Crisis management and public relations were mixed with water and wildlife as more than 60 attractions industry professionals from 14 countries attended trade association IAAPA’s EMEA Winter Forum in the Canary Islands, Spain, at the end of January 2019.

During the event, attendees visited renowned attractions such as Loro Parque zoo and Siam Park water park, while in the forum minds were focused for a keynote presentation on crisis communications and public response.

James Crampton, corporate affairs director, Merlin Entertainments; Michael Kreft von Byern, representative of the board, Europa-Park; and Christoph Kiessling, general manager, Siam Park and vice president, Loro Parque, spoke about incidents at their facilities and discussed how each dealt with the aftermath of the crisis, media relations, and resulting public perception.

Attendees learned about the work of the Loro Parque Foundation, and its commitment to animal welfare and biodiversity conservation efforts around the world. After the forum, the attendees were also able to explore the newly-opened Poema Del Mar aquarium on Gran Canaria.

Jakob Wahl, executive director and vice president of IAAPA EMEA, said: “The event brought together industry professionals to experience the area’s world-class attractions and to learn from each other. IAAPA strives to host valuable events for our members, and we hope this year’s participants left with new connections and key learnings to apply to their organisations."