FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT CENTER GLOSSARY
With tons of acronyms and plenty of shorthand, the family entertainment center (FEC) industry terms can be confusing for veterans and newbies alike. Luckily we’ve made a list of frequently used terms to make life easier!
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
Anchor Attraction – A center’s premier entertainment experience(s) that entice customers to visit.
Attended Attraction – A center’s entertainment experience that operates with the assistance of an employee.
Arcade – Historically, this has referred to coin-operated, small footprint games. Modern arcades, however, can include redemption counters, mini-bowling, video games, VR, and other small-footprint attractions. They are often run with cashless card systems.
Arena – An interactive, enclosed gaming area most often used for laser tag or virtual reality.
Attendant – The individual responsible for running an attraction and explaining gameplay to guests.
Attraction – Any game or entertainment experienced by visitors.
B
Birthday Child – The kid whose birthday it is!
Booster/Complimentary Attractions – A center’s secondary experiences to the anchor attractions.
C
Crane Game – A type of arcade game that uses a claw to pick up items.
F
FEC (Family Entertainment Center) – Multi-attraction venues that host games, gaming systems, restaurants, and interactive entertainment for the entire family.
G
Gross revenue – Average per capita spending x attendance. (Read More)
H
Hardware – Physical equipment used in entertainment and games.
Haze – A fog-adjacent mist that allows lasers to be seen while staying fire and eye safe.
I
IAAPA (International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions) – The host organization for IAE (International Attractions Expo), the largest trade show event in the out of home entertainment industry. (Read More)
L
LBE (Location-Based Entertainment) – Attractions that are only accessible at a venue and cannot generally be experienced at home.
M
Memorable Value – When an experience is remembered in high regard. (Read More)
O
Operator – The individual responsible for the purchase of the attraction.
P
POS (Point of Sale) – Software that can run a venue’s bookings, food orders, game sales, take payments, and more.
R
Redemption – The exchange of rewards earned through gaming (like tickets or points) for merchandise.
ROI (Return on Investment) – A direct performance measure of an investment calculated by (net profit / investment cost) x 100.
S
Software – Computer operating systems and programs used in entertainment and games.
T
Theming – Design in a center, including music, lights, artwork on walls, center name, and more.
Throughput – The number of players going through an attraction; typically measured per hour.
Turnaround – The amount of time between active games; typically measured in seconds or minutes.
Turnkey – Ready for immediate use, as easy as fitting a key in a lock (and occasionally providing power).
U
UEC (Urban Entertainment Center) – Similar to FEC’s – combining entertainment, retail, and restaurants in a city center space.
Unattended Attraction – An attraction that runs without the assistance of an employee.
V
VR (Virtual Reality) – Video simulation of a 3D world in the form of a game.
Video Capture – An operator focused marketing platform that allows customers to relive their experience through recorded videos they receive and share.
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Did we miss one? Send us a note (info@funovation.com) and we’ll add it to this list!
Original posting date: June 11, 2019