Plan To Attend FOUNDATIONS!
THE COMPLETE BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS, GROWTH & PROFIT IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY

FOUNDATIONS Entertainment University is a 3-day comprehensive workshop
covering all aspects of planning, designing, constructing, and operating
a location-based Entertainment business for long term success

Tap into over 100 years of combined experience & expertise
from The entertainment industry’s leading experts

1. Randy White whiteheg@aol.com White Hutchinson Leisure & Learning Group 2. Jerry Merola profitwizz@aol.com Amusement Entertainment Management 3. Frank Seninsky fseninsky@aol.com Alpha-Omega Amusements Amusement Entertainment Management 4. Alan Fluke afluke@bluechip-us.com BlueChip Technologies 5. Peter Olesen pfolesen@flash.net Peter F. Olesen & Associates

The Market :: Site Selection :: Feasibility Costs :: Financing :: Design :: Games :: ADA
Food & Beverage :: Safety Marketing :: Birthday Parties :: Groups :: Operations :: More

For More Information and Registration Please Visit us on the Web: www.FoundationsUniversity.com
Or Call Frank Seninsky at 732-254-3773

WITH SIX EDITIONS IN 24 MONTHS,
FEU GENERATES MASSIVE BUSINESS FOR SPONSORS

Over 300 Students Have Graduated From FEU’s
Comprehensive Workshop On Destination Entertainment

OAK BROOK, ILLINOIS – Foundations Entertainment University roared into Illinois from April 26-28 for its sixth successful workshop. Focusing on the how’s and why’s of successful FEC planning, creation, and operations, the educational extravaganza took place at the Oak Brook Holiday Inn (suburban Chicago).

Organizers – who comprise the cream of the crop in FEC design, construction, and operational expertise – acclaimed April’s event as the best edition of FEU yet. This was due in large part to a spectacular full day of hands-on, behind-the-scenes experiential instruction at the legendary ‘Enchanted Castle’ (Lombard, IL). Adding punch to the extended field trip was an evening of glee and guidance at the Sugar Grove Family Fun Center (Sugar Grove, IL).

Stepping back for a broader perspective on the entire FEU story to date, a striking pattern of success is evident, according to FEU instructor Frank Seninsky (Amusement Entertainment Management, East Brunswick, NJ).

Said Seninsky: “When the five consulting principals created this ‘institute of higher FEC learning, our original goal was to generate $10 million in an influx of newfound money and new sales to our Elite Sponsors during the first two years of operations. At 24 months and counting, we are already at $9 million and it’s clear that we’re going to reach our goal before the summer.”

FEU will embrace even more ambitious goals for Elite Sponsor profitability during 2006-2007, said co-founder and instructor Randy White (White-Hutchison Leisure & Learning, Kansas City, MO). “We’ll have to raise the bar to $25 million for the next two years,” he commented. “Foundations Entertainment University exists not only to teach individuals, but to bring new blood into the industry and to expand the worldwide market of successful family entertainment centers. And the bottom line clearly proves that we are succeeding.” Another measure of FEU’s success is its growing body of alumni, several of whom have gone on to open or purchase their own successful FECs.

Day 3: Alan Fluke challenges FEU6 students to think out of the box and solve problems as a group. This exercise also creates a long lasting bonding within the FEU Group.

The April 2005 edition of FEU drew a diverse mix of 35 students from across the USA and Canada plus 11 Elite Sponsors. Rave reviews have become the norm for Foundations, and the sixth class was no exception. “The best money ever spent, when you realize poor planning can cost millions,” proclaimed Victor Meyerhoff, Fireball Entertainment, Aliso Viejo, CA. “We came here first and it was a great first investment,” enthused Lisa Potts, Director of Youth Development, St. Louis, MO.

“This class provided me with an excellent overview of the industry and gave me the confidence to pursue the idea we have developed,” affirmed Scott Takacs, Livonia, MI.

“Foundations is a must for anyone considering opening any type of FEC/LBE. It is invaluable!” said Paul Slay, CEO, Oceans Kids Fun Zone, Brentwood, CA.

Another student assessed: “Excellent value! All presenters have long-term industry experience and are incredibly open with their expertise, opinions, and experience. For the money and what is included -- meals, transportation, etc. -- this program is the best I have ever seen.”

Day 1 Evening-Frank Seninsky and Alan Fluke (along with Peter Olesen) review the individual floor plans and layouts with each attendee. The goal is to get all of the students to interact and provide their own input as they learn the techniques of facility design.

And Mark Scott, Center State America, Warwick, NY, stated: “Foundations is an absolutely essential component to bringing a successful FEC to fruition. The presenters and sponsors are truly the very best in the business. I don’t care how long you have been in the industry; if you are going to open a facility and you don’t go to Foundations, you are missing the boat big-time!”

Topics covered at FEU6 included: The Market ~ Site Selection ~ Feasibility ~ Costs ~ Financing ~ Design ~ Food & Beverage ~ Games ~Safety ~ Marketing ~ Birthday Parties ~Groups ~ ADA and other legal requirements ~ Operations ~ and much more. As always, great emphasis was placed on avoiding costly mistakes that are typical of newcomers, and ensuring profitability from Day One of a new site’s operation. The curriculum applies to anything and everything from a $250,000 children’s turnkey birthday party facility with at least 3 attractions to an FEC expansion that complements a bowling center or any single anchor facility to a $10 million standalone outdoor pocket theme park to a $100 Million Hotel/Indoor Waterpark Resort.

Day 1 Evening-AEM’s Jerry Merola always has a large after hours group who are interested in how to obtain financing for their project. These sessions often go on until midnight.

FEU seminars follow a consistent format that is now time-tested and proven. Day One presents a concentrated review of the basics, beginning with feasibility studies, FEC planning, and the strategies of attractions, operations, marketing, and more.

That evening, students meet to confer one-on-one with instructors and Elite Sponsors, who offer consultation and advice in evaluating the students’ concepts, business plans, and even floor plans and proposed facility layouts. Students also network with each other during this invaluable session, often forming alliances that have resulted in long-term teamwork, business partnerships, sales and personal friendships.

Day 2 starts off with a 9-hour visit to the legendary ‘Enchanted Castle’ (Lombard, IL) where owner Richard Oltmann has put together a very special program of entertainment and education for FEU 6

Day Two is the field trip, beginning with an early morning bus ride to the chosen facility. At the Enchanted Castle, FEU 6 students received the ‘red carpet,’ royal deluxe reception at this 46,000 sq. ft. facility. In all, the nine-hour EC excursion truly transported FEU students into a magical medieval realm as EC actors, costumed in Ye Olde English garb, blew trumpets and read proclamations of welcome.

Operator Richard Oltmann, a guiding spirit in the facility’s launch nearly 22 years ago, is the EC’s highly respected owner-operator today. Oltmann personally gave Group I FEU 6 students privileged tours of all key departments. The Oltmann Tour covered this lifelong operator’s strategies and philosophies for efficient, secure, profitable, customer-pleasing operations in everything from the redemption center to the food prep zone. Included was a special visit to the most sensitive and rarely seen area of all: EC’s high-security money room, where Oltmann reviewed the company’s procedures for collections and handling of cash and currency.

. The Enchanted Castle staff rolls out the red carpet and a group of EC staff dressed in medieval customers, complete with trumpets as the Court Jester announces each guest in Ye Olde English. Here we see Priya Trivedi of GE Capital’s Sports & Entertainment Group, Norwalk, CT as she enters the 46,000 sq. ft. family entertainment center and gets to meet the ‘Wizard.’

In addition to offering his unique behind-the-scenes personal tour, Oltmann virtually created a miniature “marketing trade show” for the FEU 6 students with exhibitors including Pitney Bowes, InfoUSA (Sales Genie mailing list company), and other communications experts who showed how they generate 300,000 mailers per year…helping EC generate 5,000 birthday parties annually amongst its 40,000-member Birthday Club.

Foundations Entertainment University Class 6 graduates. April 26-28, 2005, Chicago, IL. Day 1: Mark Scott of Center State America, Warwick, NY gets a lesson in what redemption tickets are all about (smiles & perceived value) during Frank Seninsky’s redemption game seminar.

“Our students were simply wowed by what many experts consider to be the best FEC in America, hands down,” said FEU instructor Jerry Merola of Amusement Entertainment Management. “We consider Richard Oltmann’s Enchanted Castle to be the ultimate model in many areas, from its fantasy-castle theming to its superbly cross-trained staff of 450 entertainment professionals…from attractions, food, and marketing promotions, to the superbly run redemption center.”

After nine hours at the Enchanted Castle, Day Two of FEU 6 transitioned to an evening of fun at Sugar Grove Family Fun Center (Sugar Grove, IL). This outdoor center was founded in the late 1990s by Ed Parolek, Sr. and Ed Parolek, Jr., who continue to operate it today. The facility features two different types of go-kart tracks (Slick Track and Speedway), bumper boats, miniature golf, golf driving range, and game and party room. Sugar Grove is home to the world’s first elevated slick track, which was designed by FEU instructor Peter Olesen (Peter F. Olesen & Associates, Mt. Prospect, IL). The track throbs with the tingling excitement of ultra-realistic racing action because Olesen is a former professional racecar driver. Eight Shaller-made cars race on the slick track’s 480 ft. challenging course.

Richard Oltmann, owner of the Enchanted Castle and 5 other FEC’s explains to our group how he efficiently handles 500,000 guests annually at what is known as the best redemption prize center in the industry. The EC Tour also included Marketing/Sales, Restaurant, and Operations.

It’s possible to spin the vehicles 180 or even 360 degrees if a driver loses control, so drivers’ licenses are required. However, the immaculately maintained cars and outstanding track safety record speak for themselves.

The Speedway track offers a 920 ft. course, also an Olesen design, and handles up to 12 Shaller vehicles at once. This track grosses twice as much as the Slick Track, thanks to the space for additional go-karts and the lack of a drivers’ license requirement.

After numerous wild circuits around the tracks, the FEU 6 class was ready to get wet and wild. Said Olesen: “We thought 40 degrees might be too cold for the Water Wars attraction, but following the demonstration of WW manufacturer Tom Woog against his wife Peggy, our class jumped right in without restraint. Then we moved to the bumper boats with onboard water cannons and all heck broke loose.”

Somehow AEM’s Jerry Merola always becomes the main focus of pranksterism at FEU field trips. This time, Jerry once again proved an irresistible target for the students. In fact, according to his colleague, AEM President Frank Seninsky, “Jerry nearly drowned from endless blasts from all the other boats’ water cannons, not to mention getting his boat swamped several times. But I have to say he took it with his usual good grace, especially since everyone got equally soaked to the skin before the night’s insanity was over.”

Day 2 Evening-Elite Sponsor Tommy and Peggy Woog of Water Wars demonstrated this popular attraction and soon several members of FEU 6 were engaged in the ‘heat’ or should I say ‘cold’ of battle at Sugar Grove Family Fun Center.
Day 2 Evening-AEM’s Jerry Merola always becomes the main focus of pranksterism at FEU field trips. This time, Jerry once again proved an irresistible target for the students as they drenched him with the bumper boat cannons at Sugar Grove Family Fun Center, Sugar Grove, IL.	Day 2 Evening-Several FEU 6 attendees were determined to ride the bumper boats in 40-degree weather at Sugar Grove Family Fun Center.

Day Three of the FEU curriculum finishes up with heavy-duty nuts and bolts ranging from food service strategies and financing and options, to the increasingly important legal environment for parks and FEC operations.

Crucial to the success of Foundations Entertainment University are its 26 Elite Sponsors, who also help underwrite FEU and add immeasurably to its educational expertise. Representatives of the Elite Sponsors attend each session of FEU, pitching in to add a manufacturer or service supplier perspective to the discussions, and sharing anecdotes and war stories from their experiences with FEC customers worldwide. Elite Sponsors also pitch in with unstinting personal, targeted advice and counsel to FEU students during networking sessions, helping evaluate everything from business plans to blueprints with a practiced eye.

The current roster of FEU Elite Sponsors includes:

Art Attack -- Alpha-BET Entertainment -- Bowling Proprietors Assoc. of America
Chestnut Creations -- Coin Tech Game Systems -- Deltronics Lab -- Family Fun Companies
Gatemaster Systems -- Harris Miniature Golf Courses -- HMS Monaco -- Imonex -- Ninja Jump
Master Pitching Machine -- MaxFlight Corporation -- Muncie Novelty
Naythons Display Fixture Co. -- Qubica Worldwide -- Rides-4-U -- Smart Industries
Sterling & Sterling Insurance -- SureShot Redemption -- Tourist Attractions & Parks Magazine
U.S. Bowling Corporation -- U.S. PizzaWorks -- WaterWars -- Zone Systems

Graduates of the FEU conference program received a complete, bound copy of all presentation materials, as well as a full set of worksheets (one for each person attending), a Foundations Entertainment University diploma, plus sponsor demos and special discounts.

Foundations Entertainment University launched in 2003 with its first successful session held April 29 to May 1 at the Doral Eaglewood Conference Center, Itasca, IL, and was judged an immediate success. Session two occurred Feb. 3-5, 2004 at Stone Mountain Park, Stone Mountain, Ga., garnering an astounding 9.5 rating out of 10 from enthusiastic students.

By the time FEU 3 took place from April 20-22, 2004 at Kansas City’s Four Points Sheraton Barceló Hotel, Foundations had firmly established an international reputation as “the” learning event for FEC planning and operations. This was attested to by the geographical diversity of its students, who hailed from a dozen U.S. states and overseas destinations as far as Cyprus, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, and Nigeria.

The fourth edition of Foundations took students, instructors and sponsors back to Kansas City on July 27-29, 2004 for another smash success that was notable for a growing number of women executives in attendance. Foundations 5 ran Feb. 8-10, 2005 at the Sheraton Dallas Brook Hollow, drawing the widest range of students then seen at the event, from executives at a top U.S. national leisure chain, to entrepreneurs planning relatively modest children’s fun sites and everything in between.

As noted in this story, FEU6 returned to its original site, suburban Chicago, capital of the coin-operated amusements industry.
The next (seventh) session of Foundations Entertainment University will take place July 19-21 at the Five Points by Sheraton Hotel on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, MO. Tuition costs are as follows. Early registration on or before June 10: One person $595, two or more people from same company $500 per person. Registration from June 11 through July 1: One person $695; two or more from same company, $600 per person. Late registration on or after July 2: $795 per person; two or more from same company, $700 per person. Fee includes meals and tuition but does not include hotel accommodations. However, a limited block of rooms is available at a special conference rate.
Full information and registration are available online at www.foundationsuniversity.com or by calling Frank Seninsky at 732-254-3773 or Randy White at 816-931-1040.

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