CenterEdge Software Blog

Expert insights from Michele Canney of Anakeesta, an outdoor, nature-centric theme park nestled in 70 acres of forestland in the heart of downtown Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Anakeesta is a unique park in the Smoky Mountains that features treetop skywalks and world-class vistas, gardens, a mountain coaster, Chondola and Rambler rides, as well as a zip line, and dining and retail offerings. During our conversation, Michele Canney, VP of Marketing/Sales, shared how maintaining a growth mindset can help not only in reopening, but also in preparation for an impressive and successful future. Here’s what Michele had to say.

In addition to planning your capacity management approach as you prepare to reopen, it will also be important to rethink how you invite guests to interact with your staff and other guests once onsite.

Like when creating your product offerings, it’s a good idea to give guests options to help them choose the experience - and the interactions - that work best for them. Here are five interaction points to consider.

Upgrade your waiver system now to prepare your business to welcome guests back.

While your first priorities right now are to keep those around you healthy and safe, you’re no doubt thinking of how to reduce the impacts of this unforeseen situation on your business.

In addition to keeping abreast of what medical organizations and local authorities are communicating, remember that member organizations such as IAAPA, IATP and AMOA offer a wealth of resources, legislative action items and continual updates to help you stay informed.

With the time you have left managing all those very important tasks, it’s a good idea to address all those other important, but not previously urgent, action items you’ve been meaning to take care of so that when you’re ready to reopen, you’ll set out at maximum efficiency.  

Once the isolation restrictions lift, your FEC or amusement facility will want to be prepared to welcome the public and your guests back. If your facility uses liability waivers, now is a great time to upgrade your waiver system so that you offer guests a better experience than ever. Here are 3 benefits you’ll see as a result.

Last week, the CenterEdge team met with clients from all over North America to share best practices, challenges and ideas with each other during our first-ever user conference, Edge 2020.

Our team is busy digesting all the feedback and key takeaways from the event, which we will use to help us develop, deliver and communicate with you for the rest of 2020 and beyond, so be sure to subscribe to the blog so you never miss an update.

I recently attended a birthday party for a friend’s child at a new indoor climbing center. The facility had recently opened and there was a lot of hype surrounding its unique climbing structures and offerings.

When you’re the new entertainment venue in town, your facility will naturally get a lot of attention and new bookings of people who are eager to try out your offerings. But all the best attractions won’t bring guests back if you don’t live up to the hype with the right guest experience. Read on for five tips I developed from my recent visit so that you can deliver a better birthday party experience every time.

Liability waivers are a must for trampoline parks and are becoming more common than ever in family entertainment centers.

New attractions like axe throwing are obvious places for waivers, but it’s also a good idea to use liability waivers in conjunction with VR attractions as well. If you’re considering a new attraction or are just looking to do a little freshening up of your facility’s safety or guest service practices this spring, now’s the time to review your waiver process to see if it’s providing the right experience for your guests and your staff.

Save transaction time with these enhancements coming soon in CenterEdge Advantage Release 17.3!

Check out our Feature Release Video to get a peek at the new enhancements, and sign up for our training webinar so you can set up and use all the new features.

If your facility is practicing more waiver don’ts than do’s, you might be doing more harm than good.

When it comes to guest experience, every interaction counts. From the very first impression someone gets of your facility, they are forming an opinion about everything—from the color of your logo to the “hassle factor” of buying tickets and getting in the door. As Simon Sinek says, “Every decision you make is a piece of communication.” That means analyzing each step of your key processes to ensure your communication within the process aligns to your organizational values.

One often-overlooked process is how waivers are handled. A cumbersome waiver process can give guests a negative impression that can color their entire experience or cause them to actively seek out other negatives in your park. Read on to learn the 5 ways your waiver process could be killing your guests’ experience and valuable tips to fix it.

New CenterEdge Advantage Software Features Coming Soon in Release 17.2

We will soon launch CenterEdge Advantage Software Version 17.2! Check out our Feature Release Video to get a peek at the new enhancements, and sign up for our training webinar so you can set up and use all the new features.

CenterEdge Software, a leading provider of point-of-sale, online sales and reservations, and ticketing systems for entertainment and recreation facilities, is proud to announce that Anakeesta has selected CenterEdge Advantage Point of Sale as its POS system for its family-based attraction in downtown Gatlinburg, Tennessee that is set to open this summer.

 Anakeesta will use the CenterEdge Advantage Point of Sales system on more than 15 stations within Anakeesta and the Anakeesta Chondola. Additionally, the company will use Advantage Web to provide customers a convenient online experience to purchase their admission and Advantage Waivers to easily manage and process waivers for guests.