Articles and White Papers on Leisure, Entertainment and Recreation

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Articles by Randy White, CEO

  1. The future ain't what it used to be, nor what most people and institutions expect? - Published in the Informal Learning Review, No. 162, July/August 2020
  2. Has video game play crowded out & displaced time and attendance at OOH entertainment venues? - Presents data and research on the impact that video game play is having on out-of-home entertainment venues and the root cause of the declining repeat appeal they are experiencing. December 2019
  3. Can Entertainment Help Save Shopping Centers and Malls? - Randy White's presentation to the Minnesota Shopping Center Association, September 11, 2019
  4. Can Entertainment Save Malls and Shopping Centers - a white paper, July 2019
  5. A Different Point of View. Can FECs Be All things to All People? A Response - Published in RePlay Magazine, July 2019
  6. White paper - A perfect storm is disrupting the legacy location-based entertainment business model. The rise of L&OTEs and foodies - The evolution of out-of-home entertainment, June 2019
  7. Protecting Guests from E. coli - Published in News from The Maze, 2019 Annual Newsletter
  8. Time is the New Currency for Out-of-Home Entertainment
  9. Your Social Purpose Matters. Does Your Business Appeal to the Conscientious Consumer? - Published in RePlay Magazine March 2019
  10. The Elephant in the Room - Published in RePlay Magazine November 2018
  11. What no one tells you about the mall apocalypse and the future of malls
  12. Changes to leisure time landscape and its impact on out-of-home entertainment and arts - March 2018
  13. The Future Ain't What It Used to Be. Cultural Shifts Continue to Affect the FEC/LBE Landscape - published in RePlay Magazine March 2018
  14. Cocooning Is the New Going Out. Consumer Habits Already Affecting the Future, Part Two - published in RePlay magazine, November 2017
  15. The US: growth in family entertainment. Industry expert Randy White discusses the latest trends - published in Interfun, Issue 4 2017
  16. The Changing FEC Landscape. Demographics, Consumer Habits Already Affecting the Future - published in RePlay magazine, October 2017
  17. Can Entertainment Venues Save the Malls? - published at Pulse, January 2017
  18. The Rise of Bartainment - published on nightclub.com and in their enewsletter, January 2017
  19. Developing FECs in Emerging Markets - published in Interfun, Issue 1, 2016
  20. FEC Trends "Eatertainment" - Published in RePlay Magazine November 2016
  21. Change is Coming Fast. It's Going to Take a New Business Model to Attract & Keep Consumers. - Published in RePlay Magazine November 2016
  22. Developing FECs in Emerging Markets. - Published in Intergame magazine January 2016
  23. The Evolution of Socialization: Our social behaviors are changing, and with it the need to go out. Examining the root cause of location-based entertainment disruption. - December 2015
  24. In Search of the New School Gameroom - Our Digital Addiction & Its Adverse Affect on FEC Spending - Published in RePlay magazine November 2015
  25. Bowling's Paradox of Two Worlds - Published in RePlay magazine October 2015
  26. White Paper - Disruption Gives Rise to New Business Model; Future Proofing Community-Based Entertainment Venues - September 2015
  27. Feasibility studies aren't what they used to be - 2015
  28. Where many feasibility studies go wrong - 2015
  29. New School consumers are flocking to eatertainment restaurant & old-school game venues - June 2015
  30. A Paradigmatic Shift; the Entertainment is Now Secondary - 2015
  31. The future of laser tag - prosperity or Digital Darwinism? - April 2015
  32. The Golden Rules for Developing FECs in Emerging Markets - 2015
  33. White Paper - The Perfect Storm: LBE Disruption & Opportunity - December 2014
  34. Home Video Play & Entertainment Go Digital - Published in RePlay magazine, December 2014
  35. Duck Dynasty - Published in International Bowling Industry magazine, November 2014
  36. The Hybrids Are Coming! - Published in Games & Parks Industry magazine, October 2014
  37. Online leisure is crowding out real world leisure - November 2013
  38. Implications of the new 6th Sense & the flight from conversation - October 2013
  39. The Importance of Food & Beverage - Published in RePlay magazine August 2013
  40. The Staycation Trend: Myth or Reality - Published in RePlay magazine March 2013
  41. The rise of leisure time inequality - December 2012
  42. Defining your target market: It's not about their demographics. - Published in RePlay Magazine November 2012
  43. Getting family entertainment center architectural design right the 1st time for maximum profitability - April 2012
  44. Does Alcohol Belong in Family Entertainment Centers? - April 2012
  45. Is declining cinema attendance a bellwether for all location-based entertainment venues? - April 2012
  46. The Challenges of Developing Entertainment Projects in Africa - March 2012. Originally published in the February/March 2012 issue of Tourist Attractions & Parks magazine
  47. Kids' Menus are Evolving - March 2012
  48. Site selection: a combination of both art and science - November 2011
  49. The creative destruction of location-based entertainment - From keynote speech given by Randy White at the Digital Out-of-Home Interactive Entertainment Conference in London on July 14, 2011
  50. Target your Market: Why many LBEs have marginal success or failure - Published in RePlay magazine May 2011
  51. Location-Based Entertainment: How to Beat the Digital World at its Own Game - Published at Blooloop.com March 2011
  52. Is the staycation trend a real phenomenon? - Published at Blooloop.com January 2011
  53. The Challenge fo Designing Environments for Families with Children - Published at Blooloop.com December 2010
  54. What's Next: The Future is Already Here - December 2010 Replay magazine
  55. The Clampetts Were Fictional: Why and How to Target the Upscale Market - orginallly published in 2003, but just as applicable today
  56. The foundation of location-based entertainment success is a four-legged stool - November 2010
  57. Defining agritainment as the 4th Level of Economic Value
  58. Why socio-economic/lifestyles matter - September 2010
  59. The increasing social stratification of out-of-home entertainment and leisure - Published at Blooloop.com July 2010
  60. The future of shopping centers
  61. The only five ways to grow your business
  62. The future of out-of-home entertainment, July 2010 - Originally published at Blooloop.com
  63. What drives guest attendance? Is all about the motivations, June 2010
  64. The Impact of the New Grounded Consumer on Location-Based Entertainment, May 2010
  65. Getting the timing just right:
    Which comes first, the site or the feasibility study??    , March 2010
  66. The Silliness of Most Customer Surveys, March 2010
  67. Reinventing the shopping center for the age of the grounded consumer, A white paper, March 2010
  68. The Great Recession: its long term impact on consumers and location-based business, A white paper, February 2010
  69. Retail-tainment, the next big thing for retail and shopping centers?, January 2010
  70. What will my project cost?, December 2009
  71. Reaching Adults Often Means Targeting Their Younger Children, August 2009
  72. Environment and People: Two Critical Elements of Experience Venues , August 2009
  73. The entrepreneurial trap of human biases, August 2009
  74. The future of leisure time; the new value equation, August 2009
  75. The feasibility study, the blueprint for success, July 2009
  76. The Challenge of Bringing a Project's Construction in on Budget, July 2009
  77. Watching Your Step, Published in the June 2009 issue of International Bowling Industry
  78. The Grounded Consumer: Changing the Paradigm of Shopping Center Entertainment, May 2009
  79. Designing museums, zoos, botanical gardens and cultural and informal learning institutions for young children, April 2009
  80. Demise of the stuffed, birth of the grounded consumer, March 2009
  81. White space projects, April 2009
  82. What's happening to bowling, August 2008
  83. White Paper: Role of Entertainment in Shopping Centers & Malls, September 2008
  84. An FEC in your future? International Bowling Journal, August 2008
  85. A Leaking Bucket, International Bowling Industry, March 2008
  86. Is an accountant good for your business?
  87. The Death of Entertainment; Welcome to the New Mindset of Leisure Experiences
  88. Time is more than money. It's the minutes, not the moolah: Making your LBE worth their time
  89. Prime time: knowing the prime cost formula can keep your restaurant on track
  90. New Luxury: Rich Design Is No Longer Optional
  91. The Feasibility Study: The Foundation for Success
  92. Adults are from Earth; Children are from the Moon: Designing for Children: A Complex Challenge
  93. That's Eatertainment! Everything you need to know about combining entertainment and food service to build profit and repeat business
  94. Child's Play & The Family; Complexities and Opportunities
  95. That's Edutainment!
  96. How can I finance my entertainment project?
  97. Not All Populations are Created Equal: Understanding the Differences to Maximize Success
  98. Only You Can Prevent Road Kill: Build 3 Critical Success Factors into Your Leisure Facility
  99. The Convergence Zone of Entertainment and Education
  100. The Importance of Cultural Competence to Location-Based Leisure Projects
  101. The Importance of Food to Location-Based Leisure, Fun Extra, IALEI, September 2001
  102. Increasing Membership & Revenues with Children's Entertainment & Edutainment
  103. Finding the Investment Sweet Spot, in publication
  104. Fill Your Bucket by Managing for Zero Defections
  105. A Multi-cultural Challenge: Designing for Children in Dubai
  106. A Spoonful of Sugar Makes an Existing LBL a Smart Decision
  107. The Industry Must Take a Socially Responsible Stand on Violent Entertainment
  108. Learning from the Black Box: A Decade of Lessons
  109. Size Does Matter: Selecting the Right Size For Your Center
  110. TEN MYTHS: How Common Wisdom Can Kill Your FEC/LBE
  111. Beware of the Western Conquistadores
  112. Designing Safe Play Environments for Children
  113. Guest Sacrifice: A Sure Trip to Prison or a Path to Profitability?, Entertainment Management, in publication for July/August 2000 issue.
  114. The Role of Culture in Location-Based Leisure Design, Official Proceedings of TILE 2000 Conference in London, UK, May 2000.
  115. Beyond Androcentrism: How to Design LBLs to Please Guests (Women & Children) Instead of Owners and Architects (Men), Entertainment Management, May/June 2000.
  116. Adding Children's Play & Entertainment to MWR Fitness and Recreation Facilities. MWR Today, May 1999.
  117. Child's Play: More Complicated Than It Looks, Entertainment Management, January/February 2000.
  118. Designing FECs for the International Market: Imitation is the Quickest Course to Bankruptcy, Entertainment Management, July/August 1999.
  119. Target Your Market - Marketing LBLs: Love the Ones You're with, Entertainment Management, September/October 1999.
  120. The Feasibility Study: Guard Your Investments from Wishful Thinking, FEC/LBE Management, March/April 1999.
  121. Niche Marketing: The Difference Between Hitting and Missing Your Target Market, Fun World, IAAPA, April 1999.
  122. Upgrade Now -- Capture the Family Entertainment Market, RIM magazine, March/April 1999.
  123. Bad News for Us Guys: We Are Not the Target Market for LBLs, RePlay, March/April 1999.
  124. Bowling, the Foundation for Expanded MWR Entertainment Offerings, MWR Today, in publication
  125. Beyond Leisure World: The Process of Creating Storyline-based Theming, FunWorld, IAAPA, November 1998.
  126. How Entertainment Can Make Shopping Centers Profit Centers, Shopping Center Business, in publication
  127. Lion Country Safari Study Guides Massive Renovation and Expansion, Tourist Attractions & Parks, April/May 1998
  128. Not Mere Child's Play, Athletic Business, May 1998
  129. Prepare for the Next Millennium, FEC/LBE Management, March/April 1998.
  130. Developing Successful International Family Entertainment Centers, Leisure Arabia, The International News Magazine for the Middle East Leisure Industry, Spring 1998.
  131. Expanding Waterparks with Dry Attractions, Splash, World Waterpark Association, January 1998.
  132. Adventure Play Gardens: Sometimes, You Just Gotta Make Mud Pies, Tourist Attractions & Parks, September/October 1997, Vol 27, No 5.
  133. Is Soft Contained Play Dead?, FEC Management, IAFEC, September/October 1997.
  134. After-School Daze, FEC Management, IAFEC, July/August 1997.
  135. Putting the 'Family' into Outdoor Fun Centers, Family Entertainment Center, IAAPA, July/August 1997.
  136. How Would YOU Like to Spend the Day Inside a Pinball Machine?, co-authored with Steve Thorburn, FEC Management, IAFEC, May/June 1997.
  137. Building the Right Mix For Your Market, Roller Skating Business, Roller Skating Association, May/June 1997.
  138. Children's Edutainment Centers: Learning Through Play--Part II, Intercross, Japan, Issue 169, July 1996 (in Japanese).
  139. Children's Edutainment Centers: Learning Through Play--Part I, Intercross, Japan, Issue 168, June 1996 (in Japanese).
  140. Children's Edutainment Centers and Play Gardens, Sproutage, Sprout Scouts, Vol 6, Issue 1, May 1996.
  141. The Economics of Joining Forces With A Coin-Operator, co-authored with Frank "the Crank" Seninsky, Tourist Attractions & Parks, April/May 1996.
  142. Four Myths That Keep the FEC Industry From Success in a Down Shifting Society, The Network, The Themed Entertainment Association, Spring 1996.
  143. Children's Edutainment Centers: Learning Through Play, Family Entertainment Center, IAAPA, March/April 1996.
  144. Children's Edutainment Centers: Learning Through Play, IPA Newsletter, IPA/USA American Association for the Child's Right To Play, Issue No 43, February 1996.
  145. FECs: Reflections on 1995 and a Peek into the Future, Play Meter, December 1995.
  146. Plan Before Your Leap: An Entrepreneur's Guide to the Feasibility Study, Family Entertainment Center, IAAPA, November/December 1995.
  147. How to Select New Entertainment Options For Your Center, International Bowling Industry, September 1995.
  148. Surviving the Children's Entertainment Center Shakeout, Family Entertainment Center, IAAPA, September/October 1995.
  149. Third World FECs: Lessons from Latin America, Tourist Attractions & Parks, September 1995, Vol 25, No 5.
  150. Like any new industry, FECs are evolving, Play Meter magazine, June 1995, Vol 21, No 7.
  151. Turning Yesterday's Skating Rink into Today's Moneymaker, Roller Skating Business, Roller Skating Association, May/June 1995.
  152. When It Comes to Children's Play, Simplify, Simply, Simplify, Tourist Attractions & Parks, April/May 1995, Vol 25, No 2.
  153. Customer-izing for Your Best Return by Remodeling and Expanding, Roller Skating Business, Roller Skating Association, March/April 1995.
  154. Defining The Role of Soft Modular Play, Tourist Attractions & Parks, December 1994/January 1995, Vol 24, No 7.
  155. The FEC Industry--Taking Child's Play to the Limit, Family Entertainment Center, IAAPA, 4th Quarter 1994.
  156. Negotiating the Entitlement Minefield, Funworld, IAAPA, November 1994.
  157. Building The Right Mix For Your Market, Tourist Attractions & Parks, September 1994, Vol 24, No 5.
  158. 'And in this corner, Goliath...' Can the Independent Operator Compete in the Children's Entertainment Industry?, Tourist Attractions & Parks, December 1993/January 1994, Vol 23, No 7.
  159. Making the Most of Your Budget, Family Entertainment Center, IAAPA, 4th Quarter 1993.
  160. The Shakeout Of FECs: Standing On Wobbly Legs, Tourist Attractions & Parks, August 1993, Vol 23, No.4.
  161. Design and Development: Creating a Profitable FEC, Family Entertainment Center, IAAPA, 2nd Quarter 1993.
  162. Bowling and Skating--The Foundation For A Recreational Phenomenon, Tourist Attractions & Parks, April/May 1993, Vol 23, No 2.
  163. Customer-izing for Success, Family Entertainment Center, IAAPA, 1st Quarter 1993.
  164. Upgrade Now--Capture the Family Entertainment Market, Roller Skating Business, February/ March.
  165. Making Customers Happy Is What Matters Most, The BCA Break, Billiard Congress of America, Winter 1992.
  166. Strategic Guest Satisfaction Puts Customers First, Bowlers Journal, Winter 1992.
  167. High Score Goes To Those Who Know Their Bowlers & Market, Bowlers Industry, Winter 1992.
  168. Secret of FEC Success: Know Your Market, Family Entertainment Center, IAAPA, Fall 1992.
  169. Managing Property for Zero Defections, Urban Land, ULI, July 1992, co-authored with Miles Hutchinson.
  170. Obsolescence and Real Estate Workouts, Tunnel Vision, Workout Professional Association, Spring 1992.

Articles by Vicki L. Stoecklin

  1. Twenty Ways to Become More Family Friendly, IALEI Fun Extra, February 2002
  2. Designing For All Children, 1999
  3. The Nine-and-Under Niche, FEC Management, IAFEC, September/October 1997.

Articles by Randy White and Vicki L. Stoecklin

  1. Multi-Cultural Dimensions of a Children's Play & Discovery Center in Arabia.
  2. A Children's Play Center in Arabia

Additional Articles