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| “FOUNDATIONS ENTERTAINMENT
UNIVERSITY” THIRD IN A SERIES OF EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS DRAWS GLOBAL AUDIENCE TO KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI Comprehensive Workshop Shows How to Design, Build and Operate Profitable Destination Entertainment Sites KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – Packing what attendees called “five days of information into three days,” the April 20-22 edition of Foundations Entertainment University provided a smorgasbord of facts, fun, and networking opportunities to hungry students from around the U.S. and the world. Attendees ranged from experienced facility owners, to entrepreneurs who are barely entering the blueprint stage. The facilities and developers represented covered indoor & outdoor FECs, bowling centers, anchor malls, casinos, ice rinks, theme parks, farms, beachfront property, indoor waterparks, and more. Students taking the workshop at Kansas City’s Four Points Sheraton Barceló Hotel represented a dozen U.S. states from California to Florida; others hailed from overseas destinations as diverse as Cyprus, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, and Nigeria.
Attendee Jon Whitener of Livonia, Michigan affirmed the unique value of Foundations by saying: “I don’t know if this level of real-world knowledge could be found in any other source. I doubt it!” An attendee from Cyprus, Ramzi Abu-Rumman, also saw FEU3 as an invaluable, one-of-kind resource. “The Foundations program is a one-stop shop where you learn the inside outs of designing, building and operating an entertainment center,” he said. “This program is designed and presented by the most knowledgeable and experienced team in the industry.” Another landmark for the popular workshop series is measured in dollars. Even before Session 3 began, Foundations had generated a very healthy $3.7 million in new business for its sponsors and expert consultants. “Foundations not only gives students a chance to learn from the best; it also offers them a priceless opportunity to work with the best,” stated FEU’s Randy White (White-Hutchison Leisure & Learning, Kansas City, MO). “Attendees have a chance to soak up precious knowledge from our world-class consultants and elite sponsors during three days of nonstop learning. Afterwards, our ‘graduates’ are obviously eager to take advantage of these connections by availing themselves of the speakers’ topflight services and sponsor products in their locations.” Attendee Mark Grado of Bedroxx in Tucson, Arizona, agreed that FEU represents superb value for the money. “Foundations is excellent for anyone considering this industry as a future,” he commented. “The whole process is worth every dollar and every second of time spent with the presenters and sponsors.” Attendee Mike Murphy of Speedway Bob’s FEC, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, echoed this assessment: “The program and presenters were exceptional,” he said. “They packed five days’ worth of information into three days. I would highly recommend this program to anyone considering getting into this business or anyone who has been in it for a couple of years.” Elite sponsor Rick White of Perky’s Pizza added his assent to the notion that FEU crams amazing amounts of information into a brief span. “Whether you are just starting or have an existing business,” he said, “every business owner or manager should go through this course. It provides a wealth of information in a short period of time.” Higher professional standards, leading to larger revenues, are one obvious benefit of FEU. Attendees learn how to provide entertainment, food and beverage, and outstanding customer service in a way that pleases guests…and ensures solid repeat traffic and positive word of mouth. As Bill Dubiel of Unbelieva-Bills in Mahwah, New Jersey, expressed it: “I wish Foundations was available three years ago when I started my business planning process. I would have saved thousands of hours researching, thousands of dollars buying knowledge and hundreds of mistakes dealing with the wrong people. This program is truly ‘unbelieva-bill’!” Standards are being raised at FEU in less obvious ways, as well. “Our elite sponsors are discovering, to their pleasure and profit, that FEU gives them an unprecedented opportunity to spend three days of quality time with a handful of clients,” said FEU instructor Peter Olesen of Peter F. Olesen & Associates. “They attend the classes, chat with students during breaks and after hours. What our sponsors learn in the process is giving them a deeper understanding of their market. This knowledge is enabling them to fine-tune their products and services; and when they return home, that higher quality translates into real benefits for their entire client list. Basically, the ongoing Foundations experience is raising the bar for industry professionalism in visible increments from one session to the next.” Confirming Peter Olesen’s estimate of the high standards promoted by Foundations, attendee Richard Walker from Ragz to Rich’s in Milwaukee, Wisconsin stated: “Foundations was great! How can you improve greatness?” Foundations also puts the fun back into the fun industry. “Learning should be fun, and in addition to learning a graduate-course level curriculum, everyone at Foundations also has a lot of fun,” said FEU instructor Alan Fluke of All Entertainment. “The speakers are dynamic. We all sit in on each other’s seminars and there’s a lot of banter, a lot of interaction, a lot of lively back-and-forth. The ‘hands-on educational “back of the house’ field trip’ is also a blast, from the group ride on a charted bus -- where we give a preview briefing – to the attraction itself, where we give attendees a bunch of tokens and turn them loose to play the games themselves. It’s an incredible object lesson in how a good FEC creates an outstanding guest experience.”
Jerry, who was the target of a good-humored foam ball slaughter from attendees at FEU2, made a spectacular comeback during FEU3. At Paradise Park, he accepted a rock wall climbing race challenge. Starting from behind, he just beat out Mark Marchido of US Bowling, Chino, CA by clambering to the top in remarkably speedy fashion.
Topics covered at FEU3 included: The Market ~ Site Selection ~ Feasibility ~ Costs ~ Financing ~ Design ~ Food & Beverage ~ Games ~Safety ~ Marketing ~ Birthday Parties ~Groups ~ ADA and other legal requirements ~ Operations ~ and 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 gameroom that complements a bowling center or theme park, to a $10 million standalone outdoor pocket theme park to a $60 million indoor waterpark resort. Praising the five speakers who cover these topics, attendee Jon Whitener of Livonia, Michigan said: “It was encouraging to the point of thrilling to have access to the professionals who are obviously among the top experts in their fields. I feel years ahead of where I was before I came to Foundations. The Foundations presenters were clearly experts and, more importantly, they didn’t hold anything back.” The second night of FEU3 was Networking Night. Attendees met instructors and elite sponsors in the Sheraton hotel bar and library for a relaxed evening of one-on-one consultations. The Foundations experts poured over blueprints and business plans, improving a mini golf course here or a redemption gameroom layout there…analyzing a marketing strategy and suggesting alternative financial approaches. Students received the personal attention that makes Foundations such an on-point resource for each attendee. They also continued to bond with each other.”
“Foundations attendees come prepared, but no matter how much work they do, there is so much more they haven’t thought about,” noted Frank Seninsky. “In fact, experienced FEC owners who attend Foundations realize there are issues even they haven’t realized.” Elite sponsor Patrick Boylan of Harris Miniature Golf chimed in: “Foundations discusses the questions people don’t know to ask.” Frank continued, “The best new development at FEU is that our sponsors are learning about the entire FEC market and learning more about the needs of their clients, enabling them to assist clients more effectively. In addition, our sponsors are building trust and rapport among themselves and bringing their clients to the FEU sessions. Their clients in turn appreciate being introduced to our other elite sponsors who offer tremendous expertise in different areas. This synergy adds great value to the total Foundations experience. Our speakers always remain a major element, but certainly not the sole value.” Brad Feinman of FEU elite sponsor Gatemaster Systems agreed that Foundations fostered closer relationships with clients. “Once again Foundations has exceeded our expectations!” he said. “The personal interaction with the seminar attendees provided us with a unique advantage to learn more about them and their needs. Plus, our association with the seminar speakers gave instant credibility to our company and product line as their solution for point of sale. Thanks again!” Graduates of the conference program received a complete, bound copy of all presentation materials, as well as a full set of worksheets (one for each person attending). The FEU manual is now 3 inches thick and offers a virtual encyclopedia of insider knowledge that covers 400 pages of material…and growing. According to attendee Ramzi Abu-Rumman, “There is no other book or manual that can match the program material provided by the workshop.” The conference faculty also proudly issues every graduate with
a Foundations Entertainment University diploma, suitable for framing.
In addition, attendees receive sponsor demos and special discounts
and are encouraged to stay in touch with speakers and sponsors by
email. Full course information and registration are available online at www.FoundationsUniversity.com
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