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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 Jul 27, 2021
Tuesday Jul 27, 2021
Anna Danau is the Managing Director of her own business, Hospitality Intelligence. Anna started her business when she and her husband, Victor, moved to Vietnam in 2015. Hospitality Intelligence was originally created to oversee the first ice skating rink ever in Vietnam, which Anna planned, opened, and still oversees. Since then, the scope of the business has expanded to opening other family-focused entertainment offerings in the area as well as supporting other themed entertainment businesses in the area. This support comes in a variety of forms, with the most common being staff and procedural training and guest experience insight.
Anna talked about the unique opportunity to be a part of the growing themed entertainment industry in Vietnam. She described the industry as being in its infancy there, but that interest in attractions was growing. Anna said most current offerings are family entertainment centers (FEC). In addition to the popularity of FECs, shopping malls are favorite destinations for locals. That’s why Anna is opening attractions, such as ice skating rinks, in the already-popular mall locations. In Vietnam, family is very important so opportunities for family members to spend time together are always appreciated. The importance of family in Vietnam made a wonderful impression on Anna, and she decided to start and raise her family there.
Opening the first ice rink in Vietnam came with some interesting challenges. Because this was the first opportunity many locals had to partake in the activity, almost everyone needed to be taught how to ice skate. This led Anna to pivot her staffing plans slightly, train all of her employees to skate, and have several of them on the ice at all times helping people learn how to skate and how to fall in a way that won’t lead to injury. Another lesson that Anna learned from training her new staff was the importance of understanding and working with, not against, cultural differences. For example, in Vietnam elders are respected to the point that you often don’t tell them that they can’t do something. However, this cannot take priority over ensuring the safety of guests. Because of this potential conflict, Anna worked with her frontline employees to determine ways to respectfully explain safety requirements in a way that ensured all safety guidelines were followed while also making sure guests didn’t feel disrespected.
Training has become a large part of Anna’s career, both at Hospitality Intelligence and with International Ride Training (IRT), which provides ride operator training, safety standards, and yearly audits. Anna has been a large part of extending IRT into Asia and Australia to truly make it international. One training initiative that Anna is leading is creating training for international students that want to work at theme parks in other parts of the world, such as in the United States. Many of these students haven’t been to the US or even been to a theme park themselves so they have trouble being immediately effective at their roles. In order to help with this problem and provide value to both the hiring parks and the incoming students, Anna is creating training to teach students some of the basics before they even arrive at the parks. The topics range from learning the basics of living in the US to more tailored information about the park they will be working at. Additionally, the overarching focus is on safety for the students and the guests they will be serving when they arrive.
Anna also enjoys training her own staff at the ice rink. She describes herself as an introvert but knows the importance of being confident and engaging with guests. Anna tries to help her employees find their inner confidence, but she says that process can be different for each individual. Additionally, Anna trains her supervisors on how to give good feedback to the employees they manage. She emphasized the importance of both positive feedback and corrective feedback. When constructive feedback is delivered with the goal of helping an employee be the best they can be and truly succeed in the role, even corrective feedback can lead to a confidence boost. Additionally, Anna pointed out that confidence takes both mental and physical practice. She teaches skills she learned in theater, such as breath control, having good posture, and even improv, as a means of improving confidence when interacting with guests. In addition, Anna wants her employees to feel empowered to be proactive while delivering exceptional guest experiences.
Lastly, Anna shared a few tips. The first was to find a mentor if you don’t have one. She says that she wouldn’t be in the position she is in now without the help and guidance of her fantastic mentors. Also, Anna emphasized the value of enjoying the journey and not just the destination. She spoke this with regards to career progression. Many people go to school and think they have a plan for what they will do when they graduate, but Anna suggested that sometimes, opportunities might come along that surprise you and take you somewhere you didn’t quite expect. Before joining the themed entertainment industry, Anna worked for the US government, gathering intelligence. So when the opportunity came to work within themed entertainment, a sphere she had always loved, she jumped on the opportunity and is loving the ride.
If you’d like to get in touch with Anna, you can find her on Facebook, LinkedIn, and on Hospitality Intelligence’s website.
This podcast wouldn't be possible without the incredible work of our amazing team:
- Audio and video editing by Abigail Giganan
- Complete episode summary by Paige Reiter
- Scheduling and correspondence by Kristen Karaliunas
- Social media marketing by Kate Kujawa
- Branding and design by Fabiana Fonseca
To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com
Tuesday Jul 20, 2021
Tuesday Jul 20, 2021
Guy Nelson is the CEO and Executive Chairman of Dynamic Technologies, the parent company of Dynamic Attractions. Dynamic Technologies was founded in 2006, and Dynamic Attractions was founded in 2011. Then, Dynamic Entertainment was created, which had a focus on creating more complete rides internal to the company or through partnerships, instead of being the ride system vendor. However, Dynamic’s work in themed entertainment began prior to all of these dates, back when the company was still just Dynamic Structures. Dynamic has been a major player during the past few decades in terms of developing cutting-edge ride system technologies and solutions.
Prior to his work with Dynamic, Guy held leadership positions in a variety of different industries, including construction, transportation, manufacturing, and venture capital. During that time, he worked at a range of different companies, from small startups to larger corporations. Guy believes it is this diverse set of leadership positions that really helps him succeed today because he has been able to learn various things from each of his former roles. When asked about the qualities of a good leader, Guy emphasized the importance of having a clear vision for where the group or company wants to go. Without this vision, you will never be able to make that goal a reality. Furthermore, Guy emphasized the importance of persevering through setbacks and speedbumps on the way to that vision. Again, if you are willing to back down at the first sign of adversity, you’ll never make it to your goal.
Guy discussed how Dynamic has evolved over the years. For example, with the founding of Dynamic Attractions, the company shifted away from manufacturing components internally and instead built up its internal engineering expertise. By focusing on the most challenging engineering questions internally and outsourcing manufacturing, Dynamic really refined its place in the industry. Additionally, Dynamic began to do more internal development work that wasn’t necessarily tied to a project. By coming up with innovative new systems, they could then show off their engineering prowess and attract new clients with their new offerings.
Despite being very good at innovating on their own, Guy discussed the value of collaborative innovation with their clients. The most obvious advantage of working with the park or other themed entertainment venue where the attraction will be installed is that the risk of trying new things is shared between that client and Dynamic. Another advantage is that the client usually has a good idea of the type of guest experience they are looking for, and Dynamic has the ride system know-how to make that vision a reality. By knowing who the intended future guests will be, it helps everyone on the project keep the design decisions customer-focused. Guy went on to further discuss the benefit of beginning that collaboration as soon as possible so that the complete team has time to prototype and iterate in order to come up with the best possible solution.
Guy shared that Dynamic’s motto is “Anything you can dream, we can build.” That being said, he emphasized that “dreams can be expensive,” but that with enough resources and time, almost any engineering challenge can be solved. However, most clients don’t have an unlimited budget or unlimited time to open their next big attraction. Dynamic helps customers create the best possible ride within their financial and time constraints. Because of the pandemic, those constraints have gotten even tighter. Many parks are holding off on new developments until they feel confident that they have nearly recovered from the time they were closed or at limited capacity. When asked about the lasting impacts of the pandemic on attractions, Guy said that he believes most of the changes will be within park operations and not the ride designs.
When asked about the most impactful innovations and trends during his 15 years within the themed entertainment industry, Guy first pointed out the popularity of immersive, media-based attractions. Hand-in-hand with that growth has been the evolution of dark rides. Building further on this, Guy pointed out the growing use of sophisticated controls and more complicated software being used to control the motion of ride vehicles. All of these things fall within Dynamic’s list of specialties. As an example, Guy pointed to Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey at Universal as a good example of all of these trends and how it has been inspiring the next generation of cornerstone attractions at world-class amusement parks. When asked about what he thinks will be the next big thing, Guy pointed to another Universal attraction: the new Mario Kart attraction at Universal Studios Japan. It uses augmented reality to add a whole new level of immersion to the guest experience and further blur the lines between the experience and reality. Going along with this enhanced immersion are even more sophisticated motion bases to really sell the experience the riders.
If you’d like to get in contact with Guy or learn more about Dynamic Technologies, you can visit their website.
This podcast wouldn't be possible without the work of our amazing team:
- Audio and video editing by Abigail Giganan
- Complete episode summary by Paige Reiter
- Scheduling and correspondence by Kristen Karaliunas
- Social media marketing by Kate Kujawa
- Branding and design by Fabiana Fonseca
To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com
Tuesday Jul 13, 2021
Tuesday Jul 13, 2021
Brian Yessian is the CCO and a Partner of Yessian Music. Yessian Music is a company that does sound design and mixing as well as creating new music and sound effects for commercials, television, film, rides, and other themed entertainment experiences. They are involved throughout all stages of development, from the concept generation to mixing the final sounds on-site. While Yessian Music is now an international company doing projects around the world, it started out with humble roots near Detroit.
Fifty years ago, Brian’s dad converted an old bait and tackle shop in the Detroit area into a music studio. He was a musician and started writing jingles for the automotive industry. Brian and his brother eventually joined their father in the family business. Brian was a classically-trained clarinet player and enjoyed playing in orchestras. However, he felt himself pulled towards his father’s business, and he and his brother decided to expand outside of Detroit. Yessian Music now has offices in New York City, Los Angeles, and Hamburg, Germany. The leap into the themed entertainment space came about 15 years ago when Brian was working on a project with a producer from Jack Rouse Associates. They were invited to create music for an attraction, and that was the start to Brian’s passion of creating sound for themed attractions. Brian had grown up going to Disney and Universal parks so getting a chance to work on attractions was a dream come true.
One of the most important goals of sound in themed attractions is to immerse the guest into that environment and into the story. In a theme park, it is very likely that the area outside the entrance to an attraction and the inside of a show building are supposed to represent completely different worlds or experiences. Brian says that queue music and sound effects are used to immediately help the guest feel as if they have been transported to a new place. Appropriate music and sound effects work in harmony with the visuals of a space to create the right atmosphere for the upcoming ride. In addition to helping the guest feel transported, sound can help set the tone of the experience by evoking certain emotions within the guests. Whether the attraction will be light and upbeat or a little more moody or mysterious, the tone of the music or choice of particular sound effects that are layered on top of that music can really prepare the guest for the upcoming ride. Those same principles also work during the ride experience itself, not just in the queue.
A key aspect of selling the realism of the attraction’s sound or making sure the proper tonal mood is set is being able to experience the sound within the environment it will be used. Brian emphasized the importance of spending as much time on-site as possible when doing the final mixing and timing of sound in rides and their queues. For example, the size and shape of a room, its acoustics, and the quality and position of the speakers within that room have a huge difference on how music will sound compared to what it sounded like in the very controlled studio. That’s why Brian and his team spend as much time as possible utilizing their mobile soundboards to tweak the sounds on-site. In order to get the little details just right, like a sound that is meant to guide guests to look in a certain direction, the team will sometimes make small tweaks to the direction that speakers are pointing in order to help the visual and sonic realities match. In addition, the amount of bodies in a space can really change the sound quality of an area so Brian will often stick around after a ride opens to see if tweaks need to be made to compensate for a full queue line or a full ride vehicle.
Another unique aspect of creating sound for attractions is that you have to work closely with many other vendors. Brian works closely with the vendor supplying the A/V equipment from the beginning so everyone is on the same page about the audio capability of the system. Brian’s team also has to work closely with the ride vehicle vendor. For example, Brian is currently working with Dynamic Attractions on a new flying theater ride. Since the seats will move, it is important for Brian’s team to know when that movement is happening so they can coordinate the music with those big moments. Additionally, they work closely with the team creating the visuals for the ride, and the final music and sound effects can’t be created until the visuals are nearly finalized so everything can be timed properly. There are also other special effects on some rides, such as scents, water, and wind that need to be understood and taken into consideration to make sure the whole experience is cohesive between all of the guests’ senses. Making sure all of those elements work together in harmony can help a guest experience something new for the first time, and it is important to Brian, his team, and everyone else working on the attraction that the experience be as authentic, but also as breathtaking, as possible. Brian said one of his favorite moments was watching guests ride an attraction for the first time. To see their eyes light up or see them smile makes the many late nights of on-site tweaking completely worth it.
If you’d like to get in touch with Brian or learn more about Yessian Music, you can visit their website.
This podcast wouldn't be possible without the work of our amazing team:
- Audio and video editing by Abigail Giganan
- Complete episode summary by Paige Reiter
- Scheduling and correspondence by Kristen Karaliunas
- Social media marketing by Kate Kujawa
- Branding and design by Fabiana Fonseca
To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com
Tuesday Jul 06, 2021
Tuesday Jul 06, 2021
AttractionPros has officially reached its 200th episode! To celebrate, we decided to have an episode that invited our audience of fellow attraction professionals to participate in a collaborative conversation. The topic chosen was timely and focused on the resurgence of themed entertainment offerings as vaccinations against COVID-19 climb, infections fall, and restrictions are lifted. While the attractions industry was deemed non-essential by health and government leaders during the hardest moments of the pandemic, attractions will be essential to economic recovery and a return to a sense of normalcy. While some changes are here to stay, there are opportunities for themed entertainment to roar back, and as Johnathan Lee Iverson, the Last Ringmaster of Ringling Bros. Circus, stated, this is a chance for the industry to soar to new heights.
From an economic recovery standpoint, location-based entertainment is essential for drawing people out of their homes, bringing them out into their communities or new areas, and encouraging spending wherever they may be visiting. Tom Moulton, with the Southern Arizona Attractions Alliance, highlighted that attractions are “destination drivers,” bringing money to their communities. This is true whether a family stays close to home or whether they plan an elaborate trip in another state or country. Ike Kwon, with the California Academy of Sciences, expanded upon this economic impact by pointing out the many jobs that are supported by the attractions industry. Ike also pointed out that many attractions are deeply rooted in their communities and even when they faced economic uncertainty due to closures, chose to give back to their communities.
Giving back to the community that embraces them has always been part of the culture for many themed entertainment venues, and that only increased during the pandemic. Ron Gustafson, with Quassy Amusement Park, discussed how the park had been an essential part of its community for 113 years. They chose to support members of their community by partnering with nonprofits in their area to host food drives and collect donations of personal items. Andreas Andersen, with Liseberg, discussed how integral Liseberg is to the “social and cultural fabric of their community.” Theme parks aren’t just places with thrill rides, but they also represent gathering places for shared experiences with family, friends, and even new acquaintances.
Exciting destinations are the perfect places to make lasting memories with loved ones. Greg Fisher, with TripShock, shared the importance of preserving attractions so that memories can be made for generations to come. Adam Sandy, of Zamperla, pointed out that so many shared experiences happen at theme parks, from first roller coaster rides to first dates. Keith James, from Jack Rouse Associates, pointed out that the emotions, the laughter, the joy, and the relief from stress that attractions provide are essential. Theme parks have often been a respite from the chaos of day-to-day life, but now the guests need them to be a respite from the harsh reality of the pandemic and its related challenges.
2020 was an incredibly challenging year for everyone, but many are approaching 2021, and especially its second half, with a renewed sense of hope for a return to pre-pandemic normalcy. Matt Eckert, of Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, talked about how exciting it was to be open again and gifting happiness and laughter to their guests. After all, those are gifts everyone truly needs after this past challenging year. Audrey Jowett, from Revolution Adventures, talked about how attractions have an ability to give their guests a perceived sense of normalcy by keeping up their enhanced cleaning and safety standards but drawing less attention to it with signage and announcements. Louis Alfieri, of Raven Sun Creative, pointed out some of the connectivity alternatives that have been utilized throughout the pandemic and the ability to deliver some elements of themed entertainment virtually, but he went on to state that nothing completely replaces the value of real-world destinations.
Whether they are family entertainment centers, zoos, aquariums, museums, theme parks, or other location-based offerings, attractions offer opportunities to have adventures with our friends and family that turn into life-long memories. Mark Rosenzweig, of 3dx Scenic, stated that the world is an exciting place that should be explored. Brandon Willey, from Hownd, pointed out that “humans crave experiences,” whether they are looking to learn something new, “get a dose of adrenaline,” or celebrate with loved ones. There are many different reasons for wanting to visit an attraction.
Besides being places that offer a good time, many experiences sneak in educational moments for their guests. Some of the best venues for “edutainment” are zoos, aquariums, and museums. Felicia Cook, with The Dolphin Company, discussed the importance their “nature ambassadors,” or the animals in their care, have on the guests that visit. In addition to conducting research and educating the public on the importance of wildlife, attractions like The Dolphin Company contribute directly to the health of Earth’s ecosystems by rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing animals. Jennifer Berthiaume, of Lion Country Safari, discussed the importance of educating the public about conservation by highlighting humanity’s connection to wildlife. Jennifer also highlighted a study from the St. Louis Zoo that found that “a visit to the zoo is good for health,” physically and mentally.
The pandemic has put an increased amount of strain on many people’s mental wellbeing, which has brought greatly-needed attention to the importance of taking care of one’s mental health in addition to physical health. Sarah Cole, of Glazer Children’s Museum, pointed out that children have been greatly affected by the isolation of the pandemic, causing a mental health crisis in kids. She said that museums and other attractions offer a “space for respite and joy.” Marcus Gaines, from Coaster Touring, agreed and stated that the escapism granted through location-based experiences help to promote mental wellness. Paul Griffiths, of Painshill Park Trust, talked about how attractions create spaces for employees and volunteers to escape from loneliness and connect with each other and guests in a meaningful way. He also discussed how connecting with nature through parks and other outdoor venues are opportunities to better our mental and physical well being.
However, green spaces aren’t the only attractions that improve their guests’ mental and physical wellbeing. Ryan Borton, of Funovation, discussed how Funovation’s offerings, like their laser mazes, challenge players’ “brain and brawn.” This mental and physical challenge is fun but also rewarding for both mental and physical wellness. Similarly, Luke and Cody Schueler, of Flying Squirrel Sports, talked about the many physical benefits of playing at indoor trampoline parks and similar attractions, such as improving your coordination, practicing your balance skills, and reducing your fatigue. Additionally, these sorts of experiences can increase bonds between family and friends, to the benefit of everyone’s mental wellbeing. The opportunity to get out and play at attractions is something that was greatly limited during the worst days of the pandemic, but people are certainly wasting no time getting back to these fun, physical, mentally-freeing activities.
Another important aspect of the return to these fun activities and attractions is making sure that they are safe and accessible for all. Bob McCullough, of Morgan’s Wonderland, discussed the importance of having accessible options that anyone can enjoy. Morgan’s Wonderland was designed to accommodate guests of all ages and abilities and to remove barriers so that anyone attending can have a wonderful experience. Pam Landwirth, from Give Kids the World Village, also discussed the importance of accessibility and highlighted the accessible rides gifted to the park by Zamperla. Pam summed it up beautifully by saying, “To see the joy on a child’s face to ride a ride for the very first time and to see their parents crying because they’re able to watch their children do it, I think that’s what makes us essential.”
In addition to providing magical moments for all guests, many attractions also provide a fulfilling purpose to their employees. Rachel Harper, of Castle Fun Park, pointed out that many employees of attractions would describe themselves as “people people” and find joy in going above and beyond to give their guests an unforgettable experience. I, Paige Reiter, the writer of the weekly AttractionPros podcast summaries, shared a story I had heard about a volunteer at Give Kids the World who didn’t find their purpose in life until they helped create cherished memories for the critically ill but incredibly brave children and their families who visit the park.
There are many remarkable stories related to the incredible impact that attractions have on their employees, their guests, and their communities. AttractionPros will continue to do our part to highlight the many amazing attractions, experiences, and the people that make them happen for many episodes to come. Please contact us on any platform if you’d like to contribute a story, suggest a guest, or highlight an attraction.
This podcast wouldn't be possible without the work of our amazing team:
- Audio and video editing - Abigail Giganan
- Complete episode summary - Paige Reiter
- Scheduling and correspondence - Kristen Karaliunas
- Social media marketing - Kate Kujawa
- Branding and design - Fabiana Fonseca
To contact AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com
Tuesday Jun 29, 2021
Tuesday Jun 29, 2021
Johnathan Lee Iverson has the humbling title of The Last Ringmaster. For almost twenty years, Johnathan was the ringmaster for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, also known as The Greatest Show on Earth. He earned the title of The Last Ringmaster because he held that role when the circus gave its last performance in 2017 before shutting down. Johnathan says that title may have an asterisk behind it now that there are rumors that the Ringling Bros. Circus may be returning someday.
When he was just eleven years old, Johnathan joined the world-renowned Boys Choir of Harlem and was introduced to the world of music. Beyond growing as a musician, Johnathan learned many lessons during his years with the Boys Choir of Harlem. Those lessons included learning how to accept failure, how to utilize your specific skills and tools, how to build meaningful relationships, and how to work hard for something you really want. All of these skills are incredibly transferrable and have been vital throughout his life, including his time as a ringmaster. Johnathan would go on to study music at LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and then the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford. Johnathan was on track to move to Europe and become an opera singer when he happened to run into the director of the Ringling Bros. Circus one day. They were looking for a singing ringmaster, and though he was initially skeptical of the idea of making a career out of being a ringmaster, Johnathan auditioned for the role against thirty other candidates. Upon earning the job, Johnathan became the Ringling’s first ringmaster from New York, its youngest ringmaster, and its first Black American ringmaster. Johnathan’s story and talent quickly made him famous and helped Ringling Bros. Circus break records, but his gift resonated with individual members of his audiences in ways that couldn’t be measured by ticket sales or attendance numbers.
Johnathan stated that the role of a performing artist shouldn’t be for yourself but should instead inspire others and push the standard of your craft higher. Johnathan shared some of the many stories about the children whose lives he touched during his time as Ringling’s ringmaster. One child who heard his words chose to become a speaker. Another girl who had been shy before was inspired by Johnathan through a short interaction to become a performing artist. A mother shared that her autistic son spoke his first words at the circus and now loved their yearly trips to watch the performance. Johnathan says that he will likely never know the extent of the people that he and the rest of his circus coworkers had an effect on, but he knows that his voice, his words, and his gift continue to make a lasting impact.
For several years, Johnathan teamed up with fellow circus performer, Paulo dos Santos, to visit schools and talk about bullying. Paulo is a little person. Upon meeting each other, Johnathan admits he had to reassess his personal bias about Paulo. For example, Johnathan says that Paulo can pick him up and do squats as if Johnathan weighs nothing. In addition to being incredibly strong physically, Paulo is strong mentally and emotionally. As Johnathan put it, most people outgrow or can change the thing that they are bullied for, but that isn’t the case for Paulo. He uses this and what he has learned over the years to inspire kids to think twice about bullying others and to help those who are currently on the receiving end of bullying to realize that they can be strong and successful like Paulo.
One thing that Johnathan loved about the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus was that it showcased the talent of such a diverse group of people. The performers came from different countries, spoke different languages, and showcased elements of their different cultures. This broad array of people came together to celebrate their wonderful differences but also find some commonality between them. Many people that visit the circus get to see talents and sights that they may never experience otherwise. Some examples of this are the talented animal actors. Johnathan said that one thing you can really see in the shows is that the different animals are all unique and have their own personalities.
Additionally, Johnathan is the ringmaster for Omnium: A Bold New Circus, which recently launched a virtual circus experience but hopes to launch an in-person component in the future. Omnium aims to “broaden the tent” and features “uniquely unified, multi-talented, multi-racial, and multi-abled performers” in a celebration of diversity and inclusion. One star of this new circus is Jen Bricker-Bauer, an aerialist who was born without legs. During the virtual show, she shares the fact that she grew up in a household where she wasn’t allowed to say she can’t do something because her family knew that wasn’t true. Johnathan describes her and their fellow Omnium performers as a celebration of the “depth and breadth of the human family.” They also aim to make circus tickets available to people that may not be able to afford them or might not be able to attend the circus for other reasons. Omnium also tries to eliminate as many accessibility barriers as possible by offering integrated American sign language interpreters, audio description of the entire show, reduced sensory seating areas, and other personalized accommodations. Johnathan hopes this celebration of commonality and ability to come together despite differences can seep into more of our society and help make the world a better place.
If you’d like to learn more about Omnium: A Bold New Circus or watch their virtual performance, visit their website. If you’d like to connect with Johnathan, you can contact him at his website or by the handle @lastringmaster on almost all social media platforms.
This podcast wouldn't be possible without the work of our amazing team:
- Audio and video editing - Abigail Giganan
- Complete episode summary - Paige Reiter
- Scheduling and correspondence - Kristen Karaliunas
- Social media marketing - Kate Kujawa
- Branding and design - Fabiana Fonseca
To contact AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com
Tuesday Jun 22, 2021
Tuesday Jun 22, 2021
Mary Tannous calls herself the Queen of Feedback. She’s been in the attractions and hospitality industry for over twenty years. During that time, she has gained expertise in many different areas of the industry, from sales and corporate strategy to technology and training. She’s a world traveler, speaks multiple languages, and has worked and lived in many different countries. Mary is a certified life coach, an active member of her community, and a business owner. Mary now acts as a consultant to hospitality and attractions companies, utilizing her years of expertise to look for growth opportunities. Mary says that many of these opportunities start by focusing on delivering a good guest experience.
Mary emphasized the importance of a consistent company culture that is aligned with that company’s brand and mission. She focused on the fact that this culture and the behaviors that it fosters need to be consistent from the very top of the company down to the very bottom. Having the right company culture is often the first step to fostering a great guest experience. One reason for this is that in successful companies, leaders are able to empower their employees to respond to feedback, judge the situation, and take action to remediate a negative situation. In a company where the culture isn’t as well established or trusting of its employees, frontline workers might not feel that they have the authority or the support to make those judgment calls. However, if managers can lead by example and create a positive work environment where all employees feel valuable and connected to the company’s overarching purpose, excellent customer experience is sure to follow.
When approaching a new case, Mary goes into the organization with the belief that most leaders have good intentions on their way to achieving good results. However, Mary is often there to point out that the company culture that the managers might want or even the culture that they think they have may not actually be a reality. As an objective third party, Mary steps in to help provide candid insight into where the company is, what it does well, and where it could improve. In other words, Mary provides critical feedback to her clients.
When giving feedback, it is important to provide it while in the mindset of wanting to help, not tear down. Mary takes every opportunity she can to provide constructive feedback, whether that be at a theme park or a hotel or a restaurant. Without feedback, how else can a company know that something is wrong that it needs to fix? When receiving feedback, it is important to listen but not take the feedback too personally. While the information being shared is an opportunity to learn and improve, it shouldn’t be an excuse to dwell on a mistake. Receiving feedback, though, is easier when it comes from a place of compassion, as stated earlier. This brings us to the idea that while expectations for good guest service have grown over time, there should also be an understanding that we, as guests, need to do our part to make the guest experience as positive as possible. When working together and communicating with respect and compassion, providing feedback can be a win-win situation for the guest and the recipient of the feedback.
Feedback between a company and its guests can be incredibly challenging, but feedback between teammates can be just as difficult. Part of a leader’s job is to build up and support the right team for whatever job they need to do. It is important for employees to understand their specific roles and expectations as well as have a sense for how their job contributes to the company’s overall mission. This is another important aspect of empowering workers. Sometimes, though, a team member might not be a good fit for a role, or they might not have a good understanding of their responsibilities. A manager’s job involves communicating with and training this employee so that they have all the tools they need to succeed. Expectations need to be clear and consistent, and if an employee is failing to meet those expectations, that information should be clearly communicated to them. It’s also important to give that employee adequate time and opportunity to adapt to the feedback and improve. However, if sufficient improvement doesn’t occur, then it might be time to fire that employee. It’s important to remember that that doesn’t necessarily mean the employee is a poor worker; they might just not be a good fit for the role they were in. The main takeaway is that an employee shouldn’t learn for the first time that they aren’t performing adequately at the time of termination because that doesn’t give that employee adequate time to respond to the feedback.
Mary also shared a priceless piece of advice with regards to customer service: “you can’t please everyone.” Instead, she suggests focusing on giving the best possible experience to the guests that you can please. Especially during these challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be challenging to keep guests satisfied as some places roll back precautionary measures and others take a slower adoption strategy to new guidance. Mary urges everyone to focus on the things that they are able to control and do the absolute best with the information available at the time.
If you’d like to connect with Mary, you can find her on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.
This podcast wouldn't be possible without the work of our amazing team:
- Audio and video editing - Abigail Giganan
- Complete episode summary - Paige Reiter
- Scheduling and correspondence - Kristen Karaliunas
- Social media marketing - Kate Kujawa
- Branding and design - Fabiana Fonseca
To contact AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com
Tuesday Jun 15, 2021
Tuesday Jun 15, 2021
Become a Google Things To Do Beta Tester!
In March, news leaked out that Google would be launching a new program for activities and experiences operators called Google Things To Do. Redeam is a Google Things To Do launch partner, with a unique opportunity to bring a few qualified, early adopter operators into the beta test. Interested in learning more about joining the Things To Do beta test?
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Episode 197 Summary
Keith James is a Partner, an Owner, and CEO of Jack Rouse Associates (JRA), a design and production company of just over forty employees located in Cincinnati, Ohio. JRA was founded in 1987, and Keith joined in 1992. JRA provides its design and project management expertise to a wide range of clients both within and external to the attractions industry. Their clients range from domestic and international amusement parks, museums, and other themed entertainment offerings to corporate entities looking to tell a compelling story about their brand.
Keith began his nearly fifty years in the themed entertainment industry with a summer job at Kings Island. At the time, Keith was a student at the University of Cincinnati, studying theater and stagecraft. He needed a summer job in order to pay his tuition, so he became a stage manager at Kings Island. What was especially exciting about his first venture into the attractions industry is that he was working at Kings Island during its opening season. Looking back on that summer, Keith had no idea that such a successful career in the themed entertainment industry would follow. At the time, he was just having a great time with 3000 other employees his age. Some of those coworkers would go on to be lifelong friends and even business partners. One of the performers in the theater would later become Keith’s wife! After that summer, Keith stayed for 17 years with Kings Island and Cedar Fair. Subsequent jobs would take him and his family to Toronto, Vancouver, and Australia. Then, Keith returned to the United States and moved to Orlando to help open Universal Orlando Resort. After several years with Universal, Keith was hired by JRA in 1992. Since then, he’s worked on countless themed entertainment projects around the world, but according to Keith, he has “never worked a day in his life.”
When asked about how JRA approaches different types of experiences, Keith said every project starts with the same thing: a story. A company or client will come to JRA with their vision of a future attraction or experience, and JRA’s goal is to enable that vision as closely as possible. JRA helps the client fully define the story they’d like to convey and the emotions that they’d like their guests to feel. They also carefully define the target audience. For example, a science museum might be tailored for older students while a theme park might want to keep every member of a family involved. After these core details are established, the JRA team dives deeper into how to make the vision a reality. For example, every client will have a timeline and budget, and these constraints help decide what opportunities are still possibilities. In some cases, the limiting factor is the technology available within these constraints.
When discussing the role of technology within attractions and their development, Keith emphasized the importance of using technology to enhance, support, or convey the story. Unlike the Wizard of Oz, we want to keep the technology hidden and out of mind so that the magic and immersion of the experience take center stage. Keith learned this valuable lesson as a college theater student when someone told him that the goal of a stage crew is for the audience to leave talking about the show and the story, not the set pieces, costumes, or special effects. All of those things are important and key to conveying the story properly, but it is ideal for the guest to be so immersed in the story that they don’t separate those details from what they just experienced. Ultimately, JRA’s mission is “designing dreams and delivering wow moments.” One example of a wow moment that Keith provided is the first time a parent watches their child hug Mickey Mouse. During that moment, you don’t want that parent or their child focused on the technology used to make Mickey blink or speak. Instead, you want them completely focused on that magic moment, which will become a precious memory and stick with the family for years.
Additionally, Keith talked about how JRA helps corporations create customer-focused experiences and storytelling moments that help customers “live that company’s brand.” While there is a fine line between something being overtly commercial or creating an exciting experience based on a particular brand, Keith emphasized the value of creating positive memories that are associated with a particular brand. Furthermore, Keith discussed how the line between the themed entertainment industry and other industries is becoming increasingly blurred. He even referenced a paper called “What do we do when the whole world is themed?” People are expecting more and more positive and elaborate experiences, even with things that used to be traditional, boring purchases. Nowadays, companies often have to think about the unboxing experience or the social aspects of their product instead of simply focusing on the product itself. It has created many opportunities to utilize skills from the themed entertainment industry in other sectors. However, the exchange of skills, information, and technology goes the other way as well. The themed entertainment industry constantly brings new technology and techniques from other industries and utilizes them in innovative ways. According to Keith, having more toys in the toy box to play with leads to more options, more fun, and more creative solutions to enabling the customer’s vision for a future entertainment offering.
Lastly, Keith offered some advice for young professionals just starting in the themed entertainment industry or trying to break into it. Just as he had done that first summer at Kings Island, Keith suggests seizing every possibility that is presented to you. Even if someone approaches you with a problem or task that you aren’t sure how to solve on your own, find or make some friends that can help you tackle the challenge. Additionally, Keith suggested reaching out to volunteer or ask industry professionals for ideas for how to get involved. Keith also emphasized the importance of being curious and interested in learning.
If you’d like to learn more about JRA or get in touch with Keith, you can find more information, including contact information, on JRA’s website.
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To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com
Tuesday Jun 08, 2021
Tuesday Jun 08, 2021
Become a Google Things To Do Beta Tester!
In March, news leaked out that Google would be launching a new program for activities and experiences operators called Google Things To Do. Redeam is a Google Things To Do launch partner, with a unique opportunity to bring a few qualified, early adopter operators into the beta test.
Interested in learning more about joining the Things To Do beta test?
Monai Rooney is the Executive Director of Big Break Foundation, which was founded in 2020. After the murder of George Floyd, a greater spotlight was put on the need to diversify the stories being highlighted, the talent being hired, and the audience being reached by themed entertainment. Big Break Foundation’s mission is to “shatter the systemic barriers within the location-based experience industry.” Monai emphasized the importance of starting to create change within your spheres of influence and local communities before expanding to more areas. That is why Big Break Foundation is starting with companies and facilities tied to amusement parks, museums, zoos, aquariums, family entertainment centers, live shows, and other related entertainment offerings.
She describes herself as a “professional do-good-er,” and she attributes this fact to her parents, who always “led with love.” Monai and her brother are biracial and were the only students of color in their school in San Jose, California. Later in life, Monai would attend college, but she chose not to finish because she preferred to learn new skills on-the-job. Monai may have subconsciously fallen in love with themed entertainment during a two month long road trip that she took with her family when they moved from San Jose to Orlando, Florida when she was twelve. On the way, they passed through 30 states, visited every Six Flags in the country, and went to tons of zoos, family entertainment centers, and museums. At one point, she was getting sick of attractions and just wanted to swim in the hotel pool. However, her family insisted that these were adventures that she would never forget. Monai says that one of her first big breaks came when she started working at Give Kids the World Village. Monai describes a “big break” as an opportunity to use your skills and experiences in a way that makes you shine instead of having to fit into someone else’s mold. At Give Kids the World, Monai worked a variety of roles, including guest services and attractions. Her second big break came when she was asked to lead Big Break Foundation as their Executive Director. In her current role, Monai strives to create a more equitable and diverse themed entertainment industry where more people, especially those from marginalized communities, can find their big break.
One of Big Break Foundation’s current focuses is teaching an organization’s leadership about the importance of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility, or IDEA. One reason that Monai is focusing on educating those at the top of companies is because they are the ones making the highest-level decisions affecting their organizations. Without their support and buy-in for organization-wide change, very little can be accomplished. The information that the leaders learn will be trickled down to employees underneath them, which will lead to change throughout the organization. Monai and her team start their leadership training by explaining the overwhelming, data-driven benefits to diversifying a company and amplifying a variety of different voices. Then they dive into the psychology behind bias and how it is something that everyone has, no matter the environment in which they were raised. After thoroughly explaining the “whats” and the “whys” of the need to focus on IDEA, Monai and her team dive into the “how.”
One key question that a lot of people beginning this journey have is how to measure the change and how to know when the work is done. The short answer is that a commitment to IDEA is never “done.” An organization’s planning, marketing, or product strategies never stay stagnant over time. Instead, they adapt to the current market and try to anticipate what lies ahead. Similarly, a company’s IDEA strategy must be maintained and updated over time. That being said, there are still helpful metrics that can be looked at to know if an organization is trending in the right direction. Diverse teams and companies are more innovative, and they tell better stories with their entertainment offerings. These better stories have greater representation, which is representative of their diverse creators and also the broad audiences they aim to connect with. Furthermore, taking a look around the organization and seeing diversity is a great indicator that the initiatives are making their way back to hiring strategies. The themed entertainment industry is a very interconnected one, and often knowing people within the industry can be a key to landing a role there. While this is sometimes a great thing and can help create connections, it can also be excluding to very capable individuals who may just have had fewer opportunities to connect. Ensuring that a diverse set of candidates is being evaluated for new roles is an important part of this change.
Monai also emphasized that not every person or every company’s diversity journey will be the same. This is one reason that professional outside help, such as the leadership training from Big Break Foundation, can be so helpful in understanding where you are, where you want to go, and the best path to get there. A large company with deeply ingrained processes might need more time to come up with new strategies and roll them out compared to a small startup. Additionally, the existing knowledge of leadership and employees about diversity topics and the existence of IDEA-focused policies will also make a big difference on the approach. No matter where someone is starting from, understanding the need for a commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility is the first step into making attractions and experiences that benefit everyone.
To get started, Monai suggests checking out the Act Now Toolkit on Big Break Foundation’s website. She also is more than happy to hear suggestions or ideas related to these topics. You can contact her on her LinkedIn or via her e-mail.
To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com
Tuesday Jun 01, 2021
Tuesday Jun 01, 2021
Become a Google Things To Do Beta Tester!
In March, news leaked out that Google would be launching a new program for activities and experiences operators called Google Things To Do. Redeam is a Google Things To Do launch partner, with a unique opportunity to bring a few qualified, early adopter operators into the beta test.
Interested in learning more about joining the Things To Do beta test?
Donnelly Williams is the Business Development Manager at Altec Integrated Solutions Ltd. Altec provides state-of-the-art ride controls, safety systems, and show controls to theme parks and entertainment OEM’s worldwide. Altec works with their customers to solve their toughest control and safety challenges using Altec's depth of experience and the latest technology to provide innovative solutions. As the industry begins its pandemic recovery, Altec looks forward to expanding their show action equipment business in addition to the ride controls and safety systems they are known for.
Donnelly grew up naturally curious about everything around him. He would often take apart his toys to understand how they worked. Donnelly was also captivated by movies, and he decided that he would love to work on visual special effects some day. An episode of the TV show, Magic Mirror, helped Donnelly discover that mechanical engineering was what he would study in college in order to realize that goal of working on movies. On the show he saw a mechanical engineer working on an animatronic, and he knew that was the career for him. After college, Donnelly had a variety of engineering and project management careers. At one point, he accidentally found his way into the theme park industry while working for Dynamic Attractions, then Dynamic Structures. While he enjoyed the mechanical and structural side of the projects he worked on, Donnelly's natural curiosity made him want to understand more about the controls and electrical side of projects too. To learn more about these topics, Donnelly returned to school with this new focus. Upon graduating, he chose to stay within the attractions industry he had found and began working for Altec, where he has been for the past eight years.
One of Altec's greatest strengths is that they get involved at the very beginning of the ride development process, working during the early project commissioning stages to deeply understand the customer's requirements, expectations, and vision. Because of their involvement so early in the process, Donnelly and his team have ample time to assemble the right team to make the customer's dreams come true with the highest possible quality. From the early stages to the launch of the new ride, there is a relentless focus on safety. Throughout the process, the team works to identify potential risks and hazards of the attraction and mitigate those risks as much as possible. Risk management on theme park attractions can happen in many different ways: design changes, mechanical or electrical solutions, controls and sensor-based options, or even operational guidelines. These operational mitigation strategies could include suggesting what is said during a ride attendant's safety announcements, change the way restraints are checked, or even create strict guidelines as to what height a guest must be in order to safely enjoy the ride.
Donnelly grew up with a passion for movie-making and special effects, but that industry wasn't particularly prominent in the area of Canada where he grew up. In order to have the chance to learn the skills necessary to break into the industry he admired, Donnelly saw opportunities to learn and grow in related fields. For example, there weren't any animatronics companies near him, but there were oil and gas corporations. While they didn't make singing and dancing robots, oil and gas utilize robots in other ways, such as cleaning out pipes. While the robots themselves have different goals, they are made of many similar components and require similar controls protocols to program and operate. Similarly, Donnelly took a job at one point in his career where he designed HVAC systems. Knowing how to manage requirements, design systems, and create engineering drawings is a useful skill in almost any industry. All of these opportunities helped build up Donnelly's skill sets as he made progress towards ultimate career goals.
When asked if he had any advice for individuals that were laid off during the pandemic and were apprehensive of "starting over" in a new role or industry, Donnelly shared the fact that you never really have to start from scratch. Many skills transfer well between industries, from soft skills to technical engineering experience. Donnelly shared that a few times during his career, a move to a new role required a step down the corporate ladder. However, his previous experience from other roles allowed Donnelly to take even larger steps up the ladder once he had a chance to find his place in the new company. This fact is one reason that Donnelly stressed the importance of not getting caught up in whether a new role required a temporary step backwards. Instead, he emphasized focusing on the end goal and what lies ahead.
Donnelly also emphasized the importance of finding and showing your passion, whatever that may be for. As an example, he talked about a TV show that he watched with his family about skateboarding. Donnelly was impressed by the passion that was on full display in the show. Even though he previously had no desire to learn how to skateboard, this show got Donnelly thinking that it could be fun to try since everyone in the show looked like they were having a blast. Passion is truly infectious and can really have a positive effect on projects and the team members that are working on them. Another thing that Donnelly demonstrates and suggests others try too is tackling challenges or weaknesses head-on instead of avoiding them. For example, Donnelly shared a story about how he had to give a toast at a wedding where he was a groomsman. It went very poorly, but instead of choosing to hide from public speaking forever, Donnelly joined Toastmasters and worked very hard to improve his communication skills. This decision to tackle something that scared him would eventually help Donnelly be a better overall leader because of his improved public speaking ability. He advises that you never know when tackling one of your biggest challenges or fears might lead to the next great opportunity.
To learn more about Altec, visit their website. Furthermore, if you'd like to connect with Donnelly, contact him via LinkedIn or through Altec's website.
To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com
Tuesday May 25, 2021
Tuesday May 25, 2021
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Episode 194
Ted Molter has spent over 30 years utilizing his public relations (PR) and marketing skills in the attractions industry to advance the conservation goals of zoos, aquariums, and other animal-focused experiences. Ted has a deep love for animals and has enjoyed a long career at SeaWorld Ohio and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. Most recently, he was the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at the San Diego Zoo. Even in his retirement, Ted is helping to further conservation efforts. At the same time, Ted emphasizes practical skills of utilizing effective marketing and offering outstanding customer service to fund these efforts.
Ted grew up in northeast Ohio. He loved animals and dreamed of pursuing a career in marine sciences despite living in the middle of the United States. Ted would often visit zoos, aquariums, and theme parks in order to interact with animals. When he was six or seven years old, Ted’s dad drove them to the airport to watch animals be unloaded from planes and transported to the new SeaWorld Ohio park. This vivid childhood memory would stick with Ted throughout his life. One of Ted’s first jobs was taking care of fish in a pet store. He’d later get a summer job working as a parking attendant, or “vehicle placement engineer” as Ted called it, at SeaWorld Ohio while attending Kent State University. Over the next decade or so, he found opportunities to work hands-on with animals before transitioning into a role with the PR department. Then, Ted transitioned to the San Diego Zoo where he would spend over 20 years in the PR and marketing departments, helping to advance San Diego Zoo’s fight to end extinction.
Ted learned many of his practical, interpersonal, and business skills from his entrepreneurial father who ran a retail carpet store. Ted’s father taught him the importance of advertising, often reinforcing his belief that it was essential that 10% of all spending be used to reach new and existing customers. Additionally, Ted learned a lot by watching how his father interacted with people at different levels within his business. He treated everyone, from managers to janitors, with respect and with an understanding of the importance that they each played to the business’ overall success. Ted would take this lesson with him when he became a people leader. He loved building up and nurturing his teams while providing them with the platform and resources they needed to achieve their goals and further their mission.
Ted is a firm believer in the shared health of our planet and believes that, as a living thing, Earth needs to be cared for and nurtured. “One planet. One world. One health.” When asked what we can do to make a difference, Ted offered numerous ideas, with many centering around the idea of using and consuming less. He encouraged shopping in ways that require less packaging, such as going to stores and buying things from farmers’ markets. He also talked about the benefit of eating less meat. Another example Ted brought up that people may have noticed while on vacation is the request to hang up their towels in their hotel rooms. This allows the hotel to run fewer unnecessary loads of laundry, which lowers their water and energy consumption. Ted also talked about harder needs that will require coordinated efforts between ecological and conservation groups, such as the huge biological and economical benefit of preserving and restoring coral reefs. Humans have become the dominant species on Earth, and unfortunately, not in a positive way. It is important that we notice what is happening and care to make a change. Ted emphasized the importance of choosing even small changes that we can stick with in order to start making a difference. Ted went on to discuss the incredibly important role that zoos and aquariums play in conservation. The zoos and aquariums themselves are an opportunity to teach people about biodiversity and how we impact it, but they also do so much more in the background to rehabilitate animals, keep populations healthy and diverse with breeding programs, and work to protect as many animal habitats as possible.
When preparing for the centennial celebration of the San Diego Zoo, Thinkwell Group introduced Ted and his team to the term “emotional souvenir.” Emotional souvenirs are memories and shared experiences that we share with family and friends. They leave an impression on us and stick with us throughout our lives. The vivid memory that Ted has of him and his father watching the animals being unloaded from planes at the airport is an emotional souvenir that has had a significant impact on his life. All attractions and their employees have the opportunity to provide and enhance these emotional souvenirs for their guests. These sorts of things can turn a one-time visitor into a repeat customer and a long-time advocate for your brand.
Though Ted has retired from his role as CMO at the San Diego Zoo, he’s continued to stay involved with the attractions industry. He’s a long-time IAAPA member, has acted as a board member, and also contributed to education and certification initiatives. Additionally, Ted is keeping busy with Digital Performance Group (DPG), a company that uses data analysis to understand how guests interact with attractions they visit and offers suggestions on marketing campaigns to increase visitation. Ted noted that as pent-up demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic wains, having a strategy for finding new customers and delighting them will become even more important.
If you’d like to contact Ted with regards to DPG marketing assistance, you can reach him at ted@dpgads or on their website. For other inquiries, you can reach Ted at ted.molter@icloud.com.
To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com