School is (almost) out, and summer is here. While this is a time of year that is celebrated by many, for Family Entertainment Center Operators, it can be a slower time for business. Between backyard BBQs, traveling carnivals, and trips to the playground, visiting an FEC may not be at the forefront of families’ minds.
During the warmer months, it is important that FEC operators stay vigilant and make proactive efforts to draw customers in. Let’s take a look at some suggestions you can consider implementing for your business.
Plan Unique Events that Draw a Crowd
Special themed events are a great way to create excitement and draw in crowds. Go with something seasonal, like an indoor beach party with fun themed drinks, flower leis, and DJ, beach balls, and other seasonal touches. Or, theme an event around a relevant fandom (such as Star Wars with the release of the new Mandalorian movie) and offer a costume contest and photo ops with characters.
No matter what type of event you host, it is important that you promote it. Be sure to create events and share them on social media, post signage around your facility, and leverage community boards at libraries, coffee shops, and other local businesses.
Offer Outdoor Dining
If you have an in-house restaurant and outdoor space to leverage, consider offering outdoor dining options. Outdoor dining becomes very popular once the weather is warmer, and most restaurants that have outdoor dining available only have a limited number of tables. These options can fill up fast, so providing another space where outdoor dining enthusiasts can explore is a great opportunity for your business.
Provide Summer Play Package Options
Encourage summer visitors to return with a summer play package offering. This can be structured in several different ways. You may want to consider something like:
Unlimited Arcade Play
Offer a membership with unlimited gameplay without redemption for your slower days of the week or during certain times of day. Don’t forget to exclude instant prize games such as crane machines.
One Free Game Per Weekday
This works great with attractions like laser tag and mini golf that have minimal operating costs. Guests pay a flat rate upfront that is valid for a predesignated time frame, encouraging them to return again and again.
Parents Play Free
As parents are looking for activities to keep their children busy this summer, many will also be looking to save money. Encourage them to bring their kids to your facility by allowing them to join in on the fun, too, without an extra charge. While they are there, they will likely end up purchasing food, beverages, or even additional attractions for their child.
Maintain a Strong Social Media Presence
Social media provides a great opportunity for free advertising. Leverage Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok regularly to display your attractions, people having fun in your center, unique or trendy food and beverage offerings, your redemption items, upcoming events, interviews with staff, and fun internet trends.
These days, many people are finding out about new places to visit from their social media feeds, so it is important to get content out so your community knows about you and what you have available.
If it is in the budget, you might even consider putting a few ad dollars behind a post to boost it and get in front of a larger audience. Keep in mind that building a larger social media following takes time and consistency.
If you are expecting your business to slow down for the Summer (or maybe it already has), this is a great time to go back to the drawing board and pull out some creative ideas to keep the customers coming. Make sure you are fine-tuned on all the basics (facility and attraction maintenance, staff training, customer service, etc) and imagine what more you can do to help your business stand out!
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- Innovative Technologies. Vestless and Vested Laser Tag Equipment Compatibility, Wireless Charging, Magnet Easy-Latch System, Rubber Grips and 1000+ Cycle Rated Batteries
- US-Based Manufacturing. Over 90% of our vests & phaser parts are sourced from Michigan Suppliers.
- Renowned Durability. Our founders have 20+ years engineering experience. We’ve designed our low-maintenance system with the operator in mind. Our laser tag equipment can take a beating from excited and eager players.
- The People. Our Project Coordinators, Customer Support, and Service Techs are committed to providing the best laser tag and the best owner’s experience.
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