The Best Part of Travel | Inside the Business of Destination Experiences Popups, Pinkmas and Planning Ahead: One New York Attraction’s Approach to Special Events
In this episode of The Best Part of Travel, your hosts Janelle Visser and Stephen Joyce sit down with Haley Ward, VP of Sales at Hudson Yards Experiences, to unpack how one of New York City’s most iconic attractions—Edge NYC—drives demand, delivers exceptional moments, and keeps guests coming back.
Haley shares how her team uses seasonal activations—including wildly popular concepts like Pinkmas—to transform the experience, create new reasons to visit, and keep the attraction relevant in every season. From premium upgrades to immersive pop-ups and strategic brand partnerships, we explore how Hudson Yards maintains its position as a must-visit NYC experience.
Whether you're a tour, activity, or attraction operator, this conversation offers inspiration and practical strategies for refreshing your product, engaging new audiences, and standing out in a competitive market.
In this episode, we cover:
Seasonal activations that drive revenue and repeat visitation, including the creative thinking behind events like Pinkmas.
How Edge positions itself within one of the largest and most innovative mixed-use developments in the U.S.
What modern guests expect, from premium add-ons to memorable, Instagram-worthy moments.
The role of events, partnerships, and curated pop-ups in keeping an attraction fresh year-round.
Women in leadership & team culture: creating safety, confidence, and opportunity for emerging leaders in tourism.
Leadership advice for operators (and everyone, really), including overcoming imposter syndrome, giving yourself a “pep talk,” and inspiring new leaders at every level.
Actionable advice for tour, activity, and attraction operators looking to elevate their products through creativity and collaboration.
Some resources and other things we mention:
🔗 The Event-Driven Traveler report
🔗 Glasgow Willy Wonka Experiences (What NOT to do!)
🔗 Inside Enterprise Attractions report
The Best Part of Travel podcast is brought to you by Arival. Season Two is sponsored by Protect Group.