It’s that time of year again. School is back in session. You will likely start to notice your fun center getting busier, if you have not already. With more opportunities for birthday parties and field trips, and corporate holiday events on the horizon, now is a great time to refocus on your group booking strategy. Let’s take a look at some tips for maximizing and getting the most of out of your group bookings.
Offer Various Packages
Different groups are going to have different wants and needs. Offering a variety of packages, or levels, gives groups the freedom to select the choice that makes the most sense for them.
Creating a menu laying out different options for party duration, number of people, and what is included, allows guests to see right away that you have offerings to cater to their needs.
Basic party packages can help accommodate your more budget conscious groups, while higher level packages will be more inclusive for guests that want to have it all.
For an added bonus, you can offer additional a la carte add-on items such as food or drink packages, decorations, goodie bags, and more to encourage more purchases.
Provide a Designated Party Representative
If you have the staffing capacity for it, providing a designated party representative for your group bookings can go a long way for helping the party to run smoothly and providing outstanding customer service.
Party representatives can assist in serving food, handling drink refills, keeping garbage cleared away, answering any questions, and helping groups stay on track for any of their planned activities (such as letting them know when it is time for them to head into their laser tag game).
Your guests will appreciate that attentiveness of your staff and the smoothness of their party process. If you are a smaller center with limited staffing, consider offering a party representative as an add on option for an additional charge.
Incentivize Return Visits
Just because the party is over does not mean the profits need to be! Parties are a great opportunity to attract new returning customers.
There is a good chance that at least some of the guests from your group may be visiting your facility for their first time. You can promote those first-time guests return by offering coupons or other incentives for future visits.
Consider sending every guest off with a BOGO Free laser tag or mini golf pass. Provide a $5 game card good on their next visit. Offer a discount on a future party purchase, encouraging them to host their own party at your facility. There are countless opportunities to get group guests back in your door.
Make Guests Feel Welcome from the Moment They Arrive
Whether it is a birthday party, corporate event, or any other type of group coming to your facility, simple details can go a long way in making their event feel extra special.
Consider adding hand written or digital signage near your entrance welcoming groups. A “Happy Birthday” with the party guest’s name or a “Welcome” with the name and logo of a school or business in a public place can make guests feel special and appreciated from the moment you walk in the door.
Additionally, make sure staff are briefed on events for the day. If someone walks in the door stating they are with a certain group, staff should know what they are referring to and be able to point them in the right direction. You want to avoid confusion or disorganization taking away from the group event.
Proactively Reach Out
If you want to book more groups, you may want to consider doing more group outreach. There are many opportunities to proactively contact potential groups to get them to book with your facility.
- Check in with local schools about field trip opportunities.
- Get a jump on local business holiday party bookings by contacting them before they have the opportunity to contact anyone else.
- Contact local churches and offer a discount for booking their youth group at your center.
- Reach out to non-profit organizations about fundraising event opportunities.
There are endless opportunities to get more groups through your door and proactive outreach can make a significant difference in how many parties you secure.
Group bookings are a notable portion of the overall business for the majority of family entertainment centers. Maximizing group booking opportunities will help you to maximize profits. Providing excellent service to your groups can help to boost both online and word-of-mouth positive reviews. Take some time to meet with your team and review what you can do to attract more group bookings and see how your business benefits!
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