Gatemaster Blog
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...
Guest Media: Scaling Revenue Through Automation
Guest Media: Scaling Revenue Through Automation In this episode of Live with Sondra, Sondra Shannon sits down with François Tremblay, CEO of Kool Replay, to discuss how AI-powered guest media is transforming attraction operations. The big idea: guest photos and...
Haunt Design: Scoring 15M+ Views with Emotional Storytelling
Haunt Design: Scoring 15M+ Views with Emotional Storytelling Norman Gidney, founder of HorrorBuzz and a leading voice in themed entertainment and horror media, joined Sondra Shannon to discuss what truly separates unforgettable attractions from forgettable ones. For...
The Beverage Throughput Strategy: How Attractions Unlock Hidden Revenue Inside Their Gates
The Beverage Throughput Strategy: How Attractions Unlock Hidden Revenue Inside Their Gates Gregg Luther, Senior Director of Beverage Programs at Botrista, joined Live with Sondra to unpack one of the most overlooked revenue engines inside attractions: beverage...
Life-Saving Innovation in Aquatics: Tech, Data & Human Vigilance
Live With Sondra In StudioLife-Saving Innovation in Aquatics: Tech, Data & Human Vigilance Ft. Benjamin Strong, COO of Ellis Aquatic Innovation & Ellis InternationalThis in-studio episode features Benjamin Strong, COO of Ellis Aquatic Innovation and Ellis...
