Attractionpros Podcast

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   What’s the one premier event that brings the global attractions industry together? IAAPA Expo 2025, happening in Orlando, Florida, from November 17th through 21st. From breakthrough technology to world-class networking and immersive education, IAAPA Expo 2025 is where you find possible.  And, just for our audience, you’ll save $10 when you register at IAAPA.org/IAAPAExpo and use promo code EXPOAPROSTEN. Don’t miss it — we won’t!   Connecting employees to the mission of an organization is a challenge faced by both nonprofit and for-profit attractions alike. While many companies have a mission statement written on the wall or tucked into a handbook, the real impact comes when team members truly live and breathe it in their daily work. Recently, the AttractionPros community was asked how to connect employees to the mission beyond training and orientation. In this episode, Matt and Josh talk about creat

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   What’s the one premier event that brings the global attractions industry together? IAAPA Expo 2025, happening in Orlando, Florida, from November 17th through 21st. From breakthrough technology to world-class networking and immersive education, IAAPA Expo 2025 is where you find possible.  And, just for our audience, you’ll save $10 when you register at IAAPA.org/ IAAPAExpo and use promo code EXPOAPROSTEN. Don’t miss it — we won’t!   Matt Cooper is the Founder of SPRK Lighting. With a background in music, theater, and AV integration, Matt brings a unique blend of creative and technical expertise to the attractions industry. After realizing that many of his theater colleagues had moved into theme parks, he joined the industry himself and soon found that lighting design in attractions offered a dynamic canvas for storytelling. SPRK Lighting, founded in 2018, focuses on immersive and intentional lighting

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   What’s the one premier event that brings the global attractions industry together? IAAPA Expo 2025, happening in Orlando, Florida, from November 17th through 21st. From breakthrough technology to world-class networking and immersive education, IAAPA Expo 2025 is where you find possible.  And, just for our audience, you’ll save $10 when you register at IAAPA.org/ IAAPAExpo and use promo code EXPOAPROSTEN. Don’t miss it — we won’t! Every year, Matt embarks on a coaster-packed adventure known as CoasterNerdCon (CNC), and this time, the journey took him across Europe to explore some of the continent’s most iconic theme parks. While the thrills were plenty, the biggest takeaways came from the unique operational practices, cultural nuances, and creative design elements that make European parks distinct. In this episode, Matt and Josh talk about Matt’s CNC 2025 trip and what the U.S. attractions industry

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   What’s the one premier event that brings the global attractions industry together? IAAPA Expo 2025, happening in Orlando, Florida, from November 17th through 21st. From breakthrough technology to world-class networking and immersive education, IAAPA Expo 2025 is where you find possible.  And, just for our audience, you’ll save $10 when you register at IAAPA.org/IAAPAExpo and use promo code EXPOAPROSTEN. Don’t miss it — we won’t!   Olly Morgan is the Founder and CEO of Ventrata. With a background in software engineering, Olly entered the travel and attractions industry by building a ticketing system for an online travel agency before founding Ventrata. What started as a necessity after a job loss evolved into a decade-long journey to develop an enterprise-level ticketing solution tailored for large attractions, tour operators, and museums. Ventrata now powers mission-critical systems across the globe

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   Tired of outdated systems holding your attraction back? Gatemaster believes technology is part of the experience, transforming every touchpoint into an opportunity. Imagine seamless online booking, effortless mobile ordering, and data-driven insights at your fingertips. Ready to revolutionize your guest journey and maximize revenue? Power your attraction with Gatemaster. Discover the future at Gatemaster.com.   Mark Shaw is the Founder of SHAW THING CX. With a career that began in hospitality and transitioned into leadership roles at theme parks across the UK and Australia, Mark brings a uniquely people-focused approach to business transformation. He served as CEO of Adventure World in Perth, where he led a dramatic turnaround in guest satisfaction and profitability. SHAW THING CX helps organizations improve guest experiences through a people-first framework that’s grounded in operational excellence

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   Tired of outdated systems holding your attraction back? Gatemaster believes technology is part of the experience, transforming every touchpoint into an opportunity. Imagine seamless online booking, effortless mobile ordering, and data-driven insights at your fingertips. Ready to revolutionize your guest journey and maximize revenue? Power your attraction with Gatemaster. Discover the future at Gatemaster.com.   Jeremy Hauwelaert is the President and CEO of Jungle Island. With a unique background that spans business development in Belgium to sales and operations leadership in South Florida attractions, Jeremy brings a global perspective and a deep passion for the guest experience. Jungle Island, located on Watson Island in Miami, blends zoological elements with immersive, eco-friendly experiences and event-based attractions. In this interview, Jeremy talks about the Jungle Island experience, everythi

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   Tired of outdated systems holding your attraction back? Gatemaster believes technology is part of the experience, transforming every touchpoint into an opportunity. Imagine seamless online booking, effortless mobile ordering, and data-driven insights at your fingertips. Ready to revolutionize your guest journey and maximize revenue? Power your attraction with Gatemaster. Discover the future at Gatemaster.com.   Michall Floyd is the Vice President and Chief Guest Experience Officer at the Tennessee Aquarium. With a career that began in retail management and a decade spent as a touring musician, Michael brings a diverse background to his leadership role at one of the most celebrated aquariums in the country. His journey at the Tennessee Aquarium began as an admissions assistant manager and progressed to the executive team, overseeing guest experience across a sprawling, multi-building campus in Chatta

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   Tired of outdated systems holding your attraction back? Gatemaster believes technology is part of the experience, transforming every touchpoint into an opportunity. Imagine seamless online booking, effortless mobile ordering, and data-driven insights at your fingertips. Ready to revolutionize your guest journey and maximize revenue? Power your attraction with Gatemaster. Discover the future at Gatemaster.com. As the attractions industry faces workforce reductions and career shifts, professionals are grappling with the daunting challenge of reentering the job market. For many, the process feels outdated, impersonal, and overwhelming. In this episode, Matt and Josh talk about how to make the job search more effective and fulfilling, sharing timely advice gathered from recruiters, job seekers, and their own experiences navigating career development in the attractions industry. The Resume: More Than a J

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning. Tired of outdated systems holding your attraction back? Gatemaster believes technology is part of the experience, transforming every touchpoint into an opportunity. Imagine seamless online booking, effortless mobile ordering, and data-driven insights at your fingertips. Ready to revolutionize your guest journey and maximize revenue? Power your attraction with Gatemaster. Discover the future at Gatemaster.com.   Harry Tomasides is the Chief Revenue Officer of Digonex. With a background in radio sales management and inventory, Harry transitioned to the attractions industry over a decade ago and now leads the sales and marketing efforts at Digonex, a company specializing exclusively in dynamic pricing solutions. Digonex serves over 130 organizations globally, including attractions and live entertainment venues, and employs a team of PhD economists who create data-driven, customized pricing strategies. In

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   Tired of outdated systems holding your attraction back? Gatemaster believes technology is part of the experience, transforming every touchpoint into an opportunity. Imagine seamless online booking, effortless mobile ordering, and data-driven insights at your fingertips. Ready to revolutionize your guest journey and maximize revenue? Power your attraction with Gatemaster. Discover the future at Gatemaster.com.   Sondra Shannon is the Chief Executive Officer, and Jake Shannon is the Chief Growth Officer of Gatemaster Technology. With decades of combined experience in operations, business strategy, and technology, Sondra and Jake lead a company that has supported attractions for over 30 years. Gatemaster started as a point-of-sale software provider and has evolved into a full-service solutions partner for attractions of all sizes. In this interview, Sondra and Jake talk about performance coaching, reve

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   Tired of outdated systems holding your attraction back? Gatemaster believes technology is part of the experience, transforming every touchpoint into an opportunity. Imagine seamless online booking, effortless mobile ordering, and data-driven insights at your fingertips. Ready to revolutionize your guest journey and maximize revenue? Power your attraction with Gatemaster. Discover the future at Gatemaster.com. When a new theme park opens, it’s more than a ribbon-cutting—it’s a generational milestone. With the debut of Universal’s Epic Universe, the attractions industry sees its most significant park opening in the United States in over two decades. In this episode, Matt and Josh talk about the immersive design, emotional resonance, operational innovations, and friction points of Epic Universe—reflecting on their respective visits and unpacking the guest experience from both a fan and professional per

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   Tired of outdated systems holding your attraction back? Gatemaster believes technology is part of the experience, transforming every touchpoint into an opportunity. Imagine seamless online booking, effortless mobile ordering, and data-driven insights at your fingertips. Ready to revolutionize your guest journey and maximize revenue? Power your attraction with Gatemaster. Discover the future at Gatemaster.com. Tyler Adams is the General Manager of the Buffalo Trace Distillery Home Place. With a career that began in the attractions industry at Cedar Point, Tyler brings decades of experience in guest services, marketing, and operations. At Buffalo Trace in Frankfort, Kentucky, he now leads one of the most immersive brand-based visitor experiences in the spirits industry. Buffalo Trace is not only a functioning distillery but also a destination attracting over 700,000 visitors annually. In this intervie

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   Tired of outdated systems holding your attraction back? Gatemaster believes technology is part of the experience, transforming every touchpoint into an opportunity. Imagine seamless online booking, effortless mobile ordering, and data-driven insights at your fingertips. Ready to revolutionize your guest journey and maximize revenue? Power your attraction with Gatemaster. Discover the future at Gatemaster.com. Organizations often rely on sporadic guest surveys to gather feedback, resulting in limited data and missed opportunities to enhance both the guest experience and operational performance. The challenge is not just about collecting data but about building meaningful relationships with guests at scale. In this episode, Matt and Josh talk about how automating surveys can go beyond data collection to drive engagement, service recovery, and even revenue generation. Beyond the Data: Validating Assump

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   Tired of outdated systems holding your attraction back? Gatemaster believes technology is part of the experience, transforming every touchpoint into an opportunity. Imagine seamless online booking, effortless mobile ordering, and data-driven insights at your fingertips. Ready to revolutionize your guest journey and maximize revenue? Power your attraction with Gatemaster. Discover the future at Gatemaster.com.   When attractions look for ways to enhance guest satisfaction and drive revenue, they often focus on major offerings like rides, shows, or food. But sometimes, it’s the unexpected and simple additions that can create memorable moments, extend dwell time, and increase spend. In this episode, Matt and Josh talk about how a casual encounter with baby goats at a distillery unexpectedly revealed key lessons about guest engagement, dwell time, and storytelling that apply directly to the attractions

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   Tired of outdated systems holding your attraction back? Gatemaster believes technology is part of the experience, transforming every touchpoint into an opportunity. Imagine seamless online booking, effortless mobile ordering, and data-driven insights at your fingertips. Ready to revolutionize your guest journey and maximize revenue? Power your attraction with Gatemaster. Discover the future at Gatemaster.com.   In many organizations, training is seen as the cornerstone of employee development, particularly in the realm of guest service. However, relying solely on training can lead to missed opportunities to build a truly immersive service culture. The challenge is not whether to train, but how to embed training within a broader, more strategic framework that sustains guest service excellence over time. In this episode, Matt and Josh talk about how training fits into a larger ecosystem of steps to cr

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   Tired of outdated systems holding your attraction back? Gatemaster believes technology is part of the experience, transforming every touchpoint into an opportunity. Imagine seamless online booking, effortless mobile ordering, and data-driven insights at your fingertips. Ready to revolutionize your guest journey and maximize revenue? Power your attraction with Gatemaster. Discover the future at Gatemaster.com.   Attractions and hospitality organizations often view name tags as a simple part of the uniform—a box to check to ensure guests know who they’re interacting with. However, overlooking the deeper significance behind name tags can lead to missed opportunities in team engagement, guest connection, and even operational accuracy. In this episode, Matt and Josh talk about how a name tag can be a powerful symbol of identity, pride, and personal connection that strengthens both the employee and guest

Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning. Tired of outdated systems holding your attraction back? Gatemaster believes technology is part of the experience, transforming every touchpoint into an opportunity. Imagine seamless online booking, effortless mobile ordering, and data-driven insights at your fingertips. Ready to revolutionize your guest journey and maximize revenue? Power your attraction with Gatemaster. Discover the future at Gatemaster.com. Reaching 400 episodes is no small feat, but staying consistent comes with its own challenges — keeping the content fresh, meaningful, and reflective of the evolving attractions industry. One of the biggest realizations Matt and Josh have encountered along the way is that the guest experience and the employee experience are deeply intertwined, yet organizations often separate them. By pulling powerful quotes from past AttractionPros episodes — with a little help from AI — Matt and Josh revisit t

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.   Dameon Nelson is a seasoned veteran with the Six Flags organization. With a career spanning more than 30 years in the attractions industry, Dameon has held numerous operational and leadership roles across several Six Flags parks, including Great America, Great Adventure, Discovery Kingdom, and an international pos

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. Brian Stovall is the Founder and Managing Partner of Icon Leisure Services. With a career spanning more than three decades, Brian’s experience runs the gamut from theme parks and amphitheaters to live concerts and water attractions. He began his journey at Schlitterbahn Waterpark and later worked with House of Blu

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. Burton Heiss is the CEO of Escapology. With a rich background in the restaurant industry, including leadership roles at Baja Fresh, Wagamama, Nando’s, and Buddy’s Pizza, Burton brings a business-savvy approach to the world of escape rooms. His career has been centered around high-growth, brand-led companies, which