People are Paramount The intensity of the busy summer season has come and gone, and with that, at some point, you might have a mo- ment to reflect on the past few months. When you look back, what comes to mind? Or better yet, who comes to mind? After all, our industry is all about people. Perhaps that sounds cliché. Many other industries could claim the same, since it takes people to run the business - es and to pay for the products or services the businesses provide. The difference, however, is that our industry’s products—i.e., the experiences we provide—are designed to produce significant uplifting outcomes for the people who participate. Those outcomes are realized via the people who provide the experiences. Still sound a little cliché? OK, consider this: in how many oth - er industries is the term “life changing” a common mantra, both for participants and practitioners? We see that term, or versions of it, a lot in the pages of Adventure Park Insider . Our industry’s people have a remarkable impact on the people they serve and, in many cases, vice versa. It shouldn’t be taken for granted. This issue of the magazine acknowledges how impactful our people—staff and guests—can be in a variety of ways. We recognize a handful of the industry’s up-and-coming leaders in our annual peer-nominated “Rising Stars” (p. 30). We explore how to provide guests with a sense of control and self-confidence in “Agency, Challenge, Choice, and Control” (p. 48). The benefits of listening to and acting upon feedback from guests and staff, and how to do so, are discussed in “Turn Insight into Action” (p. 24). We also share an instructive tale of tragedy that changed many lives, the lessons from which should catalyze a cultural change in the industry (“Time to Learn from our Mistakes,” p. 35). Call it cliché or call it a universal truth—whatever your perspective, our industry is truly all about the people. As autumn sets in, we hope you take the time to recognize the people who made the magic happen for you or alongside you during the chaotic summer season, and thank the peo - ple who came out to experience the great work our industry does. It’s time well spent. With that, we’d like to thank you, dear reader, for reading our magazine. We hope you enjoy it, learn from it, and try something new because of it. L ETTER FROM THE EDITORS
—The Editors
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