AP Podcast - Episode 421: AttractionPros LIVE at IATP 2025

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What’s the one premier event that brings the global attractions industry together? IAAPA Expo 2025, happening in Orlando, Florida, from November 17th through 21st. From breakthrough technology to world-class networking and immersive education, IAAPA Expo 2025 is where you find possible. And, just for our audience, you’ll save $10 when you register at IAAPA.org/IAAPAExpo and use promo code EXPOAPROSTEN. Don’t miss it — we won’t!
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Running a modern trampoline or adventure park isn’t as simple as “put trampolines in a warehouse and open the doors” anymore. Operators juggle guest expectations, evolving tech stacks, labor realities, and the need to turn first-time visitors into loyal fans. In this conversation, Matt and Josh surface practical solutions with a live panel—Phillip Howell (Best American Trampolines), Greg Spittle (ROLLER), and Brandon Willey (Intelliplay)—covering design, data, kiosks vs. people, post-visit marketing, gamification, and AI. In this episode, Phillip, Greg, and Brandon share how the trampoline park model has matured and what tech-enabled moves will define the next five years.

From Warehouses to Polished, Parent-Friendly Parks
“We were going into warehouses… 10 to 15,000 square feet of actual trampolines… no party rooms, no decoration on the wall.”

Early parks were bare-bones. Today, Phillip emphasizes warm, inviting environments: clean sightlines, framed netting, wrinkle-free pads, murals, and real seating and TVs for parents. The aesthetic isn’t vanity - it sets the perceived cleanliness and quality bar the moment guests walk in.

Match Online Promises with Onsite Reality
“That upfront experience needs to match the experience when I walk through the door.”
Brandon flags a common miss: aspirational websites and social feeds that don’t reflect the actual facility. Greg adds that outdated online checkout flows lose guests before they arrive. Align visuals and copy with the real experience, and make the digital path to purchase smooth.

Before–During–After: Design the Whole Journey
“There’s a bit of technology in every piece of that journey.”

Before the visit: modern web and frictionless online booking. During the visit: clear wayfinding, staffed self-service kiosks (never kiosks alone), and trained team members who intercept stress and upsell thoughtfully. After the visit: structured follow-ups—survey, intercept negative feedback before it hits Google, and segmented re-engagement.

Kiosks Need Humans
“You can’t just leave the kiosks out there and expect success.”

Automation works best with people in the loop. The winning model pairs one well-trained team member with multiple kiosks to guide choices, protect the experience, and enable upsells… without leaving a 16-year-old “on an island.”

Own the Post-Visit Moment (and the Data)
“Trampoline parks have a massive advantage. You have mandatory waivers… it’s marketing data.”
Use waivers to power segmentation: birthday clubs (30–45 days out), membership offers, and interest-based campaigns. Greg notes birthday bookings often happen ~3 weeks in advance, so time your messages. Automate when possible, but always deliver genuine value in every send.

Wearables & Gamification Drive Repeat Visits
“After the bands were in place, repeat visitation went up to 78%.”
Intelliplay’s wristbands track activity, show session status (green to red), reduce PA “time’s up” moments, and fuel leaderboards. With demographic data and in-park behavior, operators can create attraction-specific events (e.g., dodgeball nights) and reward systems that keep families coming back.

AI Now & Next: Practical, Not Hype
“AI is still in its infancy… but options matter.”

Today: load SOPs into a private assistant for staff training and guest FAQs; use AI for campaign ideation and drafting. Tomorrow: agentic AI will act on your data, building and running segmented campaigns, surfacing decisions from noise, and personalizing in-park and post-visit experiences. Humans stay central; AI reduces drudgery.

The Park of the Near Future
“Immersive, gamified, personalized.”
Expect lighting tied to activity, unified scoring across attractions, persistent profiles, and app-based rewards that feel like arcade redemption—physical prizes today, digital skins tomorrow. Most of all: keep experimenting; iterate quickly, learn, and evolve.

What tech or tactics have moved the needle most in your venue: kiosks, leaderboards, birthday automation, staff training tools, or something else? Share your ideas and questions in the YouTube comments or on social media.

To connect with AttractionPros:
AttractionPros.com
[email protected]