INDIANAPOLIS — The International Laser Tag Association has created a new division aimed at serving the family entertainment center industry. The formation of the nonprofit National Association of Family Entertainment Centers was announced in mid-November during the IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando, FL. It is expected to grow into a standalone sister association of the laser tag group.

NAFEC presently counts 200 members, all of which are associated with ILTA, which counts 500 members. The organization is offering six months’ free membership to anyone who joins in any of the three membership categories: developer, operator or supplier.

The laser tag association’s board is providing leadership to NAFEC under the direction of ILTA president Davor Franicevich, who owns Laser Tag of Baton Rouge and Laser Tag of New Orleans.

“Once we get the ball rolling, NAFEC may have a life of its own with its own board of directors and separate membership,” said Eric Gaizat, who serves as membership services director for both associations.

The growth of NAFEC’s membership and its development of separate leadership are expected to accelerate during the first quarter of 2011, particularly as the association launches a dedicated insurance program for FEC owners and operators. NAFEC may use ILTA’s insurance company or negotiate policies with a new carrier, Gaizat said.

Gaizat said it’s “premature” for NAFEC to decide if it will produce a trade show, but disclosed that the trade show question is the most frequently asked which is directed to the nascent organization. NAFEC will offer ongoing educational programs, he said.

NAFEC also announced the formation of the Supplier Advisory Council, which includes U-Profit’s Bill Carlson, Amusement Entertainment Management’s Frank Seninsky, Prime Play’s Nathan Jones and Agile Software and Marketing’s Scott Drummond.

Carlson and Seninsky were both members of the International Association for the Leisure and Entertainment Industry, which folded into the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. Both men were vocal critics of IALEI’s merger with IAAPA, which took place in October 2009.

Sources said the Supplier Advisory Council is “very loosely” affiliated with NAFEC. However, any association of Carlson and Seninsky with the new FEC association — no matter how informal or arms-length — is bound to raise questions about whether the faction views itself as a rival to IAAPA for operator loyalty.

NAFEC’s announcement of its birth provided a hint that such an interpretation may not be unwarranted. “Many [FEC] operators are concerned that their ability to be treated as equals with other high-profile members of [IAAPA] is nonexistent,” the new organization claimed. “We know what it is like to be a member of a large association where you are spoken at instead of spoken to. Our objective is to make each member feel important to the industry as a whole by taking the time to work with them individually and use those experiences to assist other members in similar circumstances.”

NAFEC said its mission is “to help our members become better informed through our research, services and communications with all levels of the industry … to provide our members with up-to-date data on safety, operations, marketing, seminars, trade shows and … to give [members] the knowledge and resources to grow their business and increase revenues.”

NAFEC’s launch announcement also said: “Our aim is to be the voice for the small business FECs and provide a forum for operators to share innovative ideas, learn from industry professionals and consultants, develop effective marketing strategies and address industry obstacles.”

Parent association ILTA was formed in 1996. Just over half of ILTA’s membership is based in the United States. National Association of Family Entertainment Centers is online at fecoperator.org and can be reached at (317) 786-9755.

Drummond will be exhibiting at the Leisure International Week in Birmingham, UK in late September and along with 9 other finalist will display his PartyCenterSoftware.com product to be voted on by members of the PPA.  He hopes to bring home top prize for his newly released version of his online party booking and facility management software. “This will be our first year exhibiting at LIW so I am very excited to meet many of our customers in person and if we can bring home the award it will make for one great trip!  I’m just thankful for our customers and all they do to help us grow as a business”, said Drummond.

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PartyCenterSoftware.com is the world leader in online party booking and event management.  From an industry leading webPOS system to our online management tools, we help businesses in the fun industry improve their customer experience, increase revenue and decrease costs.  Some of the top franchises around the world rely on PartyCenterSoftware.com every day to run their facilities.

Scott Drummond started his first digital marketing business in 1998, owned and operated his own fun center for many years and has been a long-time member of the fun industry.   His experience in marketing and software, along with running and operating an FEC, give him a unique and cutting-edge perspective into the life and operations of the fun center world. Through the worldwide use of PartyCenterSoftware.com in almost every size and type of FEC, Drummond collects and analyzes industry data to make his company and software stronger.

SANDUSKY
By Tom Jackson

As amusement park companies go, Cedar Fair is the industry’s juggernaut — it owns 11 amusement parks and six water parks throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Even in Sandusky, home of Cedar Point amusement park, news coverage in recent months has concentrated on Cedar Fair as it mulled an acquisition by New York private equity firm Apollo Global Management.

The deal fell through, leaving Cedar Fair to battle the recession and debt problems.

Which leaves everyone wondering: How is Cedar Point doing?

When Richard “Dick” Kinzel, 69, president, CEO and chairman of Cedar Fair sat down for a “Second Sunday” interview after months of requests, the Register concentrated questions on the local amusement park — Cedar Point, rated “the best amusement park in the world” for 12 years in a row by Amusement Today.

Q: How does Cedar Point fit in your mind in the Cedar Fair empire? Do you still see Cedar Point as the crown jewel, or realistically, is the attention shifting to those parks in the southern U.S., where you have a growing population?

A: No, Cedar Point is our crown jewel and always will be. This is our biggest entity. We have 1,400 hotel rooms. We have four hotels here. Two marinas. We have the largest amusement park in the world here — 17 roller coasters, over 70 rides.

Our top season was 1994. We did 3.6 million (annual visitors). Now we do about 3 million.

We can be a profitable company if we manage our expenses. If we can manage our expenses, and keep our hotels full and give the customer good value, this will always be our crown jewel.

No other park has what we have — Lake Erie, the beach, 1905, Knute Rockne, John Phillips Sousa, the history, the tradition. People have been coming here for years.

Our worst enemy that I worry about is ourselves. We have to keep the quality that people expect to be here.

Q: How disappointing is it to you that Shoot the Rapids opened late? Do you feel the availability of a new ride plays a lot in people’s decisions on coming out, or is it more of a minor blip?

A: It’s a major blip. It was a minor blip until we got to Memorial Day weekend. At that point, the weather’s a little chilly, and a flume ride didn’t have that much appeal. But certainly, once it got delayed and then it got delayed again, that was a major disappointment. As you know, we’ve had some problems with it, from electrical (since the ride launched June 26).

This is not new technology. We’ve had flumes at Cedar Point since 1964. The engineering was done wrong in Germany. We’re trying to correct it. And I got e-mail today from our manufacturer, Intamin, that the problem has been corrected. Hopefully it’s done now, and it’s going to be running correctly the rest of the summer.

Q: What problems have you had?

A: Some of the things we had to compromise with. We intended to have the height restriction at 42 inches. And we raised that to 46 inches. We intended to have more capacity. We had a 10-passenger boat. And because of the problems with the boat, we had to make that an eight-passenger boat. That cuts 20 percent of your capacity. And we’ve had electrical problems.

It certainly has not been because our maintenance department or our people have not worked 24-7 to get this thing in operation. Basically, it’s an engineering problem the manufacturer has had. They’ve assured us they’re going to get it worked out.

It’s very disappointing. You spend $11 million on something; you’re only open 140 days. It’s only been open nine days, and we’ve had a lot of down time.

Q: How has the rise in indoor water parks such as Kalahari and Great Wolf affected you? Is it an overall plus?

A: You know, I think it is. Certainly it hurt Castaway Bay. Because (Kalahari owner) Todd (Nelson) did a really good job with that. They’ve got everything you want in an indoor water park. We’re sort of more of a boutique facility. What we can offer is what they can’t offer — we have early entry into the park and coupons to get into the park and things like that.

They’ve certainly hurt us as far as our occupancy goes (at Castaway Bay). But on the other hand, if people come to stay in Kalahari, they’re certainly going to visit the best amusement park in the world. Along with going to the water park, they’ll still go to Cedar Point.

We welcome all competition in Sandusky. If we can get them into Sandusky, we feel pretty certain our entertainment package is such that they’ll come to Cedar Point.

Q: This is one of my few Cedar Fair questions: Where do you stand on the effort to refinance debt? Is that still on hold until the markets settle down?

A: It really is. Peter Crage and I, our chief financial officer, we hit the road three weeks ago. We were told by our bankers at that time, there was money. The bond markets had loosened up. The money was very reasonable. I’m not exaggerating. The minute we got in to start the road show, within 20 seconds, it was on a Thursday, they told us that the markets had crashed. At that (time), if you remember, Korea, and Israel, and the oil spill was hitting its peak. The markets just went berserk on us. What our advisers are telling us is just to wait, just be patient. We still have until 2012, so we still have time …. We can be patient and we will be patient, because every interest point is a lot of money.

Q: What is Cedar Point’s most successful ride ever? I don’t mean tallest or fastest or scariest — what’s the ride that was such a huge success that you guys said, “Boy, we’re sure glad we put that ride in.”

A: Probably the Magnum XL 200, in 1989, when we put the first 200-foot coaster in. The other one was in 1976, when we put the Corkscrew, the first coaster that did a helix and the 360.

The one that people really talk about is that first 200 foot. Nobody had really done that before …. The Magnum is the one that really made Cedar Point the coaster capital of the world.

When you go back to 1976 when we put the Corkscrew in, that changed the whole dynamics of the amusement park industry.

Q: How does Cedar Point decide what its next new ride is going to be?

A: We visit other parks. We see what’s new in the industry. We talk to other manufacturers. We try to get a feel for what people like, what they don’t like.

All the parks are different. Cedar Point, for example, we mix a family ride in for every other time or every third time. We go for a thrill ride probably two out of three rides. We put a thrill ride in, that really turns the turnstiles.

Q: So I guess the recession sort of slowed down that thrill-ride timetable. What can you tell us about next year’s thrill ride, and when is it likely to be announced?

A: Just backing up a little bit, the flume ride (Shoot the Rapids) was really due to be introduced last year, but the economy turned. Remember that in November of 2008 the banks crashed. We had a pretty good feeling it was going to be a bad year … so we put that off for a year.

It’s going to be a great ride. All thrill rides aren’t coasters. It’s going to be something that I think the teen market is really going to like.

We really plan on announcing that in the middle of August. That’s when we have our season passes for next year. Not especially Cedar Point, but in other parks, the season pass business is so big, we try to get a jump.

Lego Builders At Work

By Channel NewsAsia Malaysia Bureau Chief Melissa Goh | Posted: 09 July 2010 2035 hrs

NUSAJAYA, Malaysia : Asia’s first Legoland targets to attract 1.5 million visitors when it opens its doors at the end of 2012.

Located in Nusa Cermelang industrial park, within the Iskandar New Economic Region, the theme park will boast the tallest lego model in the world.

The backgrounds of the 22 young Malaysians – pioneer model builders for Legoland Malaysia – are diverse, coming from engineering, architecture, and fine arts.

They beat over 800 other job seekers at a recent hiring contest.

In the first round, contestants were given 25 minutes to copy a model of a seahorse.

“It was not difficult to find the people. We were amazed. What we really looking for is creativity obviously, but more so it’s teamwork, it’s the passion and the attitude that the people bring in to their role. That’s what we’re really looking for,” said Tim Burnell, Production Director, Merlin Entertainment.

25-year-old Mohd Firdaus was among the top six, who’ve returned from a short stint at the mother of all Legolands, in Billund, Denmark.

It’s a dream come true for the mechanical engineer, who had his first lego set when he was four.

Over 30 million bricks will go towards making 15,000 models that will be scattered across the 26-hectare theme park.

Being the first in Asia, it will feature many iconic buildings and structures familiar to the region, and in particular to Malaysia.

Work is also in progress to build the tallest model in mini land, but the exact details are still under wraps.

Already its developer, Iskandar investment, is excited. The CEO said when Legoland Malaysia is ready in 2012, it will offer a different experience from other theme parks, including Universal Studios in neighbouring Singapore.

“It would not be seen in competition with attractions that Singapore has, (which) deal with young adults-type of attractions. This is more family-based,” said Arlida Ariff, President/CEO of Iskandar Investment Berhad.

“It inspires people with a toy, and when they go away, they can build what they like with them (lego bricks). It’s a lot more interactive; there will be lego in queue lines and kids can play with it as they go along,” said Burnell. – CNA /ls

There are some huge waves moving through the bowling/FEC industry right now.  These waves have the potential to be extremely positive for both the industry and for the customers.  These waves include some sweeping changes to how the bowling center interacts, attracts and retains their customers.  Bowling centers for years have known that there is a huge potential in the business of parties and events.  It took a few pioneers in the industry to demonstrate that a renewed focus on parties and events could have significant changes to a company’s profitability.  Take CJ Barrymores for example.  They keep reinventing themselves but if you look at the core of what they are selling it is an event or party.  Whether it is a spontaneous party for five friends on a Friday night or a pre planed birthday or corporate event.

Having seen so many successful bowling centers convert to this new style of business is bringing the concept into reality for the masses.  Many centers in this year’s Bowl Expo will be exclusively looking for ways to improve and reinvent their current party and event offerings.  Some centers will need to make large changes to their facility structure and entertainment offerings while other centers can just make slight adjustments to the way in which they promote and deliver their services.  This year will mark a dramatic shift in how the industry views itself and how the customers come to view what they previously knew as “The Bowling Alley”.

Some centers will make minor changes to their name while others will have a completely new brand identity.  Part of reinventing your center requires you to shock your customer a little.  That is shock them out of their old preconceived ideas about your facility and into your newly developed brand.  One of the hardest things to overcome is the stigma of an old dingy bowling center.   Just because you bowled back in the 1980′s doesn’t mean that you will have that same experience now.  The experience now is much grander and far more interactive.   While the first part of the shock is to cast off old notions, the second part is to ignite passion and excitement for your new brand and newly reinvented center.  Making sure you are on point and have your marketing fine tuned is key to every employee and eventually every customer being able to accurately and completely talk about why your facility is so awesome… (That is according to your new brand image!)

The best way to educating your customers and employees on your new mantra is to say it often, post it everywhere and make it part of your daily or hourly routine.    Get both your customers and your employees excited about this change and about the great things to come from this renewed focus.  As soon as you start hearing your customers singing your theme song or chanting your mantra you will know that they understand your vision and have fully embraced you new direction.

These are just a few of the waves that are moving through the bowling and family entertainment industry.  As more and more centers reinvent themselves the industry as a whole will see a renewed interest and vigor from our customer base that we have taken for granted for so long.

See you at this year’s Bowl Expo 2010

“As more and more centers realize the power and profitability of our software they are quick to add it to their marketing efforts.  As customers get further plugged in with their cell phones we have seen a rapid increase in the number of centers around the world are starting to us our software.  We have very big plans for 2010 and should have some amazing new features before the years end”, said Drummond.

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PartyCenterSoftware.com is an online party booking and facility management tool offered by Agile Software and Marketing LLC. The president and creator of the software, Scott Drummond, has vast experience in both the fun industry and in online marketing and applications. Drummond started his first web marketing company in 1998 while the internet was still in its infancy. Growing that company into a full service digital and traditional marketing firm help him understand all aspects of advertising and promotion. In the early 2000′s he took over an indoor family entertainment center that was owed by a partner of his from another venture. Seeing that there was no affordable or comprehensive solution for the smaller operators he set out to build an application that could be used by everyone no matter what the size. Now years later this software is used around the world in both large and small companies. Some of the notable companies are America’s Incredible Pizza Company, Putting Edge Entertainment, Adventuredome Theme Park, Dorney Park, Kings Island, LEGOLAND, SeaLife Aquarium, California’s Great Adventure, Kidspace Adventure Park, Eddie Catz Ltd and many more… For more information about the software you can contact PartyCenterSoftware.com at 888-804-1166 or visit www.PartyCenterSoftware.com

I believe that most people that read this newsletter are leaders, supervisors, owners, and influencers of some kind. We all influence or have some leadership roles with someone or ones in our lives. How are you showing up when it comes to leadership?

Whether you believe in scripture or not, Exodus provides great insight to the visual presence of leadership. Exodus 13:21 says that God lead his people out of Egypt with a cloud by day and fire by night. When I read this scripture it struck me that leadership has a real presence that others can see. It takes different shape depending on the situation.

In the fast paced world we live in, people move in and out of our businesses very quickly. Those that show themselves as leaders demand to be promoted. Our young leaders today have a confidence that they can get the job done, but may lack the wisdom of what leadership looks like. Oh wait, that can apply to mature leaders too!
I don’t know that I’m an expert in what leadership looks like but I have noticed that these 5 things inspire others to follow:

1. CARE: Great leaders show that they care. John Maxwell teaches servant leadership; and I have a personal philosophy that we are all in service to one another. As a leader, respect is earned and grows out of respecting others. When leaders express care and concern for the well being of their team and their guests great things happen.

2. ACCOUNTABILITY: Great leaders hold themselves and others accountable. It can be difficult to do the right thing all the time. However, leaders that stand by their own standards and live up to their own expectations, have the right to expect the same from others. It may seem ok to let this or that slide, but the minute you do that things become slippery with everyone and everything. Accountability requires discipline, confrontation, and established standards.

3. LISTENING: Leaders definitely need to give orders and share the plan. They are directive and need to make decisions even if they are wrong. However, great leaders place a great emphasis on listening. When we listen to our front line staff and to the customer, they can help our businesses be more than they could be if we try to do it all ourselves. A leader has one perspective and one voice – their own. When we put the voice of the team into play many great things can happen.

4. MOTIVATION: Great leaders have the ability to motivate and inspire others to do what they are doing. When you get others to help you execute the mission at hand, the job becomes more fun. This motivation helps others get creative. Duplicating your own effort is the only way to build your business. While the ultimate vision is the leader’s responsibility, the how to get there can be shared with the team. Motivating that team to get the business to the next level is a characteristic that must be part of every member of your leadership team.

5. EXUDES CONFIDENCE: Great leaders look the part. They carry themselves in a way that says I’m in charge. It’s not arrogance or pride. It’s simple really. Your clothes are pressed. Your shoulders are back. You stand tall. You look engaged by looking people in the eye. You are available. You step up when others walk away or avoid a situation. You show up.

In closing, I’d like to know what your greatest leadership challenges are. We have many respected leaders that participate in this newsletter and have access to our blog. Please use the comment section below to take the time to post your leadership challenges or victories.

Trainertainment
1166 Country Club Lane, Suite 9
Fort Worth, TX 76112
Phone and Fax: 817-886-4840

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something … boo! With warm weather in the forecast, theme parks are opening around the country, taking advantage of the latest technology to unveil new attractions, update old favorites and create more immersive experiences.

“You’re dealing with a generation now that’s grown up with video games as opposed to just TV and movies,” says Robert Niles, editor of ThemeParkInsider.com. “They’re used to a certain level of interactivity with their entertainment.”

Depending on your tastes and travel plans, the following parks are definitely putting the active in interactive:

Six Flags Great America
This weekend, the popular park in Gurnee, Ill., will unveil MagiQuest, the first theme-park-based outlet of the popular live-action/interactive attraction. Upon entering the 10,000-square-foot game space, visitors can purchase a “magic” (okay, wireless-equipped) wand that unlocks more than 80 special effects. Along they way, they tackle challenges, navigate multiple game levels and try to defeat the dragon and save the princess. Open weekends through May 9, then daily May 12–Aug. 29.

Kings Island
Long known for its kid-friendly focus, this park in Mason, Ohio, heads into ghostbuster territory with Boo Blasters on Boo Hill, its newest interactive ride. Rolling through various dungeons and graveyards, riders are confronted by legions of ghosts and demons, but can fight back courtesy of their car-mounted lasers. Optional 3-D glasses enhance the effects while scoreboards track your boo-blasting ability. Open Friday–Sunday through May 23, then daily through the summer.

Silver Dollar City

Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, this 1880s-style theme park in Branson, Mo., honors Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn and water fighters everywhere with a new, $7 million ride called Tom & Huck’s RiverBlast.
Legoland plans to open a new 5.5-acre water park by Memorial Day.
Guests board eight-person rafts and ride down a 570-foot river channel, doing super-soaker battle with passengers on other rafts, shore-based sharpshooters and targets that occasionally shoot back. At the end, a giant drier is available to blow everybody dry. The park is open Wednesday–Sunday through May 16, then daily.

Legoland
This soon-to-debut water park at Legoland California may not be interactive in the usual sense, but it’ll definitely be immersive. Occupying 5.5 acres at the north end of the resort, the attraction will feature water slides for one to six people, a zoo-themed water play area for toddlers and a variety of LEGO characters that spray and splash water. Guests will also be able to float a lazy river on rafts they design themselves. Management hopes to open the floodgates for Memorial Day.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Transatlantic airfare not in the budget this year? If so, the new Europe in the Air attraction at Busch Gardens Williamsburg may be the next best thing. Combining a 59-seat motion simulator and large high-definition screen, visitors will find themselves swooping over the likes of Stonehenge, Neuschwanstein Castle and the Colosseum. Alas, although the park is currently open — Friday–Sunday through May 30, then daily through Labor Day — Europe in the Air won’t take flight until sometime next month.

INTERACTIVE
The world’s wackiest theme parks
These pioneering playgrounds are stepping further into the realm of the bizarre.

Disneyland
He’s ba-a-a-ck. Thirteen years after he left the stage at Tomorrowland, Michael Jackson’s space-age alter ego Captain EO has returned to Disneyland. A groundbreaking achievement at the time (brought to you by George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola no less), the 17-minute 3-D movie will serve as a nostalgia trip for some, an introduction for others and a chance to see the late King of Pop before he became Wacko Jacko.

Universal Studios Hollywood
Speaking of return engagements, another iconic character will make a comeback this summer when Universal Studios unveils King Kong 360 3-D, the high-tech successor to the animatronic attraction destroyed by fire in 2008. As part of the studio’s tram tour, guests will encounter physical stimuli (wind, water, gorilla breath), 3-D effects (flying raptors and snarling dinosaurs) and, of course, the big fella himself as he does battle with that toothsome T. rex. Alas, the official opening is a vague “Summer 2010.”

Patriot Place
Although it’s not a theme park per se, this shopping, dining and entertainment complex in Foxborough, Mass., is going interactive this summer with Espionage, an hour-long, walk-through adventure experience set to open in July. Working in groups, visitors role-play as secret agents in order to solve puzzles, complete tasks and undertake missions that change based on their decisions. A second immersive experience based on Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is expected to go live in August.

Universal Orlando
Finally, unless you’ve been living in utter Muggle oblivion, you’ve probably heard about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the new attraction dedicated to everybody’s favorite boy wizard. Located at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, it’ll feature, among other things, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, a combination tour/ride that will take visitors through the halls of Hogwarts, past the Whomping Willow and into the thick of things in a hotly contested Quidditch match. The magic — actually, it’s advanced robotics and 360-degree filmmaking — begins June 18.

Read it here

Attendance at theme parks in the United Kingdom rose 12 percent between 2004 and 2009, and revenue increased 27 percent, according to a market research organization. Average per capita revenue increased from £20 (US$30.75) in 2004 to £23 (US$35.31) last year. Merlin Entertainments dominates the U.K. industry, with its attractions accounting for almost 60 percent of admissions and 70 percent of revenues.

Revenue growth has outstripped rising admissions as operators make the most of the trend to visit attractions in the UK.

A recent ad campaign to promote the delights of Blackpool made full use of the similarity between its famous Tower and the somewhat bigger one in Paris to which it was built in homage. But there has always been more to the Lancashire seaside resort than Victorian engineering, and now its attractions are to be regenerated. Merlin Entertainments, the UK’s leading theme park operator, is being brought in to help with the process.
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The company, which counts Legoland, Alton Towers and the London Dungeon among its portfolio of attractions, posted strong results for 2009 – like-for-like sales up more than 6% year on year – despite delaying plans for stock market flotation.

Indeed, the theme park industry has come through the recession relatively unscathed: between 2004 and 2009 revenues grew by 27%, according to Mintel, with admissions up 12% over the same period.

Revenue growth has outstripped admissions as operators have added extras to increase revenue potential from visitors. As a result, people have increased their spending on premium tickets or virtual queuing options to avoid long waits for the rides.

Last year, theme park revenues reached £315m, with admissions at 13.8m. The average revenue per visitor has increased from £20 in 2004 to £23 last year. However, people are being more cautious with secondary spending once inside the parks: it dipped slightly as visitors have been bringing in their own food rather than using the restaurants on site, as well as cutting back on souvenirs.

The sector has benefited from sustained investment from the operators and has been well-placed to make the most of the trend for cash-strapped consumers to stay in the UK for their holidays in the form of more day trips and shorter breaks. Holidays in the UK, by UK residents, increased 17% in the year to October 2009, according to VisitEngland, while outbound travel by UK residents declined by 15%.

With families providing the backbone of visitors to theme parks, peak activity centres on two key trading periods -the Easter and summer school holidays. Advertising spend and promotion are, accordingly, focused on these periods, as the winter weather in the UK means that most outside attractions have to close down during those months.

The market benefits from high numbers of repeat visitors: 23% of those who visited a park in 2009 were returning visitors.

Higher overheads, such as electricity prices and staffing costs, have had an impact on the attractions’ operating margins. Staffing levels are high in theme parks and wage bills and staffing costs account for 20%-33% of turnover.

Although a high number of attractions compete with theme parks, there are fewer than 20 major parks in the UK. However, those in the South East in particular face added competition from European parks; Disneyland Paris attracts more UK visitors than most domestic parks except Alton Towers.

Merlin Entertainments dominates the UK scene, with its parks accounting for almost 60% of admissions and 70% of revenues. It has invested in its attractions with new rides, and its strategy of providing accommodation has also proved popular – all its parks now have a hotel or are seeking planning permission to add one.

Its Alton Towers park is the most popular in the UK – more than half of all adults have visited – followed by Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures and Legoland.

Flamingo Land, the combined theme park and zoo in North Yorkshire, is the biggest independent operator. Meanwhile, Drayton Manor in Staffordshire added Thomas Land, based on the Tank Engine character, to its park in 2008 to appeal to younger children and extend its season; as a result, admissions and revenue jumped by a third in 2008.

Looking at future growth of the market, by 2014 Mintel predicts visitor numbers will reach 15m – up 9% on 2009 – and revenue will reach £374m. Although this equates to a 19% rise in revenue over the five-year period, when inflation is taken into account it means the market remains static.

Read it here

We will be in a large 20×20 booth. Our booth number is #1012.  Take a minute to find our booth here . Scroll down to PartyCenterSoftware.com. Find our booth on the floor plan and stop by at the show!

Location
Orange County Convention Center
Orlando, Florida, USA

Conference: Monday – Friday, November 15-19, 2010
Trade Show: Tuesday – Friday, November 16-19, 2010

For more information on the Expo visit IAAPA

1.5 days of Party Training Fun including training for group sales and everything birthdays!

When: March 23-24, 2010
Where: Boomers in Irvine
3405 Michelson Drive
Irvine, CA 92612

See the full flyer here

by Frank “The Crank” Seninsky

Bowling centers have always had games, but not like this. In the past few years, cutting-edge bowling centers have increasingly undergone “Extreme Location Makeovers” (to paraphrase the title of ABC’s hit TV show).

Today’s bowling centers are installing coin-operated games (primarily redemption equipment) and traditional FEC attractions front and center because they have realized the earnings potential of this genre. In mixed-use bowling/FEC sites, amusement games along can generate $200,000 to $750,000 gross incremental income annually. In larger facilities, fame revenues can exceed $1 million.

These figures have caught the bowling industry’s attention, since league play has seen a steady decline in recent decades.

The industry’s new catchphrase, “casual bowling” is replacing the dated “open play” title. Two years ago at Bowl Expo, Joe Schumacker, president of the Bowling Proprietors Association of America, showed a revenue vs. time graph of league and open play revenue. He pointed out the month and year where the “open play uphill revenue curve” crossed the “league bowling downhill revenue curve,” and predicted that the figures would continue moving away from each other over the next several years. Joe’s graph and prediction, etched in my mind, has been right on target.

Aging 1960s-era bowling facilities are remaking themselves, and new facilities are being built at a rate of approximately 1200 lane beds yearly – and both are focusing on amusement facilities as much as bowling lanes. Lanes still take up more square footage, but it’s no longer a 90% to 10% square-footage ratio. Importantly, management knows that amusements contribute greatly to the bottom line – even though bowling remains the anchor attraction.

A related trend is that bowling itself is making a comeback. Statistics show that more then 70 million Americans bowl each year; statistics aren’t available for how many Americans visit an FEC each year. But in my mind, these figures indicate that the bowling-FEX transition will continue the foreseeable future.

Food and beverage sales increase substantially when you run a bowling center with an FEC. The combination also provides a great dynamic, because many bowling centers have liquor licenses. By adding the amusement component, you create the ultimate win-win situation: a bowling-anchored FEC wrapped around an adult entertainment center.

Today, new bowling centers typically have 24 to 36 new lanes (with four or more lanes separated and labeled as “VIP” lanes). At 1,200 lanes yearly, that means we’re seeing up to 40 new centers arriving each year – one every nine days – at a cost of $6 to $12 million each.

The amusements industry can view these trends as a threat or an opportunity. This summer’s vibrant Bowl Expo took place in June at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. It drew more than 5,000 visitors and had the greatest participation by amusement manufactures, distributors and operators I’ve seen yet – all viewing the industry’s transformation as an opportunity. These industry pros market themselves as experts who can help drive the newly discovered amusement dollars.

My redemption seminar at Bowl Expo was a standing-room-only affair, with more than 100 participants. I walked away from the show with 79 new business prospects, all wanting help adding to or expanding FECs in their bowling centers.

Interestingly, the revenue of the “bowling-incorporates-FEC” trend is also taking place. A growing number of FECs are installing six to 10 regulation bowling lanes as amusement attractions, and adding mini-bowling lanes as coin-op attractions.

Many existing bowling centers see one problem with adding an FEC component: a lack of space to create a good-size fun center. Most older bowling centers have the same basic setup: a small gameroom with a dozen games (mostly video and cranes), a snack bar, a pro shop, a manager’s office and a billiards area. Until recently, they have avoided redemption, shrugging their shoulders while saying, “We don’t have space.”

Things are now different. My team finds bowling center executives receptive after explaining how we can create the space necessary. It can be done by moving the pro shop and the manager’s office, which often hog the prime spots in the facility. We can find even more square footage by knocking down non-bearing and half walls. We can expand available room for family amusements by removing non-earning or low-earning pool tables (pool income has dropped 60% in some bowling centers because of smoking bans). We can open more footage by eliminating lockers, and by transforming the central desk where people rent lanes, to double as a redemption prize counter. When we suggest these changes, the response is often: “Okay, let’s all do that.”

In some cases – actually, in many cases – we suggest an even more radical step. We recommend removing a few of the “sacred cows” – the bowling lanes. A few years ago, this would have been sacrilege. Today, progressive executives know that this remodeling can actually increase revenues from the remaining lanes. Why? Because a bowling anchored FEC will attract a wider demographic than a traditional bowling center, and this wider demographic is willing to spend more money per visit than the traditional league bowler.

This seems obvious in retrospect, but to some bowling executives locked in the old mindset, it’s a difficult concept to wrap the mind around. As Einstein once said, “Genius is the art of recognizing the obvious.” Why does building up the FEC component result in a broader demographic and thus, more earnings for a bowling center?

The answer is simple: Expanding to redemption games means that you are now in the birthday party business, the group sales business, and lock-in party business (think Prom Night) and the “fun business.”

If redemption and family trade is the secret of the bowling center renaissance, the all-powerful American Mom – world’s most influential consumer – is the secret behind the secret. Bowling center managers used to say, “I don’t want little kids running around my facility. I don’t want my center looking like a carnival. I don’t want birthday parties because the noise would bother my league bowlers.” Now more successful bowling executives say, “I want all the family business we can get.”

The number of bowling leagues and their volume of revenue have both been declining for many years. But it probably takes any industry 10 years before recognizing and admitting it has a problem – this holds true for amusement industry, skating industry and other single-anchor leisure industries. It’s now obvious to the “geniuses” of the leisure market that, while league play remains an important segment, it’s no longer the main money generator.

Leagues used to control every bowling center in America. They demanded when they wanted to bowl, and management caved in because league captains said if they didn’t get exclusive lane access of Friday nights and all weekend, they would take their patronage elsewhere. Bowling executives now can tell league captains, “If you want to go elsewhere, fine. But if you want to bowl here, you must run your leagues on my slow nights, because weekends are for open play – since that is where I make most of my money.”

We have seen a drastic attitude shift from bowling center executives. Their new outlook is based on “catering to customers and giving them what the want,” not “giving customers what the bowling center thinks they should have.” They are not only installing FEC components, but also taking an aggressive stance toward marketing, online promotions and technology. Furthermore, they have made Cosmic Bowling (with blacklights and huge video monitors) a late-night staple for teens and 20-somethings. As a result, many bowling centers now stay open – and busy – until 2:00AM.

The industry’s leading executives also realize that a birthday party does not have to include two games of bowling, which was a mandatory part of the package until a few years ago. This policy cost the centers a great deal of potential business. I have seen young children actually cry at birthday parties over this issue; the kids bowled three frames (all gutterballs) and then lost interest. But parents insisted that (because they had paid for it) that the kids must continue to bowl “or else.” Now, there is a much bigger buck to be made by putting emphasis on games and FEC attraction, and letting the kids bowl as much (or as little) as they wish.

Once space for amusements opens up in a bowling center, what should be installed beside redemption games and a prize counter? Where feasible, it’s a good idea to put in FEC attractions. Popular choices include soft modular play arenas like Ballocity, made by Prime Play (a division of Whitewater Industries), which is a “dry waterpark” version of the tipping bucket made of nerf-type balls. Other successful elements include laser tag, rock climbing walls, bumper cars and kiddie rides, among a host of other FEC components and attractions.

Growth and change in the bowling industry is taking place largely, although far from exclusively, in new standalone facilities and smaller local chains – and it is lead by a new generation of owners and executives.

Larger chains are slowly catching up, but it’s a challenge because the investment required to transform hundreds of centers can be staggering. But the Bowling Proprietors Association of America does have a Young Guns Committee of up-and-comers (the sons and daughters of the “old guard”) who are leading the charge to revamp and upgrade the classic American bowling center.

This dramatic change that embraces FECs is occurring against a backdrop of a somewhat stagnating base of independent, mom-and-pop bowling center owners. They resemble many of today’s amusement machine operators. They entered the business 30, 40 or 50 years ago. They are risk-averse and many are looking forward to retirement. (To a bowling proprietor or to an operator, “retirement” could mean only working 40 hours weekly.) They may not want to hear new ideas, and may strongly resist changing how they do business.

Instead – again, like many older operators – their plan is to keep doing what they’ve always done on what they’ve got and sell the business a few years down the line. In many cases, the real estate they’re sitting on is more valuable than the bowling business. Others are signatories to 30-year leases that are about to expire, and the landlords have other plans for the property.

But these grizzled bowling executives also share one powerful strength with the established, older generation of successful: their debt is low. They can get money for expansion easily, in the form of a lone of credit for $500,000 or $1 million in 24 hours or less. Few entrepreneurs who seek to enter the bowling of FEC business for the first time can command that kind of capital.

In addition, they know how to read a P&L sheet, and know that when a new-generation bowling executive opens an FEC-style bowling center across town, the drop in revenues isn’t a fluke. They know they can either upgrade and compete or advance their retirement plans by a few years.

This understanding can often encourage older owners to draw upon and invest this readily available capital. When that happens, they make great partners for a consultant or a forward-thinking operator who knows how to add a profitable FEC component. Otherwise, the older generation can sell their facilities to the young guns, who will happily “green-light” an amusements-oriented makeover.

FEC specialists who market themselves to bowling centers should be prepared to overcome many preconceived notions. Among them:
• Bowling is the reason the center exist.
• League bowlers control the house.
• We have no space for games.
• Games bring in the wrong element.
• Videogames and traditional street operators are the only option for coin-op.
• We serve alcohol and we don’t want little kids around.
• My videogames are bringing in $300 to $600 every two weeks, so amusement income is maximized; it’s impossible for a single game to make $200 a week.
• We operate on quarters; what are tokens?

Fortunately, there are answers to these objections. Most of them are spelled m-o-n-e-y, and there is plenty to go around for forward-thinking bowling executives and amusement professionals alike. It’s time to strike out and look for that perfect game.

Webinar is sponsored by Redemption Plus

My answer is: “sorry, we have no way to do that, but our tickets never expire so you can save them for your next visit.” I might even add: “Here’s ten tickets to add to your total.” Its better yet if I can promote my FEC’s “Super Savers” or other “VIP” club where the customer can receive elite status at a certain annual and/or lifetime ticket total.

I always advise not to sell items for three main reasons:
1) Redemption is a fantasy world of fun and excitement with its own currency-tickets. By letting people buy, the experience is diminished.
2) We generally set up our clients to run at a 15% cost of sales or less. In the retail world thats a markup of 6.7; Toys in the retail world average a markup of 3. Why trade a markup of 6.7 for a markup of 3?
3) A good redemption program is designed to promote the saving of tickets. Redemption then becomes a loyalty program for the facility. If people are saving your tickets then, when they and their family or friends decide to go out and bowl or play games, they’ll pick your FEC since they are building your tickets.

Allowing them to buy in goes against all of these goals.

At the same time we recommend a liberal policy for situations like this: a little kid has 20 tickets, Dad is standing over him (often impatiently cause Dad’s ready to go) and the kid wants the 25 ticket item. Dad asks- can I pay the difference? We recommend that the redemption pro say “that won’t be necessary, we’re glad you came today so please let us make up the difference.” Using the economics we set up for our clients, those 5 tickets cost you 2.5 cents and you’ve probably made a customer for life-plus, its taken care of in the rounding of your price points.

Obviously you have to have well trained employees to do this judiciously.

You will notice that paintball birthday parties for 10 year olds always seem to have a younger brother or sister that wants to join the party. I had my boys playing at 5 and 7 years old. No problem, you will need some extra guidelines for training purposes and how to run the games.

You will need at least 2 refs on the field, and I would recommend at least 2 parents on the field to help, the more the merrier. Why you ask? You want the parents to interact with their kids and to assist in refereeing to make sure the masks stay down and the kids have a good time. You will want your refs telling the kids where to shoot, when to shoot, when to hide and not to allow the kids to advance past the 40 yd line.

You provide chest protectors, neck protectors, two pod packs and gloves for all participants besides the mask. Kids look like they are on Star Wars which is cool! Why you ask? If the kids feel no pain during play they will want to come back sooner. It also shows that you care about the safety of the game for all players. Why the 2 pod pack? Protection for the groin area and to hold extra paint, I will get to that later. You might want to have beanie hats to purchase if the child has a real small head to assist in fitting the masks.

You tape off the field so that the kids can not go past the 40 yard line with caution tape. Why you ask? This is to provide a visual safety barrier for the kids and adults.

Ok, you do not play capture the flag with kids, you play a time limit, 10 minute games. They do not care, the just want to pull the trigger and shoot. You can have a target, 3 ft x 3 ft on a pole that you move from left side to right side of the field, one for each side and count the number of hits on the target for which team wins that game. Move the target from right side to left side to allow all the kids a chance to shoot the target. Clean the hits off the targets after each game. They still can get shot out by the opposing team so they have to stay behind the bunkers.

Do not allow them to cross the 40 yard line, this provides at least 60-90 feet of distance to allow the paintballs to lose velocity. Have the guns chronographed at 250 fps for the kids party.

Now how do you make money? Well our birthday package was $255 for 10 kids with one case of paint included. Filling up the 10 hoppers used the first case of paint. Then the kids wanted paint for the two pod packs so the parents would purchase another case of paint as all the kids would want to be equal. Now our experience was that our refs would coach the kids on when to move to another bunker, when to shoot, when to stay protected as someone was shooting at them, when to look left or right. The kids would jump from behind the bunker, shoot 5-10 shots, jump behind the bunker again and never hit anything but LOVED the experience. Of course they would ask the refs “Did I hit them?” I do not think that an opposing team was ever hit, sometimes they shot their own players in the back and sometimes the refs or netting got shot! The kids would go crazy on the trigger and empty the hopper, then the two pods and run out of paint EVERY game. So the parents would buy another case of paint! Some parties ended up with 4-5 cases of paint as the kids were having so much fun and screaming with laughter, the parents were able to see their kids having fun so the cost of the extra paint was usually covered by different parents.

Our refs received nice tips because the kids were well taken care of. The refs would clean the kids up if there was paint or splatter, clean the goggles between play, fill up the hoppers so all the kids would be ready to play in 10 minutes. Quick turnaround allowed the kids to play several games in the 1-2 hour time frame of the birthday party. Of course special attention was given to the birthday child with a t shirt and all the staff acknowledging the birthday child.

We designed a pvc netted bunker for the referees and parents to stand inside of to protect them from being hit by stray balls. Go to www.weekendwarriorsportz.com to see that product. They worked out great!

Now every party purchased at least one more case of paint. So you had at least $55 extra in paint purchases, the refs made sure that they were getting liquids, most parents purchased Gatorade or water for their kids, so figure another $10 in drinks. So your party for 10 brought in $255 + $55 + $10= $320. Your cost basis, 2 refs at $10 hr for 4 hours (includes set up and clean up) $80 + 2 cases of paintballs $35 = $70 plus Co2 $5 and a birthday tshirt with your field name on it $10 totals $165. Your net income for one birthday party with 10 kids $320 – $165 = $155 for 1-2 hours. You should be able to do a minimum of 2 per day, that brings in $620 each weekend in profit, times 30 weekends per year is $18,600 per year. Now that gives you 10 kids for your database with each party which totals 1200 players wit birthdays that you can market to……….. what if they purchase some paintball products from you???

Now there are a zillion kids 5-9 that you have not tapped into for your business, do it safely, and you will LOVE the repeat business and the increased income.

Larry Cossio has been the leader in insurance for the paintball industry for over 12 years. He has owned a paintball field and a family fun center that had paintball so he brings first hand knowledge to the table.

http://www.paintballinsurance.com/

Larry Cossio
Cossio Insurance Agency
107 Old Laurens Rd
Simpsonville, SC 29681
864-688-0121
864-688-0138 fax
larry@cossioinsurance.com