Friends for Life

Punch cards, season passes, memberships, and other rewards programs aren’t new in the world of attractions. But today’s attractions operators are taking a more cohesive—and high-tech— approach to their offerings.

“Disney and Six Flags spent decades demonstrating that members become habitual visitors and brand advocates,” says Andrew Farage, founder and chief operating officer of RPM Raceway, that operates locations across the northeast United States. “Family entertainment center operators can now replicate that model without enterprise-level infrastructure. Modern POS (point of sale) and CRM (customer relationship management) tools make it manageable even at a smaller scale; the technology to execute it is now accessible.”

Immediate Value
Rather than waiting for guests to generate points through repeat visits before offering discounts or freebies, Farage believes the best loyalty programs start delivering value during the first visit.

He says this was important to him in structuring the Race Pass annual membership, which provides visitors with two races on the day of purchase, a $5 arcade card, an “add-on” activity, and discounts for the year.

“As consumer spending gets more selective and the experiential entertainment space gets more competitive, we’re doubling down on bundle development to make membership a no-brainer,” he shares.

RPM also has a one-day Play Pass that includes everything guests need to race, plus two “add-ons,” which can be activities or merch. “Both tiers are priced to deliver immediate value on a member’s first visit, covering racing, arcade play, and exclusive perks,” Farage says. 

Generating Value
Farmingdale, New York-based Adventureland, a local amusement park now in its 64th year, has offered season passes for more than a decade, according to Adventureland manager Jeanine Gentile. She says the passes pay for themselves after roughly three visits, but the perks start right away.

In mid-March, Adventureland held “season pass validation days” prior to the regular season, allowing guests to skip long lines to validate passes purchased online and earn a $10 arcade card for each passholder.

Adventureland restructured its pricing in recent years. The park used to be a free admission facility where riders would buy tickets or a pay-one-price bracelet. Now, everyone pays admission to enter the park, although guests over 24 years old pay a discounted rate. The season passes can alleviate some of the financial sting, allowing families to visit more frequently after paying one price for the season.

Season passholders also get two discounted “bring-a-friend” tickets, along with discounts on merchandise and season drink cups. These are standard benefits for season passholders, but FECs and other attractions are beginning to embrace similar programs.

Multi Attraction Passes
As FECs and amusement parks seek to be more competitive in their value-added offerings, companies like Go City offer discounts for bundling multiple attraction tickets within a city.

While the standard attractions offered through these passes include tourist sites like museums and famous observation decks, FECs and regional amusement parks are also getting in on the action. For instance, a Chicago Go City pass could include days at Legoland Discovery Center, the 10pin Bowling Lounge, and Forge Adventure Park—an outdoor natural attraction that includes archery, rope climbs, zip lines, and paddlesports. 

While locals may also take advantage during staycations, multiattraction passes give FECs the benefit of providing cost savings to tourists who won’t want to invest in a season pass or membership.

“It really is a loyalty program; the more you buy, the more you save,” says Darren Colledge, Go City affiliate lead. “Maybe someone was going to do two or three attractions in a city. When someone buys one of our passes, they’ll save money. So maybe they can do four or five attractions now.” 

Smaller FECs and other attractions get the added benefit of Go City’s massive marketing machine. “We have a database of millions that we remarket to,” Colledge says.

The Technology Behind Today’s Best Memberships
More theme parks and FECs are moving toward digital memberships. While Adventureland still uses physical passes, the park website advises passholders to take a photo of the bar code; if guests ever lose or forget their pass, they can use the bar code to enter the attraction. (The bar code is tied to a photo of the guest to prevent fraud or sharing passes.)

RPM Raceway passes are entirely digital. “On the operational side, a digital membership is superior,” Farage explains. “No physical card to remember, no punch fraud, and no redemption exceptions at the register.”
Likewise, Go City passes work through a cellphone app, making them easy and convenient to track, while enabling retargeting efforts, including geotargeting. 

More than ever, guests need a seamless experience, and digital passes are one step in that direction. There’s another benefit to digital tracking, even for operators who opt to provide guests with a physical card for convenience. 

“The system knows who the members are when they walk in, so our guest service representatives can layer on personalized offers and re-engagement triggers,” Farage shares. 

Benefits of Growth Through Loyalty
Farage believes operators need to harness the tremendous benefits of memberships and loyalty programs.

“The retention economics are hard to argue with,” he says. “Acquiring new customers is expensive, and a member who pays a predictable, recurring fee visits significantly more often and spends more on food, arcade games, and add-ons than a casual walk-in. Predictable recurring revenue also smooths out the seasonal swings that kill FEC margins in slow months.”

For a local park or attraction, a season pass program also means getting to know guests, which takes loyalty to a whole new level. 

“We see a lot of the repeat season pass customers, weekend after weekend, and even season to season. We get to know them; we chat with them on the Midway,” Gentile says. “For a local park like us, it’s just really nice.”