Transcript
Project Report
Sandcastle Waterpark
The Project – Sandcastle Waterpark Billed as the UK’s largest indoor waterpark, Sandcastle has been providing water-based leisure and entertainment for almost three decades. Currently welcoming over 350,000 visitors between the months of April to October, the operators of Sandcastle Waterpark work hard to ensure the site is maintained at the highest standards and able to withstand the daily rigours of a high turnover of guests. For the 2015 season, the management realised it was time to upgrade the waterpark’s access and locker system to a more friendly visitor experience. Sandcastle partnered with GANTNER after being impressed with its locker and access installations at waterparks in Dubai.
The Sandcastle project included the installation of 1200 lockers in the male, female and family changing areas secured by a GANTNER NFC networked locking system, as well as access control for new additions to the park. New branded NFC wristbands give access to the lockers and designated zones and can be used to make cashless payment purchases throughout the facility. Wristbands are extremely durable and can conveniently be pre-loaded in any area of the park. No longer must customers carry wet and soggy cash or return to their lockers for money! GANTNER NFC system solutions guarantee less hassle for visitors and more time for fun, all for the ultimate in-park experience.
Interview – Jane Kelly Business Development Manager, Sandcastle Waterpark
What did the GANTNER hardware replace? We’d had the same coin-operated lockers for 28 years, and while they were very high quality at the time of installation, they were simply not up to the demands of a modern waterpark – and it was extremely inconvenient for guests to have to come along with a 50 pence coin to insert. After an initial trial of 200 GANTNER secured lockers, we went ahead with the complete order for 1200 lockers, which are now arranged very attractively in three zoned areas of the park: yellow lockers for the family changing rooms, blue for the male changing rooms and red for the female area. Integrating the locker access with GANTNER’s NFC wristband technology now means we’re able to charge for access to the lockers, as well as retain a refundable deposit. Also, the previous problem of people forgetting where their locker is has been eliminated, as there is a now a terminal in each changing area so customers can simply swipe their wristband and quickly find the location of their locker.
“The previous problem of people forgetting where their locker is has been eliminated.”
Have you seen an increase in secondary income since introducing GANTNER’s NFC wristbands? Yes absolutely. We previously operated a wristband system for our Splash Cash option, but the new GANTNER system is far more advanced, with more opportunities to enhance secondary income. Customers can pre-load the wristbands with cash even before arriving at the waterpark, and information terminals around the site can be swiped to inform guests how much credit they have left on their cashless “We’ve certainly seen a account.
big boost on our catering revenues this season – around a 10 per cent increase.“
We’ve certainly seen a big boost on our catering revenues this season – around a 10 per cent increase. I’d say this was partly down to improving the location and quality of our catering facilities, as well as the ease of spending created by our new GANTNER wristbands. With GANTNER access control terminals sited in our new branded areas (spa and VIP cabana) we can also effectively manage where visitors should be in the park according to what access they’ve paid for. It’s also easier to upsell these new premium -priced offers as they can be included on our special Hyperzone wristbands.
Have there been any particular challenges with the project? Yes, one thing we weren’t expecting was the number of people going home with their wristbands at the end of the day! We’re currently losing around 100 wristbands per week. The cost of this loss is more than covered by the £2 deposit that we charge to the band, but it has created some operational challenges as we need to keep ordering more wristbands. We don’t know whether it’s because people want to keep the brightly branded wristbands as a souvenir, or that they’re simply forgetting to return them (sometimes with cash still remaining on them!), but we think it’s just a matter of customer education and proper signage to ensure guests don’t forget to bring them back at the end of the day.
Do you have plans for more refurbishments in the future? We never stand still and are constantly seeking to improve our facilities and enhance the guest experience. Our next project with GANTNER is likely to be the installation of a new access system in the main reception area, which will enable us to automatically collect wristbands on exit. This will no doubt eliminate the problem of wristbands not being returned!
The GANTNER Electronic Locking System GANTNER’s advanced electronic locking system for lockers gives leisure operators complete control over their changing rooms while offering ease of use for visitors. All lockers are controlled centrally via PC and can be securely opened and closed by simply presenting the wristband to the lock‘s reader field. Problems such as jammed locks, or visitors having to search around for spare coins for the lockers become a thing of the past. With an expected capacity of 1,650 visitors per day, security is a high priority for the waterpark. Thanks to a networked alarm, security in the changing areas is no longer a topic. Apart from burglary protection, this feature-filled system, includes the ability to identify in real-time which lockers are free, an automatic opening function for cleaning or overnight security purposes, and much more.
System Features and Benefits Features
Benefits
• Break-in alarm message on the network
• Improved visitor experience
• Real-time occupancy monitoring
• Multiple locker rental sale points – on-line and on-site
• Occupancy analysis reports
• Flexibility to change lockers with the park with one purchase
• Vandalism proof (no external door parts)
• No need for local payment kiosks
• Adjustable, automatic opening function for cleaning or
• Increased security
overnight security purposes
• Reduced operating costs
• High-level interface to ticketing software
• Eliminated challenges of key administration
The GANTNER Access Control System Sand Castle Waterpark visitors can choose between a standard admission package or upgrade to the Hyperzone GANTNER wristband, which allows the wearer access to new themed areas and the park‘s four more thrill-seeking slides. The Sea Breeze Spa, an outstanding new highlight, is complete with sauna, steam room, aromatherapy rooms, and the private-hire VIP Tiki Cabana. Admission to specialized areas is automated and controlled via GANTNER terminals. Expansion of the GANTNER access control system in the main reception area is planned for next season.
Benefits: ●
Reduced queue times
• Speedy and efficient access control • Reduced staff demands, due to automation • Increased Security • Improved Visitor Experience
Product Overview
Access Terminal
GAT NET.Lock
Information terminal
Locker Management Software
Wristband
Project Data Project:
Sandcastle Waterpark 1000 Sandcastle Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15120
Software:
MERAC, www.merac.co.uk
Website:
www.sandcastlewaterpark.com
Wardrobe Manufacturer:
Torring A/S Ferrarivej 7 DK-7100 Vejle www.torring.eu
Systemintegrator
Torring A/S
GANTNER Products:
GAT NET.Lock 7000 F – Rental Locker Mode GAT Info 6800 F GAT Access 6500 F - SPA GAT Access 6100 F - VIP Cabana
Completion:
March 2015
Copyright Photos:
Sandcastle Waterpark
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