Ride Training Camp, NWSC Seminar prepare to welcome attendees
AT: Pam Sherborne
GALVESTON, Texas, and PORTLAND, Ore. — Planners of the International Ride Training (IRT) 2024 Ride Camp and the 2024 Northwestern Showmen's Club (NWSC) Safety Seminar are ready to go as the events close in.
The IRT 2024 Ride Camp, being hosted by the Historic Pleasure Pier in Galveston, Texas, is set for Feb. 5-9. Attendees will stay at the Hilton Galveston Island Resort.
The NWSC Safety Seminar is set for Feb. 19-23, on the campus of Funtime Shows, Portland, Oregon.
Both organizations are ready for good attendance.
If last year is indicative of this year for the IRT Ride Camp, planners have every reason to be excited. The 2023 event drew 160 attendees from over 65 parks worldwide.
The 2024 IRT Ride Camp will provide more than 50 hours of ride operational safety and service sessions to those who attend.
This year’s Ride Camp Theme is IRTV! Safety Television! Much of the training is centered around this theme.
“We are in the amusement industry and training should be fun,” said Cindee Huddy, an IRT partner. “At Ride Camp, attendees learn from the brightest and best in our industry on subjects including ride operations leadership, motivating our ride operators today, recruiting and retaining ride operators, reaching and advising staff on ADA requirements, leading leaders in ride ops, genuine training needs of trainers and those they train and many more sessions.”
IRT has 14 faculty from different parks who share their knowledge, best practices and expertise during Ride Camp.
Additional speakers this year will include Kathryn Woodcock, professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada, and director of that school’s Thrill Lab. Woodcock is involved in teaching, researching and consulting in the area of human factors engineering/ergonomics particularly applied to amusement rides and attractions. It is also applied to broader occupational and public safety issues of performance, error, investigation and inspection, and to disability and accessibility.
Nathan Caldwell also will be on hand to speak to attendees. He is the author of the bestseller, Empowering Kindness.
Another speaker will be Shaun McKeogh, coming from Australia to share his expertise in organizational development, employee engagement, service excellence systems, attractions training and operations.
For more than 20 years, IRT has, provided direct operations training, auditing, advisory services, interactive safety education and coaching, training, auditing and leadership development. The company has been developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and general ride safety consulting for theme parks worldwide.
“IRT’s goals are based on a true respect, love and passion for the industry,” Huddy said. “IRT’s team is comprised of former ride operators, managers and directors and each member understands the importance of giving tomorrow’s operators the right tools and skills necessary to succeed in the amusement industry.”
The 2023 NWSC Safety Seminar was an adventure. Days before last year's seminar, also In Portland, weather reports were forecasting snow and record-low temperatures for the week. And they were correct.
“The snow hit, and it came in fast and furious,” said Tracy Burback Munoz, NWSC treasurer.
The planners decided that the show must go on.
Last month, Munoz said: “We are going to try and guarantee 'no snowstorm' this year so our instructors do not have to help in the kitchen (our gourmet committee could not make it over the bridge). There is one thing I can say though — those guys and gals stayed true to 'The Show Must Go On.' They never skipped a beat.”
Jim Hall from Butler Amusements is the 2024 NWSC president and will be hosting the seminar this year.
Planners are expecting 100 to 125 students.
Munoz said there are several things that set the NWSC's seminar apart from other industry seminars.
“We have hands-on classes such as welding, forklift certification, fire extinguisher, first responder aid, first aid, inflatables and lubrication, where they actually get down and do the work,” Munoz said.
In addition, the club is able to offer four days of schooling for only $200 (or $75 for groups over 12) because the club is a nonprofit.
“Our goal is to get as many employees educated as possible,” she said. “We cater to the managers and the everyday employees that are working with the general public, not just upper management.”
The last day is set aside for NAARSO, AIMS, Carnival Tech 101 testing and First Aid classes at an additional cost.
“We want our students to leave the school having completed everything they need under one roof,” Munoz said.
Then the best twist of all.
“Through our generous food sponsors such as Amusement Today (and our other supporters), our students are fed breakfast, lunch and dinner for no additional charge,” she said.
The NWSC Safety Seminar was established to promote continuing education by amusement industry professionals. The interactive classes and hands-on settings deliver the ideal venues for raising the level of safety awareness within the carnival Industry.
The NWSC Safety Seminar is aligned with Portland Community College for accreditation in their Continuing Education Units (CEUs) Program providing two CEUs for participation and completion of the seminar.
Examples of classes held during the week include active shooter, human cost of accidents, emergency evacuations, inspecting tools, a truck shop and game shop, ride signs, belts, pulleys and motors, fire extinguisher safety, accident lawsuits, specific ride inspections, daily inspections, creating manuals, natural and operating disasters, rigging, fasteners, oil and hydraulics and maintenance and coaster wheels and safety inspection.
•ridetraining.com
•nwshowmensclub.com
