Data-Driven Culture for Engaging Modern Audiences

Overview:

Chloé Grossmann brings extensive expertise in guiding cultural institutions, including theaters, festivals, and museums, through the effective adoption of CRM (Customer  Relationship Management) and sophisticated digital marketing strategies. She collaborates with organizations across 14 countries, helping them implement  Arenametrix’s CRM suite.

Insights from This Live

•  360-Degree Audience View:
  Truly understanding your audience requires integrating data from all touchpoints (tickets, on-site, feedback, social media) to build a holistic visitor profile, capturing behaviors and preferences.
• Data Needs Strategy:
  Data alone is “worthless” without a clear strategy and defined objectives. Its power comes from knowing why you collect it and how you’ll “activate” it for actionable insights.
• Unified Data Breaks Silos:
  Internal fragmentation (separate marketing, donations, comms teams) fragments data. Unified data platforms are essential for cross-departmental collaboration and maximizing data potential.
• Personalization Across Journey:
  Personalization must extend throughout the entire customer journey, from pre-purchase offers to post-visit nurturing, ensuring relevant communication at every stage to enhance experience and encourage repeat engagement.
• Cashless:
  Data & Experience Future: The trend toward cashless operations offers seamless guest experiences and invaluable, granular data on in-venue behaviors, which is “absolute gold” for improvements.

5 Notable Quotes

• “By giving them all the information they need and by making the experience smooth, you’re going to make them repeaters and they’re going to come back.”
  – Chloé Grossmann
• “Data is worthless in itself — it’s worthless without a strategy.”
  – Chloé Grossmann
• “It’s so much more than just data and marketing, it’s actually like this is how we talk to our guests, how we communicate.”
  – Sondra Shannon
• “One of the biggest trends for me is attractions going cashless—because it goes hand in hand with a more seamless and data driven experience… it really is going to help attraction create a frictionless environment where transactions for food, merchandise, and upgrades, become faster but also trackable.”
  – Chloé Grossmann
• “What you are collecting allows you to know your guests, and knowing your guest is as important as them knowing you.”
  – Sondra Shannon

Arenametrix’s Approach

Arenametrix operates as a dedicated CRM and data marketing platform, specifically engineered to help attractions enhance visitor experiences through intelligent data utilization. Their primary objective is to empower cultural institutions—including theaters,  festivals, and museums—to harness data effectively for marketing purposes. This approach ultimately fosters stronger, more personalized relationships with their audiences by providing a comprehensive 360-degree view of each visitor, enabling precise target management, and facilitating sophisticated multi-channel marketing campaigns.

Chloé Grossmann’s Preferences and Technology

Chloé Grossmann’s passion for improving the attractions industry is deeply rooted in her continuous learning and dedication. A fun fact shared during the show is that her favorite book, which she always has with her, is Ladies’ Delight by Émile Zola. This book, about the birth of modern shopping, clearly influences her perspective on understanding consumer behavior and enhancing customer journeys—a testament to her commitment to applying foundational knowledge to modern marketing and data strategies.

Sondra’s Perspective

Sondra Shannon, CEO of Gatemaster Technology, brought a passionate perspective to the discussion, emphasizing the human connection fostered by data. She shared her belief in the “platinum rule” of business—treating people how they want to be treated—and highlighted how data uniquely enables this personalized approach. Sondra also discussed the critical shift from making decisions based on “feelings” to relying on concrete data, a transition she has witnessed transform attractions from her extensive experience. She underscored that data is not “creepy” but a tool for building trust and enhancing guest relationships.

Improving Guest Experience

The conversation highlighted numerous ways data actively improves the guest experience.  By collecting data at every touchpoint—from ticket purchase to on-site activity and post-visit feedback—attractions can personalize communications and offers. This includes sending relevant family offers to parents, providing “Zen alerts” about crowd levels to enhance visit planning, and sending in-venue notifications about attractions or amenities. This meticulous attention to personalized information helps guests feel recognized, valued, and ultimately leads to smoother, more enjoyable visits,  encouraging repeat business. The ability to address specific needs, like accessibility information for visitors with disabilities, also ensures a welcoming and frustration-free experience for all.

Creating Memories and Guest-Centric Culture

Ultimately, the goal of a data-driven culture is to empower attractions to create more meaningful memories and foster a truly guest-centric environment. By understanding individual preferences and anticipating needs, attractions can move beyond generic interactions to forge lasting connections. This personalization makes guests feel known and cared for, transforming a simple visit into a cherished experience that encourages loyalty and positive word-of-mouth. Data, therefore, becomes the foundation for genuine engagement, allowing businesses to truly connect with their audience.

Gatemaster’s Guests’ Appreciation and Value

At Gatemaster Technology, we deeply value the insights and expertise that guests like  Chloé Grossmann bring to “Live with Sondra.” Her discussion provided immense value to our audience, demonstrating how a strategic approach to data can revolutionize audience engagement. We are committed to fostering such conversations that empower the attractions industry with actionable knowledge, helping our clients and partners better understand their guests and optimize their operations for enduring success.

Connecting with the Speakers:

We hope you enjoyed this insightful recap! For more deep dives into data, marketing, and  the attractions industry, be sure to connect with our speakers: