Vol. XXVI, No. 1, January 2026

A new value equation

Affordability for location-based entertainment (LBE) is no longer a question of price alone. Instead, it is an equation that weighs price against the perceived value of the overall experience. Today, consumers are demonstrating a more nuanced calculus. The emerging question is not, "Is this cheap enough?" but rather, "Is this worth its price?"

Affordability pressure is shaping consumers' decision-making processes. But when discretionary budgets tighten, people do not simply default to the cheapest LBE option. Instead, they become more selective, elevating the question of worth.

LBEs that frame affordability exclusively through discounts or promotions risk misapprehending the moment and believing their value is based on a transactional, fee-based relationship. The reality is more complex. Price-related research reliably shows that people are willing to pay (and pay a lot more!) when they believe an experience delivers a meaningful return - regardless of whether that return is emotional, educational, social, or civic. People will spend more money for a higher value LBE experience than attend a less expensive LBE that delivers lower value.

One way to measure the value of an LBE experience is the value of the time people spend engaged at the venue, known as the money value of time (MTV). MVT recognizes that the amount ofmoneycustomers willingly pay for any experience is directly proportional to thevaluethey receive for thetimethey spend there. You can learn more about MTV in our previous article HERE.

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Vol. XXVI, No. 1, January 2026

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Vol. XXVI, No. 1, January 2026

A new value equation

Vol. XXVI, No. 1, January 2026

LOCATION-BASED LEISURE & ENTERTAINMENT