Attractionpros Podcast

Justin Rink is the General Manager of View Boston, a newly opened observation deck in Boston's Prudential Center. With a background in attractions management from Paramount, Churchill Downs, Kentucky Kingdom, and SeaWorld, Justin has previously worked in various leadership positions across the industry. In this interview, Justin talks about the View Boston experience, entrepreneurial leadership, and the importance of starting with people.   The View Boston experience “Part of the attraction, in its conception, was to be your number one spot in Boston, the very first spot." View Boston offers visitors a unique and immersive journey from the moment they enter the observation deck. From interactive elements like viewfinders and 270-degree videos showcasing Boston's skyline to personalized itineraries based on guests' preferences, the experience is designed to captivate and delight at every turn. With a focus on providing exceptional guest experiences, View Boston sets itself apart as a must-visit destination in

This minisode features Josh and Matt reflecting on their resolutions for 2024, which they set at the beginning of the year. The conversation revolves around their progress towards these goals and the broader themes of personal and professional development.  They decide to discuss their resolutions from episode 330 and evaluate their progress.   Matt's first resolution is to enhance POC University, a program he leads, by improving its website, user experience, and interface. He provides updates on the steps taken, such as creating a new website on Patreon and gathering feedback from members.   Josh's first resolution involves building partnerships and enhancing guest experience initiatives in his consulting business. He discusses his efforts to extend workshop engagements beyond one-time events by establishing partnership programs with attractions.   Matt's second resolution is to prioritize his health after undergoing quadruple bypass surgery. He shares his progress in adopting healthier habits, including exe

Mike Rotondo is the CEO of Altitude Trampoline Parks. With a background in various franchise industries, including Tropical Smoothie and Edible Arrangements, he brings a wealth of experience to his role. Since joining Altitude in 2019, Mike has primarily focused on franchise growth through enhancing the company’s processes that ensure consistency of brand standards across all locations. In this interview, Mike talks about the balance of art and process, avoiding brand creep, and pushing for what's possible.   The balance of art and process “How can we take the daily operations of this park and really make it as manageable and as teachable and as scalable as we can?" Maintaining consistent standards is crucial, but so is allowing frontline team members to infuse their authenticity into their roles. Mike emphasizes the importance of creating an environment where employees feel comfortable being themselves while adhering to company guidelines. By blending standardized processes with individual expression, Altitu

This minisode discusses the concept of The Hospitality Mentality within organizations through a real-life scenario at a grocery store. Matt recounts a positive interaction with a cashier, who engaged in conversation with him and offered a better deal on blueberries. However, the interaction turned sour when Renee's manager interrupted to discuss watering plants, disrupting the positive atmosphere.   Matt and Josh dissect the incident, emphasizing the importance of coaching team members while keeping them accountable without compromising guest experiences. They stress that The Hospitality Mentality should extend to all employees, regardless of their position within the organization. Their discussion concludes with reflections on the significance of tasks typically out of guests' view and the importance of managers prioritizing guest interactions over administrative tasks.   We want to hear from you!  How can leaders ensure they don’t disrupt a guest experience in action?  Let us know by chiming in on LinkedIn,

Mike Lusky is the Group General Manager of Adventureland Resort, Altoona, IA. With over three decades in the attractions industry, his journey began at Geauga Lake in Ohio, where he started as a taffy puller at the age of 15. Over the years, Mike has worked with industry giants like Six Flags and Great Wolf Lodge, honing his leadership skills and shaping his management style. In this interview, Mike talks about embracing history, shifting culture, and the importance of mentors.   Embracing history "One of the things I've seen most effective through any of the organizations that I've worked in is when you're able to connect the employee and their benefits to the ultimate goal." Mike emphasizes the importance of connecting the past with the present to foster a sense of continuity and pride among employees. By acknowledging and celebrating the history of Adventureland Resort, Mike believes it creates a deeper connection with both employees and guests, enhancing the overall experience.   Shifting culture "Keeping

Melissa Oviedo is the Chief Business Officer of BMorrow Productions.  Melissa brings a rich background in the attractions industry, having previously worked with Nassal, where she honed her expertise in project management and strategic development. Now, as the Chief Business Officer of BMorrow Productions, Melissa spearheads initiatives aimed at driving innovation and fostering growth within the company's diverse portfolio of projects. In this interview, Melissa talks about sustainable growth, building perspectives, and asking the right questions.   Sustainable Growth "Sustainable growth isn't just about numbers; it's about creating a lasting impact that benefits not only the business but also the environment and the community it serves." Melissa emphasizes the importance of sustainable growth in her role with BMorrow Productions and discusses strategies for maintaining steady progress while ensuring long-term viability. Melissa advocates for a holistic approach that considers environmental, social, and econo

Denise Beckson is the Vice President of Human Resources and Government Relations at Morey's Piers in Wildwood, NJ. With a wealth of experience spanning various roles within the attractions industry, including waterpark operations and lifeguarding, Denise brings a unique perspective to her current position. In this interview, Denise talks about first jobs, recruiting as sales, and government relations.   First jobs "Today's youth, a lot of them want to work somewhere that there is a social give back." Denise Beckson is deeply passionate about youth employment and its benefits. She emphasizes the importance of instilling a strong work ethic and sense of responsibility in young individuals. By showcasing well-known figures like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk, who started working as teens, Denise aims to highlight the value of early work experiences. At Morey's Piers, she orchestrates campaigns that not only attract attention but also promote the idea that jobs can be enjoyable and meaningful. From bumper car advertise

The AttractionPros Podcast has reached another milestone!  After nearly seven years, we are thrilled to reach episode 350.  To recognize how far we’ve come since 2017, we put a call out to our audience to share what they have learned from the podcast that has helped them in their business, network, or career.  With the hundreds of guests who have been on the show from every corner of the attractions industry, the takeaways are wide and diverse.  Matt and Josh also share several things that they have learned as well from producing this podcast every week for 350 weeks.  In this episode, the AttractionPros community shares what they have learned from the show.   This podcast wouldn't be possible without the incredible work of our faaaaaantastic team:   Scheduling and correspondence by Kristen Karaliunas Audio and video editing by Abby Giganan   To connect with AttractionPros: AttractionPros.com AttractionPros@gmail.com AttractionPros on Facebook AttractionPros on LinkedIn AttractionPros on Instagram Attraction

James Jensen is the founder and CEO of JUMP, the world’s first wingsuit base jumping simulator. If you have ever dreamed of flying like Superman, but don’t have the time, ability or finances to do it for real, this hyper-realistic simulation might be for you. Early in his life, James began oil painting like his father. Later when he discovered computers, he was happy to locate the undo button and that is what spring boarded his career as a designer. From there he opened his own design agency where he worked with actors on specific sets and green screens, and it wasn’t long after that that he founded the VOID, another immersive attraction. That then led to the founding of JUMP in 2022.  In this thought-provoking episode, James talks about going into the future, transformational experiences, and that fear is an illusion.   Going into the future “In late 2016, I imagined going to JUMP, and what that would be like as a customer.” James didn’t realize that he and Nicola Tesla had something in common… they would bo

Steve Balliet is the Senior Manager of Hershey’s US Owned Retail in Hershey, PA.  In his role, Steve runs both Hershey’s Chocolate World locations, with one in Hershey, PA, and one in Times Square in New York.  Steve began his career at Dorney Park as a seasonal supervisor where he found his passion for the business, particularly in leadership.  Later, Steve took an opportunity to move to Hershey, where he has been for more than 20 years.  In this interview, Steve talks about working for a purpose, from the bean to the bar, and transformational leadership.   Working for a purpose “When you think about Hershey, you think about fun, you think about chocolate, and you think about kids.” The Milton Hershey School, founded in 1920 by Milton Hershey, is a boarding school for orphan boys.  Currently, the school serves thousands of underprivileged kids from all around the country from kindergarten through 12th grade.  The school is funded by the Hershey Company and Hershey Entertainment & Resorts in perpetuity. F

Björn Ingi Knútsson is one of the major reasons that Matt and his friends had such a positive experience in Iceland. He was the group's tour guide and was instrumental in either setting up or influencing many of the “Lessons from Iceland” Matt talked about in Episode 340. Bjorn is a native Icelander and has tremendous experience within the business and hospitality sectors, both in Iceland and around the world. He became a tour guide later in life when he was looking for something fun to do. He is also a certified wine expert and runs an attraction of his own, Vínskólinn Við Vatnið, which translates to “Wine School by the Lake”. In this episode, Bjorn talks about Icelandic tourism, conquering yourself and managing logistics.   Icelandic Tourism “We have way more tourism in the Southwest of Iceland.” Compared to the US, Icelandic tourism is in its infancy. In fact, the majority of tourists who come to visit Iceland stay in the Southwestern corner of the country, which is where you find the major airport, the ca

Zach Blutner is the Managing Director of Inter_.  Zach has built his career in tourism, museums, attractions, and experiences, all in New York City.  Inter_ is an AI-led immersive experience.  The experience is led by “I,” who is from the future and has returned to tell guests what it has learned.  Guests visiting Inter_ get to interact with projection mapping, interconnected orbs, an interactive floor, and visually stunning interactive elements that often connect to a deeper meaning, message, or story for guests to explore.  In this interview, Zach talks about the Interverse, layers in storytelling, and creating a sandbox.   The Interverse “Interactive immersive experiences aren’t a new concept, but it’s a term that’s become hot now.” When people think of immersive, they think of one giant room with projection mapping.  While that is one avenue of immersive entertainment, Inter_ combines many elements into what Zach describes as “interversive.”  This includes projection mapping, but multiple elements for gue

We’re in the business of creating memories that last a lifetime.  While that’s a nice, feel-good statement, it’s also the attractions industry’s business model.  Once a guest leaves an attraction, their biggest takeaway is the memory of their experience, and our goal is to turn that memory into action: planning to visit again and influencing others to visit as well.  And one of the best ways to solidify a memory is by capturing photos and/or videos of your guests. It may seem like a simple act of courtesy, but in this “minisode,” Matt recalls moments from his recent trip to Iceland where he offered to take photos of other tourists, which sparked memories for him from doing the same thing for guests while working in theme parks.  Offering to take a photo initiates an interaction, which allows for personalization, and therefore creates a moment that is greater than the photo itself. Matt and Josh break down the benefits of capturing photos and videos of guests, and how they enhance the guest experience.  The fi

Jill Raff is the Founder and CEO of the Jill Raff Group, where she helps organizations work from the inside out by focusing on the employee experience, which leads to an excellent customer experience.  Jill grew up in the restaurant business and is a columnist for Nation’s Restaurant News.  Today, Jill helps companies attract and retain the right people who align with their core values, making them the employer of choice and a company worth talking about.  In this interview, Jill talks about expectations management, screening for values, and reacting vs. responding. Expectations management “Without proper expectations management, people are going to project what they think on a scenario or how they are supposed to work.” The idea of expectations management applies equally to the guest and employee experience alike.  If a business is understaffed, the simplest way to communicate it to guests is that operations are reduced because of lower staffing.  However, by going deeper into why staffing is not as strong

The “desperation hire,” also referred to as the “pulse test” or the need for “warm bodies” (please stop calling it that), is a challenge often faced throughout all areas of the industry, regardless of attraction type or geography.  When staffing crunches hit, organizations scramble to fill positions quickly, which risks compromising standards and expectations in the interest of having a complete schedule. In this “minisode,” Matt and Josh share suggestions for minimizing the desperation.  This includes adjusting operating hours to meet available staffing resources and reducing areas where staff is necessary.  Additionally, organizations can plan to over-recruit by expanding the pool of applicants needed to fill vacant job openings, implement routines to always be recruiting (ABR), and streamlining their onboarding process so that new hires can ramp up quickly and gain proficiency in an efficient manner.   We want to hear from you!  How are you avoiding the desperation hire?  Let us know by chiming in on Linke

Jon Pausley is the CEO of Arnolds Park Amusement Park, a gem of a location found in the Northwest corner of Iowa. In addition to the amusement park, the property also contains a shopping and dining district, a scenic boat tour on Lake Okoboji, a beach, 3 museums and indoor and outdoor concert venues. Jon’s attraction industry story dates back to growing up in Ohio where his family had season passes to Kings Island. He credits those early experiences with defining his love for the business and even said as a young student that he thought it would be fun to run an amusement park. Now with a Masters in Leadership, Jon applies a wealth of knowledge to his role of leading Arnolds Park into the future. In this interview, Jon discusses generational loyalty, leading with positivity, and familiar but better. Generational Loyalty "The attractions industry is a people business." There aren’t many 100+ year-old amusement parks left in existence in the United States. Arnolds Park is one of them, which means they have be

Do you check your email when you’re out of office?  That was the question discussed in this week’s “minisode,” where Matt reflected on his trip to Iceland and pointed out times when he responded to messages, even though his out-of-office reply suggested that he wouldn’t.  This led to a conversation about how we, along with attractions industry leaders, strive to communicate while they are off property, on vacation, or otherwise out of office.   We want to hear from you!  What’s the best way to be out of office?  Do you occasionally chime in, or do you shut down notifications altogether to be fully inaccessible?  Let us know by chiming in on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, or Instagram.   What do you think of this episode format?  Let us know if you want us to produce more minisodes!   To connect with AttractionPros: AttractionPros.com AttractionPros@gmail.com AttractionPros on Facebook AttractionPros on LinkedIn AttractionPros on Instagram AttractionPros on Twitter (X)

Lessons from Iceland When you think about vacation spots, Iceland may not come up on everyone’s to-do list, but it did for Matt and a group of friends from his neighborhood. They wanted to experience the Northern Lights, Icelandic food and culture, and take in the beauty the country has to offer. In this episode, Matt and Josh discuss some of the experiences Matt and his friends had and how they relate to business and life.  The first thing Matt and Josh discussed was a hot dog. Yes, a hot dog. As Matt and his friends researched things to do in Iceland, they kept hearing about this special hot dog that you could only get in Iceland, so they had to seek it out.  It was a good hotdog, but the bigger lesson has to do with marketing and hype. We’ve all had hot dogs before, but the hype and attention this hot dog got made them think it was pretty special! If you believe in your product and tell a good story, people will want to seek you out.  The next lesson also had to do with food, but this time it was the premi

This episode started with a question about what we as an industry might be lacking compared to other industries. It just so happens that Josh and Matt were talking about premium experiences just before recording, so that happened to be on our minds. In this episode, we talk about possible enhancements attractions can make to premiumize both the guest and employee experience.  At its core, a premium experience is based on three things: exclusivity, efficiency and personalization. With that in mind, we brainstormed a few ways to include those in our offerings to guests and employees. For example, what if guests who opted for a premium experience not only had a special parking pass, but a separate lane to bypass all other traffic?  Or better (or even more premium) yet, what if a van or limo arrived to pick the guests up and bring them to the park?  Would THAT feel like a premium start to the day? We also talked about this for employees, and discussed that what employees really crave is to be heard, valued and kn

Deborah Eicher is the International Sales and Marketing Director for RES Rides, a Swiss-based rides manufacturer known for creating unique experiences.  Deborah began her career in the fashion industry after getting a business degree from the University of Iowa and later moved into banking and finance.  When Deborah moved to Orlando to be closer to family, she was hired as Operations Manager for Flight Avionics (now Pulseworks), where she operated flight simulators on aircraft carriers and museums.  During that time, Deborah was quickly promoted to Vice President and then President and COO, and grew the operation from one location to twenty.  Ten years later, she was offered the opportunity to join the photo retail provider Picsolve (now owned by Pomvom) as President and COO, where she achieved stellar results, specifically for photo sales at Merlin’s midway locations.  In 2014, Deborah moved to the UK and focused on RFP development for manufacturers and suppliers, where she connected with RES Rides which led