Birthday Workshop Agenda
Day 1
● Monday, October 21 - Start Day 1 at 9am
Introduction
Introduction, Ice Breaker, Overview of the 5 P's: Philosophy, Product, Pitch (Marketing), Processes, People
Philosophy
Overview of how the health of a birthday program reflects the business health, treating the birthday program as its own separate business with distinct goals (revenue, leadership, labor model, cost management, systems & processes), aiming for 20-40% of total revenue
Products
Building Party Packages: Questions to consider - age demographics, attractions, games, upsells, food & beverage capabilities/menu, capacity for hosting parties, and ensuring an easy-to-understand party grid. Evaluating current packages, pricing, competition analysis, upsells (Food & Beverage, Merchandise)
Pitch
Marketing Strategy:
Website, SEO, Paid Search, Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok), Email
Campaigns, Text Campaigns, Voicemail Drops, Radio, Streaming Ads, Billboards,
Print Collateral, Geo Fencing, Local Partnerships, Special Events, Lookalike
Audiences, Chamber of Commerce, Word of Mouth
Measuring Effectiveness: Customer acquisition cost, Conversion rates (website, paid search, social), Close rates for phone calls and in-person tours, Data capture through waivers, birthday clubs, event signups, buying data. Tools for lead communication: drip campaigns, phone calls, voicemail drops
People
Roles in Birthday Program: Party Coordinator/Manager (importance of leadership), Supervisors/Leads, Party Hosts (high hourly wage, tip performance as a performance indicator). Hiring Process: Hosting hiring auditions and conducting games workshops to gauge skills and suitability
Day 2
People
Roles in Birthday Program: Party Coordinator/Manager (importance of leadership), Supervisors/Leads, Party Hosts (high hourly wage, tip performance as a performance indicator). Hiring Process: Hosting hiring auditions and conducting games workshops to gauge skills and suitability
Systems & Processes - Part 1
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that help measure success: Total Party Revenue, Per Party Spend, Total Number of Parties, Party Package Mix, Food & Beverage Spend Per Party, Incoming Party Calls, Call Conversion, Number of Calls, NPS, Call-back Process
Systems and Processes - Part 2
Sales Process (CQPC), Online Booking & Website Setup
Birthday Managment
Establishing trust ("Don't worry, we got this"), Managing and guiding parent expectations
Execution
Day of Event Operations: Check-in process, Cutting the cake, Keeping attendees entertained (filling the time)
Andretti Tour
Tour of Andretti facility, showcasing their operations
Day 3
Post-Party
Methods to increase loyalty and engagement: Referrals, Return Coupons, Encouraging Reviews, methods for customer engagement, encouraging reviews, loyalty strategies
Wrap up and Summary
Summary and wrap-up
Group Event Boot Camp
Hands-on workshop for Family Entertainment Centers (FECs) focusing on leveraging AI for high-quality work. Sessions include: Identify Your Event (choose an event to promote), Develop an Ideal Customer Profile (using AI tools), Build a Buyer Persona (using AI), Create Marketing Collateral (using AI), Find Key Contacts (using AI), Create a Contact Strategy (email, phone, LinkedIn).
● End of Day 3 at 5PM
Speakers
Jeremy Hoyum
Jeremy Hoyum
former Senior VP of Park Performance at Urban Air and Brass Ring Award Winner at Jake’s Unlimited
Jeremy is a previously member of the FEC Committee for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions and was the Chair of the FEC Education subcommittee. He believes that the success of the family entertainment industry revolves around providing a critical service to communities through helping to create memorable experiences for family and friends. Jeremy has over twenty years of experience in bowling and family entertainment centers. He helped create and operate the Amazing Jake’s brand and has changed the big box pizza concept to what is now Jake’s Unlimited. While at Jake’s Unlimited he won two coveted Brass Rings Awards, one for Top Family Entertainment Center of the World and another for the Best New Food Item. They were the first FEC to win a food award for IAAPA. As a former paratrooper in the US Army, Jeremy brings leadership, discipline, and problem-solving ingenuity to all aspects of his operational success.
Brandon Willey
ICAE, co-founder of the LBX Collective and Premier LBX Group, co-host of The LBX Daily Show, and founder and CEO of Hownd
Brandon Willey, ICAE, co-founder of the LBX Collective and Premier LBX Group, co-host of The LBX Daily Show, and founder and CEO of Hownd, has an intense passion for the attractions industry and experience economy. He has an extensive knowledge of all things location-based entertainment as well as digital marketing, sales-driven revenue growth, retargeting and geotargeting, segmentation and personalization, automation and generative AI, blockchain, placemaking, and more. Brandon is the former chair of IAAPA’s FEC Committee and now sits on the North American Manufacturers and Suppliers Committee, and can be found at most IAAPA events around the world. You can connect with him at LinkedIn.com/in/bwilley.
KYLE STREMME
High Kick Sales
Kyle's goal is to help bridge the gap between passionate business owners and effective sales management. Founding High Kick Sales to offer comprehensive support to FEC owners and event managers. Through a solid foundation, helping them achieve higher revenue, consistent event bookings, and smoother sales operations. For the last 14 years, he has been selling and leading sales teams for high-pressure VC-backed startup ventures. He built his playbook for driving revenue and is sharing this system to identify, source, qualify, and close business for himself and those he manages. The net result is enabling sellers to make more money by helping the companies they work for grow and thrive.
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