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The Fun Factor: Guest and Team Member Satisfaction

October 1, 2025 • 02:46 PM

How attraction human resources, entertainment, and marketing departments can enrich the experiences of team members and guests.

At IAAPA Expo Europe 2025, an EDUSession titled The Fun Factor: How HR, Entertainment & Marketing Create Unforgettable Guest Experiences explored how organizations can close the “joy gap” at work and build stronger guest experiences by engaging their teams. Led by Scott Swenson of Scott Swenson Creative Development; Maya Mattar of Lasting Impressions; and Philipp Gamper of Swarovski Kristallwelten, the session combined playful audience exercises with practical strategies, framed around the five “Factors of Finding Fun.”

Recognizing the Joy Gap

“There is a huge joy gap at work now,” says Mattar. “Even though we are in the serious business of fun, too often employees are not having fun themselves.” Research displayed during the session shared that when workplace joy rises, productivity improves by 31%, customer satisfaction improves by 37%, and turnover drops by 24%. “We need to make sure joy at work is not a challenge. It’s actually a mission for all of us,” she adds.

The Five Factors of Finding Fun

1. Catch People Doing Things Right

Instead of focusing on mistakes, leaders were encouraged to spotlight successes. “Catch them doing things right—not wrong. That teaches employees to show off their best work instead of hiding mistakes,” says Swenson. Recognition is most effective when it happens quickly, is specific, and is shared publicly to set cultural expectations. Swenson illustrated the value of this approach with Busch Gardens, where managers carry gold-colored tokens to reward staff on the spot. Tokens can be exchanged for $10 vouchers, creating a “treasure hunt” atmosphere of recognition.

2. Reimagine HR Policies

Mattar emphasizes that employees should be treated with the same creativity as guests. “We get very creative for customer experiences … but when it comes to our people, why don’t we do the same?” she asks. She shared an example where she offered to cover pet daycare costs along with travel expenses for a trainer traveling from Abu Dhabi to Dubai. “It’s not in the HR policy, but it meant the world to her,” Mattar explains. This people-first approach builds loyalty by tailoring benefits to real needs.

3. Internal Marketing: Portraying Employees as Celebrities

Gamper highlighted how marketing principles can elevate teams. “Why not make your employees superheroes?” Examples include short videos portraying staff as guest-experience champions, posters celebrating “Fun Factor Champions,” and gamified leaderboards. By turning recognition into storytelling, employees experience a sense of belonging and naturally become brand ambassadors.

4. Exclusive Merchandise

Symbols of belonging can be powerful motivators. Swenson described how Dorney Park gave Halloween sweatshirts exclusively to event staff. “You couldn’t buy them, you could only earn them,” he says. Such items, tied to achievements, become treasured symbols of pride and reinforce team identity.

5. Cross-Functional Collaboration

Collaboration was highlighted as key. “Closing the joy gap requires everyone, not just HR,” says Mattar. Programs such as Work-a-Shift-in-My-Shoes rotate finance or HR staff into frontline roles, while the 1-3-5 rule has leaders spend time with three guests and five employees every day. These practices build empathy, improve communication, and foster shared purpose.

Building a Culture of Joy

The speakers concluded with a challenge for the audience—engage in one joy-building strategy for 30 days and measure feedback. “If you’re not making your employees happy, there’s no way they can make the guests happy,” Swenson reminds the audience.

By treating employee engagement with the same creativity applied to guest-facing attractions, the session demonstrated that HR, marketing, and entertainment are not separate silos but complementary forces. A happy team is a more effective team—and serves as the foundation of unforgettable guest experiences.