During the Family Entertainment Centers (FEC) trade fair organized by Pleisureworld, it became clear once again how difficult it is to define the FEC segment. New forms of bundled indoor daytime recreational activities are constantly emerging. And that's precisely what makes this young industry so exciting and diverse. There's currently a trend where FECs are focusing on specific market segments. A good example is the recently opened Sparkx in Ghent, which focuses on sports activities.
What are the current trends around FECs:
A very dominant trend in the FEC market segment worldwide is the rise of Social Entertainment. With these concepts, the focus is not on the activity itself, but on 'spending time together'. Consequently, hospitality is an important part of the overall concept. The company Shuffl y, among others, is capitalizing on this trend with its Shuffle Boards, which feature a bar table surrounding the game. In a presentation, Micky Verhaag showed that a wide variety of Social Entertainment concepts have already been developed (especially abroad).
Some concepts from the UK (thanks to Micky Verhaag from Shuffly):
- Puttshack – organized around interactive indoor minigolf
- Flight Club – organizedfield around the dartboard and made more accessible to a much wider target group
- Electric Shuffle – organized around a shuffle board with interactive additions
- Clays – yes, you can also shoot clay pigeons these days in a restaurant environment (digital)
- Fairgame – it's like a carnival!
- Roxy Ball Room – a virtually complete FEC offering in a pub environment
- Flower Bowl – imagine yourself in the wonderful world of fun games and entertainment
Holiday parks and the hospitality industry are also entering this market segment by expanding their central facilities and opening them up to day visitors. The location of the FEC Day, FEC Mauk on Eiland van Maurik , is a representative of this. The total offering is particularly comprehensive, including bowling, karaoke, darts, shuffleboard, indoor games, glow golf, and pub games; naturally complemented by ample catering. This location also meets the prerequisites of the Social Entertainment trend.
Hans van Leeuwen of Pleisureworld sees plenty of developments in the hospitality industry. "... and these days, that goes far beyond billiards and dartboards. Complete concepts are being developed that are primarily aimed at extending the visit time (i.e., the time spent eating). Experience is paramount in these new concepts."
Specialization in a specific segment. As we mentioned in the introduction, various combinations are now possible. Sparkx focuses on interactive sports games. We are seeing other specialists emerge, such as Akiba District, which offers a wide range of retro arcade games. During the trade day, Vintia presented the ' Clay Café Lab ' concept, which also allows you to take a more creative direction (working with clay and ceramics).
FECs have always offered a wide range of activities. Bowling and go-karting are often at the top of the wish list. More and more interactive game formats are being added. Even around traditional game formats like bowling and go-karting, a new digital layer is creating new game concepts. The advantage of the added digital content (often AR) is that you can also quickly introduce a new game concept through content changes.
In the fields of business operations and marketing, various forms of digital support are making their entry. Examples include check-in kiosks, digital score sheets, and ordering via QR code in the hospitality sector. “FECs are not escaping the AI revolution either, which will influence various business processes. Currently, the marketing department is already fully benefiting from chatbots and setting up smart campaigns, among other things,” says Martin van Kranenburg, AI expert in the recreation sector. The company Clickables (marketing support) also makes extensive use of AI; for example, in determining the most optimal business location. Red Online Marketing is also increasingly focusing on AI-based findability in the online marketing strategy of recreation companies.
During the trade day, the Leisure GPT initiative was introduced to support entrepreneurs in the recreation sector with their AI developments. More information: www.leisureconnect.nl/toolbox-gpt
With thanks to (organizer of this event): Hans van Leeuwen of Pleisureworld
The next activity of the enterprising Family Entertainment Centers working group is a VIP FEC Inspiration tour on September 30. During this tour, a series of new FEC business concepts will be visited, and you will get a look behind the scenes.