The Guest Experience Show

Bryn Netz is Sales Manager for Sureshot Redemption, a firm providing prizes and merchandise to family entertainment centers. In this interview, Bryn talks about what goes into a successful redemption counter and shares several examples from his years of experience. When it comes to the role of the redemption counter in an FEC, Bryn stresses that the counter is often the final impression that a guest has when visiting, and the way in which it is organized and managed is reflective of the center as a whole. We also discussed how the prizes themselves can drive repeat visitation, especially when they are in ticket ranges that are often out of reach for guests to achieve in one visit. And lastly, Bryn shares the importance of the team members to the success of the redemption, as well as the venue as a whole, and shares how each individual team member can generate a huge financial impact to the business.

Will Guidara is the founder of Thank You, a hospitality company that develops world-class destinations and helps leaders across industries transform their approach to customer service. He is also the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, which in 2017 was ranked the #1 restaurant in the world. In this interview, Will shares insights from his new book, Unreasonable Hospitality, where he shares the importance of taking ordinary transactions and turning them into memorable experiences. Will believes everyone can be in the hospitality business, regardless of industry, because we all focus on creating human connections. In order to operationalize these types of experiences, Will talks about the role of the Dreamweaver at Eleven Madison Park, whose sole responsibility was to seek opportunities to exceed expectations. When asked how to justify the costs with creating incredible experiences, Will says that you should manage 95% of your finances “like a maniac,” and spend the remaining 5% foolishly.

Alyse Sklover is the Senior Events Manager for ROLLER, having joined the team in early 2023. In this interview, Alyse shares lessons learned over the course of her career, as she has seen the industry from the lens of an operator, supplier, and association. When asked about changes seen throughout the industry, Alyse states that some of the biggest shifts are due to behavior changes among guests and employees alike, prompting operators to put a stronger emphasis on the employee experience. Naturally, this led to a discussion on employee culture and ensuring that employees are treated as humans, not as simply filling a need for the business. And lastly, when asked about friction in the guest experience, Alyse talked about inconsistencies in expectations that lead to the need for guest recovery and resolution.

Jenna Boyo is the CEO of Planet Lazer in Kelowna, British Columbia. In this interview, Jenna shares how Planet Lazer has evolved in the nearly 20 years since she purchased the venue, and how she delivers a superior guest experience. Over time, laser tag has evolved from arenas with black walls and fluorescent paint to meeting the ongoing consumer trends and preferences, along with technological enhancements such as VR that have entered the space. Additionally, Jenna talks about how satisfaction leads to guests becoming walking billboards for the venue that help drive return visits and word of mouth. And lastly, Jenna tells us how Planet Lazer has made a positive impact on her community that has led to multiple generations of loyal fans.

Bryan Sklover is the Director of Community Relations and Game Presentation for the Savannah Ghost Pirates, a professional minor league ice hockey team in the ECHL, whose inaugural season ended in April 2023. In this interview, Bryan talks about how the city of Savannah has embraced the team, despite skeptics who say that hockey isn't popular in the southern United States. When discussing the Ghost Pirates' fan experience strategy, Bryan says that he largely focused on engaging the Savannah community, which resulted in games selling out before the season even began, and by the time season ended after 36 games, 33 of them sold out. Additionally, Bryan shares detail on the immersive experience offered in the arena, which goes far beyond the game of hockey, but rather a fully themed entertainment attraction. And lastly, Bryan shares stories about fan experiences that truly evoke emotion, and said that emotions are not just about tears, but goosebumps.

Phil Bernardo is the CEO of Roseus Hospitality, a short-term rental management company based in Orlando, FL. In this interview, Phil talks about the challenges facing the short-term rental industry that Roseus aims to solve. Phil shares how Roseus offers an elevated experience compared to other management companies, such as ensuring that certain items and groceries are available in the home prior to arrival, and not having to do a series of tasks in order to check out. Additionally, Phil shares how competition in the marketplace has and will continue to lead to more opportunities to enhance the experience as guests' expectations continue to rise. Lastly, Phil's guest experience philosophy is to set and exceed guests' expectations every single time.

Nick DiMatteo is the Chief Games Officer for Fortyfive Games, a firm that focuses on consulting, design, and operations for family entertainment centers, and Nick has patents pending with the plan to launch one of them by the end of 2023. In this interview, Nick shares how family entertainment centers have evolved over time. When you think about bowling centers and movie theaters, most modern venues offer much more than their core offerings of bowling and movies, in the interest of keeping you engaged longer and spending more money. Nick also talks about using data to anticipate guests' behavior that influences their spending and overall experience, such as positioning kiosks in a game room within close proximity to when guests usually run out of money on their game card. And lastly, Nick discusses the importance of embracing failure, and how it ultimately leads to success.

Meredith Tatum is the Director of Experience at The Ozarker Lodge, opening in July 2023 in Branson, MO. In this interview, Meredith shares the details of the hotel's unique experience and lessons learned from previous roles throughout her career in events, weddings, and food and beverage. When running successful events, know that there will always be hiccups along the way, and in most cases, the guests will never notice them. In describing the experience at The Ozarker Lodge, Meredith mentions that it will be the only boutique hotel in Branson, and the experience is significantly different than what a guest would receive from a major chain, thus giving the hotel a competitive advantage. And lastly, Meredith states that the most important part of hospitality is anticipating guests' needs, where we identify what the guest might want or need as part of their experience and offer it to them before they even ask.

Max Pfeifer is the Experience Director at Museum of Play and Art (MoPA), a group of children's museums that focus on learning through play. In this interview, Max shares how MoPA focuses on delivering a superior experience by hiring exceptional talent and running the business with state-of-the-art technology.Key takeaways:Guests should so satisfied that they advocate for the business and deliver the flywheel effect, bringing in new guests that marketing doesn't need to pay to attractMax stresses the importance of training and development for the frontline staff, both during initial onboarding as well as ongoing learning throughout their employment.Max sheds light on MoPA's strategy for managing guest flow and timed ticketing, which he refers to as “comfy capacity.”

James Jensen is Founder and CEO of JUMP, an immersive VR experience that puts guests into a hyper-real wingsuit simulator. In this interview, James walks us through the JUMP experience, where guests cannot tell the difference between what's real and what's not. James also talks about how the purpose of virtual reality is to discover our full potential and find our true self. Additionally, James shares that virtual reality allows for cognitive reframing, meaning it can reshape the perception we have of certain emotions - in the case of JUMP, it can help guests conquer their fears long after their experience. Lastly, James states that JUMP's tagline is to create life-changing moments, which is embedded into how team members deliver the guest experience.

Jeremy Wells is Partner with Longitude, a branding and design studio for hotels and hospitality organizations. In this interview, Jeremy shares the details of building a brand strategy and the importance of it to the success of any organization. In particular, Jeremy stresses the importance of bridging the brand strategy with the guest experience so that the expectation seamlessly flows through from pre-arrival into the onsite experience. Additionally, Jeremy shares that when marketing and operations are misaligned, it can result in a venue being either undersold or oversold, neither of which are good for business. And lastly, Jeremy explains what a brand touchpoint is, and how operators should prioritize them in their overall strategy.

Clay Talley is an immersive customer experience strategist, who has worked across theme parks, water parks, and other immersive experiences. In this interview, Clay shares insights about creating immersive experiences, and in particular, Clay shares how Ballast Technologies successfully integrates virtual reality into water parks and waterslides, creating new unique experiences. Additionally, Clay stresses that the purpose of VR is to properly tell a story and deliver an experience, and poor instances of the application are when they are offered for the sake of VR itself. And lastly, Clay stresses the importance of the role of the frontline team member, and that employees can make or break the guest experience.

Alex Zeitz is the Director of Customer and Employee Experience at Virgin Voyages. In this interview, Alex talks about Virgin's culture and how the employee and guest experience are directly interconnected.Instead of customers and employees, Virgin Voyages has sailors and crew members to show that the relationship is far more than transactionalThe role of technology in the guest experience should be to reduce friction at every possible pointVirgin Voyages scores highly in the category of “belonging” due to their diversity, equity, and inclusion program that positively impacts both the crew and sailor experience

Kari Manev is the Business Development Manager for ticketed attractions for Sensible, a climate technology company that allows consumers to have their ticket purchase fully refunded in the event of inclement weather. In this interview, Kari shares how weather impacts the guest experience, particularly in outdoor attractions and activities, and how guests now have the ability to have their purchase protected without impacting the revenue to the venue.85% of guests would prefer to have their ticket purchase refunded if there is inclement weather, rather than be given a raincheck to come back in the futurePositioning your product to the decision-makers to the family will set you up for the highest success rateGive your guests “Bonusland” opportunities whenever possible that are win-win for the guest and the business

Seb Gregory is a Senior UX Designer for ROLLER. In this interview, Seb talks about how user experience can make or break the guest experience at critical points in the guest journey.A poor UX can unravel an otherwise positive guest experienceROLLER's online checkout regularly sees small enhancements along with occasional large improvements based on the latest trends in user experienceROLLER's new progressive checkout is enabling venues to increase attendance, increase per capita spending, and reduce labor required for critical tasks

Welcome to the 100th episode of the Guest Experience Show! Over the last 99 episodes, I have had the privilege of speaking with so many amazing people from the world of theme parks, amusement parks, water parks, family entertainment centers, trampoline parks, zoos, museums, aquariums, and many other experiential industries, such as hotels, airlines, guided tours, sports and entertainment, and more, on how to create an incredible guest experience.For episode 100, I've looked at what ties all of these conversations together, and I've pulled out six themes that you can find across multiple episodes. We'll look at each theme, and I'm going to share clips from previous guests that really drive the points home. I hope this inspires you to go back and check out previous interviews if you haven't already.The six themes that can be found across the first 99 episodes are as follows:The role of technology should be to make it more convenient, otherwise it will create more frictionYour procedures need to be communicated effectively to guestsGuest experience is the best marketingA great guest experience starts with a great team member experienceTurn your critics into fansCreating experiences is entirely about designing for the memory

Julie George is the author of Million Dollar Host, where she helps entrepreneurs scale up a short-term rental portfolio using Airbnb. In this interview, Julie talks about how she scaled her business to 130 properties and more than $8 million in revenue before selling the company.Key takeaways:Automate, don't complicateDon't let technology become a friction point for guests who aren't as savvyTreat guests the way you'd like to be treated

Will Henderson is a social media researcher at Clemson University, pursuing a PhD in social media behavior of theme park guests. In this interview, Will offers guidance into understanding how guests' online behavior can impact the guest experience as a whole.Key takeaways:The type of content that a transient visitor or vacationer posts is different from a guest who has influenceNobody wakes up in the morning and wonders what their favorite theme parks are posting onlineThe best social media strategy is when you identify a core group of guests that you can personalize your message for

Marlon Rodgers is the Assistant General Manager at Adventure Air Sports in Kennesaw, GA. In this interview, Marlon gives us a look at what the guest experience is like at Adventure Air Sports.Key takeaways:Harnessing the benefits of the “cul-de-sac kids,” who will share the experience with their neighborsUsing memberships to help make an impact on guests' lives in addition to economic valueUser-generated content should make the guest feel more connected to the venue

Don White is the President and CEO of Satisfi Labs, an AI-powered chatbot that helps consumers find information, get answers to questions, and even buy tickets to sporting events, theatrical performances, and attractions. In this interview, Don shares how consumer behavior is changing, particularly how people want to engage with a business.Key takeaways:Conversational marketing opens up a dialogue instead of presenting information for consumers to findThe way that information is delivered is one of the biggest friction points in the guest experienceRather than eliminate labor, AI-powered communication can help team members enhance the guest experience in the moment

Elliott Myatt is Managing Director for The Play Company, which designs, manufactures, and installs soft play and interactive installations for family entertainment and leisure facilities. In this interview, Elliott shares many key practices that operators should consider when implementing attractions into a family entertainment center.Key takeaways:Competition drives repeat visitation, leading to loyalty to your businessMake sure to factor line-of-sight visibility when designing your centerYou should constantly be investing in retrofitting your attractions to increase marketability

Bee Hepburn is the Chief People Officer for ROLLER, where she oversees the company's HR functions and People & Culture department. In this interview, Bee shares how ROLLER creates a superior culture that leads to happy team members, and ultimately happy customers.Key takeaways:Company culture can influence customer satisfaction when team members are engagedBuilding a great employee experience is nearly identical to building a great customer or guest experienceHow ROLLER gained a 98% satisfaction rating in Australia's Great Place to Work certificate

Robin Mills is a Sales Manager for Rugged Interactive, a supplier of interactive activity equipment for trampoline and soft play parks, healthy aging centres and fitness & wellness markets. In this interview, Robin shares how Rugged Interactive's products can be implemented in a wide variety of settings.Key takeaways:Active fun provides enjoyment and promotes healthChallenges offer higher engagement and repeatability vs. one-time experiencesEnsuring that you are delivering value to make the experience worthwhile

Bob Cooney is a leading expert in virtual reality in location-based entertainment, having worked in the space for more than 35 years. In this interview, Bob shares guidance on what venue operators should consider when implementing VR into their experience.Key takeaways:The best (and worst) applications of virtual realityBlurring the line between fantasy and realityGet ready, the metaverse is coming!

Carly Straughan is the Founder of QLINE Consulting, which helps attraction operators select the best technology that fits their venue. In this interview, Carly shares how her background in ticketing allows for her to assist in making the best decisions for implementation.Key takeaways:In many cases, venues express that they need a certain tech application, when instead they should be striving to solve a specific problemThe best ticketing experiences are the ones that are so seamless that the guest doesn't even remember payingOperators should meet guests where they are, suggesting that serving guests should be a multi-channel approach, rather than only offering tickets online or only selling them over the phone

Gina Elliot is the Director of Training for Altitude Trampoline Parks, with more than 85 locations in five countries. In this interview, Gina shares insight into Altitude's training experience, which onboards new hires into Altitude's standard for safety and service excellence.Key takeaways:Training has shifted in recent years to have more of a digital focus, rather than the traditional classroom-style onboarding, which she says is becoming a thing of the pastThe word “customer” is replaced with “guest” to emulate having guests in your home, whereas customer indicates a number and a transactionThe first impression upon entering the venue is critical to delivering an overall positive experience.

Cate Milton is the Customer Experience Officer at the Historic Royal Palaces in the United Kingdom, which oversees the operation of six uninhabited palaces. In this interview, Cate discusses what the experience is like for visitors coming to learn the immense amount of history that the palaces offer.Key takeaways:When focusing on storytelling, Cate says that their goal is to serve every visitor type that comes through, whether they enjoy reading signs or prefer to have the content delivered to them, there needs to be a strong balance between historic storytelling and modern-day technologyEmployees are always empowered to create moments for their guests and do whatever it takes - provided it does not cause a risk to safety or security.HRP's guest experience philosophy, which is to stir every spirit every time.

Scott Benjamin is the Founder of Two Cubed, a consulting firm specializing in operational efficiency, risk management, customer service, and profits for family entertainment centers and trampoline & adventure parks. In this interview, Scott shares how he helps drive business performance for his clients, which is largely focused on the people aspect of the business. Key takeaways:When hiring, Scott stresses the importance of not just hiring the right people, but putting the right people in the right place.Once hired, the importance of training cannot be understated due to liability reasons, along with creating a guest experience that drives repeat visitation and profits. Many friction points lie in the entry of the venue, and if they can be alleviated, it can create a more seamless experience for guests and staff alike.

Matt Ulery is a Product Sales Specialist with Alvarado, which provides access control to entertainment and sports venues across the world. In this interview, Matt shares how access control plays a big role in the guest experience, specifically how it impacts guest satisfaction, efficiency, and security. Matt talks about the role of the staff member when it comes to entry into a venue, and that fewer staff members are needed to manage a front gate than previously required. He also discusses different types of entry systems and how venue operators decide what's best for them and their needs. Lastly, Matt shares how ROLLER customers can benefit from the integration with Alvarado.

David Leach is the Marketing and Technology Director for Thrillz High Flying Adventure Park, located in Danbuy, CT and coming soon to Philadelphia, PA. In this interview, David shares the importance of making data-driven decisions that impact marketing, the guest experience, and future locations. Thrillz is designed with social media in mind, complete with studio lighting and an experience worth sharing, which has led to Thrillz going viral and expanding their marketing reach far beyond what they expected to be possible. By using the data collected from social media, combined with ticketing data and guest feedback, David shares that it influences their marketing, new attractions and experiences, and the location for their second park. Additionally, David shares the value of collecting guest feedback, including how Thrillz uses the feedback to make enhancements throughout the business.

Gordon Atkins is the General Manager of Action Water Sports in Southeast United Kingdom, offering activities such as water skiing, wakeboarding, an aqua park, and more. In this interview, Gordon shares how Action Water Sports drives the guest experience through the team, the personalization, and by managing guest feedback. The team members at Action Water Sports love what they do, largely because many of them began as guests and applied for the job to be part of it on a regular basis. This leads to incredible guest experiences, particularly when the staff can take guests from being happy to ecstatic, which turns into positive survey results and online reviews that reference the team members' names individually. Gordon also stresses the importance of learning from guest feedback, especially when the feedback is negative, so that improvements can be driven by what will make the guest experience better.

Meg Parker is the Chief Marketing Officer at AREA15, an immersive art and entertainment complex in Las Vegas, NV, just off the Las Vegas Strip. In this interview, Meg provides an overview of the venue, which is quite unique compared to other attractions. Meg talks about how they build mystery and intrigue through marketing, while at the same time fostering interest for guests to come and experience it for themselves. Additionally, Meg shares the importance of continually offering something new that in turns leads to repeat visitation, and AREA15's percentage of guests who return is substantially higher when benchmarking against other Las Vegas attractions. Lastly, Meg stresses that everyone is an influencer, and that even loose connections on social media can be more impactful than a celebrity with millions of followers.

Danielle Snyder and Dan Maret are with Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA, home of the Lakers, Clippers, Kings, Sparks, and many other live events. In her role of SVP of Arena Services, Danielle oversees the guest experience, and Dan is the Director of Premium Services, overseeing the arena's premium operations. In this interview, Danielle and Dan share insight into the guest experience at Crypto.com Arena, along with how they deliver a superior experience, whether the guest has an annual contract in a premium suite, or a family of four visiting for their first event. Danielle shares that they strive to “create experiences that the give the world a reason to cheer,” and she also shares their five pillars that make it happen. Additionally, when immersing new staff members into the culture, it is important to stress the “why” as much as the “what” so that service excellence comes across more naturally. Lastly, technology should make the experience easier for guests, not overwhelm them or inadvertently add more friction.

Kelly Molson is the Managing Director at Rubber Cheese, a digital agency and web design firm for the visitor attractions industry. In this interview, Kelly shares many best practices for engaging guests online and creating a seamless experience that leads to a purchase. Additionally, Kelly talks about the role of user-generated content, and how it can amplify your marketing efforts while simultaneously strengthening the relationship that you have with your guests. Lastly, we cover digital memberships and guest feedback collection, which are both excellent ways to collect high volumes of data and make continuous adjustments to your guest experience.

Pedro Olivarez III is the Director of Guest Experience at the San Antonio Zoo in San Antonio, TX. In this interview, Pedro talks about how educating guests on topics like conservation and securing the future for wildlife are more engaging when they feel like entertainment and the guest is able to have a hands-on experience with the animals. Additionally, the role of technology should be to make the experience easier for guests, but not keep guests occupied on their phones throughout the entire visit. Lastly, Pedro talks about the zoo's innovative decision to offer a drive-through experience while the zoo was closed during the pandemic, and how successfully it engaged the community.

Fergus Campbell is the Head of Commercial Development for ITV Studios Global Commercial. In this interview, Fergus joins us live on the set from Ninja Warrior UK, and talks all about ITV's Ninja Warrior parks across the UK. When bringing brands that fans know and love into location-based entertainment, Fergus shares that this builds connective tissue across the intellectual property that allows fans to experience their favorite shows in real life. This amplifies brand advocacy and appreciation for the brands in ways that extend beyond the television screen. When guests visit a Ninja Warrior park, they get to test their physical strength and feel like they are on the show themselves. Fergus also talks about the importance of technology, and the importance of slicing and dicing data across multiple locations that help them better understand guest behaviors. He also stresses that when guests are booking times to visit, the process should be such a seamless experience that they don't even think about the platform that they used to book.

Scott Brown is the Director of Marketing for Family Entertainment Group, which operates FECs of all scopes and sizes throughout the United States. In this interview, Scott talks about how the way in which guests are attracted to the center varies based on the location that they are visiting, as the messaging needs to be completely different in locations that serve local residents versus locations that capitalize on existing tourists and foot traffic. Scott also talks about striving toward excellence, which includes the way that employees are onboarded and recognized for their efforts, and that the employees are often the stars of the show, rather than the attractions that the guests are visiting for. Additionally, Scott says that technology plays a role in the guest experience strategy, particularly as you gain additional intelligence on your guests and how you use it to serve them better. Scott shares that one FEG's guest experience philosophies is to bring family and friends together through the universal language of fun.

Neil Wilson is the author of Absolute Efficiency: A guide to operational efficiency in the theme park industry. Neil's experience working at various parks in the United Kingdom, Europe, and in the United States led him to research the best ways to reduce and eliminate queues. In this interview, Neil talks about spreading crowds across a park and throughout the season, the role of technology in enhancing existing measures, and that improving efficiency should be a top-down approach that starts with leadership, rather than frontline staff.

David Stange is the Founder of Beachy, a software company for hotels and resorts to improve the guest and employee experience on the beach. Beachy's technology allows guests to book lounge chairs, cabanas, and other rental services along with food and beverage, therefore amplifying the efficiency of these operations that have otherwise been very slow. In this interview, David shares how speed of service improves the guest experience, along with employee satisfaction, by removing friction from servers' jobs that allows them to serve more guests and make substantially more money in tips. The idea for Beachy came out of David's frustration while on vacation with his family and waiting to rent beach chairs, combined with his first job of working as a beach attendant when he was a teenager. David's guest experience philosophy is to make fun easy.

Stephen Davis is the COO of Integrated Insight, a management consulting firm for the theme parks and attractions industry. In this interview, Stephen walks us through best practices related to pricing, and several factors to consider when setting the price for admission to your attraction. Stephen's philosophy is that you should lead with the consumer, meaning that your pricing should reflect the value that you deliver, the demographic you seek to serve, and the expectation that you are setting. Regardless of the price that you charge, there will always be a certain segment of your audience that will find you too expensive, so your focus should be on creating value for the price that you charge. Stephen also shares his thoughts on dynamic pricing, and how it differs from variable pricing, which is often easier to understand and resonates better with the consumer.

Lloyd Notley is the Chief Marketing Officer for Escapology, an escape room operator with more than 80 locations worldwide. In this interview, Lloyd walks us through the Escapology experience, and shares how visiting an escape room is a unique activity compared to many other entertainment offerings, because guests are tasked with solving clues and playing games in order to complete the puzzle. Lloyd shares how Escapology has even worked with guests to customize their experience, and in one instance changed the clues so that they would lead to a marriage proposal. Additionally, since an escape room isn't as repeatable as other types of attractions, Lloyd shares how Escapology influences repeat visitation as well as increases length of stay, and also stresses the importance of resolving service failures while the guest is still onsite, so that no matter what, they leave an advocate.

Greg Spittle is the Founder of Active8 Software, which is now part of the ROLLER family. Prior to Active8, Greg spent several years as an operator in the trampoline and adventure park space, and during that time, identified several ways to enhance the guest experience that led to higher satisfaction, increased online conversions, and revenue growth of the park. In this interview, Greg shares several suggestions that can reduce queues, making the arrival process more efficient, and even turn friction points into opportunities that make guests feel like VIPs. From a software standpoint, Active8 and ROLLER have shared an identical vision that technology should be used to remove friction from the guest experience, which can significantly reduce time that the guest spends completing compulsory tasks, as well as reduce labor for staff to complete tasks that historically took much longer. By joining forces, there is a lot to look forward to in the near future!

Mary Stella is the Director of Media & Marketing at Dolphin Research Center in the Florida Keys, a non-profit attraction that offers immersive and educational dolphin encounters, programs, and a wide variety of experiences. In this interview, Mary shares the difference between marketing and public relations, which ties directly into the importance of the guest experience. At the beginning of the pandemic, Dolphin Research Center launched a series on Facebook live, which allowed Mary and her team to showcase the animals and bring educational entertainment to viewers sitting at home. By going live every day, their viewership skyrocketed, along with their followers, and ultimately led to being a highly successful fundraising campaign for donations. Many guests visiting DRC today were influenced to visit from the Facebook live series, which is still in place today on a reduced scheduled. Mary shares that her goal is for all guests to connect so strongly with their experience at Dolphin Research Center that they become members and lifelong advocates.

Shawn Nason is an Experience Evangelist, as well as the Founder and CEO of MOFI, a human-obsessed boutique design firm passionate about reimagining Experience Ecosystems. In this interview, Shawn talks about humanizing the business across key touchpoints such as the customer experience, employee experience, and the digital experience. With a background in finance, Shawn connects the dots and justifies how investments in the experience can significantly reduce costs in turnover and marketing, resulting in boosts to both the top and bottom line of the business. Shawn also walks us through the Experience Journey Promise, which is different from a mission and vision statement, as it is directed internally toward employees, yet sensed by customers and it leads to building consistency, confidence, and trust in the business. When asked for his guest experience philosophy, Shawn says that you should strive to make every guest feel like a VIP.

Louis Alfieri is the Principal and Chief Creative Officer for Raven Sun Creative, an experiential design firm working across several realms of the global attractions industry. In this interview, Louis shares the role of the guest when developing attractions, differences and similarities when working with for-profit and cultural attractions, and how the industry has an opportunity to play a role in solving some of the world's largest issues. Louis stresses that attraction development incorporates the desired emotional outcome from the guest, knowing that guests have varying goals and desired emotional outcomes for themselves. We also discuss how the emergence of the metaverse and digital experiences presents both threats and opportunities for the attractions industry to consider as we move into the future.

Evan Dolgow is the Head of Predictive Hospitality for Jarvis ML, a technology company focused on using machine learning to personalize the digital experience. In this interview, Evan talks about how machine learning can impact each stage of the guest journey, from prior to visiting, during their visit, and after their visit - using data points that are not often connected. By leveraging the power of this data, you can create hyper-personalized experiences by anticipating the needs of your guests, allowing you to answer questions that guests haven't even thought to ask.

Bill Zanetti is a consultant for the theme park industry, and teaches several theme park management courses at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. With a specialty in queuing theory, Bill seeks to improve the way that people move through theme parks and wait in line for attractions. In this interview, Bill discusses the difference between mandatory and voluntary queueing, and highlights instances where venues should focus on efficiency versus distractions. Bill believes that there is an optimal time for every attraction for how long the queue should be, meaning that having no wait is not always the most enjoyable experience. And when asked about the future of queueing, Bill believes that no matter what type of queue structure is in place - including standby lines, virtual queues, or expedited entry - every guest should have the opportunity to enjoy an attraction, regardless of when they arrived at the park or if they were able to obtain a virtual queuing position.

Kevin McNulty is the President, CEO, and Co-Founder of Netweave Social Networking, an agency based in Sarasota, FL focusing on social media marketing for the attractions industry. In this interview, we talk about the role of social media in guest experience, from setting expectations, guest communications, and turning guests into fans, advocates, and evangelists. Kevin shares several interesting facts and statistics, like 80% of your online following has already done business with you at some point, and 77% of people trust a review from a friend or family member more than they trust the message from the business itself. Additionally, we cover a topic that many attractions struggle with, and that is determining where in the organization social media falls: is this a marketing function or a guest experience function? Kevin's suggestions on this topic are sure to be useful within your organization, regardless of how big your business is.

Brad Collins is the President and COO of Uptown Jungle Fun Parks. With nine locations in the US, Uptown Jungle serves toddlers through 12 year olds with play structures, trampolines, and other exciting ways to play and get energy out. In this interview, Brad talks about the importance of his team when it comes to delivering a great guest experience. To ensure guest satisfaction, frontline team members are encouraged to bend the rules - not break them - but use their empowerment to assist a guest when needed. Additionally, Brad refers to birthday party hosts as “guest experience all stars,” who are encouraged to add their personalities and talents into the parties they are hosting. Brad also talks about the importance of collecting guest feedback, and when negative feedback comes in, it creates an opportunity to turn a critic into a fan, and then a fan into a loyal advocate.

Carlton Gajadhar is a Visitor Experience professional based in the United Kingdom, with a focus on helping visitor attractions learn about their guests and employees and bringing these insights together to create a magical experience for guests. With 25 years in the industry, Carlton has worked for cultural non-profit attractions, as well as for-profit businesses, and most recently was heavily involved in the production of Expo 2020 in Dubai. In this interview, Carlton shares the importance of finding the right people and putting them into the right positions and gives tips on how to locate the best guest-facing individuals for your team. He also discusses the Visitor Experience Forum, which brings together leaders from several institutions, both for-profit and non-profit, so that they can collaborate and learn from each other to be most successful. When it comes to understanding how employees can best serve visitors, Carlton shares how starting on the front line is immensely helpful for leaders, and for those who come into the industry from the outside, don't be afraid to put on an employee uniform and work a frontline shift, even if it's once a year.

Tim Murphy is the CEO of Boomers Parks, a chain of Family Entertainment Centers and water parks in Florida, California, and New Jersey. In this interview, Tim shares with us how investments in the guest experience have resulted in a shift in guest demographics, which has led to a significant increase in spending, length of stay, and satisfaction. These updates include creating comfortable environments for guests, both indoors and outdoors, removing and revamping season pass programs, overhauling the food & beverage menu at each park, and taking the concept of cabanas from their water parks and offering a similar amenity in the FEC's. Tim shares the importance of knowing who your guest is, and not being afraid to fire the wrong guest if they do not align with the market you are looking to serve.