Gatemaster Blog
Leading Without Burnout: A New Strategy for Attraction Owners
Leading Without Burnout: A New Strategy for Attraction Owners Danny Gruening, founder of Action Lab Leadership, joins Sondra Shannon to discuss how leaders can grow their organizations without sacrificing their health, relationships, or effectiveness. The...
Attractions Culture: Creating Teams Where Service Stays Alive
Attractions Culture: Creating Teams Where Service Stays Aliv In this episode of Live with Sondra, Gatemaster Technology CEO Sondra Shannon sits down with Ryan Minton, author, speaker, and founder of Thanks for Coming in Today, to explore the direct connection between...
From Saigon to Storyland: 25 Years of Spatial Storytelling
Live With Sondra In StudioFrom Saigon to Storyland: 25 Years of Spatial Storytelling & the Power of Purpose-Driven Design Ft. Mel McGowan, Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer of StorylandThis in-studio episode features Mel McGowan — co-founder and Chief...
From Battlefield to Stadium: Empathy, AI & Inclusive Design
Live With Sondra In StudioFrom Battlefield to Stadium: Empathy, AI & the Trillion-Dollar Case for Inclusive Design Ft. Emmanuel Kelly, Founder of Outlier & MusicianThis in-studio episode features Emmanuel Kelly — musician, founder of Outlier, and the first...
Tourism Collaboration Strategies: Unlocking Co-opetitive Growth
Tourism Collaboration Strategies: Unlocking Co-opetitive Growth Nicole Mahoney, CEO of Travel Alliance Partnership, joined Sondra Shannon to discuss how attractions, destinations, and tourism organizations can accelerate growth through strategic collaboration. Rather...
The $1B Bloomin’ Onion: Inside Outback’s 1,450-Location Global Empire
The $1B Bloomin’ Onion: Inside Outback’s 1,450-Location Global Empire On Live with Sondra, Tim Gannon, co-founder of Outback Steakhouse, shared the leadership principles that helped grow the brand from a single restaurant into a global hospitality powerhouse with more...
Leisure Spending 2026: What Consumers Actually Want
Leisure Spending 2026: What Consumers Actually Want Stephen Davis, Managing Partner at Integrated Insights, joined Sondra Shannon to discuss key findings from the 2026 Leisure Consumer Survey and what they mean for attraction operators. The conversation centered on...
Laser Tag: Winning the Membership Game
Laser Tag: Winning the Membership Game In this episode of Live with Sondra, Sondra Shannon sits down with Mitchell Robertson, Marketing and Sales Manager at Delta Strike International, to explore how laser tag is evolving into a powerful driver of memberships, repeat...
Attraction Tech: Gamify Your Venue with Smart Systems
Attraction Tech: Gamify Your Venue with Smart Systems In this episode of Live with Sondra, Arash Hoss, CEO of Novus Attractions, shares a powerful perspective on the future of attraction design. Rather than replacing attractions every few years, operators can use...
Park Gamification: Immersive FEC Missions for Guest Engagement
Park Gamification: Immersive FEC Missions for Guest Engagement Ben Griffith, CEO of PlayMAXX, is pioneering immersive gamification in attractions. His vision transforms passive guest visits into interactive adventures, blending physical and digital experiences to...
Attraction Networking: Building the Global Deals Behind the Rides
Attraction Networking: Building the Global Deals Behind the Rides Emily Popovich, Director of Global Business Development at KMI International and former IAAPA executive leader, shares why relationships are the true infrastructure behind the attractions industry. Her...
BD vs. Sales: Why Mixing Them Kills Your Revenue Growth
BD vs. Sales: Why Mixing Them Kills Your Revenue Growth In this episode of Live with Sondra, Sondra Shannon sits down with Molly Piveral, Chief Connector at Simply Molly, to challenge one of the most common misconceptions in the attractions and themed entertainment...
