Shapiro visits sfeg!

[ScOtT k]

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_3489081#

 

Six Flags, the billion-dollar company that owns Elitch Gardens, hasn't posted an annual profit since 1998.

 

To boost business, the amusement-park company turned to sports and Hollywood executives for help, including Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder and movie producer Harvey Weinstein.

 

Their game plan?

 

Focus on attracting families instead of teenagers by bringing more kid-friendly characters into the park, such as those from Weinstein's film "Hoodwinked."

 

Increase revenue through corporate sponsorships, including selling naming rights to its rides, à la sports stadiums and bowl games.

 

Offer more food choices and increase vendors.

 

"It's not an amusement park; it's an experience," new chief executive Mark Shapiro told about 100 employees during a meet-and- greet Wednesday at Elitch Gardens. Shapiro, a former programming star at ESPN, is on a whirlwind 30-day tour, visiting each of the company's 30 parks.

 

Six Flags has company in its struggles. Attendance at theme parks across the country has been flat for a decade, growing just 0.4 percent in 2004, according to Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP.

 

"We stopped seeing double- digit increases in revenue 15 years ago when the industry matured," said Dennis L. Speigel, president of International Theme Park Services.

 

Six Flags' image makeover began in December when Snyder, the company's largest shareholder, took control.

 

He moved the company's headquarters to New York from Oklahoma City. He quickly lured Weinstein onto the board of directors and appointed Shapiro CEO.

 

Shapiro, 35, is a wunderkind who quickly rose through the ranks at ESPN. He spearheaded ESPN's heralded "SportsCentury" series, which counted down the 50 greatest athletes of the 20th century and won a Peabody award.

 

In 2002, at age 31, Shapiro was put in charge of all programming for ESPN. He created numerous original programs for the network, including the popular "Playmakers" series and the "Pardon The Interruption" daily talk show.

 

Shapiro said his new job is similar to his old one at ESPN, where he was responsible for attracting more women and casual sports fans as viewers. But now he is in charge of pushing the Six Flags brand toward families.

 

"It's easier to fix a tarnished brand than it is to start one from scratch," Shapiro told employees.

 

He says he believes Six Flags had wrongly focused on attracting the penny-pinching teenage thrill seeker instead of the family of four that would likely spend more money.

 

[lapseofreason]

I also read this article, in yesterday's Daily News (Los Angeles).

 

It's basically the same stuff he's said about other SF parks.

[Shockwave]

Maybe I'm seeing things, but...

 

Separated at birth???

 

 

Mark Shapiro, Six Flags CEO:

 

Keanu Reeves, multi-million dollar actor from "The Matrix":

[wrs28330]

SF Ambassadors? So they are taking the Disney idea of having the info boards in the park to the next level? 5 ambassadors in the park? Sounds interesting.

[Guy T. Koepp]

Well, It appears that they are continuing an interest in EG. I was pretty certain that this was one of the parks that might have been sold off to decrease debt. Afterall, It does sit on some pretty choice Denver property. I'm glad I was wrong. I found EG to be one of the cleanest and prettiest 6F parks I have ever been to.

 

Guy "Glad I'm wrong." Koepp

[DATman]

"It's not an amusement park, it's an experience"

 

 

..........If it isn't an amusement park, then, well, what is it? You can't deny the fact that it is an amusement park.

 

 

Also, he want's to sell naming rights for rides. Sorry, but I'd rather not ride iPod: The Ride.

[robbalvey]

Also, he want's to sell naming rights for rides. Sorry, but I'd rather not ride iPod: The Ride.

To be honest, it's not a bad idea at all. Many parks have been doing this for decades: "Pepsi Max: Big One" "7up Shock Wave" "Bank of America presents It's a Small World" "GM Test Track"

 

If Disney can do it, why not Six Flags?

 

--Robb

[ParkTrips]

Because Disney is god and Six Flags is the devil. Plus, we all know its cool to bash Six Flags.

[Gnome]

I prefer seeing Such & Such sponsored by Pepsi or Pepsi presents such and such instead of the ride being named after the product. But there are those rare times where naming it after a company works like the GM test Track robb mentioned earlier.

[Jeezus Juice]

Dude, if "The Tampon Jet Coaster" has a good layout and is really fun I could give a crap about the name.

 

Trust me, it's much more fun to visit a park that is doing well than one that feels as if it could close at any minute. Even if that means riding the "Ex-Lax Speed Slide".

 

Besides, this is different from all the obnoxious 'Corn-nut' ads how exactly?

 

Money for the company usually equals a better park experience, I don't know about a 'T:JC' on ride photo though!!

 

-Don "Likes getting free sample packets from sponsors at the exit gate" Garrison

[Meteornotes]

I don't know about a 'T:JC' on ride photo though!!

 

I would so totally buy more on-ride photos if rides had bizarre names like this!

 

I don't really care what a ride is called, as long as it's fun. Though I have to wonder how many of these sponsorships they'll be able to sell. I sort of recall reading an article about Disney having problems finding ride sponsors in the last couple of years, so you have to wonder how attractive a SF sponsorship opportunity would really be. Then again, SF would probably not demand or even be able to charge a premium for ride sponsorship like Disney can, so this might open up opportunities with companies with smaller marketing budgets.

 

I'm looking forward to all these parks opening for the season, and to see how these propoosed changes work. Though something like selling ride names is likely not going to happen overnight...

 

dt

[DerekRx]

^I think the problem Disney is having finding sponsorship is because they want way too much money for the sponsors, and a lot of the rides lacking sponsors are very dated and the potential sponsors don't want to spend that much money on a ride that people really don't ride that often, ie Wonders of Life.

 

Its funny how SF is now attempting the family approach, yet even at Disney World, its the thrill rides like Test Track, RnRC, and ToT that have the longest waits and are the first ones to run out of fast passes.

[Guy T. Koepp]

Dude, if "The Tampon Jet Coaster" has a good layout and is really fun I could give a crap about the name.

 

Trust me, it's much more fun to visit a park that is doing well than one that feels as if it could close at any minute. Even if that means riding the "Ex-Lax Speed Slide".

 

Besides, this is different from all the obnoxious 'Corn-nut' ads how exactly?

 

Money for the company usually equals a better park experience, I don't know about a 'T:JC' on ride photo though!!

 

-Don "Likes getting free sample packets from sponsors at the exit gate" Garrison

 

How about the"Ex-Lax Log Un-Jammer" at MM. That would be awesome!

 

"Superman the Escape!" Sponsored by Viagra. Is that too innuendo-ish.

 

If your going to have sponsors. Have fun with it!

 

Guy "TATSU! sponsored by Schity Wok Airlines." Koepp

[dougr]

Dog fart coaster sponsored by Libby's beans and the makers of Prandase

[shepp]

^I think the problem Disney is having finding sponsorship is because they want way too much money for the sponsors, and a lot of the rides lacking sponsors are very dated and the potential sponsors don't want to spend that much money on a ride that people really don't ride that often, ie Wonders of Life.

 

Its funny how SF is now attempting the family approach, yet even at Disney World, its the thrill rides like Test Track, RnRC, and ToT that have the longest waits and are the first ones to run out of fast passes.

 

Well, in fact, park owners don't like queues, since they're occupying people who might otherwise be using that time buying T-shirts and high-profit-margin nosh. Still, it's odd that teenagers and young adults, whom I always heard were the Most Prized Consumer Demographic, should turn out to be dogfood.

 

I'm wondering if this strategy - should it work - signals the beginning of the end of the present Golden Age of Coasters. Why would 6F buy another Kingda Ka when they could otherwise spend much less money on a whole bunch of kiddie flats and a bunch of character costumes?

[dougr]

^I think the problem Disney is having finding sponsorship is because they want way too much money for the sponsors, and a lot of the rides lacking sponsors are very dated and the potential sponsors don't want to spend that much money on a ride that people really don't ride that often, ie Wonders of Life.

 

Its funny how SF is now attempting the family approach, yet even at Disney World, its the thrill rides like Test Track, RnRC, and ToT that have the longest waits and are the first ones to run out of fast passes.

 

Well, in fact, park owners don't like queues, since they're occupying people who might otherwise be using that time buying T-shirts and high-profit-margin nosh. Still, it's odd that teenagers and young adults, whom I always heard were the Most Prized Consumer Demographic, should turn out to be dogfood.

 

I'm wondering if this strategy - should it work - signals the beginning of the end of the present Golden Age of Coasters. Why would 6F buy another Kingda Ka when they could otherwise spend much less money on a whole bunch of kiddie flats and a bunch of character costumes?

 

This is where fastpasses are good for the park up to a point-a relatively short time, say an hour or so, gives you slightly bored patrons that have to hang out near the ride-perfect customers of snacks and other small items.

 

Unfortunately, I think charging extra for fastpasses tends to create a two-tier system and also reduces park capacity because the park gets revenue from the passes without the expense of adding rides.

 

A decent solution would be having some good high capacity flats or smaller coasters (Pinfari 42 comes to mind) near the que line of headliner attactions. Putting Indy close to Jungle Cruise and Pirates comes to mind, as well as how close Splash Mountain is to Haunted Mansion and Pirates.

An excellent small coaster that takes up about 2 flats

[shepp]

Unfortunately, I think charging extra for fastpasses tends to create a two-tier system and also reduces park capacity because the park gets revenue from the passes without the expense of adding rides.

 

I agree with you...though judging from previous threads on the topic, many people don't. Even worse are the more-than-two-tier systems, like SFGAdv's VIP Tour and Q-Bot/QBot Gold options - a 4-tier system, where the shlubs who can't or won't pay $210-260 for a day at the park stand there cooling their heels while the "VIPs" take the seats that would have otherwise been theirs.

 

Oh, well, at least Tony Soprano won't have to wait in line to ride El Toro...