ROLLER, the ticketing, CRM, and POS specialist, has shared how its solutions have helped to drive a 50% increase in online sales at SkyWheel in Panama City Beach, Florida.
SkyWheel is a well-known landmark and entertainment hub in Myrtle Beach and Panama City Beach. It offers a unique Ferris wheel experience with enclosed gondolas reaching 200 feet. Popular with families and tourists, it provides stunning 360-degree views and memorable experiences like sunrise rides and proposals.
“We want the SkyWheel to be the place for major life events for people of all ages and abilities,” says Sean Bailey, marketing manager.
Before implementing ROLLER, the SkyWheel team faced challenges in coordinating various venues and creating time-sensitive offerings, such as exclusive sunrise and sunset flights, which required a flexible scheduling system. Additionally, SkyWheel sought to enhance its ticketing strategy to boost online sales and improve the overall guest experience. The attraction needed a versatile, user-friendly solution to optimise operations, increase customer satisfaction, and track essential performance indicators.
In 2018, when SkyWheel launched its Panama City Beach location, it adopted ROLLER as its main ticketing system. ROLLER offered the adaptability to handle intricate, time-sensitive products, enhance the user experience, and monitor essential performance indicators.
Alongside addressing SkyWheel’s current business needs, what attracted the team to ROLLER was its dedication to ongoing enhancements and improvements to the platform.
“Especially within the past two or three years, the product development happening at ROLLER has been incredible,” says Bailey. “There have been so many enhancements to the guest interface, venue interface, and venue manager, which has been really impactful for our business.”
The results
After adopting ROLLER’s progressive checkout in late 2022, SkyWheel has experienced a notable boost in online sales, especially at the Panama City Beach site, where sales have risen by 50% year-to-date. This success is attributed to the transition from the old system to ROLLER’s advanced checkout, as well as effective marketing strategies and a revamped website.
Bailey attributes this success to ROLLER’s intuitive features, such as its clear pricing and date-focused checkout process. “Guests can click ‘next available date,’ and it will automatically show them the next available sunrise flight. It’s very user-friendly.”
To improve the guest experience and drive revenue, SkyWheel launched photo package add-ons via ROLLER’s online checkout platform. These offerings enable guests to pre-purchase discounted photo experiences, resulting in a higher average order value.
“In Panama City Beach, we’ve had success with the online photo sales because we’re able to give them that discount ahead of time… it makes the process much easier for the guests.”
Before guests reach the venue, they are sent an automated booking reminder email. This process allows the SkyWheel team to set clear expectations, ensuring guests are well-informed about what to anticipate during their visit. Consequently, this preparation helps them arrive on time and decreases the number of phone or email inquiries before booking.
“I also really like the pre-booking email that can be sent automatically from the ROLLER platform after someone books online because that’s been really helpful to remind people what day and time they booked, instructions for getting to the venue, and get them excited about their upcoming visit.”
See also: Inside the ROLLER 2025 Attractions Industry Benchmark Report
Listening to feedback
SkyWheel has also recognised the importance of ROLLER’s Guest Experience (GX) Score feature, which delivers a feedback survey to guests after their visit. The operator then receives all the essential details, such as name, email, and ticket information, allowing them to directly follow up with guests.
“When a guest sees we’re willing and able to respond to their feedback, it provides a better experience overall for them and encourages them to make a return visit,” says Bailey.
Groupon serves as an essential revenue source for SkyWheel. Thanks to ROLLER’s seamless Groupon integration, SkyWheel can eliminate the manual management and reconciliation of bookings between the two platforms. This saves staff time and provides guests a more streamlined purchasing and check-in experience. The team is exploring additional methods to enhance their operations using ROLLER integrations.
ROLLER’s customisable platform assists SkyWheel in managing products, boosting sales, and enhancing the guest experience. Features such as the GX Score and scheduling tools enable the attraction to fulfil customer expectations, whether booking a VIP flight or enjoying a family day out.
“ROLLER has helped us not just capture more guests but give the next guest an even better experience.”
As SkyWheel aims to expand its services and enhance its operations, ROLLER remains a dependable partner, supporting its growth and contributing to the attainment of new milestones.
Recently, ROLLER shared a video paying tribute to its community as it looks back at the highlights of 2024.
