The Long View – Scottish FEC goes green to the extreme.

Even though The Bubbles Factory in Carluke, Scotland (population 19,000), might be the greenest family entertainment center (FEC) on the planet, Martin Hannah doesn’t consider himself a staunch environmentalist. Rather, the 50-year-old owner describes himself as a “canny Scotsman,” to use the local vernacular.

“It means to be wise and cautious with your purchases,” he explains.

Hannah decided to follow a 20-year business plan for his tiny 5,000-square-foot, £1.1 million (US$1.7 million) facility. With time on his side, he opted to go green in virtually every way. Hannah knew he would spend additional money up front, but in the end it would be more profitable—and much better for the environment.

The brainstorm for The Bubbles Factory came in 2005 when he took his wife and niece to a nearby soft play center. Between the plastic garden furniture and overwhelming smell of French fries (which stuck to your clothes when you left the place, he says), the facility offered little in terms of quality to area families. “We could do it so much better,” Hannah recalls thinking.

Over the next four years, he researched, negotiated, researched some more, and acquired financing. Construction began in September 2009 on the site of an old, decrepit building in the town center; doors opened in November 2010. From concept to delivery, Hannah, who still also owns a billboard advertising company, played a major role in every part of the process—hard work that has already paid off.

People travel as far as 80 miles to visit The Bubbles Factory, which recently won the Play Providers Association’s competition for the best new indoor soft play and café in the United Kingdom.

The mix of diligent planning and use of high-end, environmentally conscious equipment, technology, and materials prove to be his magic formula for business success.

“I think it’s the clever way of doing things,” he says. “There’s a long-lasting benefit.”

Building Construction
Hannah excavated the site into a hill, removing 1,600 tons of soil that was then reused elsewhere in the community. The back of the building is actually about 15 feet underground (more on that below.)

For the construction, Hannah relied on recyclable materials, including steel beams, wall panels, flooring, the slate roof, and insulation.

Heating and Cooling
In the café area, heated water radiates in pipes under the floor and comes up to guests’ feet. Rather than a conventional radiator, this setup creates a more even distribution of heat throughout the room and uses less energy, Hannah says.

For cooling the facility, he installed a passive ventilation system. Between the structure and the hill there’s a maintenance area that doesn’t get any sunlight and contains a well of cold air all year long. A low-level vent from this well is wired to other high-level vents. So when the soft play center reaches a certain temperature, the vents automatically open incrementally and warm air naturally releases outside at the high level and draws the cool air in at the low level. This system creates gentle air movement throughout the building.

“You let nature work for you rather than against you,” Hannah notes.

Food
Hannah purchases most food from inside the town. “We try to support the local economy and local jobs,” he says, adding “low-mileage goods” result in less fuel costs and food waste. Since most items are on his doorstep, he doesn’t have to carry a huge stockpile. “We can just go down the road and pick up what we need as we need it.” Plus, fresher ingredients mean higher-quality eats, always made to order.

Kitchen
While staff in The Bubbles Factory kitchen focus on cooking top-notch food, the appliances work to save energy (and money).

Hannah owns two ovens that required a higher capital outlay but now have lower running costs. The staff uses only the one smaller oven during the slower times; when business picks up, they have greater flexibility: One oven can roast, while the other can steam. Also, the ovens automatically detect the type and size of food to determine the most appropriate cooking temperature.

The eco-friendly refrigeration unit indentifies the quantities in the fridge and freezer and adjusts its chilling accordingly. And the fryer automatically uses internal pumps to filter the oil, leading to less cross-contamination of flavors and extending the oil life by 100 percent. In addition, Hannah recycles the oil.

Lighting and Electricity
Hannah uses low-wattage lighting exclusively, and all florescent lights are zoned and dimmable. This allows output to better suit daily requirements. Also, a smart meter takes an electricity reading every 30 minutes, letting Hannah analyze usage throughout the day.

Bathroom
About 20 minutes after someone leaves the bathroom, all lights and fans turn off. They automatically flick back on when a guest opens the door. The backs of the urinals sport a flag in a golf hole emblem, giving men something to aim for. This simple trick cuts down on the “overspill” mess, Hannah says, which frees up staff maintenance time and cuts down on cleaning supplies.

The Future
With tongue firmly in cheek, Hannah has some keen ideas on ways to tap into all the busy energy of his young guests. “If someone invents a giant hamster wheel for the kids to run in, I’ll be the first to connect a dynamo to it to run the lights!” he jokes.

Contact Contributing Editor Mike Bederka at mbederka@IAAPA.org.

The Monkey’s Treehouse is under new ownership.  Jamie Ladd, Holly Pring and Leslie Carpenter became the new owners on Thursday, January 19th.  We loved The Monkey’s Treehouse so much that we bought both locations!  We are so excited to be a part of something our children love and we are so thankful to Natalie McMullen for creating such a wonderful, fun place to work and play!  We plan to make a great place even better!

Be sure to visit us on Facebook and tell all your friends to Like us!  Birthday parties are booking up fast, so call today or book online through our website www.themonkeystreehouse.com!

A $5 million indoor entertainment center under construction north of Dayton and expected to open this spring is being described as the largest in the nation.

Scene75 Entertainment Center, one exit south of the Interstate 70/75 interchange, will feature 124,000 square feet of indoor attractions, coupled with seasonal outdoor offerings.

The attractions include a full service-restaurant; two indoor bars with 70-inch HD TVs and live sports tickers; an outdoor patio with food and beverage service; an indoor electric go-kart track; a multi-level laser tag arena; an indoor bouncing inflatable arena; a redemption and video arcade; an interactive gaming theater with giant screens; two 4D theaters; four mini-bowling lanes; a 10-car bumper car system; three outdoor sand volleyball courts (with plans to expand to nine courts); two outdoor bocce courts; live fantasy sports leagues; a concession stand; eight private party rooms; and a banquet hall.

Jim “Radar” Martin, who has been the general manager at Tank’s Bar & Grill in Dayton for 25 years, will serve as the venue’s food and beverage manager and will operate the restaurant, Radar’s Bar & Grill. It will serve pretzels, nachos, burgers, pizzas and other American grill fare.

Set to open in late spring, possibly mid- to late April, Scene75 will be at 6196 Poe Ave., in a former furniture warehouse across the highway from the restaurants and motels on Miller Lane, according to Jonah Sandler. The Cincinnati native and Sycamore High School graduate, now a Dayton resident, co-owns the venue with a group of investors.

“We felt that there is a significant void in the market for something of this nature,” he said. “We felt that this was a very good opportunity with significant potential that hasn’t been accomplished within this area or even in the industry.”

Sandler, who opened Putters Par-adise at Englewood Fun Center, a miniature golf course that he designed, and the Chaos Room in Centerville, an interactive gaming theater that will have its second outpost at Scene75, said he traveled the country touring existing entertainment facilities and believes Scene75 will be the largest in the country. Industry data seem to support that claim. David Mandt, spokesperson for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), an international trade association for permanently situated amusement facilities, said Scene75 would quality as what the industry calls a “family entertainment center” (FEC), which refers to any center with a variety or collection of attractions. Mandt said there are approximately 1,500 FECs in the U.S.; based on the IAAPA’s State of the Industry Survey for Family Entertainment Centers, facility sizes range from 5,000 square feet to 20 acres (factoring in both indoor and outdoor facilities), but the average size for an indoor FEC is 23,911 square feet, Mandt said.

“This is certainly a very, very large center by industry standards,” he said of Scene75’s proposed 124,000 square feet of indoor attractions.

Ben Jones, IAAPA’s FEC specialist, agreed, noting that many centers are larger than 124,000 square feet when both indoor and outdoor attractions are included; however, he said he doesn’t know of any centers with indoor offerings in that size range. By comparison, Dave & Buster’s centers tend to be in the 50,000-60,000-square-foot range, he said.

Sandler said Scene75 will cater to all ages, but it was designed with adults in mind. Patrons won’t pay an admission fee but instead will load a card with currency, which will be deducted as they use the attractions.

“We have tried to appeal to the adult audience with the belief that if we can get the adults, the kids will come,” he said. “With the amount of attractions we’re offering, we’ll be able to appeal to all audiences … whether someone is looking for a date night idea, a birthday party for kids or a corporate event.”

“We anticipate being able to attract people from 75 miles away,” he added. “With 11 or so motels across the street and 30 or so restaurants, there’s a lot of traffic in the area.”

For updates, visit the venue’s Facebook page atwww.facebook.com/Scene75.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20120125/ENT/301230167/Entertainment-center-open-near-Dayton?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE

Submit Photos of Your Facility to IAAPA and Your Attraction Could be Featured on the IAAPA WebSite!

Dear IAAPA Members,

Please consider submitting photos of your facility to us to post on our website. Your pictures may be featured as one of the rotating images on the homepage, at the top

of one of our web sections, or in various IAAPA marketing materials.

If your facility’s picture is chosen, the name and location of the facility will be listed with the picture. This will be our way of saying “thank you” as we publicize your facility to thousands of people who view our web pages each week.

Your pictures must be 750 pixels wide by 200 pixels high, 75dpi resolution in JPG format (panoramic view) in order to be considered for placement. If you’re interested in participating, please complete the online form and upload pictures of your facility.

Thanks for your consideration and we look forward to seeing your photos! If you have questions, please contact webmaster@IAAPA.org for more information.

Sincerely,

Your IAAPA Website Team.

The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions 1448 Duke St. Alexandria, VA 22314 | Tel: +1 703/836-4800

Waterpark coming to Norman next year

By Joy HamptonThe Norman Transcript

From Funworld, September 2o11

After operating successfully for more than seven decades, you might think the oldest family-owned roller skating rink in the United States would be satisfied to sit comfortably in place and not embark on any risky new ventures, especially during tough economic times. That is not the case with Scottie’s Skateland in Quincy, Illinois.

The facility celebrated its 75th anniversary in June, just months after opening a $2.3 million, 15,000-squarefoot expansion that turned it into a fullfledged family entertainment center (FEC), now named Scottie’s Fun Spot.

Jeff Scott, the FEC’s general manager and the grandson of Albert Scott, who founded Scottie’s Skateland in 1936, says going from a skating rink to an FEC was an idea that just kept popping up.

“We were going to the roller skating trade shows and they were all adding laser tag or play areas to their facilities,” he says, “so we looked at that and it kind of grew into what it’s become now. It just kind of snowballed because the area needed a full-fledged fun center.”

So he and his parents, Bob and Jan Scott, who own the facility, commissioned a feasibility study with Jerry Merola of Alpha-Omega Amusements. Despite the study’s positive results, securing financing as a small business was tough during a recession. “We just never gave up,” says Scott. “We believed in our project and in the feasibility study, which was well worth the money, and we finally found a banker that thought the community also needed a project like this.”

Because the Scotts had to start the expansion more modestly than would be necessary in a strong economy with easier financing, it was important that they selected the right attractions from the start. “We attended Foundations [Entertainment University] to give us a start in the process, then hired Jerry Merola,” says Scott. “We also went to the IAAPA show and to a lot of other FECs, and talked to other promoters. We went to places that had the Ballocity play systems, and I took my kids to see what they thought of it.”

In the end, the attractions they settled on included a two-story Ballocity play area from Prime Play; Highway 66 mini-bowling from QubicaAMF; a 3,700-square-foot laser tag arena from Zone Systems; Spin Zone bumper cars from Amusement Products; a Laser Frenzy laser maze; and a 65-game arcade. Scott says the FEC also went with an Embed debit card system and notes that Scottie’s Fun Spot is one of only a few FECs that allow guests to choose whether or not to use redemption tickets.

Amid all of the progress, one thing that has not changed at Scottie’s is a strictly enforced code of behavior to maintain a safe family atmosphere. The FEC does not allow muscle shirts, baggy pants, bandannas, hoodies with the hoods up, foul language, or borrowing money from other patrons. “My grandfather had a lot of ‘tough ship’ rules!” asserts Scott. “On a Friday night, we keep a book on kids we kick out, and if we have to call a deputy, we take a picture and put them in a book.”

Scott says his only real concern now is that the operation has no outdoor attractions. So in 2012, the facility will embark on the second phase of its expansion, which will include go-karts and minigolf.www.scottiesfunspot.com

Jumping soon to a mall near you

Jump A Roos, set to open this July in the Southland Mall in Cutler Bay, says it will be Miami’s largest indoor inflatable play area.

LEDWINS@MIAMIHERALD.COM

Many thanks to Beth Standlee and her staff at TrainerTainment for highlighting Party Center Software in their most recent newsletter!

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/When-Selling-CLICKS.html?soid=1101205010203&aid=FPS6GsX3bsE

TrainerTainment is a training company that services the Family Entertainment and other hospitality–driven markets who want to improve their sales teams, products, and guest service ability. Our company focuses on sales training in order to enhance promotions, events, birthday party programs, team building, and all other corporate and group outings. Developing people and teaching businesses how to create a thriving sales culture through great customer service are our primary goals.

- Justin Falls, Communications Director/Client Relations

Using Birthday University creator Frank Price’s unique business concept as motivation, Hero’s in Toledo is proud to have been voted “Best place to have a child’s birthday party in Northwest Ohio” three years in a row! As a business that caters to children and adults alike, Hero’s understands the importance of offering quality customer service with an exceptional product. Hero’s is open for parties by advanced reservation which allows the family-owned business to better control the level of service and the party experience offered to their loyal customers. Many Family Entertainment Centers are satisfied with doing the bare minimum with regard to how they engage with their customers –  a hosted party where the staff may not interact with the child just doesn’t cut it. Frank Price says “Hero’s has differentiated itself from all others by laying the foundation of living out the delivery of a personalized, remarkable party experience each and every time. Many talk a big game but fail to execute or end up taking short cuts.”  Price continued  “They exemplify  what I have been teaching for the past 10 years  – at Hero’s the party is not as much about the attractions, as it is the interaction of the Party Heroes’ (Hosts) that make each party unique and special for the birthday child. The Hero is the party.”

Hero’s is a well-orchestrated, finely tuned production where the birthday child is the star.  Each child has the opportunity to direct the action, the guests make up the supporting cast and the family is a participatory audience. The Hero’s staff goes out of their way to add a personal touch, calling the family a few days prior to each party in order to become familiar with the child and their interests. The staff member will then make a plan to incorporate the child’s favorite activities, characters or music into this special event – going this extra mile makes a huge difference with Hero’s customers.

As with any small business, Hero’s utilizes skills and innovation to create internal systems that assist in running an effective business, while placing primary focus on meeting customer needs at the same time. Like most Family Entertainment Centers, birthday parties and group events make up a significant portion of the facilities revenue. With young workers and broken systems in place, it can be a challenge to achieve a desirable experience for the customer. Nathan Smith, owner of Hero’s Toledo, explains, “We had been using a software program that we developed locally for 4 years so we were pretty reluctant to switch over to a third-party solution. So, Hero’s ultimately made the decision to switch software packages in order to utilize the Party Center Software online booking module which was lacking from our current software”.  Smith continued, “Before we started using Party Center Software, my wife was tied to her cell phone and laptop 24 hours a day in order to take care of all the calls and bookings that came in, and the time and stress in booking all the parties was overwhelming.  Now that customers can book their parties on-line we are able to answer the phone any time of the day and keep those lines of communication open with our existing customers, and sell our product to potential customers – who now prefer to book online.”

Not only has Hero’s experienced an increase in online party booking, but one of the unexpected perks of Party Center Software has been the increased sales of party extras. Smith says, “Our party add-ons such as fruit trays, balloon bouquets and piñatas has more than tripled now that customers can sit at their computer and browse through the add-ons at their leisure – the bottom line is that in the last 5 months, our average number of parties has increased by 20%, the average price of our parties has gone up by $35, and customers can finally get through to us on the phone.” As Price testifies, “Eliminating frustration and making the entire party experience more convenient is of great value with today’s time starved families.  On-line booking is an essential component for both.”

Having a system in place to ensure that potential human error did not translate to a poor customer experience was critical.  Using PartyCenterSoftware.com, Nathan was able to free up his staff to focus more on providing excellent customer service and allow PartyCenterSoftware.com to maintain an enjoyable online booking and facility management experience – both for his customers and his staff. Nathan proclaimed, “Party Center Software has been the best business move we’ve made in six years…thank you!”

http://www.herostoledo.com/

http://www.birthdayuniversity.com/

Justin Falls – Communications Director, Agile Software and Marketing

PartyCenterSoftware.com is an online party booking and event management tool designed to increase party bookings and eliminate unnecessary labor costs. Included in the PCS suite of tools is a complete EPOS system, time clock, and vendor management feature. Currently operating in seven countries, PartyCenterSoftware.com is marketed and sold by Agile Software and Marketing, based in California.

Copyright © 2011 Party Center Software. All Right Reserved.

3075 Alhambra Dr. #207 Cameron Park, Ca 95682 - PartyCenterSoftware.com
888.804.1166  |  020 3318 3523 (UK Number)  |  02 8014 9939 (Australia Number)

The 2000 census paints a disheartening picture of the Gardenland/Northgate area, illustrating the needs of these children and the community at large. The picture includes a diverse population, widespread poverty, many immigrants, many unemployed, many broken families and a very, very large number of children. The average family size in the apartments where The GreenHouse is located is six, and over 550 children live on that one square block alone. The ethnic makeup of the people living in the apartments is roughly divided into thirds – about 31% Latino, 31% African-American, 31% Slavic (Russian and Ukranian immigrants) and 7% other, including Caucasian and Tongan. In the Gardeland/Northgate neighborhood just east of the apartments, almost 30% of families are living below the poverty line and 50% of families are without an adult male. Almost 23% of households make less than $10,000 per year and more than 50% make less than $25,000 per year.

The GreenHouse is a Christian Community Enrichment Center located in the Gardenland/Northgate neighborhood of Sacramento, California. We offer after-school tutoring, mentoring, summer day camps, a youth group for teens, leadership development, and skill-building workshops. Our mission is to cultivate a thriving community by nurturing the emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and physical development of our youth and inspiring them to grow to their full potential. We currently serve an average of 300 low-income children and teens a year.

Our 8th Annual “Kids at Heart” Dinner and Auction is coming up on June 5, 2011. Click here for more information about sponsorship, auction donations, or purchasing tickets. We hope to see you there!

By Ashley Putnam

Published: Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Josh Fox, a junior business major from Brigham City, plays a round of mini golf at Fiesta Fun. Proceeds from the upcoming tournament will go to the Family Support Center to help keep it open and to help victims of child abuse.

Cool de Sac now open to franchise in over 25 states in the Unites States

MIAMI, April 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Cool de Sac, the family entertainment and dining experience with currently two locations in South Florida is furthering its expansion into franchising nationwide.  This unique concept for parents with young children may soon be coming to your hometown.

The influence behind the concept and brand, Cool de Sac, has led business owners and entrepreneurs with a new opportunity to expand family entertainment centers into cities throughout the United States.  Parents enjoy quality dining while the children are able to interact creatively with activities that are not only entertaining but educational as well. Dining and child related industries are two of the fastest growing franchise sectors in the US marketplace.

Cool de Sac allows kids to “play smart” in a variety of creative play stations that include: Arts, Blocks, Salon, Discovery, Games & Computers; and a Play Unit that offers fun physical activities. Cool de Sac also includes a larger area for parents with toddlers so that they too can enjoy the dining experience while keeping a close eye on their tots.

In addition to all of the activity stations at Cool de Sac, is the opportunity to host a child’s birthday party. This multimillion dollar industry is just one of the five revenue streams that a Cool de Sac franchise has to offer.  Cool de Sac provides the perfect venue for parents to celebrate their child’s birthday.

“The unique concept of Cool de Sac is to offer a safe place for parents to enjoy a quality meal and conversation while their children play with different activities within reach,” says CEO of Cool de Sac, Jose Luis Bueno. “As a franchise we are providing the opportunity for entrepreneurs to take this well established brand into their communities.”

Future locations for Cool de Sac in 2011 include FairFax, Virginia and Mexico City, Mexico.

About Cool de Sac:

Cool de Sac, located in South Florida, is a place where kids can play, create and explore while parents relax and dine. The family establishment delivers quality cuisine, while offering a fun, safe, and engaging venue for children. Families enjoy a wide variety of games and activities with play areas for art, building blocks, a dress–up salon, a recreational play unit, a computer area, discovery zone, and a tots play area.

Cool de Sac offers a hassle-free party package where on site party specialists will handle the planning, set up, execution and clean up of your child’s special day. For more information about the family entertainment center or to learn more about the opportunity, please visit www.cool-de-sac.com or call (855) 550-2665 (COOL). For the latest information, you can become a fan of Cool de Sac on Facebook.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jessica Levy Kiibler

Levy Communications

305.592.5389 X 104 O

305.592.9443 F

jessica@levyad.com

SOURCE Cool de Sac

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