Industry associations provide rich context for student development

Authors: Klaus Hoven and Wim Strijbosch are lecturers and researchers of Attractions & Theme Parks Management at Academy for Leisure & Events.

In 2024 we celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Attractions & Theme Parks Management (ATPM) track. Since its start we have been members of the global industry association IAAPA. Over the years the membership has turned into a valued industry partnership for both students and faculty to get familiar with the industry, building professional networks and creating lasting friendships. In this article we showcase some best practices of this partnership and the opportunities given to ATPM students. 

In line with ALE’s internationalisation strategy, the ATPM track has and has always had a strong focus to truly integrate an international, intercultural, and global dimension into the programme. Creating and offering intercultural classrooms goes beyond just welcoming international students. From the start this track has been English-taught and offered project-based learning activities with real-world clients. Students work on assignments for a wide range of international clients, ranging from theme park or zoo operators, manufacturers and suppliers. 

Industry events
At the start of their studies, ATPM students are stimulated to enter the business of serious fun by becoming an IAAPA student member. Students enjoy multiple benefits as they receive the monthly magazine FunWorld, have access to IAAPA’s online education and research repository (data reports, presentations, webinars) and the industry’s marketplace. They can join industry webinars for free and gain certification credits by attending events and webinars.  

Every year, IAAPA hosts multiple IAAPA Expos, the largest trade shows for the attractions industry - perhaps even for the broader leisure industry as well. Every year, its European counterpart is hosted in another European city, highlighting the international character of the attraction and theme park industry. ATPM students are encouraged to visit this industry event for networking, attending education sessions, the young professional forum and student events. For students this is always an overwhelming introduction, while at the same time it is a pleasant way for networking with next gens, finding work placements and graduation assignments. 

At IAAPA Expos, students can volunteer as student ambassadors, who receive a (hospitality) training course given by IAAPA, in which they gain insight into global industry trends. More importantly, they are recognisable as student ambassadors for the entire IAAPA organisation and committee members. It is always nice to learn later which CEOs and park directors they had a conversation with, as a result of which they could be given placement or graduation opportunities. 

Education with industry partners
The collaboration with industry partners is integrated into the project-based curriculum in multiple ways, ranging from providing guest lectures or workshops to acting as a project client offering students a challenging assignment, sharing business insights and providing feedback on their final recommendations, solutions or designed experiences. 

Experts in class
Although our students love to travel and visit industry events, it is also important to integrate global professional perspectives into their classes. For example, we often discuss pricing strategies of theme parks. Industry partner Convious.com inspires students with their vision of and strategies for  dynamic pricing. More recently, sharing insights into data research and use of algorithms has become important too. During each project we also welcome our alumni back to class to share their career developments and bring in their expertise directly related to the project students are working on. 

Being an active member of IAAPA has opened doors. IAAPA understands how important it is to connect with and to train future professionals. Connecting with other industry partners (ranging from (water) parks, zoos to manufacturers, suppliers, and consultants) has resulted in many guest lectures, both from the Netherlands and beyond - be it in person or virtual. Students love to hear first-hand experiences, lessons learned and tips for their future careers.

Projects
ATPM students learn within the context of real-life assignments from industry clients. This has often resulted in feasible advice; concept designs and other professional products later being used by these clients. From the start, we have had a strong relationship with Europa-Park (Germany.) In the very first project we engaged students in the upcoming social media and how to deal with fan communities. Over the years, we have supported Europa-Park Benelux in gaining insights into its brand awareness, researching consumer willingness and preferences to visit the park and creating marketing strategies for positioning Europa-Park as a multi-day theme park resort destination. In the fourth year, minor students receive more complex assignments and have executed projects on topics like accessibility, inclusion or developing experience concepts for entrances, themed areas or F&B locations. The opening of the ‘poffertjes’ outlet Molencafé in the Dutch area (2016) was an absolute highlight in this process. 

Many other challenges followed for clients like Puy du Fou (France) and Vekoma (Netherlands). The students’ work is valued by clients, who share these experiences with their network partners during
IAAPA webinars or expo sessions. 
As a result, the ATPM track has established strategic partnerships with multiple leading European theme parks and suppliers. This allows students and alumni to find their way in the industry  throughout Europe. Over the years, our students have been valued for not only their understanding of the attractions industry, but also their international outlook. 

Designing Sustainable Strategies for Themed Entertainment 
In addition to the ATPM track (years 2 and 3), the BUas minor in Design & Strategies for Themed Entertainment (year 4) offers a course about creating sustainable future strategies for the attractions industry. Sustainability, future foresights, and business innovation are key topics which are tested in a three-day hackathon, supported by IAAPA. The hackathon starts with a trend session in which the latest industry insights are shared. Students design a sustainable experience for the future and are coached by professionals. The final showcase event always shows the creative and business power of our future talents, leaving a lasting impression on industry experts attending the event.

Establishing meaningful relationships requires long-term investments from all parties involved, especially in an international context. Therefore, it is so valuable to us to see how such partnerships can start from (small) educational projects and in some cases lead to research collaborations or  involvement of other BUas experts at IAAPA events. A recent example is the session on ‘AI: Discovering Opportunities through Interactive Exploration’ hosted by BUas colleague Thomas Buitenweg at IAAPA’s Spring Summit 2024 (Antalya, Turkey). We received great feedback on this session, which resulted in an IAAPA Edutour to our BUas campus. A showcase event on AI and game technology will be hosted in collaboration with industry partners in the domains of Games and  Data Science & AI. This shows how working with a valued partner like IAAPA could lead to potentially new cross-academy research collaborations and spin-offs for our educational programme. 

Industry recognition
By now, the ATPM track at BUas is recognised as the leading educational programme in Europe because of its strong focus on and partnerships with the attractions industry. The IAAPA Foundation’s mission is to inspire and support life-changing careers by offering scholarships to talented students. IAAPA Foundation scholarships are given to BUas students, covering their tuition fee for one year. These scholarships are given out to support international students to study this special track at BUas, but also to encourage them to connect and network with IAAPA members. In 2024, IAAPA Foundation launched a new donation programme and held different fundraisers to raise more funding. We are very grateful that the IAAPA Foundation has decided to offer four Scholarship Grants to BUas students in 2024. 

Inspire higher education institutes worldwide
The partnership with IAAPA and the IAAPA Foundation offers great opportunities for both students and BUas faculty members. Our ATPM track is a recognised bachelor’s programme that also inspires other European higher education institutes to connect with theme parks in their own region. IAAPA supports annually held educator round-table talks to enhance and foster international relations between higher education institutes in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The latest editions were chaired by Klaus Hoven and have resulted in a new initiative to design a joint master’s programme IDEAS with three universities from across Europe, under the Erasmus Mundus framework (see Uncover p.26). 

Internationalising higher education requires an ongoing commitment between higher education institutes and industry associations and partners to foster a globally aware and inclusive learning environment. The collaboration between IAAPA and BUas proves that through networking and educational collaborations such meaningful learning environments could be created: for students to find a place where they can pursue their passion, and then turn from fans to dedicated professionals. 

This article was published in Uncover Magazine - Internationalisation. You can read the complete magazine via this link.