Are you considering building an indoor playground or a family entertainment center (FEC)yourself? Then we would first like to congratulate you on this great idea, which will bring joy to many people in the future, and show you how the path from the idea to financing to the finished indoor play center can look like. In this 10-step guide, we have summarized our 25 years of experience in this field as compactly and informatively as possible for you.
If you would like to know more, feel free to contact us, we look forward to answering your questions!
Ready? Let’s go!
1. Market Positioning
How do you want to position yourself in the market? What added value do you want to offer? Which concept can you identify with? For which age groups do you want to create an offer?
The market is as colorful as its guests. Therefore, it is a great opportunity to approach concept planning with a lot of creativity in order to find an approach with which you can identify on the one hand and create added value for your customers and a clear positioning on the other. Here, “thinking out of the box” is the order of the day! An indoor playground for 3- to 12-year-olds can also be combined with a trampoline park and play and sports concepts for teenagers and adults. Our tip: Visit indoor playgrounds and find out which concepts appeal to you. For inspiration, we have some reference projects for you here.
In the course of these considerations, it is also worthwhile to research what trends and innovations there are in the industry, for example:
- Combination of play and jump
- Bounce and Ninja courses – also for children
- Interactive attractions
- Now brand new: tag arenas & adult play concepts
- Extensive fun climbing offer
- Creative and spectacular 3D theming
2. Choice of Location
When choosing the right property, you should pay attention to these economic and construction factors so that you can better assess whether the property is suitable for your indoor play facility, what costs you will incur, and where else you should invest, if necessary. First, about the economic factors:
Look and listen around the area, what other indoor recreational activities are offered in the surrounding area? Does your project fill a niche here?
It would be an advantage if your location is well connected to the public transportation network, but here there is a difference between urban and rural areas.
A highway exit nearby is optimal for you, as it will significantly increase the catchment area.
Tip: Get the demographic data of your catchment area – online or from the relevant authority.
Our network of experts in business planning will be happy to prepare individual analyses for you on potential target groups, accessibility, competition and visitor potential.
Size-wise, a lot is possible. There are successful Family Entertainment Centers on 700 m² and there are also huge halls with 4,000 m². The key here is the size of the catchment area. We plan and realize a versatile and tailor-made leisure offer for your target group on small or large areas.
Everyone who has ever been on the road with children knows that the way from the car to the destination should not be far. Therefore, the way from the sufficiently large parking lot to the entrance should be as short as possible.
Opportunities for fun and excitement also arise with room height, among other things. The higher, the better, is the motto here. However, we can also manage with lower room heights and have already come up with some technical tricks to get the most out of your property.
Escape routes, accessibility and structural fire protection are regulated differently from region to region; you should ask your responsible authority about this.
It could also be advantageous to build a new hall entirely according to your own ideas – we will also support you in this project right from the planning stage.
3. Attraction Mix
If you have successfully mastered the first steps, we will get to work with our planning. Based on an empty floor plan, we can work out a proposal according to your wishes. Now we determine with which play equipment you will firstly make the best use of your budget, secondly how you will achieve the best possible visitor capacity with the best possible variety and safety, and thirdly how you will stand out from your competitors.
Our FunParks – modular climbing structures with soft padding – offer you unrivalled visitor capacity. On 150 m², for example, up to 200 children can play here on three levels at the same time and in absolute safety. We accommodate numerous attractions in the FunPark and the space is utilized to the last centimeter. Among the most popular attractions in the FunPark are:
- Slides, including donut and roller slides
- Spidertowers
- Softball arenas
- Multisport courts
- Low ropes courses
- E-kart tracks
In addition to the FunPark, which is usually the heart of a Family Entertainment Center, additional attractions provide variety and unique selling points, for example:
- Climbing Volcanoes
- Trampolines
- Bouncy castles & inflatables
- Ninja course
- High ropes courses
- Indoor Caving
- Climbing walls
- Interactive games
The majority of our products can be themed, which means that they can be printed with individual graphics or designed with additional 3D sculptures freely according to your ideas!
4. Floor Plan
First, we create a floor plan of the entire building area, including proposals for other zones (e.g. check-in, checkroom, etc.), which also serves as a basis for dealing with authorities, permits and inquiries from other trades. We coordinate, together with other specialized companies also, all areas and precautions necessary for the operation (for example escape routes, fire protection aspects, sound insulation, …). This makes the planning of Playlife much more complex and helpful for you than other 2D planning commonly used in the industry. Our floor plan also includes a non-binding cost estimate of all our attractions and services for your further planning.
5. Businessplan
Now it’s all about numbers, data, facts and the predictable economic success of your project. What are the costs involved in setting up an indoor playground or family entertainment center and how can you recoup your investment within a suitable period of time? The most important prerequisite for financing is a solid business plan, which in the best case should be prepared by an independent and experienced consulting provider. A good business plan in this business area builds on location analyses, financial and liquidity planning. The content of the plan is based on all expected costs, construction plans and a precise description of the location. With a neutral and professional presentation of your project, we move on to the question of financing.
6. Financing
What investment are you ready to make? Since we plan according to budget, we have to play with “open cards” about this in terms of effective cooperation. The economic success of your project is clearly in the foreground for us. With regard to financing, there are several possibilities. Mostly it comes to a classical bank financing, but there are other alternatives, which can be suitable for you, e.g:
- Participation model
- Crowdfunding
- Funding
- Investors
7. Permits
The required permits vary considerably from region to region. A visit to your local authority will give you more information.
8. 3D Planning
The ideas are finally taking shape! With the 3D planning, you can see our joint project in perspective and colour for the first time. It is created on the basis of the floor plan after further joint consultation.
If you agree with the design from the 3D planning, you will receive a binding offer from us for the entire furnishing.
9. Installation & Acceptance
After the high-quality play equipment has been custom-made in our European production facilities, it is time for the quick and safe assembly. We also coordinate with other trades and companies involved in our joint project.
Our plans are designed to meet all applicable standards and are TÜV-compliant. As soon as we have completed the installation, the system can be accepted by an accredited testing institute. We will be happy to coordinate the acceptance for you.
10. Opening
Now nothing stands in the way of opening your family entertainment centre. It is best to invest in the creation of a professional website with all the information for your customers a few months before the opening. Also create social media channels for your company in advance and let your future customers participate in the construction progress. This way you build a bond with the customers, promote your project and ensure that you have already created a community to fall back on in time for the opening. The opening party should be promoted in a big way. Be sure to invite the local press as well and make the most of the wave of initial attention.
We are always there for you!
Throughout the entire process, we are your contact and advise you every step of the way, precisely matching your individual requirements. Even after the realisation of our project, we remain at your side. We look after our customers for decades, take care of the inspection and maintenance of the facilities and also keep equipping you with extensions and new attractions as required. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you!
