Special Report
Entertainment Value
How to keep an eye on cost while providing excellent shows and live experiences
by Norman Kahn, Utopia Entertainment
ENTERTAINERS WORLDWIDE ARE STRUGGLING to find the balance between cost and quality; they want to provide the best entertainment while keeping expenses under control and hopefully generate revenue.
Meanwhile, guests are looking for entertainment experiences that offer an escape from real life and reinforce the good stuff: time with family and friends, memories, and nostalgia.
It’s a tricky balance, but there are ways to implement new entertainment products that will help boost sales and attendance in other areas of the facility. Here are a few questions to consider when developing and marketing new programs.
- Can it extend length of stay? Consider implementing night shows that will keep guests around after the sun goes down. This not only adds one of the most thrilling and interesting entertainment opportunities to a facility’s product offerings, but also entices guests to stay longer, which, in turn, will make guests more inclined to purchase a second meal, have another drink, and pick up some merchandise.
- Does it help promote an existing product or property? Not only is the selection of the offering important, but the placement within your facility is critical. Can it be located in an area that needs more foot traffic; can the audience exit through a store or restaurant; can it tie in to, or promote, an existing line of products or merchandise in your park?
- Does it entice guests to come back or buy season passes? Promote your event in advance so people who may be at your facility prior to its opening might be enticed to come back to enjoy the new attraction. And if it will only be there for a limited time, use that to your advantage by creating a sense of urgency to help upsell guests to either come back or buy a pass that will not only cover their visit today, but allow them to see a returning show or participate in a future event.
By making some key decisions early on, you will not only deliver a world-class entertainment experience, but one that helps fulfill both your guests’, thirst for being entertained and your needs to maximize revenue.
Norman Kahn is an award-winning producer who has spent more than two decades designing, producing, and operating large-scale attractions for theme parks and special venues for clients, including Universal Studios, Warner Bros., Paramount Parks, and Six Flags. He is CEO of Utopia Entertainment, located in Los Angeles, California. www.utopiaworldwide.com |
