From Spark to strategy: How Sea Pines supercharged their guest experience
Inspired by our annual conference, FareHarbor Spark, Sea Pines Resort fine-tuned its operations, optimized the booking process at its bike shop, and found smarter ways to use FareHarbor tools — all fueled by connection and collaboration.
“Spark is something that if you want to grow your business, you need to attend. The connections you make could change the trajectory of your business.”
Kevin Emery
Sea Pines Bike Shop Manager
A premier destination looking to level up
Sea Pines Resort in Hilton Head, South Carolina, is known for luxury lodging and unforgettable outdoor experiences. From bike rentals to tennis lessons and watersports, their activities department relies on FareHarbor to manage bookings — and continuously improve their guest experience.
FareHarbor Spark: A turning point for implementation
After joining FareHarbor in late 2019, Kevin Emery, Bike Shop Manager at Sea Pines Resort, attended a virtual Spark event in 2021. But it wasn’t until the Spark 2023 in Orlando and in person that things really started to click.
“I wanted to be there — I was looking to learn more about how to improve what we were already doing.”
That curiosity carried through to Spark New Orleans in 2024, where the experience became a launchpad for operational upgrades across the resort.
Three Sparks down, who knows how many more to go!
Workshops that inspired real change
Among the standout moments were the roundtable discussions and hands-on sessions.
“I learned so many different ways of using the Dashboard,” said Emery.
Talking with other operators revealed fresh ideas, and feedback sessions with FareHarbor’s product team unlocked new ways to work smarter.
Dock made a splash back at Sea Pines
Seeing FareHarbor Dock, the booking point of sale, in action at Spark was a game-changer.
“I was excited to bring that back and figure out the best way to implement it in the resort. It’s going to help the guests so much!”
With Dock, Emery and the Sea Pines team found a streamlined, intuitive way to elevate the walk-up customer experience.
Small changes with big impact
Inspired by Spark, Emery also rethought their booking flow at the bike shop, with both customers and staff in mind. “I’ve always been tweaking our booking process to make both the guests’ and the team’s lives easier.”
The power of in-person connection
Networking was just as valuable as the workshops.
“That’s the biggest part of attending the event,” he said. “The connections you make could change the trajectory of your business.”
Operators swap insights, share wins, and build lasting relationships every year at the event.
Product team face time = Dashboard wins
Meeting with the product team gave Sea Pines a direct line to Dashboard improvements — and new ideas for how to get more out of the tools they already had.
“I’ve learned other ways of doing things in the Dashboard. They are fantastic,” said Emery.
Ready to spark your own transformation?
Join us in Las Vegas this November for Spark 2025 — and walk away with the tools, strategies, and connections to take your business to the next level. Register for Spark Las Vegas 2025!
