In our latest session of our Attractions Toolkit webinar series, ROLLER’s Brett Sheridan sat down with McKay Allen, CEO of Patch Retention, to explore how marketing automation can turn busy seasonal traffic into year-round growth.
With six high-impact campaigns to drive bookings and build guest loyalty, this session is full of practical strategies you can put into action right away. It also includes best-practice automation flow visuals that any operator can easily set up and use to keep guests coming back long after the festive season.
🎥 Missed the live session? Watch the full recording here:
Meet the speakers
Brett Sheridan, Field GM at ROLLER
Brett has decades of experience owning and running attractions businesses, from founding the first OTA in the southern hemisphere, to building and operating multiple FEC, indoor skydiving, and VR venues across APAC. He also managed the iconic Luna Park on Sydney Harbor. He now helps ROLLER customers implement technology that empowers teams and elevates guest experiences.
McKay Allen, CEO at Patch Retention
McKay Allen is a seasoned marketing executive and the CEO of Patch Retention, a customer retention and marketing automation platform focused on helping FECs, trampoline parks, and attractions of all kinds to keep customers coming back. McKay brings a practical, results-driven approach to building tools that make it easier for businesses to keep the customers they’ve worked hard to earn.
Why automation matters for attractions
Brett kicked off the session by framing the challenge every operator faces: knowing where to focus marketing efforts. With tighter discretionary spending and increased competition, attracting new visitors is tougher and more expensive than ever.
As Brett put it, marketing can often feel like “a bit of a dark art.” But by leveraging automation and guest data, operators can run simple, always-on campaigns that retain existing customers, reduce acquisition costs, and generate steady revenue year-round.
To set the stage, McKay shared industry benchmarks showing that email open rates typically sit between 20–40%, while text messages boast 98% open rates, with 95% read within five minutes. As he explained, this makes SMS “a whole other playing field” for engagement, and one of the most effective channels for operators looking for quick, measurable results.
1. Win-back campaigns: Stay top of mind with lapsed guests
The first campaign focused on re-engaging past visitors who haven’t returned in 30, 60, or 90 days. According to McKay, the main reason guests don’t come back isn’t dissatisfaction, it’s forgetfulness:
“The reason they don’t come back is because you simply don’t stay top of mind.”
Automated win-back flows help solve that. By sending timely email or text reminders, sometimes with a small incentive or personalized offer, operators can encourage previous guests to return without the high costs of new customer acquisition.
2. Birthday campaigns: Turn special days into repeat visits
Few automations deliver better ROI than birthday campaigns. Brett and McKay highlighted how targeting birthdays 60, 40, and 20 days in advance can fill party rooms and generate repeat visits.
McKay explained how these automations run automatically in the background (triggered by guest data in ROLLER) while Brett shared that ROLLER’s Attractions Industry Benchmark Report data shows most parties are booked two to four weeks in advance.
Together, they encouraged operators to build these journeys now, ensuring guests never miss the chance to celebrate with them.
3. Gift voucher and loyalty campaigns: Holiday momentum that lasts
With the holidays approaching, gift vouchers are a simple, high-margin way to capture seasonal revenue early. McKay noted that “60–70% of gift cards go unused,” but encouraged operators to flip their perspective: guests who redeem cards often spend more and introduce new customers.
Adding a loyalty layer, such as simple point tracking or member rewards, can keep those new visitors engaged long after the holiday season. Brett also cautioned operators not to treat unredeemed vouchers as profit, since many regions classify them as long-term liabilities.
4. In-venue upsells: Engage guests while they’re on-site
Marketing shouldn’t stop when guests walk through the door. McKay showcased examples of in-venue SMS automations, such as:
- Pre-arrival reminders with waivers or what to bring
- Welcome texts after check-in
- Mid-visit nudges offering F&B or merchandise discounts
- “Extend your time” messages during timed sessions
Patch Retention’s data shows that 25–35% of guests who receive a text offering extra time accept it immediately. Brett emphasized that these automations apply to any venue type—from trampoline parks to water parks—and create easy, incremental revenue throughout the day.
5. Reviews and reputation: Automate your best word-of-mouth
Next, the duo explored why Google reviews remain one of the most powerful marketing tools for attractions. “People go to Google when they want to find something to do,” McKay explained, adding that frequency, volume, and quality of reviews directly affect local ranking.
By automating a text or email to guests shortly after their visit with a direct review link or QR code, venues can build positive reviews consistently rather than hoping they happen organically.
“Hope is not a strategy,” McKay reminded attendees. “You’ve got to aggressively pursue positive reviews.”
According to Patch Retention’s data, venues that automate review requests see, on average, an 80% increase in revenue tied to improved visibility and reputation.
Read more: How to Attract More Guests to Your Venue with Google Reviews
6. New-customer journeys: Turn first-timers into regulars
Every first visit is a chance to create a loyal guest. Automated “new customer” campaigns send a short sequence of messages—typically minutes, days, and a week after the visit—to encourage another booking or membership.
These flows are designed to end automatically when a guest returns, avoiding over-messaging. Operators running these automations report 30-40% conversion rates from one-time visitors to repeat customers or members.
Brett and McKay also introduced abandoned cart automation, a brand-new feature built in collaboration between ROLLER and Patch Retention. If a guest starts a booking but doesn’t complete it, the system can trigger a reminder (and even an incentive) to bring them back to finish the purchase.
What’s next: The AI evolution in marketing automation
To close the session, McKay shared how AI is beginning to reshape marketing automation across the attractions industry. He highlighted three key developments operators should keep an eye on:
- AI chat and text response: Automatically answering common guest questions in real time.
- AI content generation: Drafting campaign emails and texts in seconds.
- AI email filtering: Making it even more important to keep lists clean and pair email with SMS for reliable delivery.
Brett emphasized that AI isn’t replacing marketers, it’s freeing them up to focus on what really matters: creating more meaningful, guest-centric experiences.
Putting it into action
If you’re just getting started with automation, Brett and McKay suggested beginning with birthday and win-back campaigns, followed by abandoned cart reminders. These deliver quick, measurable wins and can be set up in minutes using ROLLER and Patch Retention’s integrated tools.
Whether you start small or go all-in, the takeaway was clear: automation isn’t about doing more marketing, it’s about making every message count.
Want to learn how ROLLER can help your venue put these ideas into action? Book a free demo today.
.jpg)
.jpg)
