AttractionPros Podcast AttractionPros

Steve Balliet is the Senior Manager of Hershey’s US Owned Retail in Hershey, PA.  In his role, Steve runs both Hershey’s Chocolate World locations, with one in Hershey, PA, and one in Times Square in New York.  Steve began his career at Dorney Park as a seasonal supervisor where he found his passion for the business, particularly in leadership.  Later, Steve took an opportunity to move to Hershey, where he has been for more than 20 years.  In this interview, Steve talks about working for a purpose, from the bean to the bar, and transformational leadership.
 
Working for a purpose
“When you think about Hershey, you think about fun, you think about chocolate, and you think about kids.”
The Milton Hershey School, founded in 1920 by Milton Hershey, is a boarding school for orphan boys.  Currently, the school serves thousands of underprivileged kids from all around the country from kindergarten through 12th grade.  The school is funded by the Hershey Company and Hershey Entertainment & Resorts in perpetuity.
For Hershey employees, whether they work in the theme park, hotel, factory, or any other business entity, they get to come to work every day knowing that their work serves even more than a profitable business, but that it truly goes to a cause that helps so many people in need.
 
From the bean to the bar
“Our stories are rooted in reality and authenticity.”
One of the most iconic aspects of Hershey’s Chocolate World is being able to take the factory tour, a dark ride that takes riders through the story of how chocolate is made.  Steve refers to it as being an immersive experience, as it brings guests into a compelling story that is both educational and entertaining.
The factory tour was part of Milton Hershey’s vision of being able to showcase how the product is made to demonstrate the high-quality standard that goes into each and every piece of candy.  In the 1970s, the popularity of the tour prompted the creation of Hershey’s Chocolate World to create the tour as a standalone experience.  Over time, the ride has been updated to reflect continual changes to the story; however, the original track layout and ride system remains unchanged.
 
Transformational leadership
“My day exists to make my team look good.”
Steve refers to himself as a transformational leader and is passionate about developing the individuals in the teams that he supports.  Steve defines transformational leadership as taking complex ideas and making them simple so they can be understood and implemented with ease.
Transformational leadership also incorporates continuous improvement.  Steve stresses the importance of failing fast and learning from mistakes in the interest of growth and continual development.  Steve says that you should strive to make the guest experience a little better than the day before.
 
To learn about Hershey’s Chocolate World, visit www.chocolateworld.com.  To connect with Steve directly, you can email him at sballiet@hersheys.com.
 
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:
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Björn Ingi Knútsson is one of the major reasons that Matt and his friends had such a positive experience in Iceland. He was the group's tour guide and was instrumental in either setting up or influencing many of the “Lessons from Iceland” Matt talked about in Episode 340. Bjorn is a native Icelander and has tremendous experience within the business and hospitality sectors, both in Iceland and around the world. He became a tour guide later in life when he was looking for something fun to do. He is also a certified wine expert and runs an attraction of his own, Vínskólinn Við Vatnið, which translates to “Wine School by the Lake”. In this episode, Bjorn talks about Icelandic tourism, conquering yourself and managing logistics.
 
Icelandic Tourism
“We have way more tourism in the Southwest of Iceland.”
Compared to the US, Icelandic tourism is in its infancy. In fact, the majority of tourists who come to visit Iceland stay in the Southwestern corner of the country, which is where you find the major airport, the capital city of Reykjavík and destinations like the Golden Circle and the Blue Lagoon Spa. But if you venture out to the East and North, you will encounter unparalleled (and undisturbed) beauty. 
Icelandic tourism has gotten major boosts from a few things over the years. First, a volcano that erupted that drew people to the area, and second, a marketing campaign that highlighted Iceland as a convenient stop-over between New York and Europe. Of course, not every Icelander is keen on turning their home into a tourist destination. Bjorn told us of two farmers who owned the property on either side of a canyon. One embraced tourism, the other did not. It’s unfortunate, Bjorn said, because the farmer with the better view is the one who is against the influx of tourists. 
 
Conquering yourself
“I have a mindset that I need to go outside of my comfort zone and tackle things.”
Bjorn has accomplished a lot in his life, both personally and professionally. From beating cancer to starting a new career late in life, Bjorn knows what it’s like to either be pushed out of his comfort zone, or to push himself beyond his current limits. 
When Bjorn decided to test for his wine certification, he felt it was like going back to school. But, he said, in those situations you just have to read, research and learn in order to be ready for the next challenge. In many ways, Bjorn was inferring that we have to conquer our present self to grow into our future self. 
 
Managing logistics
“Instead of calling Ops to do things, you take matters into your own hands.”
Whether directing the operations of Iceland’s largest airport or executing a tour for 18 people, Bjorn emphasizes the importance of personally managing the logistics that matter to the end user's experience. For example, in Iceland, the weather can be unpredictable, so it’s imperative to look ahead, use your resources and make contingency plans. 
Even on Matt’s tour, there were sights and experiences that they had to miss because of closed roads. Luckily, Bjorn looked ahead, knew of some alternative options and made a plan. The result was a seamless, and extremely enjoyable, experience. 
 
To learn more about Bjorn and his wine school, check out Vínskólinn Við Vatnið.
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
AttractionPros@gmail.com
AttractionPros on Facebook
AttractionPros on LinkedIn
AttractionPros on Instagram
AttractionPros on Twitter (X)
 

Zach Blutner is the Managing Director of Inter_.  Zach has built his career in tourism, museums, attractions, and experiences, all in New York City.  Inter_ is an AI-led immersive experience.  The experience is led by “I,” who is from the future and has returned to tell guests what it has learned.  Guests visiting Inter_ get to interact with projection mapping, interconnected orbs, an interactive floor, and visually stunning interactive elements that often connect to a deeper meaning, message, or story for guests to explore.  In this interview, Zach talks about the Interverse, layers in storytelling, and creating a sandbox.
 
The Interverse
“Interactive immersive experiences aren’t a new concept, but it’s a term that’s become hot now.”
When people think of immersive, they think of one giant room with projection mapping.  While that is one avenue of immersive entertainment, Inter_ combines many elements into what Zach describes as “interversive.”  This includes projection mapping, but multiple elements for guests to explore and interact.
Inter_ then fuses physical and digital art, resulting in the term, “phygital.”  This creates an environment where the guest feels like they are the main characters in a movie, where they want to both participate and take photos and videos to share the experience with others.
Layers in storytelling
“The approach that I've had to experiences for many years is to create layers in your storytelling.”
Each immersive attraction is unique in its own way, and they all seek to tell stories.  Someone can visit Inter_ and experience it on the surface level and feel satisfied with their experience, whereas others can go deeper into the message and story that they seek to deliver, which extends far beyond their visit.
The main focus of Inter_ is to demonstrate that we are all connected and we are all one.  This can be sensed through the multiple layers of storytelling that Inter_ delivers, allowing guests to interact with one another, even if they didn’t come together, to go as deep as they’d like into Inter_’s message.
Creating a sandbox
“If they know what the rules are and they know what the objective is, then they’re good to go.”
When discussing Inter_’s employee culture, Zach shares his philosophy of creating a sandbox, which focuses on making sure that team members are comfortable, and that they have the tools to engage within the experience.  Leadership should provide them with the guidelines and areas that are required, and then let them explore their unique capabilities within the sandbox.
This mindset originated when Zach was a tour operator, where he said he never created a script for tour guides.  While the parameters should be put in place for what’s required, all team members should be encouraged to be their authentic selves.  If it is not authentic, guests begin to disengage, which negatively impacts their overall experience.
 
To learn about Inter_, you can visit interiam.co, or follow them on LinkedIn, TikTok, or Instagram.  To connect with Zach directly, you can reach out on LinkedIn.
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
AttractionPros@gmail.com
AttractionPros on Facebook
AttractionPros on LinkedIn
AttractionPros on Instagram
AttractionPros on Twitter (X)

We’re in the business of creating memories that last a lifetime.  While that’s a nice, feel-good statement, it’s also the attractions industry’s business model.  Once a guest leaves an attraction, their biggest takeaway is the memory of their experience, and our goal is to turn that memory into action: planning to visit again and influencing others to visit as well.  And one of the best ways to solidify a memory is by capturing photos and/or videos of your guests.
It may seem like a simple act of courtesy, but in this “minisode,” Matt recalls moments from his recent trip to Iceland where he offered to take photos of other tourists, which sparked memories for him from doing the same thing for guests while working in theme parks.  Offering to take a photo initiates an interaction, which allows for personalization, and therefore creates a moment that is greater than the photo itself.
Matt and Josh break down the benefits of capturing photos and videos of guests, and how they enhance the guest experience.  The first is the photo itself, which, when taken by an employee, allows for the full group to be present and creates a higher-quality photo than a selfie.  It also allows the employee to use their proficiency of their surrounding area, which is exemplified by Josh sharing how he took photos of guests during the fireworks in the Magic Kingdom when he worked in Tomorrowland.  It also allows for the team member to build rapport with guests, learn about where they’re visiting from, and exceed the guests’ expectations, even if only by a small amount.
We want to hear from you!  What seemingly small interactions can you have with your guests that have a large impact?  Let us know by chiming in on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, or Instagram.
By the way, when taking photos of guests with their smartphones, please a) focus the picture to ensure that their faces aren’t blurry, and b) do not take 50 photos and hope that one of them comes out great.  They’re usually all garbage.  Just take a few, and make them count.
 
What do you think of this episode format?  Let us know if you want us to produce more minisodes!
To connect with AttractionPros:
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Jill Raff is the Founder and CEO of the Jill Raff Group, where she helps organizations work from the inside out by focusing on the employee experience, which leads to an excellent customer experience.  Jill grew up in the restaurant business and is a columnist for Nation’s Restaurant News.  Today, Jill helps companies attract and retain the right people who align with their core values, making them the employer of choice and a company worth talking about.  In this interview, Jill talks about expectations management, screening for values, and reacting vs. responding.
Expectations management

“Without proper expectations management, people are going to project what they think on a scenario or how they are supposed to work.”

The idea of expectations management applies equally to the guest and employee experience alike.  If a business is understaffed, the simplest way to communicate it to guests is that operations are reduced because of lower staffing.  However, by going deeper into why staffing is not as strong as it should be, you can communicate to guests that they have yet to find the right candidates to fill positions and that they won’t compromise on the experience just so they can be fully operational.
Expectations management also can be looked at in comparison to wages, which have increased substantially for the majority of the industry in recent years.  One school of thought suggests that higher wages should naturally assume a higher expectation of their performance, but it must be looked at in the context of what they are already responsible for and what additional responsibility they may take on.  Training also plays a critical role, because if you pay employees more and expect more from them but don’t put in the effort to invest and train them on their increased standards, the pay increase will likely not yield an increase in performance.
Screening for values

"You can't just hire people that you like and want to go to dinner with. They have to align with your core values."

To properly screen for values, Jill recommends role-playing and putting candidates in situations to observe how they act in certain circumstances they are likely to encounter on the job.  Ask how they would handle certain scenarios or if they have had similar circumstances happen before, and if they haven’t, how would they act?
Judgment should not be made directly from their responses, because anyone can be trained and taught to act in accordance with the organization.  However, these exercises allow recruiters to screen for character and how they truly feel serving other people, not just because they are getting paid to do it.
In some cases, if the need for staffing is critical and it is unclear if certain individuals align with the organization’s values, leaders can take on a new employee as a project to bring up to the standard of the organization and focus on their continual development.  However, if they do not rise to the standard expected of them, it can be a detriment to the morale of high-performing team members who see that the standard is not being met by their coworkers.
Reacting vs. responding

“Do they react or do they respond? There’s a big difference between those two.”

When screening for values, Jill notes the difference between reacting and responding to certain circumstances.  When we react to something, it’s an immediate emotional reaction.  With a response, we take a moment and think about what they said, and come at it with an emotionally intelligent response.
A reaction is a knee-jerk response that does not consider other factors, such as what else is happening whether during that day or in that individual’s life.  To properly respond, individuals must pull back and look at all of the other factors that go into the moment that they are responding to.
 
To connect with Jill, visit www.jillraff.com, send her email at jill@jillraff.com, or connect with her on LinkedIn.
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The “desperation hire,” also referred to as the “pulse test” or the need for “warm bodies” (please stop calling it that), is a challenge often faced throughout all areas of the industry, regardless of attraction type or geography.  When staffing crunches hit, organizations scramble to fill positions quickly, which risks compromising standards and expectations in the interest of having a complete schedule.
In this “minisode,” Matt and Josh share suggestions for minimizing the desperation.  This includes adjusting operating hours to meet available staffing resources and reducing areas where staff is necessary.  Additionally, organizations can plan to over-recruit by expanding the pool of applicants needed to fill vacant job openings, implement routines to always be recruiting (ABR), and streamlining their onboarding process so that new hires can ramp up quickly and gain proficiency in an efficient manner.
 
We want to hear from you!  How are you avoiding the desperation hire?  Let us know by chiming in on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, or Instagram.
What do you think of this episode format?  Let us know if you want us to produce more minisodes!
 
To connect with AttractionPros:
AttractionPros.com
AttractionPros@gmail.com
AttractionPros on Facebook
AttractionPros on LinkedIn
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