Founded in 1999, Canada’s Iplayco manufactures custom designed children’s indoor and outdoor play structures and also operates The Great Escape, a family entertainment centre that opened in Langley, British Columbia, in 2008. Co-founder Scott Forbes tells InterGame about the growing FEC business
How has the local amusement market been performing in the last year? We have seen an increase in the market ourselves. I believe that for consistent, stable amusement companies the market is coming back around and will continue to do so, albeit in a slower but steady manner. What are the biggest challenges facing operators today? Financing new projects is a challenge with increased parameters from banking institutions. We help our clients by having a showcase FEC, The Great Escape, that supports the planning and execution of such projects that in turn can help with bank approvals for loans based on solid business planning and proven business criteria and financials. We help our clients by also understanding the market and what programmes, advertising, budgets, inclusions and products are offering the best ROI.
Do you see any new trends emerging within the Canadian FEC market? We help create our own custom POS system, which is a version of standard software but catered to the diverse offerings we have which are unique within the industry. There are always new games and attractions each year. The key is to reinvest in your business - the clients will recognise the owner’s care and support through ongoing upgrades and facility renewal. A community-type recreation/amusement facility that shows this type of care and attention to detail will prove the owner is committed to providing a first-class customer experience. Rather than a business whose owner’s sole concern is the amount of profit they can derive from the hard earned dollars clients spend each week. Value for each visit doesn’t mean cheap, it means fair value for what the customer receives. If the client perceives proper value each visit, then we are doing our job correctly.
Read the full article in the August issue of InterGame.
