Inside the Leisure Industry
Brett Sheridan GM of ROLLER, on Driving Guest Experience and Amusement Park Profitability
“The best experiences aren’t built on rides alone, they’re created by people, data and daring to do things differently”
Episode 1: Brett - Roller
16 SEP
Blog
7 min read
Inside the Leisure Industry, a series where we sit down with the people who make experiences unforgettable, dive into their stories, strategies and insights that shape the way guests enjoy their time.
For this first edition, we’re chatting with Brett Sheridan, a seasoned leisure industry veteran whose career spans cruise lines, theme parks, skydiving, and more. Brett is the General Manager of ROLLER, where he helps attractions leverage technology and data to elevate how guests enjoy their time. He shares his philosophy on creating memorable experiences, operational strategy, and the trends he believes will shape the next five years in attractions.
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1. You’ve worked across cruise lines, theme parks, skydiving, to name a few, what do you think has been the biggest constant in your career success?
For me, it’s always been about overcoming challenges with a bit of left field thinking. Every industry has obstacles. Sometimes they’re specific to the business, other times they’re industry wide. I’ve always asked myself, why is this being done this way, and is there a better approach?
Whether I’ve been an entrepreneur or working for one of the largest cruise companies, that mindset has been the common thread. Taking calculated risks and finding unconventional solutions has brought the biggest rewards. It opens doors to new opportunities, new channels, and often a chance to disrupt practices that have been in place far too long. That’s really been my approach, keep questioning why things are done the way they are.
2. Luna Park Sydney has a long history and lots of traditions, how did you approach making meaningful change?
It doesn’t matter how big the organisation is, or whether you are starting something from scratch, the approach is the same. Luna Park Sydney is a good example. The park has been around since 1935, born out of the Depression, just after the Sydney Harbour Bridge was built. It carries a huge amount of heritage, but with that comes legacy systems, legacy processes, and attractions that have been around a long time.
The challenge is making a business like that contemporary while still respecting its history, and appealing to a very different customer compared to 1935. That is never easy. For me, the starting point was the data. That has always been my go-to. If you understand the data, you can make confident decisions, even when they challenge the status quo.
"When you step into a park with decades of history, the first step is understanding the legacy. What works, what doesn’t, and where you can introduce fresh thinking to create real impact"
Luna Park Melbourne, April 2025
At Luna Park, I had 12 months to get the business into better shape, ready for 2025 and beyond. With limited time and resources, you have to get creative and think differently. That has always been my role in businesses, finding those levers you can pull that create a big shift.
"Can you share an example of one of those creative moves you made at Luna Park to reach those goals?" - John
One of the early things we realised was that we were trying to do too much ourselves. Like many parks, we were running everything internally, rides, food, sideshow games, you name it. But when your range is that broad, it is hard to be great at every single part of it.
We identified that our games were not performing as well as they could, financially or for the guest experience. So we made the decision to bring in a specialist third-party operator to run that side of the business. They re-engineered the entire games portfolio, brought fresh energy to the area, and the results were immediate. The guest experience improved, spend per guest went up, and the bottom line lifted from day one.
It showed us the value of bringing in experts in areas where we could not be the best, and the speed of the turnaround was incredible.
"I spent half a day with the team at Luna Park Melbourne to see things up close. What stood out to me was how staff used small tactics to change how people perceived their wait times, how they were interacting with everyone. It reinforced how much the guest experience is about the little details" - John
Absolutely. Every park has its quirks and challenges, especially when parts of them are heritage listed, like with both Luna Parks. But again, if you understand your guests and the data behind their behaviour, you can quickly see which levers to pull to make improvements.That is something I have loved throughout my career, identifying those small changes that make a big difference. And now at ROLLER, I get to share that experience with our customers and help them do the same.
3. Can you share an example from your career where increasing throughput directly improved guest experience or boosted revenue?
"Earlier this year I was at a theme park, for a specific ride I noticed that the next batch of riders weren’t being prepared until the current ride cycle had finished. If you go through safety instructions and get the next group ready while the ride is running, you’re increasing throughput. Have you come across situations like this in your career, and how have you tackled them?" - John
Absolutely. Throughput can make or break an attraction. It affects guest experience, profitability, and even whether people return.
I first saw this back in my Adrenaline days, when we were sending 50 or 60 customers a day to operators. If guests were waiting two hours in the sun before their activity, that operator would either need to fix it or we would stop working with them. Throughput was that critical.
A clearer example came with iFLY, the indoor skydiving business. We built several facilities, and by the time we opened the fourth one, we had finally nailed the throughput model. The first location didn’t get it completely right. Sessions were set in 30-minute blocks with about 15 people rotating through, and the process was resource-constrained. We couldn’t increase the number of flights, so efficiency became everything.
We looked closely at every step: how to reduce downtime, how to make entry and exit smooth while keeping it fun, and how to avoid any delays in the session. Over time, we turned what could have been a dull briefing into a core part of the experience. Instead of just listing rules, the training became an experience. Guests weren’t just waiting to fly, they were being entertained and engaged.
The result was that people felt they were getting a full hour-long experience, even though their flight time was quite short comparatively. We even added a debrief and video session afterwards. Guests loved it, and often enjoyed the training as much as the flight itself.
By tightening throughput and rethinking the process, we improved efficiency, boosted profitability, and actually enhanced the customer experience instead of compromising it.
Partially loaded roller coaster
4. What’s your approach to increasing per-cap spend without making it feel like ‘just selling more’?
I think it starts with bringing the revenue forward, something I learned working on cruise lines. The key is to sell as many add-ons as possible before the guest even arrives on site.If guests have already purchased upgrades or extras ahead of time, they experience the day feeling seamless, not like they are being asked for more at every turn. By the time they get on site, they feel like a VIP. Parking is sorted, upgrades are in place, and everything flows naturally.
""Bring revenue forward so guests enjoy the experience without feeling like they’re being sold to"
Some parks are not set up this way. They rely on walk-ups and have not created a strong online pre-sale experience. That can make per-cap spend feel more transactional. When you promote add-ons online, basket size increases. We see this at ROLLER all the time, many of our venues are seeing 30% higher online spend on average. The guests then pay for some things in advance and then naturally spend a little more onsite on small items like snacks. It becomes part of the experience rather than a separate sales push.
With careful planning and data, you can make additional spending feel effortless, integrated, and enjoyable. Guests get the extras they want, and it enhances their experience rather than interrupting it.
5. What’s your philosophy on creating memorable guest experiences?
Everything we do is grounded in the fact that we are in the service business. You can build a million-dollar ride and it might be incredible, but if the staff at the end of that ride are disengaged, distracted or not encouraging guests, the experience is immediately diminished.
When we created Adrenaline, the online experience aggregator, we drew on ideas from the experience economy. Everyone has their own “buzz” moment, whether it is jumping out of a plane, driving a fast car or climbing a mountain. That moment is powerful, especially when the guest is in a heightened state of adrenaline or even fear. Studies show that in that state, people absorb messages and experiences more effectively.
The real opportunity to enhance the experience comes from the staff. How they engage, how they notice small things and how they celebrate the guest’s reactions can make all the difference. A simple comment like, “I saw you on that ride, you looked scared at the start and thrilled at the end,” turns a great ride into a memorable experience.
""Automate the back-end tasks so your team can focus on the guest. That’s where you get the biggest return on investment, by making every interaction count, so guests keep coming back"
If you automate administrative tasks in the background, your team can focus on guest interaction. That is where you get the biggest return, staff engagement combined with safety and operational efficiency. Those are the elements that bring guests back time and time again.
"Happiness is infectious, a smile and some kindness really does wonders" - John
Absolutely. At Luna Park Sydney, some staff have been there six or seven years and are considered rock stars. Kids come back every weekend to see them. That kind of consistency and enthusiasm is exactly what makes an experience memorable.It all comes down to the marriage between data and people, understanding your guests, supporting your team and creating moments they will never forget.
6. Looking ahead five years, what’s one change you think will reshape how parks operate that would surprise us?
I am very privileged to be asked to be on the IAAPA 2035 task force, looking at what the attraction industry might look like in 2035. We are working with futurists and research agencies to understand emerging trends, and one area that stands out for me is the link between health and leisure. That includes both mental and physical health and how leisure experiences can support them.
Technology is everywhere, and young people are heavily attached to it. Some studies suggest there could be a shift where people start seeking real, tangible experiences again instead of digital ones. Attractions will need to consider how they facilitate genuine connection and escapism, particularly as AI and technology become even more dominant.
At Luna Park Sydney, for example, we reflected on why attractions exist in the first place. They were built to create escapism, to give people a break from everyday life. Sometimes that means embracing indulgence, like the treats kids love, because it is a special day and a break from routine. Attractions that understand this and create meaningful and "real" escapes will stand out.
"That makes sense, and thinking practically which parks or attractions are setting standards right now in guest experience or operational innovation?" - John
One area I am particularly excited about is surf parks. As a surfer myself, I see them as a healthy way to develop environments that are as natural as possible without relying on a traditional beach. In Australia, we have urban surf parks, and overseas there are larger developments combining hotels, lagoons, and multi-activity spaces to create a full destination.
"Surf parks are a great example of building immersive, healthy environments that feel like a true escape. In five years, I expect to see more attractions that offer multi-day, longer-term activations and create complete destinations rather than just one-off experiences"
These parks are evolving quickly. About two years ago, it was the Wild West of who was building what and how. Now the core players are figuring out how to commercialise these parks as destinations, not just quick-hit experiences. Within five years, I expect this sector to mature into a fully immersive, multi-day attraction. It is an exciting trend to watch as it could redefine what a leisure destination can be.
urbnsurf Melbourne
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