Our interviewee of the month is a professional who started with small jobs at Centennial Beach and became a very young aquatic facilities inspector in the United States. In addition to working at Royal Caribbean and serving for a decade on the IAAPA’s (International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions) Global Waterpark Committee, he spent much of his career in Dubai and Saudi Arabia (and also in Thailand). He was thus an exceptional witness to the constant development of leisure and tourism in the Middle East. And he is currently playing an important role in the water parks being built as part of the large Qiddiya project.
Amusement Logic: Congratulations on your new position as Executive Director of Waterpark Operations at Qiddiya. You have come a long way from your time at Centennial Beach, where you performed all sorts of junior operational roles. How did those beginnings influence your career?
Chris Perry: I worked for my father at Centennial Beach and I learned early, the value of taking care of your team, while still holding them to standards. My father expected a lot out of everyone (especially me) but also was a master of appropriate praise and recognition. All of this allowed me to have great pride in where I worked and value the relationships of the people I worked with. Wherever I have been, there are team building lessons I have carried with me that were learned all those years ago from my father. I didn’t know if I was going to be a teacher (both my parents were teachers) or if I was going to go into Aquatics. What I did know is that I wanted to make people feel the same way I felt working at Centennial Beach.
A.L.: You audited a lot of aquatic installations throughout the US with Ellis & Associates. What are your major takeaways from that experience?
C.P.: I was blessed with an opportunity at a young age to audit 500+ waterparks and aquatic facilities while traveling to all 50 States by the time I was 23 years old. It taught me that there is a lot to learn outside of the immediate bubble you grow up and live in. This experience piqued my interest in travel and ended up giving me the foundation to be considered for international roles.
A.L.: You worked in several countries outside the US and then made the big move to Dubai in 1999. Living there until 2016, you experienced first-hand Dubai’s development into a world- class destination. What similarities and differences do you see when comparing what happened in Dubai with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030?
C.P.: Many of us new to Dubai in 1999 were fortunate to be at the ground level of the explosive growth of not only the themed entertainment industry in Dubai, but the growth of Dubai and the UAE as a whole. I am now in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) at a similar time for this country. For those that remember the journey of Dubai and the UAE, they will remember that there were projects that were not realized. There were many naysayers and pessimists that couldn’t understand the grand vision of His Royal Highness way back then. KSA is very similar. The vision is grand. There are pessimists still out there. Similar to the UAE, there will be projects that don’t move forward, but many will and most people will forget about the projects that don’t move forward, 25 years from now. But…many projects will move forward, and all the ones that move forward will be spectacular (very similar to Dubai and UAE).
The major difference with KSA vs. the UAE is that the internal population of KSA is significantly larger. Much of what is being built in KSA is fulfilling a need for the residents that they have never had previously. The projects will also be attractive to the international market, however first and foremost it is about taking care of the people of KSA.
I always look at Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and now KSA as independent from one another but complementary to one another as opposed to competing with one another. It is important that everyone succeeds for the region!
A.L.: You spent 10 years on IAAPA’s Global Waterpark Committee. What did this role require from you and what were the major highlights during that time?
C.P.: I was on IAAPA’s Global Waterpark Committee at a time when IAAPA was in global expansion mode. I was an active committee member that was connected globally and provided representation for parks outside of the United States.
I think one of the highlights, which coincided with my time on the IAAPA Board of Directors, was landing the IAAPA Leadership Conference in Dubai for the very first time (2015). This was the first time that IAAPA hosted a major event in Dubai and I like to think that I played a small part in making that happen.
A.L.: You worked for Royal Caribbean developing their private destinations on land. What were the main challenges working for a cruise-ship operator?
C.P.: I am blessed to have had the opportunity to work for Royal Caribbean, but cursed due to the timing of it. I was with Royal Caribbean for 1 year overseeing the future operations of their Private Destinations…and then Covid hit. I’m not sure if there was a worse industry to be in globally during Covid! What I did learn was that people will pay for an experience that is unlike anything else on offer!
The challenges of operating a remote island in the middle of the ocean are real! Hiring, training, retention, logistics, costs, etc… are all amplified when you are not connected to land. It was a steep learning curve!
A.L.: You have also acted as a Golf Mystery shopper. How was that and where are your favorite golf courses?
C.P.: Anyone that knows me knows I am an avid golfer! I sought out the golf mystery shopper in Dubai and ended up conducting mystery shopper visits throughout the UAE and then also in Thailand when I moved there. Best course I’ve played: Whistling Straits Golf Course & Butler National Golf Club.
Bucket list course (that maybe a reader can help me achieve a lifelong dream): To play Augusta National.
A.L.: So now you are involved in the Qiddiya project. What makes this project so special and what can you tell us about your role there?
C.P.: Qiddiya is one of the giga projects in KSA and I am Executive Director of Waterpark Operations. That should tell you that there will be multiple waterparks. My role however spans beyond waterparks and is over numerous Entertainment Assets.
This project is special because of its scale. When all will be revealed, I am sure, exactly as there were in Dubai, many pessimists will throw stones and talk about how it can’t be achieved. When you live in this part of the world, you are either on board or not on board. I am on board! This project will be special!
A.L.: The Covid crisis touched everyone but especially the tourism and travel industry. How did it affect your career and how do you think we can protect our business from future pandemics?
C.P.: As I sit here and respond to these questions, I am recovering from my second stint of Covid, so it still has its grips on the world, albeit loose grips.
After living overseas for 20 years, our family moved from Thailand to Miami for a job with Royal Caribbean. That lasted 1 year and then Covid hit. I lost my job fairly quickly but was fortunate to connect with a past client in Baha Mar (in Nassau, Bahamas) to help them return to business and to open their brand new, world-class waterpark, Baha Bay. That was a 1 year position and then I moved to KSA. If Covid wouldn’t have happened, I wouldn’t have had the Bahamas or KSA opportunities. Everything happens for a reason!
For the future, companies have realized the importance of contingency plans and the ability to be nimble and respond quickly and decisively based on those plans. Some businesses will be hit harder than others in a crisis like Covid, but having plans to combat those unforeseen events puts you in a better position to recover quickly.
