Blog/ Venue Management

RIVERSPORT Saved Thousands of Dollars in Annual Operating Costs with ROLLER

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Blog chevron_right RIVERSPORT Saved Thousands of Dollars in Annual Operating Costs with ROLLER

Key Result #1

RIVERSPORT consolidated its operations tech stack and spends less with ROLLER than all its previous systems combined.

Key Result #2

RIVERSPORT reduced check-in costs by over $5,000 by switching from iPad check-in stations to a self-serve waiver kiosk.

Key Result #3

The team increased monthly revenue by $5,000 with new add-on capabilities in the checkout process.

The Challenge

RIVERSPORT, a unique outdoor adventure and training facility in Oklahoma City, started in 2004 as a rowing training center and has since grown into a full-scale outdoor adventure park. The expansive facilities include a wide range of activities, including whitewater rafting, kayaking, and an esports arena. RIVERSPORT also hosts private events, weddings, training sessions, and summer camps.

What makes RIVERSPORT unique is that it is a nonprofit organization partially funded by Oklahoma City. Its mission is to get Oklahomans outdoors and promote health and wellness in the community.

Before partnering with ROLLER, RIVERSPORT used a complex mix of software to manage different parts of the business. Systems like iCrew for athletic memberships and GuestX for front-gate admissions created inefficiencies and difficulties in day-to-day operations. “We had four live systems going at one time, and it was confusing for our staff,” said Jon Shaw, Controller at RIVERSPORT. 

These challenges made managing their diverse offering difficult, straining resources and limiting the park’s ability to scale operations.

The Solution

In 2019, RIVERSPORT decided to consolidate its systems with ROLLER, which offered a comprehensive platform to manage the venue end-to-end.

The ROI of just consolidating systems is huge.
Jon Shaw
Controller

 

One key advantage of ROLLER was its ability to handle monthly membership payments, a feature that was unavailable in RIVERSPORT’s previous systems. This flexibility has been critical for capturing recurring revenue through their membership packages, especially as the facility offers various seasonal memberships and annual packages​ and serves a variety of guests, from children and families to Olympic athletes. Prior to ROLLER, the RIVERSPORT team had to look through multiple systems to confirm memberships. 

The venue also supports catering for private events, and with ROLLER, they can manage catering bookings and payments,  which drove over a quarter of a million dollars in revenue in 2024.

The Results

For the past three years, RIVERSPORT has enjoyed improved efficiency and a streamlined guest experience and completely transformed its day-to-day operations. By partnering with ROLLER, the RIVERSPORT team experienced several benefits.

RIVERSPORT is saving tens of thousands of dollars annually with ROLLER

We're definitely saving money. Our enterprise license with ROLLER is less than what we were paying before for all the other systems combined.
Jon Shaw
Controller

 

Partnering with ROLLER has allowed RIVERSPORT to consolidate its systems and increase return on investment, making it easier for RIVERSPORT to focus on its mission of promoting outdoor activities and wellness in Oklahoma City. “The simplicity of having everything in one spot has definitely saved us time and money,” Shaw concluded.

Having the support of a built-in payment processor with ROLLER via ROLLER Payments cuts down the hassle of having to pay multiple credit card processing fees. Before ROLLER, Shaw explains, “You're paying a yearly fee or a monthly fee, and you have different merchants for credit card processing." Whether payments are happening online or at the venue, ROLLER simplifies the experience for guests and the RIVERSPORT team. As Shaw put it, “You don’t want the ticket purchasing process to make a memory—you want the adventure to make the memory.”​

Additionally, the RIVERSPORT team reduced hardware costs by replacing costly iPad check-in stations with self-serve waiver kiosks. The team originally invested in eight iPads, which cost around $800 each, and now they can run their waiver kiosks for 1/8th of that amount, saving RIVERSPORT $5,600

RIVERSPORT is saving tens of thousands of dollars annually with ROLLER

RIVERSPORT’s staff can now manage tasks more efficiently, reducing the amount of time spent on backend administration by at least 2 hours each week and giving the team more time to deliver a delightful experience to guests. Riversport offers hundreds of different packages, each with different product combinations. ROLLER not only gives them the flexibility to configure and customize their offering in this way but also makes it simple and time-efficient to do so.

RIVERSPORT hires around 200 seasonal workers each year, many of whom are high school students working their first jobs. With ROLLER, training these employees became more manageable, thanks to its intuitive interface. Also, by using the same system for all operations, the staff is now, as Shaw puts it, “speaking the same language,” which makes it easier and faster to communicate and collaborate. This is absolutely crucial for the RIVERSPORT team which is comprised of full-time staff, coaches, sales staff, marketing, and seasonal workers. 

With ROLLER, the team increased monthly revenue by $5,000 with new valuable add-ons in the checkout

ROLLER’s party management software automated many of the manual processes involved in booking and managing parties, including signing and linking waivers, significantly reducing check-in time. Guests can book a party online in a few clicks, and invite their guests to sign a waiver ahead of time, ensuring that they’re not wasting their valuable party time on admin at the front counter.

The facility also introduced add-ons, like helmet-mounted cameras for rafting trips, through ROLLER’s platform, which helped boost spend per head. In its first month, this new feature alone brought in an additional $3,000 to $5,000 which covered the initial investment of the cameras.

Looking ahead, the RIVERSPORT team is looking forward to hosting several events at the upcoming 2028 Olympics. The ROLLER team is looking forward to supporting RIVERSPORT every step of the way!

To learn more about how ROLLER could help you reach your growth goals, book a chat. 

About RIVERSPORT

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