|
Nevada’s Fun Quest finds success nestled inside a casino resort
by Mike Bederka
Sure, the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino offers slot machines, table games, and a sports book, but take a 10-minute walk down to the lower level and you’d never know it. This is where you’ll find Fun Quest, a large family entertainment center (FEC) housed inside the Reno, Nevada, facility.
“It’s two totally separate entities,” says Melissa Haughey, public relations and advertising manager. “We’re a pretty family-friendly resort even though we have a casino.”
With more than 125 video and redemption games, a 6,000-square-foot laser tag arena, a three-level climbing structure, private party rooms, and a brand new remote control (RC) car racetrack, FunQuest features a scope of entertainment families can’t get elsewhere locally, explains Dan Lucas, the FEC’s manager. (Besides FunQuest, the resort also attracts guests with a 50-lane bowling alley, go-karts, and thrill park.) “All the casinos in the area have an arcade,” he says. “However, most are only 6,000 or 7,000 square feet and have nothing but video games; they’re not the full FEC. Up the road is Circus Circus and that has the whole midway, but it’s the only one that even comes close.”
FUNWORLD asked the Fun Quest team about…
 What are some of the advantages of having an FEC inside a resort and casino?
Dan Lucus: The Grand Sierra Resort and Casino basically provides 40 percent of our guests for us without any effort made on our part. And the resort is so large and this building has been part of the community for so long that all locals know where it is. We have never had to spend our time letting people know we exist. Instead, we get to spend our marketing time letting people know what we have and what’s new. Also, most FECs are limited on space due to cost to expand the existing structure or cost of property. Our problem never has been “where would we place the attraction if we added it?”
Do you believe the FEC helps to bring in resort customers that you wouldn’t get otherwise?
Lucus: From the resort end, the FEC has become a major reason that traveling families, school sport groups, and other children-based events choose us over anyone else in this area. We have something to occupy energetic kids in between anything else that they have going on.
Is there a stigma of having an FEC so close to a casino?
Melissa Haughey: We are not at all Las Vegas. You go there for the gaming, the nightlife. Reno always has been more family friendly. We have families that come here all winter long for skiing. The marketing campaign for Reno used to be “America’s Adventure Place.” I still think that’s the true identity of who are we. The gaming almost becomes an amenity to Reno versus why people come to Reno.
Tell me about your latest attraction: an RC car racetrack.
Lucus: This is definitely something no other FEC is offering around here. When we went out into the market in this area, we found that RC racing is huge. There are clubs where people race cars every weekend. We partnered with a local hobby shop that does it, and we’re going to host events twice a month. Guests also can come in anytime to race. If you’re renting one of our cars, it’s $10 for a half hour; if you’re bringing your own, it’s $5 a half hour.
 Do you expect the racetrack to be profitable?
Lucus: We did a test run on the track this past weekend. Nobody knew it existed, and we’ve done no marketing on it. We had an hour-and-a-half wait. People were just walking by, saying that’s cool; I want to play.
Haughey: RC racing is a growing sport not only in the Reno area but in the western United States.
What other attractions are you eyeing for the future?
Lucus: We’re looking at doing an expansion to our laser tag arena and roughly doubling the size of it within the next year. It’s going to be a more realistic version of laser tag, geared more toward the older teens and adults. With the popularity of all the first person shooters, this will be more of the close quarters, tactical-assault type of game.
In general, how’s business going?
Lucus: We have increased our net revenue every year for the past three years. Parents aren’t looking to cut out spending; they just want their dollar to go further. People here can play a half hour for $20 rather than spending $20 every 10 minutes.
Contact Contributing Editor Mike Bederka at mbederka@IAAPA.org.
|
