Matt Eckert, President, Holiday World

Send us Fan MailHaving 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.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.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.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.