From a dream to a happy customer. How to create a park of incredible emotions

Anton Kovalev

From a dream to a happy customer. How to create a park of incredible emotions

Responsible editor: S.V. Popova

Layout: N.V. Dementieva

Illustrator: P.A. Trigger

© Kovalev A. S, 2023

© OOO "CONSTANTA", 2023

Kovalev, Anton Sergeevich

From a dream to a happy customer. How to create a park of incredible emotions / Anton Kovalev. – Belgorod: CONSTANTA, 2023.

ISBN 978-5-0020-6208-9

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

Since childhood, I had one big dream — to benefit people. Somebody will probably seem all this trivial and confusing: Which of us did not dream about this??! I agree. They did dream, but how many of them made the dream a reality?! Many years passed and my dream has come true. I create projects that bring happiness to people. Within the covers of this book, I want to tell you how to make this happiness to be as much as possible.

My book is not a work of fiction, this is a guide to action for people who have the ability to move forward, to take risks, this book is like a charge for their further way. I hope it will help to implement their own original projects, and the most interested will be able to use my experience.

Why do I have the right to consider my experience as a unique?! First, because I participated in the creation of all the objects mentioned in the book from beginning to end, applied the best experience, adapted it to our reality, tested new technologies in business and left the most reliable and working ones as the main for practices.

I am Anton Kovalev, Director General of ООО «Belgorod Aquapark». I live in Russia. I was born and grew up in Belgorod and consider my region the best place on earth. I also got an economic, legal, and psychological education here. I did not always get high grades, but due to the desire to be the best, I became one of the few students of Belgorod State Technological University who received a presidential scholarship for participation in Russian and international scientific conferences and for work on economic projects. I defended my PhD thesis on economics and management of the national economy. I started my work activity in the banking sector – I was engaged in the projects management of investment lending in the B2B segment. Then, in Agro-Belogorye Holding, I went from regional development department marketing specialist to a group's project-manager, commissioning of several projects in entertainment industry segment – «Lazurny» Beach, Belgorod Zoo, Dinosaurs' Park, Aquapark «Lazurny».

The key moment of mentioned above information is the fact that all these projects were created in my native region, the region I know perfectly well. I know well of everyone who lives and breathes, I know what people want, what their dreams and hopes are connected with. At the same time, I am very attentive to a world experience and I tried to integrate to our projects all the most innovative and advanced knowledge I took from foreign colleagues.

One more thing. Since childhood, I have been practicing martial arts. I gave preference to Kudo wrestling. I am a master of sports and I have the status of champion of Russia in this type of wrestling. I am convinced that it was sport that helped me to stand ready, to engage in process at any moment and understand reality. Each of my training sessions began and ended with a mandatory ritual of pronouncing the following words: "Cultivate in yourself strength of mind and body, harmony and intelligence, become a dignified member and contribute to the development of society." These words have become my life motto. In this way, my personal philosophy was formed under the influence of Kudo and Japanese wisdom. Time has shown that all these four entities, from the motto of Kudo masters, must be in constant dynamics and interrelation with each other – in such case, the personality will develop harmoniously with guaranteed success at all levels of life. Not for nothing have I implemented the kaizen philosophy as an effective tool for working with personnel, interacting with customers and implementing business strategies into project management, referred to in the book.

… I am very attentive to a world experience and I tried to integrate to our projects all the most innovative and advanced knowledge I took from foreign colleagues.

In Russia, the entertainment industry is quite young business segment, except cinema business, show business, mass media, catering, restaurants, etc. The creation of different format amusement parks is rapidly gaining popularity. Not long ago, one could only dream about Aquaparks in Russia, and now they appear in almost every major city. Amusement parks of different formats are rare to find, but it is obvious that the interest toward them increases.

The management of GK "Agro-Belogorye" decided not to look for easy ways and undertook implementation of a large-scale project. There are no such locations and clusters that are accessible under the aegis of one company to residents of one region in Russia. Almost all guests of the Belgorod region note its attractiveness especially in terms of infrastructure development. Indeed, such a set of entertainment cluster projects is very difficult to repeat. It is unique in its fulfillment, specifics of implementation, scale sizes and investments.

In a few words, I will tell you about the objects of Belgorod entertainment cluster.

All-season Aquapark "Lazurny"

is the flagship of all projects, the largest in Chernozem Region. It includes 5 swimming pools, 3 areas: for children, family and extreme. The slides are divided into extreme levels – from calm to slides with a vertical fall. In the family area, both adults and children ride on buns. There are restaurants, bars, shops and a photo studio on Aquapark territory.

The children's city of masters «Masterslavl»

is an educational center where children learn a variety of professions through the game. There are streets and avenues, various organizations – for example, a farm, a driving school, a gas station. As in real life, «workers» in «Masterslavl» receive salary in local currency, pay taxes, comply with laws and build a career.

The natural park «Muromsky Forest»

is located on the shore of the Belgorod reservoir and covers an area of almost 500 hectares. It is a great place for family holidays, healthy walks and enjoying the original nature. In the park, there are walking paths of various lengths, pavilions, comfortable benches for having rest, a viewpoint with a memorial cross and a pier to which a boat from Picnic Park approaches.

Dinosaurs' Park

covers an area of 8 hectares. Here you can see static and robotic dinosaurs' figures that make sounds. There are attractions, a cafe, a souvenir shop, a museum and a cinema in the park. Everything was created in order to delve into the atmosphere of prehistoric themes and feel yourself in a former age. The Dinosaurs' Park is located in the forest – th natural landscape gives it more colors and realism.

The Zoo

is located on an area of 25 hectares. The zoo's territory is equipped so that all 340 animals feel like in their native environment. The zoo is divided into several zones, which combine 43 openair cages. These are regions of Russia and the world. Among them you can find the following: «Animals of Belogorye», «Far East», «Russian North», «Europe», «Africa», «Australia», «Waterfowl», «Grandmother's Yard». There is also an «Exotarium» with unusual animals in the Zoo.

The Zoo is in constant development – open-air cages are modernized, new animals are purchased, new methods of their maintenance are developed.

The Zoo and the Dinosaurs' Park are located on the same territory – it is convenient to move from one territory to another. A rare variant of such a neighborhood.

Picnic Park

is an area in a pine forest with many paths, including paths for running. All conditions have been created to take a walk, breathe in the fresh air and have a delicious meal for this purpose there are covered pavilions where you can cook a barbecue by yourself, as well as stationary catering points. Ropes course, bouncy houses attract the most energetic guests. For contemplatives there are stands where you can see trees in the section and house shaped feeders for insects.

The «Lazurny» Beach

is connected with the Lazurny Aquapark by a single territory. It is equipped with comfortable sun loungers, umbrellas, showers, cafes and water rides. During the season, various sports events, concerts, and parties are regularly held here.

In the summer of 2023, it is planned to launch an amusement Park – a new attraction point for citizens and residents of nearby cities. On an area of 10 hectares there will be 12 children, family and extreme attractions.

These are our implemented projects and plans. And the author of this book is a person who has felt them all with every cell of his body, who lives in these projects up to this day and definitely knows how to implement such tasks in the field of entertainment and services in a clear, structured manner, in exact terms, with the involvement of creativity. And the main thing for me is not the listing of merits, but that work – concrete, step-by-step, calculated to the smallest details, personally coordinated, verified, accepted and successful, which gives pleasure day by day, despite the 24-h/7-day work schedule. Every moment of my life I write down some ideas, model situations, discuss them with friends, 10 perhaps sometimes torment my nearest and dearest with questions, demanding response and constant attention. But without this, the experience and result that I am proud of and am going to share on the pages of this book would not have happened.

My most important motivators are colleagues with whom we literally shoulder to shoulder implement our projects. Without a team of associates this is absolutely impossible. People who understand and realize the task are very important and it is not so easy to find, interest and captivate them. We develop together and go towards success as a united front.

The main result of our painstaking work is the incredible emotions that our guests receive. This is the greatest joy for us, and I say these words quite sincerely. Once in «Lazurny» we held a drawing contest, where our little visitors had to portray their impressions after visiting aquapark. So, for me, this is still the most emotionally powerful feedback about the work my team done. All these drawings are hung on the walls in our office, we look at them every day, are flooded with emotions, set the following tasks, we cannot let down people who expect happiness from us.