Succeeding in the FEC Industry

According to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, there are more than 400 parks and traditional attractions in the United States alone. In 2008, these amusement parks entertained more than 300 million visitors who enjoyed more than 1.7 billion attractions.

To say the family entertainment center industry is booming would be quite the understatement.

How do you keep yourself relevant in this field? We find that in the professional liability insurance world it all comes down to building a reputation through relationships with your clients. Really, it’s the same for family entertainment centers.

Customers want to feel like more than another case number or ticket voucher. They want to feel like their broker or favorite theme park really appreciates doing business with them. That’s why we don’t just offer our clients entertainment insurance coverage, but we also post news and updates about the FEC world and work hard to make sure you have a place to keep up to date with what’s happening in the industry.

We also do research to find what customers want to see and do at their local center, and help our clients find ways to take advantage of new opportunities through best business practices.

Have a great idea you’d like us to write about? Contact us today or “Ask Matt” to make your suggestion.
—
Sterling & Sterling, Inc. is ranked as one of the top 50 Privately Held Insurance Brokerages in the United States. We help our clients reduce risk and spend less with our unique Risk Profile System®. By using these tools, on average, we have saved our clients 25% on their overall insurance costs. To see how we can help you create a safer, more successful family entertainment center, reach out to one of our insurance professionals today by contacting us here or calling toll free at (800) 767-7837.

FEC Flashbacks: The History of the Go-Kart

When you think of auto racing, what is the first thing that comes to mind? NASCAR? Formula One? Indy 500? Ever wondered where they all originated, and, would you believe us if we said it all started with the go-kart?

Most experts give credit to Californian Art Ingles as the first man to create the go-kart in the late 1950s. The go-kart is also known as the go-cart, shifter cart, micro kart, cross kart, and super kart, among other names. Sure, it may have started as little more than a lawnmower motor with four wheels and some extra oomph in the speed department, but Ingles’ invention sparked the beginning of one of the family entertainment center industry’s greatest attractions.

As a matter of fact, several professional racecar drivers, including Tony Stewart, Darrell Waltrip and Kyle Petty, all credit their early interest in the sport to the kart racing circuit.

What Makes a Go-Kart “Go”?

A typical kart consists of a four- or two-stroke engine (some centers even use electric motors these days), a chassis, transmission, driver seat and four tires.

While the common go-kart employs the four-stroke engine, more advanced models use the powerful two-stroke engine, allowing them to reach speeds of well over 160 mph!

Where is the suspension?

The vehicles are designed to be flexible in the chassis area, so no suspension is needed. This flexibility, combined with the right tires, is what helps the kart grip during tight turns on the track.

The One-of-a-Kind Ride

Go-karts are a unique class of amusement ride. One of the main characteristics separating go-karts from a typical ride is that the driver can control where he or she goes. Go-kart tracks appeal to a wide variety of people by providing the thrills of racing motor vehicles, while providing unlicensed drivers a place to enjoy the open road.

Don’t forget that go-karts can still be very dangerous and could cause damage to your facility, if not properly maintained and controlled. That’s where having the right professional liability insurance comes in. Not sure what kind of go-kart insurance is right for your FEC? “Ask Matt” for quick answers from a trusted insurance professional.

At the end of the day one thing’s for sure, when it comes to go-karts: No matter who is behind the wheel this attraction is one of a kind.

—
Sterling & Sterling, Inc. is ranked as one of the top 50 Privately Held Insurance Brokerages in the United States. We help our clients reduce risk and spend less with our unique Risk Profile System®. By using these tools, on average, we have saved our clients 25% on their overall insurance costs. To see how we can help you create a safer, more successful family entertainment center, reach out to one of our insurance professionals today by contacting us here or calling toll free at (800) 767-7837.

Brunswick Strikes a Deal in Colorado Springs

A fifteen-pound sphere rests in your palms; it feels like the world in your grasp. You inhale and begin a very slow, methodical stroll forward. The sphere gains energy as you extend it backwards towards your audience. Gravity then takes over and it begins to fall, sliding down the lane until… gutter ball.

A new bowling center anywhere is great news for the community, but what’s really turning heads in Colorado Springs is that Brunswick and Summit Family Entertainment Centers have teamed up in a new partnership to bring together some of the best FEC attractions available and put them all under one smoke-free, extra-large roof – a 50,000 square feet, to be exact.

Everybody wins

The new family entertainment center dons the name Brunswick XL – fitting for a center of its size. The beast of a fun zone will be home to 36 lanes of bowling, a laser tag arena, Brunswick billiards room, a video arcade, a plethora of large TVs, and several spacious meeting rooms. This center will be Brunswick’s 100th and is set to be open by April 2012.

Fun isn’t the only thing the center is bringing to the area. The Brunswick XL center will bring with it more than 100 new jobs to the area – great news in an economy where less and less jobs are available every day.

More fun for more people

We are happy to have had the opportunity to see the family entertainment center industry change throughout the years. Being in the business for over 75 years will do that to you.

Instead of offering only bowling lanes, family entertainment centers like the upcoming Brunswick XL offer more options for more people. Of course, with so many new options comes the added risk of accidents and safety concerns. That’s where having the right professional liability insurance comes in.

Read more about the new partnership and plans for XL-sized family entertainment center on Yahoo!. [link]

Family Fun Center Safety: When is ‘Safe’ Not Enough?

In 2008 a young woman was partially scalped when her long hair got caught in the drive mechanism of a go kart in southern Utah. She survived – but had to endure 50 staples, plastic surgery and had to have her left ear reattached. The doctors said she’ll make a full recovery, but will probably never overcome the emotional injuries. This safety warning was on each go kart “DANGER Hair longer than shoulder length must be secured above shoulder. Keep arms and legs in kart at all times.” (A similar injury occurred at a go kart track in northern Washington State in 2007).

While not fun to read, these situations are all too real. Even the safety rules and regulation sign contained the warning about long hair. So, what happened here? The safety warning signs were in place, true, but what about the operators? Whenever we hear about an incident like this, our first thoughts are training, taining and even more training! You can never over-train your employees.

Another piece of the training puzzle is supervision. Here are some important questions to ask:

• How well are your employees supervised?

• Is there a supervisor on site at all times?

• How well is the supervisor trained?

• Is the supervisor a responsible, well trained adult, or just one of the operators with the most time on the job?

Develop a Training Manual for Employees

Training should be done from the company approved training manual. Regardless of your facilities size, a formal training manual should be in place and used frequently.

Throughout the year, our safety expert visits many “true” family-owned and operated family fun centers. They’re small and in many cases only family members work at them. Even in this situation, a formal training manual should be developed and utilized. All employees, EVEN THE OWNERS, should be trained.

On file should be the documents signed and dated by each person that they have read, understand and will adhere the policies, procedures and the training they received. And each time they are given additional training, the documentation should be updated.

Training should be performed with all new employees or newly promoted supervisors, and whenever there is a change in the operating procedures of the attraction or in the general operation of the family entertainment center. We recommend that training should take place every three months for all employees and owners (we all have short retention spans, to some extent). Training should also be performed when an incident takes place on an attraction or at the FEC.

The bottom line? Training should be taken very seriously and done very often to keep your guests and employees safe.

The Future of FECs: The Ultimate Battle Simulator

Step aside, laser tag. There’s a new game in town.

An interesting video surfaced on the Internet this morning. It features what could be the next big thing in family entertainment center attractions: a shockingly realistic video game simulator – the first of its kind.

We’re not just talking about the current 3D games you see in some arcades. The video, produced by The Gadget Show (part of the Channel 5 television network), introduces an individual dressed head to toe in what looks like paintball field attire as he enters a small room surrounded by large television monitors.

From there, the man picks up a modified paintball gun and the real fun begins.

Watch the video below and you’ll see what we mean.

Just two years ago motion picture companies Lionsgate and Lakeshore Entertainment produced the sci-fi thriller “Gamer,” which is set in a future-world where humans can control other humans in online gaming environments via devices very similar to the video above.

While technology has not quite reached that point – yet – it’s still amazing to see that what is happening right now might be huge for the FEC industry in just few year’s time. [back link to other FEC blog]

There’s no doubt, it’s an exciting time to be in the FEC industry. Whether you’re an owner, patron or provide professional liability insurance for the venues, it’s hard to ignore the new technology and interest buzzing around the industry.

Insure My FEC

Tag Archives: professional liability insurance