Challenge

Knott’s Berry Farm needed to strengthen the facilitation skills of their park trainers. These trainers are responsible for onboarding hundreds of new employees each season, yet many had limited experience leading instructor-led sessions. The leadership team wanted their trainers to gain practical presentation skills, learn how to engage new hires, and feel more confident delivering consistent, high-quality training.

Solution

Knott’s Berry Farm partnered with TrainSMART to deliver a one-day, customized Train-the-Trainer workshop for their team of eight trainers. The program was designed with two key goals:

Provide foundational delivery skills in a highly interactive format.
Allow trainers to practice using content that felt authentic—whether park training materials, a personal hobby, or a topic they knew well.

The course covered critical facilitation areas including presentation skills, questioning and listening techniques, participation strategies, handling difficult situations, training techniques for different learner types, and time management. Each participant also practiced leading a short training segment, receiving real-time feedback and coaching.

Results

By the end of the workshop:

  • Trainers reported increased confidence in front of groups.
  • They learned engaging activities and questioning strategies to keep sessions interactive.
  • Each trainer walked away with personalized feedback and ready-to-use techniques for their onboarding sessions.
  • The final participant presentations showcased noticeable growth in delivery style and classroom presence.

Impact

Knott’s Berry Farm now has a team of trainers who are more skilled, confident, and consistent in how they onboard new employees. This investment not only elevated the trainers’ professional growth but also created a stronger onboarding experience—helping new park employees feel engaged, supported, and ready to deliver the guest experience Knott’s is known for.

One trainer summed it up perfectly:

“This workshop gave me practical strategies and real practice time. I feel more prepared to train our new hires with confidence.”

Want to bring a 1-Day Train-the-Trainer Workshop To Your Organization?

See how TrainSMART can do the same for your team—book a one-day Train-the-Trainer workshop and turn your trainers into confident, engaging facilitators.