Blog's home page Subscribe to Randy's blog

Tag Archives: entertainment

The inconvenient truth – almost all location-based entertainment business models are now obsolete

Our company prides itself in using research to identify trends and guide our clients to future-proof their location-based entertainment centers (LBEs), which includes the categories of family entertainment centers (FECs), social eatertainment venues and agritainment/agritourism farms. As they say in … Continue reading

Digital disruption changes industry definitions

This year two major trade organizations changed the definition of their industries. Both are telltale signs of the major digital disruption that is occurring to all types of out-of-home (OOH) B2C businesses, including OOH leisure and entertainment.  According to the National … Continue reading

Nascent new technology will be a game changer

Live streaming 360 virtual reality isn’t just an exciting new technology. It’s a new type of media and a game changer that has high potential to change the way we live, especially our leisure lives. Continue reading

FECs and LBEs now facing new competition

Now along comes another form of competition to FECs and LBEs. . . Continue reading

Update on location-based entertainment spending trend

Our company has been tracking the long-term trend in location-based entertainment spending that has shown a decline started around the turn of the century. We now have new, more current data thru June 2014 . . . Continue reading

Be an LBE disrupter before you get disrupted

The LBE formulas of just a few years past are no longer future proof. Be a disrupter before you get disrupted, because that disruption is already underway. Continue reading

The digital death of boredom and its implications for LBEs

Boredom used to be location-based entertainment’s friend. That has changed today. . . Continue reading

Industry Label Reinforces Paradigm Paralysis

At the IAAPA Convention in Orlando this year I was part of what we believe was the first seminar ever given at IAAPA about attracting the adult market, called Growing Your Revenue with Adults. . . This is a completely new idea for most of what is called the family entertainment center (FEC) industry. And that is exactly why it is such a new idea, as for over two decades . . . Continue reading

The intersection of personal digital technology & bricks-and-mortar entertainment

The Triple Revolution of the Internet, social media and the always-on-connectivity of now ubiquitous mobile devices is disrupting the entertainment venue industry in ways and at a speed that most in industry fail to recognize . . . Continue reading

The migration of the meaning of Place

Now the physicality of place is no longer its sole meaning. The definition of place has changed due to the Internet and mobile devices, especially the smartphone. Continue reading

Smartphones are making TV tougher competition than ever

Now we have the synergistic combination of two digital screens merging to become more powerful and attractive than either alone. Disruptive digital at-home entertainment competition continues to ramp up its game. Continue reading

No need to socialize, as that’s what smartphones are for

It is becoming increasing clear that digital technology is shifting our social interaction with each other from taking place in the real world to taking place in the digital world and consequently . . . Continue reading

More Evidence of the Digital Disruption of Location-Based Entertainment & Culture

So here’s what is so scary for location-based entertainment, sporting events and cultural venues, the vast majority of which are seeing a long-term trend of declining attendance. The use of mobile devices that can be used anywhere 24/7 continues to grow, and the majority of that growing screen time is being used to engage in entertainment . . . Continue reading

New research shows out-of-home entertainment & arts participation on the decline

Our analysis of the American Time Use Survey data shows a long-term trend of declining participation in out-of-home entertainment and the arts, but it is not an across-the-board trend. Continue reading

Travel expenditures since 2005 and the Great Recession

Earlier this year The Bureau of Labor Statistics posted a graph showing that 2011 household travel expenditures had decreased 6% from their peak in 2007. However, they didn’t adjust for inflation. The decrease is actually much more severe. Continue reading

Vacation Deficit (Staycation) Trend Appears Headed Up this Year

A recent poll found that the staycation trend that started back in 1996 is continuing into 2013, with less people confident they will take a vacation than last year, but those that do expect to spend 12% more. Continue reading

2002-2011 Changes to Household Location-Based Entertainment Spending

The world of entertainment is evolving and toppling old models. . . The changing landscape of entertainment is having an adverse impact on location-based (bricks ‘n’ mortar) entertainment. Continue reading

Interesting Facts about the Grandparent Market

Contrary to popular belief, the majority of today’s grandparents are under the age of 65. . . The sweet spot for grandchild-grandparent interaction is with grandchildren ages 6 to 11. . . 82% of grandparents report that they spend money to entertain and have fun with their grandchildren. Continue reading

What age households are the big spenders for location-based entertainment?

It’s the older age households that have the greatest aggregate out-of-home entertainment spending, not younger age households that marketing myths have us believe. Article includes infographic and historical trend data. Continue reading

Infographic on entertainment spending on trips

Infographic illustrates the changes to household entertainment spending on trips by quintiles of income Continue reading

Household Spending On Trips for Entertainment, Restaurants and Sporting Events

Consumers’ spending on trips for restaurants, entertainment and admissions to sporting events has been on a long term decline. Liquor spending on trips has been on a decline since 2006. Read the blog for more details Continue reading

Out-of-home entertainment spending continues to decrease

Decreases in out-of-home entertainment spending since the start of the recession are only part of a longer term trend. Continue reading

Social Stratification of Out-of-Home Entertainment

An increasing share of out-of-home entertainment spending is shifting to higher socioeconomic households Continue reading

Video Games Taking Share from Out-of-Town Entertainment Spending

Analysis shows a definite trend of entertainment spending shifting from out-of-home entertainment venues to video games and software. Continue reading

Software is eating the bricks-and-mortar world, including entertainment venues

The value chain of many industries, including location-based entertainment, is being eaten by software and the digital world. Continue reading

Climbing the wall of FEC success

There’s a financial hurdle that all family entertainment centers need to meet if they are going to have long term success rather than become road kill. Unfortunately, many FECs fail to make it. Learn about many of the reasons why FECs fail due to inadequate budgets and investment. Continue reading

Attracting Millennials to location-based entertainment venues

Attracting Millennials to location-based entertainment venues is a challenge. Learn some of their unique qualities and some pointers. Continue reading

Thoughts on the Future of LBEs & Digital Out-of-Home Entertainment

Recently Kevin Williams, publisher of The Stinger Report, an ezine that covers the digital out-of-home interactive entertainment industry, contacted me and several other industry leaders and asked about our take on the future of location-based entertainment and digital out-of-home entertainment. … Continue reading

Is your out-of-home entertainment experience better than nothing?

Location-based entertainment facilities (LBEs) often compare themselves to the competition down the road and worry, “Is my facility better than theirs? Is my entertainment better? Am I competitively priced?” etc. Well, those other bricks-and-mortar LBEs are not the only competition. … Continue reading