Bouncing to success

By MEMO HAUKE
ALEXEL Entertainment is a family operated business that providesinflatable slides, bouncy castles and bungee trampoline for kids under17 years of age.
Residents of Port Moresby will no doubt have seen or visited the entertainment spot for children at Ela Beach every weekend.
According to founder and owner, Omar Randy Parkop, the idea behind establishing the small enterprise first began when he was seeking some form of entertainment for his twin sons, Alexander and Axel.
The name Alexel is a combination of both their names Alex and Axel.
The company was registered as an operating business on the 12 May but had to wait until August for the inflatables to arrive from China.
They are now a permanent fixture at Ela Beach on the weekends and also provide amusement for younger children during major celebrations throughout the year.
The company provides work for unemployed youths on a casual basis.
These helping hands help with logistics as it is difficult to transport the inflatables to and from areas where they have to be set up. The size and weight of the inflatables require at least six people to lift, pack and move to the venue.
“We recognised the need to inject fun, thrill and adventure into the lives of our people especially in the cities like Port Moresby and Lae which lack healthy recreational avenues for families,” Omar said.
With the exception of places such as 14-mile Adventure Park, Nature Park, Ela Beach and Paradise Cinemas in Port Moresby, there is really nothing else to do in cities that have mostly done away with parks and don’t cater for amusement. Even sporting events or shows are not for everyone.
Alexel Entertainment’s biggest challenge is maintaining and servicing their inflatables. The materials are very fragile which can be damaged easily by any sharp or pointy objects so they are currently in the process of insuring their inflatables in the event of an accident.
The inflatables are now very popular with children whose excitement and energy are sometimes hard to contain.
“We try our best to manage the children by imposing height and weight limits to different inflatables with instructions for children to stand in orderly lines to await their turn. An adult is there always to control them,” Omar continued.
Power supply is an issue the company faces constantly although they’ve purchased two diesel generators to help power the air compressors. There are occasional power trips from time to time. .
Omar described his enterprise as a very young company with huge dreams and aspirations but limited by its small size and limited resources.
Setting a goal though is paramount for Alexel as it works towards a 15 year target. By that time, it ultimately wants to establish an
Amusement Park that would be set up somewhere along the Magi or Hiritano Highway in Central.
Their ambition is to bring a world class theme park that will rival the likes of Movie World and Disney World in the Gold Coast of Australia.
“We know it’s a huge dream that may seem far reached, but it is something that we aim to achieve and we believe it is achievable.”
Our people deserve the very best of what the world has to offer, why do we need to fly overseas to experience zero-gravity on a roller-coaster when we can build and operate it ourselves.
“This is our dream as a team, but it is also a vision and dream for our people and our country,” said Parkop.