ProSlide reveals key factors in effective water park leadership

ProSlide Technology Inc., an industry leader in water ride manufacturing and design, has shared insights into the complex balance of strategy, trade-offs, and decisions driving the visitor experience.

The company collaborates with water park owners and operators worldwide as they plan new attractions, extend parks, and refine the guest experience. These discussions are shaped by myriad factors, from innovation and safety to visitor expectations, labour pressures, or technology.

For many leaders, the role is less about visibility and more about clarity, as they set direction, build teams, and make decisions that will shape the future of their parks.

And often, the most important decisions shaping the industry take place during daily operational leadership, rather than in the spotlight.

To explore how this works in practice, ProSlide asked leaders in the attractions sector about the decisions they make and the pressures they navigate.

Tiffany Watts, chief marketing officer at Roaring Springs; Michelle Playfair, general manager of Bingemans Big Splash; Brooke Patterson, chief brand officer at Great Wolf Lodge; and Tanis Berthaudin, senior principal ride designer at ProSlide, share their thoughts.

Empathy, adaptability, & curiosity

In an industry where visitor satisfaction depends on thousands of daily interactions, leaders must balance operational oversight with an understanding of both employees and guests.

"I believe emotional intelligence is what distinguishes truly exceptional leaders in the attractions industry," says Watts.

"The ability to interact with guests and employees with sensitivity, empathy, and proactive problem solving elevates outcomes and builds loyalty and trust."

By combining emotional intelligence with sector experience and strong relationships across the organisation, she adds, it lays a foundation for leadership that teams genuinely want to follow.

This is echoed by Playfair, who sees leadership as a continuous process of listening and adapting.

"Things are always changing - new technology, evolving guest expectations, updated safety standards," she says. "The best leaders stay curious, listen closely, and aren’t afraid to try new ideas."

In the water ride industry, ProSlide adds, these qualities often enable operators to successfully launch new attractions, adapt park layouts, and evolve visitor offerings while maintaining operational consistency.

Strategic decision making

Although strategic decisions in attractions often appear subtle, they can have a significant impact on the experience.

For example, Watts has focused on branding for each attraction. "I believe naming and branding each attraction builds excitement and helps create a ‘big park’ image," she says.

By branding attractions, such as the interactive RideHOUSE, Camp IdaH2O, the park goes beyond marketing to add both gravitas and narrative detail to the experience.

At Bingemans Big Splash, Playfair encourages teams to actively gather and act on guest feedback. "Those conversations help us respond quickly, understand what matters most to guests, and make meaningful improvements," she says. "Everyone feels connected to our purpose, delivering exceptional experiences."

Design choices can also significantly shape the visitor experience.

"Being able to maximize the amount of seating we have on the deck is really important for our guest experience," says Patterson.

"One of the unique strengths of ProSlide is their ability to efficiently design the ride structures in a way that helps us maximize our seating."

She adds: "Both ProSlide and Great Wolf Lodge have a deep commitment to guest experience, so when you bring together the expertise of ProSlide’s water park attractions with Great Wolf Lodge’s storytelling, you create a deeper, more meaningful guest experience."

Collaboration drives success

From the design side, Berthaudin sees many of these decisions take shape early in the planning process:

"Designing a new water ride is always a balance. At ProSlide, we’re always trying to deliver the best, most innovative ride possible for the client. Parks want something visually impactful or record-breaking, but we also have to consider guest flow, operational access, safety, and how the ride fits within the park’s footprint.

"Our role is to help realize our clients’ vision while making sure the attraction works well day-to-day for both guests and operators."

This approach looks beyond the ride and considers the wider park. "We spend a lot of time thinking about how guests approach the attraction, what they see from different pathways, and how the ride fits within the surrounding environment," says Berthaudin.

These insights show how operational leadership and attraction development are connected, says ProSlide. Close collaboration between park teams and their partners often results in the most successful projects.

Clarity, accountability, & relationships

Attraction leaders are continuously balancing short-term performance demands with the need to foster long-term growth.

This is a key challenge for Roaring Springs, which spans multiple venues. "Executing campaigns for everything from season passes to swimming lessons to bowling leagues requires constant planning and creativity," says Watts.

A similar dynamic can be seen when building and leading park teams, says Playfair. "Building a strong team starts with living your core values. When people feel supported and empowered, that’s when the magic really happens."

These insights reveal a common theme: effective leadership today relies less on visibility and more on clarity, accountability, and relationships. And although those decisions often occur behind the scenes, their impact is felt every time a visitor walks through the gate.

Last month, ProSlide celebrated the launch of Sun World Vũng Tàu Aqua Adventure in Vietnam, a destination-scale portfolio of the company's water rides developed with Sun Group.