Business & Marketing Career Day

At Dorney Park, Friday, May 15, 2009

An exciting new program at Dorney Park allows students to tackle a real-world business challenge while hearing first-hand from experts in the fields of advertising, engineering, retail merchandising and park management. The Business & Marketing Career Day at Dorney Park is a unique two-part program featuring a classroom-based business case study and a first-hand glimpse of the business world in a park setting that combine to show your students that business can be fun, challenging and rewarding.

The Business & Marketing Career Day at Dorney Park is Friday, May 15, 2009. There will be two career-focused hour-long sessions at the Park that day at 10:30 a.m. and 12 Noon. There is limited seating at each session and school enrollment is first-come, first-serve, so register now. Schools must register directly with the Dorney Park School Coordinator by calling 1-800-551-5656 ext. 6. Even if you have a School Order Form, please call the School Coordinator first to confirm space availability for the session you prefer. Catered picnics are available after each session; ask the School Coordinator for more details. The on-site sessions at Dorney Park will be held only on Friday, May 16, 2008. Schools can participate in the classroom case studies and visit Dorney Park on another operating day, but without the on-site sessions.

During the ON-SITE SESSIONS at Dorney Park on Friday, May 15, experts in advertising, engineering, retail merchandising and park management will highlight the daily business challenges facing their fields and how they each must interact to run a successful business. Critical reasoning, effective communications, long-range planning and even a glimpse into the global economy will be touched on during these informative sessions.

Case Studies

A Classroom-based case study will allow your students to solve a real-world business challenge in a mock business setting. Participating schools are invited to send their “solutions” to Dorney Park by Monday, April 27, 2009 where a panel of business professionals will provide a brief evaluation and return it to your school before the end of term. There are two case study options; your students can do either or both:

• Case Study #1

  Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom is a major regional amusement park serving a primary market of more than 20 million people. Dorney Park faces strong competition from amusement parks one hour to the west and one hour to the east as well as intrinsic competition for consumers’ entertainment dollars from the Jersey Shore, the Poconos, the Big Apple and numerous other venues that make the Northeast such a great place to live. Every successful business does an ongoing internal and external evaluation of the marketplace. Our mission statement: Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom is dedicated to providing our guests with world-class thrills, fun and family entertainment, guided by the principles of safety, service, courtesy, cleanliness and integrity.

• Your Challenge, Should You Accept It!
  Your team must author a SWOT analysis of Dorney Park and its position in the marketplace for the consumers’ limited entertainment dollar. Of course, every good business professional knows SWOT stands for…Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.

  There is no right or wrong analysis, but in the eyes of our panel of experts there are “issues” that should be on everyone’s analysis. There’s no limit to your narrative; it can be as short or long as your team feels the market warrants. The only format requirement is your analysis must cover all four elements of SWOT. How glossy or basic is your team’s call. But beware, our panel is not easily impressed with glitz; we are looking for substance. The one requirement: on the index page list all the team members who contributed to the report; we like to give credit where due.

  Send 4 copies of your report by April 27 to:

  Business Day at Dorney Park Case Study #1
  3830 Dorney Park Road
  Allentown, PA 18104

• Case Study #2

  Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom is in the business of selling “FUN”. As with any consumer-based business, effective advertising is the cornerstone of success. Dorney Park has two key publics to reach: families with kids and teens. Of these two, TEENS are the most challenging to reach with a compelling “message” that will resonate with a demographic that is proving to be even more “tuned out” than the notorious Baby Boomers.

  Your Challenge, Should You Accept It!
  Your team’s assignment is to create a teen-focused advertising concept to promote Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom to this key demographic. Your product must include a storyboard and script for ONE 30-second TV commercial. If you and you’re AV Department are up to it, you can take your presentation to the next level with a freeze-frame storyboard and super-imposed voice-over on DVD. But beware, our panel can see through the weeds. A good hard-copy script and storyboard beats a glitzy weak DVD every time.

  Send 4 copies of your presentation by April 27, 2009 to:

  Business Day at Dorney Park Case Study #2
  3830 Dorney Park Road
  Allentown, PA 18104

Program Summary

Friday, May 15, is Business & Marketing Career Day at Dorney Park, with hour-long sessions at 10:30 a.m. and 12 Noon. There is limited space in each session, and it is first-call, first-reserved. Interested school must pre-register with the Dorney Park School Coordinator by calling 1-800-551-5656 ext. 6. More information on hosting a catered picnic for your students is available through the School Coordinator.

The admission price for schools registered for the May 15 Career Day is only $20.00 per person. For schools opting to visit Dorney Park on May 2, 3, 16, 17, or 22 also pay only $20.00 per person. Schools visiting any day May 23 - September 7 will pay $21.50 per person. Register and pay at least 14 days in advance of your groups outing and receive 1 complimentary chaperon ticket for each 10 regular tickets purchased.

Interested school must pre-register with the Dorney Park School Coordinator by calling 1-800-551-5656 ext. 6.