AttractionPros Podcast

• Episode 401: The nuances of name tags minisode

  Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   Tired of outdated systems holding your attraction back? Gatemaster believes technology is part of the experience, transforming every touchpoint into an opportunity. Imagine seamless online booking, effortless mobile ordering, and data-driven insights at your fingertips. Ready to revolutionize your guest journey and maximize revenue? Power your attraction with Gatemaster. Discover the future at Gatemaster.com.   Attractions and hospitality organizations often view name tags as a simple part of the uniform—a box to check to ensure guests know who they’re interacting with. However, overlooking the deeper significance behind name tags can lead to missed opportunities in team engagement, guest connection, and even operational accuracy. In this episode, Matt and Josh talk about how a name tag can be a powerful symbol of identity, pride, and personal connection that strengthens both the employee and guest experience. Name Tags as Symbols of Pride and Representation "It was a weighty responsibility, but I felt like I was representing the company." Matt reflects on his personal connection to the name tags he wore throughout his career, recognizing them not just as an identifier, but as a symbol of the company and his role within it. The discussion highlights that when team members are given a name tag, it can become a source of pride and ownership—if organizations frame it that way. Rather than being a disposable piece of plastic, it can represent belonging and responsibility within the company culture. The Risk of Misidentification "What if that person provided an exemplary experience and that guest wrote an online review about that individual or sent in an email or called and said, you absolutely have to recognize Nick?" Josh points out the operational risks of allowing employees to wear random name tags simply to meet uniform standards. Whether the result is a missed opportunity to recognize excellence or a guest complaint directed at the wrong person, the repercussions can erode both guest trust and team morale. By ensuring accurate name tag usage, organizations reinforce the integrity of both the guest experience and internal processes. A Tool for Connection and Storytelling "It was a micro-moment about personalizing the experience. I was the guest. I did this." Josh shares a personal story where a name tag sparked an unexpected connection during a visit to Epic Universe. This anecdote illustrates how name tags can become tools for personalized storytelling, conversation starters, and guest engagement. When name tags include elements like hometowns, passions, or favorite rides, they create openings for guests to connect authentically with team members—turning a small detail into a memorable moment. Elevating the Importance of Name Tags "There could be maybe more of a presentation like here's your name tag. Like this is something that's super important and you should think it's important." Matt suggests that organizations can enhance team pride by elevating the name tag presentation process itself. By treating it as a meaningful rite of passage—rather than a casual handoff from wardrobe—leaders can reinforce the value placed on identity and representation. This small gesture can have a lasting impact on how team members view their role within the company. Practical Tips for Effective Name Tag Use "Make it big enough to read." Matt closes the conversation with a practical reminder for anyone involved in name tag procurement: ensure the text is large enough for guests to read comfortably. A name tag’s primary function is to allow guests to identify and connect with employees, and if the name isn’t easily visible, the opportunity is lost.   Do you have creative ideas for making name tags more impactful? Matt and Josh encourage you to share your experiences and suggestions. Connect with them on social media or through the AttractionPros website and join the conversation about how small details like name tags can make a big difference in the guest and employee experience.   This podcast wouldn't be possible without the incredible work of our faaaaaantastic team:   Audio and Video editing by Abby Giganan   To connect with AttractionPros: AttractionPros.com [email protected] AttractionPros on Facebook AttractionPros on LinkedIn AttractionPros on Instagram AttractionPros on Twitter (X)

  --------  

  12:42
• Episode 400: Josh and Matt explore some amazing quotes from the first 399 episodes

  Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning. Tired of outdated systems holding your attraction back? Gatemaster believes technology is part of the experience, transforming every touchpoint into an opportunity. Imagine seamless online booking, effortless mobile ordering, and data-driven insights at your fingertips. Ready to revolutionize your guest journey and maximize revenue? Power your attraction with Gatemaster. Discover the future at Gatemaster.com. Reaching 400 episodes is no small feat, but staying consistent comes with its own challenges — keeping the content fresh, meaningful, and reflective of the evolving attractions industry. One of the biggest realizations Matt and Josh have encountered along the way is that the guest experience and the employee experience are deeply intertwined, yet organizations often separate them. By pulling powerful quotes from past AttractionPros episodes — with a little help from AI — Matt and Josh revisit the lessons that show how these two experiences are inseparable and essential for success. In this episode, Matt and Josh talk about the most impactful guest and employee experience insights shared over 400 episodes and how they can have an impact on your attraction. This podcast wouldn't be possible without the incredible work of our faaaaaantastic team: Scheduling and correspondence by Kristen Karaliunas Audio and Video editing by Abby Giganan To connect with AttractionPros: AttractionPros.com [email protected] AttractionPros on Facebook AttractionPros on LinkedIn AttractionPros on Instagram AttractionPros on Twitter (X)

  --------  

  1:02:36
• Episode 399: Dameon Nelson talks about mindset, motivation, and mastery, embracing change and putting value in your team

  Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning. This episode of AttractionPros is brought to you by our friend Eric Fluet at Get it Done Marketing. With 30 years of experience in the attractions industry, Get it Done Marketing offers freelance marketing insight, strategy, and execution—at a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire. Partnering with over 30 parks and resorts from family water parks to large multi-location organizations, Get it Done Marketing fills leadership voids on property and corporate marketing teams, assists with resource allocation and supports emerging marketing professionals. Learn more at getitdonemarketing.com.   Dameon Nelson is a seasoned veteran with the Six Flags organization. With a career spanning more than 30 years in the attractions industry, Dameon has held numerous operational and leadership roles across several Six Flags parks, including Great America, Great Adventure, Discovery Kingdom, and an international post in Beijing, China. Most recently, he worked with Meow Wolf to support operational standardization in their immersive art experiences. In this interview, Dameon talks about Mindset, Motivation, and Mastery, Embracing Change, and Putting Value in Your Team. Mindset, Motivation, and Mastery “You have to be motivated to have meaningful conversations and meaningful discussions with the hope of resolving challenges, or realizing opportunities that can be created as well.” Dameon describes mindset as a critical, yet often overlooked, element in leadership. He emphasizes that leaders must choose how they perceive and approach challenges—whether they allow problems to persist or actively seek solutions. He believes motivation fuels the pursuit of those solutions, not just for oneself but for inspiring others. Mastery, in his view, is about empowering team members to align with values and expectations, not just in theory, but through effective execution. He shared how, in a challenging environment plagued with negativity, he personally committed to understanding the team’s frustrations, motivating them through action, and leading them toward improvement—illustrating how mindset, motivation, and mastery intersect to drive positive change. Embracing Change “It’s easy to do what you know. But when you get the opportunity to step outside of that and understand that there will be challenges... that, I think, is a mindset that is always beneficial to have.” Dameon’s career is a blueprint for embracing change. From his first role as a street sweeper to moving across the world to support Six Flags’ international projects, he repeatedly stepped outside his comfort zone. He explains that while some individuals are naturally more open to change, everyone should be willing to pursue it when it benefits their personal or professional growth. His time in Beijing taught him patience, cultural understanding, and the value of vulnerability—especially in moments where progress was difficult. By keeping an open mind and maintaining confidence in his abilities, he was able to navigate uncertainty and unfamiliar environments while continuing to grow as a leader. Putting Value in Your Team “Budgets are built in a boardroom and reality is executed out in the parks.” Dameon challenges the idea of viewing employees as mere expenditures. He advocates for seeing labor and operational resources as investments in guest experience, team morale, and long-term success. He shares several stories, including one where a small, inexpensive investment in costume replacements made a significant impact on team morale. He explains that while it may be difficult to prove direct ROI on such investments, the benefits show up in improved guest satisfaction, reduced turnover, and increased engagement. By asking questions like “How can I help?” and demonstrating vulnerability and support, Dameon fosters trust and shows that even minimal investments can yield disproportionate value for both staff and guests. To connect with Dameon, reach out to him on LinkedIn. For more information about his work and future endeavors, be sure to follow him there.   This podcast wouldn't be possible without the incredible work of our faaaaaantastic team: Scheduling and correspondence by Kristen Karaliunas Audio and Video editing by Abby Giganan To connect with AttractionPros: AttractionPros.com [email protected] AttractionPros on Facebook AttractionPros on LinkedIn AttractionPros on Instagram AttractionPros on Twitter (X)

  --------  

  52:06
• Episode 398: Brian Stovall talks about operational design consulting, visualizing what doesn’t exist, and lessons from 30 years in the industry

  Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   This episode of AttractionPros is brought to you by our friend Eric Fluet at Get it Done Marketing. With 30 years of experience in the attractions industry, Get it Done Marketing offers freelance marketing insight, strategy, and execution—at a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire. Partnering with over 30 parks and resorts from family water parks to large multi-location organizations, Get it Done Marketing fills leadership voids on property and corporate marketing teams, assists with resource allocation and supports emerging marketing professionals. Learn more at getitdonemarketing.com. Brian Stovall is the Founder and Managing Partner of Icon Leisure Services. With a career spanning more than three decades, Brian’s experience runs the gamut from theme parks and amphitheaters to live concerts and water attractions. He began his journey at Schlitterbahn Waterpark and later worked with House of Blues and Universal, gaining hands-on experience in both operations and entertainment production. Today, Icon Leisure Services is focused on bringing leisure-based multi-use developments to life, offering a unique blend of operational insight and creative design support. In this interview, Brian talks about operational design consulting, visualizing what doesn’t exist, and lessons from 30 years in the industry. Operational Design Consulting “Let’s start when we can do it with a pencil and eraser rather than a jackhammer.” Brian explains that operational design consulting is about influencing the layout and structure of a facility before construction begins. Traditional operators are often brought in after a venue is built, which leads to costly retrofits and inefficient guest or staff flow. Instead, Brian advocates for embedding operators into the planning phase early on—working alongside architects, engineers, and developers to build spaces that function seamlessly from day one. He shared examples such as walking freezers being placed on the wrong side of a kitchen, which would disrupt workflow, or facilities being designed with no thought for trash removal or vendor access. By introducing an operator’s perspective before any concrete is poured, Brian and his team can help prevent these logistical headaches. This approach has led Icon Leisure Services to become a trusted sub-consultant for numerous architecture and engineering firms across the country. Visualizing What Doesn’t Exist “You basically have to mentally walk through the park.” When it comes to designing new attractions or multi-use developments, Brian notes the importance—and difficulty—of visualizing something that hasn’t been built yet. It’s a skill developed over years of experience. He explains that he mentally walks through a future facility, applying all the lessons he's learned across operations, entertainment, and hospitality to anticipate needs for things like power access, water drainage, and guest circulation. He emphasized that this process is not done in isolation. Design teams collaborate and troubleshoot together, adjusting based on feedback and constraints. While budget limitations always factor in, Brian focuses on programming the space first—understanding how it will function—so that infrastructure needs naturally follow. Lessons from 30 Years in the Industry “It really made you appreciate where you are if you know where you’ve been.” Reflecting on a career that began with picking up tubes and trash at Schlitterbahn, Brian credits early mentors for instilling a strong work ethic and ownership mentality. He explained how those early experiences shaped his current approach to designing operationally efficient facilities, down to minimizing the dreaded “trash trails” from leaking liners. From overseeing massive entertainment venues to running 20-hour-a-day operations in Las Vegas, Brian described how every role added to his understanding of how people move through spaces and how teams function behind the scenes. Today, he takes pride not just in building guest-friendly environments, but also in creating workplaces where staff feel empowered and supported—a key factor, he says, in long-term success.   To learn more about Icon Leisure Services or to get in touch with Brian directly, visit iconls.com or connect via the Icon Leisure LinkedIn page. This podcast wouldn't be possible without the incredible work of our faaaaaantastic team:   Scheduling and correspondence by Kristen Karaliunas Audio and Video editing by Abby Giganan   To connect with AttractionPros: AttractionPros.com [email protected] AttractionPros on Facebook AttractionPros on LinkedIn AttractionPros on Instagram AttractionPros on Twitter (X)  

  --------  

  49:07
• Episode 397: Burton Heiss talks about brand-led businesses, disconnect to reconnect, and the future of escape rooms

  Looking for daily inspiration?  Get a quote from the top leaders in the industry in your inbox every morning.   This episode of AttractionPros is brought to you by our friend Eric Fluet at Get it Done Marketing. With 30 years of experience in the attractions industry, Get it Done Marketing offers freelance marketing insight, strategy, and execution—at a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire. Partnering with over 30 parks and resorts from family water parks to large multi-location organizations, Get it Done Marketing fills leadership voids on property and corporate marketing teams, assists with resource allocation and supports emerging marketing professionals. Learn more at getitdonemarketing.com. Burton Heiss is the CEO of Escapology. With a rich background in the restaurant industry, including leadership roles at Baja Fresh, Wagamama, Nando’s, and Buddy’s Pizza, Burton brings a business-savvy approach to the world of escape rooms. His career has been centered around high-growth, brand-led companies, which made Escapology—a fast-growing escape room franchise with a strong emphasis on brand identity—a natural next step. In this interview, Burton talks about brand-led businesses, disconnect to reconnect, and the future of escape rooms. Brand-Led Businesses “I always want to work someplace where when I get on the airplane, I don’t put a piece of paper in my pocket to cover up the logo.” Burton explains that brand-led businesses have a distinct identity that resonates emotionally with consumers, unlike commodity-driven models. He points out that a brand like Disney evokes excitement and emotional connection, while a commodity might be viewed as interchangeable or forgettable. From a leadership standpoint, he emphasizes that it’s easier to rally a team around a brand that stands for something. Employees feel a sense of pride when the brand on their shirt is something others recognize and admire. That internal passion, he says, is contagious and helps permeate enthusiasm throughout the organization. Transitioning from restaurants to attractions, Burton notes that although the escape room industry is relatively new, the foundational leadership principles remain the same. “Leadership is leadership,” he says, emphasizing that strong team culture and strategic planning are transferable across industries when they’re rooted in purpose and clarity. Disconnect to Reconnect “What escape rooms offer you is the opportunity to disconnect from your device and reconnect with your friends and family.” Burton describes a key differentiator of escape rooms: the opportunity to truly unplug and engage in a meaningful, shared activity. At a time when screens dominate daily life, Escapology encourages people to step into immersive environments that demand teamwork, communication, and critical thinking. This idea of “disconnect to reconnect” isn’t just a catchy phrase—it’s central to the guest experience. He also addresses common misconceptions that may prevent people from trying an escape room, such as fears of being physically locked in. Escapology aims to overcome that barrier with inviting locations in mainstream retail environments and licensed IP like Scooby-Doo and Batman. These approachable themes lower the intimidation factor and encourage first-timers to take the leap. Once they do, he says, most guests are hooked by the joy and adrenaline of the experience. The Future of Escape Rooms “We want to continue to make things feel seamless, that they just happen… Technology is a great way to do that.” Looking ahead, Burton sees the future of escape rooms becoming increasingly immersive and emotionally resonant. He notes a shift from puzzle-centric gameplay to experiences that prioritize atmosphere and storytelling. Recent games like Haunted House and Pirate’s Curse focus heavily on set design and narrative, offering guests more than just a mental challenge—they’re stepping into a different world. Innovation will also come in the form of technology integration, but with intentionality. Escapology uses tech to support the story rather than distract from it, aiming for those moments of awe and surprise—like a magic trick that leaves guests wondering how it all worked. As the industry grows, Burton predicts greater consolidation and sophistication, with larger players like Escapology leading the charge by investing in high-quality game development and expanding their franchise model worldwide. To learn more about Escapology or to get in touch with Burton, visit escapology.com. Burton can be reached directly at [email protected].   This podcast wouldn't be possible without the incredible work of our faaaaaantastic team:   Scheduling and correspondence by Kristen Karaliunas Audio and Video editing by Abby Giganan   To connect with AttractionPros: AttractionPros.com [email protected] AttractionPros on Facebook AttractionPros on LinkedIn AttractionPros on Instagram AttractionPros on Twitter (X)  

  --------  

  48:19

More Business podcasts

Trending Business podcasts

About AttractionPros Podcast