Funworld May 2009

Stay on Top

Family entertainment centers can’t afford to lose birthday parties to competitors
by Mike Bederka

THE ROOM IS GETTING CROWDED FOR BIRTHDAY PARTY BUSINESS. Family entertainment centers now have to worry about numerous traditional and unconventional venues creeping into their territory, including hair salons, clothing stores, The Home Depot, mobile spas, and ice skating rinks.

With this increased competition, FECs must stay sharp. They have to keep their parties fundamentally strong as well as search for other ways to generate revenue.

Do the Basics Well
Above everything else, a birthday party needs to be safe and fun for customers, says Patti Garrand, a partner with TreePaad Family Entertainment Center in Glens Falls, New York; look for maturity and an outgoing personality in the staff you hire. “If they’re not smiling and bubbly, they shouldn’t be doing a party,” she says.

The rule of the selective staffing extends to the employee who handles reservations, says Larry Barnaby, consultant for Amusement Professionals International, during a lecture at last year’s IAAPA Attractions Expo. This person could be the guest’s first impression of your facility, so don’t let just anyone book parties, he says. The dedicated staffer should follow a script and speak slowly, in case customers want to take down notes, Barnaby says.

He must also create a sense of urgency about the birthday, Barnaby explains. Say you can “fit them in,” rather than “we have tons of availability.” The latter won’t do much to sell the venue as a great place to be. Finally, repeat the order (date, time, etc.) to avoid any screwups and send out a confirmation.

Bo’s Family Entertainment, in Lenoir, North Carolina, has reaped the rewards of emphasizing guest services, says General Manager Andy Marchant. The FEC trained a marketing person to answer all questions and book as many birthdays as possible. He earns an hourly wage and a small commission for each event, which Marchant considers money well spent.

In a market of only 40,000 people, Bo’s hosts 15 to 22 parties each weekend during the peak season, he says: “We rock it out.” However, the FEC did struggle with these celebrations when it opened in 2006. “Our prices were too high for our market,” Marchant says. “We felt the value was there, but at the end of the day, nobody is going to pay more than what he thinks it’s worth.” Counteracting this sentiment, Bo’s web site now features a $10-off coupon for a party.

Management at Fun Spot Action Park in Orlando also addressed the changing economic climate, according to Mark Brisson, director of marketing. For years the facility concentrated on the more expensive, upper-tier parties. Not anymore. “We found we had to bring back some of the value packages,” he says. “Five hundred dollars is too much; they’d rather do $150.”

Special Events
Tough times mean the creativity has to flow more than ever at FECs. Marchant and his team hold weekly “war room meetings” to think of ways to drum up business. Everyone brings at least one idea—zany, serious, or otherwise. “We just lock ourselves in the office for three hours and say we’re not leaving until we come up with the next ‘fill in the blank,’” he says.

One recent brainstorm played off the fireman’s bowling league. At the league’s conclusion, the FEC will host a chili cook-off, with each firehouse bringing in its best dish. Bo’s will give prizes for top bowler as well as favorite chili. The event will become a traffic generator, drawing interest from people who don’t bowl, he anticipates: “The newspapers got a hold of it, and they went wild.”

To entice additional guests, Fun Spot focuses on its corporate teambuilding events, Brisson notes. The staff breaks the company into teams, and each receives a clue list pointing to seven attractions, like go-karts, rides, and arcade games. Once teams complete a task, the attendant gives them a paragraph with one key word missing. After they figure out the seven key words, they scramble the letters to come up with a quote to give the “quizmaster”; prizes go to the first three places. FEC employees then spend 15 minutes explaining to guests how the seven paragraphs apply to their company and positions.

Team building runs from $500 to $1,500, depending on the number of people, Brisson says. The FEC averages two or three events a month—mostly during slow times. “It’s not going to keep us in business,” he says, “but it’s nice to pick up another $30,000 a year when you can.”