Though some people in the room almost certainly had some level of self-promotion motivation, I'm pretty confident others did not. Some of the people in the room really don't have much of a platform at all.
Obviously when you bring fans of your product in to interface directly with the CEO of an enormous corporation, the power imbalance will naturally lead to some level of curtailing of criticism, some level of a unearned cordiality between the customer and the corporation, etc. Those factors are often amplified pretty severely when the person in question also has a vested interest in remaining on the good side of that corporation—and things are even worse still when that corporation is well known for its incredible hostility towards anything-but-promotional engagement with media/influencers/the thoosie community/etc.
That being said, there were people in the room who I believe are less susceptible to that coercion than others. And I would say, speaking broadly, this is a seemingly-good-faith step in the right direction for the new Six Flags brand. It seems dependably true that the parks with the most hands-on management—the parks with a publicly-known face—tend to be better run than those without. I don't think that's a coincidence. This is a good first step to putting a face to the corporation.
Obviously when you bring fans of your product in to interface directly with the CEO of an enormous corporation, the power imbalance will naturally lead to some level of curtailing of criticism, some level of a unearned cordiality between the customer and the corporation, etc. Those factors are often amplified pretty severely when the person in question also has a vested interest in remaining on the good side of that corporation—and things are even worse still when that corporation is well known for its incredible hostility towards anything-but-promotional engagement with media/influencers/the thoosie community/etc.
That being said, there were people in the room who I believe are less susceptible to that coercion than others. And I would say, speaking broadly, this is a seemingly-good-faith step in the right direction for the new Six Flags brand. It seems dependably true that the parks with the most hands-on management—the parks with a publicly-known face—tend to be better run than those without. I don't think that's a coincidence. This is a good first step to putting a face to the corporation.
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Entertainment & Atmosphere: We spent a good chunk of time on this. We discussed the lack of major productions in the Kings Dominion Theater and the general need for more live entertainment throughout the park to keep that special KD energy alive.
Special Events: We touched on the "big three"—Grand Carnivale, Haunt, and Winterfest. We emphasized how much these seasonal pillars mean to the community and the importance of consistency so fans know what to expect.
Communication & Trust: Several people in the room brought up the "rift" that has developed lately. We talked about how surprise changes to operations or events can hurt fan trust. Leadership really seemed to listen here.
Dining: We also talked about the food and dining plans.
