CenterEdge Software Blog

User-generated content can create brand awareness, build trust, and help you engage with your audience - with less of the heavy lifting.  

Family entertainment businesses have no shortage of opportunities for social media gold. But many marketers often feel at a loss for what to post and when.

Some of the beauty of this type of marketing is that it's more accessible than ever before. While some content should be polished and professional, other posts can and should be organic and edgy.

Photo and video content often increases your reach and generates more engagement than other types. But before you groan that you'll have to coerce one of your team members to be the "talking head" in your next video series, don't forget about the untapped potential of user-generated content (UGC). Today, we're sharing seven tips to help you encourage your guests to create and share pictures and videos. 

Stories provide context, model desired behaviors, connect staff to your values, and so much more.   

I had the extreme pleasure of chatting with Eddie Hamann, Managing Partner of Andretti Karting and Games in Orlando during the most recent Experience Academy event earlier this year.

During one lunch, Eddie shared with our group some of the work that the Andretti's team has been doing locally and abroad. They believe in giving back at least 10% of what they earn and do this in various ways. They build churches, give donations, help team members in need, and,  through their #CheckIt4Andretti Foundation, they work to provide awareness of the importance of early screening for colorectal cancers. The foundation also helps fund screening for low-income individuals who are uninsured or underinsured, and who might not otherwise get this critical screening. At the time of the conversation, Eddie shared that they had already saved nine people's lives by detecting cancer early. 

Avoid the high costs of allowing problematic behavior with these tips.   

Quick story: Last week, my husband and I went to one of our favorite little cafes for a quick lunch. There was someone new behind the counter and my husband asked if she was the owner, and she was. 

When I asked after the team member who typically worked the counter, I learned they were no longer with the company. I asked, "is it because they were kind of salty? I mean they were nice if you didn't interrupt or want to change the kind of bread your sandwich was on. But if you did, their face told you exactly how they felt about it."

Of course, the owner was professional and wouldn't share details, but I did learn that I hadn't been the first person to ask a similar question since the owner had taken over the management of her operation. Besides that, while we were enjoying lunch, my husband noticed that the cafe appeared even cleaner, and the staff seemed a little sunnier than they had in the past.  

Bottom line: having a team member that isn't in line with your values could be impacting your business in ways you may not even realize. Read on for tips to help you recognize when you have an issue with a team member and what to do about it.  

Helping others is the rising tide that lifts all boats.

At the recent IAAPA FEC Summit event, operators from all over North America shared challenges that the leisure-based entertainment community faces and how we can what we can do about it. 

One of my favorite ideas shared was the idea that facilities could do a much better job communicating the important work they're doing in their community. Read on for the details and how you can take this idea and run with it. 

Seamless scheduling, accurate accounting, and flawless food and beverage management are just a few of the advantages of an integrated events management system.

Managing every detail of your facility's event business can feel like a circus where you're struggling to keep everything moving.

This stress is compounded if you're spending valuable time trying to manage scheduling, ticketing, payment, and food service in many different systems, or worse - on paper.

An events management system that's fully integrated with the rest of your overall facility management solution can save you headaches and precious time. But what does integrated really mean? Read on for seven ways you can streamline your events program with an integrated system. 

A little creativity and planning can quickly boost your revenue and audience engagement.

When you've been in this business a while, you've undoubtedly tried a lot of different promotions and special offers. But over time, it can be easy to get into a habit of doing things the same way.

Sometimes it makes sense to go "back to the drawing board" and reinvent new ways to sell and promote your business. To help you do that, we put together this list of five simple, low-cost promotion ideas that can help you boost your creativity and your bottom line. Try one, combine them, or use these as a starting point for your own creative magic, and go forth and conquer the world!

Be sure to put these podcasts and books on your  'To Be Devoured' List for 2022. 

This year has taught us many lessons, and there's no doubt we'll learn many more in the year to come. But the best leaders are also intentional about learning and growth. We asked our team to share a few of the books and resources that have made a difference in their lives this year.

No matter what you want to learn about or improve upon, you're sure to find something valuable in this year's resource roundup.  

Your birthday party experience can be a guest's first exposure to your business, so it's essential that you deliver on your promises. 

Birthday parties are great offerings for your business and can bring in an entirely new audience. But those brand new guests (and their parents) are making decisions about not just parties at your facility, but also your entire experience, from the moment they first engage with you. 

That's why it's essential that you develop a party experience that you can deliver again and again at the right level. Here are a few steps to help you do just that. 

With consumers becoming more discerning than ever, the best FEC's always find ways to surprise and delight. 

After our recent labor blog where we talked about the importance of transparency with guests, we thought it made sense to follow up with the importance of constantly pushing to operate smarter. 

COVID has impacted our communities and businesses in ways we are probably still not completely aware of yet. But some businesses have also used COVID or the labor shortage as an excuse for mediocre products and services. While guests may be forgiving initially, we all know that any grace we're afforded for questionable guest service is likely short-term at best. 

To help get back to what makes a memorable guest experience, we brought back this popular blog with five ways to impress your guests.

Transparency, consistency, and creativity might help in the days of doing more with less. 

The labor shortage has been a hot topic in retail and hospitality for employers and consumers alike. Lately, I have seen a few frontline team members expressing how difficult it is to work some days given the increased traffic and reduced staff. 

I have also noticed a few unique ways that establishments have handled the crisis that I thought might be worth sharing. Read on for a few tips and attention-grabbing ideas that might help you manage the situation in ways that keep your team and your guests happy.