Governance

We recognize that accelerating social dynamics reveal emerging opportunities for our organization.

Ethics

Our Company’s integrity rests on our foundational responsibility to ethical business practices and corporate compliance. Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the “Code”) acts as a shared set of ethical principles to help guide our daily business activities, safeguard the organization’s reputation for honesty and integrity, and help serve as a foundation for achieving success the right way. The honesty and integrity of our employees (“Ambassadors”) is a major factor in the success of our business. We provide certain Ambassadors with multiple mandatory training modules on critical matters such as anti-bribery and corruption, business ethics, insider trading, cybersecurity and anti-harassment. Our Code establishes an expectation that Ambassadors will report any activity or requested action that they believe to be potentially in violation of the law or our Code. Reporting can be done anonymously online or via a toll-free whistleblower hotline, both of which are managed by a third-party. Complaints can also be directed to the Chairperson of the Audit Committee and to our General Counsel.

Our overall commitment to ethical behavior and compliance with our policies is overseen by the Board’s Audit Committee, General Counsel and Vice President of Internal Audit.

Compliance

Our operations are subject to a variety of laws, statutes, regulations and ordinances at the federal, state and local level. These include (but are not limited to) governing issues pertaining to display, holding and care of our animals as well as the environment, theme park rides, building and construction, health and safety, labor and employment, workplace safety, zoning and land use, and alcoholic beverages and food service.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we also had to comply with rapidly changing local, state and federal rules and regulations. In an effort to keep us in compliance with all emerging applicable laws, regulations and ordinances, we have procedures in place to closely monitored new requirements and to implement necessary changes related to our operations.

The integrity and protection of our customer, employee and company data is critical to our business. In addition, the satisfactory performance, reliability and availability of our websites and our infrastructure are a crucial part of our day-to-day operations. We use the National Institute of Standards and technology (“NIST”) as a guideline.  We prioritize customer security and privacy by [encrypting data and] not storing or displaying credit card information used in online purchases. For our employees to maintain an active directory account and gain computer access, we mandate completion of annual training and follow the Computer Security Institute’s models for privacy and safety. Employees’ computers are fully encrypted, all internet access must be directly through SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc.’s network or virtual private network, and  vendors provide data protection and data security documentation, when applicable. We continue to devote significant resources to the security of our information technology systems and the training of our employees and we utilize various procedures and controls to monitor and mitigate technological threats.

Our theme parks offer guests a variety of exhilarating experiences, from animal encounters that invite exploration and appreciation of the natural world, to high-speed rides, educational presentations, engaging events and spectacular shows. Our theme parks are consistently recognized among the top theme parks in the United States and rank among the most highly attended in the industry.

Safety is of utmost importance to us and encompasses ride and attractions maintenance, food safety, lifeguards for water safety and security for personal safety.  Our Operations group manages attractions; our maintenance group, which includes ride mechanics,  inspect all rides and are responsible for general items such as inspecting electronic equipment.

Maintenance & Inspection

All ride maintenance personnel are trained to perform their duties according to internal training processes, in addition to recognized industry certification programs for maintenance leadership. Every ride at our theme parks is inspected regularly, according to daily, weekly, monthly and annual schedules by both park maintenance experts and external consultants. Additionally, all rides are inspected daily by maintenance personnel before use by guests.  A networked enterprise software system is used to plan and track various maintenance activities, in order to schedule and request work, track completion progress and manage costs of parts and materials.

In addition to our day-to-day maintenance and inspection practices for the existing rides in our parks, new rides undergo extensive review from design through installation before they are introduced to guests. These reviews are conducted by the ride manufacturer, internal technical and operational experts, local authorities (where appropriate) as well as specialized third-party inspectors and engineers. Additionally, all new rides are analyzed according to a standardized, internal evaluation and acceptance process, which reviews, among other things, that the new ride operates safely and as intended, that the associated site and facility requirements for the ride operation are met, that the appropriate training of our employees is conducted, and that operational and maintenance procedures are documented.