FEC Glossary

June 10, 2019
Posted in General
June 10, 2019 Funovation

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

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