94.3K
Downloads
376
Episodes
AttractionPros brings you into the room with the top leaders, executives, and influencers in the attractions industry, to gain the widest possible perspective of all areas of the industry. Most people are only exposed to the practices of their own organization without seeing how the rest of the industry operates. By following AttractionPros, you will gain the skills and knowledge needed to succeed and learn from the best of the best, whether you are the CEO or just beginning your career.
Episodes
Tuesday Feb 28, 2023
Tuesday Feb 28, 2023
Jeroen Nijpels is the Owner and Managing Director of JNELC. After several years of experience of theme park planning and attraction sales in Asia and Europe, Jeroen established JNELC to assist parks in purchasing attractions. Throughout his career, Jeroen has developed strong relationships and has been instrumental in leading IAAPA’s young professionals program. Jeroen is also currently the Chair of IAAPA’s Manufacturer & Supplier Committee and serves on the Board of Directors. In this interview, Jeroen shares insights into the challenges of selling roller coasters, the importance of relationship-based marketing, and valuable advice for young professionals aspiring to excel in the industry.
Selling Roller Coasters
“The bottom line is… I sell roller coasters.”
Selling roller coasters (along with other types of rides and attractions) is an art that goes far beyond just adding an attraction to a facility. It involves a comprehensive approach that considers various factors such as the target audience and unforeseen/indirect costs. Jeroen understands that each sale is a defining moment for his company, and he strives to make it successful by incorporating portfolio management and a 'big picture' ideology into his sales practice.
Jeroen uses every sale as an opportunity to learn and improve his approach, which helps him become a more effective manager for his clients year after year. By prioritizing a holistic approach to roller coaster sales and figuring out what sticks from previous sales, Jeroen has established a reputation for delivering results that exceed his clients' expectations.
Relationship-Based Marketing
"Our industry is friendly towards its competition."
Jeroen's goal when working with new clients is to establish long-term relationships. JNELC recognizes that purchasing roller coasters and attractions is a significant investment, and they strive to maintain contact with clients to remain updated on their needs and preferences. By keeping this connection, Jeroen has been successful in turning new clients into lifelong customers.
Jeroen leverages his existing relationships to build new connections and expand his network. Instead of exhibiting at trade shows, JNELC instead opts to host social events for both existing and potential clients. By taking a patient and proactive approach, JNELC builds strong, lasting connections that extend beyond typical business interactions. This strategy has allowed Jeroen to cultivate a network of clients who trust and value his expertise, making JNELC a go-to source for purchasing attractions and related services.
Advice for Young Professionals
"Ask questions, and ask people for help."
Jeroen spearheaded the establishment of the IAAPA Young Professionals program nearly two decades ago, finding motivation to create this program after interacting with young talents who expressed their difficulties in networking with industry professionals and breaking into the industry. In response, Jeroen helped create a program that provides young professionals with networking opportunities and helps them step out of their comfort zone.
With almost three decades of experience in the industry, Jeroen advises young professionals to broaden their network and seek help from others. By interacting with more people outside of their current network and taking initiative, young professionals can gain a deeper understanding of the industry and identify their career goals. By setting these goals and pursuing them with determination, success is within reach.
To connect with Jeroen, you can find him on LinkedIn. To learn more about JNELC, you can find their website here.
This episode is kindly sponsored by Attractions.io, the guest experience platform behind Merlin Entertainments’, San Diego Zoo’s, and the PGA Championship’s branded mobile apps. Like us, the team at Attractions.io are on a mission to elevate our guest experiences and ensure they exceed the expectations of today’s digitally native guests. By combining a branded mobile app with an operator console that consolidates behavioral data from every touchpoint in the guest journey, the Attractions.io platform empowers operators with the tools they need to increase guest satisfaction, spending, and loyalty. To learn more about how Attractions.io can help you connect your end-to-end guest experience, visit Attractions.io/howitworks.
This podcast wouldn't be possible without the incredible work of our amazing team:
- Scheduling and correspondence by Kristen Karaliunas
- Summary by Mason Nichols
- Video editing by Abigail Giganan
To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
Brandon Thom, an experienced theme park executive, discovered his passion for the attractions industry after working in banking for an oil and gas lender. By having an insatiable fascination for amusement parks since his childhood, Brandon realized that his heart was set on working in the industry. Brandon's journey in the attractions industry began when he served as a Show Ambassador for the 2013 IAAPA convention. After the event, Brandon landed an internship at Busch Gardens Williamsburg and quickly transitioned to a full-time role on the team. Since then, Brandon has held various leadership positions at Universal Orlando Resort, Merlin Entertainments, and most recently, he served as the Vice President of Adventure Island for Sea World Parks & Entertainment. In this interview, Brandon talks about making genuine connections, enabling leaders, and following your unique path.
Making Genuine Connections
"The connections have to be authentic and genuine, otherwise the person will see right through it."
As a young professional, Brandon understood the importance of networking for success in the industry. However, he also knows that many people make mistakes while networking, such as relying too much on a single contact or being insincere in their approach. To achieve real success in networking, Brandon emphasizes the importance of building friendships, rather than just connections.
Brandon's advice is simple: when networking, don't get caught up in someone's job title or position. Instead, focus on finding common ground and building a connection based on shared interests beyond just professional goals/aspirations. This will help you avoid a boring, insincere conversation and develop a stronger bond with your contact. After all, networking should be enjoyable.
Enabling Leaders
"Our industry is fortunate to have a lot of engaged leaders."
Enabling leaders is crucial to the success of any operation. By giving leaders the confidence they need, you can build a strong team that can withstand challenges and create an excellent guest experience.
However, Brandon stresses the importance of understanding the difference between enabling and empowering leaders. Enabling team members may give them some minor responsibilities, but it doesn't necessarily grant them freedom to run a section of the operation and truly learn. This approach could limit them to following orders rather than truly developing as leaders. In contrast, empowering team members gives them significant responsibilities and the opportunity to learn from their mistakes.
When a leader makes a mistake, they should be eager to improve. Fortunately, the attractions industry has many engaged leaders who are committed to making things right. To discourage mistakes, we should demonstrate what they missed out on by not getting it right, rather than merely reprimanding them for their errors.
Following Your Unique Path
"Your story is different than everybody else's."
Brandon didn't kickstart his career until he was in graduate school, after watching many of his friends land stable careers. The greatest lesson Brandon shares is to follow your own path and avoid comparing yourself to others. It's okay to start later than your peers. As with many other aspects of the industry, have fun and enjoy the experience.
Brandon encourages people seeking to start a career in attractions to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on themselves by constantly planning for the future. Instead, focus on doing what makes you happy by taking it one step at a time. When speaking with other young professionals, Brandon enjoys sharing his story and often encourages his audience to avoid common stressors that can make their industry experiences overwhelming.
To connect with Brandon, you can find him on LinkedIn.
This episode is kindly sponsored by Attractions.io, the guest experience platform behind Merlin Entertainments’, San Diego Zoo’s, and the PGA Championship’s branded mobile apps. Like us, the team at Attractions.io are on a mission to elevate our guest experiences and ensure they exceed the expectations of today’s digitally native guests. By combining a branded mobile app with an operator console that consolidates behavioral data from every touchpoint in the guest journey, the Attractions.io platform empowers operators with the tools they need to increase guest satisfaction, spending, and loyalty. To learn more about how Attractions.io can help you connect your end-to-end guest experience, visit Attractions.io/howitworks.
This podcast wouldn't be possible without the incredible work of our amazing team:
- Scheduling and correspondence by Kristen Karaliunas
- Summary by Mason Nichols
- Video editing by Abigail Giganan
To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com
Tuesday Feb 14, 2023
Tuesday Feb 14, 2023
Kimberly Beaudin is the Chief Executive Officer at the College Football Hall of Fame. Located in Atlanta, GA, the interactive experience and hall of fame immortalizes players of college football dating back to 1951. Kimberly began her career at Disney, where she developed a love for attractions and hospitality. After several years of marketing experience, Kimberly joined the College Football Hall of Fame, and was promoted to CEO in early 2020. In this interview, Kimberly talks about bringing game day energy, the 4 C’s of leadership, and college football as a lifestyle.
Bringing Game Day Energy
"We're here to deliver a wonderful experience to our guests... and we should enjoy doing it."
Kimberly knows that the best way to engage their guests is to have staff energy spill into the guest experience. From the moment guests walk into the main entrance, Kimberly wants them to be completely immersed in game day energy and all the amazing feelings that come with college football.
Fan Ambassadors are essential in creating the game day energy. By building a team that interacts with the guests in a personal and exciting manner, it compliments the already interactive experience and helps build the emotions that fight songs and rivalries bring every game day. Kimberly has built this living, breathing experience to go beyond the 3 story helmet wall and into the hearts of their guests.
The 4 C’s of Leadership
"I believe that leaders need to lead with confidence, courage, conviction, and compassion."
Kimberly’s leadership philosophy is to work hard and play hard. To accomplish this, she uses the 4 C’s of leadership she’s developed throughout her career: confidence, courage, conviction, and compassion.
Confidence means ‘knowing your stuff’ and not being afraid to share your ideas. Courage is the ability to keep moving forward and not being timid when it comes time to make a decision. Conviction is having the ability to make those tough decisions and put your foot down when it’s needed. Finally, compassion is treating people the way they want to be treated.
The 4 C’s all play into each other, and although words like conviction and compassion may seem contradictory, they actually feed off of their connection and help develop great leadership practice. By developing one of the C’s, you actually develop all of them, as every word is connected.
College Football as a Lifestyle
"The drive to succeed in team sports is a direct parallel to business."
College football is one of the most popular sports in America. For many, watching their alma mater on the field can pull at their heartstrings and get them much more invested in the game since they’re representing something close to their heart. Additionally, generational fandom and rivalries are even more big factors that get people invested in the world of college sports.
Kimberly knows that these ideas behind college football also apply to many other things. Passion is a huge aspect in life, whether it be with hobbies or in the workplace. Additionally, this passion creates bonds that unites groups together, both large and small. Overall, implementing the ideology of college football into the workplace or anywhere else can create a great environment for all the people involved.
To connect with Kimberly, you can connect with her on LinkedIn. To learn more about the College Football Hall of Fame, click here.
This episode is kindly sponsored by Attractions.io, the guest experience platform behind Merlin Entertainments’, San Diego Zoo’s, and the PGA Championship’s branded mobile apps. Like us, the team at Attractions.io are on a mission to elevate our guest experiences and ensure they exceed the expectations of today’s digitally native guests. By combining a branded mobile app with an operator console that consolidates behavioral data from every touchpoint in the guest journey, the Attractions.io platform empowers operators with the tools they need to increase guest satisfaction, spending, and loyalty. To learn more about how Attractions.io can help you connect your end-to-end guest experience, visit Attractions.io/howitworks.
This podcast wouldn't be possible without the incredible work of our amazing team:
- Scheduling and correspondence by Kristen Karaliunas
- Summary by Mason Nichols
- Video editing by Abigail Giganan
To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com
Tuesday Feb 07, 2023
Tuesday Feb 07, 2023
The role of the frontline team member in the attractions industry is changing. As technology continues to evolve, fewer team members are needed to complete certain functions than before. This isn’t a new phenomenon, but certainly accelerated in recent years, in part due to trends coming from the pandemic where more functions were made contactless and self-service. Additionally, with the labor challenges that the industry has been facing, there are more and more conversations being had about how to do mre with less, as many businesses are hiring fewer team members and at a higher wage. In this episode, Matt and Josh put their minds together to discuss the evolving role of the frontline team member.
The role of the frontline team member is evolving due to a combination of technology and wage increases.
It’s no surprise that the pandemic drastically changed many unique aspects of the industry, but one of the sizable changes observed has impacted the entire workforce. Wage increases have been happening across the world as a result of the impact that the pandemic had on the labor market. Since our frontline employees are demanding higher wages and are also having many aspects of their job changed by the incorporation of technology, their role needs to evolve so we can keep providing a great guest and employee experience.
If you have fewer team members and are paying them more, this raises their standards and your expectations from them to deliver a superior guest experience.
If a guest were to go to a park and interact with 10 team members, and 9 delivered a great interaction, most would say that they had a great overall experience. However, with fewer team members and less interaction with them due to the use of technology, that 1 ‘dud’ team member may be the only interaction a guest has in their day, resulting in the guest developing a completely different perspective.
With fewer team members, there is less of a chance to make a good impression. To combat this, our frontline team members need to become well equipped and have fewer barriers so that when they interact with guests, they can have a great interaction and solve problems with ease.
With less in the way, team members can exceed guests' expectations by proactively anticipating needs and create "wow" moments more easily.
As technology and automation help to remove many functions of your team members’ job duties, this enables them to have more opportunities to facilitate personal interactions. Leaders should take a close look at their job descriptions and employee handbooks and determine if “exceeding expectations” is part of their daily routine, or if it is considered an afterthought.
By fully focusing on the guest experience, frontline team members can gain a higher sense of fulfillment and satisfaction with their jobs.
Since technology has the ability to handle many redundant aspects of the industry such as ticket selling or front of line passes, we can allow our employees to become guest experience ambassadors. By giving them a strong purpose and equipping them with the proper toolset, they can make guests happy every day, one of the main reasons many people work in the industry.
By giving team members fulfillment and purpose, they begin to develop a sense of excitement when coming to work, and a fun drive home after their day is over. Instead of creating stressful environments where our frontline team members are doing the same actions, they can instead be trusted to create memories and feel excited about who they’ll interact with the next day.
How are you keeping up with the inevitable evolution of your frontline team members in the attractions industry?
This podcast wouldn't be possible without the incredible work of our amazing team:
- Summary by Mason Nichols
- Video editing by Abigail Giganan
To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com
This episode is kindly sponsored by Attractions.io, the guest experience platform behind Merlin Entertainments’, San Diego Zoo’s, and the PGA Championship’s branded mobile apps.
Like us, the team at Attractions.io are on a mission to elevate our guest experiences and ensure they exceed the expectations of today’s digitally native guests. By combining a branded mobile app with an operator console that consolidates behavioral data from every touchpoint in the guest journey, the Attractions.io platform empowers operators with the tools they need to increase guest satisfaction, spending, and loyalty.
To learn more about how Attractions.io can help you connect your end-to-end guest experience, visit Attractions.io/howitworks.
Tuesday Jan 31, 2023
Tuesday Jan 31, 2023
Jakob Wahl is the President and CEO of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). Frequently visiting the hometown carnival he grew up with in Germany, Jakob fell in love with the attractions industry at a young age. Jakob’s first summer job was checking tickets at Phantasialand, and he quickly made a career out of it once he graduated. Jakob became a Programme Manager for IAAPA Europe and stayed there for four years until he joined Europa-Park’s management team, later becoming the executive manager for special projects. Jakob later came back to IAAPA as the Vice President of IAAPA Europe, later being promoted to COO, and as of January 1st, President and CEO of the organization. In his first interview as CEO of IAAPA, Jakob talks about being curious, staying relevant, and the IAAPA member experience.
Being Curious
"Be curious, and don't be afraid."
One of Jakob’s biggest sources of inspiration was Steve Jobs, one of the world’s greatest minds, primarily accredited to his curiosity. Jakob emphasizes that there is always something you can learn in any situation, even if you don’t believe it has relevance to what you do. Whether it’s something not to do or something you can do differently, when you’re curious, everything has more value.
Jakob applies these ideas to his team as well. By bringing in great minds that are better than you in certain practices, you can create a powerful team fueled by curiosity. By giving your employees freedom to disagree and encouraging them to act on their ideas, you can stretch your organization’s limits far beyond what you thought was possible by empowering the idea of curiosity.
Staying Relevant
“This association is more than 100 years old, and we have always adapted to service our members.”
One of the greatest challenges many organizations face today is the idea of staying relevant, whether its new expansions in the metaverse or different social media platforms, organizations have to adapt and find new ways to connect to their audience. Jakob knows the importance of staying relevant, and he’s already beginning to bring IAAPA into the new digital age.
Jakob wants members to know that IAAPA is not only a trade show, but rather an organization with the primary purpose of servicing our industry 365 days a year in many forms. By implementing a regional strategy and servicing members by providing more accessible information, Jakob is creating a stronger outreach and bond with members. Even with all of these advancements, we don’t see a metaverse trade show happening anytime soon, and Jakob shares that IAAPA will never forget the power of physical and personal interaction.
The IAAPA Member Experience
"Yes, it is a business, but it's also an experience."
For those who visited the 2022 IAAPA expo, you’ll know that it was much more than a trade show. With a DJ in the entrance and awesome displays of industry innovations, IAAPA is working to make the member experience even better with more social and networking events.
Jakob emphasizes that service is IAAPA’s priority, and IAAPA is going through great lengths to innovate and personalize your experience. With new services like the Connect+ app where you can connect with other members, or the IAAPA marketplace where members can contact vendors, IAAPA is working to bring an even more connected future to the attractions industry.
To contact Jakob, you can connect with him on LinkedIn. To learn more about IAAPA, you can visit their website here.
This podcast wouldn't be possible without the incredible work of our amazing team:
- Scheduling and correspondence by Kristen Karaliunas
- Summary by Mason Nichols
- Video editing by Abigail Giganan
To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com
Tuesday Jan 24, 2023
Tuesday Jan 24, 2023
Charles Coyle is General Manager and Managing Director of Emerald Park, Ireland's only theme park & zoo. If you have never heard of Emerald Park, don’t feel bad, the park has operated since 2010 as Tayto Park, but in March of 2023 will reopen as the rebranded Emerald Park. The new name reflects the spirit of Ireland and harkens back to the country's nickname, the Emerald Isle. In this fascinating episode, Charles talks about rebranding a park, learning from growing pains and continuing a legacy.
Rebranding a park
"If we were to ever change the name of the park, now is the time to do it."
Charles and his team reached a critical juncture where expansion of the park was imminent and marketing the current name and identity was not lucrative for reaching outside of mainland Ireland. They felt if they didn’t do it now, there would be no turning back.
Rebranding a park is no small task. Picking a name is tough enough, but then you have to think about every place the old logo, name or likeness was placed so it can be changed. Charles says that right now the marketing team is working really hard to ensure that all of the old logos and insignia are changed out before opening. Charles has a realistic view saying it’s likely they will miss something along the way, but that’s okay.
Learning from growing pains
"You learn more from your failures than you do from your successes."
In 2015, the park had an amazing year… sort of. Attendance was up, spending was up, profits were up. Unfortunately, so were guest complaints. Because they were not ready for the influx of guests that year, they disappointed many of them and the park saw a pretty significant dip in attendance the following year.
To overcome this, Charles said they had to not just say to their guests, “Hey, we're better now”, they also had to invest in infrastructure and facilities so they could accommodate more guests. This meant not just adding attractions, but also looking at bathrooms and how the crowds would be managed. Ultimately it took about 3 years to win back the trust from the guests.
Continuing a legacy
"As I was able to learn and grow, the park grew as well."
Charles literally grew up at the park working alongside his Dad, Raymond. Raymond was the visionary that created Tayto Park and built it up to the destination it is. Unfortunately, Raymond passed away before the rebranding was complete, but Charles will tell you that his Dad’s fingerprint is on every inch of that park.
Charles now has big shoes to fill as he carries on his Dad’s legacy. He seems up to the task, never forgetting the lessons he has learned as he and the park grew up together.
To learn more about Emerald Park, visit their website or check them out on Facebook or Instagram.
To connect with AttractionPros, email us at attractionpros@gmail.com.
Tuesday Jan 17, 2023
Tuesday Jan 17, 2023
Arthur Levine is a Theme Park Journalist at AboutThemeParks.fun, and has been covering the amusement industry for more than 30 years. Arthur has regularly contributed to USA Today, About.com, FunWorld, and several other publications where he covers all aspects of theme and amusement parks. His unique career has taken him all over the world, where he was able to attend the grand opening of Shanghai Disneyland, the 25th anniversary of Walt Disney World, and be among the first riders on Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa and Mako at SeaWorld Orlando. In this interview, Arthur talks about theme park journalism, turning your passion into your career, and blending nostalgia with technology.
Theme park journalism
"I have a responsibility to the parks and to the readers, and I take that very seriously."
The landscape of journalism has changed drastically over the past few decades, and the attractions industry has had to adapt in the way that stories are shared. While many of the core fundamentals of reporting remain the same, the ability for readers to respond and engage in dialogue has created challenges in today’s landscape of social media - including clickbait, gratuitous negativity, and controversy for the sake of controversy.
In response to this, Arthur has launched his own Substack, AboutThemeParks.fun, that allows him to offer a subscription service that avoids many of the challenges listed above. Both free and paid subscriptions are available, with bonus content made available to paid subscribers.
Turning your passion into your career
“If you can enjoy the work that you’re doing, that’s a great blessing.”
Arthur has been passionate about amusement parks for as long as he can remember. As early as two years old, Arthur visited Revere Beach in Massachusetts with his mother and grandmother, and while everyone sat on the beach and looked at the ocean, Arthur faced the other way, enamored by the rides in operation at the park.
Since then, Arthur has covered the theme park industry extensively. While there are many perks to his career, many people overlook the amount of hard work that go into producing quality content and meeting deadlines.
Blending nostalgia with technology
"There's a deep sense of nostalgia, but there's also a great sense of wonder to experience something new."
One of the reasons people visit amusement parks is to relive memories from their childhood and to share these experiences with their families as they create new traditions. This creates an opportunity for parks - whether they are trolley parks that opened in 1800s or Disney theme parks - to preserve their heritage for years to come. It also creates a challenge, considering much of today’s consumer demands greater use of technology.
However, much of the industry was founded on the premise of showcasing new technologies that allowed them to wow and awe their guests. Therefore, when parks embrace new technology, it allows them to maintain their roots of providing cutting edge entertainment to guests.
To subscribe to Arthur’s substack, visit AboutThemeParks.fun. You can also follow Arthur on Twitter and Facebook.
To connect with AttractionPros, email us at attractionpros@gmail.com.
Tuesday Jan 10, 2023
Tuesday Jan 10, 2023
As we head into 2023, AttractionPros is proud to present the sixth annual “resolutionary” episode, which sets the stage for the year to come. In order to look forward, we look back on several guests interviewed in the past year and highlight many of the insights shared on the podcast by some of the industry’s top leaders. As you set your goals for the year ahead, you may find yourself looking for the best ways to achieve results, and this guidance may be found in past interviews of this podcast. In this episode, Matt and Josh look to the advice from previous podcast guests as they share their goals for 2023.
Staying on the edge
Matt shared that he will strive toward continual and incremental improvement in 2023. To achieve this, Matt referenced episode 240 where John Penney talked about the importance of staying on the edge. Always looking at the latest practices for how results are achieved can help you make regular improvements that may otherwise have stayed flat. Complacency leads to stagnation, and ultimately leads to decline; therefore, staying on the edge is critical to growth.
Everything is figure-out-able and learning from failure
In 2022, Josh set out to learn to play piano, but felt that he hit a wall with his proficiency. Looking to episode 252, Brad Collins taught us that everything is figure-out-able, which has motivated Josh to keep going and strive for improvement. Part of progress, however, is failure, whether it is learning to play an instrument or running a business. In episode 227, Craig Buster talked about the value of learning from failure that eventually leads to success.
Advocating for the next generation
Matt seeks to increase his involvement with supporting professionals who are new to the industry, including young professionals and those early in their careers. Similarly, Andrea Wiles spoke about advocating for children in episode 236, where shared the long-lasting impact that it has. By advocating for the next generation of attractions industry professionals, Matt seeks to make an impact long after his time in the industry is up.
Thinking outside the lines and embracing crazy ideas
In episode 70, Josh shared that his “big hairy audacious goal” (BHAG) was to write a book on guest experience. Fast forward to today, and the book is expected to be published in 2023! In order to achieve a successful book launch, Josh wants to channel his creative side, even if it may be non-traditional. To do this, Josh referenced episode 234 and episode 264, where Winston Fisher talked about thinking outside the lines and Sarah Clarke talked about thinking outside the box, respectively. Additionally, Dr. Peter Ricci shared an amazing success story that was a result of embracing crazy ideas in episode 256.
Bringing up uncomfortable subjects
Matt talked about how during one-on-one coaching sessions, oftentimes leaders may open up and share vulnerable feelings that they may not feel comfortable sharing in more public settings. By doing so, they often lead to breakthroughs and are the catalyst for long-term improvement. By looking to what Dr. Tonya Matthews shared in episode 237 about bringing up uncomfortable subjects, Matt wants to take this mindset and ensure that he can implement it most effectively, which, from a business standpoint, is much less scalable than large workshops and other one-to-many sessions. In order to do this, Matt also looks to Winston Fisher’s guidance on thinking outside the lines from episode 234.
Embracing family and saying yes to opportunity
Josh had a disruption to his plans for 2023, and as he and his family cope with changes, he is inspired by the messages that Brian Knoebel shared in episode 244 and Chuck Wray in episode 266 on putting family first. Additionally, Djuan Rivers shared the benefits of saying yes to opportunities in episode 260. This can include travel, engagement with the industry, and other opportunities that otherwise would not have been possible.
If you have been inspired by our guests to achieve your goals, we would love to hear about it. Please connect with us via Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, Instagram, or send us an email.
We wish you a happy, healthy, and successful year ahead, and we look forward to bringing you many more amazing guests in 2023!
Tuesday Jan 03, 2023
Tuesday Jan 03, 2023
Wess Long is the President of StarGuard ELITE, an aquatic risk prevention agency that is internationally recognized for its elite training, certification, and consulting programs serving lifeguards, management, attraction attendants, and more. Wess is passionate about the aquatics industry, having spent time in facilities all over the world. It's that experience and passion that drives him and the team at StarGuard ELITE to pursue the best in training practices for the people who are keeping our pools and waterparks safe. In this episode, Wess talks about the role of a lifeguard, experiential learning and client centric solutions.
The role of a lifeguard
"It's critical that we understand the role of a lifeguard."
If everything goes as planned, you likely won’t have a lot of interaction with a lifeguard at your local pool or waterpark. That is because their job is to literally guard lives, and they do this by watching for distress in swimmers so they can identify dangerous situations long before they pose a threat to the public.
In many ways, lifeguards are first responders and are part of the medical response team and can mean the difference between life and death. Like the fire department or paramedics, their job, in the event of an emergency, is to sustain life and stabilize the situation until others arrive. It’s a big responsibility that in many cases is bestowed on young adults.
Experiential learning
"Experiential learning is not just about doing, but also talking about it."
Guarding a life is not a passive activity. Wess believes that the training that prepares someone for the role of a lifeguard should be more than just classroom learning, and even more than a hands-on experience. At StarGuard ELITE, their training program is centered around the concept of experiential learning - which like lifeguarding itself, is not a passive process.
As Wess says, it’s not enough to do the activities, you must also talk about them and personalize them. What went well, what can be improved, and how did a particular guard’s actions help or hinder the process? Talking through scenarios also tends to uncover the “why” and purpose of what lifeguards do.
Client-centric solutions
"There are objectives and standards that can be the same, but the ways to get there can be very different."
Every client has the same goal - keep their guests safe. Wess and StarGuard ELITE’s approach is that there are many ways to get there, taking into consideration the size and scope of the facility they are working with.
This means that there is no one-size-fits all approach. Wess and his team take time to assess the strengths and needs of each team they work with, finding an approach and process that takes into consideration budget, staffing and location. At the end of the day, SGE and their clients want the same thing - 100% safety for their teams and guests.
To learn more about StartGuard Elite, you can find them at StarGuard Elite. Wess can be reached at wess.long@starguardelite.com or info@starguardleite.com.
This podcast wouldn’t be possible without the work of our incredible team:
- Kristen Karaliunas - Scheduling and Correspondence
- Abby Giganan - Audio and Video Editing
Tuesday Dec 27, 2022
Tuesday Dec 27, 2022
Susie Storey is the Communications & PR Strategist for Storey to Story Communications, a public relations firm focused on helping attractions industry suppliers amplify their stories. Susie has worked in the attractions industry her entire career, mostly in public relations, at organizations that include Disney, Six Flags, Universal, Cedar Fair, Give Kids the World, Great Wolf Lodge, SeaWorld Parks & Resorts, and IAAPA. In this interview, Susie talks about planting seeds through PR, storytelling for suppliers, and leveraging ambassadors.
Planting seeds through PR
"The places to plant your stories have changed."
The way that people consume content has evolved substantially over the years. Previously, companies would seek media recognition through traditional publishing and newspapers, or publications like Good Housekeeping and Parenting Magazine. Many of these outlets no longer exist - at least not in the same form - which has changed the way that businesses should think about getting their message out.
Susie talks about the importance of earned publicity, or publicity that you are not buying, in your PR strategy. Gone are the days of striving for millions of impressions, because we need to think about not just the amount of people we’re reaching, but if we are reaching the right people. Social media, publications, and podcasts are all avenues for communication, and the way in which they are leveraged is key to their success.
Storytelling for suppliers
"Gone are the days of throwing every message to the wall and hoping they all stick."
Historically, suppliers in the attractions industry have relied on traditional marketing and communications to get the word out about their product in an attempt to reach their target demographics - the attraction's operators. However, by pulling back, there are opportunities to get creative with how the messages are broadcast and how the stories are told.
For example, when a theme park gives a roller coaster a fresh coat of paint, the business relationship is between the paint company and the park operator, but the interest extends into the enthusiast community, where the appeal of the story can be magnified. Suppliers are not necessarily trying to reach guests, which include families and parents, but by doing so they can turn their work into human interest stories.
Leveraging ambassadors
"If you're going through a tough time as a company, you want your ambassadors there to support you."
Guests can be citizen journalists, and your employees can and should be ambassadors of your business. From an employee standpoint, it’s a challenge to create a policy on whether they can post on behalf of the organization. Susie’s recommendation is to have an evolving policy that can set a framework for what employees can share and what they cannot, recognizing that employees will post online regardless.
For guests, building advocacy in the guest experience is also a form of planting seeds that you won’t know when you’ll need to harvest. When a business experiences a crisis, it is often the most loyal guests who come to the company’s defense and set the record straight. This includes building relationships with enthusiast organizations, bloggers, and other groups that carry influence over your reputation.
When asked about advice for aspiring PR professionals, Susie says that people need to be able to write and communicate, as well as wear multiple hats in their roles. PR is more than party planning!
To reach Susie, you can connect with her on LinkedIn, or reach out directly at storeytostory@gmail.com.
This podcast wouldn't be possible without the incredible work of our amazing team:
- Video editing by Abigail Giganan
To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com