Attractionpros Podcast

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   This episode of AttractionPros is brought to you by our friend Eric Fluet at Get it Done Marketing. With 30 years of experience in the attractions industry, Get it Done Marketing offers freelance marketing insight, strategy, and execution—at a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire. Partnering with over 30 parks and resorts from family water parks to large multi-location organizations, Get it Done Marketing fills leadership voids on property and corporate marketing teams, assists with resource allocation and supports emerging marketing professionals. Learn more at getitdonemarketing.com. Anne Shimerdla is the CEO of Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines, Iowa. Her career began with an internship at the zoo nearly three decades ago, leading her through various roles in education, operations, and HR before stepping into her current leadership position. Blank Park Zoo is a 30-acre, AZA-accredited nonprofit zo

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   This episode of AttractionPros is brought to you by our friend Eric Fluet at Get it Done Marketing. With 30 years of experience in the attractions industry, Get it Done Marketing offers freelance marketing insight, strategy, and execution—at a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire. Partnering with over 30 parks and resorts from family water parks to large multi-location organizations, Get it Done Marketing fills leadership voids on property and corporate marketing teams, assists with resource allocation and supports emerging marketing professionals. Learn more at getitdonemarketing.com. Employee recognition programs are essential for fostering motivation and engagement in the workplace. However, many attractions struggle to design programs that are sustainable, meaningful, and relevant to their employees. A poorly structured recognition program can lead to confusion, disengagement, and even demot

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   Where will the attractions industry go next? Find out at IAAPA North America Summit, March 30 – April 1, 2025, at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel. Join executives, innovators, and thought leaders to build connections, explore trends through exclusive EDUTours, and gain strategic insights to put into action tomorrow. This Summit offers a unique opportunity to learn and grow alongside the industry’s best. Don’t miss the chance to shape the future of the attractions industry. Register Today! Training is an essential part of employee development, but a one-time session is rarely enough to ensure long-term success. Many organizations struggle with finding the balance between equipping employees with the knowledge they need upfront and reinforcing that learning over time. Without ongoing reinforcement, employees may struggle to retain information, lack confidence in their roles, and ultimately provide a

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   Where will the attractions industry go next? Find out at IAAPA North America Summit, March 30 – April 1, 2025, at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel. Join executives, innovators, and thought leaders to build connections, explore trends through exclusive EDUTours, and gain strategic insights to put into action tomorrow. This Summit offers a unique opportunity to learn and grow alongside the industry’s best. Don’t miss the chance to shape the future of the attractions industry. Register Today! Allen Greene is the Senior Design Director at Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum. With a background in theme park design and experience working at Kings Island and with firms like Jack Rouse Associates, Allen brings a wealth of expertise in immersive storytelling and attraction development. The Ark Encounter, a life-size recreation of Noah’s Ark in Williamstown, Kentucky, and the Creation Museum, located 45 min

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   Where will the attractions industry go next? Find out at IAAPA North America Summit, March 30 – April 1, 2025, at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel. Join executives, innovators, and thought leaders to build connections, explore trends through exclusive EDUTours, and gain strategic insights to put into action tomorrow. This Summit offers a unique opportunity to learn and grow alongside the industry’s best. Don’t miss the chance to shape the future of the attractions industry. Register Today! Tony Sanders is the General Manager of Old Tucson. With a career spanning multiple operators in the attractions industry, including Six Flags, Merlin, and Fun Spot, Tony has held leadership roles in operations, HR, and revenue management. Old Tucson, a unique combination of a working movie studio and an immersive Wild West attraction, has a deep-rooted history in the film industry and a strong connection to the lo

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   Where will the attractions industry go next? Find out at IAAPA North America Summit, March 30 – April 1, 2025, at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel. Join executives, innovators, and thought leaders to build connections, explore trends through exclusive EDUTours, and gain strategic insights to put into action tomorrow. This Summit offers a unique opportunity to learn and grow alongside the industry’s best. Don’t miss the chance to shape the future of the attractions industry. Register Today! Mark Moore is the Vice President and General Manager of Gulf Islands Waterpark in Gulfport, Mississippi. With nearly 30 years of experience in the water park industry, Mark started his career as a lifeguard and has since played a pivotal role in developing operational efficiencies and guest experience strategies. Gulf Islands Water Park, which opened just weeks before Hurricane Katrina in 2005, has grown into a re

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   Where will the attractions industry go next? Find out at IAAPA North America Summit, March 30 – April 1, 2025, at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel. Join executives, innovators, and thought leaders to build connections, explore trends through exclusive EDUTours, and gain strategic insights to put into action tomorrow. This Summit offers a unique opportunity to learn and grow alongside the industry’s best. Don’t miss the chance to shape the future of the attractions industry. Register Today! Shawn Whitman is the Vice President of Membership and Guest Experience at Zoo Atlanta. With a background in exercise physiology, Shawn's career journey took him from the fitness industry to the world of zoos and aquariums, where he now oversees membership, admissions, rides, guest experience, and more. His role is crucial in ensuring that Zoo Atlanta provides an engaging and educational experience while fostering

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   Where will the attractions industry go next? Find out at IAAPA North America Summit, March 30 – April 1, 2025, at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel. Join executives, innovators, and thought leaders to build connections, explore trends through exclusive EDUTours, and gain strategic insights to put into action tomorrow. This Summit offers a unique opportunity to learn and grow alongside the industry’s best. Don’t miss the chance to shape the future of the attractions industry. Register Today! Frank Nunez is the President of FrankNDesign. With a background in architecture and a passion for leveraging technology in design, Frank transitioned from traditional architecture to themed entertainment. His company, FrankNDesign, specializes in integrating digital modeling into themed design, helping to bridge the gap between creative vision and practical implementation. In this interview, Frank talks about them

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   Where will the attractions industry go next? Find out at IAAPA North America Summit, March 30 – April 1, 2025, at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel. Join executives, innovators, and thought leaders to build connections, explore trends through exclusive EDUTours, and gain strategic insights to put into action tomorrow. This Summit offers a unique opportunity to learn and grow alongside the industry’s best. Don’t miss the chance to shape the future of the attractions industry. Register Today!   Brian Kilpatrick is the Chief Operating Officer of Trinity Park Conservancy. With nearly four decades of experience in the attractions and hospitality industry, Brian has built a career that spans multiple disciplines, including food and beverage, retail, finance, and operations. His journey began at SeaWorld, where he spent 35 years, and later took him to leadership roles at Anakeesta and the Artis—Naples perfo

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   This episode is brought to you by New Vue. New Vue is a team of attractions experts providing an ‘all-in-one’ reporting suite for attractions businesses. Their reporting solution empowers attraction leaders to make well-informed decisions, based on real-time data. New Vue also build slick websites that elevate your digital guest experience and provide strategic support to help you with booking systems and all of your IT needs. Clara Rice is the Director of Global Marketing at Adirondack Studios. With a career spanning over 17 years in the attractions industry, Clara has worn multiple hats, from theater management to marketing leadership, and has a passion for storytelling and cultural attractions. Adirondack Studios is a renowned design and fabrication company that has been bringing creative visions to life for 50 years. In this interview, Clara talks about your workplace vs. your worth place, the i

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   This episode is brought to you by New Vue. New Vue is a team of attractions experts providing an ‘all-in-one’ reporting suite for attractions businesses. Their reporting solution empowers attraction leaders to make well-informed decisions, based on real-time data. New Vue also build slick websites that elevate your digital guest experience and provide strategic support to help you with booking systems and all of your IT needs. Jim Futrell is the Historian for the National Amusement Park Historical Association and IAAPA. With over 40 years of experience researching and preserving amusement park history, Jim has authored multiple books and articles on the subject and is recognized as a leading voice in the field. In this interview, Jim talks about amusement park history, putting context on history, and shared experiences across generations. Amusement Park History “One of the first watershed moments in

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   This is episode is brought to you by New Vue. New Vue is a team of attractions experts providing an ‘all-in-one’ reporting suite for attractions businesses. Their reporting solution empowers attraction leaders to make well-informed decisions, based on real-time data. New Vue also build slick websites that elevate your digital guest experience and provide strategic support to help you with booking systems and all of your IT needs.   Kyle Allison is the Owner of Altitude 1291 and Director of Fun at Allison’s Fun Incorporated. Raised in a family of entrepreneurs, Kyle grew up immersed in the hospitality industry, contributing to his passion for small businesses and community-focused ventures. From inflatable rentals to family entertainment centers and even children’s haircut franchises, Kyle’s career has been defined by innovative approaches to customer experiences. In this interview, Kyle discusses ha

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   The future of fun begins at IAAPA FEC Summit, January 19–21, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Join FEC and LBE professionals for an immersive experience packed with strategic insights, networking, and behind-the-scenes EDUTours of unique local facilities. Learn how to make your FEC stand out a crowded market and explore the latest trends designed to elevate your business. Build valuable connections and leave inspired with actionable strategies for success. Secure your spot today! Richard Pretlow is the Park President of Morgan's Wonderland in San Antonio, Texas. With a background in theme park management that spans Six Flags, SeaWorld, and Crayola, Richard brought his expertise to Morgan's Wonderland in 2023. Known for being the world’s first ultra-accessible theme park, Morgan's Wonderland creates a space where everyone, regardless of ability, can enjoy the magic of theme parks. In this interview,

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   The future of fun begins at IAAPA FEC Summit, January 19–21, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Join FEC and LBE professionals for an immersive experience packed with strategic insights, networking, and behind-the-scenes EDUTours of unique local facilities. Learn how to make your FEC stand out a crowded market and explore the latest trends designed to elevate your business. Build valuable connections and leave inspired with actionable strategies for success. Secure your spot today!   One of the biggest struggles that attractions face is service recovery and complaint resolution. To address this, Josh is excited to release a new online course called Service Recovery Hero, which allows attraction operators to streamline the service recovery process and use guest complaints to grow the business. Designed for the attractions industry, the course offers actionable strategies to handle complaints, empower e

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   The future of fun begins at IAAPA FEC Summit, January 19–21, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Join FEC and LBE professionals for an immersive experience packed with strategic insights, networking, and behind-the-scenes EDUTours of unique local facilities. Learn how to make your FEC stand out a crowded market and explore the latest trends designed to elevate your business. Build valuable connections and leave inspired with actionable strategies for success. Secure your spot today!   Are you ready for 2025? For the eighth year in a row, Matt and Josh host the AttractionPros “Resolutionary” episode, laying out goals and objectives for the following year. By sharing them with each other and publicly on the podcast, it ensures a high degree of accountability. This past year even included a mid-year resolutionary check-in in July that allowed Matt and Josh to share updates on how their resolutions were go

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   The future of fun begins at IAAPA FEC Summit, January 19–21, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Join FEC and LBE professionals for an immersive experience packed with strategic insights, networking, and behind-the-scenes EDUTours of unique local facilities. Learn how to make your FEC stand out a crowded market and explore the latest trends designed to elevate your business. Build valuable connections and leave inspired with actionable strategies for success. Secure your spot today! Jim Howell is the President of Perky's Pizza. With decades of experience in the global pizza industry, Jim has had a storied career spanning Domino's, Brugger's Bagels, and even running pizza operations in Europe and the Caribbean. He now leads Perky's Pizza, a pioneer in non-traditional food service spaces like family entertainment centers (FECs) and resorts. With a commitment to quality and innovation, Jim’s expertise in

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   The future of fun begins at IAAPA FEC Summit, January 19–21, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Join FEC and LBE professionals for an immersive experience packed with strategic insights, networking, and behind-the-scenes EDUTours of unique local facilities. Learn how to make your FEC stand out a crowded market and explore the latest trends designed to elevate your business. Build valuable connections and leave inspired with actionable strategies for success. Secure your spot today!   IAAPA Expo is the world’s largest gathering of professionals in the attractions industry, showcasing cutting-edge innovations, networking opportunities, and educational sessions that shape the future of location-based experiences. As long-time participants and advocates for the industry, Matt and Josh were actively involved in this year’s expo, including leading education sessions, along with hosting the highly successful

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   The future of fun begins at IAAPA FEC Summit, January 19–21, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Join FEC and LBE professionals for an immersive experience packed with strategic insights, networking, and behind-the-scenes EDUTours of unique local facilities. Learn how to make your FEC stand out a crowded market and explore the latest trends designed to elevate your business. Build valuable connections and leave inspired with actionable strategies for success. Secure your spot today!   David Rosenberg is the Executive Vice President, Growth and Experience, for SSA Ventures. SSA Ventures, a division of SSA Group, focuses on enhancing visitor experiences, integrating sustainability practices, and leveraging innovative technology to elevate attractions globally. SSA Group has over 90 partnerships with cultural attractions, zoos, aquariums, and theme parks, providing food and beverage, retail, and admission

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   Mark Berlin is the Director of Operations at the USS Midway Museum in San Diego, CA. Mark's career journey began in tourism with Historic Tours of America as a tour guide for Old Town Trolley Tours in Boston. He climbed the ranks, eventually managing operations in San Diego and Washington, DC. His path later led to the museum industry, where he managed audio tours at iconic Smithsonian museums, and served as Guest Services Director at the Natural History Museum in San Diego. Since joining the Midway in 2006, Mark has been integral to its success and transformation. In this interview, Mark talks about unexpected fun, embracing the introverts, and how life is a field trip.   Unexpected Fun "Retired Navy personnel are a lot of fun, and they love sharing that fun with our guests on board." Mark explained that many visitors to the USS Midway Museum are surprised to find the experience not only educationa

Looking for daily inspiration? Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   TJ Christensen is the Founding Partner and CEO of BlueGator, a company dedicated to helping theme parks, zoos, aquariums, museums, and other attractions enhance their operations by leveraging Salesforce as a CRM and data integration platform. TJ’s journey into hospitality began as a Disney College Program participant working in parking at Disney MGM Studio (now Hollywood Studios), where he caught the “hospitality bug.” From there, he advanced through roles in sales, marketing, and guest experience at Disney, followed by a decade-long tenure at accesso, leading their sales operations and helping the company expand globally. BlueGator, co-founded with a former accesso colleague, focuses on bringing advanced data integration solutions to nonprofits and attractions, streamlining their guest and donor engagement processes. In this interview, TJ talks about wrestling with data, connecting the dots, and the