joining Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park and Mogo Wildlife Park as part of the largest privately-owned wildlife park group in Australia.

Becoming part of Australian Wildlife Parks’s animal-based attractions group when Atlas Advisors Australia purchased the Zoo in July, the Hunter Valley Wildlife Park reopened to the public in October 2021.

The Oliver MMA gym in Auckland has been fined $12,000 for defying New Zealand’s COVID-19 mandate and remaining open to unvaccinated exercisers.

Workplace and safety agency, WorkSafe, found the combat sports gym in violation of the New Zealand Government mandate that requires all gyms and businesses to ensure staff and patrons are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The fine, of $4000 for each of three infringements were issued in December.

Poor adult swimming skills contribute to summer drownings With the nation facing a spike in drowning deaths since the start of summer with 43 people drowning - a 23% increase on the same time last year - Royal Life Saving Society - Australia research has revealed that one in four Australians admit they are weak swimmers, or can’t swim at all.

The Christmas to New Year period (to 3rd January) claimed the lives of at least 20 people, twice as many people as the same period last year with 13 (65%) of those incidents having occurred at inland waterways including rivers, lakes, and dams.

Federation Council reduces age limit for childrens’ unsupervised access to Corowa Aquatic Centre Federation Council has agreed to allow children aged between 12 years and 16 years to make use of its Corowa Aquatic Centre unsupervised.

At the end of December, Councillors voted to reduce the age of unsupervised admission from the previous 16-years-of-age policy.

Noting concerns about risk management, Federation Council Deputy Mayor, Shaun Whitechurch explained that, when previously unable to access the aquatic centre, those aged between 12 and 16 years had been “going to the river without parent or guardian supervision” adding that the Council had previously been “pushing them out from the pool centre.”

8 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148

Fitness technology company Myzone reaches US$102 million valuation after new investment Myzone, the global manufacturer of wearable fitness tracking technology, has announced that it has secured a US$17.2 million investment from BGF, the UK’s most active growth capital investor.

Coinciding with the investment announcement, renowned technology entrepreneur Vin Murria, has joined the company as Non-Executive Chair.

Created in 2011 by fitness industry expert Dave Wright, Myzone has experienced impressive growth since inception and currently serves over 9,000 facilities in 84 different countries, boasting over two million shipped devices.

NRL introduces strict anti COVID measures to ensure season start The NRL has introduced strict measures to reduce the threat of Coronavirus infection among players.

In an effort to curb the spread ahead of the 2022 season, players will be tested daily, banned from indoor venues - such as pubs, clubs and cinemas - and have restrictions placed on gatherings at home.

The protocols form part of a concerted effort to reduce further COVID-related disruptions following two seasons of postponements, game relocations, bubbles and shutdowns.

Zoos Victoria recognised for disability inclusiveness Zoos Victoria’s disability inclusiveness has been recognised with the agency - which runs the Healesville Sanctuary, Melbourne Zoo and Werribee Open Range Zoo - having been presented the Excellence in Creating Inclusive Communities Award at the Victorian Disability Awards.

Presented to coincide with International Day of People with a Disability on 3rd December last year, the award acknowledged how the Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA) accredited body had recognised that families with children with a disability often struggle to enjoy recreational activities.

Commerce WA highlights new rules regarding fitness memberships Commerce WA, the government department dealing with consumer protection in Western Australia, has reminded operators and the public of new rules regarding fitness industry memberships.

On 1st July 2021, the rules governing Western Australia’s fitness industry changed to provide additional protection for consumers and to capture a wider range of providers that now include personal trainers, group exercise organisers and yoga classes.

After signing-up, members now have up to seven days to cancel a contract without penalty while operators are required to provide transparent pricing requirements to make it easier to compare the value of different fitness services.

Membership agreements must now include a summary statement to help consumers understand their responsibilities that should also state whether it involves an ongoing monthto-month renewal or is a fixed term contract of no longer than 12 months.

Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre’s roof set to capture run off for irrigation Work on repurposing the roof at the Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre (ALAC) in Western Australia so that rainwater runoff can be used to irrigate local sporting fields is set to commence.

The City of Albany received a $62,000 Western Australian Government Grant in November for the installation of two 250-kilolitre water tanks and pipe infrastructure that will capture rainwater from the roof for irrigation of ovals as well as being used for the Centre’s toilet flushing systems.

Expected to save about three million litres of water a year and save about $19,000 annually, the Council will contribute $32,250 to the project.

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Sky Stadium’s Shane Harmon says next six months will be hard

Melbourne Formula One Grand Prix to proceed for vaccinated participants Organisers of Melbourne’s Formula One Grand Prix have confirmed there will be a “zero tolerance” approach on vaccine exemptions for participants, making it mandatory for all teams, drivers and officials to be vaccinated for the 10th April race.

Looking to avoid the saga that surrounded Novak Djokovic’s arrival in Australia to contest the Australian Open, the Victorian Government has given approval for the race to go ahead - but only for the fully vaccinated.

All the drivers and 3,000 support staff - as well as spectators - must be double vaccinated to attend.

Swimming Australia announces ‘unreserved apology’ over historic abuse of young female athletes Swimming Australia has issued an “unreserved apology” for past treatment of young female athletes - released after receiving the results of a six-month investigation by an Independent Panel.

Commissioned in June last year, the Independent Panel’s report and recommendations result, as advised in a statement, from “feedback (that) was open and frank”.

The sporting body’s statement noted “Swimming Australia wants to reassure those who came forward that the sport is committed to change to ensure these negative experiences are not repeated and apologises unreservedly to those impacted.”

Surf Life Saving NSW’s reputation damaged by former executive’s fraud A Sydney Court has heard how the fraud by former Surf Life Saving NSW General Manager Matthew Hanks has damaged the reputation of the charity.

Speaking in the NSW District Court at the end of January, Surf Life Saving NSW board member Anthony Waller advised how Hanks’ theft of almost $2 million from the charity had impacted its 76,000 surf life saving volunteers, members and fundraisers.

During a pre-sentencing hearing for Hanks, who has pled guilty to six counts of fraud and is currently awaiting sentencing, Waller told the Court that those involved in the body felt “betrayed” by the fraud.

Waller advised “reputation takes decades to build but it can be destroyed in a fleeting minute.”

Waller revealed that the money defrauded by Hanks before he was caught in 2016 had led to lack of funds to buy safety equipment for the frontline life savers and to repair buildings, and they could never know the full impact of the fraud in lost donations.

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Shane Harmon, Chief Executive of Wellington’s Sky Stadium, has stated “the next six months are probably going to be some of the hardest for the (event and venue) industry since the pandemic broke.”

Speaking as the New Zealand Government introduced its ‘red traffic light’ restrictions, Harmon told Wellington newspaper the Dominion Post that given what he had seen from how the Omicron variant was impacting events and venues overseas, the red alert announcement had not come as much of a surprise, noting “we can only really roll with it and adapt.

It hasn’t happened yet, so we’re proceeding as normal.”

Harmon (pictured) said the red setting still provided some flexibility over level two including the possibility of separating attendees into sections of 100 people or fewer in the Stadium, adding “that could work for sports but large scale exhibitions and concerts most likely wouldn’t occur.

“Under the current traffic light system at least teams would be able to proceed with their broadcast obligations but crowds are going to be very small and, of course, no one’s going to be making any money.”

New research shows climate change threatening the future of Winter Olympics and all snow sports Climate change is threatening the Winter Olympics and the future of snow sports by making conditions much more dangerous for athletes and participants, experts have warned in a new report.

The 2022 Winter Games in Beijing having been the first Winter Olympics to use almost 100% artificial snow, deploying more than 100 snow generators and 300 snow cannons, working flat out to cover the ski slopes.

Written by researchers from the sport ecology group at Loughborough University in England and the Protect Our Winters environment group, the report states “this is not only energy- and water-intensive, frequently using chemicals to slow (any) melt, but also delivers a surface that many competitors say is unpredictable and potentially dangerous.”

A sustainability report from the Beijing Winter Olympics Organising Committee say the Games’ “smart snow-making system” could use 20% less water than traditional methods.

Games organisers have also sought to counter fears that the events will put pressure on local water supplies by saying they will rely on mountain runoff and rainfall collected during the summer for their snowmaking.

AFL commits further $8 million to back revival at community level The AFL has announced that it will commit $8 million in extra investment to help the game recover at a community level following two years disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the grassroots game seen as AFL’s foundation, the Leagues has made supporting community leagues, clubs, players, umpires, coaches, volunteers and administrators across the country a priority in 2022.

The package significantly increases the AFL’s commitment to community football and game development compared to the COVID-affected years of 2020 and 2021.

Festival organiser says promoters have ‘zero confidence’ in governments after live industry’s ‘disgraceful’ treatment Chris O’Brien, the promoter of the Full Tilt festival, has slammed Australia’s state governments as well as the Federal Government for a collective failure to support the industry through the COVID pandemic and related restrictions and lockdowns.

Following the postponement of Full Tilt’s Melbourne and Brisbane legs, and the cancellation of its Adelaide and Sydney events, O’Brien advised “we have zero confidence in any of the state governments anymore.

They constantly backflip on restrictions with absolutely no notice or industry consultation.

“For the most part we have been disgracefully and completely ignored by the States and the Federal Government.

“Two years in (to the pandemic) and we still have no ability to trade and generate income as an industry on a national level.”

Rescheduled Full Tilt festival events are currently planned for Melbourne and Brisbane in March and April.

Sports Nutrition Association looks to ensure sharing of best possible dietary advice Established in Australia five years ago to standardise best practises in nutritional advice in relation to exercise, fitness and sport, Sports Nutrition Association sees itself as “leading the charge” when it comes to nutrition advice for those who are and seek to be active, whether personally or at an elite level.

An educational and governing body that seeks to regulate personal trainers, exercise physiologists, strength coaches, exercise scientists, and clinical nutritionists looking to add sports nutrition and supplementation programming to their insured scope of practice, Sports Nutrition Association (SNA) President and founder Alex Thomas acknowledges that nutrition within the fitness space has always been a complicated topic.

Thomas notes “while some personal trainers do their due diligence to educate themselves on the best nutrition practises for individuals, it hasn’t really been a regulated space until recently, which has meant that some have happily spruiked unsafe diets and supplements without much trouble.”

Australian Swim Schools Association opens foundation membership The Australian Swim Schools Association (ASSA) has announced that it is opening foundation membership opportunities for swim teachers, pool staff and educators to join a network of likeminded professionals through their newly launched Associate Member program.

The program has been designed as a professional resource for those employed in the aquatic and education sectors who are not business owners to upskill in customer engagement, health and wellbeing, sensory development and marketing and will offer local and international research presentations that are available to view through the member portal.

VMA announces five-year strategic plan The Venue Management Association [Asia and Pacific] has announced VMA25 - its strategic Plan for the 2022-2025 period.

Revealing the plan on behalf of the VMA Board, VMA President, Leighton Wood stated “in creating VMA25 - the Board envisions a future for the Association with a clear overriding purpose - to be the hub that connects and advances venue industry participants to best serve their community.

“VMA25 is a forward-looking document that outlines the aspirations of the Association over the coming four year window.

“The last two years has highlighted the opportunities that are open to the Association, in having understood the limitations of our existing pathway.

“Our members will forever remain our central and primary focus, while we take on higher ambitions to transition from representation of our community to strategic leadership of our industry.”

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Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148 11

Circus Oz to cease performances and operations

New $475 million Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre officially opens Christchurch’s $475 million convention centre Te Pae officially opened before Christmas after more than four years of construction.

Set on the Otakaro Avon river in the city centre, Te Pae Christchurch features 24 meeting rooms, including a 1000-seat riverside banquet room, up to 3,300 square metres of exhibition space and a 1,400-seat auditorium able to be configured into two completely autonomous spaces, and state-of-the-art technology throughout.

AMPSEA partners with Sportscover to deliver National Insurance Scheme The Australian Mass Participation Sporting Events Alliance (AMPSEA) has appointed leading industry insurer Sportscover to launch and run a national insurance scheme for the mass participation sector.

The scheme includes two insurances to event organisers who are AMPSEA members, with both policies calculated on a per participant basis.

Circus Oz, the contemporary circus company founded in 1977, is to cease trading as a result of the Board’s failure to secure the agreement of Company Members to a radical overhaul of existing governance structures.

Stripped of $2.6 million in Australia Council for the Arts funding, the Board stated it had failed to reach an agreement with the Company Members of Circus Oz over a decision to reform the company’s governance structure.

Because of this, the Board of Circus Oz has announced its intention to wind up the company.

One in four Fernwood Fitness members look to prioritise mental health A survey undertaken by leading women’s health, fitness and wellness franchise clubs, Fernwood Fitness has seen one in four members say they’d be prioritising their mental health as much as their physical wellbeing when they returned to their local club.

Fernwood Fitness re-opened its Victorian and NSW clubs on a high note, welcoming back their valued members, along with new joiners (eager to increase their physical activity) en masse, while dedicating time and energy to managing and improving their mental fitness and wellbeing.

Surveying its members, the group found that two thirds of women missed having a ‘structured routine’ during lockdown while one in three admitted they hadn’t had an exercise routine at all.

NSW Government commits to delivering equal access to better public spaces at World Urban Parks Congress Stadiums Queensland reaches 20th anniversary of operations Stadiums Queensland has marked its 20th anniversary of operations, highlighting how over two decades the agency has hosted tens of millions of fans at thousands of events, such as the Commonwealth Games and numerous World Cup events.

In a social media communication, the Queensland Government agency recalled that over its life it has “hosted the sporting stars of our generation at major events such as the Brisbane International, The Ashes and State of Origin.”

Charged with the management of the state’s major sports facilities that are declared under Queensland Government regulation as being venues having the capacity to stage national or international sports events, recreational or entertainment experiences, today, Stadiums Queensland owns and operates more than $1.2 billion worth of sporting and entertainment infrastructure.

12 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148

The NSW Government has unveiled a commitment to delivering equal access to better public spaces, with the launch of the NSW Public Spaces Charter at the recent World Urban Parks Congress in Sydney.

Advising that the Charter established a set of 10 unifying principles to underpin the creation and improvement of highquality public spaces across the state, NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Rob Stokes stated “the pandemic has emphasised the need for safe and welcoming public space, and the NSW Public Spaces Charter will set a design bar for achieving that.”

The NSW Public Spaces Charter has been developed in close alignment with the United Nations Charter of Public Space which was developed in 2013 and formed a basis for the Global Public Space Toolkit.

New statistics show COVID’s devastating impact on New Zealand tourism The devastating impact of the pandemic on New Zealand’s tourism industry has been officially measured for the first time, with the release of the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) for the year ended March 2021.

The TSA - the official annual measurement of the New Zealand tourism industry - includes measures of tourism spend by international and domestic visitors, the number of people employed through tourism, tourism’s share of export earnings and its contribution to New Zealand’s GDP. The data covers a 12-month period that started with closed borders and later saw a country-wide lockdown, followed by regional restrictions.

The TSA shows that a third of all the people employed in tourism have gone, with a loss of 72,285 people from the industry - equivalent to almost the entire population of Palmerston North.

This includes 6738 or 25% of tourism ‘working proprietors’ those owner-operators who are the backbone of New Zealand’s visitor industry.

Health and exercise sector organisations come together to form new Health and Exercise Professional Forum Peak professional and industry organisations in Australia’s health and exercise sectors - including the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians, Australian Strength and Conditioning Association, AUSActive, Exercise and Sports Science Australia, Physical Activity Australia and Sports Medicine Australia - have announced their coming together to form the Health and Exercise Professional Forum (HEPF).

Collaborating to communicate a shared position to Government on key issues that affect a healthier, more active nation, Exercise & Sports Science Australia will serve as the Secretariat for the new body.

A-Leagues sell 30% stake to US private equity firm Silver Lake Australian arts and culture support falls by 11% during pandemic Private sector cash sponsorship for the arts and cultural sector in Australia has risen by $26 million from $351 million to $377 million since the onset of the pandemic according to a new report from Creative Partnerships Australia.

However, the biennial report - covering the 2019 calendar and 2019/20 financial years - advises that overall support for arts and cultural was down 11%, according to a biennial report

by Creative Partnerships Australia.

The Giving Attitude report showed the 11% decline in overall philanthropic sponsorships was largely made up of intangible support from private sector organisations.

Although cash sponsorship has increased, in-kind arrangements have decreased $40 million to $25 million, volunteer and pro bono support is down $56 million to $124 million while bequest contributions are down $32 million to $17 million.

Adelaide becomes first Australian city to be named a National Park City UK-based global National Park City Foundation has named Adelaide as the world’s second National Park City, and the first Australian city to receive the honour. The National Park City Foundation led the assessment supported by World Urban Parks and the Salzburg Global Seminar.

Chair of the National Park City Foundation Paul de Zylva said that the Foundation is absolutely delighted Adelaide is joining the growing family of National Park Cities and notes “at a time of great health, climate and ecological anxiety, becoming a National Park City is an incredibly positive, hopeful and pragmatic step for a city to take.”

Australian Professional Leagues (APL) advised that US-based private equity firm Silver Lake has acquired a 30% stake in the organisation.

Advising of Silver Lake’s minority investment in the League, APL stated that “the investment will drive technology enhancements and innovation aimed at improving the fan experience and driving further development of the game in Australia.”

Valuing the APL at approximately $425 million, the investment by Silver Lake - which invests in entertainment, sport and technology - is also expected to fund the acquisition of marquee players for the men’s and women’s Leagues.

Bailey Fitness converts to Genesis Health and Fitness clubs in Western Australia The Genesis Health and Fitness franchise network has welcomed three new sites in Western Australia, with high profile fitness personality Adam Bailey confirming he will convert his three existing Bailey Fitness facilities to Genesis Health and Fitness clubs.

Bailey owns a chain of health clubs and martial arts schools in WA and across Australia and is a former World Middleweight Muay Thai Champion.

The clubs, located in Southern River, Morley and Baldivis, are being re-branded as Genesis clubs.

Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148 13

$10.3 million in Sports Commission funds aimed at getting Australians get active Federal Minister for Sport Richard Colbeck has advised that 36 new programs to provide more opportunities for Australians to connect with sport and get physically active are to share $10.3 million worth of Australian Sports Commission (Sport Australia) grant funding.

Among funding recipients, Skate Australia will establish ‘come and try events’ nationwide to provide opportunities for skaters to join competitions, clubs and events.

It follows a successful Olympic debut for skateboarding at the Tokyo Games which included a men’s park Gold medal for Keegan Palmer as well as a huge uptake in roller skating during COVID-19 lockdowns.

Australian master franchisee to launch Xponential Fitness brands in New Zealand

National Strategy launched for Australian Golf Industry

US-based Xponential Fitness, Inc. - the ‘curator’ of leading boutique fitness brands has announced it has signed a master franchise agreement in New Zealand for three of its brands: CycleBar, StretchLab, and Rumble.

The agreement will see Xponential’s master franchisor in Australia for CycleBar, StretchLab and Rumble, Boutique Fitness Studios Pty Ltd, become the New Zealand master franchisor through a wholly owned subsidiary, Boutique Fitness Studios NZ Ltd.

The Australian Golf industry’s milestone national strategy has been launched following the input of more than 10,000 people including golfers, club representatives, PGA Members, industry partners, public, government, equipment suppliers and industry experts in a series of webinars, meetings and surveys.

Golf Australia Chief Executive James Sutherland notes “this National Strategy gives golf in Australia a strong sense of direction. It has allowed us to collectively lift our eyes to golf’s enormous potential as a sport for all. We share the industry’s excitement about the opportunities ahead - and commit to serving Australian Golf and its millions of golfers.”

New Zealand tourism businesses facing cybersecurity challenges New Zealand tourism businesses are being warned to secure their social media accounts and IT systems in the wake of a series of cyberattacks.

AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand is the most high profile operator to reveal that it has been hacked - although there are understood to be others who have not revealed that they have been targetted.

AJ Hackett Bungy NZ is understood to have been subjected to an attack in January after hackers gained access to the operator’s systems.

Advising in a statement that the exact nature of the breach is still being investigated, Bungy NZ Chief Executive, David Mitchell commented that while the cyberattack was “incredibly disruptive, briefly undermining access to Bungy’s technology systems, the company was prepared for this kind of event.”

Future secured for Queensland’s Woodford Folk Festival The future of Queensland’s Woodford Folk Festival has been secured through a State Government investment of $4 million over four years.

The Woodford Folk Festival traditionally offers a mix of music, dance, circus, films, street theatre, visual arts, creative workshops, exhibitions, talks, debates, children’s activities, late night cabarets and First Nations arts with a focus on the traditions, customs and cultures of Queensland’s Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

At its peak, Woodfordia creates over 2,500 employment opportunities for artists and arts workers and contributes $29 million in economic impact to the Queensland economy each year.

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Dunk Island developer receives $30 million penalty for misleading advertising Mayfair 101 Group, the company behind ambitious plans to transform Mission Beach and Dunk Island in Far North Queensland, has been ordered to pay a combined penalty of $30 million by the Federal Court for misleading advertising of debenture products.

Mayfair 101, founded by financier James Mawhinney, purchased a resort on Dunk Island in 2019, as well as 200 properties in the adjacent town of Mission Beach, with plans to turn them into a major tourism precinct.

ActiveXchange establishes strategic partnership with Recreation Aotearoa Market leading and multi-award-winning data intelligence industry specialists ActiveXchange have partnered with Recreation Aotearoa, New Zealand’s peak body for Recreation to empower an industry-wide revolution to get more people, more active, more often, in more places and spaces.

The strategic partnership will advance the way data and analysis can effectively be applied to relevant industry topics such as member acquisition and retention, market segmentation, targeted community impacts, social value, grant applications and much more.

NEWS IN BRIEF The new 5,000 seat show court at Melbourne and Olympic Park (left) has been named Kia Arena.

Moreton Bay Regional Council has opened its new $4 million regional tennis centre at the Harris Avenue Sports Complex in Narangba.

Melbourne Skydeck - formerly the Eureka Skydeck - has reopened to the public following a multi-million-dollar redevelopment, new name and brand and boasting the largest virtual reality theatre of its kind in the world.

The masterplan for the redevelopment of Brisbane’s landmark Ballymore stadium (left) has been formally approved by the Queensland Government, with construction of the venue’s new McLean Stand now underway.

The first stage of the $53 million upgrade to Adelaide’s Coopers Stadium is now complete.

Minyon Falls - located in Nightcap National Park, Northern NSW - now has a spectacular new lookout and viewing platform offering improved access for visitors to experience one of Australia’s best waterfalls in the renowned biodiversity hotspot.

The Western Australian Government has started building a new state-of-the-art dryland dive centre at HBF Stadium that will also be the new home of Diving WA. Wave lagoon developer Surf Lakes International Pty Ltd has received Development Approval from the Livingstone Shire Council for its current research and development site in Yeppoon to be expanded to allow public access and offer tourist accommodation (left).

Construction of the $26.77 million Monash Tennis Centre at Melbourne’s Glen Waverley Sports Hub is a step closer with the project moving into the detailed design phase.

Member for Lindsay Melissa McIntosh MP, Federal Minister for Sport and AUSTSWIM Chief Executive Simon Weatherill at the funding announcement.

AUSTSWIM secures Federal Government funding for ‘Creating Jobs, Saving Lives’ project AUSTSWIM, the national organisation for teaching swimming and water safety, is to receive $250,000 from the Federal Government for its ‘Creating Jobs, Saving Lives’ project which aims to address the current shortage of swim and water safety teachers.

Encouraging more teachers into the pool to strengthen aquatic skills and save lives, the project will focus on reengaging with swimming teachers who have left the industry and support them to return to the water.

The AUSTSWIM funding is one of 36 new programs sharing in $10.3 million committed under Sport Australia’s Participation Grant program - providing more opportunities for Australians to connect with sport and get physically active.

A new $7.5 million Police Citizen’s Youth Club has been officially opened in the northern NSW town of Walgett.

St Kilda Football Club has revealed a partnership with Belgravia Leisure that will see the facility manager take on responsibility for the soon-to-be-opened Danny Frawley Centre for Health and Wellbeing (left).

National Parks in South Australia continue to experience surge in visitation Latest data from National Parks and Wildlife service show South Australia’s most popular national parks continue to see a surge in visitation with more people staying close to home during the holiday season.

Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park has been recognised as South Australia’s most popular regional national park, for online bookings, in 2021, with more than 85,000 visitors in the past year, a rise of more than 28%.

Located on the picturesque coastline of the Yorke Peninsula, the park is home to spectacular coastal scenery featuring dramatic cliff tops, shipwrecks, pounding surf beaches, tranquil bays and rock pools.

Queensland Government acquires Currumbin land for future Eco-Parkland 148 hectares of land at Currumbin on the Southern Gold Coast has been secured by the Queensland Government for transformation into one of Australia’s biggest ecoparklands.

Friends of Currumbin President Peter Kershaw said the group was delighted the Queensland Government had announced the acquisition of the land, known locally as Martha’s Vineyard or Martha’s Farm.

Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148 15

Luna Park Sydney’s new Big Dipper (above) and Dreamworld’s Steel Taipan (below).

The excitement returns With ongoing hopes of an end to lockdown and border restrictions, Nigel Benton looks at Australia’s amusement and theme parks latest offerings

D

espite a lot of dashed hopes over the two years of the Coronavirus pandemic, confidence around vaccine rollouts, easing of restrictions and pent-up consumer demand is creating a level of expectation among Australia’s amusement and theme park operators that finally some sort of ‘new normal’ has arrived.

While questions remain about how much consumer behaviour patterns will have changed due to lockdowns, attractions are well placed to meet the pent-up demand for excitement and thrills with a range of new rides and experiences having been rolled out over recent months.

This positivity is backed by international indicators.

In November, the Walt Disney Company reported that its theme parks business nearly tripled its revenues in the last financial quarter posting a 99% increase in global takings for the three months ending on 2nd October 2021 by comparison with the previous year.

Disney’s theme parks reported operating income of US$640 million, compared to a loss of US$945 million a year earlier.

In addition, the latest edition of the definitive global attraction attendance report from the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and global consultants AECOM showed that attractions operators and markets are on a path to recovery (see Australasian Leisure Management issue 147).

In Australia, beyond Aussie World’s opening of its SX360 ride in June last year (see Australasian Leisure Management issue 145), December saw Dreamworld celebrate its 40th anniversary with the opening of its new Steel Taipan rollercoaster.

16 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148

First announced by the park in August 2019, the highly anticipated thrill ride features the first rear spinning gondola in the world, the Tailwhip 3600 and, with a top speed of 105 kilometres an hour and a G-force of 3.8, is predicted to bring an extra 250,000 visitors a year to the Gold Coast.

Built at a cost of $32 million, Dreamworld’s delivery of the new ride is part of a revitalisation of the theme park and follows the removal of the Thunder River Rapids ride - the site of four fatalities in 2016 - and the subsequent retirement of the Tower of Terror II, BuzzSaw and WipeOut rides in recent years.

Commenting on the new ride, Dreamworld Chief Executive, Greg Yong stated “following a challenging couple of years, we

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felt committed to building a world-class tourism infrastructure asset that will benefit not only Dreamworld but also the entire SEQ tourism sector.”

Completion of the project was made possible by a threeyear, COVID stimulus funding package from the Queensland Government to parent company Ardent Leisure consisting of a $63,7 million loan and $6.2 million grant.

The funding, which shows the importance of Dreamworld to the south east Queensland economy and indicates that the region’s theme parks are ‘too big to fail’, was backed up

by Ardent Leisure also receiving almost $20 million from the Federal Government’s JobKeeper initiative during the 2019/20 and 2020/21 financial years. It can also be assumed that Village Roadshow received more in JobKeeper funds.

Having cut its losses to $86.9 million in the year to 30th June last year, compared to $136.1 million in 2019/20, Ardent Leisure Chairman, Dr Gary Weiss advised that the theme park business continued to receive strong support from the local market despite visitor numbers being impacted by international and interstate border restrictions, particularly during peak trading period.

Looking beyond the pandemic, Dr Weiss noted “we are confident that Ardent is well positioned for future growth once market conditions begin to improve.”

However, despite the financial assistance and confidence, just before Christmas Ardent Leisure was reported to have dropped plans to develop a hotel and tourist park adjacent to Dreamworld.

First revealed last May, the $75 million project for a 4-star 250 room resort-style hotel and tourist park were apparently halted after a breakdown in negotiations with the developer.

The Dreamworld Resort project was to have been funded and developed by Gold Coast Airport Hotel developer Evolution Group on part of the surplus land owned by Ardent next to Dreamworld.

The ‘rollercoaster’ of lockdowns and pre-Christmas uncertainty about the impact of the new Coronavirus variant, saw Village Roadshow owner VRG Holdco advise at the beginning of January that the ongoing viability of the entertainment and theme park group is contingent on the Omicron wave not resulting in new restrictions on its operations.

According to accounts lodged with the Australian Securities Investments Commission on 20th December 2021, VRG Holdco recorded a net loss of $35.8 million in the 2020/21 financial year,, an improvement on its net loss of $117.4 million for the 2019/20 financial year - its last as a public company.

The group implemented cost-reduction strategies during the pandemic including standing down of front-line employees, a group-wide restructuring, deferring all non-essential capital expenditure and working with landlords for rent relief.

While not committing to new investments, commitments made by Village Roadshow before the start of the pandemic saw Australia’s tallest waterpark slide and new aquatic play 18 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148

Wet’n’Wild on the Gold Coast has opened Australia’s tallest waterpark slide tower and a new aquatic play zone (above and below).

zone open at Wet’n’Wild on the Gold Coast in early December.

Standing 27 metres high, the new slide tower features three slides - the Kaboom!, Double Barrell and Super Ripper - and is surrounded by the H2Oasis splash zone featuring tipping buckets, water jets and other children’s water play features.

At the time of its opening, Village Roadshow Chief Executive, Clark Kirby advised “this new attraction is a game-changer for Wet’n’Wild and with the Tallest waterslide tower in Australia featuring three all new rides, there are plenty of new thrills and spills on offer for our guests in time for summer.”

Completion of this project, as well as the soon-to-becompleted New Atlantic precinct at Sea World also benefitted from significant funding from the Queensland Government’s COVID stimulus package.

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Luna Park Sydney’s popullar Hair Raiser (above) and the Surfers Paradise Slingshot (below).

The Christmas period also saw the arrival of the world’s first launched single-rail rollercoaster at Luna Park Sydney. Supplied by leading global amusement ride manufacturer Intamin the ‘Big Dipper’ took its name from a wooden rollercoaster that operated at Luna Park from 1935 until 1979.

Opened as the centrepiece of a $30 million ride investment at the Sydney harbourside amusement park, the Big Dipper features alongside eight new rides, including six new children’s rides.

Commenting on the additions, Luna Park Sydney Director, Warwick Doughty stated “eight of the new rides are operational with the two coasters and Sledgehammer (a 360 degree swing ride) being extremely popular.”

Softfall innovation in Wet’n’Wild’s Slide and Splash precinct The 750 metre² softfall surfacing in the H2Oasis water play area at Wet’n’Wild representing one of the biggest installations of a Life Floor surface in the world - and the second largest undertaken in Australia by Life Floor (Australia & NZ) and Gold Coast based installation partner Grassports Australia (Queensland).

It is also the most complicated design ever undertaken

by Life Floor with eight colours including the very distinctive curved white lines.

The design necessitated an entirely new installation technique which saw the lines installed last using innovative new equipment invented specially for the project.

Life Floor (ANZ) Managing Director, Grant Burgess advises “our installation team invested a lot of time testing new approaches to make sure the installation was true to the architect’s intricate design.

“The outcome speaks for itself - it’s truly amazing.”

20 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148

Back on the Gold Coast, the relocated and reopened Surfers Paradise Slingshot has been proving to be a major drawcard since recommencing operations on 27th December.

At its new location on Surfers Paradise’s Cavill Avenue, the busiest tourist street in Australia, the attraction shoots riders more than 80 metres into the air at a speed of 160km/h.

The new location has seen the attraction perform “way above expectations” according to Slingshot owner Brian Mirfin, who added “with the border reopening we’ve been meeting a pent up demand for excitement.”

The Slingshot ride itself has been through ongoing enhancement since its 1995 launch and now features state-ofthe-art safety mechanisms and a range of patented technologies including spring powered gearbox and programmable logical controller (PLC) technology to control both automation and safety functions.

While the opening of new rides will be offering new experiences to meet demand stifled during lockdowns and border closures, each of these developments was planned and committed to prior to the pandemic and it will be interesting to see which operators, if any, will be in a financial position to commit to new rides and experiences in the coming years.

Nonetheless, with rides and attractions dedicated to bringing people together for shared experiences, positivity in the sector looks set to overcome its many challenges.

Nigel Benton is Publisher of Australasian Leisure Management.

AALARA announces May dates for 2022 Conference The Australian Amusement, Leisure and Recreation Association (AALARA) has announced that it will be staging its 2022 Conference and Trade Showcase on the Gold Coast from 16th to 18th May at the Sea World Conference Centre.

The theme of this year’s event is ‘Doing Business in 2022 & Beyond’ and includes a range of keynote speakers, performer panels and information sessions.

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Damon Tudor explains the progress of URBNSURF attractions and how the business is returning to a ‘cautious normality’

S

urfing is an iconic Australian sport and pastime, offering an attractive lifestyle, with millions of active participants.

But surfing is challenging. Typically, you need an ocean, and the elements to align - swell, tide, winds, daylight - to score good, let alone perfect waves. And if you want to learn, or are chasing surf, you have to commit time to driving to a coast, checking multiple spots, and be willing to battle crowds at popular breaks.

There’s also the risk of marine hazards, including rips, the occasional shark and, in places, overcrowding.

At URBNSURF, we think we have a solution. As the operator and developer of Australia’s first urban surf parks we have made surfing available to people of all ages and abilities.

With URBNSURF Melbourne, our first venue, and with URBNSURF Sydney at Sydney Olympic Park, set to open in

24 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148

2023, and with further projects planned around the country we are advancing with our goal to develop world-class urban surfing locations around Australia, to help everyone be in a position to surf more (#surfmore).

Despite challenges of lockdowns, which began just weeks after the opening of URBNSURF Melbourne in January 2020, we have welcomed over 100,000 unique guests to the park. Over this period over 200,000 sessions and lessons have been sold.

We also offer a Surf Academy supported by trained surf coaches, tailored instruction, female-only surf sessions and, through summer, opportunities to swim in gentle waves patrolled by our trained lifeguards.

URBNSURF is a versatile space, with the capacity to hold up to 4,000 people within our event areas while still operating the lagoon publicly.

Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148 25

Events already hosted have included the “For The Love” Event Music Festival Series (Global IAAPA Award Winner), the Ferrari F8 Spider Launch, the Melbourne Fashion Festival Runway (down the middle of the lagoon’s pier), our Outdoor Cinema Series, Halo Trailer Filming, Australian Boardriders Battle, Rip Curl Grom Search National Final, Mercedes Benz customer activation and the Rip Curl Summer Campaign launch.

Beyond that, the park offers facilities for guests including, retail, hire centre, cabanas, change rooms and photography and video services. Food and beverage is provided by the famous Three Blue Ducks restaurant.

In operation, we have continually been evolving and building new waves based on feedback from customers and members to ensure there is a perfect wave in the park for everyone.

As a result, there are currently six different wave settings available at URBNSURF, for all levels from beginner to expert.

The experience of URBNSURF Melbourne is also shaping our new $50 million development within the Sydney Olympic Park precinct.

Set on 3.6 hectares, URBNSURF Sydney will utilise Wavegarden “Cove” technology – which currently powers both left and right-hand waves at URBNSURF Melbourne, generating a wave every eight seconds, enabling surfers to catch 10-12 waves per hour.

Scheduled to open in 2023, over two million Sydneysiders will have access to the park within 30 minutes of the CBD, providing an alternative break that will pump perfect man-made waves regardless of the conditions for all ages and abilities.

It’s been a challenging journey for URBNSURF and since opening two years ago, we’ve been closed for half that time.

Six lockdowns have taken their toll on the business and our teams. The pandemic has been an exercise in resiliencebuilding for all, especially for our youthful employee generation of mostly 18 to 30 year-olds who had so far been spared global, life-changing adversity.

For me, I have found myself navigating through unprecedented challenges these past years while guiding our people to stay the course through the crisis.

I can only imagine the mental and emotional stress that our younger employees have been, and are still, feeling.

As the saying goes, ‘what doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger’.

This pandemic has enabled the upcoming generation to hone their adversity armour and steel themselves against future challenges.

Research shows that coping in a crisis can strengthen your resilience, manifested in increased empathy, the experience of positive change in your life, and greater self-confidence.

Surviving hardship helps us to reframe stress as a challenge, sharpening focus and performance while reducing anxiety.

This has to be the COVID cloud silver lining.

The role of a leader at any time, but certainly in a time of crisis, is to guide their teams with constant positive engagement, 26 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148

always spotlighting the end goal. We also must be honest about the tough times and acknowledge we can all be vulnerable.

Throughout this time of turmoil for our people, my focus has been to help them stay engaged and connected with the company. Not an easy feat, with many working just a few days a week as lockdown followed lockdown. It’s been tough, but with weekly online team meetings, one-on-one regular check-ins and a consistent focus on our strategic plan we have retained our key people.

As we return to cautious normality, it’s time for leaders everywhere to shift from survival mode back into growth mode, but gradually. With a customer-experience business like URBNSURF, it is tempting to quickly scale operations back up to 100% to make up for lost time and money.

The reality is that employees and customers may not be quite ready for a life as-it-was situation. The leisure and hospitality industries have more challenges ahead to return to pre-pandemic levels, and where our leaders might be feeling excitement and hope, their teams are feeling anxiety and fatigue.

A gradual adjustment is needed that acknowledges the need for re-familiarisation. We risk losing talent and compromising productivity if we don’t make employee wellbeing a priority.

For us, this means promoting a positive mindset at work, focusing on simply getting customers into the pool and taking the time to reconnect with each other through conversations and our fun, monthly staff surf sessions. Nothing like sausages and surfing to heal the soul.

We are incredibly excited to be able to share the amazing experience that is surfing with our second park in Sydney.

No doubt there will be plenty of challenges ahead of us, but we know we can continue to create memorable moments in people’s lives despite the challenges we have faced.

Damon Tudor is Chief Executive of URBNSURF.

Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148 27

Armadale Fitness and Aquatic Centre (above) and the Cockburn ARC (below).

Robust State Findings from Western Australia’s latest ‘Bigger, Better, Safer’ report A newly released report from Royal Life Saving Society WA, in conjunction with LIWA Aquatics, shows that public aquatic facilities in Western Australia recorded 10.4 million visits in 2020/21 representing 3.9 pool visits per head of population.

A decline from a pre-COVID peak of 11.5 million visits on 2018/19, these visits have been shown to deliver $275 million in economic benefits to the state.

Breaking down the visits, the ‘Bigger, Better, Safer: Western Australian Aquatics Industry Report 2020/21’, showed that 412,906 visits to facilities in the Mid West region - equating to 7.8 visits per head - was the highest in the state while 192,450 in the Great Southern region - equating to 3.1 visits per head - was the lowest.

Aquatic industry expenditure totalled $96.1 million total in 2020/21, an 18.8% rise from 2019/20 with an average $9.22 expenditure per public pool visit during the year. The Pilbara region was the highest spending, generating $24.50 per visit while Metropolitan Perth had the lowest at $7.60 per visit.

The annual report on the state of the aquatic industry in Western Australia, showed 4134 staff were employed in 2020/21 of which 738 were full-time, 446 part-time and 2950 casuals - with 60% of this workforce located in Metropolitan Perth.

The 18 to 24 years age group were the largest part of the workforce (38%) while

the 25 to 34 and 55 to 64 age groups totalled 13% each.

64% of this workforce were female, 1.45% came from Aboriginal and/ or Torres Strait Islander and 2% from multicultural backgrounds.

Technical staff in pools made up 11% of the workforce, 40% of whom worked in the Perth area. With an average age of 37 years, 35% were employed on a casual basis.

Pool lifeguards made up 28% of the workforce, 73% of whom worked in the Perth area. With an average age of 26 years, 68% were employed on a casual basis.

In these groups, 70% of technical staff and 54% of lifeguards were male.

Swim teachers made up 33% of the workforce, 78% of whom worked in the Perth area. With an average age of 26 years, 86% were employed on a casual basis and 75% of this segment of the workforce female.

The report, which as far back as its 2017/18 edition identified the now nationwide trend of a shortage of swim instructors and pool lifeguards, showed in this latest edition that there are a total of 1377 swim instructor positions in the state, not all of which are currently filled.

Among the active positions, 133 are swim coaches and 735 are swim teachers.

Reversing a trend of decreasing water usage over recent years, water consumption across facilities rose to a

28 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148

total of 1270 megalitres, an increase of 1.1% from the previous years, with an estimated 123 litres water consumption per patron.

In the area of safety, ‘Bigger, Better, Safer’ recorded 2,327 injuries at public pools in 2020/21, representing 22.3 incidents per 100,000 visits.

Trips, slips and falls were the major incidents and cuts, grazes and piercings the main injuries.

Produced each year with financial assistance from the Western Australian Department of Sport and Recreation, ‘Bigger, Better, Safer’ report aims to: -Better understand the aquatic industry as a collective and to quantify key outputs, -Monitor risks to patron safety and identify trends, -Evaluate compliance to industry benchmarks and standard operating procedures, and -Be a catalyst for discussion and an evidence base for ongoing program development.

Overall, the report states “aquatic centres provide significant benefits to the WA community, in terms of community development, sport, recreation, health and fitness.”

Moving forward it suggests: improving injury data procedures across the state; continuing efforts to reduce injury at public pools; improving cultural knowledge across workforce; further exploration into facility expenditure; assessing the social impact of aquatic facilities and addressing workforce staffing gaps.

In regard to staffing issues, it notes “currently, the industry is struggling to find staff to meet the demands for swimming instructors and lifeguards during peak time periods and across regional WA. “Further efforts are needed to encourage individuals to join the aquatic industry workforce and decrease staff turnover. This is particularly important in regional WA where programs have been cancelled due to a lack of available staff.”

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Looking to the future of events Ungerboeck wraps up a year of unprecedented growth and innovation

A

t the end of 2020, Ungerboeck, the world’s leading event management software provider, unveiled the ‘We Will Event Again’ campaign. The video series reflected on the difficulties venues and event professionals experienced during the global pandemic and highlighted how the event industry adapted to create and deliver new event experiences.

One year on from that video and after several false starts, the event industry is ready to meet the pent-up demand for inperson events.

As Ungerboeck President and Chief Executive, Manish Chandak said in late 2020 with words that are still relevant, “never has our industry lived through such challenging times”, adding “the bounce back will be huge, and we will be there to support the industry and help our customers make up for the lost revenue, lost time, and lost connections.

“We will meet again, we will exhibit again, we will conference again, we will cheer again, and we will event again.”

Fred Lazzerini, Ungerboeck Senior Vice President, International.

True to Chandak’s words, Ungerboeck has acquired Priava, a cloud-based venue and event management system with a wide portfolio of global customers. This acquisition provides a platform to accelerate industry innovation and add more value for customers all over the world.

Ungerboeck has undergone a period of rapid international growth. Acquiring Priava with its strong representation in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, gives the US-based Ungerboeck an even greater international presence.

Priava Group Chief Executive, Tom Gleeson explained “this is an extremely exciting moment in Priava’s history.

“In joining forces with Ungerboeck, we will build on the momentum we have created and work together to deliver stateof-the-art venue and event management solutions to drive the industry forward.”

30 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148

Customers can keep using the products and services they currently use without interruption with both Ungerboeck and Priava continuing to support all existing customers with the same focus on success. As the product teams come together, customers can look for exciting new offerings that add value to their event business.

Chandak noted “our goal is to have the breadth and scale to serve the industry better.

“We welcome the Priava team to the Ungerboeck family.

Together, we can rapidly develop the kinds of innovative solutions needed to succeed in the post-pandemic world.”

Fred Lazzerini, Ungerboeck Senior Vice President, International, explained “this acquisition accelerates our objective to grow internationally. We’re bringing in more venues in the Ungerboeck community, and adding staff in Australia, India, and the UK. “By combining resources, we can support event professionals with a higher level of efficiency and expertise. Current and future customers can expect faster industry growth, rapid innovation, more product offerings, and additional resources designed to better serve the event business.”

Before being promoted to his current position earlier this year, Lazzerini had been Ungerboeck’s Managing Director, Asia-Pacific, since 2011. In his new role, Lazzerini will oversee sales and delivery for all Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East,

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Acquiring Priava is the next crucial step in a journey focused on technological advancements and industry innovation.

Our new combined resources will unlock leading-edge solutions that add value for our customers, serve the business better, and drive the industry forward through a post-pandemic world. ungerboeck.com

and Africa markets. He has been tasked with driving the growth of Ungerboeck activities and the company’s ongoing focus on customer success.

Lazzerini has over 20 years of experience in the events industry, first working for the technology branch of GL Events, a major venue and exhibition management company based in France. He then went on to hold a variety of roles with Ungerboeck, providing and delivering event technology solutions to customers throughout the region.

Chandak went on to say “I am looking forward to Fred taking on the reigns of international leadership and growth for Ungerboeck.

“His deep experience in the industry and strategic thinking will be a great asset to our customer base.”

In addition to Lazzerini’s new role, Ungerboeck announced other recent hires and promotions to its global executive leadership team.

Chandak added “we are thrilled about the post-pandemic growth of the events industry, and we are preparing our team to support that growth.

“I am very excited to announce our expanded leadership team. This leadership team truly embodies our values and is ready to serve our customers and lead the industry with expertise and innovation.”

The new roles and key appointments include Ryan Morrow - Chief Financial Officer, Mike Cameron - Vice President

32 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148

of People and Culture, Jennifer Diebling - Vice President of Marketing, and Joe White - Vice President of Product Development.

And finally, to round out a year of tremendous growth and good fortune, Ungerboeck was recognised in November for delivering the Best Venue Booking Solution at the 2021 Event Technology Awards in London. The company received the firstplace accolade after its debut as one of the finalists on the 2021 short list in the annual award series that recognises the most useful and innovative event technology solutions in the global event industry.

About Ungerboeck Ungerboeck provides industry-leading event and venue management software to over 50,000 users in over 50 countries around the world, empowering the people that bring people together. Its comprehensive platform offers event professionals leading-edge Software as a Service (SaaS) technology that provides a 360 view of their business, allowing them to cut costs, save time, and increase revenue. Founded in 1985, Ungerboeck is headquartered in the United States, with regional presence in Australia, New Zealand, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Germany, France, Mexico, and England.

For additional information about Ungerboeck, contact Bec Rose at +61-7-3359-7919 or email bec.rose@ungerboeck.com.

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Revolutionising Bookings Google’s new ‘Things to Do’ feature offers massive potential for leisure. Nigel Benton explains

G

oogle’s phasing out of its ‘Reserve with Google’ function and the introduction of its new ‘Things to Do’ initiative offers massive marketing opportunities for not only visitor attractions and tourism operators but any business, large or small, that offers leisure experiences such as aquatic and activity programs, entertainment venues, sports stadiums, nature and wildlife tours, ski resorts and events.

Offering answers to queries about activities, ticketing, timings, offers and availability, searchers using ‘Things to Do’ first receive basic information about the point of interest, with added booking links for admission and other ticket options.

For operators, the initiative offers lower costs, increased direct bookings, and full ownership of customer acquisition - with listings for details like pricing, images and reviews being free of charge, but there also being enhanced paid for advertisingbased options.

Additionally, with 83% of mobile bookings being completed after a smartphone search, ‘Things to Do’ allows operators to be where their audience is, expanding their direct contacts with consumers and reduce reliance on, and commission paid, to third-party agents.

‘Things to Do’ allows users to easily compare options for visiting their favourite attractions and then click through to the operator’s website to complete the transaction. It means more booking options to customers and puts control back in the hands of operators irrespective of their scale.

Google announced its new approach to the sector back in March 2021 stating, “this is part of our larger effort to ensure people have access to all offers available to them by providing free and easy ways for businesses to connect with people on Google.

“We made it free for partners to participate in Google Flights early (in 2020), and (then) opened our Shopping tab to free listings for online retail. Over time, we’ll continue building this open platform, so that all partners will have even more opportunities to highlight their information and help people book a flight, find a place to stay, or explore a new destination.”

Much like shopping ads, advertisers can showcase their inventory, including attraction admission tickets, tours, and activities on search engine results pages (SERPs). For advertisers that promote their listings with advertisements, they will only be charged when someone clicks the ad.

As such, it means any business or operator wanting to promote leisure time services can fully control their information.

While individual attractions, tour operators and activity providers - as well as reservation systems - can undertake the work themselves, Google recommends working with one of a number of connectivity providers to get shown.

Among a long list of connectivity providers are Australian-based Livn and RedBalloon/The Big Red group.

As a Google partner, Livn’s role is to claim, create and power the ‘Official Site’

36 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148

button that takes potential customers directly to the operator’s website from Google Search results.

With Livn acting as a connection between the operator and consumer, Chief Executive, Mark Rizzuto explains “we are thrilled that Livn can help play a part in the revival of travel and help attractions be ready for the bounce back and resurgence of digital bookings.

“This is the future of distribution for attractions offering a travel ecosystem with a more affordable and sustainable model of distribution.”

Having initially worked with Luna Park Sydney, Taronga Zoo and the Hobbiton Movie Set Tour in developing its model, Martinez explains “Things to Do is changing significantly with attractions and operators now able to manage their online presence on Google.

“Information appears on the side of a Google search directly promoting the business, helping to provide more information and reviews.

“In terms of mobile and desktop, which is where it’s being rolled out first with Google, this ticket data is going to start to show up very prominently under the business listing.”

Martinez also notes the importance of attractions being able to control their ticketing data, stating “attractions can now include claim one whole row of their Google listing as an ‘official site’ - and be located above resellers.

“It allows any size player to take part meaningfully in the Google ecosystem.”

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Absorbing the Force James Croll investigates how a revolutionary cushioned tennis surface is not only having an impact on performance at all sporting levels but is being particularly kind to the health and well-being of the older sporting community

I

n October 2021, Corinthian Park Tennis Club in Shelley, Western Australia completed the transition from its grass courts to all weather Laykold cushioned courts.

As one of Perth’s oldest and most prestigious clubs, the prospect of a move from traditional grass to a synthetic surface required much consultation with members and indepth research to ensure that the transition was going to be truly beneficial to all. Fortunately, the transition proved a huge success particularly amongst the older members who heralded the more joint-friendly all-weather courts as a revelation.

The decision-making process for the new surface was conducted by Corinthian Park Tennis Club President, Denzil Morrell, and his team. They completed a comprehensive feasibility study focusing on several different cushioned surface brands and because of their study, they ended up selecting APT’s Australian Made Laykold Masters Gel system. They saw the surface as the most durable and hard-wearing surface in comparison to the other products they had surveyed.

Morrell explained “based on our research, Laykold provided a cushioned surface that could withstand the test of time.

“A number of the other cushioned surfaces were simply not as durable. This was one of the main reasons we chose Laykold Masters Gel.” While durability was key, Morrell and his team were also aware of the need to transition to a surface that would be 38 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148

Corinthian Park Tennis Club’s court transformation. The old (above) and new (below).

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kinder to their members. The old grass court surfaces had proved increasingly hard on the older members’ joints and injuries were becoming increasingly common. They were also attracted by the fact that the Laykold system was manufactured in Australia and to a large degree with renewable resources.

Their choice, the Laykold Masters Gel system is a revolutionary, technologically advanced, seamless cushioned court system manufactured using up to 60% renewable resources. It is an all-weather court surface which offers a wide variety of benefits to all ages and abilities including 17% force reduction which subsequently enhances player performance by reducing joint impact and body fatigue.

Once the decision had been made the club engaged local APT installation partner and Laykold expert, Mark Tucker of West Coast Sporting Surfaces, to manage the new Laykold courts installation. With 22 years’ experience in sports surface design and installation, Tucker is enthusiastic about the Laykold brand for many reasons.

Tucker states “with Western Australia being such a large state, we have an incredibly diverse range of climates from very hot up north to much cooler down south.

“And yet Laykold has proven to be able to hack the harshest of weather. What is more, since it is manufactured in Australia it means we can offer our customers reassurance that we can service and deliver on their needs.”

Corinthian Park Tennis Club’s new courts.

40 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148

Tucker is finding that awareness of the Laykold Masters Gel system is spreading rapidly within the tennis community, noting “Laykold Masters Gel really is a cut above the rest. Until it came along there really had not been any major advancements in cushioned tennis surfaces for quite some time. Now clubs are prepared to wait to find additional funding, if need be, in order to secure the Laykold Masters Gel system for their club.

It really is that good.”

Another important stakeholder who is impressed by the new Gel courts is Corinthian Park’s Head Coach, Laercio Lobo.

Originally from Brazil, Lobo joined the club in 2016 after years of studying and playing college tennis in USA. Since the Laykold system was introduced, he has not only found that his students and players love the feel of the new courts, but he has noticed that the older players with back and joint problems are not pulling up as sore after a game of tennis and are thus able to return to the courts quicker and play more frequently. He has also noticed the difference personally.

Lobo advises “I spend about 50 hours a week coaching, and with the old courts I was very tired and by the end of the week my body was sore. But I have noticed huge improvements since coaching on the Laykold Masters Gel. I am not nearly as sore.”

The Background Laykold is owned by Sport Group, the world’s largest business dedicated to sport surfaces. As a result, the product is part of a fully integrated supply chain, controlling all aspects of its production from laboratory testing to the selection of raw materials and warranties.

In Australia, Laykold is produced and engineered by the Sport Group’s manufacturing business - APT (Advanced Polymer Technology) Asia Pacific, the world’s leading manufacturer of polyurethane-based materials, acrylic coatings, and synthetic turf products for sporting and recreational applications.

Since its introduction in the 1940’s, millions of square meters of Laykold surface has been installed worldwide. It is an incredibly popular surface choice for tennis, netball, basketball and multipurpose applications, due to its range of systems available, colours, durability and all-weather performance. Furthermore, its superior performance qualities and environmental credentials were key reasons for the United States Tennis Association (USTA) selecting Laykold as the new surface of the US Open in 2020.

New courts (installed by Grassport QLD) at the Pimpama Sports Hub on the Gold Coast.

Jim Tritt, Chief Operations Officer for Sport Group Asia Pacific, states “from a performance perspective, Laykold’s reputation has been built on three key factors - non-slip, force reduction, and energy return.

“Whether they are community or elite, tennis players or netball players, people need these three key factors from a surface to remain healthy whilst achieving peak performance.

In simple terms, your chosen surface does not only need to be non-slip, it also needs to absorb the force and return the energy to the athlete during competition or practice.”

Tritt goes on to explain that the Laykold system offers up to 75% energy restitution, a factor that is obviously critical to all players of all ages and abilities, adding “a cushioned system is like an elastic surface. This elasticity absorbs the vertical and horizontal force delivered by the athlete. Not only does the Laykold system absorb the force, but it returns that energy to the athlete, thereby reducing fatigue and strain on the joints and muscles which improves recovery time and performance.

What is more, the improved coatings provide high slip-resistant properties which help prevent injuries from falls, slipping and jarring of joints.”

It is not surprising that there are a variety of Laykold systems catering for different applications, end users and budgets.

The Premium Laykold systems include Laykold Masters Gel, which was installed at Corinthian Park Tennis Club. It is the most advanced court system in the world delivering 17% force reduction and made with 60% renewable resources. Its area elastic surface minimises the depth of ‘foot depression,’ which protects an athlete’s knees and ankles from injury during highvelocity, lateral changes of direction. Laykold Masters Gel doesn’t just absorb the force an athlete produces during competition, it returns that energy to the athlete thus reducing fatigue.

The Laykold Masters Float system meanwhile is the choice for revitalising tired facilities suffering from cracked or deteriorated court substrates, thus enticing players back with a superior experience and look. The system provides 21% force reduction and also delivers environmentally as it features a shock pad which includes recycled tennis balls (4,000 balls used in a single court). The topcoat is 50% renewable material by weight, and the adhesive and pore filler are also made with 40% renewable content.

Within the Standard Laykold systems range, customers can opt for the Laykold Cushion Plus system which is the tennis industry’s premier liquid cushioned hard court surface. The 42 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148

Cushion Plus court is comprised of multiple layers of rubber granules and rubber powder encapsulated within a highly flexible proprietary 100% acrylic binder.

Finally, Laykold Advantage is a high performance three to four coat acrylic system with a hard wearing and long-lasting, non-slip surface. The specially designed surface is also cooler and better to play on than bare asphalt. It does not include a cushioning layer.

From Cradle to Grave In an age where every industry is conscious and responsible for environmentally sustainable practices, it is probably APT’s sustainability initiative that is the most fascinating aspect of the Laykold system.

Over 325 million tennis balls are produced worldwide each year and are used for only a few minutes in professional matches to just a few games for recreational players. In the past, most of these tennis balls eventually ended up in landfills.

However, Laykold and APT in conjunction with RecycledBalls are working to reverse this problem. In 2015 Laykold created the first cushion court with a shock pad made from recycled tennis balls. All shock pads used with Laykold cushioned court systems are made from 100% natural recycled tennis balls and other rubber.

More recently APT and Laykold partnered with the USTA and Wilson Tennis, to collect the balls used from the 2020 Western & Southern Open and US Open. These balls were crushed, then added to the base layer of the Grandstand Court at the 2021 Western & Southern Open, which was prepared and installed by Laykold.

It is a fascinating cradle to grave solution for the millions of tennis balls produced annually.

James Croll manages partnerships for Australasian Leisure Management.

An Essential Service

Image courtesy of Myzone.

In the month when the world marks two years of living with COVID, members of the Global Health and Fitness Alliance’s Advisory Council share details of their mission with Kate Cracknell

F

orged in 2020 as COVID lockdowns first impacted, the Global Health and Fitness Alliance (GHFA) has set out to confirm health and fitness clubs as an essential service.

Since the early part of 2020, the health and fitness industry around the world has been decimated, with thousands of gyms closing their doors forever - a direct result of the devastating impact of lockdown.

All of this has happened in spite of surging interest in health and wellbeing among populations and governments across the globe. It’s happened in spite of the health and fitness sector’s unparalleled health credentials. At the very moment when fitness facilities’ physical, mental and emotional health benefits were needed more than ever, lockdown saw those clubs forced to close.

This was the catalyst that led to the creation of the Global Health & Fitness Alliance (GHFA).

Sector leaders around the world recognised an opportunity and a need to come together with a singular focus, a global remit and the authority to move at pace. Facilitated by IHRSA, they did exactly that, forming the GHFA in 2020: a global alliance of expert leaders from across the health and fitness industry, collaborating to evidence the sector’s value to society and public health, establish clubs as an essential service, and lay new foundations for the future growth and success of the entire sector.

Here, the members of the GHFA Advisory Council go into more detail about what the Alliance has set out to achieve, why, and how it’s approaching this important task.

Greg Oliver, Chief Executive, Fitness & Lifestyle Group (Australia and Asia-Pacific) “Our mission is to have health and fitness clubs recognised, across the globe, as an essential service - one that is committed to solving the crisis of physical inactivity. This is both a long- and a short-term mission.

“In the short term, it’s about survival. We have to grow awareness of our sector’s vital health contribution, so clubs can stay open even if other sectors go back into lockdown.

“In the longer term, ‘essential’ 44 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148

is about the evolution and growth that comes from being recognised as a powerful, value-adding sector for societies and individuals worldwide.

“It all starts by evidencing our sector’s value to society and public health; many of the decisions made during the pandemic stemmed from external lack of awareness of what our sector really does. The clue to our value is in our name: we are health, not hospitality.

“Through research and advocacy, we will strengthen our sector’s voice at the table of the World Health Organization, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and other United Nations/international organisations. We will demonstrate our value to their agendas, to in turn influence the agendas of national governments.”

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Brian Morris, founder and Chief Executive, Aspria Group (Europe) Introducing the GHFA’s research, Morris explains “we’re currently focused on two complementary research initiatives which together will strongly evidence our case for essential status.

“The first is a major new report - Economic Impact & Societal Wellbeing: Quantifying the Contribution of the Global Health & Fitness Sector - which we’ve commissioned from Deloitte. This report has been funded by donations from GHFA supporters and will be launched in Q2 of this year.

“Covering around 60 countries initially, which between them account for the majority of the global health and fitness club market, the report will analyse the social, health and economic contribution of our sector. It will deliver a comprehensive view of our direct and indirect value to society.

“The second research initiative, I will hand over to Emmett to speak about.”

Richard Beddie, Chief Executive ExerciseNZ and Board Chief of Staff, International Confederation of Registers for Exercise Professionals (ICREPs) (global) “The GHFA and WHO agendas are fully aligned. We see a pivotal role for our sector in helping reduce global physical inactivity and were delighted to see the WHO designate physical activity a ‘must have’ in its recent Fair Play briefing.

“We believe everyone should have the opportunity to support their health by being physically active in whatever way, or ways, they choose. But we also recognise that our sector can and should do even more in its quest for essential status. We must all play our part in continuing to promote and grow physical activity around the world, in further democratising our offering, and in creating an even more inclusive future.

“Our whole industry is built to address physical inactivity.

Let’s prove our commitment to that.”

Emmett Williams, Partner, Myzone (global) “The second piece (of research) is what we’re calling our ‘efficacy stream’: a research project designed to quantify the impact and efficacy of health and fitness clubs’ product.

“Building on existing studies of the benefits of being physically active generally, this project aims to evidence clubs’ positive impact on health and wellbeing above and beyond the benefits of independent exercise. We plan to release this at the same time as the Contribution report.

“We will then continue to grow and expand both bodies of research over time, potentially commissioning our own studies for the efficacy stream.”

Gigliola Aycardi, Vice-President and co-founder, Bodytech (Americas) Explaining the ‘G’ in the GHFA’s name, Aycardi states “you just need to look at the markets represented by the Advisory Council members to realise that the GHFA is truly global: one unified voice representing the health and fitness club sector around the world.

“And it doesn’t stop with the Council. We’re supported by senior level, multinational working groups of leaders who help drive forward critical initiatives such as our research projects. Underpinning all of this is our network of supporters around the world.

“This really is a broad alliance of leading health club operators, suppliers, national and international associations and allied organisations, and we already have backing from all corners of the globe. If you haven’t yet signed up, though, there is still time: we continue to welcome new supporters.”

46 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148

Image courtesy of Les Mills.

Anna Henwood, Chief Marketing Officer, Les Mills International (global) “Our entire mission is vitally important for the whole sector, but I’m excited by the long-term potential that’s encapsulated in ‘essential’.

“Confirming clubs’ essential status will empower operators around the world to build their businesses on new, more expansive foundations, collaborating with governments, speaking to a more receptive and diverse end user and enjoying far greater scope to grow, contribute to society and ultimately thrive. New audiences, new products, new partnerships, new collaborations - we will become an ally to governments and a go-to for consumers.

“That’s a very exciting prospect and fundamental to our future success as a sector.”

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Andrea Bell, co-founder, Director and Chief People Officer, Inspire Brands Asia (Asia-Pacific) As to whether the GHFA’s mission’s is achievable, Bell adds “it is absolutely achievable.

“As with anything, it starts with one breakthrough to get the ball rolling. I was therefore delighted when, in September last year, the Philippines Government recognised and publicly announced that fitness is essential. This was a huge win for the fitness industry in the Philippines, where clubs can now continue to operate even at Alert Level 4, but also globally.

“We now need more governments globally to follow suit.

The GHFA is committed to helping ensure this happens.”

Justin Musgrove, Chief Executive, Kun Real Estate (Middle East) Advising what happens next with the research, Musgrove states “with COVID restrictions still in place in many markets, key conference and meeting dates are still to be confirmed, but we will be looking to present our findings as soon as we feasibly can, including to the WHO at a forthcoming Sports Sector dialogue meeting and, later this year, to the OECD’s Business and Health Forum.

“Meanwhile, our fundraising efforts are ongoing. As Emmett says, we need to continue building our evidence base. This will include bringing more markets into our contribution report.

“This is a marathon, not a sprint. We need funding to ensure we can continue our work.”

48 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148

Anastasia Yusina, President, Strata Fitness Holding; founder of Orange Fitness, City Fitness and, FITSPACE Boutique Fitness (Europe and the Americas) “Physical inactivity is a worldwide concern and a major contributor to the rise of non-communicable diseases across the globe. It’s why the WHO has set a goal of reducing global physical inactivity by 15% by 2030.

“And yet our sector has historically struggled to be recognised as a valuable part of the solution. That’s why the GHFA, with its clear focus and new resources, is so important.

“Our clubs already serve 200 million+ active members around the world. The powerful sum of our programming, expertise and environments, combined with our reach and impact, means there’s no equivalent substitute for what we do. We’re working to raise awareness of this globally.

“We believe every opportunity to be physically active should be regarded as essential - because it is to those individuals, and in turn to society.”

For more information on the GHFA go to www.GHFAlliance.org Kate Cracknell is a UK-based freelance journalist, editor and copywriter.

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People In Brief

Rosie Keogh has taken on the role of Contract Manager at the City of Sydney.

Myrtha Pools has welcomed Yvette Audet as its new Business Development Manager for Australia and New Zealand.

Arts leader Kath M Mainland has been appointed by the Adelaide Festival Board as Chief Executive from April 2022.

AusCycling has named Craig Bingham, global Chief Executive of the BFM Group, as its new Chair.

Boutique Fitness Studios has appointed Jacinta McDonell, co-founder of Anytime Fitness Australia, as Director, Board Member and Investor.

Athlete development management platform Sportly has announced that leading sports scientist Dr Stephen Bird has joined its team.

Les Munn has assumed the National Presidency of Parks and Leisure Australia, taking over from Paul Jane.

Paul Boloutis is Cardinia Shire Council’s new Recreation Liaison Officer.

Infinite Cycle, Australia’s largest indoor cycling franchise, has named Matt Nissen as its Group Chief Operating Officer.

Anthony Carlucci is being promoted to Head of Operations at Sydney Sports Management Group.

TEG has announced the promotion of Tane Oakes from Enterprise Architect to Chief Technology Officer.

Golf Australia has appointed Tiffany Cherry to the role of Head of Female Engagement.

The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) has announced the appointment of Hannah Pearson as its new Regional Director for Asia.

Basketball Australia has appointed Christy Collier-Hill as the new Head of WNBL. Netball Queensland and the Queensland Firebirds have announced the appointment of Kate Davies as their new Chief Executive.

Royal Life Saving WA has appointed Board member Vaughan Davies as its new President, following the retirement of Colin Hassell.

Skills Active Aotearoa has named Waimakariri swim educator, Ali Gills, as their 2021 Skills Active Aotearoa Apprentice of the Year.

Former Rotorua Police area commander Anaru Pewhairangi has been appointed as Rotorua Lakes Council’s Deputy Chief Executive - Community Wellbeing.

Travis Sauer has taken on the role of General Manager Operations for South East Leisure, the newly formed subsidiary company of the City of Greater Dandenong.

Fast-growing data technology company ActiveXchange has appointed Jyo Shukla as their new Head of Client Success.

Auckland’s Spark Arena have announced Mark Gosling as its new General Manager.

LIWA Aquatics has welcomed Billy Vibart of the Bay of Isles Leisure Centre in Esperance and Melissa Warren of the Shire of East Pilbara as Boad members.

Football West has appointed former Perth Glory captain Jamie Harnwell as its new Chief Executive.

City of Mount Gambier has welcomed Diana Warnes to the role of Manager Riddoch Arts and Cultural Centre.

Live Nation APAC has appointed Brendan Hines as Director Venues & Commercial - New Zealand.

Softball Australia has appointed Rosie Williams as its new Chief Executive.

Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148 49

The new fitness ecosystem Ian Mullane explains that the future of fitness isn’t hybrid, it’s ecosystems he term ‘hybrid’ fitness has populated conversations across the sector ever since COVID-19 forced gyms closed and T consumers online. And granted, the first step had to be for operators to look beyond the bricks and mortar of their physical facilities. But turning to hybrid fitness business models as the solution is limiting horizons and causing problems for the longer term.

By definition consisting of two parts, a hybrid fitness model is in fact a huge simplification of what’s actually needed. It’s encouraging operators to think about their digital offering as an island - part of a dual on-site/digital model in which the digital offering is simply an extension of the physical experience. And that isn’t necessarily a good fit for the new marketplace.

First of all, given digital will only be a complement to, not a replacement for, the gym experience once all facilities are open again, consumers are more likely to choose a digital offering

that supplements their on-site activities with a variation, or indeed something completely different, rather than a digital version of the on-site product.

If someone attends the gym for group cycling and strength training, for example, what they want from a digital subscription is stretching, yoga, meditation.

However, what is more important is the fact that the future of fitness is categorically not binary, nor hybrid. Value will only be unlocked for the consumer when all content, all experiences, indeed the entirety of a club’s offering are part of the customer’s personal wellness ecosystem.

Consider, for example, how much more useful an app such as Strava is when integrated with Apple Health or Google Fit, with all your personal metrics updated automatically. Customers now have a more holistic view of what defines wellness, picking and choosing their products and services accordingly. In doing so, they build their own ecosystem, of which their gym is but one part.

Set hybrid fitness aside.

Where do you fit in the wellness ecosystem?

The question for gym operators, then, is this: how much of a member’s wellness ecosystem can you really control? How much should you even try to control?

Stress, hydration, nutrition, activity levels, mental health.

These are just some of the critical areas that, when optimal, translate to a healthy, happy human. Nearly always connected and near impossible to dial in perfectly all the time, nevertheless the management of these key areas will cumulatively result in the achievement of the customer’s wellness goals.

That makes it very tempting for gym and health club operators to try and deliver everything. To position themselves as the goto for all things wellbeing. But in doing so, they are fighting a losing battle - not to mention undermining their credibility -

50 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148

because there are already myriad digital solutions that do it better, delivering against the broader wellness agenda in a specific, measurable, personalised way.

But it’s fine that, as an operator, you don’t control the entire wellness experience – which doesn’t mean you can’t play a part in the overall ecosystem. It simply means you don’t have to try and control everything.

Your challenge is firstly to determine which part(s) you can and should control, then make that clear to consumers. Where do you fit in? What role(s) do/should you play in the ecosystem? Forget about the activity you deliver or the market segment in which you operate. What are the specific needs, perhaps not yet explored, that you are in fact better qualified than anyone else to meet?

Once identified, work out how to own this - the elements of the journey you do or could have control over - to the best of your ability.

Data empowers the customer Be aware that, even when you narrow your sights and focus on just a portion of the ecosystem, consumers will actively benchmark your price points against the possible alternatives - not based on a like-for-like comparison, but on perceived value of impact and results within the specific segment(s) of the overall wellness journey in which you operate.

As a result, some will see gyms as unnecessary.

But this is something gyms must learn to accept as the market continues to evolve. Indeed, even among gym-goers, consumers are becoming increasingly aware that three visits to a gym each week is not going to guarantee their best selves.

They understand that there are many variables involved, and that adversity in any of these areas will affect their outcomes.

They know a gym visit is but one action within the overall picture.

This knowledge is growing as education around sleep, hydration, mindfulness, nutrition and activity levels becomes mainstream.

It is boosted further by the fact consumers carry around in

their pockets, and on their wrists, capabilities of physiological measurement and information sources that five years ago you wouldn’t have seen outside of a professional sports team.

Current mobile phones, wearables and the apps that support them have the capability to guide and measure, as well as motivate their owners with levels of data far beyond what a doctor gets to work with when doing diagnostics in a general practice, never mind a gym instructor.

Operators therefore need to be comfortable not owning the customer’s wellness journey, accepting that they will only ever meet a portion of people’s overall wellbeing requirements.

So, what part will you play?

A fitness operator could play a number of parts in someone’s future wellness journey, but broadly speaking there are two options. Both are important to the customer, though with different value propositions. One is also inherently more longterm in nature than the other.

The first is a resource provider: my gym provides me with the space, equipment and classes that will allow me to achieve a portion of my wellness requirements - mainly cardio and strength. Its ability to provide a variety of equipment, with the potential for guidance on how to use it, is valuable to me. When combined with a social aspect, a community, it represents a solid proposition for this part of my requirement.

However, all of this is product-focused. True, the need for fitness product is not reducing. In fact, it’s probably increasing.

But focusing on product limits your appeal, your perceived value and your longevity in a market where fickle consumers are always looking for the next shiny thing. The thing that will deliver better results, faster.

Meanwhile, there is another, second option: one that requires operators to change their emphasis from product to customer outcome. This is a fundamental change, but in making this leap, operators will increase trust, value, and inevitably the length of the relationship.

Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148 51

Apple Health and Google Fit. Even if they did know it was there, they would have no idea how to use that data, translating it into actions that would lead them towards their desired outcomes.

Because it takes expertise to make the all-important connections between datasets - connections that, in turn, amplify the value of each metric and deliver comprehensive insight at a personalised level.

And this is where gyms have an opportunity to step in and join the dots. As an operator, you don’t have to deliver every spoke of the 3600 experience, but your team should be able to educate on all spokes and help people draw them - and the data from them - together into a prescribed, personalised action plan.

All images courtesy of Shutterstock.

Add value to the ecosystem Focusing on outcome means focusing on the ecosystem, understanding what contribution you as an operator can make to consumers’ overall wellness. And so we return to our previous observation: the fact that gyms can play a role in the broader wellness ecosystem without having to control or deliver all of it.

Indeed, delivering your part to the best of your ability will necessarily mean finding ways to add value to the whole ecosystem; it is only by doing this that you will secure your place. Allow us to explain.

Operators have an opportunity to step out of the passive role they currently play when a member trains at a club, adding value to the journey - and to the whole ecosystem - by leveraging their understanding of the bigger picture. By joining the dots on behalf of the consumer.

Anyone with a smartphone has the capability to record and analyse an ever-increasing amount of physiological and environmental data points that affect wellness. Add a wearable and the combination provides a veritable laboratory of the human condition.

In the early days, intentional action by the user was required to record activity. Now phones and wearables are full of sensors. From accelerometers that can automatically track your movement - and that when combined with a gyroscope can measure your sleep - to sensors that measure exertion through heart rate and the current saturation of oxygen in your blood, it’s possible to track more than 50 variables for review.

However, many people are completely unaware of the treasure trove of health metrics they carry around with them in 52 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148

Become the hub And gyms do, at least currently, have the credibility to do that.

To the majority of consumers, their gym membership represents their most overt action in their quest for health. To some it may be a smaller part, but fitness operators nonetheless currently occupy a position of authority in a customer’s mind.

This should be seized upon while it remains the case. Even while acknowledging that gyms are just one of many possible contributors to our overall health, operators can absolutely step up and own the ‘hub’ positioning - something that transcends their physical, and even digital, offerings.

To achieve this, operators must establish a more comprehensive relationship with customers, whereby they take additional responsibility to educate on the importance and impact of other spokes. This relationship will extend their reach beyond their sites, as well as impacting how they engage members within those sites. It will endow operators with continuing authority and drive perceptions of considerable added value.

The long and short of it is this: somebody will own this relationship with the customer. And sure, the likes of Apple and Google, with their aggregator approach and technology bias, would seem strong favourites - but they currently do not hold that position of authority with the consumer. For now, at least, they are also limited to the consumers they have in their respective ecosystems. They seem happy to be the repository, encouraging an ecosystem of providers to work with the data to enhance the value and keep customers on their platforms.

All of which means there is still a window in which gyms can claim ‘hub’ status. Operators will need to secure access to the data that will drive behaviours and measurement. They will need to ensure team members are fully trained and equipped to analyse and interpret that data more robustly than even the most advanced app. But it’s absolutely possible. My app-based journey could, for example, be supplemented with tailored educational content, along with benchmarking my progress on my age and gender for motivation and gamification. It could be supplemented with trainer-led personal reviews, either inperson or virtually.

All of a sudden, my gym owns the ability to influence my (ecosystem-wide) outcomes through the delivery of comprehensive guidance and measurement.

In doing so, the service becomes a critical part of my life.

My relationship with my health club is transformed: no longer judged as a purely bricks-and-mortar product but rather an integral part of my every day - not to mention one that can command a higher price point, with higher loyalty and lifetime value.

This is why operators must look beyond the horizon-limiting hybrid fitness business model to an ecosystem approach.

Because while all this talk of knowing your place in the ecosystem, knowing what you represent to people and not striving to do more might seem counterintuitive, it is in fact the basis of loyal, profitable customer relationships.

Ian Mullane is Chief Executive of KeepMe.

Supercars names Shane Howard as new Chief Executive Supercars has appointed longserving Chief Operating Officer Shane Howard to replace Sean Seamer as its new Chief Executive, with a remit to continue the domestic and international success of one of Australia’s most popular sports.

Howard, who has spent nearly 20 years ingrained within Supercars management, having first worked with the organisation at the 1997 Bathurst 1000, was selected from a high calibre list of professional business and sporting leaders for the role.

Kieren Perkins appointed as new Australian Sports Commission Chief Executive Two-time Olympic gold medallist, Kieren Perkins, has been appointed as the Australian Sports Commission’s new Chief Executive, a role that will see Perkins oversee Sport Australia and the Australian Institute of Sport as Australian sport looks towards the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Swimming Australia names Tracy Stockwell as new President Replacing Kieren Perkins, threetime Olympic Gold medallist and decorated sports and events administrator, Tracy Stockwell has been named the new President of Swimming Australia.

Having first joined the Swimming Australia Board of Directors in 2016, Stockwell will lead the sport into an exciting decade of opportunity on the path to Brisbane 2032.

New Board appointments at The Y Prue Warrilow has been named as new Chair of the Board of Directors for the Y NSW while, at a national level, Amelia Shaw has been elected as Vice President of the Y Australia Board.

People

ASM Global grows Asia Pacific footprint with new Singapore regional headquarters Creating a new regional headquarters in Singapore as part of plans to expand in the Asia Pacific region, ASM Global has appointed Paul Sergeant (above right) and Ed Sanderson to joint leadership roles.

ASM Global has also appointed Jason Oberlander as its new Chief Commercial Officer to oversee the company’s namingrights deals and marketing partnerships across stadiums, arenas and other venues.

Multiple Olympic Gold medallist Lisa Carrington named a Dame in New Zealand’s New Year Honours list 183 New Zealanders have been named in the country’s New Year Honours with multiple Olympic Gold medal winning canoe racer Lisa Carrington and Paralympic swimmer Sophie Pascoe among the six people made Knights and Dames of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Carrington, New Zealand’s most successful Olympian, has won six Olympic medals, five golds and a bronze, across a total of 23 medals in her canoe racing career.

New Athletics Australia Athletics Australia has announced that Peter Bromley has been appointed Chief Executive on a permanent basis, having held the position in an interim capacity since April last year.

Bromley led Australian athletics through the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, as well as playing a role in completing a national charter designed to bring the organisation closer to its member associations across the country.

Other changes at Athletics Australia have seen Brian Roe step into the role of General Manager, Sport Delivery on a maternity leave contract, while Simon Thompson has joined the body in the new role of National Integrity and Risk Manager.

Quayclean makes ground-breaking sustainability manager appointment

Three new directors appointed at Qudos Bank Arena An organisational restructure at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena has seen the promotion of Michael Cox as Director of Operations and Damien Smith to the role of Director of Hospitality along with Karly Lake joining the team as Director of Finance and Business Services.

Both Cox and Smith are graduates of the Venue Management School and Leadership Institute.

Quayclean Australia has stepped up its commitment to climate change and creating a sustainable environment with the appointment of a Sustainability Manager.

The appointment of Ciara Green is the first of a series of roles to assist Quayclean and its customers take steps towards improving recycling, sustainable actions supporting those customers with ambitions of being carbon neutral and even carbon positive.

Send your people news to leisure@ausleisure.com.au Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148 53

A former quarry provides a diverse set of micro-habitats supporting a wide range of flora and fauna (above) but the scattering of trees on a dry grass area no longer makes the grade (below).

Time to stop planning parks and

get into forests

Veteran recreation planner and consultant Ken Marriott believes it is time for government to reduce the undue focus on urban street tree and canopy planting and instead focus on urban and rural forests

I

t is now critical that all levels of government in Australia and New Zealand stop planning parks and get into re-establishing forest, woodland, grassland and marine reserve ecosystems.

This is because even if our countries can reach net zero emissions by 2050, the volumes of CO2 and other gases already in the atmosphere are far too high and will continue to drive global warming unless these are substantially reduced, and at present, only vegetation can do that.

Even though experimental plants have been established, the development of reliable, effective technological tools to capture and store climate change gases is still years away. Two types of technology are needed: carbon capture and storage (CCS), where CO2 is captured at the point of emission from industry, extraction sites and power stations prior to be being pumped underground, and the more critical direct air capture (DAC). DAC extracts CO2 and other climate change gases directly from the atmosphere. CCS stops more emissions while DAC helps to get rid of the existing excess. DAC can happen anywhere and it has been suggested that plants could be sited in non-arable areas where high solar rates would provide the power to operate them.

In Australia, the Climate Council has estimated that in addition to stopping emissions, 12 billion tonnes of existing excess climate change gases need to be extracted from the atmosphere annually well into the foreseeable future. Experimental CCS and DAC plants are presently extracting somewhere around 4 million tonnes globally. As a consequence, our only realistic recourse at present are trees, other woody vegetation, grasslands and marine vegetation. This is highlighted by recent 54 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148

ABC Australia reporting which indicated that DAC currently costs around $1,000 per tonne of gas extraction whereas tree planting costs around $30 per tonne. At present, there are not even experimental DAC plants in Australia.

In light of the above, governments at all levels have to stop thinking about street tree and canopy plantings as the solution to climate change and urban heat islands. These might abate the immediate glare and heat of our weather and add to urban amenity and shading, but they do not address climate change and the high levels of maintenance they require may well add to the problem and distract attention from other more effective action.

Urban and rural “forests” (regardless of the species) provide the opportunity to re-develop ecosystems that have the capacity to capture climate change gases and protect the vegetation that is planted. They also provide breathing space for technical CCS and DAC strategies.

However, planting programs cannot see a continuation of the practice of scattering a few trees across informal parklands and mowing between them on a regular basis.. Climate change

Scattering a few trees across informal parklands is not good enough.

Review the amount of mown and manicured grassed land that is devoted to playing fields.

means this is almost certain to fail. Soils overheat and dry out and the soil biology is destroyed. In fact, recent research published in Nature has shown that many native trees species and in particular, introduced European species, will not survive in Australia and most probably, much of New Zealand.

The scale of vegetation planting and ecosystem redevelopment will need to be massive: Professor Deanna D’Alessandro from the University of Sydney has suggested that an area the size of NSW - around 800,000 kilometre² - could well be needed for Australia alone. Ironically, that would start to get us back to pre-European settlement forest cover levels.

• Implement regulations that place severe limitations on the capacity of new residential developments and inner urban higher density renewal projects to remove climate changerelevant vegetation. Redesigning a building is a simple process compared with establishing a 50 year old tree!

So what can we do?

A lot. Here’s some initial recommendations: • Expand support for research into tree, woodland, grassland and marine species that will have the best chance of surviving projected future climatic conditions. Different settings will need different species and once identified, these will need mass propagation which in turn will allow an increased rate of replacement plantings • Identify unusedland parcels and formal and informal parks in urban areas that are of a sufficient size and condition, and with a capacity to be acquired, serviced and managed in order to (re-)establish sustainable ecosystems. As well as larger urban landholdings, these could include far cheaper rural land parcels, marginal and abandoned farmlands and crown reserves. As part of the redevelopment process it would be useful to review the capacity to reduce the amount of mown and manicured grassed land that is devoted to, for example, informal parks, playing fields, golf courses and race tracks.

One synthetic playing field can replace four or more grassed fields and this could well free up thousands of hectares of land for revegetation, particularly in former low-lying areas and coastal wetlands. Most rounds of golf are of 9 holes and one 18 hole course can support two nine hole courses. Are all the existing courses needed? The centre of race tracks could readily be used for woodlands and wetlands. And coastal wetlands must be restored: mangroves have one of the highest CO2 sequestration rates of all plants and native grasslands have similar capacities An emerging mangrove area near an industrial site.

• Implement a net zero offsets policy for any vegetation slated for removal as part of a development. This would entail measuring the amount of greenhouse gases sequestration and capacity of the vegetation and, where the assessment is positive, requiring a development to be revised to protect the vegetation or imposing a meaningful system of offsets. These offsets would require that any vegetation that is removed is replaced by a scientifically determined number (and type) of appropriate vegetation species that match the amount of climate change gases sequestration of the removed vegetation at the date of removal. Planting replacement trees that will take 30 years to match the role of those removed is simply not sufficient. Replacement plantings would not need to be local and preferably, would occur in any of the designated urban or rural revegetation sites identified across the country • Increase the level of provision and the size of open space parcels in new residential areas to allow sustainable greenhouse gas abatement plantings. In this process, give a high priority to the retention, protection and expansion of remnant vegetation.

In this context, the Victorian National Parks Association has produced an invaluable guidebook, Start with the Grasslands: Design guidelines to support native grasslands in urban areas (Marshall, 2013) • Introduce a uniform, national ban on the clearing of native vegetation on farmland as the individual states in Australia are decades out of synch on this. As part of this, provide grants and guidance as to how remnant woodlands, grasslands, wetlands and forests can be regenerated and how retained farmland can have its productivity improved, and • Ban the harvesting of native forests and woodlands for all purposes.

Action on these recommendations will make a major contribution to addressing climate change. The leisure and recreation industry has justifiably touted its contribution to the health and wellbeing of the community both over past decades and particularly, during the covid pandemic. But it has also been a significant contributor to climate change. It now needs to - and can - play a far stronger role in action that will help avoid the destructive future we presently face.

Dr Ken Marriott was Managing Director of the leisure planning consultancy HM Leisure Planning Pty Ltd from 1984 until his retirement in 2016.

His book, Community Leisure and Recreation Planning, co-authored with John Tower and Katie McDonald from Victoria University in Melbourne, was published by Routledge early in 2021.

Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148 55

Outback Queensland Masters 2019. Credit Tourism and Events Queensland.

The Biggest Backyard Denise Brown assesses the prospects for outback Queensland tourism in 2022 Australian Age of Dinosuars. Credit Tourism and Events Queensland.

order restrictions have created a demand for domestic travel over the last two years, increasing intrastate tourism B as Australians have sought unique experiences in their own backyard.

And with hard border restrictions having been in place for Queensland over much of the last two years, ‘sunshine staters’ hit the road.

While many ventured up north and along the coast to make the most of the balmy tropical climate, thousands flocked to Outback Queensland to explore the road less travelled and immerse in nature.

The popularity of the Outback was further encouraged through the extended tourism season launched at the Outback Queensland Tourism Association (OQTA) Muster event in February last year.

As a result, OQTA Chair, Andrew Martin says Outback Queensland had their best year yet in 2021 and is encouraging those looking for local holiday destinations to venture to the outback.

Martin explains “with borders shut for the better part of two years, Queenslanders flocked to Outback Queensland to enjoy the incredible diversity of experiences that the outback has on offer.

“Last year was Outback Queensland’s best year yet, and with strong investment and new infrastructure pre pandemic, travellers could also experience new and reinvigorated attractions such as the Australian Age of Dinosaurs, Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame, and Eromanga Natural History Museum.

56 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148

“Boasting experiences for everyone, families and young couples included, Queenslanders began to explore more of their backyard and iconic world-class attractions such as Cooper, Australia’s largest skeletal replica dinosaur which made international headlines this year.”

Outback operators were overjoyed with fully booked events and accommodation after years of drought and uncertain pandemic restrictions, welcoming travellers with open arms.

McKinlay Shire Council Tourism Coordinator, Georgia Crocker, who celebrated a Gold Award for the Caravan and Holidays Parks category for Julia Creek Caravan Park at the 2021 Queensland Tourism Awards, explained the initial uncertainty when the pandemic hit “2021 just blew us out of the water. The shaky start and the interruptions brought about

by COVID-19, border closures and lockdowns further afield meant that we had reduced expectations of visitor numbers and enquiries. We were, however, completely wrong.

“We had a bumper tourist season with unprecedented demand for our portfolio of accommodation and attractions (namely our artesian bathhouses) at the Julia Creek Caravan Park.”

This year should see COVID-19 restrictions ease as interstate and international travel returns.

Outback Queensland is excited for the new wave of interstate and international tourism and encourages Australians to continue hitting the roads and exploring our backyard.

Data from Tourism Research Australia identifies that regional areas have been able to recover faster than capital cities

Balonne Shire Visitor Information Centre.

putting the development and growth in good stead to continue to diversify Outback Queensland’s offering.

As Andrew Martin adds “we are excited to welcome interstate and international travellers to Outback Queensland in 2022 to get a taste for a true Outback Australian experience like they have never seen before, including luxury accommodation and five-star attractions not previously available before the pandemic.”

Director of Australian Age of Dinosaurs, David Elliott, who received a Silver Award for Major Tourist Attraction at the 2021 Queensland Tourism Awards, was shocked by the growth in numbers last year and is determined to continue this progress, commented “we’ve had a huge increase in numbers, 37,000 in 2019 including the lockdown, to over 60,000 in 2020 so it’s a big increase. It has brought us challenges but it’s a huge win for us because the museum is growing, and we are all about increasing visitation in Western Queensland.

“For us, it’s not about winning awards, it’s about what we can do to build the region up.”

While dinosaurs still reign supreme, drawing families and paleo enthusiasts in droves, Outback Queensland will continue to appeal to a broader demographic of young couples, solo explorers and holidaying groups.

The bucket list dream of an outback road trip has never been more achievable as younger Australians are predicted to jump on this trend and make the most of flexible working arrangements post pandemic.

Outback attractions include Windorah’s International Yabby Races, Queensland’s most remote pub in Middleton, Mount Isa Rodeo, learning from Traditional Owners, visiting Queensland’s Hollywood of the Outback (Winton) and exploring natural wonders like Cobbold Gorge and Boodjamulla National Park – to name a few.

These exciting attractions provide an opportunity for Australians to extend the season and reinvent the reason to travel to Outback Queensland and are an excellent, wildly untapped experience for holidaymakers.

Luxury accommodation offerings continue to grow with destinations like Mitchell Grass Retreat and the brand-new Rangelands Outback Camp showing Queenslanders that there’s more to the Outback than beautiful red dirt and Akubras.

Lockdowns and restrictions have meant many working Australians have accrued larger leave balances, with the prediction that Australians will tap into this holiday time in 2022.

Quilpie. Credit Tourism and Events Queensland.

Julia Creek Caravan Park. Credit Tourism and Events Queensland.

Rope and Tie, Mount Isa Mines Rotary Rodeo. Credit Tourism and Events Queensland.

The push to support local will continue to inspire families, students and retirees to give back to these smaller communities and in turn discover Australia’s true outback heritage.

Denise Brown is Chief Executive of the Outback Queensland Tourism Council.

Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148 57

Refurbished interiors at the reopened Theatre Royal Sydney.

Sir Howard Panter, Tim McFarlane, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Emily Nkomo and then NSW Minister for the Arts, Don Harwin at the venue reopening. Credit: James D Morgan.

Theatre Revival Karen Sweaney looks at the significance of the reopened Theatre Royal Sydney

W

hile any new opening can be filled with drama, openings in the Coronavirus era have been especially uncertain with lockdowns and restrictions playing havoc with work programs and launch schedules.

The much-anticipated revival of Theatre Royal Sydney, has been no exception with its original September 2021 opening date pushed back to 2nd December last year and its planned program in its initial two months skewing from full houses to seeing performances lost because of the uncertainty of the Omicron variant.

Nevertheless, the relaunch of Theatre Royal Sydney is especially significant bringing, as then NSW Minister for the Arts, Don Harwin said at the opening, “(theatrical) life back to the centre of the city after the challenges of the last few years … increasing Sydney’s capacity to host new productions and compete on the world-stage for more first-run international shows, ensuring high-quality productions well into the future.”

A third Sydney venue capable of hosting major productions, it changes the city’s entertainment landscape, contributing to its 24-hour economy and delivering significant economic benefits.

Moving on from several years of closure and uncertainty over its future, the multi-million dollar refurbishment of the venue, 58 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148

located in Sydney’s MLC Centre, came as a result of Create NSW facilitating a partnership with building owner Dexus and UK-based Trafalgar Entertainment, the new operators of the venue.

Trafalgar Entertainment, co-founded by Sir Howard Panter and Dame Rosemary Squire in 2017, is looking to deliver on a ‘Sydney gets it first’ promise to bring the very best of international theatre to the city.

Already this has seen a short run of Broadway musical Jagged Little Pill, followed by Girl from the North Country and with an American in Paris scheduled to play from 2022.

Sir Howard, Trafalgar’s joint Chief Executive, commented “when we set our eyes on Theatre Royal Sydney, a true Australian theatrical icon, we were committed to restoring it back to all its glory, and to sit once again in the heart of Sydney’s CBD - where the city meets the stage.

“Sydney has always been a landmark destination globally, and now it has back in place a landmark to visit and see the best of world class theatre.”

Focused on new productions, the distribution of livestreaming innovative content and the provision of spaces where people can come together to share in the experience of live entertainment, Trafalgar Entertainment is home to Theatre Royal Sydney, Trafalgar Theatre London, Olympia Theatre, London, 12 regional UK Theatres, Trafalgar Theatre Productions, Trafalgar Releasing, Stagecoach Performing Arts, Helen O’Grady Drama Academy, London Theatre Direct, Luke Shires Marketing, Jonathan Church Theatre Productions and The Chiswick Cinema.

Heritage and refurbishment One of Australia’s oldest theatrical institutions, originating in 1832, the current Theatre Royal Sydney was built in 1976, designed by modernist architect Harry Seidler, offering a broad range of entertainment including dramas, comedy and musicals.

Many leading Australian and international performers have graced the Theatre Royal Sydney stage.

Notably, in 1980, Mel Gibson and Noni Hazlehurst took to the stage in ‘No Names…No Pack Drill’ while its colourful history also includes an interval bomb scare at the Australian Premiere of CATS in 1985 - with audience members including Australian

Prime Minister Bob Hawke, Treasurer Paul Keating, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh in attendance - and a three year season of Phantom of the Opera from 1993 seen by over one million people, the longest running musicals ever staged at the venue.

The refurbishment of the venue has seen Trafalgar, along with Dexus and the Dexus Wholesale Property Group, each investing.

Redesigned to add one extra row of seats - increasing capacity to 1200 - the auditorium’s new seating and staging has been designed to an international standard to house major commercial musicals, plays, ballet and live music.

Under the new two-tiered design, no seat within the auditorium is more than 23 metres from Theatre Royal’s stage.

The new circular glass entrance drum unifies the internal theatre foyer with King Street, the bustling heart of Sydney’s Central Business District. The new floor to ceiling windows at the entrance of the theatre now enable people outside the theatre to view the impressive theatre foyer featuring the incredible ribbed ceiling designed by Italian structural engineer Pier Luigi Nervi and the stunning geometrically precise hanging Mercator sculpture by American sculptor Charles O. Perry.

As original architects of the Theatre Royal Sydney (1976) and 25 Martin Place, Harry Seidler & Associates were engaged together with Woods Bagot to complete designs as part of the Conservation Management Plan for the site. In collaboration with Woods Bagot, Harry Seidler & Associates have also delivered the architectural design for the retail podium, public spaces and the office tower lobby at 25 Martin Place.

Staying true to the original 1970s design, Woods Bagot in collaboration with Harry Seidler & Associates integrated the original architectural and cultural narrative into a contemporary precinct of revitalised public spaces.

After assisting Trafalgar Entertainment by coordinating their successful bid for the operation of the Theatre Royal Sydney, Scott Carver were engaged to provide Interior Design Services for the refurbishment.

Acknowledging the venue’s past while meeting the patron and production expectations of modern theatres, their scope of works included the refurbishment of patron experience areas encompassing the provision of three new bars, two VIP lounges, new seating and interior design to the auditorium, alongside compliance and technical upgrade coordination and the extension of the balcony to provide a new front row to the circle.

The Interior Design approach was to both respect and enhance the modernist design of the auditorium, restoring the original ribbed ceiling structure, while modernising the lighting design, seating and proscenium. The series of hospitality offers integrated into the iconic multi-storied foyer, including bars, merchandise counters and VIP areas all addressed the evolution of hospitality in today’s theatre experience while providing additional revenue streams.

Operations Theatre Royal Sydney aims to deliver a world class customer experience by breaking away from the traditional commercial theatre ticketing and distribution model by implementing an Australia-first inhouse ticketing platform, NLiven, in partnership with TixTrack.

Commenting on its initial two months of operations, General

Manager, Houri Tapiki explains that the initial limited season of Jagged Little Pill, played to full houses, with audiences being “enthusiastic, excited and full of energy (who), while remaining cautious and careful by following COVID safety protocols, were out to have a good time.

“However, towards the end of the run, we started to see some customers requesting exchanges to the July season as the Omicron variant started to ramp up.

Customers were mostly requesting these exchanges due to caution leading into the festive season.

“We were then due to open with our first preview of Girl From the North Country on 5th January (but) due to operational challenges associated with COVID-19, this performance had to be rescheduled.

“Fortunately, this is the only performance we have had to reschedule to date. The producers of Girl From the North Country and us as the venue, have invested a lot into introducing additional precautionary measures to provide a safe environment for the cast and crew as well as our staff and audiences.

“Although this has been a costly exercise, we feel it is important to do so to not only preserve the show but to ensure everyone who visits the venue can do so knowing they are safe.

“Additionally, customers can buy tickets with confidence, knowing that if they cannot attend a performance for any COVID-19 related reasons, our box office team are readily available to reschedule their tickets to a later date at no cost.

We currently receive hundreds of enquiries a week, all of which are answered within days, sometimes hours of being received.

We have such an amazing program of productions scheduled for 2022 with Girl From the North Country recently announcing an extension of the current season into late March, followed by An American in Paris commencing in April and then a return season of Jagged Little Pill in July.

“Since late last year, there are now several world class restaurants which have opened within 25 Martin Place, providing our audiences several pre and post dining options.

We are excited for the year ahead and look forward to continuing to provide an amazing experience to all those who visit Theatre Royal Sydney.”

Karen Sweaney is Editor of Australasian Leisure Management.

Jagged Little Pill at Theatre Royal Sydney and Australasian Leisure Management team members at its premiere (above).

Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148 59

Products

Life Floor surface enhances safety at Brisbane’s John Carew Swim School Life Floor has shared its experience in installing its highly slip resistant Life Floor 2.0 Ripple texture tiles installed onto decks around the pools at Brisbane’s John Carew Swim School.

The tiles were installed throughout the facility to improve comfort and safety during a significant refurbishment of the popular swim school in 2020/21.

Life Floor in the colour Sunshine was used to clearly indicate approaching stairs and improve accessibility with ‘Bluebird’ used in other areas of the 123 metre² installation Life Floor (Australia & NZ) Manager, Grant Burgess explained “because Life Floor was involved from the commencement of the proposed floor surfacing renovation plans, we were able to suggest some construction applications to ensure the Life Floor finished floor height matched surrounding pool edge tiles height thus providing a nice clean looking finish, and importantly, eliminating a potential trip hazard.”

Installation was undertaken by SynSurf Pty Ltd. Contact 1300 721 135, E: info@lifefloor.com.au, www.lifefloor.com.au

Evolution Wellness looks to Les Mills content to aid member engagement Leading Asian fitness and health group Evolution Wellness has paired with Les Mills Asia Pacific to enhance its existing digital platform with the addition of content from the global group fitness innovator.

With clubs facing the challenges of the last two years, Evolution Wellness was seeking to adapt and innovate to cater to the emerging trends in ‘hybrid’ workout behaviour.

Evolution Wellness Director of Growth and Innovation at Evolution Wellness, Nad Myan explains “Les Mills Content gives our members access to 100+ Les Mills workouts, which are hosted on the Celebrity Fitness and Fitness First websites and mobile apps respectively.

“Some of our clubs have enjoyed a partnership with Les Mills Asia Pacific for more than 20 years, so we are excited to include Les Mills Content on our Virtual Studio platform, both of which were specifically developed to suit the new postpandemic needs of members.”

Pre-COVID-19, 85% of gym members were already training at home and research by Les Mills in 2021 suggested that today’s health club members blend their in-club workouts with at-home training at a ratio of 60:40.

Contact 02 6282 8192, E: myclub@lesmills.com.au, www.lesmills.com.au 60 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148

Anti Wave International advises of innovation and export success Australian aquatic sport equipment supplier Anti Wave International has advised of the ongoing success of its products over the last year, led by its Global Anti Goal for water polo.

The result of over 50 Years of global experience in water polo goal innovation, design and production, the release of the Global Anti Goal in 2021 saw the blending of cutting-edge materials and production with innovative design, resulting in a light-weight, heavy-duty, full-sized polo goal that meets the needs of all clubs and facilities around the world.

Designed and produced in Australia, the Global Anti Goal features an innovative lightweight, high strength foldable design with small footprint when folded for economic poolside storage options.

Each of the Global Anti Goal components and fittings have been carefully selected and tested for maximum durability and longevity, even under the most severe player and environmental conditions.

With Anti Wave the preferred supplier of water polo goals to clubs and pools around the world, the Global Anti Goal has been shipped to top water polo clubs in more than 15 countries since its mid-year release.

Other Anti Wave innovations for water polo have seen the release of new Goal Targets for water polo target practices and a new Inflatable Goal Range.

Anti Wave International products are distributed in Australia by S.R.Smith Australia.

Contact S.R.Smith on 07 3812 2283, E: info-au@srsmith.com, www.srsmith.com/au Contact Anti Wave International on +61 412 172 636, E: anton@anti.to, www.anti.to

Playscape Creations to build aquatic play park for Burdekin Shire Council Burdekin Shire Council in North Queensland has awarded the contract for the design and construction of a $2.5 million all-abilities aquatic play park to Playscape Creations.

Announced just before Christmas last year, the new attraction will be situated inside the Council’s Ayr Swimming Pool Complex with the facility expected to open at the start of 2023.

Contact: 1300 669 074, E: info@playscapecreations.com.au, www.playscapecreations.com.au

Products

Poligras by Sport Group brand Polytan has been the official hockey surface for seven Olympic Games including Tokyo 2020. Credit: Sport Group/Getty Images.

PerfectGym release self-assessment module for online enrolments PerfectGym has released its latest technology enhancement to complement the customer experience within the aquatic and recreation industry - with the new functionality allowing parents to add their child into swimming lessons online.

The addition of the ‘Level Questionnaire’ to the online course enrolment module, allows for parents to answer a series of questions about their child, that allows for the assignment of the applicable skill level and subsequent enrolment into a class best suited to the child’s ability.

PerfectGym’s intuitive interface extends existing Level and Skills functionality, allowing clients to create a series of questions for a course-based activity, with the optional ability to include pictures or video to accompany each step.

Through the implementation of this feature, swim schools and course based facilities, are now able to shift to an online paperless enrolment option for parents and students alike.

Furthering the ethos of empowering facility and club users to control all aspects of the membership, enrolments and family, the implementation of this functionality gives parents and students the freedom to complete their family and individual enrolments at a time of their choosing, without the need to book appointments in the facility.

Contact 1300 088 922, E: info@perfectgym.com.au, www.perfectgym.com.au

Evolt review of more than a million body scans shows national decline in health and fitness during the pandemic New data released by leading wellness technology company Evolt has revealed a national decline in health and fitness among adults since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Having completed more than 1.4 million body composition scans on Australians aged 18 years and older between 2019 and 2021 using its body scanning technology, Evolt found a decrease in results among people aged 31 and over while people aged between 18 and 30 years remained stable.

Noting the challenge of helping Australians get back on track with their health and wellness in a post-pandemic climate, Evolt co-founder and Chief Executive, Ed Zouroudis stated “Evolt is privileged to be partnered with the world’s leading health and fitness franchises, including Anytime Fitness, helping people regain their wellbeing - especially now that we have entered a new year.

Evolt’s findings are based on an analysis of each individual’s lean body mass and total fat mass as well as their age and gender. This leads to a Bio-Wellness Index (BWI) score based on World Health Organization standards.

Contact: 07 5535 6227, E: info@evolt360.com, www.evolt360.com

Sport Group achieve top Environmental, Social and Governance Risk Rating Sport Group, the world’s largest business dedicated to sport and recreation surfaces, has received an ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) Risk Rating Score of 11.2 from Sustainalytics and was assessed by the firm to be at low risk of experiencing material financial impacts from ESG factors.

Sustainalytics’ ESG Risk Ratings measure a company’s exposure to industry-specific material ESG risks and how well a company is managing those risks. Sport Group’s rating places it number one in the Building Products category and 318 out of 15,082 companies rated by Sustainalytics worldwide.

Sustainalytics, a Morningstar company and a leading global provider of ESG research, ratings and data, recently evaluated the activities of all Sport Group manufacturing and installation companies, including AstroTurf, Polytan, Melos, SYNLawn and APT (Advanced Polymer Technologies) and examined the Group’s global product brands including LigaTurf, Rekortan, Poligras and Laykold.

Sport Group received low or negligible risk rating in all categories including Environmental and Sustainable Impact of Products and Services, Emissions, Effluents and Waste, Resource Use, Occupational Health & Safety and Corporate Governance.

Together this constituted an overall rating of 11.2 Low. Sport Group’s flagship products include LigaTurf Cross GTR, made from green polyethylene and recycled raw materials, and Rekortan Gel tracks which are made from 88% renewable/ recyclable content. While SYNLawn uses a combination of soy in the coating and sugarcane in fibres to achieve USDA certified products and systems with up to 88% bio-based content.

Stephen Niven, Chief Executive for Sport Group Asia Pacific, notes “customers increasingly want sustainable products, but it can be hard to know what and who to trust.

“Independent ratings help customers compare so they can make informed and confident decisions, also it matches the values of end users who are making sustainable choices in their lives every day.”

The Group’s investment focus is on bio-based and renewable ingredients, carbon reduction, post-consumer raw materials, recycling and second life.

Contact Polytan Asia Pacific on 1800 663 812 (in Australia) or 04 802 3960 (in New Zealand), E: enquiry@polytan.com. au or Advanced Polymer Technology (APT Asia Pacific) on 03 8792 8000, E: info@aptasiapacific.com.au

Subscriptions Subscribe to this magazine for just $99 (in Aus/NZ) for 12 months/six issues.

To subscribe go to subscribe.ausleisure.com.au

Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148 61

Products

Ticketmaster and Moshtix announce joint ticketing partnership with Big Top at Luna Park Sydney Ticketmaster Australia and Moshtix have agreed a long-term ticketing partnership with landmark Sydney venue, Big Top at Luna Park Sydney.

The partnership - the first of its kind for the both Live Nation Entertainment ticketing companies - will see the Big Top Sydney utilise the combined world class technology and marketing reach of both Ticketmaster and Moshtix as its reserved seat and general admission ticketing solution.

Across its annual calendar of reserved seat events, Big Top Sydney will continue to access Ticketmaster’s everexpanding suite of technology and advanced marketing tools.

These include a real-time event day dashboard and real-time reporting software, all backed by the flexibility and security of Ticketmaster’s digital ticketing solutions. Moshtix will provide ticketing for Big Top Sydney’s general admission events, delivering self-service tools for both event organisers and fans, as part of a fully digital customer journey.

Contact: 1300 446 925, www.ticketmaster.com.au

MyVenue manning the POS engine room at Adelaide Oval

MyVenue POS Solution records 240,000 transactions at Adelaide Oval during Ashes Cricket Test MyVenue’s point of sale (POS ) solution technology recorded an impressive 240,000 credit card transactions at Adelaide Oval during the Ashes Cricket Test Match where the technology was deployed across the 53,000-seat stadium’s concession, premium, restaurant, bars, and café POS terminals.

MyVenue Chief Executive, Tim Stollznow explained “our philosophy is every team member, from the help desk to engineering, benefits from spending regular time on-site at events.

“With tens of thousands of fans and the world’s sporting media converging on Adelaide Oval, the Ashes Cricket Match was a fantastic opportunity for our developers and tech team to experience the importance of POS performance and backoffice functionality. We’re excited to continue our partnership with Adelaide Oval throughout 2022, including Big Bash cricket, Australian Football League, and the ICC T20 Cricket World Cup.” With another internationally renowned Tier 1 stadium selecting MyVenue as their POS partner, the stadium and arena specialists continue to prove they’re changing the game.

Contact: hello@myvenue.com

Send your product news to leisure@ausleisure.com.au

PMY Group announces long term technology partnership with E-Bike Grand Prix series Highgate Group to equip two new adventure facilities for Barkly Regional Council Adventure leisure experts, The Highgate Group are in the process of equipping two adventure facilities soon to be constructed for youth in the Barkly Regional Council in the Northern Territory.

Geared to engage young people in activity that encourages self-esteem, critical thinking, teamwork and physical fitness, the projects are being installed in community centres in Tennant Creek and Ali Curung.

The Highgate Group, have secured the contracts with Barkly Regional Council, supported by financing received from the Building Better Regions Fund (BBRF) a funding stream to aid in building stronger regional communities.

Highgate’s design incorporates a range of state-of-the-art obstacles including bouldering and climbing walls, cargo climb nets, angled steps, pole forests and a warped wall.

Mayor of Barkly Regional Council, Jeffrey McLaughlin advises “this is a great opportunity to teach our future leaders new skills and give them confidence to challenge themselves in a safe environment. It will allow them the opportunity to explore new interests and above all build self-esteem and strength.”

Contact: 02 9999 0055, E: admin@highgategroup.com.au, www.highgategroup.com.au 62 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148

Leading event technology solutions company PMY Group (PMY) has announced that it has been named Official Technology Partner for the E-Bike Grand Prix (EBK GP) series set to kick-off in late 2022.

The EBK GP series is a new technologically advanced international cycling sport that brings the thrill and excitement of elite sport right into the heart of cities around the world.

Underpinned by a sustainable and transformative mobility agenda, EBK GP is a 10-race men’s and women’s series featuring pro-cycling teams racing around purpose-built city-centre tracks on electric road bikes at speeds of over 100 kilometres per hour.

As Official Technology Partner for EBK GP, PMY is responsible for planning, design, delivery, management, integration and operations of the series’ technology solution and technology service providers, leveraging its global major event experience spanning Olympics, World Championships, World Cups and Major Opens.

Contact: 0400 260 886, E: apac@pmygroup.com, www.pmygroup.com

Products

Davin Miller, Chief Executive - APAC Fitness & Wellbeing

DebitSuccess delivers on customer service at the Annual New Zealand Contact Centre Awards Following its tradition for excellence in customer service, DebitSuccess by Xplor Technologies has been recognised at the New Zealand CRM Contact Centre Award.

Known as the Oscars of the contact centre industry in New Zealand, the CRM Awards have been designed to recognise the best contact service professionals and businesses in New Zealand.

DebitSuccess by Xplor Technologies received a multitude of awards at the ceremony at the end of 2021.

Welcoming the recognition, Davin Miller, Chief Executive - APAC Fitness & Wellbeing at Xplor Technologies advised “we are proud of our incredible team, and believe it reflects our commitment to delivering ongoing quality and excellent customer service to our clients and customers.”

DebitSuccess has frequently figured in these awards, but due to COVID did not take part in 2020.

Contact: 1300 473 463, E: sales@debitsuccess.com.au, www.debitsuccess.com.au

ProSlide celebrates global waterpark industry’s achievements ProSlide Technology Inc., the industry leader in water ride design, technology and manufacturing, has looked back on the clients, partners and the entire industry’s accomplishments in the past year.

Marked by a return to global trade shows, ground breaking installations, the debut of advanced technology, corporate milestones, new partnerships and industry awards, the Canadian company experienced a resurgence of activity in the waterpark industry after the challenges of COVID-19.

Looking forward, with the company ready as the market rebounds and guests return to waterparks all over the world, ProSlide Chief Commercial Officer, Ray Smegal commented “ProSlide is fueled up and ready to hit the Formula 1 circuit of global water parks. With the strongest team in the history of our company, we’re bringing our energy, creativity and water ride technology to every water park that wants to be their best.”

Waterparks around the world saw opportunity in 2021 and worked with ProSlide to develop some of the most spectacular installations ever seen. Atlantis’ game-changing expansion of Aquaventure Dubai saw the debut of the world’s first MammothBLAST™ Water Coaster along with 17 other ProSlide water rides that set a new gold-standard for water parks.

China saw two massive installations: one at the new OCT Playa Maya flagship, OCT Xi’an and another at Evergrande Ocean Flower.

Contact: +1 613 526 5522, E: info@ProSlide.com

Cohera-Tech system installed at Sydney’s Gunyama Park Aquatic and Recreation Centre The City of Sydney’s Gunyama Park Aquatic and Recreation Centre has installed a visitor management and analytics system from Cohera-Tech across the complex.

The Cohera-Tech system allows the facility’s management team to monitor visitor numbers at their venues in real-time with alerts to ensure that numbers remain within COVIDSafe limits.

The Cohera-Tech system achieves this is by using a range of 12 strategically placed sensors detecting visitor movements in and out, with separate counts for adults, children and groups.

These sensors work to a 98% accuracy level with data fed back to cloud-based servers, then back to dashboard reports within two seconds of the person walking under the sensor.

This real-time data is sent directly to the management team responsible for the reporting via dashboard screens and their smartphones, including occupancy number alerts.

Reports on results are generated automatically on daily, weekly and monthly results and compared with previous days, weeks, months results which are retained within the system.

Contact: 1800 094 210 or email Cohera-Tech Managing Director Kevin Ford on kford@cohera-tech.com.au

US-made PLAE ICONx Racks

PLAE invests in innovation factory to build new line of premium strength training racks US-based athletic performance company PLAE, continues its commitment to developing innovative solutions that fuel human performance with an investment of more than $10 million in an 8000 square metre factory to custom-build a new line of premium strength training racks. The new PLAE ICONx racks complement the brand’s high-performance athletic flooring systems and global education and coaching platform.

Contact: 0409 859 335, E: international@plae.global, www.plae.global Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148 63

Products

Polin Waterparks spotlight the need for a net-zero attraction industry

Arena AV ignites game day experience for NBL’s Illawarra Hawks Acknowledged for providing fans with one of the best game day experiences in the NBL, the Illawarra Hawks have credited the work of Arena AV for their role in bringing WIN Entertainment Centre to life.

The Wollongong-based business, which has been working alongside the Hawks since its foundation in 2007, takes control of all the audio and visual requirements during the foundation club’s home fixtures at the venue.

Arena AV’s Sean Keaveny has been affiliated with the Hawks since 2001 when he was the WIN Entertainment Centre’s technical coordinator before forming his new company in 2007 - which then won the venue’s tender as preferred audio/visual supplier.

Contact: 02 4220 2841, E: sales@arenaav.com.au, www.arenaav.com.au

Australia’s largest Park Warrior obstacle course proves popular in Joondalup The City of Joondalup has recently become home to Western Australia’s first, and Australia’s largest, Park Warrior open space obstacle course from a_space.

The innovative course, located near to Whitfords Nodes Beach in Joondalup, has been introduced with a focus on getting teens from the local community more active.

The City of Joondalup has a great selection of play spaces catering for children up to 12, although prior to this new installation those aged 12 to 18 years had been left out. Since its opening, the course has been inundated with teenagers and young adults keen to tackle the large variety of obstacles and to compete against their friends.

The course offers 16 obstacles many of which are inspired by those seen on the popular Australia Ninja Warrior television series.

Adding dimension to the course, a_space has designed an app to enable users to record and save their times and for Council to run organised events.

In preparation for these, Council has constructed a winners podium.

Australian designed, manufactured and installed by a_space, each Park Warrior obstacle is the result of painstaking research and user testing.

Contact: 1800 632 222, E: info@aspaceto.com.au, www.aspaceto.com.au 64 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148

Polin Waterparks - as a pioneer of innovation in water ride manufacturing - believes it’s time for the attractions industry to decarbonise and as such is offering new sustainable services and products advising “we will evolve corporations that are developing smart and sustainable technologies for the future in order to build water-intelligent waterparks!”

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria are becoming increasingly important in the evaluation of potential investments and companies across many industries are following new regulations and adjusting their practices accordingly. However, Polin note that the Attractions Industry is still lagging behind in this respect. This is especially true for Scope 3 emissions, whose main point of reference in terms of calculation standards, baseline analysis and commitments are based on the Science Based Targets initiative. Scope 3 emissions refer to all indirect emissions that occur in a company’s value chain and usually constitute the most significant part of a company’s footprints.

Polin advise “what this means for the waterpark industry is that an amazing waterpark is not enough anymore.

Furthermore, a sustainable waterpark should be part of a broader vision, that of a Net-Zero future! To make this vision a reality, it is necessary to have principles for validating and claiming credibility in projects.

“Today, our vision is that Polin Waterparks will become NETZERO based on Sustainable Products and Services.”

Polin Waterparks is also developing KPIs (key performance indicators) that will help assess the carbon footprint of a waterpark. These will help the Attractions Industry to pinpoint emissions and focus more on commitments, strategies and action planning towards net-zero.

Contact Polin’s Australian representative Swimplex Aquatics on 1300 796 759, E: sales@swimplex.com.au, www.swimplex.com.au

Dubai’s AquaFun secures world record for largest inflatable water park AquaFun, a Wibit Sports inflatable aquatic playground installed at the Jumeirah Beach Residence in Dubai, has received a Guinness World Record certificate for being the world’s largest inflatable water park.

Launched for the first time in 2016, AquaFun has now expanded to three times its original size covering an area of about 5,000 square metres, and able to accommodate up to 500 people concurrently. It features over 72 obstacles and operates all year round.

In international markets contact Wibit Sports on +49 2871 23820-0, E: info@wibitsports.com, www.wibitsports.com Contact Wibit’s Australian distributor Tammy Kelly of Leisure and Sports on 0412 140 760, E: tammy@mizusports.com

accesso renews global partnership with Merlin Entertainments Leading attractions and venues technology provider accesso Technology Group plc has announced a four-year extension of its collaboration with Merlin Entertainments.

The newly extended agreement will see accesso continue to serve as the company’s exclusive ticketing technology provider - using the accesso Passport® ticketing solution - for its global portfolio, providing its services to 113 Merlin locations throughout 19 countries.

The terms of the deal ensure the partnership will continue through to August 2026, with the option for Merlin to extend a further two years.

A fully-hosted ticketing suite that powers on-site sales, online ticketing and season pass management, with third-party sales distribution and access control capabilities, the accesso Passport platform allows Merlin to offer its visitors an intuitive, end-to-end digital experience.

The system enables guests to navigate each aspect of their visit with ease, such as ticket selection, parking pass purchases, reserving dining packages and booking rentals, while, for operators it backs increasing consumer demand for shopping on the move - with mobile-friendly purchases being a key requirement for modern-day eCommerce.

Contact: sales@accesso.com, www.accesso.com

Myrtha Pools extends FINA partnership for four more years World swimming governing body FINA and Myrtha Pools have announced the renewal of their long term partnership that will see Myrtha proudly continue as one of FINA’s Official Partners for the next four years.

Announced on the closing day of the 15th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in Abu Dhabi, the extension of the partnership will see Myrtha continue to supply state-ofthe-art competition pools for the FINA World Championships and FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) through to 2025.

Commenting on the partnership, Myrtha Pools Chief Executive, Roberto Colletto noted that their partnership with FINA has been a great journey since 2009, one that they are now carrying into the future together.

Colletto added “we are particularly happy that the new agreement will also include FINA’s Pools for All programme, a great initiative that will allow us to support FINA not only for big events, but also promote swimming as a sport and an essential life skill worldwide.”

Myrtha pools were first used at an international FINA event during the FINA World Aquatics Championships in 1994 in Rome, Italy.

Contact Yvette Audet, Myrtha Business Development Manager for Australia and New Zealand on 0410 411 975, E: Yvette.audet@myrthapools.com

Products

QuayXtra speciality service launched by Quayclean Quayclean Australia has launched QuayXtra - a dedicated and highly skilled team of hygiene and cleaning technicians who offer specialised services across six key industry areas.

QuayXtra is part of Quayclean’s expanded services portfolio and provides innovative services and solutions for unique and challenging cleaning requirements.

QuayXtra provides: • COVID-19 hygiene and disinfection cleaning • High pressure washing including vacuum recovery • High window and difficult access cleaning • Graffiti and chewing gum removal • Escalator cleaning • Carpet shampooing, strip and sealing Quayclean Chief Executive, Mark Piwkowski advised that QuayXtra is a specialist in-house service offering for clients and reaffirms its ‘Experience More’ tagline which was unveiled at the company’s new brand launch in March 2021.

Piwkowski notes “QuayXtra provides a highly valuable onestop, in-house speciality service for clients and opens new opportunities into different markets.

“QuayXtra is an evolution of experience and skills acquired by our team across complex venues and facilities over several years.

“We have employed and trained highly skilled technicians who use the latest technology and equipment while using safe, reliable and sustainable products and chemicals.”

Contact: 1300 897 117, E: sash@quayclean.com.au, www.quayclean.com.au

Jonas Software expands tourism management capability with acquisition of Seekom Limited Jonas Software has announced that it has acquired New Zealand-based tourism management platform Seekom Limited.

Widely used in across New Zealand’s tourism and hospitality industry, Seekom full in-house property and channel management platform has been designed for campgrounds, caravan and tourist parks, motels, small hotels and property managers.

Commenting on the addition of Seekom to its expanding portfolio of software brands, Jonas Software Australia/New Zealand Group Chief Executive, Jeff McKee stated “Seekom brings a long history of delivering an innovative property management system, and we see this acquisition as an opportunity to support the Seekom team as they look to expand whilst continuing to build on our growing hospitality and accommodation verticals.”

Fully cloud-based, Seekom provides a secure platform to operate and manage all bookings, rates, and revenue from any Wi-Fi-connected device.

Contact: 1300 667 374, E: info@jonassoftware.com Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148 65

Advertisers Index

Ezypay passes milestone of 25 years of subscription payments

Advertiser

Page No.

ActiveXchange/SportsEye

49

Advanced Locker

43

Aflex Inflatables

11

AUSTSWIM

27

Axess

21

Eco Gym

47

FITNESS + WELLNESS SHOW

67

Fitness Technology Summit

45

Fluidra

29

Hy-Clor

5

Jonas Leisure

34 & 35

Laykold

39

Life Floor

22 & 23

Livn

37

Myrtha Pools

9

ParkEquip

29

Perfect Gym

2&3

ProSlide Technology

17

Quayclean

21

SLE Worldwide

41

Supreme Heating

25

Swimplex Aquatics

19

Tim Batt Water Solutions

68

Ungerboeck

31

Viva Leisure

7

VMA Congress 2022

33

Leading industry payment company, Ezypay has achieved a major milestone - 25 years of subscription payments.

The privately owned payments company, founded by gym owner George Holman in 1996, started with the single resolution to make recurring payments easy.

Since then, Ezypay has grown to service more than 6,000 merchants through its growing partner network.

Holman, who owned the Vital Fitness Club in Sydney, started the business based on his want to introduce a monthly membership option for his members, which was not a standard approach at that time.

Recognising the potential of developing an Ezypay’s George Holman (left) and James Foster. automated payment method for other businesses, Credit: Ezypay. he created Ezypay.

Looking back, Holman explains “I chose the name Ezypay because it represented taking something complex and making it easy and if we fast-forward 25 years, we now offer our services in nine countries, and it’s still our goal to make something as complex as subscriptions, easy.”

While Ezypay has experienced significant growth in the last 25 years, what has remained constant has been their core focus on simplifying complex payment processes while building a great company culture.

Contact: 02 9425 2000, E: hello@ezypay.com, www.ezypay.com

Fluidra continues global expansion with acquisition of Taylor Water Technologies World leading pool and wellness industry manufacturer Fluidra has announced the acquisition of Taylor Water Technologies LLC, a leading USA-based manufacturer of watertesting solutions.

Taylor, the foremost brand in water testing, joins Fluidra’s family of brands, including Jandy®, Polaris®, iAquaLink®, and SR Smith®.

The addition of Taylor’s highly trusted water-testing kits, strips, and instruments in North America not only broadens Fluidra’s rapidly growing portfolio of pool and spa products and solutions, but also provides an established foundation in water testing from which the company can build upon with future innovations.

Fluidra Chief Executive, Bruce Brooks advised “this is an important acquisition for Fluidra and will greatly enhance our offering.

“Taylor is the most trusted name in water testing within North America, and their expertise, coupled with Fluidra’s track record of delivering new equipment and IoT solutions, will pave the way for future innovations that make managing watercare easier for both pool professionals and pool owners.”

Following the acquisition, Taylor will continue to operate independently as a business within Fluidra. Stephen Heard will continue to lead Taylor as its Senior Vice President and General Manager and will report to Troy Franzen, President of Fluidra North America. The Taylor team and its base of operations will remain in Maryland.

Fluidra Group Australia has also revealed that its Halo Connect system of products, which includes the recently released Halo Lite 2 and Halo Lite 4 - a Bluetooth light controller, designed and made in Australia - has won a Good Design mark in Australia’s 2021 Good Design Awards (GDA) awards.

Contact: 1300 693 584, E: au.commercial@fluidra.com

revolutioniseSPORT releases dedicated COVID-19 immunisation tracking feature for sport Leading sport management platform revolutioniseSPORT has released a dedicated tool for immunisation data tracking for sports.

Having collaborated with over 100 state and national sporting organisations, the tracking tool is specifically designed to allow sports to collect COVID-19 vaccination status of members upon their return to sport.

With the increasing requirements for members to be fully vaccinated in order to participate in sport, the tool aims to reduce the burden on volunteers on checking and storing member vaccination information at the entry to every game, by allowing the recording and verification of the immunisation status of participants, thus streamlining the process by which sports comply with the requirements of a safe return to sport.

Contact: 02 9746 5389, E: info@revolutionise.com.au, www.revolutionise.com.au

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