Archive for September, 2011
Business Strategies: New Innovations in Lighting for Leisure Entertainment Facilities
September 26, 2011 No CommentsOwners and operators of leisure entertainment facilities are paying increased attention to their lighting systems. In some cases, illumination is becoming a contributor to the visitor experience and, in many cases, a way to attract a broader range of customers. In others, lighting retrofit initiatives are being undertaken in an effort to conserve energy and ...
Read more...The Latest Special Effects at Leisure Entertainment Facilities
September 21, 2011 No CommentsIncreasingly, leisure entertainment facilities of all types are using a variety of special effects to keep guests entertained. Nowhere is this more evident than at haunted attractions. Jason’s Woods Haunted Attractions in Lancaster, Pa. features nine different attractions: Horrifying Hayride, Barn of Terror, Pirates Revenge 3D, Mystery Maze, Macabre Museum, Pitch Black, Psycho Circus, Escape ...
Read more...Customer Service Lessons from Goats
September 21, 2011 4 CommentsCustomer Service! Everyone has a customer service story. So do I. However, I hope to give you an angle that you may not have encountered. Understanding the Problem My brother, Warren, and I were managing a western amusement park in California. We received a call that there was a guest complaint at our petting zoo. ...
Read more...Tips to Improve Your Business Outlook: Serving the Youngest Patrons at Waterparks
September 12, 2011 No CommentsWhile toddlers and preschoolers may not be the primary target audience for waterparks, savvy waterpark operators are going the extra mile to accommodate such young patrons in an effort to maintain a competitive edge. Their rationale: Families with children of different ages want to frequent a waterpark that offers something other than a wading pool ...
Read more...The Relevance of Tokens and Tickets in a Cashless Society
September 6, 2011 No CommentsFrom credit and debit cards, to electronic gift cards, to payment by mobile phone, society is becoming increasingly cashless. Such a trend has extended to leisure entertainment facilities, with stored-value cards replacing tokens on the game operation side and redemption often handled with plastic cards instead of tickets. However, tokens and tickets alike continue to ...
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Just for the Kids
Keeping the Fun Child-centered at Mini-Golf and Go-Kart Facilities
September 1, 2011
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A large part of making your attraction family friendly is to ensure that you find ways to make it a place where kids want to be. Being a kid-centric destination starts by not overlooking the basics. Here’s how some industry professionals are making sure that their operations appeal to younger people by keeping them not ...
Read more...Talking Turkey:
How Bowling Centers Improve the Outlook for Food and Beverage Sales
September 1, 2011
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Bowlers know what they go to the bowling center for. Whether they think further to include a meal may hinge on the venue’s presentation, what’s offered on the menu and on how good a deal it is. And arriving at what works for what crowd may take some trial and error from season to season. ...
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Where Cool Heads Prevail:
Strategies to Keep Zoo Guests Comfortable in the Heat of the Season
September 1, 2011
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The summer months provide the biggest boon in zoo attendance, but when crippling heat hovers for an extended period of time, zoo directors have to find ways to keep both animals and guests comfortable. The 500-acre North Carolina Zoological Park in Asheboro, N.C., is the first zoo designed as a natural-habitat facility, which means the ...
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Making a Big Splash
Waterparks Strive to Thrill Guests with the Right Rides
September 1, 2011
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The weather was record-breakingly hot last summer in parts of the country, and waterparks provided cool liquid thrills. And, as patrons sought bigger and better thrills, waterparks responded with innovation. SplashTacular, for example, a La Quinta, Calif.,-based company that provides the industry with waterpark attractions, recently installed its first pulse pounding 360Rush ride. The revolutionary ...
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