How To Evaluate The Effectiveness of Attractions & Offerings

In the family entertainment business, it is really important to consistently assess the effectiveness of your attractions and offerings. A park or FEC cannot be successful if it doesn't change to suit the guests' needs.?

Using Your Data Analysis Programs

I've discussed many times the immeasurable value of data. Regardless of what type of analysis programs you use, the data collected can help your company thrive! It's important to pay attention to the current demographics and learn what it is that your guests love the most about your facility and then use it to your benefit.?

This means that you must evaluate what the guest uses and enjoys. What attractions, rides, and arcade games are used the most? Do your guests only use a few of the attractions, rides, and arcade games? Are there some rides, attractions, and arcade games that never get used??

If you find that some of these items do not get used often, or at all, you should be making plans to remove them to make room for something new and exciting for your guests. Keep it fresh! New items always excite the curiosity in our customers. When you pick something new think about trendy and more up-to-date items to offer. This will not only keep your loyal guests coming back but it will likely attract new guests as well if marketed properly.?

You should conduct evaluations at least annually but semi-annually is better to stay on top of the guest experience. Simply reviewing the tracking data collected can show you the number of times that your guests use each attraction, ride, or arcade game.?

Another great tip to remember is to reposition your items. This is to keep the atmosphere and offerings fresh for your guests. Games, redemption items, tables & chairs, and anything that is moveable should be changed around. Think about the stores where you shop, they do the same thing to attract more attention to items they want to sell.?

Monitor the Competition!

It's always a good idea to visit your competition. Walk around, get a feel for the atmosphere and pay attention to what their customers use the most and get the most enjoyment out of. Do you have these types of attractions that are getting the most attention? If their customers are having more fun, try to find the difference in their facility vs. yours.?

This is not only a great way to evaluate the rides, attractions, and arcade games that you offer your guests, but it also gives you a perspective on the atmosphere and overall customer experience that is provided by your competition.?

3 Main Categories

Your park or FEC should have three primary categories into which your attractions, rides, and arcade games should fall. This helps to keep it simple. There's no need to over-complicate things especially when it comes to the importance of evaluating your facility and what it offers to your guests.?

1. Top 20% – These are the stellar items that keep bringing the guests back in.?
2. Middle 60% – Average use, or “good” rides, attractions, and games that act as a “filler.” Although they do the job of keeping guests entertained while they wait for access to the more popular attractions, you may still want to pull them out at some point in the future.?
3. Bottom 20% – These are the hardly used items. They need to be removed as soon as possible. Shutting them off to save electricity and labor until you can replace them is a good idea. However, you don’t want your guests to say that any part of your park or FEC is not operational. So, if you are going to turn them off, they should be removed out of sight.

Optimizing Your Evaluations

The trick is to be reviewing your current rides, attractions, and arcade games consistently. Monitoring the use and popularity of these items constantly will help you stay ahead of your competition.?

The goal is to keep your loyal guests coming back and to attract new guests to try your facility over the competition in your area. Once you have determined what items are still making money and which items need to go, then you’ll have the task of finding new items to bring in.

One way to decide what new ride, attraction, or game to offer your guests is to read the industry journals of new products utilized in other locations and countries. This can give you insight as to how popular the items are and what it would take for you to bring them into your facility.?

This process in itself is quite involved. It's not merely about the cost of the new equipment, the popularity, and the potential of bringing in more revenue, it also must encompass the cost of labor, electricity, maintenance, and other important aspects. But, you’ll have a good idea of whether or not the new item will be beneficial to your park or FEC.

07-09-22

Tim Murphy is CEO of APX Operating Company, dba Boomers Parks, under the ownership of Cerberus private equity ($55B assets). Boomers Parks owns six family entertainment centers and two water parks with locations in California, Florida, and New Jersey.

?As CEO of Boomers Parks since 2020, Tim took these eight parks from bankruptcy to profitability in just a year – in the middle of a global pandemic. When Boomers acquired these parks, they were operating at a $10 million loss. Tim transformed the customer experience and added new revenue streams to generate a 180% increase in revenue in 2021 (and on track to be a 250% increase in 2022).

?Tim launched his 35+ year career at Walt Disney World and has since served more than 150 entertainment, restaurant, and food & beverage brands across more than 10,000 locations in C-suite and senior positions.

Additionally, Tim is a Board Director with Coney Park, Happy City and YuKids - Family Entertainment & Amusement Parks, part of The Carlyle Group ($275B assets), a private equity firm that operates 150+ family entertainment centers and amusement parks in Latin America.?

Tim has worked with top-tier entertainment and restaurant brands including Disney, Rebounderz Trampoline Parks, Darden Restaurants (Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze, etc.), Red Lobster, Jimmy John’s, Applebee’s, Sonny’s Bar-B-Q, Denny’s, El Pollo Loco, Hardee’s, Golden Corral, and Firehouse Subs.

Tim has overseen more than 35 purchase transactions involving over 1,200 restaurants, stores, and park locations.? With extensive experience in buying and selling businesses, handling negotiations with buyers and sellers, and creating strategic partnerships to build strong brands, Tim has facilitated deals ranging from $11 million to $350 million+.

Tim is a member of IAAPA, CAPA, FAA, AAMA & WWA. He is a licensed commercial real estate broker in the State of Florida. Tim earned a BS/BA in Accounting from the University of Central Florida and an MBA in Finance from Orlando College.