AttractionPros Podcast

Episode 243: Pete Barto talks about passion recognizing passion, doing business with friends and investing in attractions

Pete Barto is President of PB Amusement, a firm he started to fill the gap of helping operators find just the right ride or experience for their attraction. Pete is one of the few people who can say that he has the “trifecta” of experience, having worked with an industry association, an operator, and a manufacturer. Pete is not shy about his love for the industry, which is evident in the conversation where we talk about passion recognizing passion, doing business with friends, and investing in attractions.

 

Passion recognizes passion

 

"Every bit of an amusement park gets me excited, and always has."

 

From an early age, Pete was called to “perform” at local amusement parks, but not in a traditional way. In a few cases, Pete took over for a games barker or tram driver and began perfecting his “sales pitch” that would later serve him well in many roles.

 

It is this passion that Pete displays, but also sees in other people. The passion that many people have for this industry is infectious, and Pete makes a great point about working with others who share the same outlook, passion, and drive. It’s inspiring, and who wouldn’t want to work around other inspiring people?

 

Doing business with friends

 

"It's so much more enjoyable doing business with friends."

 

If you look at Pete’s roles throughout his career, you notice a similar word pop up over and over - sales. Pete has had a variety of sales roles but doesn’t consider himself a salesperson. That’s because he chooses to do business with people he likes and genuinely cares about - his friends.

 

Because of this, Pete doesn’t “push” products or services on people that they don’t need. He takes a very “long game” approach to sales in that he feels if he builds a relationship, the sales will eventually follow. This is why Pete is not worried or upset when a sale doesn’t go through. It wasn’t right at that time, but the situation could be different in the future and the sale may happen then. Until then Pete keeps in close contact and tries to learn everything he can about their business. 

 

Investing in attractions

 

"You can't always tell when a park is very clean, but you can tell when one is not."

 

For Pete, investing in an attraction is partially about the hardware you buy. It’s also about the effort you put into the presentation of the park, the food, the atmosphere, and the team. He doesn’t say it in so many words, but he seems to take a holistic approach when working with a park or operator to provide them with the very best service and attraction for their needs.

 

This means that Pete factors in everything, over and above the footprint and budget. He also looks for demographic trends such as the average age of families and whether or not there are more babies being born over a certain period of time. For example, if he sees that there will be a boom in births over the next few years, then a park’s expansion plan should include family or children’s rides. 

To learn more about PB Amusement, visit PB Amusement.com.  To reach Pete directly, email pbarto@pbamusement.com, or 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

To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com

 

Episode 242: Jessi O’Daniel talks about putting your stamp on it, soft skills, leadership development

Jessi O’Daniel is the General Manager of Typhoon Texas Austin, one of four parks owned and operated by the Pyek Group. Jessi’s journey in the attractions industry began with Kentucky Kingdom, where over the course of eight years, Jessi took on several leadership and management roles, and until recently was the park’s Vice President of Guest Experience. As the Pyek Group has grown and continues to expand, Jessi began her current role at Typhoon Texas in January 2022.  Additionally, Jessi is the chair of IAAPA’s Young Professional Subcommittee and a member of the North America Regional Advisory Committee.  In this interview, Jessi discusses what it means to put your stamp on it, the importance of soft skills, and leadership development.

Putting Your Stamp on it

 

“They’re like, ‘put your stamp on it, make it yours, make Typhoon Texas awesome.’”

 

In the attractions industry, one of the most valuable initiatives is improving the guest experience. Whether this be through a simple act of moving a food item to a different kitchen or fighting for new assets for your maintenance team to help reduce downtimes, making personal executive decisions to improve the operation can make all the difference for guests, your team, and the overall experience of your park. 

 

When you “put your stamp” on something, it means to make those difficult personal decisions with a fresh set of eyes and the best interest of the operation in mind. By putting yourself in the shoes of the guest, you can personally customize many things about the operation on any level, from hourly employees to general manager. Support will often follow decisions that benefit the guest experience and improve the operation, so it’s important to not be afraid to change something when you look at it with a new pair of eyes. 

Soft Skills

 

“There is a lot of benefit to building that team so that it is a unit and everyone is being mindful of everyone else.”

 

When it comes to building a team, it's important to make sure that everyone is harmonious in an aspect to where the operations of one team makes a positive impact on the operations of another. The grand operation should be built by bricks of teams that are all intertwined to ensure that they build each other up and don’t damage each other.

 

The main way to achieve this is to ensure that those teams have soft skills, an ability to communicate and work harmoniously with other teams. For example, when it comes to operations, it’s quite common that maintenance gets mad at operators, and operators get mad at maintenance. Building over these bridges and having people work together, even if it's as simple as learning names, can make all the difference in the world for operations, and therefore, the guest experience.

Leadership Development

 

“There are so many different lanes and so much opportunity in this industry.”

 

Helping develop and nurture the next generation of industry professionals is no easy task, and navigating this industry as a young professional is already quite the maze. Some young professionals don’t even know about what lies behind the doors of hourly positions, and helping develop leadership skills for future positions can really change the course of the industry. 

 

People, especially young professionals, often want to break the curve. Unfortunately, young professionals don’t consistently have the guidance to properly do that. By tapering approaches, operations can be reformed and the industry can be reshaped. Sometimes, the first approach doesn’t work, but that doesn’t mean it was a failure. Leadership involves learning from mistakes and constantly improving oneself to be the best professional they can be to therefore light the path for others. 

To learn more about Typhoon Texas, visit TyphoonTexas.com.  To reach Jessi directly, email jessi.odaniel@typhoontexas.com or 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 241: Matt and Josh talk about the intersection of guest and employee experience

The intersection of guest and employee experience is one of the most important balances in the attractions industry. Not only does the word experience apply to guests, but it also applies to the employees who create those experiences. Oftentimes, guest experience and employee experience are seen as separate functions that usually remain in their respective silos, when in fact there is much that can be gained when they are intertwined.. Fostering the company culture while simultaneously creating unparalleled experiences for guests can be challenging. However, our theory suggests that the core elements of improving both the guest and employee experience are exactly the same.  In this episode, Matt and Josh challenge each other to address guest experience and employee experience initiatives, using their respective expertise to solve for the other’s.

Attracting Talent (Employee Experience)

 

When it comes to attracting talent from the guest experience standpoint, it is about setting an expectation that people will have when they visit. Expectations are set for visitors based on what they can anticipate when they visit, and these locations should exceed these expectations to ensure a great guest experience.

 

For employees, an expectation should be set on what it will be like to work at that location. Management and the workplace environment should be clearly defined for an employee to generate a positive experience. One department shouldn’t be crafting these job descriptions, but instead the employee should get a good idea and have their expectations exceeded to create a great employee experience, similar to the guidelines we use for our guests. 

Personalizing the Experience (Guest Experience)

 

Creating a personalized experience for a team member involves many separate keys that unlock relationships that will generate a great experience. Whether it be something as simple as letting them know you were proud of their performance or using their name more often in the workplace, generating these personalized experiences makes an employee feel more welcome.

 

Therefore, personalized experiences for guests follow many of those same keys. Using a guest's name throughout an experience can create feelings that make the guest feel remembered, appreciated, and welcomed. By following those similar guidelines we use for employees, the guest feels like there's more interaction and relationships throughout their visit. 

Holding People Accountable (Employee Experience)

 

In nearly every experience, there are rules and guidelines in place for operational concerns and guest safety. Being on the side of the guest is important to do, as it should not be assumed that guests don’t have the same level of proficiencies that employees have, so going about enforcing accountability in this manner is important to generate a great guest experience and further understand the guest’s situation.

 

For the employee experience, employees should be held accountable and take ownership of their responsibilities. However, it should be known that they don’t have the proficiencies that their leaders do. It is important to go about enforcing accountability delicately so that issues can be corrected in a non-assumptive manner and generate a great employee experience.

Using Feedback to Improve Experience (Guest Experience)

 

From an employee standpoint, it is much easier to notice change as they are seen more often by their leaders. By using verbal feedback and basic analysis, it is easy to approach a team member and figure out a root cause of a problem to improve the employee experience and fix issues in the field. 

 

In the lens of guest feedback, you have to act on the feedback you get from surveys and analysis in a similar manner to how you would approach an employee. By trying to solve it at the root cause, whether it be a water pipe or rude employee, you can truly improve the guest experience in a simplistic manner by allowing the guest to be heard and hear about an impact they made.

Driving Employee Loyalty (Employee Experience)

 

Guest loyalty has three main components; coming back often, telling others, and they come to your defense. By showing these main components, a reputation is made for guest experience and generates a beneficial reputation for the company by showing loyal supporters. 

 

In terms of employees, these three main components can be translated directly to retention, referrals, and defense of the business. When these main components are shown by your employees, they feel more welcome and that they are working for a more reputable company. This can help improve operations, retention, and the work environment itself. 

Surprise and Delight (Guest Experience)

 

When you think of team members as investments, you realize that you want to keep that investment motivated and excited to perform at a high level. By surprising employees with simple acts, you can keep them motivated and make them feel valued. 

 

Guests experiences thrive on surprise and delight. When you break them out of a routine, it goes far beyond what they expected and enables them to truly have a better experience.

There are many more issues within the realms of guest and employee experience in which this theory can be tested.  We are eager to continue the conversation with your suggestions and thoughts on this topic.

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 240: John Penney talks about staying on the edge, bringing marketing to the table and exceeding goals

John Penney is the Founder and CEO of BlackDog Advertising, a full-service advertising firm based in Miami, FL.  BlackDog was founded in 1989 after John began to automate work from his previous employer that was historically done manually.  Within a couple of years, BlackDog began working with tourism operators in Key West, which launched BlackDog into the attractions and tourism industry.  Today, BlackDog works with tourism businesses from coast to coast and has found a niche in managing the unique challenges that go alongside working in the industry.  In this interview, John discusses the importance of staying on the edge, bringing marketing to the table, and exceeding goals.

Staying on the edge

 

"You don't know what's trending until you find it."

 

BlackDog prides itself on hiring diverse talent, which enables the company to bring in fresh ideas that may benefit their clients that might be unique and innovative.  To encourage creativity, BlackDog invests in employees to spend time seeking ideas that might be out of the box, and bring them back either to offer to clients or at least test.

 

Using an experimental fashion, BlackDog tests new ideas in-house before implementing them with clients, and when they are offered, some are eager to implement them immediately while others want to see the results from other businesses.

Bringing marketing to the table

 

"Marketing needs a seat at the table."

 

At the beginning of the pandemic, many attractions halted all marketing and advertising.  However, this did not prove to be the best practice when there are still ways to continue engaging with your audience, even though the messaging and structure of advertising needed to be different.  Similarly, John stresses the importance of marketing representatives being at the table with all other departments, including operations, so that operational practices can be properly broadcast.  During pandemic-related restrictions that were regularly fluctuating, the importance of marketing cannot be understated.

 

During difficult times, whether it is a pandemic or a natural disaster such as a hurricane, John recommends that you have a communication plan around how you are managing difficult situations.  When an attraction encounters a hurricane, for instance, there is critical information that needs to be communicated, such as whether the venue is open or closed, but also hurricane-related initiatives that allow their audience to better connect with the brand from an emotional standpoint.

Exceeding goals

 

“A lot of people know what their issues are, they just need someone to confirm that for them.”

 

Before even having the first meeting, BlackDog conducts the research to gain an outsider’s opinion of what their goals might be and then listen to the client for areas of opportunity that they can help resolve.  BlackDog then presents its marketing plan outline which includes all of its goals combined with BlackDog’s goals for what they see will make the program successful.

 

While some attractions may have their own goals, many may need guidance in determining what their goals should be to achieve optimal success.  Some venues may also not be leveraging their technology to the best of their ability to understand sales coming in from all of their channels.

When asked about the difference between marketing and advertising, many people either confuse the two or use the terms interchangeably.  John summarizes that marketing is the science of where to put advertising.  In the history of advertising, it was simply about media placement without the strategy that goes into its planning today.

To learn more about BlackDog, visit www.blackdogad.com.

 

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

Episode 239: Meghan Curran talks about looking nature in the eye, balancing education and entertainment and making guests feel welcome

Meghan Curran is the Chief Marketing and Experience Officer at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. Upon graduating from the University of Illinois, Meghan joined Chicago Creative Partnership as an account supervisor. After being exposed to the world of creative marketing and the concept of understanding customers to create better experiences, she took the next step and joined the Shedd Aquarium team. With all the job experiences that Shedd has provided the past 20 years for Meghan, she takes pride in her philosophy of making sure the guests are heard to provide better experiences and serve their interests to the maximum capability. In this interview, Meghan talks about the value of looking nature in the eye, the balance of education and entertainment, and how important it is to make guests feel welcome.

 

Looking Nature in the Eye

 

“Personal interactions deliver people who are willing to take more action for animals.”

 

Guests come to the aquarium for an experience. The experience of seeing a beautiful creature while having a team member talk about the troubles, triumphs, and experiences of that animal can generate a new type of feeling for many. Many animals can not control their fate, however, by using experiences to inspire people to make a change could change the course of various species of wildlife, whether it be in Lake Michigan or even the middle of the Pacific. 

 

Delivering that call to action with groundbreaking interactivity and participation can make guests feel moved and inspired, the main goal of Shedd Aquarium. By analyzing the guest experience, changes can be made to provide a more memorable visit. These memorable experiences will eventually develop into a word of mouth outreach, inspiring more people to visit the aquarium and cause a massive chain reaction of inspiration and action for aquatic life around the world.

Balancing Education and Entertainment

 

“People won’t protect what they don’t understand or what they don’t connect to.”

 

Education is an important part of any themed experience. Whether it be for a call to action or understanding a different culture, walking out of an experience with a new understanding is vital to the industry. For aquariums, it is important that people understand why they need to change their ways in order to protect aquatic life. One of the main ways to accomplish that is to create a connection.

 

The balance of education and entertainment is essential to creating that connection and call to action that Shedd Aquarium strives to have every guest experience. Connection and understanding are the two most important variables to create that call to action. Without proper education, people will walk out of the experience happy, but without understanding why that experience was created. With too much education, guests will not retain it in a meaningful manner. Having that perfect ratio generates a meaningful and emotional experience that can change lives, human or aquatic life.

Making Guests Feel Welcome

 

“A lot of what we’re doing with this experience is trying to make sure that people feel in control.”

 

Sometimes, experiences can be overwhelming. By simplifying things, guests can feel more in control and happier with their visit. If a place is overwhelming, it takes away from the experience itself. When guests lose in the first moments of their experience because of the overwhelming nature, it can leave a sour taste and take away from the true value behind the experience. Not only this, but instead of having an attendant at an exhibit, somebody now has to explain the nearest route to the exit, taking away valuable resources to generate those experiences. 

 

Making things simple is the perfect way to take away the need to have people to tell guests what is obvious. In addition, it makes the guest feel welcome and in control. By avoiding these unnecessary routes and strange floorplans, guests win in their first moments of the experience. By having guests in control, team members can now explain the real confusing parts of the building, the fantastic aquatic life.

To learn more about Shedd Aquarium and their commitments, visit www.sheddaquarium.org.

 

To reach out to Meghan directly, you can visit the About Us section of the website for more information about her as well as her contact information.

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 238: Joe Pine talks about the experience economy, mass customization and transformation

Joe Pine is an acclaimed author, speaker, management advisor, and co-founder of Strategic Horizons LLP. Joe’s career began with performance analysis with IBM, where he was introduced to the idea of Mass Customization after joining the strategy team. After this journey, he co-founded Strategic Horizons LLP, a thinking studio centered around helping clients think differently and conceive new ways to develop their economic value through the lens of the experience economy and mass customization. Throughout Joe’s notable career, he has filled many shoes and learned many skills that he shares in order to help grow the next generation of professionals. In this interview, Joe talks about the experience economy, mass customization, and transformation.

 

The Experience Economy

“You see experiences everywhere, and you see how much people value the experiences that they have.”

Everybody wants to live their life to the fullest, and the main way to bring that fulfillment to people is through experiences. When lots of people want something, there will inevitably be an economy centered around it. As the world has evolved, we have seen shifts in these economies. From industrial to knowledge, and knowledge to services. The new shift is turning those services into experiences. 

On a dramatic increase over the past 25 to 30 years, this economy endlessly grows the expansive world of experiences. Even now, people are looking for things as simple as shopping to turn into something more. As recent world events have shown, many things can be done from the comfort of home. People now need a reason to come into the store other than buying things, as it is nearly pointless unless an experience is created for them. As the world evolves technologically, people are realizing that they need to experience something before they buy it. This all leads to the end goal of an economy creating memorable and meaningful experiences. 

 

Mass Customization

“Mass Customization automatically turns a service into an experience.”

From an economical standpoint, tailoring ‘something’ into ‘something more specific’ can truly make a difference. This made-to-order mindset is what people heavily desire within the experience economy. Mass customization is the bridge between products and services, and most importantly, services to experiences. 

Before recent innovations, the attractions community treated people like mass products, no matter what, everybody got the same thing. There was little to no tailored experience, and it left a very big spark of theming out of themed entertainment. Once bigger companies implemented new technology, people began to experience things tailored to what they want. This made-to-order mindset being implemented further expanded the industry into an entire new world of innovation, allowing companies to get more personal and customize the individual. 

 

Transformation

“It’s about going beyond the experience to help your customers achieve their aspirations.”

Transformation is an important part of life, happiness, and the economy. People only change through the experiences they have. There are many different cases where people would naturally experience transformation, or will go about seeking it personally. When experiences are created, it is important to acknowledge and try to direct how people will be transformed. 

People actively seek change. Even in experiences outside of the themed entertainment industry, people can overcome something like their fear and walk out of that experience feeling like an improved person. When people seek experiences, they also seek transformation. Providing and nourishing this delicate part of experiences is key to the experience economy. In addition, to further enhance the transformation that people are looking for, using mass customization is key. Overall, transformation is the end result of experiences, and that should be more recognized and improved to even further grow the experience economy.

 

To connect with Joe, connect with him on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter.  To learn more about Strategic Horizons and the Experience Economy certification, visit www.strategichorizons.com.  For the frontline video training course, visit www.onstagetraining.com.

 

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 237: Dr. Tonya Matthews talks about uncomfortable subjects, creating a new culture and radical empathy

Dr. Tonya Matthews is the President & Chief Executive Officer of the International African American Museum, which is scheduled to open in Charleston, South Carolina in late 2022. The museum “strives to foster empathy and understanding, empowering visitors with the knowledge of the past. The journey will challenge, illuminate, inspire and ultimately, will move people to action.” Dr. Matthews is a museum professional who fell in love with the classroom known as museums and is excited for the opportunity ahead of her at IAAM. In this episode, she talks about tackling uncomfortable subjects, creating a new culture, and radical empathy. 

Uncomfortable subjects

 

"The meaningful conversation that we're fostering happens when guests leave, not when they're there."

 

Digging into some of the more difficult subjects of our collective history is often avoided because they are deeply personal and emotional. Dr. Matthews tells us that the IAAM purposely puts these subjects on display to inspire deeper exploration and conversation.

 

Dr. Matthews also acknowledges that many of the truly meaningful and transformational conversations are likely to happen after someone visits the museum, and that’s okay. It takes time for people to process new and often jarring truths that they have not had to face before. It is the mission of the museum to foster widely diverse and respectful conversations. 

Creating a new culture

 

"Culture eats everything for breakfast."

 

Leading a “start-up” is never easy. Combine that process with the subject matter of the IAAM and it takes a sophisticated approach to ensure success. Dr. Matthews emphasizes that one of her biggest responsibilities is to get the culture right at the very beginning. Since the museum hasn’t opened yet, the opportunities to do great things or fall flat are equally present.

 

Dr. Matthews doesn’t take this lightly. She actively seeks out diverse opinions and thoughts, working very hard to foster an environment of respect and support. Having the right people onboard is part of that strategy, but so is honoring their heritage, emotions, and contributions. 

Radical empathy

 

"We don't want to reduce a culture to a moment in history."

 

There’s empathy, and then there’s radical empathy. The difference is an unyielding commitment to ensure that all voices are heard. That doesn’t necessarily lead to agreement, but it does lead to a deeper level of respect and understanding. So much so that Dr. Matthews recounts a time that someone completely disagreed with her, but could at least understand where she was coming from. 

To learn more about the International African American Museum, visit: https://iaamuseum.org/.

To connect directly with Dr. Matthews:

• Email: ceo@iaam.org
• Twitter: @DocTjedi1619

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

Episode 236: Andrea Wiles discusses cultural humility, advocating for children and connecting with your audience

Andrea Wiles is the President and Chief Executive Officer at DuPage Children’s Museum in Naperville, IL, in the western suburbs of Chicago.  Andrea’s career began as a lawyer, and after practicing law in San Francisco, her passion for social justice guided her toward advocacy and public policy that allow families to be successful.  During this time, she recognized the significance that attractions have - particularly museums and science centers - to impact the lives of children and families.  In this interview, Andrea talks about cultural humility, advocating for children, connecting with your audience.

Cultural Humility

 

"I have always been driven by a desire to witness social justice and to be a part of that."

 

We all have so much to learn.  Even if we thought we were doing the best we could to be sensitive to social justice, it has not been nearly close enough.  By embracing cultural humility, it allows you to embrace cultures that you may not be from or identify in a way that doesn’t actually say that you are competent in them.  It’s not about being culturally competent, but knowing when to ask questions.  Whether guests look the same as you or if they look different, you approach them in a way that is respectful and acknowledge that you may not know where they are coming from.

 

Not everyone feels welcome at museums, and it takes intentionality and hard work to ensure that everyone has access to programs and opportunities.  Guests must be explicitly invited into institutions and museums, and these invitations need to make people feel that the museum actually wants them to visit and that they will feel comfortable upon arrival.

Advocating for Children

 

"Exposing kids to different professions, opportunities, and people is so critically important in those early years."

 

Early on, Andrea recognized that much of the world had difficulties with self-sufficiency and justice for children and families.  Becoming a lawyer allowed her to focus on things that are relevant, and pivoting into cultural institutions provided a broader base and a broader impact.  In this capacity, there are substantial opportunities that allow children to truly blossom, yet there are barriers to engaging with these types of institutions.

 

Children have to know the opportunities that are available to them and we cannot assume that they do.  It is the role of museums and cultural institutions to give them that exposure.  Access and opportunity to participate are what drive the sense of belonging, combined with an intentional welcoming when they get there.

Connecting with Your Audience

 

"Cultural institutions are in a unique position to engage with their community and make an impact."

 

It can be assumed that the largest barrier that prevents access is the price point of the facility; however, even if the facility is free, it still requires a sense of welcome and belonging.  In Chicago, cultural attractions are required to provide 52 free days per year; however, the demographics for guests who visit on free days are identical to guests who pay full price for admission.

 

At the DuPage Children’s Museum, Andrea is proud of the partnerships that the museum has formed with groups in the community to focus on serving areas of the community that are otherwise underserved.  Connecting with these organizations expands the museum’s reach beyond the walls of the facility and helps to genuinely solve the most pressing needs of their neighbors.

 

To learn more about DuPage Children’s Museum, visit dupagechildrensmuseum.org.  To connect with Andrea directly, she can be reached at awiles@dupagechildrensmuseum.org.

 

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

• Audio and video editing by Abigail Giganan
• Scheduling and correspondence by Kristen Karaliunas
• Branding and design by Fabiana Fonseca

To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com

Episode 235: Ron McKenzie shares theme park stories, lessons in effective communication, and marketing stunts

Ron McKenzie is an attractions industry veteran who was most recently the Park President of Six Flags Over Texas. Ron has a wealth of experience both leading attractions teams and marketing and selling the fun that we produce. In this episode, Ron shares many of the great stories from his career, discusses effective communication, and pulls back the curtain on some of his favorite marketing stunts. 

Theme park stories

 

"I was handed a phone book, and told, go sell something."

 

Ron started with Fiesta Texas (before Six Flags took over) in 1993. New to group sales in a theme park, Ron admits he didn’t know what he was selling, but it was great to be in waiting rooms with others who were selling copy machines, etc., because he knew that his product was so much more fun.

 

Ron has so many great stories about his time in the industry, and he is happy to share them! So many people talk about creating stories that guests get to experience, but we may forget the stories that happen to us as we are creating those memories and special times for others. Those are really important stories, too. 

Effective communication

 

"Leadership is all about effective communication, trust, and getting people to believe in what you are trying to accomplish."

 

Sometimes the best ideas grow out of necessity or a whim. Ron shares that during the hectic days of re-opening that he would stop by the employee cafeteria for a bite to eat and would sit outside. He had no idea that the team members would respond so positively by taking the time to talk to him, share what they loved about their jobs and where they wanted to go in life. 

 

The time to interact with team members became Ron’s favorite time in the park. There were times that he couldn’t finish a meal because so many people were talking with him, but he felt, as a leader, that’s exactly where he was supposed to be. Communicating, listening, and sometimes even giving people a little nudge to keep moving forward. 

Marketing stunts

 

“At that point in my career I knew a lot, but did not know how to pull off a guy jumping 26 cars in our parking lot.”

 

Of all of the significant marketing initiatives and experiences Ron has had, he shared that one of his greatest highlights was working with Robbie Knievel as he attempted to jump 26 Dodge Chargers in the Six Flags St. Louis parking lot to announce the opening of their new wooden coaster. 

 

Ron shares that one of the best things about working with Robbie was that he got to learn so much more about Robbie’s dad, Evel Knievel, who was someone Ron looked up to as a kid. This also led to an unfortunate picture of Ron and Robbie that made it into the local paper!

To connect with Ron, you can find him on LinkedIn. 

 

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

• Audio and video editing by Abigail Giganan
• Scheduling and correspondence by Kristen Karaliunas
• Branding and design by Fabiana Fonseca

To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com

Episode 234: Winston Fisher talks about thinking outside the lines, not checking the box, and blending digital and physical

Winston Fisher is the CEO of AREA15, an immersive “content box” in Las Vegas, NV.  Winston’s background is in real estate development and operations, as part of his family’s business, Fisher Brothers, which dates back to 1915, and owns land in Las Vegas.  AREA15 was intentionally built for the experience economy and houses iconic attractions that include Meow Wolf, multiple types of VR experiences, ax throwing, creative dining options, entertainment, and events, that is tied together with large format art, projection mapping, that according to Winston, makes for a badass environment.  In this interview, Winston talks about thinking outside the lines, not checking the box, and blending digital and physical spaces.

 

AREA15 opened in September 2020.  Despite being in the heart of the pandemic, Winston said that this enabled them to have the ultimate soft opening, and they benefited from being the only good news in town, which filled the void.  Winston stresses that you never stop when it’s bad… that’s when you go deeper.  AREA15 was able to establish a brand name without the intense competition that would otherwise challenge the venue’s opening.

Thinking outside the lines

 

“I appreciate creativity, and I can appreciate how you put a business process to creativity without diluting it.”

 

Winston comes from a real estate background but says that he has a love of everything spectacle, zany, and creativity, yet rooted in deep business processes.  In real estate and also in the attractions industry, there is too much fear of creativity.  Thinking outside the lines can be so scary for some people.  To demonstrate this, Winston shares that he has a tattoo of the word “perspective” on his arm that has a box that is ever-opening.

 

The riskiest thing you can do is whatever everybody else is doing.  This commoditizes the business, which results in commoditized returns - usually a race to the bottom.  By thinking about the journey that the customer is going on and the emotion that you are trying to convey, it leads to decisions in the design process, whether it is a residential space or an entertainment space.

Not checking the box

 

“Either do it 100% or don’t do it at all.”

 

Don’t do something for the sake of doing it and having it done.  The act of “checking the box” is lazy and pathetic, according to Winston.  Winston conveys that there are amazing theme parks and there are some that are lazy, just as there are buildings that are amazing and creative, and some that are lazy - they met a functional need but never exceeded the minimum requirements.

 

The mindset of not checking the box flows through Winston’s leadership philosophy.  Winston shares that his team is built on culture, respect, success, and accountability.  As a leader, Winston is never satisfied, meaning there is always an opportunity for a high-performing team to keep pushing the envelope on what’s possible.

 

To build this type of culture, it requires a team that is comfortable going 120mph instead of a steadier pace of 60mph.

Blending digital and physical

 

"I see a world where the digital and physical are blended together."

 

You need new, and you need innovation.  The physical space, which is generally where the attractions industry is based, is at an interesting intersection.  With the rise of digital spaces - such as the metaverse - becoming increasingly realistic, the attractions industry needs to consider how it fits in.

 

Is there a digital skin or avatar that can enhance your experience in the physical space, or can physical events be linked with a digital overlay?  There are understandable limitations to this - for instance, Winston does not believe that a concert should exist solely in the digital realm, given that the energy of screaming fans cannot be (currently) replicated virtually.

 

Winston believes that the best applications of the metaverse are when they are seamlessly integrated into the physical space, and attractions have the content of the physical that can make the metaverse very interesting.  For instance, wearing a VR headset on a roller coaster, while the technology is still in evolution, is still better than riding a virtual roller coaster while wearing a headset at home.  And while we can’t compete with the behemoths of Meta or Microsoft, we have the content that they need.

 

Theme parks and attractions provide primal joy, and that cannot be replaced on a computer.

To learn more about AREA15, visit www.area15.com.  To reach out to Winston directly, connect with him on LinkedIn.

 

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

• Audio and video editing by Abigail Giganan
• Scheduling and correspondence by Kristen Karaliunas
• Branding and design by Fabiana Fonseca

To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com