THE WWA SHOW BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER

IMPLEMENT GOOD IDEAS WHEN YOU CAN

By Chelsea Nelson

Regional Director Aquatic Management of Indianapolis

I would highly suggest that anyone who has considered joining a committee in the past to wait no longer.

SPRING IS FINALLY HERE, and summer is coming quick! For non-aquatics people, this means breaking out the camping gear, dewinterizing the boat and setting up the patio. However, for us pool, waterpark, and resort folk, it’s go-time! We’re busy recruiting and hiring, de-winterizing, preparing for Spring Break, training, ordering, cleaning, trying out all the new gadgets and gizmos installed and implemented over the winter and more. This is the time of year where all our hard work comes to fruition and (hopefully) pays off.

I have been lucky enough to spend the last five years on the seasonal side of aquatics, which has been quite the reprieve from spending time in the year-round operations as experienced previously. Greedily, I have greatly enjoyed the extra time available to research ideas and programs, develop new additions to our operation and properly train staff prior to implementation.

On the Technology Committee, we have a blend of talented, enthusiastic team members who are currently involved in both seasonal and nonseasonal operations, leading to recommendations and information on topics that can suit all.

In 2021, our committee did extensive research on QR codes and the limitless capabilities they hold when utilized to the highest extent. Now, we are moving forward with researching and testing programs used to streamline hiring and interview processes, with the hope that appealing to the technological side of our primary talent pool (who are increasingly tech-savvy) will boost our engagement with these individuals and skyrocket follow-through and retention. We are also focusing on how to efficiently coordinate and combine all those pesky to-do lists with apps and programs that provide the basic essential of list-making features, but also adds pictures to lists and GPS capabilities. Cheers to accountability via technology! Keep an eye out for the results of our research and our recommendations on programs, apps and processes moving forward as our How-To articles and webinars are developed and released.

We are currently in the prime time of the season to not necessarily implement new ideas or

42 WORLD WATERPARK MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 programs, but to make notes each day as we work through “the good, the bad and the ugly.” If you are anything like me, each October is a culmination of “what was I thinking in March and April?!” and “what could I have done different to make it better?” The World Waterpark Association is a goldmine of new and upcoming innovations and ideas and is full of people who want to share their experience, both positive and negative. Take advantage while you can, but never forget the good ideas that you can keep in your back pocket. 2021 was the first year I was blessed to contribute to the Technology Committee. I would highly suggest that anyone who has considered joining a committee in the past to wait no longer. The tools, tips and tricks that I have learned not only in professional meetings but also in informal conversations have elevated my productivity, creativity and drive to succeed. Not to mention the fantastic networking opportunities being part of the committee provides! If you or any of your team members are interested in joining us moving forward, please send us an email at TechCommittee@waterparks.org. Even if you are unable to join us, if you have topics that you would like us to research and discuss, please also send them over! We are continually brainstorming ideas for our upcoming How-To articles and webinars and welcome all ideas. •

As aquatic industry professionals, we have lists for everything. And checklists to ensure that we checked and completed each list. However, in an age where many companies are moving toward touchless tasks and an ever-rising number of younger generational professionals are entering the workforce, it may be time to move operational tasks and information to a tech-savvy and accessible platform. Over the last year, the world has seen the increased use and popularity of QR codes in operations due to the pandemic, most commonly for items like restaurant menus, informational flyers, registration, payment for services or activities and, of course, checklists. However, imagine the limits (or lack thereof) if QR codes were linked to videos, not just documents or checklists, to be used within the operation. Onboarding video? Scan the code. How to backwash? What uniform items are required? Pool rules at a particular spot in rotation? How to test chemicals? “Followalong” in-service modules? Scan the code. Luckily, QR codes are not difficult to create. These codes can be used in multiple avenues and can be customized and personalized for each operation, team and facility. Furthermore, once the code is created, the ease of sharing one single code as opposed to scheduling a training, typing out a “how-to” or sending a detailed email is thoroughly refreshing.

Selecting when and where to use QR codes To get started implementing QR codes in the operation, first decide which tasks or information may be advantageous to be communicated through video. Here are the Q&A’s we used when we set out to create videos regarding uniform requirements: Q. Who is the audience, and can they use this feature? A. Our company primarily employs high school- to college-aged students; these young professionals are already tech-savvy and more than familiar with QR codes. Nearly all individuals in this age range have a type of device that can scan a QR code. Q. How long would the video need to be to include all required and useful information? If a video is too long or short, will it be counterproductive? A. Since uniform items can already be communicated visually, the video did not need to be long. Given our audience, we assumed that if the video was too long, they would lose interest quickly. We set a time limit (20-30 seconds) and recorded with that in mind. Q. Where would the code be published? If it is displayed in a public location, what happens if a guest happens to scan it? A. This code is embedded in our “Welcome to the Team!” email that team members receive after being hired. We also considered printing it and having it available on paper at our preseason team meetings, just in case the email was not received successfully. Parents, clients and guests are typically very supportive of teens and young adults navigating the waters of their first job and appreciate the time and effort employers take to try new things to involve and engage employees.

Cracking The QR Code Cracking The QR Code Cracking The QR Code Creating and implementing QR codes are helping waterpark managers streamline and update their guest and employee communication tools. By Chelsea Nelson Q. A. Can you obtain buy-in from your team to use these codes? Upon initial introduction of QR codes, I recommend using the code, but also have an alternate form of communication covering the same information. Once team members know they are expected to use the codes, the double-up of communication can slowly diminish as able. WORLD WATERPARK MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 43

For the December 2021 issue of

World Waterpark Magazine, the Technology Committee curated an article about using QR codes effectively.