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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 Dec 20, 2022
Tuesday Dec 20, 2022
Dennis Speigel is the Founder and Owner of International Theme Park Services, Inc., a company centered around theme park consulting with specialties in feasibility and master planning. Starting out as a ticket taker at Coney Island in Cincinnati, Dennis found his love for the amusement industry and found a major interest in the business side of entertainment. After graduating, Dennis was invited to join the Coney Island team and later Kings Island, now one of the most popular amusement destinations in America. Years later, Dennis took his master planning and business experience to create ITPS, pioneering the expansion of the attractions industry worldwide. In this interview, the IAAPA Hall of Fame inductee tells us about feasibility & master planning, future trends, and how everyone wants to have fun.
Feasibility & Master Planning
"The least fun we have is conducting a feasibility study, but it's the most important thing we do."
One of Dennis’s first major projects was the $60 million construction of Kings Dominion in Virginia. Since then, Dennis has dedicated his life to mastering the economics of theme parks. When studying a new proposal and trying to bring it to life, the same feasibility study process has been used since the building of Disneyland. It charts the course for the design and planning of any new development in the industry, which results in a 10 to 12 week process.
However, theme parks aren’t immune to the unpredictable market. With recessions and inflation, ITPS has also helped banks and theme park investors through whatever troubles they may be having. ITPS has sold over $800 million in theme parks and also helped many companies recover from an economic downturn. Whatever the challenge is, Dennis has worked through it before.
Future Trends
“We've continued to evolve and expand through technology, and through the people's love of our business."
Covid-19 changed the world, and technology still continues to grow at a shockingly fast rate. The direct effects of these recent events have resulted in per capita spending skyrocketing to levels we have never seen before. With ‘revenge traveling’ from the pandemic and touchless and cashless technology continuing to grow, consumers are being more monetarily engaged than ever before.
However, Dennis knows the real challenge is keeping the demand up. Although we may see opportunities while we sit at the master panel, we have to make the calls that keep our core values of the industry alive. The attractions industry is a mature business now, and managing the varying factors of the ever growing business is something we need to focus on.
Everyone Wants to Have Fun
"The one common denominator of people all over the world is that people want to have fun."
After traveling across the world hundreds of times, Dennis knows that the one universal language is fun. After wars have shredded through countries and people start to rebuild, one of the common things that every culture looks for is fun. It’s why the attractions industry was able to march across the world in the past decades, and why the market is consistently growing to this day.
New generations like Gen Z and Gen A are engaged in the industry, and Dennis stresses that we need to capitalize on that to keep our guests coming. Unlike other industries, we don’t put smoke in the air or pollute rivers, but instead we market memories. By capitalizing on the core values of our industry, we can keep growing for years to come simply because the market for fun will never disappear.
To contact Dennis, you can connect with him on LinkedIn. To learn more about ITPS, you can visit their website here.
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
Tuesday Dec 13, 2022
Tuesday Dec 13, 2022
Dolf DeJong is the CEO of The Toronto Zoo, home of more than 4,000 animals spanning across a property of 710 acres. In his childhood, Dolf visited the zoo often and developed a strong passion and connection to wildlife. An educator by training, Dolf was sure he would end up in the classroom, but stumbled into the path of management and tapped into his passion for wildlife he developed years ago. Today, Dolf leads the Toronto Zoo team in their mission to connect guests to wildlife and create the core link between connection and caring in order to fight the growing risk of extinction worldwide. In this interview, Dolf shares his insights on the power of ruthless optimism, separating music from the noise, and scarring people in positive ways.
Ruthless Optimism
"The spirit of ruthless optimism is required."
Dolf doesn’t sugarcoat the fact that the environment isn’t getting better. To combat the constant stress and fatigue caused by the negative news we are always surrounded by, Dolf has found serenity through the power of ruthless optimism. By constantly seeing the good in things, we can still feel encouraged to make a difference and fight through the negatives to see the light in the dark tunnel.
The power of ruthless optimism spans further than just the environment. In the operations world, overcoming challenges that linger from the pandemic in addition to other common issues like understaffing can create stress and fatigue and cause burnout. By applying these same concepts, the spirit of ruthless optimism will help you through the challenges and allow you to keep making strides day by day.
Separating Music from the Noise
"We want to respect tradition, but we don't want to fall to toxic nostalgia."
Within the Toronto Zoo operation, Dolf is faced with the challenge of taking care of his frontline team members as well as over 4,000 animals. Every day, Dolf meets with team members and animals to find where the pulse is to separate the music from the noise and turn that into meaningful action to evolve the operation.
Dolf stresses the importance of having a diversity of voices around you to not get lost in the noise. In addition, having the ability to talk to anyone at any time can help you turn your plan into action after finding the music. Knowing that you have weight and that your conversation can be treated as direction drastically impacts team members and allows for you to create meaningful changes within your operation.
Scarring People in Positive Ways
"Human interaction improves retention of information."
By running a massive operation responsible for sending a message to guests, Dolf is faced with challenges like balancing entertainment and education, but primarily making a lasting impact on guests. By creating moments for human interaction, guests will feel more connected to the experience and develop a lasting imprint. However, the major challenge of making a lasting impact is the sheer diversity of the audience.
One in every five people read signs. Dolf knows that to cater to a larger audience, there needs to be several ways to send a message to the guests. By giving guests tangible action to take, such as eating one less course of meat every week, guests can see that their actions have an impact, and assists in developing that lasting imprint. The information and connections that are created at experiences like the Toronto Zoo can change the trajectory of lives, and Dolf knows that we need to focus on what will come back with the guest tomorrow if we truly want to make change.
To contact Dolf, you can connect with him on LinkedIn. To learn more about the Toronto Zoo, you can visit their website here.
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
Tuesday Dec 06, 2022
Tuesday Dec 06, 2022
With IAAPA Expo 2022 in the books, our sights shift toward the holiday season and the end of the year. However, after hosting “AttractionPros LIVE!” at this year’s conference, there are still many thoughtful questions left on the plate from our audience. In this episode, Matt and Josh devour these leftover questions and discuss selling yourself, overcoming imposter syndrome, keeping your team engaged during the slower season, and eliminating gossip in the workplace.
How to “Sell Yourself” and Promote Your Marketable Skills
When it comes to selling yourself, you have to make yourself in demand. Networking is an upstream battle and can seem difficult, but by looking at it from the long term, you can reverse the flow of the river. Every year, you build more connections and gradually get more people coming to you rather than having to reach out. Capitalize on this idea and market yourself in light of that concept.
To start playing the inbound, consider speaking at events like IAAPA expos. By serving the industry, people will begin to see your presence and put a name to the face. Starting out is hard, so don’t be discouraged if session proposals are not accepted immediately. Get back up and try again by strengthening your online presence and increasing your marketability by trying to develop the 3 important words; Know, Trust, and Like.
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome is when you are passionate and proficient about a certain topic, but there are a number of other people who are more successful and knowledgeable than you, therefore making you feel scared to put your ideas forward. It’s a common situation, and many people think that with the amount of success surrounding them, they haven’t accomplished anything when they truly have.
Sometimes you have to have to drown out Imposter Syndrome to start the battle. Put your message forward and back it up. By getting uncomfortable, you’ll begin to realize that people do care about your ideas and what you have to say. Even if it’s a common topic, getting people’s gears to turn a different direction can make a massive impact.
Keeping Your Team Engaged During the Slower Season
Employees are often engaged when they get to personalize the guest experience rather than only focus on efficiency and numbers. By training your employees to take on the slower season by creating a more interactive and unique guest experience, they will be more engaged and excited to come to work.
Personalizing the experience for guests can be as flexible as you need to be, like an accordion-style approach, and you can train your team to handle the busy moments when the line is long and also to handle the slower hours. By extending the accordion, you can give more liberty to your team to interact with guests, and when the time comes, you can shorten the accordion as well.
In addition, the slow season is a great time to take on new projects and include your team in them. Not only can you engage your team and let them have an impact in your operation, but you can also check off the items on your list that you couldn’t get to during the busy season.
Eliminating (or Minimizing) Gossip in the Workplace
Previous podcast guest Brad Collins often talks about how his company declared war on gossip. When seen, it was immediately taken care of, therefore significantly reducing the amount of negativity shared throughout the workplace. By drawing a line in the sand, people will know limits and the employee experience will not falter.
Additionally, having the tools to share information that could lead to gossip can be very beneficial and stop the issue at its source. However, having open communication is even more critical. Even if it’s a difficult conversation to have, if people realize the intent is positive, they’ll take your side. By being honest and being a bridge to the river, you can fight the game of telephone and encourage healthy, positive communication. Overall, being proactive is the best way to fight gossip in the workplace.
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
Tuesday Nov 29, 2022
Tuesday Nov 29, 2022
Renato Lenzi is the Chief Operating Officer of The Dolphin Company, one of the largest operators of marine experiences with locations in 10 different countries, averaging 2 million visitors each year. Starting young, Renato originally worked with marine life as a trainer and found a passion in leadership through a partnered company's complimentary training. While growing with the company, Renato has made many strides in the worlds of marine life inspection and even made improvements with government inspections and regulations to help improve the marine experience industry. Today, The Dolphin Company focuses on bringing educational and entertaining experiences to guests across the world. In this interview, Renato talks about using social media correctly, creating memories through emotions, and cohesive experiences across properties.
Using Social Media Correctly
"Social media has pushed us all to be opinionators."
The fact is, Tiktok is the speediest form of news. Compared to when people would only spend 2 hours a day watching TV, we now have a generation that spends nearly double that on their personal devices. If something relevant were to happen across the globe, people everywhere would be notified and start discussing it in under a minute.
It’s safe to say that social media is a huge platform to be used for your benefit, and Renato knows taking advantage of it is a massive opportunity. Some large parks don’t even use certain social media, and they are left out of a massive market to engage with potential guests and people who can connect to your brand.
Additionally, with Renato’s mission to connect guests to wildlife, social media can be incredibly powerful. By connecting with an incredibly interactive audience, people fly across the world to The Dolphin Company’s experiences with dreams of becoming a vet or marine biologist, and they get more than what they came for.
Creating Memories Through Emotions
"If you create an experience that will last a lifetime, you can make an emotional connection."
People experience many things in a year, and what makes some experiences more memorable than others are the emotions that are associated with them. Renato emphasizes that when people create memories with the emotions they felt, they often remember many other aspects of the experience that would otherwise be forgotten, such as who they were with and what events followed that experience. By creating these core memories, guests will remember your experience for a much longer time.
Everybody remembers their first kiss, and Renato has applied the science of this idea to his experiences. The wild emotions surrounding that major event are what compel people to remember their experience and share it with others.
Cohesive Experiences Across Properties
“There's more similarity than differences.”
With locations across 10 different countries, it is a challenge for The Dolphin Company to create experiences that complement one another. Furthermore, Renato has seen the company morph over the course of its existence, moving from marine parks to additionally acquiring water parks and adventure parks. To help tackle this challenge, The Dolphin Company has implemented regional directors to oversee operations in their many locations.
Although each facility shares a common goal of family fun, there’s certain aspects where originality can make an impact. By serving food popular in the region, guests will be more engaged and excited about what the park has to offer. However, Renato knows that oftentimes, what works in one park will work on parks on the opposite side of the world.
To learn more about The Dolphin Company, click here. To contact Renato, you can connect with him on Linkedin.
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 Nov 22, 2022
Tuesday Nov 22, 2022
“AttractionPros LIVE!” has come back to Orlando! Each year, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) hosts a trade show showcasing the latest and greatest in attractions technology, operations, and everything in between. Hosted at the Orange County Convention Center, the largest event in attractions and themed entertainment brings everyone together to share ideas, products, and much more. Once again, AttractionPros was given the opportunity to host a session to answer questions and gain insight from attendees - all of which is recorded for the podcast. In this episode, our guests share their struggles, experiences, and ideas to help each other and develop new strategies to take on the upcoming year.
Developing leaders to help reduce turnover
Leaders impact turnover. Since leaders are so involved in the employee experience, it’s no surprise that they have a massive effect on turnover. Matt emphasizes that developing leaders can not be a one time situation, and that it is rather a journey where you learn new things and lessons as you move forward. Josh shared that employees should be an investment, and that when you invest in your employees and work to improve their experience, it can make better leaders and also drastically improve the employee experience.
Rob Lara of Zoo Miami shared that he recently became the new leader of a team that had already been established. By implementing a system of 1 on 1s throughout his operation, it has helped his team understand each other and improved the employee experience.
More Frequent and More Timely Communication Between Separate Departments
Karen Burns of the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center shared that they have implemented mentorship programs where department leaders take on positions at other departments as well as an employee shadowing program to help build morale and buy-in by encouraging team members to explore other departments and further understand the operation.
However, it can be a challenge getting employees to partake in these great ideas. To combat this, creating incentives can be used to encourage employees. By creating a system where voices can be heard and people can earn unique benefits by partaking in your system, your idea can gain much more traction.
How to Keep Guests Engaged With Your Brand
Technology is always changing, so to keep guests engaged, taking an approach in the metaverse may be the path of the future. Instead of winning a stuffed animal, maybe instead a guest could win an NFT profile picture to show off their time at your experience and compliment the in-person experience.
To keep guests engaged, companies have to adapt to the ever-changing climate of the internet and social media. By thinking out 5 to 10 years from now, it can help to create an action plan and begin to develop some ideas on keeping your guests engaged outside of your experience.
Burnout Due to Staffing Challenges and Turnover / Employee Appreciation
Cole Sosnowski from Georgia Tech shared that on the academic end, after being burnt out by school and assignments, we can have little time and energy to do the things we care about. It’s a challenge to improve after school activities without adding onto the already taxing workload.
Megan from Universal Parks and Resorts shared that burnout can be tough when you’re not only feeling tired, but also undervalued. It’s super easy to give recognition and help employees when they’re experiencing burnout.
Purpose gives people a reason to push through burnout, and giving employees purpose can really help push them through tough times. When you lose purpose, that’s when employees start to question their situation. Physically, we can do more than we think we can, but when we lose purpose in our mind, that's when we stop.
Rob Lara of Zoo Miami shared that encouragement needs to be authentic. People need more than a paycheck and should be treated well in order to avoid burnout and contribute to a healthy work culture.
Karen Burns of the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center shared that to avoid burnout, you have to know your staff. By understanding their wants and desires, you can cater to that and help avoid burnout by making them feel appreciated.
Dino Fazio of Morey’s Piers shared that being specific in your appreciation is important as it contributes to the personability of the appreciation. Rather than saying “Great Job,” it should be more about what exactly they did and what positive effect it had.
Specific Recognition Within the Guest Experience
Attractions are a unique experience for everyone, and by training employees to not give everyone the same ‘cookie cutter’ experience, it can revolutionize someone’s experience and make the entire trip more personable and memorable.
Brandon Willey with Hownd shared that the recognition of humanity is critical for both employees and for the guest. By recognizing people as an individual person with their own passions and interests, it can create a moment for a guest/employee and let them recognize that they’re not just a cog in the machine.
Learning New Skills and Reaching Outside Your Comfort Zone
Frank Hamedl of Fun Spot America shared the importance of getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. Taking leaps of faith into positions where you might find yourself out of your comfort zone will help you learn and become a more well-rounded professional.
Brandon Willey with Hownd shared that taking small little steps into your goal can be a good way to combat the natural uncomfort that comes with taking big leaps. For example, taking steps like buying a karaoke machine and performing in front of increasing sizes of crowds can help someone ease into a situation and follow their passion, even if there are obstacles like stage fright.
Jamie Flaherty with Xola shared that sometimes you don’t have to step outside of your comfort zone when it comes to networking. Within the attractions industry, we’re surrounded by businesses that share similar interests. By sticking to what you know, you can help break the ice and open the doors to a great conversation.
How to be Confident in Your Abilities While Still Being Inclusive and Accepting of Others Ideas and Contributions
If you’re passionate and proficient at something, it’s important to recognize that you’ll always want to become more passionate and educated on this topic. There’s always more to learn, and you can become even more confident in your abilities by keeping an open mind.
Rob Lara of Zoo Miami shared that sometimes being confident means giving a piece of that confidence to others. As a leader, sometimes it’s best to let your team give their attempt at tackling the problem rather than immediately taking it into your own hands.
Brandon Willey with Hownd shared that everyone needs a coach in order to stay as good as possible. Every great team has a coach, showing that there is always something to learn and develop even if you are the best at something.
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
Tuesday Nov 15, 2022
Tuesday Nov 15, 2022
Robert Morris is the Vice President of Development and Global Operations at Altitude Trampoline Parks, a multi-national chain of trampoline-based family entertainment centers targeted around bringing fun to everyone. Prior to joining Altitude in late 2020, Robert gained a wealth of experience in the restaurant industry, which transitioned seamlessly into entertainment and then into attractions. Today, Altitude has nearly 90 locations in multiple countries and will soon be celebrating its 10th anniversary. In this interview, Robert teaches us about leading by example, active family fun, and return on capacity.
Leading by Example
"You have to value your employees, or they won't value you or your guests."
As a leader, Robert preaches that you need to know that no action is below you if it benefits the guest experience. Everything your employees do and contribute benefit the operation in important ways. Whether it’s picking up trash or selling a beverage, showing your employees that you are just as willing to contribute in every way possible gives them a deeper understanding of the guest experience and assists in developing a healthier and more interactive guest environment.
Without proper leadership, employees will begin to feel disconnected from the purpose of the company and guests will begin to notice that behavior. Robert stresses that this method of leadership is important because it teaches employees to connect with guests of all ages, and when guests feel connected, they return.
Active Family Fun
"Kids need to socialize. They need to interact with other kids."
Robert knows that the guest experience goes beyond what a facility can provide, but rather what environment it can create. In a trampoline park with team-based games and endless opportunities for socialization, kids will find themselves making friends and having a blast beyond just doing backflips into the foam pit.
When kids make friends, not only does it give the kid a great experience, but it also gives their parents a great time as well. Robert shares that when parents watch their kids make friends, it encourages them to become recurring customers, as parents love watching their kid socialize and have a good time. By noticing these trends, Altitude has created an interactive experience where kids can socialize with employees and have a blast with their friends while simultaneously creating a returning base of members.
Return on Capacity
"The energy in a park becomes contagious."
It’s simple, many large companies have a subscription-based service, and it’s not always because it makes money. Robert says that people come places for reasons similar to why we go to the movies. The shared ‘oos’ and ‘aahs’ make guests feel connected and engaged in a similar experience. However, you can’t always fill up a facility on a random Tuesday night. By introducing a subscription-based service like memberships, you can have guest retainage and begin to create return on capacity.
Additionally, Robert emphasizes the benefits of consistent attendance with memberships beyond just raising the average attendance. When members come to the facility, they will oftentimes purchase a drink or make a transaction to boost their experience. By having these memberships, you can maintain a steady income to keep the lights on and also give the guest experience a massive boost.
To learn more about Altitude Trampoline Parks, you can visit their website here. You can also contact Robert directly at robert.morris@apphq.com.
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 Nov 08, 2022
Tuesday Nov 08, 2022
Lee Cockerell is the former Executive Vice President of Walt Disney World, and after retiring in 2006 formed Cockerell Academy where he consults on leadership and management. Lee grew up on a farm in Oklahoma where his family was “poor as mice.” They lacked modern conveniences like outdoor plumbing, and his mother was married five times. Lee joined the army after dropping out of college, where he met someone who led him to be a server at the Hilton in Washington, D.C. Despite no knowledge of the hotel business at the time, he learned the business, moved his way up, then worked for Marriott for 17 years.
In 1990, Lee was hired by Disney as Vice President of Resorts for Disneyland Paris, and after a few years took on the role of Senior of VP of Operations at Walt Disney World in Orlando, and then served as Executive Vice President of Operations at Walt Disney World for nearly a decade until his retirement in 2006. Today, Lee uses his wealth of experience with Cockerell Academy to help companies enhance their leadership, management, culture, and customer service. In this interview, Lee talks about getting out of the village, doing the hard things, and being a teacher.
Getting out of the village
"My advice is to get out of the village."
Lee provides excellent career advice throughout this interview, and shares that three things necessary to advance in your career are knowledge, experience, and exposure. Knowledge can be learned through formal education, but in his case, it came through experience. By joining the army and then later working as a server, he learned business and leadership by immersing himself into it. This could only happen by leaving his small town in Oklahoma.
In addition to the education it provided, it also allowed him to see a much wider perspective of the world than he had at home. Getting out of the village is both a literal and figurative statement, in that we all need to have exposure to diverse viewpoints and lifestyles that will enhance ourselves, along with how we lead others.
Doing the hard things
"When you don't do the hard things, the stuff gets harder."
It’s easier to procrastinate or hope that problems sort themselves out on their own than it is to deal with them head-on. However, Lee stresses that the sooner the hard things are dealt with, the better the solution is, regardless of what the problem might be. Without addressing it, the problem festers and ultimately becomes even more difficult to deal with down the road
The best example that Lee gives is when a team member or leader is not the best fit for the company, letting them go can be a difficult and emotional decision. In one story, Lee shared that a consulting client let go of someone who had been with the company for 20 years, and when asked how long ago it should have been done, the client responded that it should have happened 10 years earlier.
Being a teacher
"Teaching is what we should all strive to do."
By gaining knowledge, experience, and exposure, we all have the opportunity - and even the obligation - to impart our wisdom onto others. In leadership, we can make the choice between being a boss or being a teacher. Lee’s guidance is that we should all strive to be teachers, because our leadership will be more effective and impactful for the long run. A boss is someone who tells others what to do, whereas a teacher guides others toward the best outcome.
To learn more about Lee, visit www.leecockerell.com. From there, you can learn about Cockerell Academy, Lee’s podcast, and Lee’s books.
To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com.
Tuesday Nov 01, 2022
Tuesday Nov 01, 2022
Emily Cole is the Owner and Director of Fun of the Savannah Bananas, a viral sensation and touring baseball team centered around the idea of fans having a great experience, win or lose. Since graduating college, Emily has worked with several baseball franchises and consistently discovered new ways to put the fans first and create unique and memorable experiences you wouldn’t find at other ballparks. After 7 years of experience in the baseball industry, Emily and her husband created the Savannah Bananas, one of the most recognizable baseball teams outside of the major leagues due to the way they create a phenomenal fan experience. In this interview, Emily goes bananas about putting fans first, eliminating friction, and making baseball fun.
Putting Fans First
"For us, it is always going to come down to putting fans first."
Fans come first. It’s a simple recipe to success, and it’s something the Savannah Bananas have made sure they always prioritize. Whether it’s the unlimited food included with the price of your ticket or watching the middle-aged dad dance team, Emily has made sure there is something for every type of fan at a Bananas game. By creating a truly memorable experience where there is something for every guest big or small, the fans feel included. They’ll rave about the positive experience everywhere, leading to increased media presence, more ticket sales, and people coming back for more.
However, putting fans first goes deeper than the scripted experience. In every aspect of the operation, Emily has ensured that the fans are always the center of attention. Before players even get their uniform, they go through a multiple-hour course about putting fans first to ensure that the players are creating the best experience possible. By bringing in players and employees dedicated to the fans, Emily has made an operation that truly makes everyone a part of the family.
Eliminating Friction
"Your experience as a fan is scripted long before you come."
It’s simple, guests don’t enjoy it when there are inconveniences. However, Emily shares how the Savannah Bananas experience is scripted as close to perfection as possible. By thinking about the possible roadblocks and learning from previous mistakes, guests will find their experience to take much less work. Although unlimited free food may sound like a logistical nightmare, the operation works perfectly for the guest, and they get to avoid line delays from payment issues, as well as taking out their own wallet.
Emily knows the Bananas aren’t immune to curveballs. After announcing their locations for their upcoming season-long tour, the website shut down because there were so many people trying to buy tickets. While this is a good problem to have, it’s important to still learn from these mistakes and try to make the guest experience as frictionless as possible, whether it's online, in the stands, or in the ballpark.
Making Baseball Fun
"We're a baseball team. but we're better known as a traveling circus."
Baseball is a popular sport, but it isn’t loved by every single person. By creating a fun and interactive experience, Emily has seen the Bananas go from players refusing to dance all the way to choreographed dances that go viral on TikTok. By working to create a team that has fun with the fans, baseball can be fun for everyone. In addition, the Bananas don’t script their games, keeping the same competitive spirit that baseball is loved for.
After every game, the Bananas host a block party where all the dancing dads, grandmas, mascots, and players meet with the fans and sign autographs. By encouraging the players to spend time with the fans and the fans to spend time with the players, Emily has created a symbiotic relationship that encourages and fosters growth in both the guest and employee experiences.
To learn more about the Savannah Bananas, you can find them here. To contact Emily, you can connect with her on Linkedin.
This podcast wouldn't be possible without the incredible work of our amazing team:
- Scheduling and correspondence by Kristen Karaliunas
- Summary by Mason Nichols
To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com
Tuesday Oct 25, 2022
Tuesday Oct 25, 2022
Trish Higgins is a founding partner of Chenmark, a business that specializes in buying, owning, and operating small businesses. With a strong background in business administration out of college, Trish became a founder of Chenmark in 2013, taking a leap into the unknown and finding great success, something Chenmark represents. From there, Trish began to work with her partners to buy smaller businesses and operate them in the long-term. Starting off with snow removal, Chenmark quickly grew and expanded into many different industries, all the way from landscaping to boat tours. In this interview, Trish takes her years of experience and talks about advice for selling a business, entering new industries, and managing the emotions of a transaction.
Advice for Selling a Business
"It's hard for somebody to know what your business is worth, because in a financial transaction you have to agree on a price."
Chenmark focuses on buying businesses of all shapes and sizes. This has led Trish to many unique experiences when it comes to purchasing a business, and therefore, how to be successful in selling one. When a business is being acquired, transparency is key. Having a clean financial record is an easy way to increase the value of your business and ease the complicated process.
Additionally, these records and important aspects of your company’s history should be able to be looked at and understood by a third party. Trish states that this is one of the largest factors in buying a business. Not only does it assist the buyer, but this is something that also proves the price of your business, making negotiations a much smoother path to travel.
Entering New Industries
"It's very natural for someone to be concerned when a new owner is coming in, so we try to show empathy for that."
Trish doesn’t just buy a business and forget about it. Instead, Chenmark gets to come in and operate the business, which is something important to the community and the owner of the business. As a result, Trish has learned many lessons about entering new industries and having to learn on the fly in a setting where operations can be fast paced and stressful.
When Trish entered the attractions industry, the guest experience was one of the most unique challenges she faced. Having worked a guest-facing role before, she knew how to communicate with guests and improve their experience, but it was an even bigger hurdle to jump as an owner. Creating a balance for all guests and not overreacting emotionally to the negative proved successful for her, and these ideologies are implemented across all three boat touring companies Chenmark owns.
Managing the Emotions of a Transaction
"Often, I find that I'm playing more of a role of therapist in a financial transaction."
For many people, selling their small business can be emotionally challenging. Many people refer to their operation as their ‘third child’ or ‘pride and joy,’ and Trish knows that it’s important to show empathy and understand their struggle. In addition, many owners can struggle to be transparent as to why they’re selling their business, so it’s crucial to be delicate when going about a financial transaction, especially when emotions are involved.
Trish shares that the easiest forms of transactions are when somebody else is there to help the owner understand. No matter who the person is, it can help ease them into understanding the future of the operation and create a less emotional way to turn over the keys. Not only this, but this method allows for transparency on both sides, which can make both Chenmark and the owner excited for their futures.
Another key aspect is the emotion of the employees. Trish knows from experience that owners can be hesitant to let their employees know they are selling the business, and therefore has created an ever-improving action plan to reduce the stress of the employees and the incoming owners. Things as simple as taking 90 days before making any financial changes to employee income can be incredibly important to create respect, as well as let the owner learn the ins and outs of the operation before any major changes are made.
To learn more about Chenmark, head to their website here. To reach out to Trish, you can email her at trish@chenmark.com.
This podcast wouldn't be possible without the incredible work of our amazing team:
- Scheduling and correspondence by Kristen Karaliunas
- Summary by Mason Nichols
To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com
Tuesday Oct 18, 2022
Tuesday Oct 18, 2022
Mike Abecassis is the CEO of GameTime, a group of family entertainment centers in Florida. Since 2010, Mike has led Gametime through many trials and tribulations, often building back better and consistently leading his team to newfound levels of success. Mike guided GameTime through the vast unique impacts the pandemic had on the entertainment industry, and also played a major role in the recovery from a Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In this interview, Mike shares his experiences about guests determining the brand, recovering from bankruptcy, and treating leaders as investment managers.
Guests Determining the Brand
"We try to create our brand, but the truth is our guests determine what our brand is."
Many organizations attempt to create their own unique and individual brand, and while this may be executed well, the guests always determine what a brand truly is, even if that doesn’t match your definition. While it may be a challenge, listening to your guests and creating the brand that they think you is incredibly beneficial to your business.
When building an extension of an established brand from the ground up, it’s important to maintain a great guest experience by strongly incorporating what the brand truly is through the eyes of the guest. By making yourself what they think you are, you reduce confusion and create a positive, smooth experience for guests of all types.
Recovering from Bankruptcy
"Organizations do their worst at their best times and their best at their worst times."
For many years, Mike conducted annual excercises that simulated what would happen if his copmany had to file for bankruptcy. This internal audit resulted in a full scrutiny of the company’s books to determine if any holes were present that could put the company in jeopardy if he ever needed to seek bankruptcy protection. As a result, when the time came, GameTime successfully exited Chapter 11 in just over six months.
When it comes to leading a team through a bankruptcy situation, one of the biggest takeaways that Mike shared was the importance of communicating the details with his team before the information is publicly available. This allowed for GameTime leadership to fully understand the implications of the circumstance without learning about from a third party.
Treating Leaders as Investment Managers
"We need to invest in our teams on a regular basis."
In the eyes of a leader, your team members are an investment that you manage every week. It’s crucial to monitor where your money is going and having strong investments that have good returns.
By looking at it in this lens, you can see which investments need to be coached, where you should invest more, and what investments should you bring in. Maintaining a strong portfolio will allow for success to reach all sectors of the business spanning from the guest experience to staffing.
To connect with Mike, you can find him on LinkedIn. To learn more about GameTime, 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
To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com