Sad Industry News

It is with great sadness that I write this blog. The Amusement Industry lost an industry icon this week with the sudden passing of Will Koch, President and CEO of Holiday World in Santa Claus, IN. In an earlier post, we celebrated that Holiday World was the first group to sign up for the AIMS Safety Seminar. This is a direct result of Will's genuine dedication to safety in our industry.

With Will's sudden passing, the easy decision would have been to close the park and deal with the shock, but Will's family and the Holiday World family wouldn't have it. The park opened the very next day because they knew that's what Will would have wanted. What a great testament to his love and commitment to his park and the industry.

Holiday World, the industry loves you and we're grieving with you. We are all going to miss Will, but this industry is so much better because of his desire, dreams and dedication. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.