Rink

How did you get into the industry? I started as the marketing manager for RDV Sportsplex, including our athletic club and ice skating rinks, in 1998. I was later promoted to operations manager solely for RDV Sportsplex Ice Den. In 2008, I was promoted to operations direc- tor for RDV Sportsplex Ice Den. What do you like best about your job in the ice industry? I love the reac- tion of the kids to seeing and touching ice in Florida, and I love seeing the faces of ice skaters when they figure out how to skate for the first time. I enjoy working within an environment where people have fun on the ice and being creative with our prod- ucts and our programming. I work with some incredibly talented people who put in countless hours to create an amazing customer experience! Any funny stories from your career? I could tell you stories about cus- tomers who stretch the truth beyond rea- son, but my customers are probably no different than any other rink customers! Why do you feel industry educa- tion is important? Our customers demand more of us today than they did yesterday. It's up to us, as rink operators, to continue to improve as we provide a quality product and quality services. Often, we learn from each other how to do something better, faster and smarter. I have gotten my best information at NARCE through actual class presentations and the networking within the classes and at the trade show. The ideas that I have implemented from these conferences has improved our customer experience and increased our bottom line. In addition, I have made some great friends. Best tip or trick you picked up at a STAR program: I attended the birthday party class in PMP2 and I took home a key fact that I use all the time: birthday memories last a lifetime. Since each of us only has one birthday a year, if a cus- tomer entrusts us with celebrating their birthday at our rink, it's up to us to make that an amazing experience for the child and the parents. Birthdays can't be can- celled or postponed. We have one chance a year and we need to make the best of it for each of our customers. I have imple- mented several ideas from this one semi- nar. As a result, our party parents are happier and our party revenue has increased significantly. Why is it important to be involved with an association like STAR? STAR has provided me with the resources I need to be successful as a rink operator. I have connected with STAR vendors for pricing and product expertise and net- worked with the best in the rink indus- try, which has helped me immensely. Final thoughts: STAR has enabled me to realize that no matter what I am dealing with as a rink operator, someone in our business is experiencing or has experienced the same thing. Reaching out to STAR members for advice or assistance has helped me every time! ★ ■ Training, and recognition of training, is the best way to let colleagues and potential employers know who you are and what you have accomplished. Almost every industry has a measuring stick to help employers gauge the level of competency of a future employee. industry spotlight 50 R INK MAGAZ INE July/August 2010 STARrinks.com Debby Kwasman RDV Sportsplex Ice Den Orlando, Florida Years in the Industry: 6 STAR/ORFA Courses Taken: • PMP / May 2007 / Chicago • PMP 2 / May 2008 / Chicago • ORM / May 2010 / Chicago Debby Kwasman RDV Sportsplex Ice Den • Orlando, Florida Our customers demand more of us today than they did yesterday. It's up to us, as rink operators, to continue to improve as we provide a quality prod- uct and quality services.

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