Opened in June 2020, Ticket Time, an amusement arcade located in Southport, Queensland Australia, boasts fun, new experiences you won’t find anywhere else in Australia.

FaceBook: @TickketimeGC

Who opens a new family entertainment business during a pandemic? In June 2020, in the middle of a pandemic, Ticket Time opened its doors for business. Hear how Luke Phillips, an amusement arcade business owner in Southport, Queensland Australia, thrived during the worst of times because he could clearly see the opportunities in the now.

Opening a brand new arcade amid a global pandemic would have many raising their eyebrows, but not Luke Phillips, Owner of Ticket Time.

Ticket Time opened in June 2020, just in time for the school holidays in Australia, but immediately encountered the business challenge of Australian inter-state travel restrictions (and border closures), severely impacting the revenue from tourism. With limited staff plus the challenge of implementing the extensive COVID government-mandated regulations for operation, like capacity management, guest arrival check-in for tracking and tracing purposes, social distancing requirements, etc., Luke Phillips knew he needed to implement a system that can act as his “staff” without compromising his customers’ experience.

Seizing The Opportunity In The Now: Vacant Retail Spaces Are An Opportunity For Pop-up Arcades

Luke could see the opportunities in the increasing number of vacant retail spaces; with low rent or no rent and no manpower required, the risk is very low, so he worked with the mall operator to set up a Pop-Up Arcade, knowing the consumer surge after the lockdown period equals high foot traffic of parents passing by with their children, who will have a place to stop and play games.

The Pop-Up Arcade is unmanned, and Luke says “the Embed [self-service kiosk] acts like a staff member. Surprised me how much people actually use it, and the amount of people who use it… obviously, no contact with staff…great machine, I really recommend that one.” Plus, anyone with an existing Ticket Time game card can use them at his pop-up arcade. One system supporting multiple sites.

By viewing the current situation through the lens of opportunity, Luke has managed to create opportunities and reap the rewards; never underestimating the transformative power of having a growth mindset.

Ticket Time took advantage of Embed’s self-service kiosk, giving customers the quick convenience of reloading their game cards and checking balances without having to wait in line for a person behind the counter.

Furthermore, the Embed system is able to track who played what games and when, so in the event that one of his customers’ tested positive for COVID, he could easily report which games the customer played and when, and who played after him. This is one of the benefits of the Embed system.

Luke declared, “The biggest improvement that has helped our business is installing the Embed Kiosk. With smaller staffing needed during this time, this machine has been so valuable for us. It takes the pressure off our limited staff in busier times. It’s the best investment machine I have purchased. “

When looking for a system, Luke says he spoke to people in the industry and heard “There’s a few players you could choose from… some others might be cheaper to set up, but Embed is the best…” And Luke said he evaluated Embed the way you do an arcade game “it’s like a game machine, you can buy a cheaper machine but have problems down the line, and as a business owner I am looking for less hassles.”

Solution Highlights:

• 78 smartTOUCH readers
• 2 Embed Kiosks
• SALES POS
• PRIZES Redemption

Increased Sales, Less Manpower, More Profit

Within 6 weeks of opening, Ticket Time generated $17K revenue while saving $7K in extra wages by utilizing the Embed Kiosk.

Luke reflects on his experience with Embed with the following “I was amazed with the [Embed] after-sales service which to me is the most important thing in this industry… I can’t even fault them, they’re right there to support you… the [Embed] technology is amazing, mind-blowing the amount of stuff you can do… it [Embed] can grow as you grow. I couldn’t recommend them [Embed] highly enough.”

• $17K increase in sales over a 6-week period
• $7K saved $7K in extra wages