95.7K
Downloads
383
Episodes
AttractionPros brings you into the room with the top leaders, executives, and influencers in the attractions industry, to gain the widest possible perspective of all areas of the industry. Most people are only exposed to the practices of their own organization without seeing how the rest of the industry operates. By following AttractionPros, you will gain the skills and knowledge needed to succeed and learn from the best of the best, whether you are the CEO or just beginning your career.
Episodes
Tuesday Jan 07, 2020
Tuesday Jan 07, 2020
2020 is HERE! For some that means new gym memberships, but for us it means taking stock of our accomplishments in 2019 and looking forward to what 2020 has in store. In a special twist, we also recount some of the great conversations from previous episodes and turn those into goals for the entire industry. Clever, right?
We'd love to here about your goals for the upcoming year! Drop us a line!
To support Josh in the Chicago Marathon:
https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/2020chicago/joshliebman2
Also, to hear more about BackLooper and the Performance Optimist Consulting VIP program, contact us anytime!
Josh - josh@amusementadvantage.com
Matt - matt@performanceoptimist.com
This episode is brought to you by BackLooper. Have you ever gotten a negative review online? Better yet, have you ever gotten a negative review online that you actually found to be useful? Wouldn't you have preferred that that guest contacted you directly? Every organization has its flaws, and you shouldn't be learning about yours through social media. BackLooper was created to solve this problem directly, by collecting better feedback data from more guests, especially compared to online review sites and many other feedback collection methods. By using BackLooper's intuitive reporting, you can better understand what your guests are saying in masses, and make quick decisions from the results. To learn how you can substantially increase the amount feedback you receive from your guests, and get started with a no-risk plan, visit www.amusementadvantage.com/backlooper, and contact Josh directly at josh@amusementadvantage.com. It's time to spend less time wondering what your guests are thinking, and more time connecting with them on a personal level.
Tuesday Dec 31, 2019
Tuesday Dec 31, 2019
Get out your notebook - class is in session! In this wide-ranging conversation, Zach Winfield, VP of Zoo Advisors, gives both the 30,000-foot view and the boots-on-the-ground perspective of non-profit economics. From funding to minimum wage, you'll gain a better understanding of how zoos and aquariums achieve their mission through a healthy profit margin. We also discuss transparency in the zoo environment, reducing silos in organizations and what it takes to be a successful zookeeper.
For more on Zach and Zoo Advisors: http://www.zooadvisors.com/
Have a question for the mailbag or know of a guest we should feature? Drop us a line!
Josh - josh@amusementadvantage.com
Matt - matt@performanceoptimist.com
Tuesday Dec 24, 2019
Tuesday Dec 24, 2019
This is the time of year for leftovers - and we have a number of questions left over from our AttractionPros LIVE episode recorded at the IAAPA Expo! So in this episode, Josh and Matt dig into some meaty topics with the help of our listeners. For the first time ever, these questions were posted to social media before the episode was recorded so our listeners could give us their nuggets of wisdom. As we explore the questions, we share what our listeners had to say along with giving our 2 cents.
Here are the business challenges we tackled in this episode:
- How to train "confidence"
- My boss is unavailable when I need her the most
- Interdepartmental service excellence across all guest-facing departments
If you were at AttractionPros LIVE and we didn't get to your question, please let us know and we'll work it in to a future episode!
Many of our listener answers came from members of the private Facebook group: ALL CLEAR! Private Learning Community for Attractions Leaders. If you are not a member of this group, it's free to join and is exclusively for leaders in the attractions industry.
Have a question for the mailbag or know of a guest we should feature? Drop us a line!
Josh - josh@amusementadvantage.com
Matt - matt@performanceoptimist.com
Tuesday Dec 17, 2019
Tuesday Dec 17, 2019
Jonah Sandler is the Founder and CEO of Scene 75, the largest indoor entertainment centers in the country. In this wide-ranging conversation, Jonah candidly talks about what he taught the employees of Facebook about using the platform, his commitment to community and culture, and what it has been like rebuilding his first location after it was devastated by a tornado.
Scene 75 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scene75official/
Jonah Sandler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonahsandler/
Jonah Sandler email: jsandler@scene75.com
Have a question for the mailbag or know of a guest we should feature? Drop us a line!
Josh - josh@amusementadvantage.com
Matt - matt@performanceoptimist.com
Tuesday Dec 10, 2019
Tuesday Dec 10, 2019
MJ Brewer recently took over as Executive Director of AIMS International, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving safety in the amusement industry. They do this through education, partnerships with other associations and their multi-level certification process. In this episode, MJ talks about what it takes to put on the AIMS Safety Seminar, how closely related customer service and safety are, why everyone in the organization (whether in specific safety positions or not) should be concerned with safety.
For more on AIMS, click here: http://www.aimsintl.org/
To contact MJ: mj.brewer@aimsintl.org
Have a question for the mailbag or know of a guest we should feature? Drop us a line!
Josh - josh@amusementadvantage.com
Matt - matt@performanceoptimist.com
Tuesday Dec 03, 2019
Tuesday Dec 03, 2019
Chris Perry is the Vice President, Perfect Day Islands - Operations for Royal Caribbean. No stranger to the attractions industry, Chris shares his insight on company culture, the operator/vendor relationship and the importance of investing in your team members. This wide-ranging conversation also covers Chris's best advice for young professionals, his observations about what attractions can learn from the cruise lines, and what it's like to host a TV show.
Show note: When Chris mentions go-karts, he meant to say bumper cars.
Chris Perry on Twitter (@christoperry) and Instragam (@christoperry)
Have a question for the mailbag or know of a guest we should feature? Drop us a line!
Josh - josh@amusementadvantage.com
Matt - matt@performanceoptimist.com
Tuesday Nov 26, 2019
Tuesday Nov 26, 2019
This is why we LOVE doing AttractionPros LIVE... so many great discussions and perspectives from the people out there making the attractions industry what it is today!
This episode was part of the IAAPA Expo conference education program, and was recorded on Nov. 18, 2019 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL.
Just about no stone was left unturned as we found out what was really on the minds of the AttractionPros in the room! Topics like social media, when to retire a failing attraction, customer revenge, staff engagement, mentorship, employee recognition and much more! Tune in as your peers (or YOU if you were in attendance) discussed these topics in an open forum!
For more information on IAAPA, click here.
Have a question for the mailbag or know of a guest we should feature? Drop us a line!
Josh - josh@amusementadvantage.com
Matt - matt@performanceoptimist.com
Tuesday Nov 19, 2019
Tuesday Nov 19, 2019
When giving feedback, do guests prefer posting online reviews or talking directly to the business?
In this episode, Josh and Matt explore multiple methods of guest communication, through both public and private channels, and how operators can use guest feedback to improve their business. Josh explains the three critical tenants of the guest feedback loop: Collect, Respond, React, and then repeat to measure the success of your actions. Additionally, examples are shared of how attractions have effectively used guest feedback to measure their top priorities which helped align their focus into which problems to solve first, and how they made small changes to their operation that yielded long-term positive results.
Josh also shares the exciting details of his new program, BackLooper, which is designed to help attractions gain higher quality feedback from more guests, and then outlines attraction's top complaints, giving key insight into areas of concern that need to be addressed. Josh shares early results of attractions who have benefited from BackLooper's insights, along with how attractions can monetize the program to bring in additional revenue.
Have a question for the mailbag or know of a guest we should feature? Drop us a line!
Josh - josh@amusementadvantage.com
Matt - matt@performanceoptimist.com
Tuesday Nov 12, 2019
Tuesday Nov 12, 2019
Anthony Palermo is a the Co-Founder of Connect & Go, a company dedicated to connecting the entire guest experience. Through RFID technology, Connect & Go takes away many of the annoyances and pinch points of the typical festival or theme park experience. In this wide-ranging conversation, Anthony shares his philosophy about technology, discusses the difference between return on investment (ROI) and return on experience (ROE), and shares how to use RFID for more than just revenue generation.
Come see Connect & Go in Orlando at the IAAPA Expo, booth 4284!
Have a question for the mailbag or know of a guest we should feature? Drop us a line!
Josh - josh@amusementadvantage.com
Matt - matt@performanceoptimist.com
SPECIAL OFFER
As an AttractionPros listener, we know you like to learn! That’s why we are setting aside a few spots just for you in an upcoming Mastermind program!
What is that, you might ask? The mastermind process is also referred to as group coaching, and it’s where you get meet with a small group of trusted advisors for 6 months.
You’ll be matched with other leaders of similar experience, and we will meet for an hour every two weeks over Skype to talk about current issues and trends, as well as personal roadblocks and development strategies. This is a great way to build your network AND develop stronger leadership skills.
As a special offer for AttractionPros listeners, if you mention the podcast when you sign up for the program, you’ll receive 10% off the tuition fee of $799. For more information and to start the application process, click here. Be sure to indicate in your application that you are an AttractionPros listener.
Our next sessions will be starting up in just a few months, so be sure to get your applications in soon!
Tuesday Nov 05, 2019
Tuesday Nov 05, 2019
Glenn André Viste Bøe is COO of Skånes Djurpark in Sweden, a wildlife park that has turned the traditional zoo experience upside down. In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk about how to turn guest complaints into a competitive advantage, the challenges and opportunities of being a young executive and why sometimes it takes patience to get to the best result.
Glenn on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glennandre/
Have a question for the mailbag or know of a guest we should feature? Drop us a line!
Josh - josh@amusementadvantage.com
Matt - matt@performanceoptimist.com
SPECIAL OFFER
As an AttractionPros listener, we know you like to learn! That’s why we are setting aside a few spots just for you in an upcoming Mastermind program!
What is that, you might ask? The mastermind process is also referred to as group coaching, and it’s where you get meet with a small group of trusted advisors for 6 months.
You’ll be matched with other leaders of similar experience, and we will meet for an hour every two weeks over Skype to talk about current issues and trends, as well as personal roadblocks and development strategies. This is a great way to build your network AND develop stronger leadership skills.
As a special offer for AttractionPros listeners, if you mention the podcast when you sign up for the program, you’ll receive 10% off the tuition fee of $799. For more information and to start the application process, click here. Be sure to indicate in your application that you are an AttractionPros listener.
Our next sessions will be starting up in just a few months, so be sure to get your applications in soon!