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If family entertainment center (FEC) owners had one birthday wish, it likely would be that guests come back year after year to celebrate their own special days. However, as you probably know, it may take a lot of candles for that request to come true. To help you have your cake and eat it, too, Funworld asked a handful of experts for ways to make birthday parties incredible and to generate the always-elusive repeat business.
1 - Nix the Theme
Robert J. Araiza recommends avoiding themes for parties, especially those tied into movies. “It doesn’t make much business sense to me,” says Araiza, director of marketing and sales for Mulligan Family Fun Centers, with three California locations. With themes, you have to anticipate the hot trends. Sometimes you guess right, but other times, you may get stuck with extra inventory when a fad dies out or a movie fails at the box office.
2 - Easy for Parents
With 21 years of birthday experience, Dorothy Lewis strongly believes in offering party moms and planners a one-stop shopping experience.
“Time is money, so anything you can do to make the booking process and offerings as seamless as possible can make a difference when choosing a venue,” says Lewis, president of Maxx Fun LLC, in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. This could include invitations, decorations, food, and even downloadable thank-you notes. “Being able to walk into a facility with nothing but the party guests and a camera makes for a stressfree experience.”
An online booking process is the “new favorite” option for busy parents, she adds.
3 - Special Recognition
The birthday child wears a “happy birthday” sticker at Mulligan. That way, all staff members—not just the party host—know to take a little extra time to make the guest feel special with a: “Hey, Sam, happy birthday! How old are you?”
4 - VIP
Host a VIP party for kids who had a birthday party with you during the year, suggests Sheryl Bindelglass, CEO of Sheryl- Golf, in Martinsville, N.J. “It can be your mascot’s birthday celebration or simply your facility’s birthday celebration. It has to be exclusive, fun, and something the kids will talk about to their friends.”
5 - Point-of-Sale (POS)
Chris Camp, president of Fore For All, in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, experimented with a new birthday promotion this year. Using his point-of-sale system, he set up a 15 percent discount to anyone who had at least three parties at his FEC. He has kept the promotion low key for now, but so far, the results seem promising.
Olivier Cohen, owner/operator of Jungle Jaks in El Paso, Texas, uses his POS system to send thank-you notes to customers as well as birthday promotions for the following year.
6 - Keep it Fresh
Change party games and experiences throughout the year, Lewis says: “There is nothing exciting about having guests who have your ‘routine’ down pat and are not on the edge of their seat waiting for that magical moment or special surprise that only the guest of honor is entitled to.”
 7 - Party for All
Instead of having the guests’ parents leave, only to return in a couple hours, why not provide a separate adult lounge, with a widescreen TV, comfortable couches, and complimentary drinks, advises Adrian Fisher, maze designer and owner of Adrian Fisher Design Ltd. in Dorchester, United Kingdom: “This wins the hearts and minds of every party guest’s parent.”
8 - Host with the Most
Both Araiza and Lewis stress the importance of hiring a dedicated party host. The host keeps the party running smoothly and ensure the birthday child or parents don’t want for anything.
Managers alone can’t handle a party, Araiza says, but they should engage the group, telling the parents something like, “I’m the manager on duty. It’s a pleasure having you here for Johnny’s fifth birthday. Let me or the party supervisors or servers know if you need anything.” That personal touch goes a long way, he says.
9 - Analyze, Analyze, Analyze
The best piece of advice for FECs struggling with their birthdays? Take a hard look at your center’s party statistics and trends, Lewis says. Evaluate the most popular packages, average party age, and guest gender. “This can open your eyes to what you may be missing,” she notes.
10 - Deep Cuts
Birthday children used to return 10 percent of the time for their next party at Mulligan. But during the height of the recession, the FEC took a drastic step to improve the numbers, Araiza says. He cut the cost of the basic birthday package in half for repeat customers.
As a result, the 10 percent return jumped to 30 percent. Of course, Mulligan didn’t make as much money off the party, but the deep cut got people in the door. Araiza has since reduced the offer; now the chain averages 20 percent on repeat parties.
11 - Bounce Back
Always send the party guests home with passes and information about your FEC, says Jeremy Gaddy, customer service manager at Zone Laser Tag, in Dover, Delaware. When the child leaves, the first thing he will do is tell his parents, “Look, we can go again!”
“If the parents have the information right there, they’re more inclined to call,” he says. “When I ask parents why they chose my facility, nine times out of 10 they would say, ‘My child attended someone’s party and loved it.’”
Mike Bederka at mbederka@IAAPA.org.
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