Jason Taylor
East Kurrajong,Australia
Summary
Entertainment, events and guest experience management professional skilled in leading dynamic teams and delivering outstanding guest experiences. Strong background in talent coordination, event planning, and operational efficiency. Known for fostering team collaboration and adapting to changing needs seamlessly. Reliable and focused on achieving results through strategic planning and effective communication.
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Show and Entertainment Supervisor
Sea World, Village Roadshow Theme Parks
Gold Coast, QLD
11.2023 - Current
- Oversee the day to day running of the show and entertainment department at Sea World.
- Managing a team of up to 50 performers.
- Developed and managed entertainment programming to enhance guest experience.
- Coordinated logistics for live performances, ensuring timely execution and compliance with safety standards.
- Provided strategic and operational leadership across various attractions inc character shows, animal presentations, character performance, events & stunt shows.
- Developed training programs for new hires, enhancing team performance and service quality.
- Collaborated with marketing teams to promote events, increasing attendance and engagement through targeted initiatives.
- Coordinated scheduling for performance staff, optimizing talent utilization and operational efficiency.
- Review and write health and safety procedures in line with current laws.
- Refresh the current entertainment & event offering to align with changing trends.
- Mentored new staff members in customer service practices, resulting in improved guest satisfaction ratings.
- Coordinate successful collaborations between internal departments.
- Developed strong relationships with vendors.
- Established policies and procedures for quality control measures aimed at consistently delivering superior experiences.
- Increasing guest NPS scores by 41% in my first year.
General Manager
The Crystal Maze Live Experience
Manchester
01.2023 - 10.2023
- Oversee the day to day running of the entire site with a focus on improving efficiency, increasing profit and overall operations of the attraction.
- Managing at team of 25 staff and 15 freelance actors on a daily basis.
- Developing and implementing strategies to achieve business goals and objectives, monitoring market and industry trends to determine business opportunities and challenges, ensuring business compliance with relevant laws and regulations, analyzing data and performance metrics to make informed decisions.
- Venue included Food & beverage, bar, events, corporate sales, operation, freelance entertainment team, guest services, production and scenic, health & safety, marketing, social media & projects.
- Reporting to execs as well as the management teams from all Little Lion attractions on P&L and H&S bi-weekly monthly covering everything from weekly figures to strategic plans.
- Driving sales and guest experience scores & exceeding targets both financially and guest experience.
- Working with the team on the diversity, equality & inclusion committee while promoting a safe and enjoyable workplace culture always driving from within the team.
- Working alongside the marketing team to develop creativity the online social media offering.
- Devise, train and implement new procedures to meet the ever-changing needs of the business.
- Producing and presenting to the board weekly and month across H&S, Financial and Guest Experience.
- Built and maintained relationships with vendors and suppliers.
- Managed profit goals against budget and prior year, keeping controllable costs within budget.
- Assessed team member performance through formal reviews leading to promotions or terminations as necessary.
- Met safety and security standards by overseeing preventative maintenance and repairs.
- Planned and managed adequate inventory levels using computerized inventory system for meeting sales demands and minimizing loss.
- Recruited team members to maintain adequate staffing levels.
- Developed strategies to improve operational efficiency, reduce costs and maximize profitability.
Head of Entertainment
Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Blackpool
08.2010 - 01.2023
- Nickelodeon brand management within Blackpool Pleasure Beach.
- Developing and maintaining a consistent creative vision for a company's brand and projects.
- Developed comprehensive event budgets, optimizing resources while maintaining high-quality standards.
- Lead event planning and execution for diverse corporate functions, ensuring seamless logistics and participant engagement.
- Directed cross-functional teams to ensure alignment on brand messaging and vision.
- Oversaw design projects from conception through execution, optimizing workflow processes.
- Planning, delivery and operation management of all on park events, responsible for booking and contracting outside contractors and entertainers, handling all aspects of the event planning and management process.
- Working closely with the Marketing Director, Nickelodeon, Aardman & external companies to creatively develop & plan all events and marketing strategies & managing client relationships.
- Plan and deliver high quality entertainment and events both internally, on park, within our 5 show venues, 2 hotels & externally, working with the local councils and stakeholders to promote Blackpool Pleasure Beach and the Northwest (Lancashire).
- Plan and deliver full training for all external and internal staff to deliver high quality events.
- Oversee all on park and external entertainment including, creative development, choreography, direction, costuming and full training, scheduling and day to day management.
- Running all park social media channels.
- Managing all creative departments of Blackpool Pleasure Beach including, Supervising the entire creative process & overseeing creative projects from concept to final product.
- Managing the day to day operation of 5 engineering departments, Paint Shop, Animation studio, Spray Shop, Design & Sign Studio and Model Shop.
- Budgeting for all creative work on park from ride / park theming to show sets and props.
- Overseeing the winter maintenance program with the engineering departments making sure all safety critical work was completed on time and within budget.
- Working with outside auditors, BSI ISO 9001:201 Quality / safety Management systems making sure all my departments were compliant.
- Led engineering teams in the design and implementation of complex projects.
- Streamlined operational processes to enhance productivity and reduce costs.
- Created budgets for upcoming events and tracked expenses to stay within budget parameters.
- Monitored competitor activity in order to stay ahead of changing trends in the industry.
- Tracked inventory levels of supplies needed for running successful shows and performances.
- Identified potential partnerships between businesses in the entertainment industry and sports.
- Organized large-scale events, coordinating logistics and vendor management to ensure seamless execution.
- Developed event budgets and timelines, optimizing resources to enhance operational efficiency.
- Evaluated event outcomes, providing actionable insights for continuous improvement of future programs.
Performance Manager
Legoland Discovery Centre
Manchester
01.2010 - 08.2010
- Set up and overall creative development and operational management of the UK's first Legoland Discovery Centre from operational logistics to guest experience design.
- Implemented process improvements that streamlined operations and reduced downtime.
- Day to day management duties included assigning and overseeing daily task completion, meeting with management to discuss business needs, monitoring budgets and revenue, monitoring employee performance.
- Ride operation management, customer service, Food & Beverage, Front of House, Ticketing.
- Cash handling, Food Standards, entertainment, developing & implementing ways to improve KPI's (Key Performance Indicators), Set performance targets for individual employees, provide insights for strategic planning, recruiting, training, coaching and developing a team to deliver exceptional customer service and a great memorable customer experience, Health & Safety.
- Planning and coordinating special events, marketing and promotions for various product launches and special venue dates and activations.
- Created procedures for evaluating employee performance against set metrics, providing feedback and coaching employees as needed.
- Assessed current processes related to talent acquisition and retention, recommending changes where appropriate.
- Led performance analysis to enhance guest satisfaction and operational efficiency.
- Developed training programs for staff, improving performance standards across departments.
Creative Director / Choreographer
Timeless Theatre Productions
02.2009 - 02.2010
- Responsible for the day to day running of two National UK Theatre Tours including show choreographer, costume design, lighting design, liaising with Theatre Management, Cast Management, Marketing, Sales and Advertising.
- Working with venues across the UK Coordinating with promoters, venues, and other members of the touring team to ensure that all logistical details are in place for each event.
- Developing a detailed itinerary for each stop on the tour, including hotels, transportation options, performance venues, and other important locations.
- Booking hotels and flights, coordinating transportation and logistics, managing on-site staff and volunteers.
- Arranging travel plans, facilitating media interactions, and scoping out local services at each tour stop.
- Directed production of high-quality visuals, animations, videos, and other multimedia assets.
- Collaborated with internal teams to align creative direction with organizational objectives.
Dance Captain/Company Manager/Choreographer
Carnival Cruise Lines
Miami
11.2000 - 08.2008
- Lead Dancer in the onboard production
- Dance Captain / Company Manager with responsibilities of cast management, scheduling and the planning, developing & taking part in onboard guest activities, accounts, customer service.
- Staff training, information and guest services and staff safety training.
- Also cleaning and choreography on onboard productions.
- Demonstrated leadership skills and experience in managing a dance team of 20+ members.
- Organized rehearsals and provided feedback to dancers on technique, performance quality, and artistic interpretation.
- Provided support and guidance for fellow cast members before, during, after each performance.
- Engaged in ongoing professional development activities related to dance instruction and choreography.
- Exhibited strong problem solving skills when faced with challenging production elements or issues amongst team members.
Education
Kingswood High School
Sydney, NSWInstitute For Attraction Managers - Attraction Management
IAAPA
Berlin, GermanyHigh School Certificate -
Kingswood High School
Sydney, NSWSkills
- Scheduling and planning
- Budgeting and finance
- Staff management
- Guest experience
- Project management
- Event management
- Logistics management
- Facility management
- Business development
- Operations management
- Creative direction
- Performance management
- Brand development
Certification
- IOSH - Managing Safely at Work
- Personal License Holder (UK)
- Crowd Management
- Managing a Crisis
- First Aid
- SIA – Security
- Disability awareness
- Working at Heights
- Fire Marshal
Timeline
Show and Entertainment Supervisor
Sea World, Village Roadshow Theme Parks
11.2023 - Current
General Manager
The Crystal Maze Live Experience
01.2023 - 10.2023
Head of Entertainment
Blackpool Pleasure Beach
08.2010 - 01.2023
Performance Manager
Legoland Discovery Centre
01.2010 - 08.2010
Creative Director / Choreographer
Timeless Theatre Productions
02.2009 - 02.2010
Dance Captain/Company Manager/Choreographer
Carnival Cruise Lines
11.2000 - 08.2008
Kingswood High School
Institute For Attraction Managers - Attraction Management
IAAPA
High School Certificate -
Kingswood High School