Applied Adventure Consulting

What Applied Adventure Consulting does

Applied Adventure Consulting (AAC) is a US-based management services firm that operates outdoor adventure parks on behalf of municipalities, Tribal enterprises, private owners, and investors. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Grand Junction, Colorado, the firm employs more than 200 outdoor adventure professionals organized into a centralized National Services Team and distributed Site Management Teams located coast-to-coast. Its flagship offering, Total Park Management, covers end-to-end operational leadership including staffing and training, safety and compliance, financial management and reporting, marketing and revenue strategy, vendor management, and guest experience design. AAC also delivers modular a la carte services — digital marketing (via partner agency Ravenel New Media Consulting), equipment purchasing and distribution, compliance, business advisory, and strategic advisory for new park development — plus an upcoming direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform branded AA Gear.

AAC's business model is managed-services oriented, anchored by recurring Total Park Management fees and supplemented by professional services engagements and hardware distribution revenue. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is consultative and relationship-driven, reaching enterprise buyers (cities, Tribal entities, investors, private owners) through referrals, case studies, the company website, and direct outreach to CEO Dylan Burt. The company is founder-owned and operated with no disclosed venture capital, private equity, or institutional investors; Dylan Burt (CEO) and Abby Burt (CMO) each bring 15-20+ years of aerial adventure industry experience.

The company's technology footprint is operational rather than proprietary, consisting of business management systems, marketing technology, and digital advertising tools managed in partnership with Ravenel New Media Consulting. The named client portfolio includes Quarry Park Adventures (City of Rocklin, CA; 50,000+ annual visitors; USA Today 10 Best Aerial Adventure Park 2023), The Gorge (Saluda, NC; 20%+ revenue increase in year one), Long Hollow Canopy Tours, ZipZone Outdoor Adventures, Green River Adventures, Grand Vue Park & Adventures (Moundsville, WV), La Jolla Indian Adventure Park, and Flying Rabbit Adventures. AAC has not disclosed revenue, funding, or headcount time series, and has no identified AI, API, or proprietary technology offerings.

Name

Applied Adventure Consulting

Legal name

Applied Adventure Consulting

Website

https://applied-adventure.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Applied Adventure Consulting is a US-based, founder-owned management services firm that operates outdoor adventure parks for municipalities, Tribal enterprises, private owners, and investors. Founded in 2019, it employs 200+ professionals across coast-to-coast Site Management Teams delivering full-service operational management and modular consulting services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adventure Park Management Services

NAICS

Amusement and Theme Parks (71311), Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131), Management Consulting Services (54161), Marketing Consulting Services (541613)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAAAAAC

Adventure Parks & Aerial Courses (Zipline, Ropes, Canopy)

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Amusement Parks & Theme Parks

SECONDARYTHAAACAC

Aerial Adventure Parks (Multi-Element Courses)

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Adventure Parks & Aerial Courses (Zipline, Ropes, Canopy)

SECONDARYTHAAACAH

Adventure Park Ticketing, Access Control & Guest Operations Services

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Adventure Parks & Aerial Courses (Zipline, Ropes, Canopy)

SECONDARYTHAAACAG

Adventure Park Equipment & Safety Services (Inspection, Training, Rescue)

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Adventure Parks & Aerial Courses (Zipline, Ropes, Canopy)

SECONDARYTHAJAEAI

Adventure & Aerial Parks (Ropes Courses, Zipline Parks, Climbing Parks)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Theme Parks, Water Parks & Family Entertainment Centers

Keywords

• Adventure park management
• Aerial adventure consulting
• Outdoor recreation operations
• Zipline park management
• Tourism management services

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Junction

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Total Park Management Services: Full-service operational management for adventure parks, including staffing, safety systems, financial management, marketing, and revenue strategy. This is a recurring management fee model where AAC operates the park as a trusted partner.
2. Select/A La Carte Management Services: Discrete consulting services including digital marketing, equipment purchasing, staff training, compliance management, and business advisory offered individually to clients not ready for full park management.
3. Equipment Distribution: AAC serves as a distributor of outdoor recreation and aerial adventure equipment brands, offering preferred pricing to Total Park Management clients and as-needed service to others. Online ordering planned through Applied Adventure Gear division.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Applied Adventure Consulting provides full-service operational management for adventure parks, including end-to-end leadership, staffing, training, safety and compliance systems, financial management, marketing and revenue strategy, and equipment procurement. In addition to Total Park Management, AAC offers Select/A La Carte services such as Digital Marketing (delivered via partner Ravenel New Media Consulting), Equipment Purchasing & Management with preferred pricing, and Strategic Advisory & New Park Development from feasibility through launch.

Product overview

Applied Adventure Consulting offers a unified suite of adventure park management and consulting services, combining a core Total Park Management solution with modular add-on services. The flagship Full-Service Adventure Park Management provides comprehensive operational oversight, while specialized modules cover staffing, training, marketing, accounting, retail, equipment, and infrastructure. The company also offers select a la carte services including Digital Marketing Services (via Ravenel New Media Consulting partnership) and Equipment Purchasing for clients not requiring full management. An upcoming sub-brand, AA Gear, will provide an e-commerce platform for adventure industry equipment. The company operates primarily in the US adventure park sector, serving municipalities, tribal enterprises, private owners, and investors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Total Park Management (Full-Service Adventure Park Management) End-to-end operational management for adventure parks, including operational oversight, staffing/hiring/development, financial management and reporting, guest experience design, safety and compliance systems, vendor management, marketing, revenue growth, insurance program management, accounting, and infrastructure maintenance. Sold on a recurring managed-services fee to municipalities, Tribal enterprises, private owners, and investors who want to outsource day-to-day operations.
• Digital Marketing Services A la carte digital marketing services including Google advertising, social media campaigns, and influencer marketing, delivered in partnership with Ravenel New Media Consulting. Available standalone to clients not ready for full park management, as well as bundled into Total Park Management engagements; for example, ZipZone Outdoor Adventures and Green River Adventures use AAC's digital marketing services to reach target audiences.
• Equipment Purchasing & Management Distribution of outdoor recreation and aerial adventure equipment from top zipline, aerial adventure, and outdoor recreation brands, with preferred pricing for Total Park Management clients and as-needed service for others. AAC aggregates purchases across multiple client parks to reduce costs through consolidated ordering.
• Strategic Advisory & New Park Development Consulting services from feasibility analysis through park launch, helping investors, landowners, and prospective operators make informed decisions and build sustainable operations. Targets investors and landowners evaluating or developing new adventure park ventures who need adventure-industry expertise and de-risked operational planning.
• Select/A La Carte Management Services Discrete, individually-sold consulting services for adventure businesses not ready for full park management, including digital marketing, equipment purchasing, staff training, compliance management, and business advisory. Available à la carte to operators across the U.S.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20%+ annual revenue increase in first year operating The Gorge
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• City of Rocklin (Quarry Park Adventures)flagshipOthers · 1 April 2019AAC began operating Quarry Park Adventures in spring 2019 after the City of Rocklin parted ways with their prior park operator. AAC efficiently reopened the park within one month, hired and trained approximately 50 employees, and has since grown the park to serve 50,000+ visitors annually while rebuilding public trust.
• Ravenel New Media ConsultingcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRavenel New Media Consulting (RNMC) is a full-service digital advertising agency based in Charlotte, NC that partners with AAC to deliver digital marketing services to adventure park clients. AAC CMO Abby Burt leads this partnership, combining her 15+ years of aerial adventure industry experience with RNMC's digital marketing expertise. The partnership serves clients across the nation with industry-specific insight and service.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Go Ape: Go Ape operates a national network of aerial adventure and zip line parks across the U.S., delivering a comparable consumer-facing experience to the parks Applied Adventure manages (e.g., The Gorge, Quarry Park). It is a directly comparable owner-operator and showcases the scale ceiling that Applied Adventure could approach by owning parks rather than managing them on contract.
• Ropes Courses Inc (RCI): RCI is one of the largest U.S. designers, builders, and trainers of aerial adventure courses and zip lines. It serves the same municipal, private, and resort operator customers as Applied Adventure but is concentrated on equipment installation, inspections, and training rather than full operating management — making it both a supplier to and competitor for Applied Adventure's client base.
• The Adventure Park at Sandy Spring: The Adventure Park at Sandy Spring is one of the better-known independent aerial adventure parks on the U.S. East Coast, operating a multi-element forest course similar to the parks Applied Adventure manages. It is a comparable operating model in a single location and serves as a useful benchmark for per-park economics and customer throughput.
• Bonsai Design: Bonsai Design is a leading aerial adventure and zip line course designer/builder with deep relationships across the U.S. operator community. Like RCI, it overlaps with Applied Adventure in customer base and industry but is positioned upstream as an equipment and design partner rather than as an operating manager; its design-plus-consulting offerings compete for the same consulting wallet.

Emerging players

• Sky Zone: Sky Zone pioneered the franchise indoor trampoline park category and has scaled a national network comparable in size to a large amusement park chain. It is adjacent to Applied Adventure's outdoor aerial adventure focus but relevant as a comparable franchise/operating-services playbook for multi-site recreational attractions.
• Urban Air Adventure Park: Urban Air is the largest U.S. franchise of indoor adventure and trampoline parks, focused on franchise-driven multi-site expansion. While its activity mix (indoor trampolines, climbing walls) differs from Applied Adventure's outdoor aerial focus, it targets the same broader "family adventure" spend pool and demonstrates how a multi-unit operator model could be applied to outdoor aerial adventure.

Broad incumbents

• Palace Entertainment: Palace Entertainment is one of the largest U.S. operators of family entertainment centers, water parks, and amusement parks under third-party management. It competes for the same municipal and private owner mandates that Applied Adventure targets but operates at a much broader portfolio scale, with the capital base to underwrite multi-year operating contracts.
• Apex Parks Group: Apex Parks Group is a multi-park operator running water parks, family entertainment centers, and amusement attractions across the U.S. It overlaps with Applied Adventure on outsourced multi-site park operations but at a much broader attraction mix and larger scale, making it an incumbent benchmark for what a roll-up of managed parks could look like at maturity.

Regional players

• Zip World: Zip World is the largest zip line and aerial adventure operator in the United Kingdom, operating multiple sites at scale and providing a useful international benchmark for the per-park economics and multi-site operating model that Applied Adventure is building in the U.S.

Others

• Adventure Park Insider (API): Adventure Park Insider is the leading trade publication, conference organizer, and industry resource for the U.S. aerial adventure park sector. It does not compete with Applied Adventure for management contracts but is a key channel for industry reputation, lead generation, and competitive intelligence in the same niche.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/appliedadventurelearning
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/applied-adventure

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Applied Adventure Consulting