Indoor Playgrounds
What Works
By SmartPlaygrounds
Page 1, 2
Playground Target Marketing
Fundamental design principles will also help you better
focus on offering the right activity mix for your specific business goals.
Who, specifically is your target market? Is the playground
a revenue center or a baby-sitter? Are you community focused or tourist
based? How do you intend to market the facility? To ensure maximum exposure,
play-a-bility and a return, group activities and events, social gatherings,
memberships, parents and guardians, birthday parties and more all need
to be considered during the initial design phase.
Many new developers want to create a true "family" entertainment
center, and are driven to ensure that parents can play inside the playground
with their kids. While this is admirable, the fact of the matter is that
even the most pro-active, engaged and fantastically fun parents will
only spend 5-10 minutes with the child inside the playground. Even companies
that sing the 'large' tube song can't overcome the truth that
after a certain age, crawling around on your knees is just painful. With
an understanding of your business goals and target market, thoughtful
design still permits generous parental interactions and can also provide
many play-opportunities for parent and child without the need for
parents to enter the playground with their child.
Indoor playgrounds should be seen as an organic activity.
Due to their modular design, they have the ability to grow and morph
with your business as your target market matures and expects more.
However, this 'growth' process comes back to good initial design
and working with a company that understands your business goals and vision.
What provisions can and should be made for future growth and/or expansion? What
activities to put where within the design that can facilitate this growth
with least expense and down-time in the future?
However don't be in a hurry to add to and spend money
on upgrades and additions. For most facilities this will not become an
issue for the first couple of years or so while your local market has
a chance to come out and play several times before your indoor playground
becomes familiar or stale. Although easy to do, it can still set
you back a minimum of $5,000 (plus) to add new activities or switch out
old for new.
Playground Activities and Events
The
standard set of soft play activities have been around for many years. Most
are proven to engage and be enjoyed by the child during the play experience,
but this can also mean that the guy or restaurant down the street has the
same activities and offering as you do.
Differentiate - there
are alternatives.
New events and activities are being introduced by
established and smaller, aggressive play companies looking to create
market interest. From sounds and effects to full blown interactive
systems that can expand and enhance the play experience. The challenge
is to not get caught up in this new offer of Whiz-Bang, but in understanding
how these new events and technologies mesh with solid design principles
that will expand your playground's play-a-bility and
attractiveness.
There are many great playground equipment companies out
there, each with their own set of design principles, activity offerings
and profit agenda. However their profit agenda may not be your profit
agenda. SmartPlaygrounds
- indoor playgrounds was
established to help new playground buyers develop and design an indoor
playground that delivers the best experience targeted to your unique
business goals and target market. Good design does not happen by default
- your playground consultant should take the time to educate you on activity
choices, their role within your playground design and your long
term profit agenda.
As one SmartPlaygrounds designer said..."owners
are paying for their centers 24/7, why purchase a standard playground
that typically drives 60% - 70% of it's revenues on weekends, from one
market segment? Thoughtful design can take the weekend birthday party
playground and multi-purpose that design allowing the operator to expand
their market and drive a return everyday of the week".
The future does however look bright for contained play.
It is still the primary activity and driver when it comes to kids deciding where
to have their birthday parties - and by working with a playground company
that listens to and understands your business goals, combined with good
design principles you are well on your way to creating a fun, entertaining,
safe experience for both child and parent. |
