digital come-ons “to get them while they’re here,” says Johnson. The high volume of return visitors also helps to expand the audience through word of mouth.
ligations or other reasons that preclude them from staying on.
One strategy the company enacts to retain employees is to vary assign- ments on a regular basis to keep things interesting. “No matter what the job is, it’s going to become repetitive,” says Johnson. So employees are rotated, sometimes within the same day, from one activity to another—from, say, the mountain coaster to the zip tour to Inspiration Tower. Johnson says that affordable housing for employees is another “constant struggle.” He says that neither Shep - Below: The 3,350-foot Copperhead Mountain Coaster joined Shepherd’s roster of attractions in 2021. The coast- er is open until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as year-round.
CHALLENGES
Success hasn’t come without challeng- es, some familiar to other adventure park operators. Staff retention can be particularly diffi - cult, even for an operation that is open year-round (though on a limited basis in January and February). Shepherd of the Hills employs 150 workers in all, with about 30 to 40 dedicated to adventure park operations. Johnson points out that “the adventure park business is a young person’s game,” and young people tend to be less inclined to make a long-term commitment, for school ob-
Tower summit—was added to the mix. And, for one more component of the adventure package, a tree-top canopy walk will be finished this October. The idea, says Johnson, was to add some - thing “more contemplative” for those not drawn to the thrill of zip lining or the physical challenge of a ropes course. The Little Tykes ropes course at Shep- herd of the Hills helps the facility serve all members of a family.
MARKETING THE PARK
Johnson credits a 2019 article in Adven- ture Park Insider with “helping get us recognized.” Shepherd of the Hills was named by USA Today readers as the top aerial adventure park in the country in three of the four years between 2019 and 2022. It now attracts more than 300,000 visitors a year, and although Johnson says adventure-park attendance is not separated from the overall numbers, the popularity of the Vigilante ZipRider suggests annual adventure-park visitation numbers in six figures. The resort’s marketing strategy is fairly streamlined, with little outreach beyond the Branson area. The job of regional or national marketing is left to what Johnson calls a “strong chamber of commerce driving traffic to all of us [Branson attractions].” Shepherd of the Hills homes-in on the millions of visitors already in the area, trying to reach them with a few billboards but mostly with
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