Matt Eckert, President, Holiday World

<p>Having the president of a theme park company also be a certified public accountant can have its challenges, especially when it comes to balancing the task of providing fun for families while also watching the bottom line.</p><p>But if you run into Matt Eckert, president of Holiday World, in Santa Claus, Indiana — yes, you read that right — there are a few things he’ll gladly offer you at no charge: parking, drinks and even sunscreen.<br/><br/>Holiday World prides itself on being the U.S.’s first theme park, opening its gates in 1946. Located in Santa Claus in southwestern Indiana, a nearby industrialist was disheartened when he learned that children visiting the tiny town were disappointed that St. Nick did not actually live there. That led industrialist Louis Koch — who had nine kids of his own — to create the theme park as a retirement project, which was originally called Santa Claus Land, and included a toy shop, toy displays, a restaurant, themed children’s rides, and, of course, Santa himself.<br/><br/>Loyalty360 spoke to Matt Eckert, president of Holiday World, about the park’s customer and emotional loyalty strategies and what makes his park so successful. </p>