Presenters:

Cameron O’Connell – Sr. Director, Sales & Partnerships; ZooTampa at Lowry Park

Ryan Cellucci, Vending Operations Manager, Coca-Cola Beverages Florida

Track: Marketing/Sales

A panel of attraction and corporate experts will share strategies for developing partnership acquisition strategies that can be scaled based on your attraction's size. Attendees will learn how to create a partnership inventory, develop tiered rate cards, and identify business prospects for events, exhibits, and programs. Gain insights into building, timing, and closing deals, as well as how to create reports that ensure successful partnership renewals.

Presenters:

Breanna Clapp – Account Executive – Immersive Division; A3 Visual

Retta Logan - Account Executive; A3 Visual

Track: Guest Experience/Operations

Attractions are increasingly relying on immersive and experiential elements to captivate guests and create unforgettable moments. This session will explore how sensory experiences, interactive environments, storytelling techniques, and the integration of technology are reshaping the guest experience. We’ll also delve into how these elements are being used as temporary activations to boost sales—creating unique, limited-time offerings that entice large groups, corporate clients, and event planners.

Presenters:

Megan Ring – Director of Client Strategy & Marketing; Reach

Track: Communications/Social Media

Discover how to optimize your visibility across social media, online search listings (i.e. Google Business Profile), travel listings and more. This session will equip you with strategies and best practices to enhance your profiles, manage reviews, and ensure your brand stands out across the crowded digital landscape. Don't miss the chance to transform how the world sees your business!

Presenters:

Steven Del Vecchio - CIC; Director, Underwriting; McGowan Allied Specialty Insurance

Drew Tewksbury - NAARSO 1; Director, Sales & Marketing; McGowan Allied Specialty Insurance

Track: Operations

This session, tailored specifically for FAA members, will cover essential strategies to minimize claims and liability risks, ultimately leading to lower business insurance premiums. Attendees will learn about proactive risk management techniques, effective safety protocols, and the latest attractions industry best practices from insurance industry experts. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your business's financial stability and operational efficiency.

Presenters:

Steve Smith – Vice-President of Marketing and Sales; Tyler Treasures

Track: Technology

This session explores the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in the attractions and entertainment industry, showcasing its ability to boost operational efficiency, elevate customer experiences, and craft unforgettable moments. Participants will discover how AI can revolutionize the visitor journey by generating personalized recommendations, powering chatbots for seamless customer support, enabling dynamic pricing, and introducing voice-activated ticketing. Additionally, the session will highlight how AI streamlines entry processes, enhances event planning, and delivers in-depth analytics for customer engagement and real-time sentiment analysis.

Presenters:

Sondra Shannon – CEO; Gatemaster Technology

Jake Shannon – CFO; Gatemaster Technology

Track: Guest Experience/Revenue

Every attraction’s success hinges on maximizing its offerings' value while catering to diverse guest needs. This session focuses “slicing and dicing” your existing experiences to uncover hidden revenue opportunities and creating customizable packages to enhance guest satisfaction. Participants will gain a toolkit of ideas to drive incremental revenue, improve guest loyalty, and stand out. Whether you’re a small venue or a large theme park, this session will empower you to rethink your approach to pricing and packaging for sustainable growth and success.

Presenters:

Kevin McNulty – President & CEO; NetWeave Social Networking

Track: Communications/Social Media

Explore the art and strategy of using humor to connect with audiences online. Learn how to create and share memes, witty content, and humorous campaigns that align with your brand voice while boosting engagement and relatability. This session dives into real-world examples, best practices, and tips for navigating humor’s fine line to ensure it resonates positively with your audience.

Presenters:

Emily Howard, Principal – PGAV Destinations

Ashley Edelbrock, Principal – PGAV Destinations

Track: Guest Experience/Operations

Great destinations evoke emotion, spark learning, and create lasting memories. Join the PGAV team to learn how to enhance your guest experience in line with your budget and mission. Using the latest PGAV Destinations’ Voice of the Visitor research study, we will discuss the latest industry trends and what is resonating with and attracting guests. Explore how your attraction can evolve to exceed visitor expectations and create value at any investment level. 

Presenters:

John Penney – CEO; BlackDog Advertising

Mitch Meyers, VP Digital Marketing and Brand Strategy, BlackDog Advertising

Track: Guest Marketing/Sales

The rise of AI presents exciting opportunities for attractions to connect with their audience and drive sales. This presentation will explore three essential AI-powered marketing strategies that can help you stay ahead of the curve and attract more visitors. Learn how AI can personalize email campaigns, segment audiences, optimize send times, and lead to higher engagement. Hear tips on how AI can generate compelling content, translate languages, and personalize website experience as well as its uses to optimize paid advertising to drive ROI and direct bookings.

Presenters:

Josh Liebman – Founder; Liebman Leisure Group

Track: Guest Experience/Operations

Learn how to create a unified guest experience by structuring a clear vision across multiple departments that connects service standards, recovery processes, and promotion of premium experiences by looking at it through a holistic lens. In this session, attendees will gain practical tools needed to craft a robust guest experience strategy at their attraction that yields higher guest and employee satisfaction, streamlined operations, increased attendance and per capita spending, and reduced acquisition costs.

Presenters:

Matt Heller – Founder; Performance Optimist Consulting

Track: Guest Leadership/HR

Growth happens when we embrace vulnerabilities and face uncomfortable situations. This course examines workplace scenarios that challenge leaders, such as sensitive conversations, conflicts, and lack of direct authority. Participants will explore real-world examples to develop practical strategies and desired outcomes. Learning outcomes include understanding why situations are uncomfortable, examining strategies to address them, and practicing in a safe environment with the goal of gaining confidence in handling discomfort and improving leadership skills.

Presenters:

Camille Wilson – Attorney-at-law; Wilson Dutra 

Track: Guest Operations/CEO

This session offers a practical roadmap for protecting your attraction's unique features, from ride designs to character merchandise, while building revenue-generating brands. Learn how leading attractions use trademark and patent protection through real-world case studies. Gain actionable insights on safeguarding everything from attraction names to innovative ride systems, identifying infringement risks, and maximizing the commercial value of your intellectual property (IP) in today's competitive industry, while avoiding common legal pitfalls.

Presenters:

Rhett Robbins – Agency Principal; Butler Benefit Group

Track: Marketing/Sales, Operations

This workshop will unveil the reason why some health plans benefit insurers over employers and employees – and how to break the cycle. By examining real data, you’ll learn how misaligned incentives and hidden information drive skyrocketing costs, frustrating renewal cycles, and subpar employee care contributing to financial stress and delayed care. You’ll discover how strategies like care navigation, high-quality provider access, and fair pricing can drastically improve outcomes while reducing costs and a tangible solution: a transparent, employee-focused health plan model proven to work.

Presenters:

Stephen Kubiak – Assistant Director, Social Media Strategy & Content; Universal Destinations & Experiences

Track: Social Media

In a digital world full of influencers asking to be invited to your destination, how do you use them to the advantage of your business? In this session, we’ll explore the world of micro-influencers and how this type of influencer is helping reshape the travel and tourism marketing landscape. The session will include real-world examples of how Universal Orlando Resort has used micro-influencers to support new attractions and, most recently, its latest theme park, Universal Epic Universe.