Skip the Queue

In this episode of Skip the Queue, Andy Povey is joined by Ray Hole of Ray Hole Architects for a wide-ranging and thought-provoking conversation about strategy, storytelling and the true economics of experience design.

Key Topics Discussed

The “Camelot” collaboration model in attraction development

Experience economy vs. pure economics

Primacy and recency effects in guest psychology

Designing the departure experience

Turning operational cost into experiential value

Storytelling through architecture

Instagrammable design and generational behaviour

Empathy in ticketing and security

Integrating accommodation into attraction strategy

Converting capex into revenue-generating experiences

 

Show References:

 

Ray Hole, Managing Director of Ray Hole Architects

https://www.rayhole-architects.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-hole-a6b7396/

 

Skip the Queue is brought to you by Merac. We provide attractions with the tools and expertise to create world-class digital interactions. Very simply, we're here to rehumanise commerce. Your host is Andy Povey.

 

Credits:

Written by Emily Burrows (Plaster)

Edited by Steve Folland

Produced by Emily Burrows and Sami Entwistle (Plaster)

Download The Visitor Attractions Website Survey Report - https://www.merac.co.uk/download-the-visitor-attractions-survey

We have launched our brand-new playbook: ‘The Retail Ready Guide to Going Beyond the Gift Shop’ — your go-to resource for building a successful e-commerce strategy that connects with your audience and drives sustainable growth.

Download your FREE copy here

In this live episode of Skip the Queue, recorded at the Association of Cultural Enterprises Conference, Andy Povey is joined by Richard Paterson, Chief Operating Officer at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, to explore the delicate balance between commercial performance and heritage protection.
Richard shares practical, real-world strategies for running sustainable cultural attractions in a challenging post-Covid landscape from improving ticket yield to rethinking discount strategies.
Key Topics Discussed:
Post-Covid financial pressures on cultural attractions 
Increasing income yield without increasing footfall
Simplifying ticket structures at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
Reducing and rationalising discounts
Encouraging online booking vs on-the-door sales
Using ticketing data to test and track performance
Re-engaging local audiences within drive-time markets
Growing repeat visitation
Communicating conservation impact to visitors
Turning restoration work into part of the experience
Leveraging cultural moments like Hamnet to refresh storytelling
Show References:
 
Download The Visitor Attractions Website Survey Report - https://www.merac.co.uk/download-the-visitor-attractions-survey
 
Richard Paterson, Chief Operating Officer at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardpaterson1/
 
Cultural Enterprises Conference
Birmingham on 9-11 February 2026
https://culturalenterprises.org.uk/conference/
 
Skip the Queue is brought to you by Merac. We provide attractions with the tools and expertise to create world-class digital interactions. Very simply, we're here to rehumanise commerce. Your host is Andy Povey.
 
Credits:
Written by Emily Burrows (Plaster)
Edited by Steve Folland
Produced by Emily Burrows and Sami Entwistle (Plaster)

Download The Visitor Attractions Website Survey Report - https://www.merac.co.uk/download-the-visitor-attractions-survey

We have launched our brand-new playbook: ‘The Retail Ready Guide to Going Beyond the Gift Shop’ — your go-to resource for building a successful e-commerce strategy that connects with your audience and drives sustainable growth.

Download your FREE copy here

In this episode of Skip the Queue, Andy Povey is joined by Mark Lofthouse, Creative Director and Business & Client Strategy Manager at RWS Global, a global entertainment company delivering experiences across attractions, live events and destination design.
Mark shares his journey into the attractions industry, from starting out in haunted attractions as a teenager to leading creative strategy on IP-led experiences around the world. Andy and Mark talks about how brands and attractions can create meaningful emotional connections, why guest-first design is critical to commercial success, and how IP partnerships can help venues reach new audiences when done thoughtfully. The conversation also looks ahead to the future of immersive experiences, personalisation, and what regional and family attractions can learn from projects that are thriving today.
Key Topics Discussed:
Emotional connection as the core of great attractions
How IP and brands can attract new audiences
Why guest-first design matters more than visuals
What makes IP partnerships succeed or fail
Lessons for regional and family attractions
The future of immersive and personalised experiences
 
Show References:
 
Download The Visitor Attractions Website Survey Report - https://www.merac.co.uk/download-the-visitor-attractions-survey
 
Mark Lofthouse, Senior Manager, Business & Client Strategy at RWS Global
https://www.rwsglobal.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/markloftcd/
 
Skip the Queue is brought to you by Merac. We provide attractions with the tools and expertise to create world-class digital interactions. Very simply, we're here to rehumanise commerce. Your host is Andy Povey.
 
Credits:
Written by Emily Burrows (Plaster)
Edited by Steve Folland
Produced by Emily Burrows and Sami Entwistle (Plaster)

Download The Visitor Attractions Website Survey Report - https://www.merac.co.uk/download-the-visitor-attractions-survey

We have launched our brand-new playbook: ‘The Retail Ready Guide to Going Beyond the Gift Shop’ — your go-to resource for building a successful e-commerce strategy that connects with your audience and drives sustainable growth.

Download your FREE copy here

In this episode of Skip the Queue, Andy Povey is joined by Simon Egan, Project Development Fellow at CAPCO, the creative studio behind some of the UK’s most immersive and story-led play environments.
Simon shares his unexpected journey into the attractions industry, from co-creating the much-loved BeWILDerwood to founding CAPCO and championing play as a powerful driver of social connection, wellbeing, and commercial success. Andy and Simon explore why play matters more than ever in a screen-dominated world, how storytelling can transform visitor experiences, and what attractions can learn from farm parks, schools, and international projects.
 
Key Topics Discussed:
Simon’s route into the attractions industry
The creation and success of BeWILDerwood
Why story and narrative are critical to play design
Getting children (and parents) playing again outdoors
The impact of play on wellbeing, inclusion, and social skills
Designing for dwell time, food spend, and revenue growth
Lessons from farm parks in the UK and North America
Why play is becoming just as important for adults
CAPCO’s Royal Warrant and future projects
 
Show References:
 
Download The Visitor Attractions Website Survey Report - https://www.merac.co.uk/download-the-visitor-attractions-survey
 
Simon Egan - Project Development Fella at CAP.CO (Creating Adventurous Places Ltd)
https://www.wearecapco.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonpegan/
 
Skip the Queue is brought to you by Merac. We provide attractions with the tools and expertise to create world-class digital interactions. Very simply, we're here to rehumanise commerce. Your host is Andy Povey.
 
Credits:
Written by Emily Burrows (Plaster)
Edited by Steve Folland
Produced by Emily Burrows and Sammy Entwistle (Plaster), with Wenalyn Dionaldo (Skip the Queue HQ)

Download The Visitor Attractions Website Survey Report - https://www.merac.co.uk/download-the-visitor-attractions-survey

We have launched our brand-new playbook: ‘The Retail Ready Guide to Going Beyond the Gift Shop’ — your go-to resource for building a successful e-commerce strategy that connects with your audience and drives sustainable growth.

Download your FREE copy here

In this episode of Skip the Queue, Andy Povey explores how visitor attractions can improve website performance in 2026 using insight from the 4th Visitor Attractions Website Survey.
Andy is joined by two contributors to the report:
Simon Jones, Managing Director at Navigate
Steve Mills, Director at Decision House
They break down what visitors expect from attraction websites, how digital behaviour is changing, and where operators should focus to improve conversion, visibility and trust.
Key Topics Discussed:
AI search and how visitors are using it without realising
Mobile-first design and poor mobile performance
Website speed and its impact on conversion
Visitor confidence, risk and late booking behaviour
Pricing transparency and hidden fees
Flexible ticketing and weather-driven decisions
Reviews, social proof and AI-driven discovery
Using first-party data more effectively
The rise of repeat visitors over first-time visits
 
Show References:
 
Download The Visitor Attractions Website Survey Report - https://www.merac.co.uk/download-the-visitor-attractions-survey
 
Simon Jones - Managing Director of Navigate
https://navigate.agency/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/simontjones/
 
Steve Mills, Director at Decision House
https://decisionhouse.co.uk/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-mills-0528661b/
 
Mentioned:
Olly Reed of Navigate Agency: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olly-reed/
 
Skip the Queue is brought to you by Merac. We provide attractions with the tools and expertise to create world-class digital interactions. Very simply, we're here to rehumanise commerce. Your host is Andy Povey.
If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue or visit our website SkiptheQueue.fm.

Download The Visitor Attractions Website Survey Report - https://www.merac.co.uk/download-the-visitor-attractions-survey

We have launched our brand-new playbook: ‘The Retail Ready Guide to Going Beyond the Gift Shop’ — your go-to resource for building a successful e-commerce strategy that connects with your audience and drives sustainable growth.

Download your FREE copy here