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White Hutchinson Leisure & Learning Group, Kansas City, MO, USA

Editor's Corner

If you are a regular reader of this Leisure eNewsletter, you have probably noticed that most of our articles are not about the usual topics you find in location-based leisure industry publications. The majority of articles you see elsewhere deal with very basic topics, and in many respects continue to promote industry paradigms that are fast becoming industry dinosaurs. Typically, those articles don't get beyond basic coverage of the entertainment attractions and products.

If you haven't noticed in the articles in our eNewsletter, we think success in the location-based leisure industry requires much more than basics and entertainment attractions -- and is certainly not achieved by cloning dinosaurs. It requires understanding and addressing major shifts that are occurring in modern society, from the value of education, to such purchase behaviors as "trading up," to how retail and services are moving to become competitive consumer experiences. We also think success, or as we sometimes call it, road kill prevention, requires a much more holistic approach to what the out-of-home leisure experience is all about and to the ingredients required to drive delight and repeat attendance.

This edition of our Leisure eNewsletter is no exception to our philosophy on offering you cutting-edge news of our industry. You will read about:

• How PBS television has partnered with a national mall developer to offer free PBS-branded play centers in malls
• The cook-it-yourself dining trend, an example of the give-it-to-me-my-way trend we covered in last month's eNewsletter
• The "lifestyles of health and sustainability" market that has grown to 30% of all consumers
• Why being No. 2 to everybody (an industry malady) is a recipe for disaster
• How important being with their families is to children's away-from-home leisure experiences, and
• The Hiving trend

And we suggest a free helpful resource, as we try to do in each issue. This month it's bCentral. We've also included a short travelogue on my recent international business travels.

If you have colleagues in the industry who may not know about our eNewsletter, please forward a copy to them. Help spread knowledge that will improve the quality and success rate of the location-based leisure industry for everyone. We believe that the healthier the industry is, the better everyone's success will be (or at least for those who get it right). Also, the less road kill there is out there, the better the industry's reputation will be and the easier it will be for entrepreneurs to attract financing and obtain needed zoning permits. That's good for everyone!

Randy White
Editor

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