Today we’d like to introduce you to John Dunlap.
John, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’m a lifelong entrepreneur, having started my first business in college. It was a travel and management company called SAI Worldwide Travel & Events. We were responsible for over 30,000 student vacations, planning and execution of more than 500 large scale international corporate meetings and events, many of which were televised.
In 2000, I had an opportunity to join Starwood Hotels in a senior management role as director of Six Sigma in Atlanta, Georgia, a council at Starwood where I was tasked with increasing the organization’s global financial performance and improving the quality and consistency of guest experiences. From there, I was quickly promoted to director of operations at the Westin Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The accomplishments in that position led me to become hotel manager of the famed Westin St. Francis in San Francisco. Less than a year after that appointment, the hotel’s ratings were raised to an AAAA Diamond Award status. The experience I had in helping make that happen made me recognize what it takes to operate a prestigious hotel in a very competitive industry.
After my time at Starwood, I decided to obtain my master’s degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, where the San Diego Zoo recruited me as director shortly thereafter at only 31 years old. Taking the zoo to its current status of prominence with minor experience in the industry was challenging but I was able to attain this status alongside an exceptional senior team of industry experts. There were goals that needed to be achieved and after directing a $100 million budget to improve the park, membership grew, guest visits increased and revenues reached new heights. It was a truly rewarding experience that clearly was taking me on whole new journey that I’m still on today.
In 2013, I founded Iconic Attractions Group (IAG), and as CEO of the company, I took on the management and the daily operations of Jungle Island. I decided to form Iconic and found a few notable differences that set this experience apart from that at the San Diego Zoo but differences that I warmly welcomed.
Being in Miami, with its diverse culture and close proximity to Latin America and the Caribbean, was something that I couldn’t overlook. I knew I had to take advantage of this unique feature. That quality, along with the park’s incredible location, led me to conclude that an eco-adventure park was something the city really needed.
As part of the transformation Jungle Island would go through, I recognized that we could not achieve potential without raising capital, so I began leading the efforts to find the right capital partner that would add new attractions. Just last year in April, Jungle Island was purchased by ESJ Capital Partners, an investment firm based in Aventura. Their leadership and vision for the park was aligned with what I had envisioned. Together we are focused in elevating Jungle Island’s status to global prominence, while maintaining its long-term commitment to supporting the community and its needs.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My career has seen its share of obstacles but nothing that hasn’t helped prepare me for what I’m accomplishing at Jungle Island.
When I was the director of the San Diego Zoo, I had a senior team of professionals and animal experts who were extremely talented and passionate about what they do. That experience and their expertise gave me tremendous insight of working in this unique field, which requires a great deal of attention and care.
Because of that experience, I feel I have a more refined sense of how to operate a park of this caliber but Hurricane Irma’s impact was an entirely new lesson for me that reminded me how grand nature really is. There was damage all throughout the park but thankfully, all of our animals weathered the storm well. And now, with the park being closed for an extensive period of time, we appreciate and come realize how important Jungle Island really is to Miami and the community.
The park provides families and guests with opportunities to discover conservation, have animal encounters, get education and to get access to enjoy Biscayne Bay from a beautiful location. Since we have been closed, we also realized, how much our animals miss interacting with our guests and so we decided that if guests can’t come to the jungle, we will bring the jungle to them and that is exactly what we have been doing since the park closed and we will continue to do so even after the park reopens. In October, we launched our outreach program called Our Animals Miss You that extends across South Florida’s diverse communities, bringing the park’s animal ambassadors and activities to children and adults alike for educational and non-educational functions. Our animals have made it all over South Florida and they love it and people really love the experience of having the jungle come to them.
So to that end, yes, each of the positions I have held, have had its share of challenges but none that I don’t welcome.
Jungle Island – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I’m currently CEO of Iconic Attractions Group, an organization comprised of seasoned hospitality and leisure management executives that design, build, and manage attractions for the benefit of conservation, education and entertainment. After ESJ Capital purchased Jungle Island, employees of the park became employees of Iconic.
What sets us apart is that there is no other company in the United States that combines all of the core values that make up Iconic Attractions Group, including conservation, education and entertainment. We take extra ordinary places and make them iconic under these specific core values. We don’t just say a place is iconic, we show it through modern enhancements that give character and meaning to an attraction. Our focus is placed on offering guests a complete experience that engages all of their senses with innovative interactions, inspiring aesthetics and high-quality service.
So far, I’m most proud of being able to find and bring in an ideal partner that has the same vision as we do for the future of this revered park. The partnership that has evolved and gotten stronger since the acquisition and the future for Jungle Island is very promising. Ownership is extremely engaged in the planning process of making Jungle Island into a world-class destination that has a deep rooted connection to the community. The park will genuinely become an eco-adventure retreat for all ages. This partnership, alongside an ambitious plan to bring amenities unique to South Florida, will certainly make Jungle Island a model for tourism, education, conservation and hospitality in one Iconic destination.
Where do you see your industry going over the next 5-10 years? Any big shifts, changes, trends, etc?
I see that digital technology will change the face of all the industries. I also see that there will be a whole new way of connecting with people across the globe. Mobile capabilities will play a role in this connectivity, most notably through shared video practices and interactive applications that make guests a part of the overall experience.
The industry is always changing, so it’s important to stay aware of new trends and adapt to stay ahead of the curve. Jungle Island has an ideal location on Miami’s Watson Island, surrounded by Biscayne Bay, Downtown Miami and Miami Beach, as well as PortMiami, which is the largest passenger port in the world. We have so much to take advantage of and our plans include bringing Jungle Island to the forefront of the entertainment and conservation industry — like it’s never been done before. Not only are we bringing an expansive zip line system and crystal lagoons but we’re also revamping the park’s culinary amenities, offering guests a collective, authentic and sophisticated eco-adventure experience.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jungleisland.com
- Phone: 305-400-7000
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @JungleIsland
- Facebook: facebook.com/jungleisland
- Twitter: twitter.com/jungleisland
Image Credit:
Jungle Island
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