2001. The year that changed the entertainment, attractions, and amusement industries forever with the establishment of Embed as an independent operation. From that moment on, the focus was revolutionizing the world of the debit card system.
The family entertainment, amusement, and attractions industries are social industries deeply affected by the coronavirus pandemic. And, although the industry's overall foundation remains the same, many aspects of your business must be reevaluated, starting with recognizing the consumer who awaits post-pandemic. The post-pandemic consumer will challenge us to balance the line between self-service and guest experience. We’re living in the post-queue/post-line world, where instant gratification and speed of service matter. And thanks to COVID-19, fears of virus transmission have led to a spike in low-touch, contact-free mobile payments. And that’s not going away. So, what does the future of self-service hold for family entertainment centers?
The coronavirus pandemic has exposed weak spots in some businesses’ strategies and forced them to innovate far faster than they might have otherwise. The experts at McKinsey say that prioritizing innovation today is the key to unlocking post-crisis growth, which couldn’t be more accurate in the family entertainment industry.
As we settle into our new normal, there is a new set of rules to follow. You can no longer open the door and expect things to be “business as usual.” Research has shown that a new type of guest is emerging from the pandemic; they are more conscious about virus transmission and will not go to any businesses perceived as unsafe. While the family entertainment industry's overall foundation remains the same, many aspects of your business operations and service offerings can be reevaluated and streamlined.
The pandemic has affected people, businesses, and industries in ways that no one could foresee. During these unprecedented times, it becomes much more critical for businesses to streamline business processes to mitigate the risk of the COVID-19 economic crisis.
The coronavirus pandemic is fast-tracking the trend toward a cashless economy as the fear of handling paper money contaminated with COVID-19 has led to a decline in the use of physical cash. Studies have shown that coronavirus can remain infectious for weeks on coins and paper money, making it clear that cashless payments are necessary rather than a nice to have - doing nothing is no longer an option.
Introduction The coronavirus pandemic is still ongoing, and experts and public health officials are warning of impending waves of COVID-19 cases (known, as The Dance, when businesses reopen and close due to additional waves). If the Fall and Winter bring a second wave, you will need to continue seeking ways to support your guests and staff and keep your FEC coronavirus-free. If you didn’t face it in the first wave, prepare to do it now.
Family Entertainment Center operators are always looking for ways to add value to their products and services to keep guests coming back for more fun. One of the easiest ways to do this is by setting up promotions that can help you drive return visits and increase customer loyalty. It's important to consider what type of promotion to offer, when to run it, and what you hope to achieve from it. Should the offer be a discount or a free game with purchase? Is it a one-time event or a long-term promotion? What are the goals: attracting new customers, optimizing guest experience, increasing revenue?
Introduction Cash is notoriously covered in germs; studies suggest that paper bills contain bacteria and viruses for days, leading to the spread of infectious diseases. COVID-19 brought this issue to the forefront. According to the Federal Reserve, the lifespan of various bills ranges four to 15 years, meaning cash currency is filthy because it has a lot of time to accumulate germs.
Life doesn’t go as planned – we’re living that right now. Who could have predicted that we’d be living during a pandemic? We couldn’t have. COVID-19 changed the entire landscape of in-person events and conferences with social distancing requirements and capacity limitations.