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Use a 3 minute Escape Room to generate income at your haunt

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  • Use a 3 minute Escape Room to generate income at your haunt

    I’ll be teaching a seminar on Friday, May 29 at the Midwest Haunters Convention on the newest craze in haunted attractions; the 3 minute escape room. We created and tested the concept last December during our Happy Horrordays event at the ScareAtorium. I’ll share financial information and details about our Escape from RIP’s Boxcar attraction. I’ll also share information on Escape Rooms; the newest concept allowing haunt owners to operate year-round with an income generating business. Go to www.midwestshow.com to register and for more information.

    Kelly Collins
    The ScareAtorium Columbus

  • #2
    Use a 3 minute Escape Room to generate income at your haunt

    I really wanted to go to this but I don't get in till Saturday [emoji107]


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Last edited by Dippy; 05-06-2015, 05:45 PM.
    Ken Jones

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    • #3
      Kelly, that sounds like a great class, I'd love to attend. However, I'm on the bus tour when it's offered on Friday. If you present the session content again sometime, I want to be there!


      Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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      • #4
        For those of you who can't attend my class; we have tentative plans to open the ScareAtorium during MHC 2016. We'll include the Escape Rooms during the Friday night tours. I might also offer the class at TW next year too. We'll see how popular it is and if there is any interest.

        Kelly

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        • #5
          I'm on the west coast and it's really tough for me to get enough time off to make any of the shows, but I'd pay $100 for a DVD or webinar.

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          • #6
            I second that shawnc!!!!!
            Greg Allen
            scarygreg@andersonfarms.com
            www.andersonfarms.com

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            • #7
              That would be awesome if all seminars got webcasted. Someone should set up a site for that. Larry
              Larry Kirchner
              President
              www.HalloweenProductions.com
              www.BlacklightAttractions.com
              www.HauntedHouseSupplies.com
              www.HauntedHouseMagazine.com

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              • #8
                FYI, I sent a request to Jen asking if they were going to record my presentation. Will post something when I hear back from her.

                My presentation is a 35 MB PowerPoint slide seminar with pictures of the Escape room and I'm explaining the challenge. Hopefully they are recording it.

                Kelly

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                • #9
                  Hey Kelly, sorry I wasn't able to catch up with you and Neena in Vegas. Hope you had a good time!!Now I really feel bad, I'm sure we would have discussed this very topic! I think there is legitimate interest here. If TW can't set up or allow taping, consider just retaping your session, then you offer it for a nomial fee as a dvd or download. There are a lot of people, myself included that would just like to get your take on this concept from an allready operational aspect.

                  Good luck on the show, and seminar. Hi to Neena! (Next time in Vegas!!)
                  R&J Productions
                  Las Vegas, NV
                  www.LasVegasHaunts.com

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                  • #10
                    3 mins?!

                    How much would people be willing to pay to go through something that only last 3 mins. And is that the time limit?! You don't escape I guess you are suppose to die in the scenario?! I mean for more income it sounds promising. But then again it sounds like all the more for a person to cry refund. Not sure if this would be really beneficial in the long run?! Make me a believer! ha!
                    Damon
                    www.frightmasters.weebly.com
                    Damon Carson

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                    • #11
                      Damon, your questions will be addressed in my presentation at MHC, but I've commented on a few items below.

                      We tested the 3 minute escape room during our Christmas HorrorDays event. It was an operational test to see how it could fit in with our attraction. Once the timer was started, they had 3 minutes to find the key and unlock the treasure and return it to its rightful place. If they did it, their group received a coupon for a free large pizza at a nearby pizza shop. If they did not solve the clues, a siren and flashing light were activated and the clown in the drop panel told them they lost and he opened the door to let them out. We didn't have any complaints, some people got back in line and bought tickets again so they could solve the clues and get the pizza (which was donated by our sponsor).

                      We didn't pre-promote our Escape room and didn't try to sell it until they got to the ticket window. This was an operational test. We charged $5 for the Escape room and since we didn't advertise it; some people said they only brought $20 (our haunt ticket price) and so they couldn't buy one.

                      I don't promise it will work for every haunt, but it worked for ours. It was so successful that we are adding another one for the upcoming season.

                      During my class at MHC; I'll cover financials, explain the challenge and how we built the room. I hope you are able to attend. The class is on Friday, May 29 from 12:30 to 1:30 and it only cost $25.

                      Kelly Collins
                      The ScareAtorium Columbus

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                      • #12
                        Admission...

                        I'm new to the "pro" aspect of this world but I am not new to business. I don't think I could rightfully charge an admission for a 3 minute side attraction. However we ARE building a 4 minute escape room into our haunt. It's the first room, just past our "holding cell" which is essentially a prep room and pretty much considered still "que line" It IS inside the walls of the haunt (mobile) but the 'next group' is in the cell waiting for the escape room / haunt entry. They're entertained for 3-4 minutes as the escape room group gets through / out.

                        I just can't see charging $5 (or more) for a 3 minute side attraction. I believe whole heartedly in giving more to our customers. We also are a charity haunt so it's kinda in the blood I guess. The reason we added a room into our haunt is because of the desperate need to add minutes to our attraction which is a 3 trailer setup. We have rant he scenario over and over again in mock up situations and for our locale / market I believe our 4 - 4.5 minutes between groups will be fine. It'll be our first year or two so we expect attendance to be low so this will help us figure out things and fine tune. By the time a group gets out of the escape room, they've been in the walls for at least 6-7 minutes. Rarely pushing 8... then they have at least another 2 minutes to walk through the rest of the haunt. Giving us the ability to run the $1/minute formula.

                        I've never ridden the "Last Ride" simulator but I have seen it operate and seen some people charge as little as $3 and as much as $7.. however they almost never had people in line. Once people saw what it was, they didn't want to pay money for it. Around here it seems if it aint a haunt, they don't want to pay for it. They want shit for free or paying for a main event and that's it. I do think it can be a great addition, but perhaps add a bigger time limit than 3 min's. just my 2 cents.

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                        • #13
                          We thought about charging less, but this was an operations test and we wanted to see how much people would be willing to pay for it. We have two attractions and it takes about 35 – 40 minutes to go through both of them and we charge $20. Hacksaw, with this being your first year, you’re probably right, it’s best to try out your haunt without charging for the additional attraction. But if you built one near the exit for your main attraction, then charge something for it (a couple of bucks), what do you have to lose if customers aren’t chipping in for the added escape room? You could staff it with one actor and use that actor as an entertainer for people exiting your haunt.

                          I’m sharing the idea with haunt owners looking for another source of revenue within their existing building. We built our Escape room for less than $400 and paid for it the first night of operation. Getting a sponsor to provide a prize; our sponsor donated coupons for a free large pizza to any group successful in solving the clues in time; added value to the ticket. We had groups who didn't solve the clue, go back to the ticket window and buy tickets again, just so they could solve the clue and win the pizza. We didn’t count on everyone buying the extra ticket, we predicted 20% of our customers would and we exceeded that amount.

                          Kelly Collins
                          The ScareAtorium

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                          • #14
                            Thats awesome Kelly, congrats on its success. I wish I could attend but way to many irons in the fire right now. You have my interest though, waiting for the instructional DVD. lol hint hint lol
                            Greg Allen
                            scarygreg@andersonfarms.com
                            www.andersonfarms.com

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                            • #15
                              Spikerip our escape room is built into the haunt itself. There's a "prep" room called the Holding Cell that the next group goes into. When they get into the holding cell, the group ahead of them is entered into the escape room (the first room of the haunt)... Both the holding cell and escape room were added to add time to the attraction. It'll be 3, to 4 minutes. Being our first year and in this market, we should be well able to run smoothly running it this way. Every haunt around here typically takes 5 min's in between each group. We understand this can limit our total numbers for the season and most haunts like 2 min's in between, but it should work out fine for us.

                              If the escape room takes the full 3 minutes (or 4), then by the time they get out of it the group would have been inside the walls of the haunt (including the holding cell) fora bout 7 to 8 minutes. Again, the holding cell will be about 3 minutes, then the escape room, another 3 or 4 minutes. Once it gets going, it should be about 4 minutes between groups on average. However again, my point is I do not think a 4 minute escape room would be worth it's own admission / setup etc... perhaps a 6 minute one would be ok but I seriously doubt this market would be very accepting of it.

                              Of course, once we run and see if it fails or succeeds, depending on the outcome it may be something we do to separate it later on, like you guys are talking about. But for us, at least for now, it's included / inside the haunt itself. Our goal is 10 mins so we can try to get as close to $10/head formula.

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