Earlier, I recounted the difficult situation facing Ocean Park when I joined the park in 2000. Consecutive years of losses in the late 1990s created a scenario that was alarming for the park that even threatened closure. Those were difficult times that required quick and decisive action to reverse the trend. While there were several actions that worked in the positive direction, the most successful one was the introduction of a special event, the Halloween Bash. It was the turning point that provided a positive financial return but above all, renewed confidence in the park and the newly appointed executive team. It also provided the employees with a massive boost in morale and belief in their future and the future of the park.
Remember, change is inevitable and to succeed, embracing change is vital for survival.
In business, there are many stories of breakthroughs that forever changed the fortunes of a company. Halloween was very special and in the early days, the concept of a special event in the theme park was new and un-tested. Putting the theme aside for a moment, the first step was to introduce the idea of a special event. What does this really mean? As there had not been anything like this previously, the idea was foreign and there was tremendous hesitation. It took a great deal of effort just to convince the team of the idea before creative development could even begin.
If we give the audience a reason to buy, they will buy.
The main purpose of a special event was to create another reason to visit, another reason to buy, and another product to sell. You can imagine the jubilation inside the boardroom when the team reviewed the results of its first special event, Halloween. The energy, excitement, enthusiasm, and above all confidence that this event generated meant a brighter future was possible. If one event could develop these positive results, think about what more special events would mean, more reasons for people to visit.
With renewed confidence, the team actively and eagerly looked for other themes and times during the year to create other special events. Ultimately, it settled on holidays when the public searched for entertainment venues. Thus, after Halloween, events were created for Christmas, Chinese New Year, Easter, and Summer. What this meant to the public were 5 new reasons to visit the park. While Ocean Park was successful in promoting Education, Conservation, and Entertainment as its main core offering, it now offered 5 additional reasons to visit each year. It provided reasons for multiple repeat visits throughout the year. One can celebrate these holidays and occasions in many ways, just make sure one of them was a visit to Ocean Park.
The concept of special events grew stronger and stronger over time. The public looked forward anxiously to announcements of the next upcoming event. It built anticipation and demand. There were many who wanted to buy next year’s tickets for the Halloween event a year ahead of time. The special events provide opportunities for the Park to communicate, advertise, promote, generate publicity, and show the public there was new life at the Park.
Creating reasons and the appropriate emotions to buy drove the revitalization of a declining business. It created a momentum that would grow from strength to strength. It created renewed confidence in the public for the park.
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