AttractionPros Podcast

Episode 265 - Bill Lentz talks about park acquisitions, believing in the team and walking the walk

Bill Lentz is the General Manager of Adventureland Resort in Altoona, IA.  Bill has worked in the hospitality industry for his entire career, starting with selling merchandise in sports venues.  Bill began working at Knott’s Berry Farm in 1989 as a Retail Operations Manager, and soon took on the role of General Manager at Soak City in Palm Springs and then at Great America in Santa Clara, while also overseeing operations at Gilroy Gardens.  Bill’s career then took him to Palace Entertainment as the VP of Water Parks in the United States, Wet n’ Wild in Sydney, Australia, overseeing animal parks, as well as General Manager at Miami Seaquarium until Bill moved to Adventureland in early 2022.  In this interview, Bill Lentz talks about park acquisitions, believing in the team, and walking the walk.

 

Park acquisitions

 

“Whether you’re buying or selling, the team that’s in place, they need that team.”

 

Bill’s career background has taken him through several acquisitions of parks, both on the side of the business acquiring the park as well as the park being acquired.  This has led to a unique perception of how acquisitions impact the individuals working for a park in the middle of a transition.  When a park is being acquired, team members need to know where they stand in terms of job security.  The park always needs a team to operate, therefore being immediately transparent is key.

 

Additionally, teams should prepare themselves for procedural changes if they are entering a larger corporate structure from a smaller operation.  For example, when Bill arrived at Adventureland, Bill states that the park was very well run, although they needed to adapt to Palace’s methods and processes.  In an independently-owned property, decisions are often made by approaching the owner of the park; however, in a corporate structure, there are more layers to large decisions.

 

Believing in the team

 

"You've got to show that you believe in the team, and they'll give you a chance and believe in you."

 

As Bill entered Adventureland for the 2022 season when Palace Entertainment acquired the park, he stated that it was critical that he showed that he believed in the team in order for the team to believe in him.  This way, Bill would be able to balance coming into the park in the executive level while also recognizing the manner in which the park operated long before his arrival.

 

Bill is a big believer in listening and not overreacting.  At Adventureland, employees range from 14 year-olds to senior citizens, and they work well together.  When making changes, there were naturally questions that arose, but when the team has the opportunity to ask questions, it leads to thoughtful discussions that further help gain buy-in.  Additionally, giving the team the chance to show you how they may take on certain tasks demonstrates that you trust them, which makes it easier to gain trust in return.

Walking the walk

 

"I don't expect any different treatment than I give somebody else."

 

There is no job that Bill will ask someone to do that he won’t do himself.  When Bill was at Miami Seaquarium, a team member saw that he was unloading a food truck and asked him why he was doing it.  Bill replied by saying, “Because it’s my job.”  As every leader knows, whenever you get promoted up the chain, everybody’s watching you, and the way you treat your team is a true reflection of your leadership style.

 

Bill also stresses the importance of calling employees by their names.  Using the names of your team members demonstrates your commitment to mutual respect and that you are walking the walk.  He also highlights how effective open communication can be, as well as the fact that tough conversations should be to the benefit of the employee and their overall success.

Bill states that one of the favorite parts of his job is coaching employees to improve their performance and seeing those he works with succeed.  The biggest lesson from the early days of his career is to respect everyone you work with, and that he does not expect any different treatment that he gives somebody else.

 

To learn more about Adventureland, visit www.adventurelandresort.com.  To get ahold of Bill directly, you can email him at bill.lentz@palaceentertainment, and he promises to reply quickly!

 

This podcast wouldn't be possible without the incredible work of our amazing team:

• Scheduling and correspondence by Kristen Karaliunas

To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com

Episode 264 - Sarah Clarke talks about putting your people first, thinking outside the box and operational leadership

Sarah Clarke is the Director of Operations at the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, MO.  As a native to St. Louis, Sarah holds a degree in recreation management, and throughout her career she has touched nearly every department of an operation.  The lessons learned from seeing the big picture of the business have proved valuable for Sarah at the Gateway Arch, where she has worked since 2013, and was pivotal to the arch’s renovation project and pandemic reopening strategy.  In this interview, Sarah talks about putting people first, thinking outside the box, and operational leadership. 

 

Putting People First

"We need to put people first."

Whether it’s guests or employees, it’s important to remember that everyone is a person. Humanity applies to all situations, spanning from employees dealing with personal issues to guests feeling nervous about traveling 630 feet into the sky.

By prioritizing people and their humanity, the guest and employee experience is improved by creating personal experiences and making positive experiences out of any kind of negative situation.

 

Thinking Outside the Box

"It's okay doing something a completely different way."

In the midst of a multi-million dollar construction project spanning 5 years in length, the Gateway Arch team had to find a way to keep their facility open while maintaining a great guest experience. In a situation where the only constant is change, thinking of ideas beyond the standard approach proved beneficial, as they were only closed for a few months during the entire renovation. 

It’s okay to approach things in a unique, fresh way. Sometimes, it’s even best to ignore the saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. By thinking of new ideas and innovating beyond the standard, the guest and employee experience is enhanced and your attraction can vastly improve.

 

Operational Leadership

“Bring positive energy so that when they get on the floor, we’ve been modeling that type of experience.”

Operations are what keep attractions running, and having a strong sense of leadership with team members is important. By modeling behavior you would want your front-line team members to have, you create a mark on their behavior and indirectly create great guest experiences.

Coordination and communication are also challenges in operational leadership. Many different locations have several companies involved that manage unique things within a facility, such as food and beverage or merchandise. By creating an open stream of communication and allowing for information to flow freely, barriers are broken down and your experience will experience fewer  roadblocks. 

 

To learn more about the Gateway Arch, you can visit their website here. To connect with Sarah, you can find 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  

Episode 263 - Sam Caucci talks about learning through games, tech as infrastructure, and treating employees like customers

Sam Caucci is the Founder and CEO of 1Huddle, a company focused around improving employee training through the usage of games. Sam got his start in the sports industry after signing to play football at the University of Alabama, helping to train and keep players up to standard during the offseason. After 10 years in the sports industry, Sam started realizing that the medium for employee training wasn’t up to the standards it should be. In response, Sam founded 1Huddle, working to combat the stereotypical training experience and create a better way to train employees to their maximum potential. In this interview, Sam talks about learning through games, tech as infrastructure, and treating employees like customers. 

Learning Through Games

 

"There's a real power to play. Play is not trivial."

 

Although it may seem unconventional, it has been proven that learning through games is one of the best ways to learn. By applying these ideas to employee training, not only does it engage employees more than the typical e-learning or classroom setting, but it also gives them opportunities to learn more content at the same time and train their brain from a wide range of lessons, rather than quizzing directly after learning. 

 

Learning through games is also universal by using the style of trivia. Trivia is a kind of game that spans across all generations, allowing for the learning language to work for employees of all demographics. In addition, this allows for the games to be more educational and train the brain with predictions and reinforcement. 

Tech as Infrastructure

 

"Organizations need to be learning environments."

 

There’s too much power in tech to keep it away, and it’s important to adapt and allow for tech to become part of your company’s infrastructure. By embracing tech and its capabilities for training, it allows for an open stream of communication to provide feedback and clarification to employees. 

 

In a world where employees feel like management is becoming more disconnected, if an employee were to give a recommendation on a question for trivia through an online portal, it allows for a positive interaction to occur regardless of the outcome of their recommendation. This allows for the employee to have a great learning experience and for the manager to get more connected to their employees. 

Treating Employees like Customers

"What if you treated your employees like customers? What decisions would you make?"

 

By treating your employees like customers, they feel more incentivized to go above and beyond the typical standards. Instead of having mandatory training, making it voluntary and having rewards could make a massive difference in employee engagement and their connection to their managers. 

 

By allowing your employees to have fun, play, and learn without the shadow of ‘mandatory attendance’, they can become valuable assets to the company and feel appreciated and connected. Furthermore, this increases the odds of them referring a friend, which is the most common way Gen Z has been searching for employment. 

To learn more about 1Huddle, you can visit their website here. To connect with Sam directly, you can find him on LinkedIn. 

This podcast wouldn't be possible without the incredible work of our amazing team:

• Scheduling and correspondence by Kristen Karaliunas
• Branding and design by Fabiana Fonseca
• Summary by Mason Nichols

 

To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com

Episode 262 - TJ Schier talks about performance driving morale, selling a feeling and competitive socializing

TJ Schier is the Chief Operations Officer for BigShots Golf, a tech-driven golf and culinary experience. TJ began his career working for Chuck E. Cheese for 18 years, and left to start his own speaking and consulting business in 2001, helping businesses like family entertainment centers improve their culture. In 2021, TJ joined BigShots Golf, helping combine food, hospitality, and golf. In this interview, TJ discusses how performance drives morale, selling a feeling, and competitive socializing. 

 

Performance Drives Morale

 

"Performance drives morale, not the other way around."

 

Although it seems logical, not many people work harder when they are happier. Many managers struggle to create a positive work environment where they can yield both smiles and results. In a workplace, it’s valuable to view performance as driving morale, rather than the opposite. By generating results, you can see more smiles grow as the employees realize that they are part of a valuable contribution. 

 

To create this environment, it’s important to know what the group needs to succeed. By failing to communicate and only trying to generate results, it can open the door to toxic leadership and ultimately dampen performance. Sit down with everyone, from the trainers to the owners, and find out what everyone needs. Implement the necessary changes, and as performance skyrockets, so will your company’s morale. 

Selling a Feeling

 

"We look for moments that make people feel like a big shot."

 

Selling a feeling is one of the most important and unique aspects of the attractions industry. Being able to make someone feel something by giving them a great experience takes craftsmanship and incredible attention to detail in the employee and guest experience. It’s important to realize the elements that go into creating a company within the experience economy. 

 

The ‘north star’ of selling a feeling is giving the guest something they don’t expect. By surprising the guest, you make them feel like they’ve won, therefore selling that feeling. It’s important to never let guests have the minimum experience, and build upon these experiences with employee interactions that make them say ‘wow’. 

Competitive Socializing

 

"The socialization piece is huge. People want to be around other people."

 

Attractions are social experiences, and that's what draws people out of their house and into your experience. Being able to have fun with other people is the magnet for many experiences such as BigShots Golf. By capitalizing on this concept and generating ideas to help bring it to full fruition, guests will leave with an incredible experience beyond the food and games.

 

With this, attractions can be taken to the next level of interactivity and become a place where people have a reason to visit more than just once. Allowing for friends to compete in a casual environment creates bonds, a product that reaches all audiences. 

 

To reach out to TJ, you can email him at tj.schier@invitedclubs.com or connect with him on LinkedIn. To learn more about BigShots Golf, 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
• Branding and design by Fabiana Fonseca
• Summary by Mason Nichols

To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com

Episode 261 - Sarah Worrell talks about recruitment and retention, developing employees and leading with love

Sarah Worrell is the General Manager at Kentucky Kingdom. Sarah has been with Herschend Entertainment for more than 10 years, getting her start with the company in Denver running human resources for Elitch Gardens. Sarah has been in the attractions industry for all of her professional career, with experience at Paramount Parks, Six Flags, Hard Rock Park, and Herschend Family Entertainment. In this interview, Sarah talks about employee recruitment and retention, developing employees, and leading with love. 

 

Recruitment and Retention

 

"The guest experience mixed in with the employee experience is where we have focused our efforts."

 

There’s many elements within the employee experience that are often overseen and are thought of as normal or standard. However, behind the scenes, the structure of the employee experience is critical to the operation and sustainability of a park. 

 

The employee requires support to get going, and that involves items like training and more complex items such as guidelines and regulations. When revising this system or building it from the ground up, it’s important to maintain a good, stable employee experience to additionally support the guest experience. 

Developing Employees

 

“You have to be okay knowing that you will develop a person to take their talents somewhere else, but shouldn’t stop you from developing them in the moment.”

Employees don’t join a company they don’t believe in. It’s important to make sure that the employee leaves a stronger, better person than when they got onboarded. No company wants a stagnant employee, and no employee wants a stagnant company. It’s important to keep streams of inspiration flowing to encourage growth and development on both sides. 

 

Many people have been personally inspired by experiences while working in the attractions industry, and that’s what keeps the consistent love and innovation pouring into the community. Somebody may have joined with the intention of staying for a summer, but instead stayed for a lifetime. By being that source of inspiration, you can take employees to the next level and have more passionate people in the industry.  

Leading With Love

 

“We want them to understand what it means to be a patient, kind, truthful, trusting, humble, forgiving, dedicated leader.”

 

Being a leader means being a leader worth following. By showing compassion and empathy, employees will look up to you and realize that you do truly care about their work and meaning to the company. Taking initiative with your employees and making sure that you have an open stream of communication allows for ideas to be shared, employees to be developed, and guests to be satisfied. 

 

Showing initiative and being prepared for your employees also shows your level of commitment to the people who keep your park operating. Keeping the professional appearance while also keeping them aware of your commitment to them is a recipe for success and shows the employees how much you truly care.

To reach out to Sarah, you can find her on LinkedIn.  To learn more about Kentucky Kingdom, you can find their website here.

This podcast wouldn't be possible without the incredible work of our amazing team:

• Scheduling and correspondence by Kristen Karaliunas
• Branding and design by Fabiana Fonseca
• Summary by Mason Nichols

To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com

Episode 260 - Djuan Rivers talks about Disney’s evolution, knowing your essence and saying yes

Djuan Rivers is the former Vice President of Disney’s Animal Kingdom with over 30 years of experience with The Walt Disney Company. After getting his degree in chemistry and economics from Emory University, Djuan stumbled into Disney’s hotel operations branch where he kicked off the beginning of his unique career. After opening six hotels in Florida and three in Paris, Djuan quickly began to explore countless opportunities on the executive front, from Hawaii to Paris and all the way back to Animal Kingdom. In this interview, Djuan discusses Disney’s evolution, knowing your essence, and the power of saying yes. 

Disney's Evolution

 

“It’s about entertainment, creativity, and the guest experience.”

 

Considered the ‘golden standard’ of themed experiences and guest interaction, Disney has evolved the industry while continuing to evolve itself. From areas like leadership structure to breakthrough ideas within the experience economy, Disney has cemented its legacy and has changed the attractions world as we know it. 

 

With such a diverse set of experiences and properties, Disney presents many opportunities for their leadership team to learn from their past experiences. Hotels relate to theme parks, and theme parks relate to cruise lines. Disney evolved to break boundaries between departments and open the world of communication to help excel the development of the guest experience and make their experiences even more enjoyable. 

Knowing Your Essence

 

"You have to know the essence of who you want to be."

 

Having a sense of identity is one of the most powerful tools in the attractions industry. Companies need to know their purpose and have that strong sense of essence in order to succeed in a competitive world. To strive, companies need to determine what their essence is, who their audience is, and what they want to accomplish.

 

So many experiences can be bought off the shelf and created in a matter of weeks, but what makes the true difference is the employee to guest interaction that the essence of your company will create. Not only does your company’s essence create a message, but it also creates a better guest and employee experience when executed correctly.

Saying Yes

 

"I'm always looking for the next cool opportunity."

 

Saying yes is the greatest way to generate opportunity and take you to new places. By saying yes, not only are you taking yourself on an exciting new adventure, you’re also creating bonds, gaining experience, and developing yourself further as a person. Whether it’s walking on the wings of an airplane or running an arctic marathon, every time you say ‘yes’, a new opportunity presents itself.

 

People appreciate other people who aren’t afraid to explore and are in the consistent pursuit of the next great opportunity. If somebody simply asks you if you’re free and would like to try something, saying ‘yes’ generates respect and creates an unforgettable experience that can lead you places you never thought possible. 

To learn more about Djuan, you can find him on Instagram and Facebook.

This podcast wouldn't be possible without the incredible work of our amazing team:

• Scheduling and correspondence by Kristen Karaliunas
• Branding and design by Fabiana Fonseca
• Summary by Mason Nichols

To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com

Episode 259 - Peta Wittig talks about inspiring action, being your authentic self and knowing your purpose

Peta Wittig is the General Manager for Phillip Island Nature Parks, an organization that focuses on conservation and research funded by their remarkable visitor attractions. After starting her career at the age of 17 on the opening team for a local aquarium, Peta fell in love with startups and aquatic wildlife attractions. Peta gained incredible experience by traveling the world and helping bring various aquariums and wildlife attractions to life in her journey leading to Phillip Island. In this interview, Peta takes her years of experience to teach us about inspiring action, being your authentic self, and knowing your purpose. 

 

Inspiring Action

 

"Inspiring people to act is about making a connection."

 

Entertainment and education are much more synonymous than you might think. The balance of creating a fun environment where people can enjoy themselves whilst simultaneously creating a call to action isn’t rocket science. By creating a connection through the world of entertainment, the doors are opened to insert a powerful message inspiring action within a person by simply letting them have fun.

 

Live animals are another key element of inspiring action, where it’s important to maintain the balance of education and entertainment. Ultimately, animals are not there for people’s entertainment, but should instead be used to help benefit the balance of education and enjoyment by having employees teach people about the unique aspects of wildlife and how we can protect it for years to come. 

Being Your Authentic Self

 

"Your purpose is key to enjoying what you do and being authentic."

 

Being authentic is key to not only enjoying yourself, but also letting others enjoy you. When being your true self, your leadership and goals become much more transparent and can make you a leader worth following. By showing what your message is and what impact you want to make on the world, it creates a much more positive atmosphere and helps generate an aura of success. 

 

By being authentic, you can break down barriers that stem from cultural differences and help bridge the gap between people with different backgrounds, something that leaders often struggle with. By maintaining the same goals and messages, it’s never impossible to rally a team towards those objectives. 

Knowing Your Purpose

 

"Your purpose is key to enjoying what you do and being authentic."

 

When you’re doing something you enjoy, it’s easy to get up in the morning and it’s easy to be your authentic self. Enjoyment stems from your purpose, and your purpose creates your goals and impact you want to make on the world. By creating and recognizing your purpose, it’s easy to become a natural leader and enjoy what you do.

 

Knowing your purpose is key to being happy and being your authentic self. Without knowing your purpose, it’s impossible to work towards your goals that should stem from that purpose.

To learn more about Peta’s purpose, you can visit penguins.org.au. To contact Peta directly, 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
• Branding and design by Fabiana Fonseca
• Summary by Mason Nichols

To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com

Episode 258 - Christina Schwartzman talks about opportunities in disguise, shifting business models and being calm

Chrissy Soverns Schwartzman is the Chief Executive Officer at Sawgrass Recreation Park, a family retreat in South Florida with airboats, sanctuaries, and even more within the Florida Everglades. After her father bought the property from friends ready to retire from the airboat business, Chrissy and her family built their vision, now employing 49 staff members with 10 of them being related. After countless pivots and challenges, Chrissy has gained a natural sense of leadership and plenty of experience within the challenges of the industry. In this episode, Chrissy talks about opportunities in disguise, shifting business models, and being calm.

 

Opportunities in Disguise

 

"I'm a born optimist. We've got to see the sunlight somewhere."

 

Opportunities are everywhere; you just have to know where to look for them. Throughout the life of Sawgrass Recreation Park, major roadblocks have presented themselves, but after working through the problems, they wound up becoming blessings. These simple gifts present themselves with a tough shell, but once breaking through that barrier, it’s easy to find opportunity in negative situations. 

 

It’s important to try and see as much as possible in a positive light, as every negative experience can be turned into a great one by pushing through the issues and solving the problem in a calm, collected manner without making emotional, heat of the moment decisions. 

 

Shifting Business Models

 

"We have COVID to thank for reintroducing people to the outdoors."

 

We live in a world where change is the only constant. Sawgrass Recreation Park is no stranger to change either. No matter the challenge, whether a pandemic or hurricane, the park’s management has found ways to ‘make it work,’ whether that be increasing/decreasing capacity or adding/cutting attractions.

 

Making and executing changes to business models is not only key to keeping your business afloat, but also keeping your employees and guests happy. If a park is too crowded on the busy days, there needs to be a way to cut it down while maintaining that revenue. This problem solving ideology is prevalent throughout the industry, and being calm and flexible is key to that success.

 

Being Calm

 

"Mental health is the forefront of concerns for our staff."

 

Being calm is an important aspect in business. Whether it be decisions in the meeting room or something going wrong with a control panel on a boat, it’s important to stay relaxed and not throw your hands up. 

 

In any industry, being calm is the key to success. By being calm, you maintain a clear vision and refrain from making emotional decisions, which can lead to repetitive damage further down the road of a company. It’s important to not overreact and never exaggerate the impact of a situation. 

To learn more about Sawgrass Recreation Park, you can visit their website.  To contact Chrissy directly, 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
• Branding and design by Fabiana Fonseca
• Summary by Mason Nichols

To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com

Episode 257 - Betty Brennan talks about combining art and business, mission-based storytelling and exit strategies

Betty Brennan is the Founder and Ambassador of Taylor Studios, co-founding the company over 30 years ago. After obtaining her MBA from Missouri State University, Betty has been focusing on the business side of creativity. With a strong background in nature and history and with a distinct appreciation of art, Betty has been making the financial calls to keep a creative business running and create immersive, educational experiences for all generations. In this interview, Betty talks about combining art and business, mission-based storytelling, and exit strategies. 

Combining Art and Business

 

"Sometimes, working within the box can require you to be creative."

 

When it comes to combining these two different worlds, Taylor Studios prides themselves on having the ‘Business Mind’ right at the start of a project. By maintaining several processes for quality control and assurance as well as keeping the door open for communication and collaboration, Taylor Studios keeps their clients’ mind at ease. 

 

The world of art and business, although different, do cross over more than one would expect. As an artist, it’s important to know the project management process, making sure the client is happy and understanding the barriers of communication and how to meet a deadline. The same goes for the project management and business roles, as it’s important to know how a creative mind functions and how to incorporate that into a schedule and budget. 

Mission-Based Storytelling

 

“We want to transform the visitor into another time and place.”

 

Every story has to have a purpose, and pinpointing that exact purpose to help push a narrative is beyond important within experience creation, especially when it involves educational experiences with a goal to give the guest a new understanding of the world and deliver a call to action, something many museums and educational experience clients are constantly on the search for. 

 

Ultimately, people don’t visit a museum to gain a bigger understanding of one specific topic. Guests come to these experiences to have a fun day out and enjoy their time, so knowing your audience is key. By creating immersive experiences and intense scenery, you can truly engage the guest and tell them a story in such a unique way that they naturally feel obligated to follow your mission. 

Exit Strategies

 

"You have to have good business practices so your business can go on without you."

 

An exit strategy is incredibly important as unfortunately, not all ideas work. Having a plan B, or even C is critical in helping grow yourself and keeping the community you created. Having those basic business practices in place will drastically benefit you when it comes time to say goodbye to your business.

 

By keeping those doors open, prosperity and growth continues within the ideas and models you made, not only keeping people happy, but also keeping people growing even without you. By preserving your company, you also preserve all the documentation, processes, and most importantly, people that made your company so great. 

To learn more about Taylor Studios, you can visit their website  To reach out to Betty directly, 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
• Branding and design by Fabiana Fonseca
• Summary by Mason Nichols

 

To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com

Episode 256 - Peter Ricci talks about culture first, embracing crazy ideas and flexible employment

Peter Ricci, EdD. oversees the Hospitality and Tourism program at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL.  Peter has worked in the hospitality industry since he was 14 years old as a dishwasher in a restaurant, where he was later promoted to busser and then promoted again to server.  Throughout his career, Peter has worked in hotels, restaurants, events, travel agencies, airlines, destination marketing, and more, including moving 21 times in 12 years to open new hotels or fix broken ones.  In this interview, Peter talks about culture first, embracing crazy ideas, and flexible employment.

 

Culture first

"I would go in and fix the culture first, and then the money would flow through."

Culture occasionally becomes a victim of stock trading value.  When companies need to cut budgets, it is usually line items that influence the culture that are more difficult to measure that are cut in the interest of efficiency and cost savings.  Even luxury brands have cut so much to their own detriment that they have a difficult time maintaining excellence compared to the past.

Leadership needs to walk the walk and breathe the culture every day.  Peter shares an example of a property that ranked 240 out of 250 in the portfolio regarding service scores, and he went in as the GM role to fix the culture.  For the first six months, he spent multiple hours a day focusing on training employees across all departments.  When it was time for Peter to move to another project, the property increased its ranking to the 30s, due to his focus on culture.

A few years later, the property was sold at a $9 million profit.  Stock value is important, but we are in the people business, and the culture drives the value of the business.

 

Embracing crazy ideas

“People know me here for very silly, crazy ideas.”

Florida Atlantic University, and Peter specifically, became widely known throughout the hospitality industry in the early days of the pandemic for offering FAU’s Certificate in Hospitality and Tourism Management for free.  The idea came from realizing that everyone in the hospitality industry was at home; many of them were furloughed and needed to keep occupied.

Peter’s idea was embraced immediately by the dean, and plans were put into action.  Normally, about 100 people complete the certificate a year, so an optimistic projection was set for 500 due to offering it complimentary.  As word got out, the program generated 77,000 enrollments, and more than 85% of those who enrolled completed it.

This initiative, which started as a crazy idea, went viral, leading to significant donations to keep the program going at an affordable cost, incredible exposure for the university, and an immense amount of gratitude from participants.

 

Flexible employment

“What if we let employees pick the benefits that they want?”

The challenge today is to find quality talent who is passionate about the job amidst other industries that allow remote work and more lenient hours.  Peter’s focus for the next five years is to help employers in the hospitality industry be more flexible.  Flexibility for one person might be a workweek consisting of four 10-hour days, and for another employee, it might be a daycare benefit instead of medical.  Benefits such as pet care, rent subsidy, or partial car allowance are benefits that won’t appeal to everyone, but for those that they do appeal to, they resonate strongly.

There needs to be a meaningful hook beyond the hourly or salary wage to attract the best talent.  If employees could pick their own benefits from a buffet-like offering, it creates a more meaningful and personalized employment experience.

 

To contact Peter, connect with him on LinkedIn or email him at ricci1@fau.edu.  To learn more about FAU’s Certificate of Hospitality and Tourism, click here.

This podcast wouldn't be possible without the incredible work of our amazing team:

• Scheduling and correspondence by Kristen Karaliunas
• Branding and design by Fabiana Fonseca

To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com