CenterEdge Software Blog

Tips to help you develop a successful email marketing campaign for your family entertainment center.

Crafting the right email marketing message can sometimes feel like the quest to find the elusive unicorn. But an effective email marketing strategy is a great tool you most likely can’t afford to skip. If you’re new to FEC or amusement email marketing, check out these tips to get started. When it comes to creating the right message, though, there are five questions that every great email should answer.

Being the face of the FEC is not always an easy job—like keeping that bright smile shining and making sure you have all the answers all the time.

But if you’re not having fun, you’re definitely not doing it right! Use this easy Q and A checklist to make sure you’re hitting all the essentials, so instead of worrying about your top to do’s you can focus on the fun.

Don’t make the mistake of running park booking sales in multiple locations like alien entities. Build the strength of your FEC’s sales with these tips.

We’ve been getting a lot of questions from multi-site FEC brands about establishing centralized reservation call centers. We first addressed this topic in October of 2017 but have taken a fresh look at some of the key benefits your organization stands to realize when you consolidate your party booking strategies for your multi-site FEC.

Get the real ROI on small attractions and 4 tips for picking the right one.

You don’t need to take up a ton of space to boost your bottom line. Small attractions can pack a big punch and deliver incredible ROI if you’re smart about it.

"Small attractions in what might otherwise have been 
unused space can produce $400,000 or more annually."

We talked to Phil Showler, the Director of Sales at Amusement Products, in advance of the FEC Success Institute about how FECs and other amusement facilities can increase revenue. His answer: Small attractions.

Read on for some trade secrets and get Phil’s top tips for selecting the right attraction for your business.

Discover what’s holding your frontline sales team back from achieving success.

Many people see sales as a job function that only a unique few undertake, but the truth is that every day, humans are trying to get other people to buy something. As children, we sell our friends on the game we want to play. As teens, we’re selling a potential date on why they should go out with us. And as adults, we’re selling our coworkers, bosses and clients on our ideas and offerings. But for some reason, the word “sales” invokes feelings of displeasure or even fear, and can cause us to fall short of our potential because we have preconceived notions that it’s hard, unwelcome or generally not something we want to do.

Maximize your use of electronic event invitations at your FEC to handle RSVPs, waivers and more.

Think electronic event invitations are just a value-add for guests? Think again. Today’s CenterEdge Pro Tip video discusses other key benefits that will help your FEC maximize the potential of an integrated electronic invitation system with Advantage Groups. Using electronic event invitations, you can track everything from RSVPs to waivers all while collecting data for future marketing efforts.

The first of the year is my favorite time because everyone is so optimistic about their goals and what they plan to accomplish in the coming months.

Many of us make resolutions like we’ll lose weight, exercise more, be well-rested or well-read. And we make business resolutions, too. Maybe to develop better partnerships and relationships, improve customer service at our FEC or park,  or coach a team that is productive and independent. All the good stuff.

How to masterfully manage difficult amusement park guest interactions while maintaining the relationship – and your cool.

Without a doubt, handling angry park customers (or coworkers) is one of the most difficult parts of anyone’s job. Tense interactions invoke both physical and psychological responses in us that can make a tough situation worse if we don’t handle them appropriately. And our reactions to those moments can leave a lasting impact on guests’ repeat visits, our reputation at work and even our business’ standing in the community. Bottom line, it’s a big deal and one that you need a plan for – before the next difficult situation arises. To do it right means not only putting all the pieces together into a well-rounded approach to service recovery, but also being ready for the tough times with these five tips.

Whether you're planning a party at an amusement park, waterpark, trampoline park or FEC, use event milestones to identify and manage all the important event tasks.

FEC and park party coordinators often wear many hats including, but not limited to: making sales, organizing details, training party staff, stepping in to host parties and ensuring that both kids and parents leave smiling. Being a party manager is no easy job!

And while some pros make it look easy, they’ll probably tell you that the fear of tasks slipping through the cracks can keep them up at night. That’s why your FEC and park event processes need to be top notch to help ease the burden and keep things running smoothly. But how? A calendar? Expensive project management software? An Excel spreadsheet? What if we told you that you could configure milestones for any — and all — event types in your Advantage Groups application? Here’s how:

Shorten your busy to-do list by having important reports sent to you automatically on a one-time or recurring basis.

You have enough on your plate without having to take the time to pull routine reports to use in analyzing your business. Save time by setting up the reports you pull most often to be automatically emailed to you or anyone else – whenever or wherever.