3 Takeaways About Hosting Profitable Character Events At Your Indoor Playground Or Play Cafe From Tiffany, Owner of MY Play Cafe

If you follow me on YouTube you likely saw that this past week I interviewed Tiffany from MY Play Cafe and we talked about one of the most widely agreed upon tactics for profitable events amongst indoor playground owners- having kids’ favorite characters attend events.

But even if you watched that video, I wanted to take a moment to share my 3 biggest takeaways from my conversation with Tiffany. I want to share the 3 little nuggets of knowledge you may have missed if you were distracted or multitasking– or if you just didn’t get a chance to catch our whole conversation.

1) Its okay to engage in trial and error

So many business owners these days are all about sharing their wins and accomplishments. Not many business owners, though, are willing to admit when something did not go as planned or if an initiative was not as successful as they expected it to be. But in our conversation I loved how Tiffany got really honest and shared how the first couple character events she did– kinda missed the mark with her customers. 

But what I love about her experience is that she didn’t let that stop her from learning from those experiences and continuing to tweak her character events until eventually, they started booking out easily and customers were really starting to rave about them. 

She tried different characters, she tried executing her events differently, and she tested many different ways of advertising. And once she found the mix that was perfect for her business and her customers– she knew that character events were going to be a HUGE source of revenue for 2023 and beyond. Because she found that character events were one of the services that brought the most brand NEW people into her space. 

They didn’t need to be familiar with her or her play cafe to become interested like with many events– they were coming for the character– but once they get in the door, Tiffany and her team wows them with their cozy fun space and attention to detail and that leads to loyal repeat customers, new members, and new party bookings.

2) The details matter

Something that sets smaller businesses like play cafes apart from larger chains like Chuck E. Cheese or Billy Beez is the ability we have to really cater to our customers and create unforgettable experiences. Something that Tiffany mentioned that I LOVED was that prior to her character events, she took the time and energy to research all those little things about the show or movie the character is from and really go above and beyond with the little details. 

And the best part? The parents and kids appreciated those little details SO much. In the video I shared some pictures from her event where she had themed snacks and drinks, themed crafts and activities, and little favors for the families to walk away with. That care and attention to detail is just on a different level that a free event or an event ran by a larger chain corporation just cannot deliver on.

I highly recommend you heed Tiffany’s advice and lean into your strengths especially if you are a facility under 20,000 square feet. No, you can’t accommodate quite as many people or sell as many tickets as some of the larger corporate family entertainment centers. 

But because you ARE able to add more value to your customers' visit, you can charge more while also providing an entirely different experience that can be much more desirable than free for many families– including families of kids who tend to get overwhelmed in very large crowds or have sensory processing disorders or have any physical disabilities. Or families with smaller toddlers still learning to walk that might get run over by bigger kiddos in a different space.

Whatever makes your events unique and different– be sure to list those talking points in all of your marketing materials when you advertise your events. 

And another quick tip from Tiffany– take TONS of pictures and videos from the events you’re proud of! These marketing assets will aid in selling future event tickets because people can see how much care and attention went into it and they can better visualize what attending an event in your space might be like. 

And as I mentioned– hosting high quality events with elegant and fun decor will also likely result in increased party bookings as well since it highlights your teams ability to host.

3) Your staff feedback is just as important as your customers’

One thing that Tiffany talked about that really stuck with me was how much of an emphasis she put on asking her team members how each event went.

It’s probably second nature for you to get feedback from your customers, but this was an important reminder that those who are behind-the-scenes of your events also likely have many valuable suggestions about how to make your events run better and even be more profitable.

Plus, we of course always want to ensure that our team is happy, feels appreciated, and is EXCITED to come to work. And a consensus we have kind of figured out in Play Maker Society is that events are often the LEAST FAVORITE service to provide for most of our staff.

So asking questions about how the experience can be improved for THEM in addition to how it can be improved from a customer standpoint is SO important in a time when hiring and retaining quality staff is extremely difficult.

So after your events– or really any service you provide– make sure you sit down and LISTEN and allow your staff to vent or be completely honest with you. This will make them feel heard and it will give you the tools you need to help keep your team motivated and excited to grow your business alongside you. And if your staff is having fun and excited– your customers will see and feel that at the events as well and it can only BENEFIT their experience.

To learn more about MY Play Cafe, visit Tiffany's instagram here or their website here!

If you’d like to learn more about what’s working RIGHT now in the indoor playground industry from current owners, download my FREE What’s Working Guide right now! Inside, 7 owners will share exactly what they are leaning into as we head into 2023 to maximize the profit (and joy!) they get from their businesses.