Gateway Ticketing Systems, a leading provider of admission control systems, has been honoured with an industry award by the Northeast Entertainment Association (NEAAPA).
The Paragon Award was presented to senior marketing manager Greg Banecker at the association’s Annual Meeting. The regional attractions award is granted to individuals in the United States whose work has created demonstratable outreach, or advertising pieces that exemplify unequalled excellence in promotion, such as print, digital or in-person campaigns.
Banecker was honoured for his production and promotion work on Gateway Ticketing System’s Webinar Wednesdays series. The campaign was designed to assist attractions in delivering the best guest experience during the pandemic, in a series which ran from March 2020 to July 2021.
Banecker says “I put my heart into these webinars because they really felt like they were helping people through the pandemic, so it’s an honour to be recognized by NEEAPA.
Large audiences
The collection of webinars has won a number of industry awards, seeing over 900 attendees tune in at the show’s peak to hear co-hosts Randy Josselyn and Matthew Hoenstine in conversation with attraction professionals. Each week, attractions from across the spectrum shared their relatable stories of how they were adapting and enhancing the guest experience during the midst of the pandemic.
Key accounts manager Jamie Flaherty says “Gateway Ticketing Systems made the conscious effort to focus on bringing the industry together during the pandemic and provide an avenue for everyone to share ideas, give and take advice, and exchange hope.”
“Greg and his team worked tirelessly to build webinar attendance from a few dozen to over 900 people from all over the world and within every department of an attraction. I hope we never have to face a challenge like the pandemic again, but I could not be more proud to have worked with Greg and his team throughout that unimaginable time.”
Thanking the team
Banecker joined Gateway Ticketing Systems in 2018, with numerous years of experience in marketing for the travel and tourism sector. As part of his role, he has been key in structuring Gateway’s content marketing and automation, both of which play a large role in the success of programmes such as Webinar Wednesdays.
Banecker continues; “I want to thank my larger marketing team at Gateway who helped immensely with the logistics and promotion of the webinars; my manager Peter Wolf who gave me the autonomy to really run with it; and most importantly, the talented, knowledgeable, and connected co-hosts Josselyn and Hoenstine, who are the true reason Webinar Wednesdays became so successful.”
Wolf, director of sales and marketing at Gateway, adds “When we conceived the idea that ultimately became Webinar Wednesdays and assigned it to Greg, we had no idea what would come of it.
“But I know Greg, and I knew he would get what we needed to be done. He often operates behind the scenes, so I could not be happier that he is being recognised publicly for his hard work on the webinars and his marketing responsibilities in general.”
Gateway Ticketing Systems recently teamed up with WhiteWater to celebrate International Women’s Day, encouraging the sector to break the industry bias.
