In Harderwijk, SOS Events has developed the 'Fort Vertier' concept, aimed at the age group of 5 to 13. The concept consists of a maze combined with climbing and scrambling challenges, incorporating three game modes. By cleverly automating the game modes and ticketing, the attraction can be operated with relatively few staff.
It is a new concept that opened in 2024. Erik Kroon of SOS events already had considerable experience in realizing and managing climbing forests. The Fort Fun concept is an extension of this, with the biggest difference being that the experience has been made much more playful and safe for unsupervised use by children.
My little boys (6 and 8 years old) initially mistook the play castle for a fun climbing park with all kinds of challenges. The fact that games are also incorporated required a bit of explanation. But after that, they tackled that challenge with full enthusiasm as well. The favorite: the landing cushion – with an exciting jump from a tower.
For the accompanying guide, it is pleasant that seating (with coffee) has also been provided to follow the activities of the males from a distance.
the Pretwerk test team
Upon arrival, the young participants receive a wristband with a tag. This tag responds to the instruction pillars along the way in the maze. In this way, a total of three game modes have been created within 'the fort'. This form of automation also allows for adaptation to the age (difficulty level) of the participants. Afterwards, a score is calculated based on the speed at which the tasks were completed. This caters (also) to a competitive target group that constantly wants to improve their own high score.
Concept developed in-house
Erik Kroon explains how this play/game concept came about:
Everything was developed from scratch. We started with the concept first; it was a dream of mine to build a children's amusement park someday. The challenge at this location was to develop a single concept that could be realized on a limited surface area. I have always enjoyed mazes, and a 3D maze, incorporating all my climbing forest experiences, seemed like a good addition. It had to be a climbing and getting-lost adventure to which I also wanted to link gamification. I wanted to combine everything I had to offer from my leisure experience. The best of the best. Additionally, it had to be an activity that didn't require supervision (though monitoring was necessary) and where the children could also learn something (education). When I was offered this plot, I first started designing my maze. That eventually became a castle, where you have to climb various towers and get lost. I also looked for a theme. We started with a Roman theme, thinking from the perspective of children between 5 and 13 years old. We developed every phase of the project ourselves: from the model drawing of the from the fort, developing the barrier boards in the labyrinth, to the software for the games and the games themselves. It was a boyhood dream for me to be able to do that.”
Erik Kroon
Responding to the tight labor market
What also stands out is that the play adventure is managed by a relatively small team. The staff is primarily needed to help the groups get started and hand out the wristbands with the tag. Progress within the play fort is monitored from a distance. Fort Vertier has a capacity of 250 kids per day. Groups can reserve a time slot via a smart online reservation system.
Did you deliberately aim for a low-staff setup?
“Yes, personnel costs are high these days, and finding the right staff is no longer that easy, even in the leisure sector. That is why we have set everything up so that every time a new activity starts, we begin at the beginning, and a colleague helps the children get started with the next game. We also did this to make it attractive as a franchise concept for, for example, indoor play areas. Because we started during the COVID period, we haven't paid much attention to that aspect to date.”
Erik Kroon
Scalable play concept
The concept is compact, modular, and labor-intensive, which also makes it attractive for other locations; such as regions with limited activities or a larger holiday park looking for a striking attraction. Erik Kroon had already thought of that himself:
“I have developed everything so that it is replicable and suitable for indoor and outdoor locations. The investment is around €250.000, excluding licenses for the games. Here in Harderwijk, we have chosen a regional theme (Romans), but naturally, anyone interested can also use this with their own desired theme for the games and the appearance of the castle.”
Erik Kroon
Fort Vertier is situated right next to the highway, with a large number of foodservice chains around the corner. As a result, the 'hospitality' revenue model is largely eliminated. However, Kroon does not see this as a major problem:
All my attractions have small catering facilities, and I find it quite convenient that my “neighbors” sell the hot snacks. This saves me a large investment in a kitchen (with all the regulations, permits, and obligations) for a seasonal business, and it saves me a lot on personnel costs. The combination in this case is brilliant because we make a good team for children's parties. We provide the activity, they provide the snack afterwards.
Erik Kroon
More information: www.fortvertier.nl