Professional escape room

Table of contents:

• Concept development
• Script writing
• Room space
• Advertising
• Equipment

How business quests look no less interesting - high profitability, project profitability, excellent development prospects and the opportunity to do really interesting things. On the other hand, some difficulties await the businessman, pitfalls - a high entry threshold, constant advertising costs, dependence on a good new script, scenery and special effects.

To get more up-to-date information, we interviewed current business players at quest rooms. These people, like no one else, know about the nuances of starting and running this business, as they know about it not from theory, but from practice.

Concept development

Until recently, the word "quest" was surprising to most, but today it is a very popular direction in the event business. Marketers who claim that the crisis does not affect demand in this segment, as people want to forget about the difficulties and plunge into a new reality for themselves, are a little cunning, but still there is some truth in this. In addition, this business has a distinctive feature - in it, competitors do not compete so much as help each other, perhaps unwillingly. After completing one quest, not everyone can stop and start looking for something else interesting in their city.

The first step in building a business is choosing a format and developing a concept. There are the following types:

escape the room - the team must get out of the room within the allotted time (usually 60 minutes), solving problems and solving the most difficult puzzles;
performance or quest in reality - the players are also in a confined space, but their task is to complete a certain quest, achieve a goal, which is facilitated by the selected paraphernalia, light and sound effects, sometimes supplemented by the game of guest actors;
quests around the city are team games that set a specific goal, which can be achieved by completing a series of tasks in stages on a designated area.

Script writing

How to open a quest room? The basis of a successful business is well-built, and most importantly, exciting scenarios. They are like writing scripts for films or plays. Large network companies spend a lot of money on writing them, attracting professional screenwriters and directors. For projects with a more modest budget, you can use the services of freelancers who have experience in this area. When working under a franchise, the franchisor takes over the development of the script.

Scenarios are based on a riddle, the resolution of which should be logical, but unpredictable. It is desirable that there are several stories that can be selected for a specific audience, depending on age and interests. Before a new scenario is introduced, it must be tested on volunteers. For this, acquaintances or just those who wish from social networks are involved.

Room space

For one quest, 50 m² is enough, for two - 90 m². Great if there is room for expansion in the future. Since customers get the main information from online advertising, you should not overpay for rent in the center or in a place with high traffic. In many cities it could be hard to find a proper professional escape room kit.

Advertising

The target audience is young people aged 22-35, although this is not at all the limit - 14-year-olds can also pass the quest (in this case, an adapted script for the younger age group is needed), and 60-year-old adventurers. It is very profitable to cooperate with corporate clients. Employers often use quests as an element of corporate culture to unite the team.

All potential customers are active Internet users, so the website and pages on social networks are the basis of marketing. The advertising campaign includes placement of banners on other sites, posts in thematic forums, site promotion. But do not forget about traditional options - business cards, leaflets, flyers at the locations of potential customers. Many organizations use discounts and discounts for regular customers.

Equipment

What do you need to open a quest room that will be a success? The main thing is the script and the surroundings, so get ready to spend quite a lot of money on repairs and creating the appropriate environment. The room should be in the same style as the written script, be equipped with visual and sound special effects. Experienced players in this business recommend not saving on equipment and creating really high-quality quests. Also, a lot depends on the theme - if you are creating a performance in the style of horror - a dark basement is enough and half the work is done.