Ardent Leisure was originally known as Macquarie Leisure Trust until it split from Macquarie Group in 2009.[5] The company began by acquiring the existing Dreamworld theme park in 1998. In 2006, Ardent Leisure constructed a world-class water park, WhiteWater World.[8][9] In 2009, Ardent Leisure acquired QDeck.[10]
In April 2015 Deborah Thomas, former editor of Cleo and other magazines, was appointed as chief executive officer (CEO) of Ardent Leisure.[2][11] Thomas was replaced on 9 June 2017 when Simon Kelly was appointed as CEO and Managing Director (MD).[1]
Ardent Leisure owns and operates over 100 leisure assets including theme parks, tourist attractions, bowling centres and laser skirmish centres across Australia, New Zealand and the United States.[6]
Ardent Leisure began as the company which owned and operated the Dreamworld theme park on the Gold Coast. Dreamworld was acquired in July 1998 - within a month of its establishment.[12] The theme park has over 30 rides, shows and attractions[13] across a 30-hectare (74-acre) park.[12][14] In December 2006, an adjacent water park to Dreamworld opened. WhiteWater World features 14 different water attractions including some Australian firsts.[8][9]
In June 2020, RedBird Capital Partners acquired a 24.2% stake in Main Event.[17] On 6 April 2022, competitor Dave & Buster's announced its intent to acquire Main Event from Ardent and RedBird for US$835 million (A$1.1 billion); Main Event CEO Chris Morris was retained, and made CEO of the combined company.[18][19][17]
On 25 October 2016, four people were killed at the Dreamworld theme park owned by Ardent. The Thunder River Rapids Ride they were travelling on malfunctioned and they were thrown onto a flooded conveyor belt.[20]
Criticism was initially levelled when it was proposed to partially re-open Dreamworld for a memorial event, with proceeds going to the Australian Red Cross, on 28 October. This was later cancelled to allow investigations into the incident to continue unimpeded.[21] Dreamworlds CEO Craig Davidson later said that it would not reopen till at least after all four funerals were held. This was decided by Ardent CEO Deborah Thomas.[22]
By coincidence Ardent's annual general meeting (AGM) was scheduled for 27 October, two days after the accident. During the meeting CEO Deborah Thomas was criticised for not having directly contacted all the families of those killed.[22] She was also criticised over her bonuses, totalling about $850,000, which were voted on at the AGM. Thomas later said that she would give the cash component of her yearly bonus, equalling A$167,500, to the Red Cross "... to support people affected by this tragic event".[23] After the AGM, Ardent's share price dropped sharply after the incident, reducing its market capitalisation by A$310 million.[24]
The findings of the Coroner's report (by Queensland south-eastern coroner James McDougall) were released on 24 February 2020.[25][26]
On 21 July 2020, Ardent announced to the Australian Stock Exchange that three charges had been laid against Ardent. The charges were filed by the Work Health and Safety prosecutor, under the Work Health and Safety Act, at the Brisbane Magistrates Court. The maximum penalty for each charge is A$1.5 million.[27] On 29 July 2020, Dreamworld operator Ardent Leisure pleaded guilty to three charges relating to the death of four people on the Thunder River Rapids Ride.[28] In the Southport Magistrates Court on 28 September, Magistrate Pam Dowse sentenced Ardent Leisure to a A$3.6 million fine.[29]
^"Theme Parks". Ardent Leisure. Retrieved 31 August 2010.
^ ab"WhiteWater World". Database Entry. Parkz. Retrieved 31 August 2010.
^ abWilson, Richard (15 November 2006). "WhiteWater World on the final straight". Parkz. Retrieved 31 August 2010.
^Nichols, Nick (11 November 2009). "Dreamworld buys a piece of Coast skyline". Gold Coast Bulletin. Retrieved 31 August 2010.
^Daniel, Sue; MacMillan, Jade; staff (27 October 2016). "Dreamworld under fire for failing to contact victims' families directly". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 27 October 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ ab(PDF). Dreamworld. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 December 2010. Retrieved 31 August 2010.
^(PDF). Dreamworld. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 March 2010. Retrieved 31 August 2010.
^"Dreamworld". Database Entry. Parkz. from the original on 28 September 2010. Retrieved 31 August 2010.
^"Main Event moving to larger headquarters to entertain growth (Video)". 15 November 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
^"Main Event". Ardent Leisure. Retrieved 31 August 2010.
^ abSchlesinger, Larry (6 April 2022). "Ardent Leisure sells US entertainment business for $1.1b". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
^Lalley, Heather. "Dave & Buster's completes its Main Event acquisition". Restaurant Business. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
^"Dave & Buster's to buy Main Event for $835M". Restaurant Dive. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
^"'Everyone was screaming': Four dead in Dreamworld horror". ABC News. 25 October 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
^"Dreamworld's grim reopening cancelled at last minute". news.com.au. 27 October 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
^ abReynolds, Emma (28 October 2016). "Dreamworld relatives faced wall of silence". NewsComAu. News Limited. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
^Chung, Frank (28 October 2016). "Chief executive of Dreamworld owner will give $167,500 to the Australian Red Cross". NewsComAu. News Limited. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
^Burke, Liz (27 October 2016). "Dreamworld boss in line for $800k bonus". NewsComAu. News Limited. Australian Associated Press. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
^Smee, Ben (24 February 2020). "Dreamworld inquest findings: coroner details 'dangerous' safety practices after examining four deaths on ride". theguardian.com. Guardian News & Media Limited. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
^McKenna, Kate (24 February 2020). "Dreamworld Thunder River Rapids accident inquest findings handed down by coroner". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 24 February 2020. The Coroner (Queensland south-eastern coroner James McDougall) said: " ...there had been a "systemic failure by Dreamworld in relation to all aspects of safety" and that he was referring parent company Ardent Leisure for possible prosecution.
^McKenna, Kate; Siganto, Talissa; and, Staff (21 July 2020). "Dreamworld parent company Ardent Leisure faces three charges over deadly ride accident". abc.net.au. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
^"Dreamworld operator Ardent Leisure pleads guilty over Thunder River Rapids ride deaths". abc.net.au. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 29 July 2020. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
^"Dreamworld operator Ardent Leisure fined $3.6m for Thunder River Rapids Ride deaths". abc.net.au. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 28 September 2020. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
External linksEdit
Ardent Leisure
Dreamworld
Main Event
AMF Laser Tag
SkyPoint
WhiteWater World
August 29, 2023
ardent, leisure, formerly, macquarie, leisure, trust, australian, based, leisure, company, which, owns, operates, leisure, portfolio, over, assets, across, australia, zealand, united, states, most, known, operation, dreamworld, theme, park, whitewater, world, . Ardent Leisure formerly Macquarie Leisure Trust 5 is an Australian based leisure company which owns and operates a leisure portfolio of over 100 assets across Australia New Zealand and the United States 6 It is most known for its operation of the Dreamworld theme park and the WhiteWater World water park on the Gold Coast Queensland Australia 7 Ardent LeisureTraded asASX ALGIndustryLeisure and Entertainment Attraction OperatorPredecessorMacquarie Leisure TrustFounded11 June 1998 25 years ago 1998 06 11 as Macquarie Leisure Trust HeadquartersMilsons Point New South Wales AustraliaKey peopleSimon Kelly CEO amp MD since 9 June2017 1 2 RevenueA 350 4m 2010 3 4 Operating incomeA 78 8m 2010 3 4 Net incomeA 90 8mTotal assetsA 500m 2010 3 4 Number of employees3 279SubsidiariesDreamworldWhiteWater WorldMain Event EntertainmentWebsitewww wbr ardentleisure wbr com wbr au Contents 1 History 2 Portfolio 2 1 Theme parks 2 2 Main Event Entertainment 3 Thunder River Rapids Ride incident 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksHistory EditArdent Leisure was originally known as Macquarie Leisure Trust until it split from Macquarie Group in 2009 5 The company began by acquiring the existing Dreamworld theme park in 1998 In 2006 Ardent Leisure constructed a world class water park WhiteWater World 8 9 In 2009 Ardent Leisure acquired QDeck 10 In April 2015 Deborah Thomas former editor of Cleo and other magazines was appointed as chief executive officer CEO of Ardent Leisure 2 11 Thomas was replaced on 9 June 2017 when Simon Kelly was appointed as CEO and Managing Director MD 1 Portfolio Edit The Dreamworld Tower at Dreamworld which houses the Tower of Terror II and the Giant Drop The Temple of Huey and Little Rippers at WhiteWater World interacting with Dreamworld s Cyclone Ardent Leisure owns and operates over 100 leisure assets including theme parks tourist attractions bowling centres and laser skirmish centres across Australia New Zealand and the United States 6 Theme parks Edit Main articles Dreamworld Australia SkyPoint Observation Deck and WhiteWater World Ardent Leisure began as the company which owned and operated the Dreamworld theme park on the Gold Coast Dreamworld was acquired in July 1998 within a month of its establishment 12 The theme park has over 30 rides shows and attractions 13 across a 30 hectare 74 acre park 12 14 In December 2006 an adjacent water park to Dreamworld opened WhiteWater World features 14 different water attractions including some Australian firsts 8 9 Main Event Entertainment Edit Main article Main Event Entertainment Main Event Entertainment is a chain of family entertainment centers in the United States Based out of Plano Texas the chain operates attractions including ten pin bowling laser tag games arcades rock climbing mini golf and ropes courses Main Event operates 50 locations in 17 states 15 16 In June 2020 RedBird Capital Partners acquired a 24 2 stake in Main Event 17 On 6 April 2022 competitor Dave amp Buster s announced its intent to acquire Main Event from Ardent and RedBird for US 835 million A 1 1 billion Main Event CEO Chris Morris was retained and made CEO of the combined company 18 19 17 Thunder River Rapids Ride incident EditMain article Thunder River Rapids Ride 2016 incident On 25 October 2016 four people were killed at the Dreamworld theme park owned by Ardent The Thunder River Rapids Ride they were travelling on malfunctioned and they were thrown onto a flooded conveyor belt 20 Criticism was initially levelled when it was proposed to partially re open Dreamworld for a memorial event with proceeds going to the Australian Red Cross on 28 October This was later cancelled to allow investigations into the incident to continue unimpeded 21 Dreamworlds CEO Craig Davidson later said that it would not reopen till at least after all four funerals were held This was decided by Ardent CEO Deborah Thomas 22 By coincidence Ardent s annual general meeting AGM was scheduled for 27 October two days after the accident During the meeting CEO Deborah Thomas was criticised for not having directly contacted all the families of those killed 22 She was also criticised over her bonuses totalling about 850 000 which were voted on at the AGM Thomas later said that she would give the cash component of her yearly bonus equalling A 167 500 to the Red Cross to support people affected by this tragic event 23 After the AGM Ardent s share price dropped sharply after the incident reducing its market capitalisation by A 310 million 24 The findings of the Coroner s report by Queensland south eastern coroner James McDougall were released on 24 February 2020 25 26 On 21 July 2020 Ardent announced to the Australian Stock Exchange that three charges had been laid against Ardent The charges were filed by the Work Health and Safety prosecutor under the Work Health and Safety Act at the Brisbane Magistrates Court The maximum penalty for each charge is A 1 5 million 27 On 29 July 2020 Dreamworld operator Ardent Leisure pleaded guilty to three charges relating to the death of four people on the Thunder River Rapids Ride 28 In the Southport Magistrates Court on 28 September Magistrate Pam Dowse sentenced Ardent Leisure to a A 3 6 million fine 29 See also EditDreamworld SkyPoint Observation Deck WhiteWater WorldReferences Edit a b About Us Management ardentleisure com about us Ardent Leisure Retrieved 16 August 2017 a b Burke Liz 27 October 2016 Dreamworld boss in line for 800k bonus NewsComAu News Limited Retrieved 27 October 2016 a b c Ardent Leisure Limited Full Year Financial Results 2010 Ardent Leisure 20 August 2010 Retrieved 31 August 2010 a b c Ardent Leisure Group 2010 Full Year Results Presentation PDF Australia Securities Exchange 20 August 2010 Retrieved 31 August 2010 a b Internalisation and repositioning Macquarie Leisure Trust Group for growth PDF Macquarie 25 June 2009 Retrieved 31 August 2010 a b Ardent Leisure Home Ardent Leisure Retrieved 31 August 2010 Theme Parks Ardent Leisure Retrieved 31 August 2010 a b WhiteWater World Database Entry Parkz Retrieved 31 August 2010 a b Wilson Richard 15 November 2006 WhiteWater World on the final straight Parkz Retrieved 31 August 2010 Nichols Nick 11 November 2009 Dreamworld buys a piece of Coast skyline Gold Coast Bulletin Retrieved 31 August 2010 Daniel Sue MacMillan Jade staff 27 October 2016 Dreamworld under fire for failing to contact victims families directly ABC News Australian Broadcasting Corporation Retrieved 27 October 2016 a href Template Cite news html title Template Cite news cite news a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link a b Dreamworld History PDF Dreamworld Archived from the original PDF on 30 December 2010 Retrieved 31 August 2010 Park Map PDF Dreamworld Archived from the original PDF on 26 March 2010 Retrieved 31 August 2010 Dreamworld Database Entry Parkz Archived from the original on 28 September 2010 Retrieved 31 August 2010 Main Event moving to larger headquarters to entertain growth Video 15 November 2016 Retrieved 1 January 2018 Main Event Ardent Leisure Retrieved 31 August 2010 a b Schlesinger Larry 6 April 2022 Ardent Leisure sells US entertainment business for 1 1b Australian Financial Review Retrieved 6 May 2022 Lalley Heather Dave amp Buster s completes its Main Event acquisition Restaurant Business Retrieved 19 July 2022 Dave amp Buster s to buy Main Event for 835M Restaurant Dive Retrieved 19 July 2022 Everyone was screaming Four dead in Dreamworld horror ABC News 25 October 2016 Retrieved 26 October 2016 Dreamworld s grim reopening cancelled at last minute news com au 27 October 2016 Retrieved 29 October 2016 a b Reynolds Emma 28 October 2016 Dreamworld relatives faced wall of silence NewsComAu News Limited Retrieved 29 October 2016 Chung Frank 28 October 2016 Chief executive of Dreamworld owner will give 167 500 to the Australian Red Cross NewsComAu News Limited Retrieved 28 October 2016 Burke Liz 27 October 2016 Dreamworld boss in line for 800k bonus NewsComAu News Limited Australian Associated Press Retrieved 28 October 2016 Smee Ben 24 February 2020 Dreamworld inquest findings coroner details dangerous safety practices after examining four deaths on ride theguardian com Guardian News amp Media Limited Retrieved 24 February 2020 McKenna Kate 24 February 2020 Dreamworld Thunder River Rapids accident inquest findings handed down by coroner ABC News Australian Broadcasting Corporation Retrieved 24 February 2020 The Coroner Queensland south eastern coroner James McDougall said there had been a systemic failure by Dreamworld in relation to all aspects of safety and that he was referring parent company Ardent Leisure for possible prosecution McKenna Kate Siganto Talissa and Staff 21 July 2020 Dreamworld parent company Ardent Leisure faces three charges over deadly ride accident abc net au Australian Broadcasting Corporation Retrieved 21 July 2020 Dreamworld operator Ardent Leisure pleads guilty over Thunder River Rapids ride deaths abc net au Australian Broadcasting Corporation 29 July 2020 Retrieved 28 September 2020 Dreamworld operator Ardent Leisure fined 3 6m for Thunder River Rapids Ride deaths abc net au Australian Broadcasting Corporation 28 September 2020 Retrieved 28 September 2020 External links EditArdent Leisure Dreamworld Main Event AMF Laser Tag SkyPoint WhiteWater World Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ardent Leisure amp oldid 1162160000, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
