CenterEdge Software Blog

What’s holding you back from inspiration – and what you can do about it.

At the most recent Amusement 360 event, held virtually in June, we had the opportunity to attend the keynote session delivered by Jason Barnaby, author of Igniting the Fire Starter Within, and owner of Fire Starters, Inc. We’re excited that he agreed to share some of his philosophy about finding your passion and busting through the one thing that holds most people back. Enjoy!

Communicating with your audience and being able to adapt to your guests’ needs quickly makes all the difference, according to Aubrey Christian, of Fiesta Fun Center in St George, Utah.

This week, we caught up with Assistant Director of Operations, Aubrey Christian, to hear what she had to say about the process of reopening. Fiesta Fun Center is a 7 acre indoor and outdoor venue that features bowling, laser tag, miniature golf, batting cages, bumper boats, a restaurant, as well as other attractions and games. Open now for nearly six weeks, Aubrey answers some of the top questions operators ask when considering their reopening plan.  

Expert insights from Michele Canney of Anakeesta, an outdoor, nature-centric theme park nestled in 70 acres of forestland in the heart of downtown Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Anakeesta is a unique park in the Smoky Mountains that features treetop skywalks and world-class vistas, gardens, a mountain coaster, Chondola and Rambler rides, as well as a zip line, and dining and retail offerings. During our conversation, Michele Canney, VP of Marketing/Sales, shared how maintaining a growth mindset can help not only in reopening, but also in preparation for an impressive and successful future. Here’s what Michele had to say.

As entertainment facilities around the country are reopening, this operator shares his optimism.

This week, we spoke to Darren Harmon, of Bullwinkle’s Wilsonville, in Wilsonville, Oregon, about their successes and challenges in the first few weeks of reopening.  Bullwinkle’s Wilsonville is a recently renovated indoor-outdoor facility that features miniature golf, a restaurant, go-karts and outdoor rides, boutique bowling, laser tag, an arcade and more.

Read on as Darren shares a few Do’s and Don’ts his team has learned that we think will help give you some peace of mind about your own chances at reopening successfully in the days and weeks to come.

As facilities across the country get closer to reopening, owners and operators are planning for a new normal.

There is so much information available regarding cleaning and disinfecting measures for businesses, that it can be a little overwhelming. The amusement and entertainment industry has long been diligent about the practice, but in a COVID-19 world, it’s important to understand what’s different, and how to continue to offer a clean safe place for families to play.

Systems are ready. Offerings are updated. Capacity management controls are in place. For many facilities, it's showtime. But is your team ready?

To wrap up our blog series, Rethinking Your Facility Management Approach, we’d like to share a quick word of encouragement along with a few tips to consider when outlining your training plan for reopening your FEC. Take these three final steps to prepare to reopen.

The world changes daily during the COVID-19 pandemic and entertainment and leisure businesses need to be ready to meet new standards and manage evolving guest expectations.

But even with so much uncertainty right now, one thing is certain: Our industry has always been reimagining itself, with every new attraction, every unique experience.

That hasn’t changed and it never will.  

The question is, then, how can your business evolve faster than ever before, with a landscape that appears to have changed overnight?  Our varied amusement industry experience tells us that each amusement sector, from water park to FEC to adventure attraction, has already unearthed unique facility management needs in their everyday operation. It’s time now to bring those insights together and develop your newly imagined operational plan.

Whether you need to implement first-time capacity management systems or expand your recently discovered takeout business niche, CenterEdge is here to help. Read on for some of the ways to rethink your facility management approach in the days and weeks to come. 

Strengthen your processes, get in tune with your customer base, and smooth out your guest experience - now is the time.

No doubt right now you’re working through all the government assistance resources and trying to take care of your business and staff in the present and that’s probably taking up a big portion of your time and energy! It would be easy right now to let this uncertainty overwhelm us, but it’s in large part how we handle our fears that will help determine our future success. 

Amusement facilities all over the world are no doubt feeling the impact of COVID-19 in their communities.

Now, more than ever, it’s important for your business to do what it can to be a pillar of comfort and joy in the community. But times of uncertainty often leave us feeling out of control, which can lead to rash decisions and panic.

Guest expectations are getting higher every year, which means maintaining high levels of satisfaction can be an increasingly difficult goal to achieve.

In fact, 54% of consumers expressed having higher expectations for service now than they did a year ago (66% of consumers aged 18-34). That means it’s even more important than ever to be at your customer-service best.

Here are 4 other consumer data points that your FEC should pay attention to – plus other tips to help you grow.