By focusing on family-friendly entertainment, Timezone Surfers Paradise - the winner of the IAAPA Brass Ring award for Top Family Entertainment Centre - is seeking to build on its success in the year ahead.

Timezone Surfers Paradise

The Queensland, Australia-based business is the largest FEC in both the country and among Timezone’s portfolio of venues. It houses a variety of activities, including laser tag, bumper cars, miniature golf, a vintage shooting gallery, basketball games and a bowling alley.

Co-owner and director of the Surfers Paradise Timezone partnership, Juan Uribe, attributed winning the prestigious IAAPA award to looking at a family-friendly business through the eyes of a child.

“What motivates me is when the parents come and tell me they’ve learnt something about their kids. What you learn from children is incredible,” he said.

Uribe, who has two children of his own, has worked with Timezone for more than 30 years. With him at the helm, Surfers Paradise has expanded from 3,400sq.m to 5,000sq.m in recent years.

“Twenty-eight years ago, Grundy’s was established as an indoor theme park in the same location,” he explained. “We changed the concept to focus on families by bringing in attractions and activities rather than video games. Now 80 per cent of our visitors are families.”

Sonaal Chopra, group CEO of Timezone, said Surfers Paradise has done the entire group proud. “We are excited to deliver another year of unique and awesome fun to all our customers.”