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North American Galaxy User Group Meeting

Updated: January 14, 2019 | User Group Meetings | Share on LinkedIn

Overview

EXPEDITION: REACHING NEW SUMMITS

Let’s hit the trail together and explore how to grow your attraction’s attendance, revenue and visitor satisfaction. Designed specifically for users of our Galaxy product suite, UGM is packed with four days of customer panels, roundtable discussions, Gateway-led presentations and networking with your peers.

NORTH AMERICAN GALAXY USER GROUP MEETING – Held at Seattle Renaissance
Hosted by Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium and Washington State Ferries

WELCOME RECEPTION (CUSTOMER EVENT)
Sunday, August 6 | 
6:00-8:00 p.m. | Seattle Renaissance

MAIN SESSION – Starts at 9 a.m. each day

  • Monday, August 7 – Planning for Success
    Learn how customers have set up their operations for success – from new business processes to team training.
  • Tuesday, August 8 – Being Discoverable
    Explore ways to attract new guests and stay top of mind for repeat visits.
    NEW: {connect} nation™ – a special afternoon/evening session to facilitate conversations between you and online travel agencies. Just want to come to {connect} nation? Go to the Register page and select Tuesday-only registration and enjoy the whole day with us.
  • Wednesday, August 9 – Elevating Your On-Site Experience
    Discover how to increase per-capita spending and enhance your guest experience.
  • Thursday, August 10 – Staying Connected
    Find out how your colleagues are engaging with guests after their visit.

BONUS DAY – CRM Basic Training (9 a.m.-noon)
How to deliver the right experience at the right time to the right people

  • This three-hour course will cover the concepts of Customer Relationship Management as well as dive into how to use CRM Plus | Powered by Galaxy to improve the customer experience while increasing revenue.

CUSTOMER VISITS

  • Monday, August 7 – after main session
    Washington State Ferries
     – small group tours of their operations including vehicle loading, point-of-sale and admission control
  • Wednesday, August 9 – buses depart hotel at 2:30 p.m., zoo experience 3:30-6:30 p.m.
    Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium 
    – camel rides, animal appearances and an exclusive catered event for our UGM-ers

Registration Closed

North American Galaxy User Group Meeting – Held at Seattle Renaissance
Hosted by Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium and Washington State Ferries

  • August 7-10 – Main Session
    Early-bird pricing – $1,345 (save $150 when you book by March 31)
    Regular pricing – $1,495
    Daily registration options also available
  • August 8 – {connect} nation
    Select Tuesday-only registration and enjoy the whole day with us!
  • August 11 – Optional Bonus Day – CRM Basic Training
    With full registration – $395
    With daily registration option – $595

If you have a complimentary UGM registration through your Premier Support Tier, email us and we’ll take care of doing this for you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Attendance at Galaxy User Group Meetings are by invitation only. Gateway reserves the right to deny registration to anyone who has not been expressly invited. If you are a user, prospective user or partner of Gateway products and have not received an invitation, please contact Gateway for assistance.

 

Agenda

We are actively looking for customers to participate in these sessions. If you are interested in telling your venue’s story, please let us know.

* Agenda topics and times subject to change.

See a map of the event here.

Sunday, August 6 | Pre-Festivities
Welcome Reception at Hard Rock Café

6:00-8:00 p.m. 116 Pike Street, Seattle, WA 98101

Monday, August 7  |  Day 1
Set Up Your Attraction for Success

8:30-9:30 a.m. Welcome, New Customer Video & Introductions

9:30-10:30 a.m. Creating the ‘Ideal’
Presented by Gateway Ticketing Systems: Matthew Hoenstine, Principal, Destinations; Dave Langran, Principal, Arts & Heritage; and Randy Josselyn, Principal, Wildlife & Conservation

When business processes and modern technologies converge, forward thinking abounds and accelerates growth. Our panel of experts will discuss business processes to consider around organizational and team structures as well as governance of the Galaxy® system.

10:30-11:00 a.m. Break / Exhibit Time

11:00-11:30 a.m. An Inside Look: Delivering the ‘Best Visitor Experience’
Presented by Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden: Jarrid Vaughn, Senior Manager of Visitor Experience & FUN

Three years ago, Cincinnati Zoo reorganized their operations and are now seeing the results of their efforts through new attendance and revenue records. Jarrid will share unique insights into how they make the magic happen.

11:30 a.m.-Noon ‘It Takes a Village’: Unleashing the Power of Our Customer Community
Presented by Gateway Ticketing Systems: Brandon Carper, Learning Solutions Manager

Find out all the ways you can tap into the strength of the Gateway community and benefit from each other’s shared knowledge and best practices. This session will cover all the places you can go for important articles, documentation and answers to your questions with a look inside the new customer portal.

Noon-1:00 p.m. Lunch (Including Designated Roundtable Discussions) / Exhibit Time

1:00-1:45 p.m. Protecting Your Business
Presented by Gateway Ticketing Systems: John Wiskowski, Senior Customer Service Manager; and Kendra Kreider, Senior Customer Care Manager

The daily operations of your attraction can have its challenges. We’ll discuss unexpected problems you might face and how to best prepare for them.

1:45-2:30 p.m. Developing Your Front-Line Staff
Presented by Gateway Ticketing Systems: Brandon Carper, Learning Solutions Manager; Warner Bros.: Luke Jozwiak, Business Systems Administrator; Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden: Jarrid Vaughn, Senior Manager of Visitor Experience & FUN; and Natural Bridge Caverns: Brian Vauter, Cavern Geologist/IT

Get advice on training your front-line teams. We’ll review resources available to you including self-paced learning and end-user training as well as unveil the new Galaxy certification program.

2:30-3:00 p.m. Break / Exhibit Time

3:00-3:30 p.m. A Success Story: Payment Plans
Presented by California Academy of Sciences: Mindee Kashiwagi, Director of Membership; and Robert Sussmann, Business Systems Manager

Last year, the Academy started offering customers the convenience of payment plans for their memberships. The results have been encouraging, including reaching new audiences and a significant increase in renewals. Hear their story and get tips direct from those who made their program a success.

3:30-4:15 p.m. What’s New in Galaxy 7?
Presented by Gateway Ticketing Systems: Bill Post, Principal, Program Manager

From accepting PayPal payments to collecting demographic information at kiosks, we’ll take a look at the newest functionality in Galaxy.

4:15-4:45 p.m. Welcome Aboard: How to Efficiently Manage 24 Million Annual ‘Guests’
Presented by Washington State Ferries: Steve Fredrickson, Database Administrator

In anticipation of tonight’s tour, Washington State Ferries will discuss how they run the largest ferry system in the nation and move 24.2 million passengers and 10 million vehicles a year.

4:45-5:30 p.m. Exhibit Time

6:00 / 6:15 / 6:30 p.m. Meet in Lobby for Tour of Washington State Ferries
These walking tours will leave 15 minutes apart from the hotel and include a look at the Ferries point-of-sale, admission control and vehicle-loading areas.

Tuesday, August 8  |  Day 2
Attract More Visitors by Being ‘Discoverable’

8:15-9:00 a.m. Learning Lab: Troubleshooting Your Scanning

Keep your entry lines moving smoothly by learning how to configure your scanning hardware and solve an “Unknown Ticket” message.

9:00-9:45 a.m. How Are You Engaging with Different ‘Audiences’?
Facilitated by Gateway Ticketing Systems: Dave Langran, Principal, Arts & Heritage; and National Museum of the Royal Navy: Jemma Mansfield, CRM Manager

From millennials to seniors, customers share how they are identifying and communicating with their guests to build engagement.

9:45-10:30 a.m. Let’s Give Them Something to Talk About
Facilitated by Gateway Ticketing Systems: Randy Josselyn, Principal, Wildlife & Conservation

How are you getting the attention of prospective visitors? Whether it’s using social media to announce the birth of your baby animals to refreshing your attraction with new features and exhibits, customers will talk about their recent efforts to generate buzz and increase attendance.

10:30-11:00 a.m. Break / Exhibit Time

11:00-11:30 a.m. Digital Travel Trends and An Insider’s Look at Google’s Trips App
Presented by Google: Marco del Rosario, Senior Global Account Manager; and Arival: Bruce Rosard, Managing Director/Co-Founder

You have guests who love to plan every facet of their vacation. And guests who like to wing it. Plus, many variations in between. Making sure your online presence reaches prospective visitors at any stage of their decision-making is key. We’ll discuss the latest digital travel trends, then take a look behind the Google Trips app.

11:30 a.m.-Noon Attributes: One Year Later
Presented by Gateway Ticketing Systems: Bill Post, Principal, Program Manager; and National September 11 Memorial & Museum: Tim Rice, Enterprise Applications Analyst

A look at how one customer is using attributes to trigger pre- and post-communications to its guests.

Noon-1:00 p.m. Lunch (Including Designated Roundtable Discussions) / Exhibit Time

1:00-2:00 p.m. Accessibility: One Word, Many Meanings
Presented by Gateway Ticketing Systems: Bill Post, Principal, Program Manager

Accessibility is a broad concept that’s evolved throughout the years from the physical design of your attraction to providing greater access through variable pricing. This session will delve specifically into the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Find out what all the buzz is about and the latest best practices for your website/store.

2:00-2:30 p.m. Data Collection: What Information Should You Gather?
Presented by Gateway Ticketing Systems: Dave Langran, Principal, Arts & Heritage; and Randy Josselyn, Principal, Wildlife & Conservation

This session will examine customer touchpoints and provide tips on what information you should – and shouldn’t – be gathering along the way to enrich your customer relationship management program.

2:30-3:00 p.m. Break / Exhibit Time

NEW: 3:00-7:00 p.m. {connect} nation™
A special afternoon/evening session to facilitate conversations between you and online travel agencies.

Malcolm Smith, U.S. Travel Association

Malcolm Smith

3:00-3:30 p.m. Featured Speaker – Malcolm Smith, Senior Vice President of Business Development, U.S. Travel Association, and General Manager, IPW

3:30-5:00 p.m. Panel Presentations by Featured Customers and Online Travel Agencies
Topics include:

  • How to Grow Your Distribution Channel from the Ground Up
  • Opening Up International Markets by Leveraging Online Travel Agencies
  • Conversion Rates in a Mobile-First World: An Update on Mobile Purchasing Trends

5:00-7:00 p.m. Galaxy {connect} Networking Event and Exhibit Time
Enjoy plenty of time to {connect} with our participating online travel agencies to move your relationships forward to start selling more tickets sooner. Enjoy light refreshments and cocktails.

Wednesday, August 9  |  Day 3
Elevate Your On-Site Experience

8:15-9:00 a.m. Learning Lab: F&B Modifiers

Streamline your kitchen by learning how to configure a kitchen printer and set up the four types of food and beverage modifiers.

9:00-9:30 a.m. Optimizing In-Park Revenue
Facilitated by Gateway Ticketing Systems: Jamie Flaherty, Business Solutions Manager; Palace Entertainment: Grant Rozich, POS Engineer and Grand Canyon Resort Corp.: Nell Smoyer, IT Revenue Systems Administrator

This presentation will showcase customer examples of where technology intersects with guest insights to deliver robust in-park revenue-generating solutions.

9:30-10:00 a.m. Leveraging Partner Relationships to Maximize Your Galaxy® System
Presented by Gateway Ticketing Systems: Kendra Kreider, Senior Customer Care Manager; and Don Eash, Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer

From hardware providers to dynamic pricing solutions, Kendra and Don will discuss how Gateway’s latest partner relationships can help your attraction flourish.

10:00-10:30 a.m. Fraud Prevention: Stay One Step Ahead
Presented by Washington State Ferries: Steve Fredrickson, Database Administrator; Gateway Ticketing Systems: Jerry Lake, Integration Manager; and Randy Josselyn, Principal, Wildlife & Conservation; and San Diego Zoo Global: Randy Ross, Marketing Manager-Fraud Protection

Fraudsters are continuously finding new ways to try to rip off guests and your attraction. This panel will talk about how fraud is not just an online issue and suggest operational controls you can put in place to help protect your business.

10:30-11:00 a.m. Break / Exhibit Time

11:00-11:30 a.m. An Insider’s Look: Innovative Experiences
Presented by the National World War II Museum: Kelly Bules, Director of Visitor and Volunteer Services; and Gateway Ticketing Systems: Don Eash, Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer

We’ll showcase unique experiences customers are creating for their visitors.

11:30-Noon Adding Apple Wallet Tickets to Your Galaxy Orders
Presented by Warner Bros.: Luke Jozwiak, Business Systems Administrator

An overview of how to combine web scripting with SQL to generate Apple Wallet tickets from your Galaxy Database.

Noon-12:30 p.m. EMV: A Look at Adoption in the U.S.
Fireside chat with Mark Vredeveld, Senior Manager of U.S. Sales, Tender Retail; and Jerry Lake, Integration Manager, Gateway Ticketing Systems

Mark and Jerry will discuss all things EMV including what adoption timelines looked like in Canada and how the U.S. is fairing in comparison as well as what impact EMV has on your attraction.

12:30-1:30 p.m. Lunch (Including Designated Roundtable Discussions) / Exhibit Time

2:15 p.m. Meet in Lobby
Buses will leave hotel promptly at 2:30 p.m. for the one-hour ride to Tacoma.

Buses will return immediately after for those who want to return to Seattle. Or take part in an optional Tacoma Pub Crawl led by our Point Defiance friends.

3:30-6:30 p.m. Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium (PDZA)
Enjoy free time roaming the beautiful zoo and aquarium which resides on Puget Sound and, if we’re lucky, has a spectacular view of Mount Rainier. Buffet dinner and drinks. Look for signage at the Zoo.

6:30-10:00 p.m. Tacoma Pub Crawl | Led by PDZA Friends

Thursday, August 10  |  Day 4
Stay Connected

8:15-9:00 a.m. Learning Lab: Troubleshooting Your Cash

Don’t let your revenue get stranded: find out what to do when a cash drawer won’t open or a remote cash-out won’t proceed.

9:00-9:30 a.m. Bridging the Gap Between Visitor Traffic and Decision-Making
Presented by Domo: Mike Kirkeide, Solutions Consultant; and Natural Bridge Caverns: Brian Vauter, Cavern Geologist/IT

If you could just make sense of the data coming from your visitor tracking system, you could really make a difference. You have infinite possibilities for generating business value from your data and analytics, and that’s the dilemma for most IT and BI teams. Join us to learn how Natural Bridge Caverns uses Domo to track their visitors and how that’s making a difference.

9:30-10:15 a.m. A Practical Introduction to Developing an Integrated Visitor-Centric Approach
Presented by Walt Disney Family Museum: Alison Chenoweth, Finance and Application Administrator; and Gateway Ticketing Systems: Dave Langran, Principal, Arts & Heritage

Alison takes us behind the scenes of the Museum’s journey to increase engagement with members and visitors through an integrated customer relationship management solution. From the importance of data quality and changing business processes to building organizational alignment around the visitor, she’ll share her experiences and lessons learned as well as what their future steps are on this major initiative.

10:15-10:45 a.m. Break / Exhibit Time

10:45-11:15 a.m. Surveys: Capturing Guest Insight
Presented by Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium: Derek Chapin, Visitor Services Supervisor; and Jeremy Bound, System Administrator

Surveys are a valuable way to get visitor insight. Learn how our customers are using them to get actionable data and positive results.

11:15-11:45 a.m. From Analytics to Action: Harnessing the Power of Business Intelligence
Fireside chat with NetServ; and Chad Wallace, Business Solutions Manager, Gateway Ticketing Systems

Gateway and NetServ have formed a partnership to provide our customers better tools for reporting and utilizing that data to inform strategic decisions. This session will focus on what these tools are and how they can drive revenue at your attraction.

11:45 a.m.-Noon Where Will UGM 2018 Be?
Don’t miss the announcement of where we’ll be hosting next year’s North American User Group Meeting.

Noon-1:00 p.m. Lunch (Including Designated Roundtable Discussions) / Exhibit Time

1:00-1:30 p.m. ‘Staying Connected’: An Out-of-the-Box Solution
Presented by Statue Cruises: Jerry Burchard, Regional Director of IT

Jerry will discuss how Statue Cruises utilizes 4G LTE cellular and wireless mesh technologies to connect on-board vessel systems to land infrastructure out over the Hudson river in New York City.

1:30-2:30 p.m. A Look at Our Technology Roadmap
Presented by Gateway Ticketing Systems: Don Eash, Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer

Don will review the product lifecycle, version management and the future of APIs.

2:30-3:00 p.m. Break / Exhibit Time

3:00-4:00 p.m. 2020: The Future of Galaxy
Presented by Gateway Ticketing Systems: Michael Andre, President/Chief Executive Officer; and Don Eash, Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer

Journey with us as we take a look into what the future of Gateway and Galaxy looks like including our recent vision work, areas we’re expanding in and more.

4:00-5:00 p.m. Open Discussion
Let’s wrap up this year’s UGM with an open discussion on anything and everything.

Friday, August 11 – Bonus Day – CRM Basic Training (optional event)
How to Deliver the Right Experience at the Right Time to the Right People

9 a.m.-noon | Seattle Renaissance
This three-hour course will cover the concepts of Customer Relationship Management as well as dive into how to use CRM Plus | Powered by Galaxy to improve the customer experience while increasing revenue.

CRM Basic Training Details:
CRM Concepts
— Identifying your CRM goals
— Creating personas to represent your common customer types
— Outlining each persona’s customer journey

Galaxy CRM Plus
— How Galaxy CRM Plus connects to Galaxy and your other tools
— Using Galaxy CRM Plus at each stage of the customer journey:

  • Pre-visit: Sending a reminder email based on the customer’s initial purchase
  • On-site: Determining which products to promote based on similar customers’ spending habits
  • Post-visit: Analyzing customer feedback and upselling to a seasonal pass or annual membership
  • Nurturing: Sending newsletters and inviting the customer back to your site

* Agenda topics and times subject to change.

{connect} nation

{connect} nation

 

 

 

 

{connect} nation™ is a special event during our North American User Group Meeting to facilitate conversations between you and online travel agencies.

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Malcolm Smith, U.S. Travel Association3 p.m. Featured Speaker – Malcolm Smith, Senior Vice President of Business Development, U.S. Travel Association, and General Manager, IPW

3:30-5 p.m. Panel Presentations
Topics include:

  • How to Grow Your Distribution Channel from the Ground Up
  • Opening Up International Markets by Leveraging Online Travel Agencies
  • Conversion Rates in a Mobile-First World: An Update on Mobile Purchasing Trends

5-7 p.m. Galaxy {connect}™ Networking Event

Enjoy plenty of time to {connect} with our participating online travel agencies to move your relationships forward to start selling more tickets sooner. Enjoy light refreshments and cocktails.

Want to only come to {connect} nation? Select Tuesday-only registration from the Register page and enjoy the whole day with us.

Sponsored by:

Groupon

 

 

CityPass

 

 

 

Viator

 

 

 

 

Tiqets

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arival_logo

 

 

 

 

Sponsors

Thank you to our North American User Group Meeting sponsors who help make our event the success that it is. Each morning and afternoon of our main session will have exhibit time for you to visit with our sponsors and see how they can help you grow your business.

Platinum Sponsor

ACCEO Tender Retail

 

 

 

 

DOMO

 

 

 

 

 

Arival_logo

 

 

 

 

Gold Sponsors
Digonex

 

 

Groupon

 

 

 

 

Silver Sponsors

Olea Kiosks

 

 

Boca Systems

 

 

 

 

City Pass

 

 

BlueStar

 

 

 

GLORY GLOBAL

 

Justification Letters

Need to justify the value of attending the North American Galaxy User Group?

Use these letters to help demonstrate the ROI to your manager.

Hotel Details & Airline Offer

The main session and bonus day event are being held at the Seattle Renaissance.

 

Please note though that the hotel is SOLD OUT for Thursday night. You can use the link Book Hotel link below to secure your other nights at the Seattle Renaissance. Other hotel recommendations within walking distance include:

 

 

Alaska Airlines Discount Available – Save 5% Off Published Online Fares

Our friends at Point Defiance have secured a special discount code for reserving your airfare to Seattle.

Dates of Travel: August 2-15, 2017
All cities Alaska Airlines serves in the US, including Hawaii and Canada to Seattle.
Meeting Fare Code: ECMX432

Meeting Fare Rules:

  • Your group is entitled to 5% discount off Alaska Airlines published fares (except companion and other promotional fares).
  • You may book and ticket on the blackout dates but no discount will apply.
  • Any change or cancellation after ticketing is subject to a service charge. All fare rules and additional blackout dates of the fare apply.
  • All tickets must be issued online or the Alaska Airlines Group desk.
  • A $15.00 ticketing fee will apply to any tickets issued by the Group Desk.

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