Water Parks Essay Example for Free

Water Parks Essay Journal of Hospitality Marketing Management. 2011, Vol. 20 Issue 3/4, p407-424. 18p. 1 Diagram, 3 Charts. Document Type: Article Subject Terms: *TOURISM *TOURIST attractions *TRAVEL *AMUSEMENT parks *FAMILIES Author-Supplied Keywords: fun grounded theory push-pull theme park Tourism motivation travel ladder NAICS/Industry Codes: 713110 713110 Abstract: This study revealed the motivation constructs for visiting Legoland Windsor tourist attraction. Data was collected from visiting families using semistructured interviews and nonparticipant observations. Grounded theory was employed and the construct of fun that emerged as the main motivator for families to visit was deconstructed into its push-pull parts using traditional and revised push-pull frameworks, and contrasted to the travel career ladder model. The study offered an insight into the notion of fun as a motivator for families to visit a theme park. More importantly, by deconstructing the notion of fun associated with family theme park, a touristic setting, this study offered a significant contribution to knowledge; it provided a theorization of the concept, touristic fun, previously undertheorized. It also contributed to the literature on motivation, particularly, to visiting family theme parks. The study has also several implications for the development, management, and marketing of attractions of this type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]. Copyright of Journal of Hospitality Marketing Management is the property of Taylor Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holders express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. Copyright applies to all Abstracts. Author Affiliations: 1Faculty of Design, Media and Management, Bucks New University, High Wycombe Campus, Buckinghamshire, England ISSN: 19368623 DOI: 10. 1080/19368623. 2011. 562431 Accession Number: 60294239 Database: Academic Search Premier Source: Arabia 2000, 01/30/2013 Document Type: Article Abstract: Doha, January 30 (QNA) Reach Out To Asia (ROTA) is encouraging all families in Qatar to ‘Reach Out By Having Fun at the 6th Wheels ‘n Heels Family Fun Day, taking place on Friday 8th February at the Museum of Islamic Art Park on the Doha Corniche. Accession Number: 6FI3145240364 Database: Newspaper Source Translate Full Text: HTML Full Text Reach Out by Having Fun at 6th Wheels ‘n Heels Family Fun Day Doha, January 30 (QNA) Reach Out To Asia (ROTA) is encouraging all families in Qatar to ‘Reach Out By Having Fun at the 6th Wheels ‘n Heels Family Fun Day, taking place on Friday 8th February at the Museum of Islamic Art Park on the Doha Corniche. Launching Qatars premier community event of the year during a press conference at the Qatar Foundation Recreation Center, Board Member H. E Dr. Sheikha Aisha bint Falah Al Thani was joined by representatives from Wheels ‘n Heels 2013 Flagship Sponsor Maersk Oil Qatar and Leadership Sponsor Commercial Bank Qatar to launch the annual event which encourages Qatar to live a healthy lifestyle. Launching Wheels ‘n Heels 2013 HE Sheikha Aisha bint Falah Al Thani said: â€Å"It is with great excitement that we announce the 6th Wheels n Heels Family Fun Day. For this years event at the Museum of Islamic Art Park, a long list of celebrities, entertainers and sports stars are joining and helping ROTA promote the health benefits of regular exercise, healthy diet and enjoying life. † On the day that families across Qatar comes out to enjoy and play, Wheels ‘n Heels 2013 partners with the final stage of the Tour of Qatar to give families the opportunity to cycle the same circuit used by the professional cyclists, as well as take part in fitness activities and watch celebrities perform on The Stage. All family members are invited to climb aboard a bike, jump on a skateboard or lace up a pair of trainers to complete The Circuit as adults, children and celebrities jog, walk, cycle or wheelchair three kilometres along the Doha Corniche to help ROTA raise fund to provide quality education to 48 million children in need across Asia. In partnership with Flagship Sponsor Maersk Oil Qatar, Wheels ‘n Heels 2013 is making a special effort to promote Action on Diabetes, an initiative supported by Maersk Oil Qatar which is designed to deliver the Emir H. H Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thanis vision of a healthier and prosperous Qatar by 2030. Speaking at the press conference, Maersk Oil Qatars, Mr. Faisal Al Medehkah Head of Social Investment said: â€Å"Maersk Oil Qatar is very proud to support Wheels ‘n Heels as a flagship sponsor. With our partners from ‘Action on Diabetes, we will also be setting up our diabetes awareness village to compliment the event activities. Healthy lifestyles are a very important factor in preventing Type 2 diabetes, and we are pleased to join with ROTA at this important event†. The Action on Diabetes village has already proved very successful – attracting more than 15,000 thousand visitors during a 4-day Katara event in November 2012. Specialists from Supreme Health Council, Qatar Diabetes Association, Hamad Medical Corporation, the Primary Health Care Corporation, and Novo Nordisk, partners with Maersk Oil in the Action on Diabetes project will be at hand to offer diabetes testing and provide advice on preventing and managing diabetes. â€Å"We have a strong corporate social responsibility programme that proactively makes a sustainable and positive impact on the Qatari society. Our social investment activities are largely focused in the areas of health, education, capacity building, and the environment – where we believe we can make a positive contribution that supports development in the State of Qatar† added Mr. Faisal. Kids Zone is guaranteed to keep the kids occupied for hours with non-stop live entertainment, bouncy castles, face painting and a whole lot of fun games, interactive sports and performances by well-known singers and dancers. The Childhood Cultural Centre, founded under the initiative of Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser to encourage, support and develop social growth in Qatar, will be providing books and arts and crafts materials to Wheels ‘nHeels 2013. Reach Out To Asia is thrilled to announce a top-class collection of singers, dancers and musicians will be keeping the crowds entertained on the Wheels ‘n Heels Stage. Meanwhile, childrens entertainers will ensure the kids enjoy themselves while a host of local and international celebrities and sports stars take part in the Wheels ‘n Heels Autograph Signing session. ‘Stay Active and Healthy will be the message in the Active Health Zone as kids and adults learn more about first aid, how to prevent accidents. even get a free health checkups. Civil Defense staff will also be on hand to teach young ones the importance of road safety, traffic rules, fire safety and how to use a fire extinguisher. If you have the energy, join Aspire, the Qatar Cycling Federation and the Girls on the Go who promise hours of fun sports and fitness activities for the whole family. Commenting on behalf of Commercial bank, Abdulla Saleh Al Raisi, Deputy CEO, said: â€Å"We are proud to be †Leadership Sponsorsâ€Å" of ROTA Wheels ‘n Heels 2013 because we firmly believe in doing our part to support initiatives that benefit society as a whole, especially initiatives that promote the values of education and healthier lifestyles two values that are particularly close to our heart. ROTA Wheels ‘n Heels fundraising plans also inspire with the spirit of reaching out to people less fortunate in need of support, and encourage with its sense of the possible, and at Commercial bank we believe ‘everything is possible. We look forward to supporting ROTA to achieve its plans, and enjoying a fun-filled family day next month. † The Big Screen, a large outdoor screen showing Wheels ‘n Heels activities, sponsor information, entertainment from The Stage and inspirational ROTA videos, to ensure everyone can follow all the Wheels ‘n Heels action. Ensuring everyone has enough energy to enjoy the entire six hours of Wheels ‘n Heels excitement, the Wheels ‘n Heels Food Zone provides a selection of tasty, healthy snacks and drinks throughout the day. As well as the invaluable support of Flagship Sponsors Maersk Oil Qatar and Leadership Sponsor Commercial Bank Qatar, ROTA Strategic Partner Qatar Cycling Federation and a number of Qatari organisations will be demonstrating their corporate social responsibility by participating in the event as Wheels ‘n Heels Partners: Civil Defense, Qtel, Qatar National Cancer Society, Qatar Institute for the Elderly and National Programs. â€Å"ROTA encourages the families of Qatar to say yes to a healthy lifestyle by taking part in a community day of celebration on the 8th February. Come along to the Museum of Islamic Art and enjoy the entertainment, take part in the fun activities and donate to ROTA projects which support children and communities in Qatar and across Asia, also I would like to address special invitation to all schools in Qatar to join us at the circuit† says ROTA Executive Director, Mr. Essa Al Mannai. (QNA) ? ?,f l QNA 1329 GMT 2013/01/30 Copyright 2013 by Qatar News Agency Distributed by UPI Copyright of Arabia 2000 is the property of Arabia 2000. The copyright in an individual article may be maintained by the author in certain cases. Content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holders express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. Source: Arabia 2000, Jan 30, 2013 Item: 6FI3145240364.

Natural Language Processing in Theoretical Application :: essays research papers

Natural Language Processing in Theoretical Application Abstract:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this paper, I will be discussing the creation and implementation of a device that will utilize the concepts of natural language processing and apply it to everyday activities. The device will be a carry-along unit that can be adapted to several devices a person would use everyday, like the car, items in the kitchen, and your computer. This device will be portable, compact, durable and adaptable. The device will not just adapt to any device however, the capability to interface with the device will have to be built into the objects that the device will interact with. I will discuss about this in length during the paper, as this will present the largest difficulty in making the device an actuality and usable. Another aspect I will also talk about is training. No natural language processing system is perfect, actually none are. The user must be trained with the system and adapted to the system to really make it work. This will require technicians to not only train the user to use the device and adapt it to the user’s products but also to provide constant technical support. In this design a preset lexicon must be set to make this design plausible. I will relate how big this lexicon can be and how flexible future designs of this lexicon will appear. I will also provide logical breakdowns of commands being used, with copious amounts of examples for several environments. I will also discuss where troubles could arise in the actual implementation of the product and what semantic flaws could occur with frequency. Finally, I will discuss the feasibility of this design and whether the market and the technology are ready for this kind of attempt at natural language processing software integration. Introduction â€Å"The Jacques Boxâ„ ¢ will knock your socks off! This revolutionary product will change the way humans use their everyday products forever. Want to change the radio station in your car without taking your eyes off the road? Wrist deep in cake batter and you need to preheat the oven? Tired of using the excuse that you’ve â€Å"only got two hands†? Well not anymore, with The Jacques Boxâ„ ¢, you can now activate anything from your car, your computer or even your whole kitchen with just the sound of your voice.† Sounds good coming across the radio, or being offered for three easy payments of 149.99, but the reality of this is much further then the present.

Market Outlooks Simbrand

PRACTICE ROUND European demand is already at a good level. The annual demand growth is estimated to be between 30 and 100% annually, depending on the segment. In the Asian market the demand level currently is low, but the growth is expected to be even higher than in Europe. In both Europe and Asia the growth will be fastest during the next couple of years, after which the growth is likely to slow down. In any case, the consensus among analysts is that the growth rates will be positive for several years to come. The high-end segments in both the consumer and company segments play a major role in the first years. Later on, with market penetration, the low-end segments might well dominate the sales volumes. Because PDAs are still rather unfamiliar products especially among low-end segments, and since the companies are new and thus unknown, it is important to think carefully about advertising and channel investment decisions. Advertising and channel investments have a long-term effect on demand and therefore, it might be rather risky to neglect these areas of the marketing mix completely. Finally, the group’s financial officers as well as executives of the production company have emphasized the importance of accurate sales forecasts. Budgets are useless if forecasted sales are far from reality, which usually decreases the quality of decisions significantly. In addition, production facilities’ output is preliminarily planned according to the forecasts. Large adjustments required in case of poor forecasts result in increased unit costs. ROUND 1 European demand is already at a good level. The annual demand growth is estimated to be between 30 and 100% annually, depending on the segment. In the Asian market the demand level currently is low, but the growth is expected to be even higher than in Europe. In both Europe and Asia the growth will be fastest during the next couple of years, after which the growth is likely to slow down. In any case, the consensus among analysts is that the growth rates will be positive for several years to come. The high-end segments in both the consumer and company segments play a major role in the first years. Later on, with market penetration, the low-end segments might well dominate the sales volumes. Because PDAs are still rather unfamiliar products especially among low-end segments, and since the companies are new and thus unknown, it is important to think carefully about advertising and channel investment decisions. Advertising and channel investments have a long-term effect on demand and therefore, it might be rather risky to neglect these areas of the marketing mix completely. Finally, the group’s financial officers as well as executives of the production company have emphasized the importance of accurate sales forecasts. Budgets are useless if forecasted sales are far from reality, which usually decreases the quality of decisions significantly. In addition, production facilities’ output is preliminarily planned according to the forecasts. Large adjustments required in case of poor forecasts result in increased unit costs. ROUND 2 The total sales of PDAs in Europe are expected to grow hundreds of %. Growth will be fastest among the low-end segments. However, the price elasticity of these segments is rather high and thus the availability of cheaper models with reasonable features has a significant impact on the realized growth. The demand growth estimates for Asia seem even more promising than for Europe. In Asia, the market is still clearly dominated by high-end segments. By offering new high-tech models the companies can create more demand. Competence indices started to grow from the starting point of 100 but some analysts are waiting to see products with compactness and battery life ranging in between 105 – 110 this year. However, the production line cost of 3. 5 Mâ‚ ¬ is high considering the rather small size of the markets at the moment. This will certainly limit the enthusiasm in launching new models with nice new features. On the other hand, using the latest technology, that the R&D investments in the previous period have created, decreases the risk that products become obsolete rapidly. Therefore, new advanced products brought to markets now might turn out to be very successful in the long run. If companies decide to launch new products, they have to be sure that their products are not too close to each other in terms of features. Similarity causes the products to cannibalize each other. The financial market is turning cautious and more risk averse. The interest rates for start-ups are skyrocketing to two-digit figures. Companies are hit as soon as they run out of equity. ROUND 3 The adoption of PDAs is still accelerating in both market areas. Most analysts forecast that the stage of rapid growth is going to last for at least a couple of years, but later on the proportional growth will probably decrease. In addition, Asian growth figures are estimated to be constantly bigger than the European ones. PDA markets in Asia have undergone significant structural changes as low-end segments have gained a foothold in a relatively short period. What is more, it seems that the growth of low-end segments is mainly attributable to the areas associated with the lowest standard of living in the world. Companies are able to produce the same products they offered last year at a lower cost. This is partly due to economies of scale. In addition, lower costs are a result of knowledge improvements, i. e. as competence indices increase the earlier models can be produced more efficiently. Even though the low-end segments have become more and more important, companies cannot afford to cut R&D investments considerably. High-end segments are willing to pay more for innovative models and as a result they are going to be important especially in monetary terms in the future. The size of new PDAs is already very reasonable. Nowadays, the typical frontal area of a high-end device is largely covered by the display and further decreases in size will probably not be appreciated as much as previously. The components have also been pushed to very small sizes. As a result of rapidly growing PDA markets, the economies of scale factor has been decreasing the unit costs along with the increase in the technological know-how resulting from the R&D efforts. Interest rates remain at high levels. Therefore, interest payments might become a significant burden for highly leveraged companies. ROUND 4 As estimated in the previous period, the PDA markets in both continents continue to grow rapidly. Due to the vast population in Eastern Asia, the Asian households should grow to be the biggest segment even in global terms at the end of this period. However, the high price sensitivity of the segment will probably lead to low unit margins resulting in high growth at the expense of profit margins. Moreover, the high-end segments seem to be rather saturated and the increase in sales is about to stall to the level of repurchases. The differences in the Asian segments seem to continue to be larger than the differences in the European segments. This holds for all the preferences. What is more, the price sensitivities of the Asian segments are very different. As the number of models available in the markets has increased, the design has become a more important determinant of demand. This trend is prevailing in Europe. Comprehensive market research carried out in Europe revealed a challenging matter related to avant-garde design. High-end segments seem to appreciate avant-garde even more than before. However, some of the low-end customers reacted rather negatively to the design. Interest rates are at the same level as in the previous round. ROUND 5 As estimated, the growth of demand for PDAs has decelerated in both market areas. The deceleration of growth will turn into negative figures in high-end segments. However, the demand of low-end segments in both Europe and Asia might still grow at the rate of 100 %. As demand growth among all segments has been above 70 % in the recent years, these pessimistic scenarios bring about new challenges for the management in the future. Advertising seems to have a bigger effect on consumer segments than on corporate segments. The consumers’ response to advertising is approximately twice the response of the corporate segments according to the latest consumer research reports. Central banks all over the world have decreased their steering rates in order to lessen the severity of a threatening recession. As a result the interest rate level has decreased significantly. Moreover, the companies in the industry are now financially sound. The risk premium in the rates is decreasing. ROUND 6 The stage of rapid growth seems to be over in both Europe and Asia. Demand for PDAs is still growing globally but the growth rates are far from what they used to be. What is more, the long-term forecasts show that demand growth is going to slow down continuously as the markets mature further. However, the total size of both markets is rather large as a result of the rapid growth in previous years. Therefore, companies with satisfactory market shares should be able to earn nice profits. The high-end segments seem to appreciate functions, perhaps more than expected. Therefore, an extensive set of functions is required from the most popular models. As a result, the importance of functions is expected to grow gradually among low-end segments as well. However, the cost of adding functions is estimated to increase as the demand for them increases globally and the specific components become scarce. Interest rates continue to decrease. However, the difference between current and last round’s level is not very significant. Excluding the function-specific components (digital camera lenses, headsets, 3G-technology etc. ), the material costs should decrease as the most important manufacturers have managed to increase production capacity considerably. ROUND 7 The total demand for PDAs is still growing globally. The industry has clearly reached a stage of maturity and as a result, a significant growth in sales can only be achieved by increasing market share. Since typical devices are now characterized by large displays and advanced multimedia features, improving battery life and saving electricity consumption have become more challenging. The state of the world economy is rather unchanged and the interest rates are at the previous round’s level ROUND 8 Total Global growth rate is about the turn into negative figures, the competition for market share is expected to intensify. The number of products available has increased in both markets and as a result, the risk of similar products cannibalizing each other has become very real. Therefore, companies that manage to find new and innovative combinations of features might sell lots of devices at good prices. The most important piece of news of this period relates to the components. New double-core technology introduced by the two biggest manufacturers is going to revolutionize the processing speed, size and power usage of the devices in the near future. Therefore, investments in R&D are expected to produce new competences more efficiently than ever before. What is more, the new components are cheaper to manufacture and as a result, production costs are expected to remain at the current level for the next few years and to decrease after this. Economies in Asia are growing rapidly after the recent recession and thus, the interest rates might increase slightly. However, there are still many uncertainties in the world’s economy, for example, high unemployment in the EU and skyrocketing debt levels in the USA. ROUND 9 Despite the expected economic upturn, unemployment is still at high levels in most of the European countries. In addition, both consumer and business confidence indices have reached a decade low. Mostly as a result of these economic factors, the aggregate demand of PDAs in Europe is estimated to decrease for the first time in history. Households are the only segment that is associated with growth in demand. However, the price level has a large effect on the development and the realized demand might be somewhat different from these forecasts. In Asia on the other hand, the rapid economic growth continues and as a result, according to the analysts, the demand for PDAs continues to grow. The new generation of components has rapidly replaced the old ones. Companies are expected to launch several new models with advanced features. According to recent market information, the high-end segments in Asia are highly appreciative of the latest technology. The component prices have decreased earlier than expected. The development is going to be reflected in the unit costs already in this period. Interest rates continue to increase mostly because of the favorable economic development in Asia. ROUND 10 As the markets have matured and competition has become ever tougher, especially in Europe market demand for PDA’s has substantially decreased. This put an increased emphasis on marketing, features and price of the product. The overall appreciation of entertainment and good looks is still strong among households as is security for the corporations. According to market analysts, the weak European market development will most likely continue next year and now would be the time to consolidate one’s market position especially in Asia. Even though Asian market development was better than in Europe they too are expected to decrease more drastically next year. Analysts also predict a further reduction in sales next year due to the fact that second hand products are expected to come available in masses. As the broader market becomes more stable, mainly due to the strict interest rate policies of the largest central banks, and as the size of PDA market decreases material prices reach a new low. The decrease in material and manufacturing prices partly offsets the decrease in sales figures. Central banks fearing market overheating in Asia have yet increased their interest rates creating some financial trouble for the highly levered companies.

The New Husqvarna Electronic Chainsaw