employee handbook 2014

7/18/2019 Employee Handbook 2014

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/employee-handbook-2014 1/24

The

Merlin Way

Welcome to



Welcome to Merlin Entertainments plc , the

most exciting, fast-paced family entertainment

company offering high value, memorable

experiences around the globe.

Wherever your talents lie, you’ll be at the heart

of our business, helping to make sure that every

one of our customers has a day out they will

always remember. Our success is due to our

belief in going the extra mi le to make sure every

aspect of our customers’ experience is amazing.

We do this ‘The Merlin Way’:

We love what we do

We care

We are innovative and fast moving

We do what we say

We make every £, $, 5... count

We take ownership

…and we make it fun!

So if you share this commitment, you’ll have a

bright future with us – especially since we recruit

people who are positive and passionate about

what they do and we are dedicated to developing

their talents.

We hope that your journey with us will be

enjoyable and rewarding, but most of all… fun!

Welc me



To conrm you have received your handbook,

and help us return it to you if it were ever lost,

please complete the following information:

Name:

Department:

Location:

01 A History of Success

05 A World of Attractions

15 The Way We Work

15 Our Strategy and Key Performance

Indicators

17 The Merlin Way –

Our Company Values

19 STAR

21 SPARK AN IDEA

23 The Wizard Wants to Know

24 Keeping You Informed

25 Employee Welfare

26 Employee Benets

27 Learning and Development

31 Group Policies

34 Health & Safety

36 Product Excellence

37 Conservation and Wildlife

39 Merlin’s Magic Wand

Contents



• Two new hotels opened – at

Chessington World of Adventures

and Heide Park Resort.

• Acquisition of The Tussauds Group

positioned Merlin Entertainments

Group as the No.2 Visitor Attraction

Operator in the world.

• Madame Tussauds opened in

Washington DC.

2008 • Merlin acquired The London

Aquarium. • Madame Tussauds opened in Berlin.

• LEGOLAND® Discovery Centres

opened in Duisburg, Germany and

Schaumburg near Chicago, USA.

• SEA LIFE attractions opened in

Chessington World of Adventures,

UK; Gardaland, Italy; and

LEGOLAND® California.

• Merlin acquired Underwater

Adventures Aquarium in

Minneapolis, USA..

• Holiday Village accommodation

opened in LEGOLAND® Germany.

• Merlin announced plans to develop

fth and sixth LEGOLAND® Parks

in Malaysia (2012) and Dubai.

2009 • Merlin opened rst attraction inPortugal – SEA LIFE Porto.


Hollywood, California.

• SEA LIFE London Aquarium

re-opened after £5m ret.

• SEA LIFE attraction opened in Alton

Towers Resort.

• Dungeon opened at Warwick Castle.

• Heide Camp Holiday Village

accommodation opened in Heide

Park Resort, Germany.

• LEGO® Underwater World opened

in LEGOLAND® Germany.

2010 • LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre

opened in Manchester, UK.

• SEA LIFE opened in Phoenix,

Arizona.

• Waterpark opened at LEGOLAND®

California.


Bangkok.

• Merlin acquired Cypress Gardens,

Florida/announced conversion to

a LEGOLAND® Park.

• At the end of June, CVC Capital

Partners (‘CVC’) acquired a 28%

stake in the Merlin Entertainments

Group in a move which underpinned

Merlin’s ambitious growth plans.

Merlin’s shareholders – KIRKBI

(LEGO® owner), Blackstone, CVCand management.

By innovating and developing our existing sites,

expanding into new locations, developing new

brands and making strategic acquisitions, we have

grown to be one of the world’s most exciting

and dynamic companies.

1999 • Merlin Entertainments Group

formed via £47m MBO from Vardon

– backed by APAX – this kicked off a

period of organic growth.

2000 • Opening of Dungeons in Hamburg

and Edinburgh.

• Continued expansion of the SEA

LIFE Centre brand in Europe,

including at Disneyland Paris (as

rst third-party attraction brand

for Disney resort); Helsinki; Speyer;

Berlin; and the rst mobile SEA LIFE

Centre at Dortmund.

• Visitor numbers up 25% since

buyout to over 5 million.

2004 • New brand launched in Belgium –

Earth Explorer.

• New SEA LIFE Centres opened in

Oberhausen and Dresden (mobile).

• Secondary buyout backed by

Hermes Private Equity.

• EBITDA +104% 2000 – 2004.

2005 • Second mobile SEA LIFE Centre

launched in Nürnberg; new SEA LIFE

Centre opened in Königswinter; and

new Dungeon in Amsterdam.

• Blackstone purchased Merlin for

£102m.

• LEGOLAND® acquisition made

Merlin No.2 in Europe/No. 9 in t he

world.

2006 • Continued expansion of SEA LIFE

with new Centres in Munich andLoch Lomond.

• Italian acquisitions included: Aquatica

Water Park, Milan; and Italy’s No.1

theme park – Gardaland (Park and

Hotel).

• Merlin now No. 1 European

Visitor Attraction Operator/No.6

worldwide.

• Launch of Pirate Shores in

LEGOLAND® California delivered

highest growth in US theme park in

2006.

2007 • New SEA LIFE Centre in Hanover

opened.

• First ‘LEGOLAND® Atlantis by

SEA LIFE’ opened in Billund – new

concept bringing together two of

Merlin’s successful brands.

• LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre –

the rst of a new indoor interactive

attraction – opened in Berlin.

A History of Success



2013 • Madame Tussauds, Tokyo opened.


opened in Toronto (rst Canadian

attraction); Westchester New York,

USA; and Oberhausen, Germany.

• New Dungeon opened in Berlin.

• New London Dungeon opened on

the South Bank.

• Themed hotel opened in

LEGOLAND® California.

• SEA LIFE opened in Manchester, UK.

• Madame Tussauds, Wuhan opened in

China.

• Waterpark and hotel opened in

LEGOLAND®, Malaysia.

• Merlin Entertainments oated on

the London Stock Exchange.

2014 Already in development:

• Madame Tussauds – Beiji ng;

Singapore; San Francisco.

• LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre –

Boston, USA.

• SEA LIFE – Charlotte – Concord,

USA.

• Dungeon – San Francisco.

2011 • Merlin acquired the Sydney

Attractions Group which owned

six of Australia/New Zealand’s top

attractions (including the Sydney

Tower and Sydney Aquarium).

• Merlin made a bid for the Australian

company, Living and Leisure

Australia, in December 2011 –

comprised of 10 major attractions in

Australia and Asia.

• LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre

opened in Dallas/Fort Worth, USA.

• SEA LIFE opened in Jesolo, Italy; and

Dallas/Fort Worth, USA.

• LEGOLAND® Florida opened – 5th

LEGOLAND® Park.

• Madame Tussauds opened in Vienna

and Blackpool.

• Blackpoo l Tower Dungeon opened

in Blackpool.

• Blackpool Tower Eye observation

attraction/4D cinema opened in

Blackpool.

2012 • Merlin completed acquisition of

Australian company, Living and

Leisure Australia – comprised of 10

major attractions in Australia and

Asia.

• Hotel opened at LEGOLAND®

Windsor, UK.

• Madame Tussauds, Sydney opened.

• Waterpark opened at LEGOLAND®

Florida.

• LEGOLAND® Park openedin Malaysia in September (rst

Malaysian attraction and 6th

LEGOLAND® Park).


opened in: Tokyo, Japan; Atlanta, USA;

and Kansas City, USA.

• SEA LIFE opened in Kansas

City, USA.

• SEA LIFE Weymouth Tower

observation attraction opened in

the UK.



Merlin Entertainments plc is a business built on

fun. We seek to create magical days out for our

visitors and the kind of memories which last

forever. Merlin now operates 100 attractions,

nine hotels/three holiday villages in 22 countries

and across four continents. The company aims

to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences

to its c.60m visitors worldwide, through its

iconic global and local brands, and the commitment

and passion of its managers and more than

22,000 employees.

Among Merlin’s attractions are:

SEA LIFE; Madame Tussauds; LEGOLAND®;

The EDF Energy London Eye; Dungeons;

Gardaland Resort; LEGOLAND® Discovery

Centres; A lton Towers Resort ; Warwick Castle;

THORPE PARK Resort; Chessington World of

Adventures Resort; Blackpool Tower; Heide Park

Resort; WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo; Sydney Tower Eye

and SKYWALK; Siam Ocean World and Busan

Aquarium. All brands which are di stinctive,

challenging and innovative and which have great

potential for growth in the future. Visit

www.merlinentertainments.biz for

more information.

A World of Attractions



Part of the Merlin

Entertainments Eye brand

of iconic observation

attractions – all with

exciting 4D pre-shows – the London Eye is not

only the UK’s most popular paid for visitor

attraction and the tallest observation wheel in

Europe, it has also become a 21st century

symbol for modern Britain and a global icon.

Other ‘Eye’ icons include the Blackpool Tower

Eye in the UK and the Sydney Tower Eye in

Australia – with the Orlando Eye due to openin 2015.

Located in the Australian

Alps in North East Victoria,

Hotham and Falls Creek

Alpine Resorts provide a

unique Winter experience

for all visitors. Offering two

resorts on one lift pass – a point of di fference

from other Australian ski resorts – guests can

enjoy varied terrain suited to all abilities, from

rst time snow experience through to expert

skiers and riders. Families, groups and couples

are catered for in a range of accommodation

including ski-in/ski-out chalets and apartments,

lodges and hotels. At our resorts, it’s ‘all about

the guest’ and the staff strive to ensure that at

each step of the guests’ visit they receive an

exceptional level of friendly and professional

customer service.

WILD LIFE is an Australian

animal adventure based in

the heart of Sydney and on

Hamilton Island in the

Whitsundays. The two sites feature interactive

displays, daily keeper talks, enhanced

walk-through habitats and a huge range of

unique and legendary Australian animals.

Fun, colourful and

inspirational, our global

portfolio contains six

unique LEGOLAND®

Resorts, each bursting with interactive family

rides, live shows, building workshops, driving

schools and attractions, including awe-inspiring

Miniland areas reecting the Resort location – all

based on the iconic LEGO® building brick.

Designed specically for families with children

2-12, you will nd LEGOLAND® Parks in:

Denmark; Germany; the UK; California and

Florida in the US; and Malaysia. Families can

extend their stay at one of our magical on-site

LEGOLAND® hotels – in Denmark, the UK,

California and Malaysia – or our LEGOLAND®

Holiday Villages – located next to the

LEGOLAND® Parks in Denmark and Germany.

Madame Tussauds has been

the world’s most famous

exhibition of wax gures for

over 200 years. Lifelike

gures of ‘A’ list celebrities

– from movie stars and sports stars to politicians

and pop princesses – offer visitors a star-studded

day out, and there are currently 15 attractions

across Europe, North America and Australasia

– all different from one another and reecting

their location, with three more attractions due

to open in Beijing, Singapore and San Franciscoin 2014.

This is the original scarily

funny show. An amazing cast

of theatrical actors, special

effects, stages, scenes and

rides create The Dungeons – a truly unique and

exciting walkthrough experience.

Fully surrounding and immersive – see, hear,

touch, smell and feel – we tell stories about how

the world used to be – and the rogues, rascals

and villains that were a pretty mean, bad, rough

and tough bunch. We breathe life into history’s

horrible bits. The 9th Dungeon and rst outside

Europe will open in San Francisco in 2014.

Fear is a funny thing…

Both educational and

entertaining, the world’s

number one aquarium

brand – SEA LIFE – takes

visitors on an amazing underwater journey of

discovery. They meet sea creatures close up, are

wowed by stunning habitats and learn about SEA

LIFE’s work to conserve the oceans through the

SEA LIFE Breed, Rescue and Protect programmes.

Sharing the beauty of the oceans and its

creatures, we aim to inspire others to join us in

working to preserve our marine heritage forfuture generations. We have close associations

with specialist marine organisations around the

world and have recently launched a charitable

trust – the SEA LIFE Marine Conservation Trust

– to help us facilitate even more challenging

projects. There are 45 SEA LIFE attractions and

sanctuaries across Europe, North America,

Australasia, New Zealand and Asia Pacic, all

of which reect the local environment and

marine life.

Step inside the biggest box

of LEGO® bricks ever!

LEGOLAND® Discovery

Centres hold a world of colour, creativity and

fun. With 4D cinema experiences, LEGO® ri des,

MINILAND and more, we offer a great indoor

family experience.

Our attraction gives children aged 3 to 10 years

and their families the opportunity to see the

LEGO® world of their imagination come to life

and see the amazing work of our LEGO® Master

Model Builders.

Our major attraction brands



The largest and most

visited resort theme park

in Northern Germany,

Heide Park Resort is set in

850,000 square metres of

wonderful park landscape. Featuring a Caribbean

Holiday Camp and the pirate-themed Hotel Port

Royal – not forgetting a host of different rides

and shows including new for 2014 ‘Flight of the

Demons’– it gives the whole family countless

opportunities for fun and adventure.

Warwick Castle – Bri tain’s

ultimate castle – offers

families a fantasy day out

– in a real Castle! They

can immerse themselves in a thousand years of

jaw-dropping history, get caught up in great

battles, ancient myths and spellbinding tales and

watch displays of everything from jousting to

falconry. Attractions range from the Princess

Tower to the grisly Warwick Castle Dungeon

and ‘Merlin –The Dragon Tower’ – and offer

everything from sorcery to swashbuckling

adventure.

Our Sanctuaries aim to

enrich the lives of the

creatures that we care for

and we have done so for

over 50 years. Our team of carers have been

rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing seal pups

from local coastlines that nd themselves in

trouble, whether it be as a result of eye

problems, respiratory infections and

malnourishment, broken bones, pollution-related

problems or separation from their mothers too

soon. The team provides round-the-clock carethroughout the ‘pup rescue season’ (usually

September – March) to get them back to full

health so they can go back out into the wild

where they should be. Through heart-warming

stories, our guests’ lives are enriched by our

carers who bring our creatures’ stories to life,

creating wonderful memories and returners time

and time again.

Alton Towers Resort, set

in 500 acres of glorious

Staffordshire countryside,

is home to the UK’s most

visited theme park.

Boasting over 50 rides and attractions with

something for all the family to enjoy – including

an enviable line up of world rst rollercoasters,

such as The Smiler, Nemesis, Air and Oblivion and

ground-breaking family attractions like the

all-new CBeebies Land – the Resort also features

two fantastical hotels, a wacky waterpark withgallons of fun, a luxurious spa for the ultimate in

relaxation, and zany entertainment in our

Extraordinary Golf. With so much scope there

really is too much to squeeze into a day at

Britain’s Greatest Escape!

A fantasy world on the shore

of Lake Garda, Gardaland

Resort is Italy’s No.1 theme

park and is fast becoming one of Europe’s most

popular short-break destinations. It is a

combination of adventure, dream and strong

emotions, appealing to families, teens and young

adults and with several of Europe’s top thrill

rides, a vast selection of shows, restaurants and

events, a fantastic hotel on the lake, and a

SEA LIFE aquarium.

Chessington World

of Adventures Resort is

Britain’s wildest day out –

combining a great family

theme park, a SEA LIFE

Centre and a world class Zoo – open all year

round. Chessington offers more than 40 rides

and attractions including Zufari – Ride i nto Africa,

a unique off-road adventure ride featuring real

giraffes and rhinos with a theme park twist.

There’s also an African style hotel complete with

safari-themed rooms, indoor swimming pool, spaand the fantastic Zafari Bar & Grill – all of this

overlooking the animals on the Wanyama

Reserve. The hotel is the perfect base camp for

visitors to the resort.

As the nation’s Thrill

Capital, THORPE PARK

Resort is constantly

pushing the boundaries

with some of Europe’s most extreme rides

such as THE SWARM, the UK’s rst winged

rollercoaster, SAW – The Ride, the world’s rst

horror movie themed rollercoaster, Stealth,

one of Europe’s fastest and tallest rollercoasters

and Colossus, the world’s rst ten inversion

rollercoaster. With a core audience of 16-24

year olds and ‘up-for-it’ families, the Park has

been leading the way in the UK when it comes

to extreme theme park thrills.

®



Making Magic… the heart of our business and a

critical component of Merlin’s central resource.

It was established in August 2011, headed up by

Mark Fisher, Chief Development Ofcer. There

are currently employees working for MMM in 16

locations globally. Every day, in every attraction,

our visitors benet from their efforts, and no

other company in the world – including all of our

competitors – has such a far reaching resource.

We might not be customer-facing, but the

Corporate team is still vital to making sure

every Merlin guest has an experience they’ll

remember. From our Head Ofce in Poole and

our Business Support ofce in Chessington,

teams in everything from Group Finance to

IT, Commercial Partnerships to Legal, and

eCommerce to Procurement support all

the Merlin attractions to be innovative and

successful businesses, and to deliver memorable

experiences to thousands of people every day.

We love what we do and share a passion for

supporting each attraction through our central

expertise. Whether it is in the gifts and food we

buy for our guests or by star ting the magic when

they are rst booking a visit – we all share the

same goal of making a difference.

Our Corporate Ofces Merlin Magic Making



Merlin Magic Making (MMM) has responsibility for:

Producing the Magic

Responsible for wax gures,

LEGO® models, aquarium

displays development and

attraction theming. One of the

unique aspects of Merlin is our

in-house expertise in delivering

the content of our attractions.

Finding the Magic

We conduct new site searches

and are responsible for nding and

delivering the sites for

the organic roll-out of

Merlin businesses. The team

continues to track over 100

potential locations.

Delivering the Magic

Responsible for project management

and development. We believe we

can build anything, anywhere in the

world, on time, on budget and to the

required specication.

Creating the Magic

Through innovation and

creativity we deliver all new

compelling propositions across

the entire Group. Notable recent

developments include: The Smiler,

Alton Towers Resort; Madame

Tussauds Wuhan (China); and

LEGOLAND® California Hotel and

Waterpark.



How are we going to deliver the

strategy?

1. Growing our estate

We aim to deliver something new to customers

at each attraction each year. This will encourage

more people to visit more often. So by investing

extra capital into the business during certain

years, we will gradually drive the business forward.

2. Midway roll out

We will continue to deliver high-quality

experiences to customers for a relatively small

investment – in both initial capital and ongoingdevelopment – by putting our money into

opening more tried and tested brands. These

brands include SEA LIFE, Madame Tussauds,

the Dungeons and LEGOLAND®, and we

will also extend the Eye brand to other

observation experiences.

3. Developing our Theme Park

Resorts

Adding accommodation and second gates

to our theme parks means we can use them

more intensively. Themed accommodation and

a broader range of entertainment encourage

customers to opt for short breaks. That in

turn brings customers in from further aeld –

certainly beyond a two-hour drive time – and

increases admissions and boosts secondary

spend. What ’s more, these developments create

new prot streams and help improve customersatisfaction by broadening the reasons for visiting

our attractions and reducing pressure on rides.

4. Strategic synergies

We’re a big organisation. And we offer a

wide range of attractions – many of them

concentrated in t he same areas. We can capitalise

on that with high-prole group marketing

campaigns, cross-promotions and shared support

functions. Working with major partners, we can

make attractive national promotional offers to

visitors while cutting our procurement costs and

investing in eCommerce platforms that help us

manage sales.

5. LEGOLAND® development

LEGO® is a strong brand with a consistent

park format. That means we can deliver new

LEGOLAND® theme parks very effectively

and meet our return on investment targets,

particularly if we’re converting an existing park

to the brand such as LEGOLAND® Florida.

6. Strategic acquisitions

Our acquisition strategy aims to strengthen our

existing attraction portfolio and to recreate the

characteristics of our European portfolio in the

USA and Asia.

Merlin Entertainments Vision

To be the global leader i n location based branded

family entertainment.

Merlin Entertainments Mission

To deliver high quality, memorable experiences

to visitors.

Our Strategy and Key Performance

Indicators (KPIs)

The Way We Work

ONE

CLEAR

VISION

Catching Mickey.

ONE CLEAR STRATEGY

To create a high value, international,

family entertainment company based onstrong brands and a portfolio that is naturally

hedged against external factors such as weather or

localised market problems.

SIX STRATEGIC GROWTH DRIVERS

1) Existing Estate growth 2) Midway roll out

3) Theme Park Resort Development 4) Strategic Synergies5) LEGOLAND® Park Development 6) Strategic Acquisitions

MEASURED BY SEVEN KPIs

1) Volume growth 2) Revenue growth 3) EBITDA growth

4) EBITDA Margin 5) ROCI 6) Staff Turnover 7) Guest Satisfaction and Operational Gearing

AND A CLEAR WAY TO BEHAVE – The Merlin Way

We love what we do, We care, We are innovative and fast moving, We do what we say,

We make every £, $, 5 count, We take ownership... and we make it fun.



The Merlin Way is at the heart of what we do.

It encapsulates what a Merlin person is about

and helps shape how we will continue to achieve

business growth and our objectives for the

future. The Merlin Way – our company values –

represents our company’s DNA.

We love what we do

We care

We are innovative and fast moving

We do what we say

We make every £, $, 5... count

We take ownership

…and we make it fun!

The Merlin Way is integrated into everything

we do:

Strategic Thinking

The ability to develop vision and formulate new

strategic options in a creative and criti cal way –

underpinned by a sound nancial knowledge.

Customer Excellence

Being passionate about delivering memorable

experiences to customers and an excellent

service to customers internally.

Communication

The ability to convey spoken and written ideas

and messages with condence and clarity.

Engagement

Living and breathing The Merlin Way, either

through your own actions or through

empowering and motivating others.

Improvement

Developing new ideas to continuously improve

the business through creativity, innovation or

challenging the status quo.

Solutions

Identifying solutions to resolve both simple and

complex problems.

Attention to Detail

Focusing on the details that will help to deliver

results.

By applying The Merlin Way to all that we do, we

achieve our overall aim – to deli ver high quality

memorable experiences to customers around

the globe. To see how our employees

live and breathe The Merlin Way please visit

www.themerlinway.com (please contact HR

for log-in details).

The Merlin Way – Our Company Values



Please visit www.merlinstarawards.com, which

can also be accessed via Merlin Online or

complete a ‘Send a STAR’ card and drop it in

one of the STAR boxes at your local attraction.

For further information on the STAR website or

to obtain a Pack of STAR cards please visit your

local HR team.

How do I log-on to STAR?

You can access the website by using your

work email address; the password which is

automatically set to ‘Merlin2011’ can be changed.

If you do not have a work email address you may

request to use your personal email address via

your local HR team or use the ‘Send a STAR’

card system.

How will I know if I have been

nominated?

If you are registered on the STAR website you

will get a notication in your inbox. You can

then log on to see your nomination online. Your

nomination will also feature in t he Merlin STAR

live news feed on the website for everyone to

see and your line manager will also receive an

email with your nomination. If you don’t have

an email address, you’ll be recognised through a

‘Send a STAR’ card. This is managed by your HR

team or STAR Champion.

What will I win?

All nominations go to t he STAR Panel/Senior

Leadership Team and every month (may vary

by attraction) they will identify a ‘STAR of the

Month’ and a ‘Runner-Up’ and award employees

with the following:

STAR of the Month £25.00 or award of

equivalent value

Runner-Up £10.00 or award of

equivalent value

STAR of the Year £250.00 or award of

equivalent value

Please note, the value of these rewards will be

reected in your local currency.

We value the contribution of every one of our

team and see employee recognition as a key

part of our commitment to creating the best

company to work for in our industry.

STAR is Merlin’s exciting global employee

recognition programme and your chance to

recognise colleagues anywhere in Merlin who

truly shine, live and breathe The Merlin Way, go

the extra mile to deliver memorable experiences

or contribute their time or energy to Merlin’s

Magic Wand or conservation efforts.

You can send a STAR for outstanding contribution

or send a Thank You for the appreciated gestures

– you can also copy in your nomination’s line

manager for extra recognition. STAR allows you

to celebrate success instantly, online and in a very

interactive way.

To take STAR to the next level we have

introduced a Pack of STARs to inspire our

managers to recognise and reward their teams in

more creative ways – at low and no cost!

STAR



Do you have a bright idea, top tip or innovative

initiative which you think we should all know

about? Or maybe you just need some inspiration?

SPARK AN IDEA is a global online tool which

has been designed to allow each one of our

employees to share their i deas, however big or

small, on the website for all to view. Employees

can read all the ideas, search by brand or simply

look for inspiration. SPARK AN IDEA allows us

to feed back to the employee who has submitted

an idea, thanking them for t heir contribution.

We have implemented some fantastic ideas

from across the Group such as Alton Towers

Resort’s ‘Red Button Idea’ which increased

sales within their Fried Chicken F&B outlet,

and LEGOLAND® Florida’s ‘MiniFig Trading

Ambassador’ which has really engaged our

guests in a very fun and interactive way as well

as improve the sales of MiniFigures.

SPARK AN IDEA

For 2014 we will be communicating quarterly

themes and would welcome your ideas to help

us drive business improvements in the following

areas:

Q1: What’s the new second gate to theme

parks?

Q2: How should we use social media

to make our experiences more

memorable?

Q3: What should we be doing that a

competitor is already doing?Q4: What should we do to drive food and

beverage sales to enhance our overall

visitor experience?

Those truly outstanding ideas will be reviewed by

the Group Creativity and Innovation Forum and

the best idea will be selected to win an iPad mini

and will be shortlisted for the Innovation of the

Year award.

To share your idea please log on to

www.merlinsparkanidea.com or pick up a SPARK

card at your attraction. You can access the

website using the same log-in details as STAR.

ALTON TOWERS RESORT

Guests select a number between 1-99

when they order their food. If they press

the red button and if the number is the

same they get their order for free!

LEGOLAND® FLORIDA

Ambassadors place a LEGO® MiniFigure

on their name badges and trade

with guests.



The Wizard Wants to Know is our annual online

employee opinion survey. For us, it i s a vital way

to get feedback from across the globe. In 2013

we achieved a 97% response rate – a fantastic

achievement with over 19,000 employees!

We were delighted when 95% of you told us

“I enjoy working here” – evidence of the success

of our innovative and fast moving company.

Once we collect all t he results, we celebrate

the successes and look at how we can make

positive improvements through action. We take

on board what you tell us and we are committed

to making improvements to ensure that Merlin is

the best company to work for. So your opinions

really do make a difference.

If you would like to see any of the results just get

in touch with your local HR team.

The Wizard Wants to Know Keeping You Informed

We are open and honest in all of our

communications and keep you fully aware of

what is going on in the business.

There are a number of ways in which you will be

kept up-to-date. Some will be business specic,

while others relate to your department and team

– these might include team briengs, meetings

and notice boards.

We’ll make sure you have access to all the

information you could ask for, but it i s up to you

to keep up-to-date with current events and helpus make our communications a two-way process.

We really want to know what you think about

what’s going on.

The Intranet

To help us achieve this, we launched the Merlin

Online News service, the rst step of an exciting

Merlin Online Intranet project.

Wherever you are in the business, you can log

on at www.merlin-online.biz and get all the latest

Merlin news from around the globe. You can

also ask questions and give feedback on issues

and events.

The Wizard

Every quarter we also publish The Wizard

newsletter to update you on news from across

Merlin, which is well worth a read. Your own

location may even produce its own magazine

or newsletter. Check with your colleagues

or manager to nd out where you can get

your copy.

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1

3

1

Messagefrom Nick

impressive. Thishasbeendriven

inpartby improvedvisitor

numbersinourEuropean

businessesaftera difficult2012,

strong growthinall ofourAsian

attractionsandsome truly stellar

performancesfrom individual

attractionsranging from the big,

suchasLEGOLAND California,

to the slightly lessbig, Loch

LomondSEALIFECentre.

Also inthe year, we openedsix

new midway attractionsinsix

differentcountries; relocatedtwo

others(LondonDungeonand

Duisburg LDC); acquired

Turkuazoo Aquarium inIstanbul,

Turkey; openeda 250-bedroom

hotel atLLC Resort; launched

new ridesandfeaturesinevery

Well,it’sbeenanotherexciting

(and, dareI say, fun-packed?)

yearforMerlinEntertainments

and onewhichoverall we

shouldfeelprettypleasedwith!

Apartfrom the small issue of

successfully floating the

company onthe LondonStock

Exchange, we have continuedto

expandanddevelopour

businessonall fourcontinentsof

operation. Indeed, while ournew

statusasa public company

precludesme from saying too

muchatthispoint, ouroverall

growthin2013 hasbeen

attraction, while also stepping up

ourResearch& Developmenton

some exciting new projectsfor

the future (watchthisspace!).

Allofthesethingsarepartof what

ismaking MerlinEntertainments

a greatcompany. However, itis

also importantto be a good

company andinthis respectI

am tremendously proudofthe

progresswe are making in

bringingmagictothelivesof less

fortunatechildrenallovertheworld

throughthe Merlin’sMagic Wand

charity. We all know thatwe

work ina unique businesswhich

deliversmemorable experiences

to millionsofpeople. Forchildren

whoselivesaretragicallyaffected

byillnessordeprivation,however,

Have a relaxing festive season,

don’tdrink too much(unlessyou

wantto) andenjoy the company

offamily andfriends.

Asever, thank youforyourhard

work andpassionoverthe last

year.

the experienceswe candeliver

eitheratourattractionsor by

taking the magic to hospices

andcare centresare evenmore

preciousandspecial.Thisisavery

importantpartofMerlinandaswe

look towards2014 andbeyond,

Merlin’sMagic Wandisone of

our‘brands’ whichevery one of

uscanplay a partinbuilding.

Inequal measure, Ithink 2014

shouldsee usaccelerate the

prominence ofthe SEALIFE

MarineConservationTrustandour

effortstoprotecttheworld’smarine

environment. Asa company and

asa team, we are uniquely

placedto make a real difference

inboththese areasso let’smake

thatourNew Year’sresolution! Nick

Napoleon

would be

happy Evidently NapoleonBonapartesaid: “If theEarthwerea

singlestate, Istanbul would beitscapital.” Well, it’s

certainly special and inourfirstventureinto Turkey, we

haveacquired Istanbul’spremieraquarium– Turkuazoo

– fromDutchbased Global AquariumsBV.

The deal couldbe the catalystto developa clusterofglobal

midway brandsinthe city, especially asthe aquarium boasts

a central locationint he Istanbul Forum Mall inBayrampassa.

Turkuazoo Aquarium openedin2009 andhassignificant

potential foradditional growth, so plansare already inplace

to investin upgrading andexpanding the business. Itwill

become partofourEuropeanMidway Operating Group.

TheWizard - December2013

The new Madame Tussauds

Wuhan,Merlin’s99thattraction,

officiallyopenedonSeptember

28, bringing the worldfamous

funto China’sHubei province.

The response to the brand

locally hasbeenvery strong,

echoedby the strong opening

PRandourexcellenttrading

since opening, withguests

clearly loving it! The site

openedfourmonthsaheadof

schedule andonbudget...

anamazing achievement.

Andnowanimportantstrategic

partnershipwithBeijing’sleading

developer, SOHO China, will

resultinus taking a numberof

ouriconic global brandsto

Beijing...thefirstbeingMadame

Tussauds, scheduledto open

in2014. Itwill be locatedin

the heartofthe city close to

TiananmenSquare. The

announcementwasmadeatan

eventinBeijingattendedbyUK

ChancellorGeorge Osborne.

Picturedare Steve Shearsand

Barry CoxofMerlinwithMiss

YanYanofSOHO China, and

waxwork figuresofthe Duke

andDuchessofCambridge.

More news from China OpeningsinChinahold an important str ategicstepforour

gr owth ofnew businesses in the emer ging China mar k ets.



Health & Safety

Whilst we love thrills at Merlin, we are not so

keen on spills. What’s more, we see Health &

Safety as everyone’s responsibility. We will of

course ensure your working environment is safe

and you are trained correctly in all aspects of

your job and Health & Safety, but we need your

support to maintain safe working conditions. If

you experience any concerns, near misses or

breaches in Health & Safety, please report them

immediately.

Occupational Health

All our locations have occupational health

procedures. They also have access to professional

practitioners; a number of locations even have

practitioners on-site. It may be that you are asked

to attend an appointment with an occupational

health nurse to assess your wellbeing in

connection to your role. This may be a regular

occurrence depending on the nature of your role

and may be requested should your health change.

There is nothing to worry about; the information

gathered from these consultations will be held i n

the strictest condence and will only be used to

ensure that we are able to adapt your working

conditions if required.

Stress

The pace of the world has increased and

sometimes it can feel l ike you never have time

to relax and slow down. Please speak to your

local HR team to see how we can support you at

work where required.

It is important for us to look after the people

who do such a good job of looking after our

business – and our guests. So as a member of

the Merlin team, you can expect to enjoy a

competitive benets package.

‘Stay for Less’ Hotel Discount

At Merlin we are always looking for opportunities

to share our great customer experiences with our

employees, so we have introduced the ‘Stay for

Less’ programme. Merlin employees can now

‘Stay for Less’ at our Merlin hotels.

All reservations need to be made online, and can

be done by visiting www.merlin-online.bizand

clicking on ‘Hotel Staff Rates’. Please note that

certain terms and conditions apply, so please

check before booking.

Merlin Annual Pass (if applicable)

As part of the Merlin family, you are also entitled

to fantastic discounts on our range of Merlin

Annual Passes. Treat your friends and family

with a gift voucher for 12 months’ entry to

all attractions and you will get 50% or 25% off

the standard price. To take up this offer, please

contact your HR team.

Merlin Shares

Being part of a publically owned company gives

you the opportunity to be one of Merlin’s

shareholders (owners). To help you become a

shareholder and to share in our success, Merlin

offers employees a Sharesave Plan to help you

to save to buy shares at a discount.

This Sharesave Plan has been offered for t he

rst time in 2014 and it is intended that

further offers will be made in future years.

In order to comply with local laws, the form of

the scheme may vary from country to country.

Please refer to your local handbook

for country/attraction-specic benets.

Employee Welfare Merlin Employee Benefts



This is how each element works:

1. Objective Setting

The clearer you are about your role in driving

our business and your development, the more

we will both benet. So you will agree a set of

well-dened objectives with your manager at the

start of every nancial year. If you join us part

way through the year, we will set objectives for

the rest of that year. All objectives are linked to

the objectives of your team as well as those of

your department and the business. That means

everyone and every task are aligned, helping

Merlin move forward.

2. Development Planning

Your PDP is designed to help you do your job

well and grow.

The development pyramid shows just some

of the development programmes we run. We

are constantly reviewing and improving these

programmes in line with the changing needs of

the business. As a rule, we deliver development

programmes using a mix of theory, discussion,

projects, mentoring, online feedback reports and

assignments.

As well as the programmes shown on this

pyramid, there are others that are attraction and

role specic. Talk to your manager about which

ones will best suit your individual needs.

Learning and Development

To achieve our objectives of delivering

memorable experiences to guests around the

globe, we need to have the best talent on board.

We therefore need people who:

• Thrive in our culture.

• Are dedicated to our customers and obsessive

about delivering excellent service.

• Demonstrate our desired behaviours.

• Contribute to the growth of the business.

• Grow along with us.

We believe that if we create a great place towork we will attract great people to work

with us – and they will develop as we grow the

organisation.

Joining our business

We have designed our new starter experience

carefully. Wherever and whenever you join us,

it will make sure your rst few months are

structured so you nd your feet and understand

the business quickly. It includes:

• An introduction to all our brands so you feel

part of the Merlin family.

• Customer Service and Health & Safety training,

which is key to our business philosophy and

success.

• A variety of role-specic induction and training

activities.

Soon after you join you will have an introductory

review. This gives you and your manager a chance

to talk about how things are going i n your new

role and how you are settling in.

Helping you deliver

We want everyone to be able to do the best

job they can. That is why we have the Personal

Development Plan (PDP) – one of the most

important tools in our business.

There are four key elements to this:

1. Objective Setting.

2. Development Planning.

3. Performance Reviews.

4. Career Progression.

Org

Goals

Depar tmen t

al

Goals

Team Goals

Indi visual O

bjec ti ves/K

PIs



3. Performance Reviews

Grades 1-3

All Grades

Twice a year your manager will carry out a

review with you to see how you’re progressing.

This will cover how well you are meeting your

objectives, what help you need and, if appropriate,

what you want to do next in your career.

As well as measuring your progress against

objectives, we will also look at how well you

bring The Merlin Way competencies to life.

These are behaviours linked to our culture,

and they help us achieve business results in the

best way possible.

4. Career Progression

We aim to grow our own people wherever

possible, so when we create new jobs or need to

ll existing ones, we look rst at the enormous

pool of talent we already have and ll t he roles

through internal promotions and transfers.

Inevitably, we will sometimes need to recruit

externally as it helps bring in new ideas and skills

that we may not already have in the business. But

wherever possible we match new opportunities

to our existing talent.

Developing our own talent means regularly

reviewing the people we have in the business.

We are always keen to match your potential with

opportunities as they come up.Start by discussing your career with your

manager during the PDP process. Think about

the roles you would like to have in the future, the

countries you would like to work in and whether

you have skills you are not currently making the

most of. If you want to move into a more senior

role, you will need to show us you have strong

skills related to the job you do as well as a broad

business understanding.

Some of the other ways we help you develop

your career include:

• Study support agreements – these allow you

to apply for funding for external training and

qualications relevant to your role (please note

these vary locally).

• Talent and Graduate programmes – ideal for

those who want to accelerate their career.

• Management and Leadership programmes.

• Secondments and projects – great ways to

enhance skills you already have or develop

new ones.

Merlin’s School of Magic

Create real magic through this online collection

of learning resources including learning guides,

pocketbooks, audios, videos, books and

knowledge maps all at your ngertips. Merlin’s

School of Magic is brought to you via our

learning partner – Ashridge Business School,

supporting you in delivering truly memorableexperiences. Merlin’s School of Magic is

accessed via our Merlin Intranet under the

‘Merlin Learning’ section.

Merlin’s Graduate Programmes –

Marketing and Business

Management

Our ambitious growth plans mean that we need

the right people in the right place to take on

these new challenges.

So every year we recruit talented graduates to

join our fast-track, award-winning ‘Accelerate’

programme. This develops both job-specic skills

and broader business know-how and is a

launch-pad for future leaders who enrich our

existing talent pipeline in both Marketing and

Business Management.

For further details please go to

www.merlincareers.com/graduates

How to make sure you get the

best possible development

Wherever you are and whatever you do:

• Remember every opportunity is a learningopportunity.

• Take charge of your own learning.

• Look at internal notice boards or Merlin Online

for any development opportunities.

• Talk to your manager or your HR team about

how you can develop your skills and progress

your career.

THE MERLIN WAY

COMPETENCIES

STRATEGIC THINKING

Communication

Improvement

Customer

Excellence

Attention to

Detail

Engagement

Solutions



Equality, Diversity and

Fair Treatment

As a business, we are committed to providing a

working environment in which everyone feels

valued, respected and able to contribute to the

business. To that end we believe in employing

people who recognise and respond to the

diversity of our customers.

You and all your colleagues should be able to

work in an environment free from discrimination,

harassment, bullying or victimisation; and youshould never be disadvantaged by conditions or

requirements that are unjust or unfair.

Our Equal Opportunities policy highlights

our dedication to never discriminate in our

employment of people, and to provide a

working environment free from any form of

harassment. We will not tolerate any form

of discrimination, harassment, bullying or

victimisation by employees or managers against

their fellow employees, managers or customers,

and will support employees if harassed, bullied

or victimised by customers. Action will be taken

against breaches of this policy and all instances of

such behaviour may be subject to our disciplinary

procedures.

We seek to ensure that all employees, job

applicants, contractors, temporary or agency

workers, customers and suppliers are t reated

fairly regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic

or national origin or community background,

gender, sexual orientation, gender reassignment,

marital, civil partner or family status, religion

or belief and afliations, disability, age, real or

suspected infection with HIV/Aids, differing

working patterns, contract type and membership

or non-membership of a trade union.

Whistle-blowing

As you can imagine, we can’t be aware of

everything that happens on a day-to-day basis at

our locations and attractions. We encourage you

to report any breaches of policy or guidelines to

us, in order for us to be able to x any problems.

We, of course, will treat this information with

the utmost respect and condence.

Fraud

We value integrity and effort in all dealings with

employees, customers, suppliers and external

parties. Our Fraud policy applies consistently

to all employees and encourages openness and

honesty in all internal and external dealings.

Fraud is an illegal activity, can occur at all levels of

a business and includes the intentional:

• Falsication of

records.

• Defacement or

concealment of

records.

• Stealing/theft of

money and/or goods.

• Embezzlement.

• Misuse or

misappropriation of

funds.

• False accounting.

• Bribery/corruption.

• Extortion.

• Money laundering.

• Conspiracy, collusion

or attempting to do

any of the above.

• Concealment of

any of the above

committed in person

or by another.

If you feel that you have seen or heard anything

that relates to the above or does not live up to

our expected standards of policy or guidelines,

you can speak with your manager or a member

of the HR team, in the strictest of condence,

who will be able to assist you further.

Group Policies Absence policy

We know people may well be absent from work

from time to ti me due to sickness, authorised

unpaid leave and other arranged time off. For

planned absence, there is a clear process which

you must follow so we can make sure we have

cover in place and everything continues to run

smoothly. Equally, if you’re sick or your absence

is unplanned for another reason, you must

follow the absence reporting procedure for your

specic Department/Attraction/Division.

Data protection policy

Your personal data is the information we

hold about you which could identify you as

an individual. Sensitive personal data covers

particularly private information such as race,

health, political/religious beliefs or criminal

convictions. This policy sets out the requirements

that data protection legislation places on us and

the steps we must take to comply with those

requirements.

Ethical policy

This policy protects our integrity as an

organisation and that of our employees. It sets

out a framework for dealing with suppliers,

contractors and other parties who want to work

with Merlin. The policy’s guidelines will stop you

being compromised by suppliers who may offer

you gifts, lunches and other incentives. Accepting

these could make some people think you were

giving the provider an unfair advantage in their

business dealings with Merlin.

Expenses policy

Our personal travel and expenses policy makes

sure that no Merlin employee is out of pocket

because they carry out Merlin business. It also

takes Merlin employees’ personal welfare into

account when they need to travel on Merlin

business. What’s more, the policy protects the

company’s nancial position. It ensures that

no-one runs up unnecessary costs, that we

make the most of all available discounts and

procurement benets, and that we follow local

taxation rules and regulations. For each country

in which we operate we have local expenses

policies and guidelines.

Payment card industry (PCI)

Our rst-class visitor attractions attract millions

of customers across the world. We must protect

these valued relationships by securing customers’

credit and debit card information so it is never

made available to unauthorised persons or

entities. Our customers’ credit and debit card

information is a Merlin business asset. Protecting

it is ‘mission crit ical’ to our company. This policy

sets out our minimum procedures for protecting

this data and meeting recognised regulatory

requirements as established in the Payment Card

Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard (DSS).



Protection of children and young

people policy

We believe in treating all our people with dignity,

respect and consideration at work. You should

always feel that your working environment is

fair and does not discriminate against you on

the grounds of sex, age, marital status, sexual

orientation, disability, race, colour, religion,

ethnic or national origin, and appearance.

Specically we want to protect young workers.

They have limited experience of the workplace

and need our support to adapt to the working

environment. We recognise that the law protects

children and young workers and we not only

want to comply with these rules, we’re also keen

to set the standard for the most appropriate and

considerate ways to manage young people. So

this policy should be read alongside a number

of other policies including: Health, Safety and

Security; Grievance; Protection of Children (April

2008); and Wellbeing at Work. You can nd out

more about things like regulations and working

hours for young people from your HR team.

Study support policy

We know how important it is to encourage

and support employees in their individual

development, especially when it will help them

contribute and progress within the company.

This policy outlines the entitlement and the

funding/loan options available for people who

want to commit to longer-term study and

to enter into a study support agreement

with the company.

IT security

If you are issued with any IT equipment, it is

your responsibility to look after it. Treat laptops,

BlackBerrys and mobile phones with great care,

and please do not leave them unattended in

ofces, cars or in a public place at any ti me. Do

not allow anyone else to use them either, unless

they have been authorised by your IT team. You

may have to pay for any IT equipment you lose

or damage and face disciplinary action.

Internet and email use

You may have access to the internet via your

work computer or laptop. If you do, we expect

you to follow the company policy on internet

use. Never use the internet or email in a way

that might reect poorly on Merlin, your fellow

employees or our customers. We discourage

excessive use of the internet – our IT teams may

monitor how much you use it and what you use

it for.

Only authorised persons may post or discuss

business-related information on external social

networking websites, chat rooms, blogs etc.,

including Facebook, Bebo, YouTube and MySpace,

without prior permission. If in doubt please ask

for guidance, always remember that what you say

in a public forum can be read by many people.

We will take action if we nd you have brought

the company into disrepute.

If we nd you to be breaching our policy on

internet use, you may face disciplinary action up

to and including dismissal.

Software

We will give you all the software you need on

your work computer or laptop. Never download

or upload any unauthorised software. Doing this

can pose a serious threat to our IT systems and

have potentially critical consequences. If you need

any other software uploaded onto your work

computer or laptop, speak to your IT department.

Merlin does everything it can to ensure you are

equipped to succeed in your job and have the

right tools, equipment and physical environment

that meet all legal requirements. We need you

to help maintain our high standards by working

safely and efciently, using protective equipment,

clothing and footwear that is provided and

observing our Health & Safety rules.

Safety forms the foundation of the way in which

we care for our employees and customers, and

we respect our neighbours in the community.

A copy of the company’s Health & Safety policy

and Safety First booklet will be given to you at

your induction. These set out the basic safety

management systems and standards across

Merlin which will be consolidated with site

specic policies, procedures and training. Please

be aware that any breach of these policies may

lead to disciplinary action, which in serious cases

may result in dismissal.

Legal responsibilities

At Merlin, we are committed to providing

and maintaining a safe and healthy working

environment as required by law. We will provide

you with the necessary training for the role that

you are undertaking. You, in turn, have personal

legal obligations which require you to work in a

safe manner and follow established procedures

in order to ensure that you do not put yourself,

customers, visitors or work colleagues at risk.

You should only use equipment that you have

been trained to use. Any kind of behaviour which

conicts with your duties for Health & Safety

and which exposes customers or colleagues to

potential injury are prohibited.

Accidents at work

While we would all prefer it if accidents did not

happen, they sometimes do happen. You must

report all accidents, injuries and near misses to

your manager as soon as possible after the event

and ensure that the relevant accident/incident

report form is completed. Near misses are

incidents or situations that did not cause injury

or damage to Merlin’s property – but which

could have done so. Information on these is just

as valuable as information on actual accidents, all

of which helps us to assess the causes, and avoid

the recurrence, of similar incidents in the future.

Cuts and injuries

Minor injuries must be attended to immediately

by appropriately trained rst aiders. Your

manager or HR team will be able to inform you

of who your rst aiders are at your location.

Manual handling

Somebody once coined the phrase ‘just say

no’ and we recommend that you do (in the

nicest possible way, of course) when you are at

signicant risk of injury when lifting a heavy item.

Think about how you can avoid any potential

injuries by using a trolley (or other aid) or by

getting someone to help you. If you have to lift

something quite heavy, make sure that i t is within

your capability and use the correct techniques to

protect your back.

Health & Safety



General health – medical

assessments

When you return to work after an il lness, an

operation or hospitalisation, you must speak to

your manager who may arrange for you to see a

company doctor.

There also may be occasions when we are

concerned about your health and we may require

you to have a medical assessment at any time

during your employment.

Your safety is our rst priority

Physical assaults by customers are fortunately

rare. However, if you feel threatened by a

customer or situation, you should avoid puttingyourself at risk and call for immediate assistance.

Closed circuit television is used in many locations

to improve security. It also helps to protect

both you and our customers from violence and

safeguards company property.

If you are involved in an assault, however minor,

you must report it to your manager who will

then discuss with you what further action needs

to be taken to ensure that you receive any advice

or support that is necessary.

Fire regulations

In case of a re, you should make sure you

are familiar with the escape routes from your

location. It is everyone’s responsibility to be

aware of re exits and if you are unfamiliar

with the re routine, speak to your manager

without delay.

If you discover a re, always sound the alarm.

Only tackle the blaze if safe to do so and you are

properly trained. Remember re extinguishers

are for small res – do not put yourself at risk.

It is in your interest to know what to do in the

event of a re and to prevent any possible causes

of re.

You can achieve this before a re occurs by:

• Understanding what the re alarm sounds like

for your premises.

• Being familiar with the re exits and routes to

them.

• Knowing the location of your re assembly

point.

• Checking the locations and operating

instructions of re extinguishers and hose reels

(where provided).

• Not smoking unless in a designated area.

• Keeping rubbish to a minimum.

• Reporting faulty electrical equipment and

ttings.

• Keeping re doors and exits free from

obstructions.

Your induction will provide you wit h more

information regarding the re evacuation

procedure at your location.

Smoking

In order to promote a healthy and pleasant

working environment, we do not allow guests,

employees or business visitors to smoke on our

premises, except in designated areas. To be fair

and consistent in our treatment of smokers and

non-smokers, smokers are expected to have

cigarettes during appropriate break times.

Portable Appliance Testing (PAT)

All portable electrical equipment which is

brought into your place of work must be testedfor electrical safety before it is used. This must

be completed by a competent person who

has a thorough understanding of the electrical

item and test equipment. It is essential t hat all

equipment passes this test in order to align with

the relevant local legislation. Portable electrical

equipment should be visually checked before

use to ensure that there are no broken plugs

or frayed cables. Only use suitably protected

electrical equipment in wet areas and never use

with wet hands.

What is Product Excellence?

Product Excellence is the function that monitors,

measures and analyses the guest experience

for the purpose of delivering improvement and

creating real value competitive advantage.

We focus on every aspect of the visitor

experience – from booking to departure.

Our aim is to deliver a memorable experience

for every single guest at every point of contact

and every time they visit our attractions.

Memorable means unforgettably great!

Our guest feedback targets are:

• Satisfaction score of 93%+.

• Recommend score of 95%+.

• Staff ‘friendly and helpful’ score of 97%+.

Product Excellence encompasses

the following elements:

• Compelling product.

• Memorable experience.

• Fast and efcient service.

• Friendly and helpful staff.

• Excellent hygiene factors – cleanliness, Health &

Safety, site presentation etc.

• Combining to create a signicant competitive

advantage – (staff + product +

experience).

Why does it matter?

We will only succeed if we are the best at

what we do – if not we will j ust become average

performers in an average landscape. Excellence

is our aspiration, our aim and must be our

constant focus.

Product Excellence



We have an excellent reputation for the

ethical and responsible care, preservation

and conservation of animals and the marine

environment. A reputation t hat is widely

acknowledged by expert organisations around

the world.

Merlin Entertainments plc is the world’s premier

operator of aquaria through our SEA LIFE brand,

with more than 47 locations across Europe, USA,

Asia and Australia. Merlin also operates world

standard zoos in the UK and Australia and cares

for marine mammals around the world.

SEA LIFE

Long renowned for its rescue work with

seals, turtles and other creatures, SEA LIFE is

continuing to expand its conservation work.

It has many relationships with conservation

organisations around the world but its

partnership with the Whale & Dolphin

Conservation and the Seahorse Trust in the UK

has been especially successful.

2013 was a busy year for our conservational

activities. From beach cleaning to seahorse

tagging we were truly inspired by the

commitment of our teams to conservation

across the globe. All of the stories can be

found on our website:

www.themerlinway.com.

In 2013, we also

launched the SEA LIFE

Marine Conservation

Trust (SLMCT).

The SLMCT has been

set up to fund global

marine conservation

campaigns utilising the scale and network of

SEA LIFE to maximize the efciency of the funds

raised. A calendar of fundraising events and

campaigns is planned for 2014 across the SEA

LIFE estate and we are hopeful of raising more

funds and awareness of marine threats t han ever

before.

Breed

Over 6,000 animals were bred across the

aquarium network ranging from seahorses

to sharks, from penguins to rays, with SEA

LIFE leading the way with some of the more

endangered species coordinating efforts across

many different aquariums.

Rescue

2013 saw the completion of a turt le rescue

and rehabilitation centre in Greece, Zakynthos,

with the exception of a vital treatment room

that is being added this winter. The centre is

already doing sterling work, however, as an

education facility and a base for conservationvolunteers monitoring and protecting the nests

of Loggerhead turtles. The facility has been

developed with the help of around £250,000

donated by SEA LIFE visitors.

Seal and turtle rescue rehabilitation and

release are key activities within our aquariums

with over 110 seals rescued during 2013 and

over 70 marine turtles.

On occasion we are asked to re-home animals

that have outgrown their facilities in public

homes or indeed other aquariums. This year

has been particularly busy for rescuing fresh

water turtles from the public as well as large

freshwater sh.

Protect

SEA LIFE continues its efforts in raising

awareness about the plight of marine animals

and their environment, alongside engaging local

communities to government agencies to take

direct action leading to the protection of marine

animals. We will see over 20 million visitors to

our aquariums and will deliver over 150,000

fun and educational presentations to enable the

guests to understand how they can help with the

preservation of marine life.

Zoos

Sydney Wildlife has raised donations with all

funds going directly to Koala and Bilby habitat

preservation and conservation. They also

launched the WILD LIFE Conservation Fund

(National Threatened Species Day) and have

launched ‘Adopt a Koala’ and ‘Adopt a Bilby’

programmes. The WILD HeART Event raised

over $7000 selling wildlife artwork with all funds

to be used to buy wildlife rescue equipment for

WIRES volunteers.

The zoo at Chessington World of Adventures

Resort continues its successful breeding

programmes with three Horned Oryx, two

Gentle Lemurs and two Golden Headed

Tamarins all being bred this year. The zoo has

built on the partnership wit h the World Land

Trust where they have purchased an area of

Rainforest in Ecuador equivalent in size to

Chessington Resort (128 acres) and are now

funding a ranger to protect this area; 2013 saw

Chessington Conservation Fund become the

second largest donator to the conservation

efforts of the European Aquarium and Zoos

Association (EAZA).

Conservation and Wildlife



Illness, disability and

other disadvantages

mean that many

children cannot

experience things

that other children

take for granted.

Through Merlin’s

Magic Wand, we

provide the tickets and travel grants that enable

these children to enjoy magical days out at our

attractions across the world. Since its launch in2008, Merlin’s Magic Wand has supported these

deserving children, their families and their carers

with more than 145,000 tickets worth over

£2,185,000, and over £375,000 of travel grants

to support their visits. We aim to welcome

disadvantaged children to every attraction in the

Group each year.

Our outreach initiative ‘Taking the Magic to the

Children’ brings Merlin’s Magic to children who

are physically unable to visit the attractions. We

create tailor-made installations at organisations

like children’s hospices and hospitals, generating

lasting benets for the children and forging

strong links between the community, Merlin’s

Magic Wand and our local attractions.

Installations can range from a Merlin themed

play area to a SEA LIFE sensory room. In 2010

we delivered the very rst project to a children’s

hospice in the UK. Since then we have delivered

a LEGOLAND® themed cottage in Florida and

a sensory room in London, and there are many

other projects in progress. Long term, as funding

allows, each attraction will have the chance to work

with a local organisation on a suitable project.

Each year, Merlin supports the Charity’s

operations with a grant. There are exciting

programmes of fundraising events at every

attraction. Together, since 2008, we have raised

over £840,000 from attractions alone and

this money is essential to the Charity’s work.

Firstly it supports the travel grants that help

these children get to the attractions and have

their magical day out; and secondly it funds the

development of local ‘Taking the Magic to the

Children’ projects. The tickets we distribute are

donated free of charge by Merlin to the Charity.

The positive impact that Merlin’s Magic Wand

has is clear from the many Thank You letters and

photos that we receive every year.

“My daughter was diagnosed with

leukemia and you gave our family

the opportunity to get away from the

doctors and hospitals and enjoy a day

together riding rides, laughing and

making memories that we will cherish.Thank you so much!”

“We truly appreciate your support and

can honestly say that you will be making

a huge difference to the lives of young

people affected by disability.”

“On behalf of all the patients, staff and

families who are currently beneting

from our refurbished multi-sensory

room at the Evelina Children’s Hospital,

we wanted to say a heartfelt thank

you to each and every one of you for

your generous support. Words are oftennever enough on these occasions, but

we hope you know what an impact your

generosity is making every day.”

If you would like to nd out more about the

Charity and how you can help, please contact the

Merlin’s Magic Wand team.

Merlin’s Magic Wand – ‘Making Children Smile’

employee handbook 2014

Documents