This blog post is an extract from Bob Cooney’s 2022 VR Buyer’s Guide. The guide is available for free download from The VR Collective Circle.
Add Up to $150K Per Year in Party Revenue
Birthday parties are the lifeblood of any FEC. Over the last couple of years, savvy operators use VR attractions to dramatically increase birthday party revenue.
Beth Standlee from TrainerTainment suggests that FECs limit birthday party offerings to three packages. This eliminates decision paralysis and makes it easy to buy.
Then the key becomes getting people to buy the top package. This is where a VR attraction comes in. Urban Air uses its VR Portal attraction to drive people to their platinum package, increasing the spend by $7 per child. During a year this adds $50-150K in revenue.
The best VR attraction for the birthday party market is the Spree Arena. Itâs specifically designed to appeal to kids 4-12 years old, which according to Party Center Software represents 74% of birthday parties.
Spreeâs games last about three minutes each and can accommodate 10 players at once. Parties can play
together without having to break into smaller groups. An FEC can easily put 100 kids an hour through the system, handling as many birthday parties as you could throw at it.
If you have at least two party rooms, you can host 26 parties in a weekend. Over a year thatâs 1300 parties with 13,000 kids. At $7 each thatâs $91K of additional potential revenue.
Birthday Party Kids Make Up Generation Alpha
Gen A is the newest label created by demographers. It includes anyone born after 2010 â making the oldest about 12 years old. Theyâre the first generation born fully in the 21st century. Theyâve never known a time without smartphones, iPads, or online games.
Generation Alpha will learn, play, and interact in new ways than any generation before them. They rely on technology to discover the world.
That last point might be controversial. I am extending the term âmetaverseâ to include online worlds like Fortnite, Roblox, and Rec Room. Donât get stuck on the terminology. Whatâs important to recognize is these kids love being in online worlds with their friends. Why not offer them the unique opportunity to experience the ultimate online world playing with their friends on one of the most important days of their year?
Adding virtual reality to your party packages will separate you from your competition, increase your revenue, and most importantly, make a birthday kidâs important day more memorable.
For more articles like this, download Bob’s free VR Buyer’s Guide from The VR Collective Circle.
