Experts offer tips on the top 9 things overlooked at seasonal attractions
With Halloween in full swing and Christmas on the way, it’s Show Time for seasonal attractions. The chaos of the season makes it easy to overlook some of the basics.
Worry not! We rounded up experts from the seasonal attraction industry and made a checklist for you. Make sure you’re not overlooking any of these!
We asked a group of industry experts, “What’s something that’s easily overlooked but critical to your seasonal attraction?” and here are the responses.
I’m amazed at how many attractions overlook the details of the customer experience and just focus on the attraction or event they’re selling. From before your guests arrive at your property until post departure, are you communicating and managing expectations? Are you paying attention to the little details? Is your customer’s online ticketing journey easy to understand and navigate? Does your parking lot have proper signage, and is it lit? Are your restrooms, or, more importantly, your temporary restrooms, clean and stocked? Are your trash cans emptied on a regular schedule? Are you following up after your customer’s visit? I may have gone overboard with the questions, but I’m trying to stress the point that, many times, it’s the details that have nothing to do with the actual attraction that count more than you think.
Why?
You can have a world-class attraction, but a dirty, unlit parking lot or a dirty restroom could be the one simple thing that keeps your customers from believing it. Conversely, a follow-up note thanking people for attending your event may be the one thing that pushes their opinion to the next level. You have to remember, the customer experience begins with your marketing message before people have even purchased a ticket to your event, and it doesn’t end until their next visit!
Chris Stafford – Chief Executive Officer & Founding Partner
Chris has been producing live-entertainment events for the past 17 years and is CEO & Founding Partner of Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group, the largest producer of themed Halloween events in the nation. Thirteenth Floor currently operates 34 attractions (haunted houses, escape rooms, axe-throwing venues, and pumpkin festivals) in 17 cities as well as a touring show. He’s also the co-founder of Imagine Better Inc., a nonprofit organization that produces the Don’t Be A Monster Bullying Prevention program in schools nationwide.
Taking Proper care of your cast & crew. One of the biggest factors that can make or break an attraction is the energy coming from your performers and staff. Happy performers are the scariest, most energetic, and impressive to your guests. They’re the backbone of your attraction, and they’re the show.
Keeping them happy doesn’t necessarily mean monetarily, as many of your crew are there for more than just money. Make sure they have the tools they need to do their job—necessities such as water, energy drinks (caffeine/sugar free), snacks, tea, cool air, adequate breaks…. Spring for some pizzas, and let them know they’re appreciated. Give out Scare Awards, play improv games (great warm-up & fun for cast), etc. And, listen to them—their wants/needs as well as their feedback and input on the show. They’re the ones working most closely with the audience, and they may have great contributions/ideas to improve some aspect of the show. This also validates them as a member of the Team…and not just an employee. Every person in your show should be proud to be a part of it and look forward to coming to work each day. Haunted Attractions are like any other business—to get the most out of your crew, you must show them respect and let them know they’re an invaluable part of the success of your show.
Alan Ostrander is the owner of AEO Studios in Orlando and has been a leader in the Haunted Attraction Industry for almost 30 years as a designer/director/performer/consultant/makeup expert & more. He’s worked around the world, from the original Terror on Church Street to his 13 years with Ocean Park developing Halloween in East Asia, which earned him the nickname of “Hong Kong’s ‘Father of Halloween’.”
Content for Social: It’s so easy for event producers to fall into the “busy trap.” This is what I call a cycle of tasks or general “busy-ness” in which we often forget to do some quick but effective things…like capturing great content for social media. This could be anything. Remember, your audience/fans love to see great content coming from your event—whether it’s a cool, behind-the-scenes picture you captured with your phone or some well-produced makeup tutorial. People love content, and it only takes a second to capture something magical. So, the next time you’re in a meeting or onsite working on the event, remember to step back and snag a picture for your social content. It’ll be the best five seconds you can spend.
Why?
Building your brand awareness and loyalty is more important now than ever before. Social media is the best platform to do this. Remember, social platforms are meant to be social…NOT sales-y. Don’t be like that person who ONLY talks about themselves all of the time. Share cool things, relatable things, post interesting content about your event (maybe some cool, behind-the-scenes happenings), and better relate to your audience. As you do this, over time, your audience fanbase will become more loyal to your brand.
Tyler Barnett is a Partner and the Marketing Director at Fearworm Hauntvertising and oversees the direction of over 40+ seasonal events across the United States.
Don’t be afraid of the lulls and quiet moments between the big impacts of your attractions. Whether it’s Christmas or Halloween, often producers think they need to completely overwhelm audiences with relentless and wall-to-wall stimulation and impact. Whether it’s a brilliant spectacle of sound and light or a sudden appearance of a colossal beast, the impact on your audience is so much more potent if there are moments of anticipation or calm before the big reveal. Give your guests spaces and moments where they can pause and process before moving forward lest they become numb and desensitized. You might be tempted to pack every moment of your attraction with adrenaline-inducing stimulation, but, in reality, that leads to numbness and ambivalence.
Scott Simmons is Creative Director and co-owner of two nationally recognized haunted attractions in Pittsburgh, PA: the elaborately themed ScareHouse terrifies thousands of thrill seekers every fall, while The Basement is an intimate and interactive horror experience designed for guests 18 or older.
Exit Polling:
What do people think of your event? Is value-to-price acceptable? Was the ticket-purchase process seamless? What could make your business better, more popular? How did they hear about the event? Who is your customer and where did they come from? All of these are questions you need to know to stay in business, and the only way to get this information is to ask your attendees with an exit poll. Too often overlooked, exit polling can allow you to fix problems during the season before they damage your numbers and give you vital information to make your event and your marketing better in the future. Hire a couple of people whose only job is to talk to people exiting the event and get their insight on how you’re doing.
Don’t be afraid of the lulls and quiet moments between the big impacts of your attractions.
Pictures and Video:
Don’t hold off taking photos and video of your attraction! Do it now. “There are still some details I want to get finished. I’ll take some pictures latter…” Famous last words. October haunting is exhausting, and there are always more things you’d like to get done, but, if you wait until the haunt is perfect, you’ll be kicking yourself next year when you need photos for Instagram and video for YouTube that never got shot. If you don’t have the time
right now, hire someone. Get people’s reactions to scares and comments on how much they loved your haunt. Get photos and video interviews of actors and staff, of the makeup process, and don’t forget to take documentation pics and vids of the attractions. You’ll thank me later.
Innovator, Designer, Teacher, Speaker, Artist, Inventor, Writer, and Leader, Leonard Pickel has designed over 200 commercial Haunted Houses since 1976 in cities from New York to Los Angeles, Toronto to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and for companies including Madison Scare Garden, Universal Studios Florida, and Six Flags amusement parks. Pickel has presented educational seminars at every significant gathering of Haunters in the US and Canada on topics ranging from attraction design to actor training, code compliance to effective scares, and increasing
Haunt capacity to how to start your first event. Check out his web site at: www.hauntrepreneurs.com. Contact him at [email protected] or 972-951-5100 or follow him on Twitter @leonardpickel and Facebook.com/leonardpickel
Update your website and media list!
- Update hours, pricing, photos, and attraction details on Google My Business, TripAdvisor, Yelp, and other directory listings. Attractions tend to forget to update these listings. Many guests turn to Google, Google Maps, Yelp, and other search engines when they start looking for an attraction to visit.
- Add popular seasonal keywords such as Halloween, haunted house in [your town], photo with Santa, etc. to optimize your website’s SEO. Increase the number of visitors to your attraction’s website by including the most popular search terms that guests are using when searching for seasonal attractions.
- Refresh your media list. Search for new bloggers, media outlets, and influencers. Great PR is one of the best ways to generate awareness around your attraction with less hard costs than other marketing activities. Many seasonal attractions rely on a good mix of new and returning guests. Ensure your media list includes outlets that your target guest demographics are consuming media from. For example, a haunted house for teenagers is likely going to want to target a much different media list than a Christmas Crafts seasonal attraction targeting seniors in the community.
Brad Jashinsky has spent his career at the intersection of marketing and technology with over 10 years of experience in the field. Over the past decade, he has driven successful business results through industry-leading marketing campaigns for companies in the attractions, entertainment, and technology industries, including Knott’s Berry Farm.
Incorporate a story: Stand out from the competition by adding a story to your attraction. Tell that story in every guest touchpoint possible. From the first interaction on the website to a thank-you email, be sure to include your story every opportunity you can.
Employee hiring and training: Seasonal attractions can have a surprisingly high amount of turnover due to a number of reasons. Late-night shifts, temporary employment, and low pay can lead to employees leaving mid-season. Make sure to plan for this by having other candidates interviewed and ready to join your team. If your budget allows, overhire so you can have trained employees ready to fill in. Understaffed attractions and untrained staff can lead to poor guest reviews and safety issues.
David Love is the Founder and President of Hollow Studios, an award-winning film and media production company in Southern California that has produced numerous ride films and media for attractions all over the world.
