Bounceopolis, Baby!
The Bounce in Scott Drummond’s step these days clearly comes from Bounceopolis,
a 6,500sq.-ft. children’s entertainment center in Folsom, Calif. Since
taking over the attraction in 2004, originally as a means of investing
in corporate real estate, he got hooked on the business of fun, moving
the facility and adding new attractions.
Originally located in El Dorado Hills in the middle of a business, research and development area, Bounceopolis
now sits across the street from several hundred shops in an outlet mall
with a movie theater and backs up to a freeway. Although situated
nearby, the cities are separated by a hill — more of a psychological
divide than a geographic one that kept Folsomites closer to home.
Subsequently, business has surged and also thanks to a custom-made attraction by Orca Coast Playground that Drummond said has tripled their walk-ins. It’s a two-crawl bounce
attraction designed especially for the six-and younger crowd — a
demographic easily overlooked with soft-play stations catering to
children up to ten. The piece has become the earnings recordbreaking
play structure in a coterie of soft-play apparatuses including a slide,
obstacle course, joust, bungee and bounce
house. Recognizing a good thing when he saw it convinced Drummond to
explore franchising Bounceopolis. Keenly aware of his strengths and
shortcomings, though, he recognized where other concepts outpaced his
own with the exception of one outstanding factor. “I didn’t feel like I
had the ‘it’ factor, but I had the software,” he said. “All of the
start-up franchisees and many others who I contacted wanted to buy the
software. After the fifth or sixth time, I decided that I would rather
spend my time focusing on selling it to small-and medium-sized
customers.”
Expanding the features of Party Center Software, along with the consulting department of his firm Digital Marketing Group,
has occupied more of Drummond’s days. Yet he remains dedicated to
Bounceoplis, a proven testimony to Party Center Software’s
capabilities, by reinventing it anew.
For 2008, a daycare component is in the works inspired by the expertise and proven numbers of Thesea Iliff, owner and operator of Camp Iliff’s Childcare and Recreation Center
in Newton, N.J. Keeping kids younger and younger entertained, while
parents are involved with their slightly older children, can be an
impressive business stream that has been largely untapped, according to
Drummond, who has a young daughter.
It is this relationship perhaps more than any other that has
underscored his increasing dedication to children’s and family
entertainment.
For more information, see www. bounceopolis.com or call 916/933-9493. Also see www.campiliff.com.
