Kalahari Resorts are Dedicated to Safeguarding Fun
Kalahari Resorts maintain family-friendly and safe environments with Axis cameras, speakers, analytics, and video management systems. Axis-certified installers optimize system performance for efficiency and guest/associate protection.
Resort creates authentically inspired African oasis
Kalahari Resorts & Conventions (Kalahari) are award-winning vacation destinations and home to America’s Largest Indoor Waterparks. Each property offers guests acres of recreational fun from dozens of rides and slides in its indoor and outdoor waterparks, and huge family entertainment centers featuring a myriad of activities including dozens of arcade games, virtual reality experiences, bowling alleys, and escape rooms. Every Kalahari Resort also features a variety of onsite signature dining experiences, retail options, a full-service Spa Kalahari, and hundreds of well-appointed guest rooms and suites.
For business travelers and those looking to book an event with a group, the state-of-the-art convention centers provide over 200,000 square feet of flexible space, including multiple ballrooms, luxury boardrooms, customizable exhibit space, and dozens of meeting rooms.
Improving safety with an end-to-end solution
Dissatisfied with the performance of its dated, mixed-vendor camera system, Kalahari in Sandusky, Ohio worked with Northwestern Ohio Security Systems (NWOSS), an Axis partner, to completely overhaul its security solution with all-new Axis technology. Deploying a variety of intelligent, versatile Axis cameras allowed the resort to expand video coverage. The new cameras also generated much higher quality video, providing the resort with superior footage and an employee training tool.
“Thanks to our longstanding collaboration with Kalahari, and our expertise with Axis technology, we were able to help them seamlessly transition to the new system without compromising security workflow or impacting the guest experience,” says Cory Baker, Regional Manager and Engineer for NWOSS.
Integrated analytics provided the resort with actionable insights they could use to improve operations and security, helping to ensure a safe, positive experience for guests and associates. Kalahari also decided to equip its security staff and emergency medical technicians with Axis body worn cameras so they could document every service call using the preserved video.
Acting on the advice of NWOSS, Kalahari replaced their video management software (VMS) with AXIS Camera Station which enabled them to connect all their network devices, transforming the system into a complete end-to-end solution that is easier to operate, maintain, and support than their assorted legacy devices. “We also conducted specialized skills training to further empower security staff to provide resort guests with the ultimate in safety and security from the moment they enter the property,” states Baker.
“Choosing AXIS Camera Station as our video management system allows us to use the full potential of our surveillance devices and more easily integrate analytics and other accessories such as network speakers,” shares Cody Reed, Director of Security, Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, Sandusky, OH. “Plus, it’s far easier to adjust, reprogram, and troubleshoot devices through the VMS instead of going to each camera separately. Moreover, having an end-to-end solution ensures that everything works together seamlessly.”
Reed also points to improved support. “Having only Axis technology ensures that we have top-tier support when we need it,” explains Reed. “In a multi-vendor solution, we’d be dealing with multiple companies offering varying levels of service. Having an Axis VMS has brought our surveillance technology to a higher level.”
With a proven security solution in place at the Sandusky resort, Kalahari decided to adopt the Axis technology across its other three resorts in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Texas, and will also be implementing Axis at its new property currently under construction in Virginia.
I tell others that this system can revolutionize almost everything they’re currently doing with surveillance, ultimately keeping everyone safer. It can streamline their most essential processes, saving time and resources.
The importance of system technology certification
Kalahari believes that the proper installation of devices and video management software is essential to the success of the equipment. As such, Kalahari requires all internal and external installers to be certified AXIS Camera Station Specialists. “Having gone through the training myself, I understand the true value of the certification,” explains Reed. “It teaches you how to focus on the details to get the most out of your devices, video management software, and how to balance and prioritize multiple needs such as retention and resolution.”
Whether it is a member of their integrator team at NWOSS or one of their internal installers, the AXIS Camera Station Specialists provide Kalahari the essential service of helping navigate the ever-improving software landscape and leveraging the higher-level functions that make AXIS Camera Station so valuable. Without this level of expertise and teamwork, Reed believes the transition and ongoing improvements would have been far more time-consuming and costly.
Keeping it family-friendly
To deliver on its commitment to guest and associate safety, Kalahari had to dive deep into the Axis portfolio to find the right camera models for each area and activity across its vast property. Fixed dome sensors provide 180-degree views of parking lot traffic. Box cameras help security check that guests are following safety rules in the waterparks. Panoramic cameras cover the mini golf courses and restaurants. And when security needs more detail, they turn to strategically placed pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras for a closer look.
The most widely used cameras at the resort, however, are the ultra-compact Axis M-line panoramic cameras deployed in the convention center, the waterparks, and resort hallways, especially where wings intersect. With their fisheye lenses and deep learning processing unit, they enable security to search live and recorded video faster and more efficiently.
Because the cameras support AXIS Object Analytics, Kalahari can tailor in-camera applications to their specific needs – such as detecting and classifying people entering the pool area after hours. The real-time actionable insights provided by the cameras/system encourage actionable decision-making and enable a standard operating procedure for Kalahari’s surveillance teams, ultimately leading to increased guest safety.
“The video quality of the different cameras is astonishing,” states Reed. “Even when we’re operating them at a lower resolution to improve retention, we’re able to capture an enormous amount of identifying detail – everything from accurate skin tone to clothing color and insignias, even complex tattoos.”
Kalahari also employs Axis network speakers. “We have begun using network audio for safety messaging which is showing great potential for streamlining some of our most important communications to guests,” says Reed. This could include emergency evacuation warnings to guests in the outdoor parks due to dangerous weather conditions.
“The audio solution also allows guests to receive safety briefings before entering ride experiences,” adds Cory Baker. “This ensures guest safety without sacrificing fun.”
Expanding protection with body worn cameras
In addition to stationary cameras, Kalahari Resorts has equipped its security staff and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) with Axis body worn cameras to document their responses to service calls and other interactions with guests. Oftentimes, the very presence of the cameras helps to de-escalate situations. In other instances, the footage helps to verify the actions of the various parties.
“We regularly review the footage to ensure best practices are being followed and that we’re providing the best possible service,” shares Reed. “It greatly assists in training when you can step back and observe how you responded to a call and see where there might be room for improvement.”
Creating memories for years to come
Just as Kalahari counts on continuing innovation to draw visitors to its properties, the corporation can also count on evolving technology to help ensure that guests enjoy a safe and memorable experience when they come to stay and play.
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