Village Roadshow Theme Parks (VRTP) is home to some of Australia’s most beloved entertainment destinations, Warner Bros. Movie World, Sea World & Resort, Topgolf, Paradise Country & Farmstay, Australian Outback, and Wet’n’Wild. While guests know the theme parks and attractions for creating memorable and magical experiences, VRTP is also revolutionising how they care for their most valuable resource: their people.
The entertainment industry demands high energy, flexibility, and continuous guest engagement. VRTP is pioneering a compassionate approach to workplace wellness through comprehensive Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) programs, establishing new benchmarks for mental health advocacy in hospitality and entertainment.
Building Wellness from the Ground Up
Managing over 3,500 team members across various locations and departments, VRTP recognises that mental wellness forms the foundation of effective safety and cultural initiatives. The VRTP wellness program, BOOST, positions mental health as a core business priority, providing team members with comprehensive support including professional counselling, wellness programming, and peer support networks.
The MHFA program is a key pillar of BOOST, with close to 40% of permanent team members now equipped to identify and respond to mental health concerns. This extensive network of MHFAiders includes team members from attraction operators and food and beverage attendants to senior leadership and entertainers, creating comprehensive support coverage across all VRTP operations.
According to John Donaldson, VRTP’s OHS Executive, “The MHFA program has fostered a workplace culture grounded in mental health awareness and empathy, benefiting both our organisation and the broader community. The whole VRTP Executive Team have been very supportive of this program and we’re so proud of what we have achieved to improve the wellness of our team and in-turn the wider community.”
Addressing Industry-Specific Challenges
Theme park environments offer excitement and fulfillment while demanding adaptability, strength, and emotional awareness. The entertainment sector moves rapidly and continuously evolves, and is shaped by social trends, visitor preferences, and external circumstances.
VRTP team members work in varied, high-energy settings from character performances and animal care to live entertainment, ride operation, and technical maintenance. These positions involve both physical requirements and emotional considerations.
Instead of dwelling on these challenges, VRTP focuses on possibilities: how can we enhance support for our workforce in an industry that constantly transforms?
Fostering Meaningful Relationships
VRTP’s MHFA training goes beyond compliance – it represents a genuine commitment to personal development. Training brings together team members from different divisions, eroding departmental barriers and promoting collaboration.
A single session might unite the maintenance team, guest relations supervisors, marine specialists, and accounting personnel. These diverse learning groups cultivate understanding, awareness, and professional relationships.
Staying true to their entertainment heritage, VRTP delivers training in engaging, memorable formats. Sea World participants might enjoy unexpected interactions with seals or dolphins during breaks and training at a Topgolf venue might incorporate a lunchtime round of Topgolf games. These experiences add moments of delight to educational opportunities.
Measurable Cultural Transformation
The outcomes are significant. Team members report increased confidence, stronger connections, and improved wellbeing as a result of program participation. Mental health stigma is giving way to greater openness, connection and understanding.
Mr Donaldson observes, “Witnessing the positive transformation that MHFA brings to our VRTP team members is truly inspiring. We’re documenting genuine, quantifiable improvements—and this change originates from our people themselves.”
This positive influence creates psychologically secure environments benefiting not only team members but also the millions of annual visitors to VRTP properties.
Setting Industry Standards
Through integrating mental health awareness into operational fundamentals, VRTP demonstrates what progressive, supportive workplaces can achieve. Their model recognises that exceptional guest service begins with employee wellbeing.
In a sector celebrated for creating memorable moments, Village Roadshow Theme Parks ensures these experiences are equally valuable for the dedicated professionals who bring them to life.
