No two businesses are the same in an industry as diverse and dynamic as tours and attractions. From family-run operations to large corporate entities, each attraction’s unique needs require robust and highly adaptable technology solutions. To meet this need, RocketRez, a leading ticketing and operational software provider, has released Insights, a new reporting and data insights platform.
This platform, designed with the adaptability to cater to the individual needs of each attraction, is set to revolutionise how attractions operate, helping them make smarter decisions faster and ultimately enhancing the guest experience.
John Pendergrast, CEO of RocketRez, speaks to blooloop about the company’s evolution and the development of the new Insights solution. He also discusses current trends and how RocketRez is addressing the industry’s shifting demands.
The RocketRez vision
RocketRez began its journey with a simple yet ambitious goal: to create a better solution for ticketing and operations in the attractions industry. Pendergrast says: “We felt that the world needed a better solution to the problem than was available when we started.” However, as the company grew, it became clear that the industry’s needs extended far beyond ticketing alone.
“We realised that the problem was bigger than just ticketing and really needed to be looked at more holistically in terms of the revenue coming into these companies. We thought about how we could best meet those needs so that our clients could have the best set of tools available to be able to fulfil those revenue streams and give their guests a great experience.”
RocketRez now positions itself as a true all-in-one solution, encompassing ticketing, retail, food and beverage, photo events, memberships, and more. This comprehensive suite allows attractions to consolidate multiple revenue streams into a single platform, providing seamless access to critical data across the business.
“What makes us unique,” Pendergrast says, “is that we’re not just selling a product; we’re building a relationship and a partnership with our clients. We’ve invested heavily in hiring people with direct experience in the industry—people who have spent time running operations, who know what our customers face on a daily basis and can help them do better.
“We have a team of great people who are passionate about this industry and have strong opinions about how to improve it.”
The post-COVID landscape: why now?
COVID-19 catalysed significant changes in the industry. Before the pandemic, many operators relied on seasonal staff and traditional methods to manage their operations. However, the sudden reduction in staff and the increased focus on efficiency forced a dramatic shift towards technology.
“Everything changed in COVID,” says Pendergrast. “Operators went from having 400 seasonal staff to just 20, and it upended the entire thought process inside the industry. Technology went from being a useful tool to an absolute necessity.”
This shift created an urgent need for better access to data and insights. The industry could no longer rely on the instincts of long-time employees; instead, accurate, real-time data became paramount. “The market is in desperate need of information and is no longer content to follow what was done in the past. Everything needs to be faster and more accurate. That is why RocketRez created Insights.”
Insights from RocketRez: built on a deep understanding of the market’s needs
RocketRez didn’t rush to market with a quick fix. Instead, it took the time to understand the complexities of its clients’ needs through extensive market research. This research revealed a common pain point: while plenty of data was available, operators needed actionable insights.
“It has been said that people are drowning in data and starving for insights. “We have more data streams available to us now than we’ve ever had before in the history of humanity. Statista estimated that 90% of the world’s data was generated in the last two years alone. So, just providing more data to people wasn’t going to be the solution. We needed to interpret that data in a way that would be helpful to them.”
The new Insights platform from RocketRez has flexibility at its core. Recognising that different attractions have different needs, the platform offers various ways to interact with data, catering to various expertise levels. From pre-built dashboards to customisable reports and advanced business intelligence (BI) tools, RocketRez’s solution can scale to meet the needs of any operation.
Notably, the platform is designed to be user-friendly, ensuring that even those with limited technical expertise can navigate and utilise it effectively.
Data visualisations and reporting: a new standard
At the heart of the new Insights platform are a series of dashboards, each tailored to different aspects of an attraction’s operations, from sales to inventory management. “We’re putting up 12 different dashboards around different business sectors,” Pendergrast says. “Each of those has a bunch of dashboard widgets on it, so you’re touching all the main points of the business.
These dashboards are designed to provide quick, easy-to-understand snapshots of key data points, enabling rapid decision-making without extensive training.
For those who need more detailed analysis, RocketRez offers the ability to export large datasets for manipulation in tools like Excel. For more advanced users, the platform supports integration with business intelligence (BI) tools such as Power BI, allowing operators to build custom dashboards and reports that meet their specific needs.
Pendergrast describes this as a spectrum of interaction: “You can start with simple dashboards, move to Excel for more detailed analysis, and then, for the advanced users, pull live data into your BI suite to build custom reports.”
This flexibility ensures that no matter the size or complexity of the operation, RocketRez can provide the right tools to help operators get the most out of their data. The platform is designed for easy integration into an attraction’s existing operations, minimising disruption and ensuring a smooth transition.
RocketRez Insights and the business intelligence advantage
The integration of business intelligence tools is a key feature of the new Insights platform from RocketRez. “We used to do a lot of curated reports,” Pendergrast says. “But we’ve seen a leap in the level of expertise within our clients’ teams. Now, even customers who weren’t previously tech-savvy ask for advanced data access and custom dashboards.”
This shift in demand underscores the importance of flexibility in the RocketRez platform. “We don’t want to get in the way of how our customers access their data. We want to give them a clean way of going after it and then do whatever they want with it.”
RocketRez’s approach to BI integration goes beyond simply offering tools; it’s about empowering clients to take ownership of their data and use it to drive their business forward. “What we’re building is another platform within our platform—a data insights platform,” Pendergrast adds. “And nothing else in the business is more important than giving people information at their fingertips.”
Catering to diverse needs
One of the standout features of the RocketRez Insights platform is its ability to cater to attractions of all sizes. “Companies come in all shapes and sizes,” Pendergrast says. “From small family-run operations to large corporate entities, each has unique needs, but they all need to understand what they’re doing and where they’re going.”
For smaller attractions, the goals might be as simple as survival, while more extensive operations might focus on meeting budget expectations. “The information is the same, but how they use it might be very different. We needed to create something that would allow people to expand in the ways they wanted without necessarily having to ask for custom development.”
This flexibility ensures that RocketRez can support a wide range of business models, allowing operators to focus on what matters most to them, whether that’s improving efficiency, enhancing the guest experience, or driving revenue growth.
Driving operational excellence with Insights from RocketRez
One of the key benefits of the new Insights platform is its potential to drive operational improvements. By providing operators with real-time data and insights, RocketRez is helping them make more informed decisions that can lead to immediate gains in efficiency and effectiveness.
“Operational improvements are going to be quick wins,” Pendergrast says, “but the real opportunity is in pushing the limits of your organisation’s maturity. This platform will help operators understand the drivers behind their key performance indicators (KPIs) and make more strategic decisions based on that understanding.”
For many attractions, this represents a significant step forward. “Most businesses have a straightforward set of KPIs: don’t go out of business and grow,” Pendergrast adds. “But they’re not always looking at the numbers driving those outcomes. This platform is going to help them mature in that process.”
Enhancing the guest experience
Ultimately, all these improvements—better data, more informed decision-making, and operational efficiency—translate into a better guest experience. Pendergrast explains that the guest experience has evolved significantly over the past decade. Where once it was about moving as many people through a line as possible, today’s attractions focus on creating memorable experiences that keep guests coming back.
“Guest experience is interesting. If a company can know its guests better and understand what it’s doing better, it’s in its best interest to give them a better experience. This then leads to better ratings, which in turn drives more business.”
The RocketRez Insights platform plays a crucial role in this process by providing the data operators need to continually refine and enhance their offerings. “Companies can make big mistakes without realising it because they just don’t have the information in front of them. Our platform helps prevent that by ensuring they have the insights they need to make the right decisions.”
A partnership for the future
As RocketRez continues to innovate, it’s clear that its success is built on a deep understanding of the industry and a commitment to meeting the evolving needs of its clients. “What we’re hoping for,” Pendergrast says, “is that this becomes a partnership—a beautiful circle where our clients come back to us with ideas that help make the platform even better.
“The attractions and tours industry is fast evolving. As an industry, we have been saying for many years that the guest is increasingly important, but we get into these kinds of echo chambers of marketing where we’re all about the guest, the guest solution, and yet the product itself doesn’t change.
“We’re actively thinking about how we create tools and experiences to better their experience at the attractions we serve. All of our releases this year and for the foreseeable future focus on the idea that guests are a central component of everything because, without the guests, there is no attractions industry.”
In an industry increasingly driven by data, RocketRez is positioning itself as the go-to solution for attractions looking to leverage insights to enhance their operations and guest experiences. The new Insights platform is more than just a tool; it’s a testament to the company’s goal to lead the way, providing the flexible, comprehensive solutions that attractions need to thrive in an ever-changing landscape.
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