By Gina Elliott, Altitude Trampoline Park

In an increasingly digital world, businesses must leverage technology to maintain relevance and enhance customer experiences.

This holds particularly true for the family entertainment center (FEC) industry, projected to grow from $28.85 billion in 2024 to $60.90 billion by 2031. To keep pace, FECs must prioritize technology that improves customer experience and operational efficiency. Altitude Trampoline Park is utilizing innovative tools like Low Energy Bluetooth (BLE) enabled wristbands and augmented reality (AR) sports simulators to stay ahead of the curve, attract new customers, and drive business growth.

By integrating these systems into their operations, forward-thinking FECs demonstrate how technology can serve as a cornerstone for acquiring new customers and building long-term loyalty. Beyond adding gadgets to a park, this approach highlights how strategic technology integration creates value for customers and franchisees. This is not only about making the experience more entertaining for customers but also about leveraging data and automation to ensure consistent growth and build facilities that cater to the demographic.

Improving Customer Experiences Through Innovation

The customer experience is paramount in any business. For FECs, the challenge lies in creating exciting and engaging environments that are also easy to navigate. Technology plays a pivotal role in bridging this gap. At Altitude Trampoline Park, the introduction of BLE-enabled wristbands called Intellibands by Intelliplay exemplifies how innovative technology can enhance a guest’s overall experience, making it seamless, convenient, and enjoyable.

These wristbands serve multiple functions, offering guests a simple, wearable solution that manages their jump time and alerts them when their time is running out. Intellibands can automate several processes, reducing friction for both guests and staff. Parents can also easily extend playtime from their phones. This provides a certain level of convenience and ensures families are more likely to extend their visits, resulting in increased engagement and spending.

For children, Intellibands offer a more interactive experience. The wristbands sync with gamified elements of the park, such as leaderboards and competitions, encouraging repeat visits and participation. Technology like this tap into the growing demand for personalized, experience-driven entertainment, particularly among younger generations. It allows family entertainment centers to differentiate themselves by offering more than just a physical space for play — they provide a connected, data-driven experience that adapts to individual needs and preferences.

By enhancing customer satisfaction through these innovations, FECs can position themselves as brands prioritizing convenience, security, and personalization — key factors driving loyalty and repeat business. This focus on the customer experience is crucial in maintaining relevance in a crowded market, where consumers increasingly expect more from their entertainment venues.

Attracting New Audiences with Immersive Experiences

Another area where technology plays a transformative role is in attracting new customer segments. As family entertainment centers look to broaden their appeal, integrating diverse, tech-driven attractions has become essential. Altitude Trampoline Park’s partnership with Batfast, a sports technology company, showcases how augmented reality (AR) can engage a wider audience.

The multi-sport simulator developed by Batfast blends physical activities like cricket, baseball, tennis, and lacrosse with real-time computer graphics, creating an immersive, augmented reality experience. This type of attraction caters to an increasingly tech-savvy audience that seeks out interactive, virtual elements in entertainment.

Such innovations tap into a broader cultural shift toward experiential entertainment, where guests are not just passive participants but active players in their experience. The rise of AR and virtual reality (VR) technologies in entertainment indicates that consumers are looking for more interactive and personalized experiences.

Including these technologies allows FECs to diversify offerings and extend the average length of visits. Guests are more likely to stay longer and explore multiple attractions, which can significantly boost overall revenue. Moreover, the park can remain a relevant destination in an increasingly competitive landscape by attracting new customer groups — mainly those interested in immersive sports experiences.

Leveraging Data for Operational Efficiency and Growth

The benefits of technology in family entertainment centers go beyond enhancing guest experiences. Technology can also be vital in optimizing business operations and driving long-term growth. By using tools like Intellibands and integrated facility management systems, franchisees can gain access to real-time data on customer behavior, park traffic, and resource allocation.

For example, Intellibands offer more than just a personalized guest experience; they also provide valuable data on how visitors engage with the park. Operators can see the most popular attractions, how long guests stay, and where they spend most of their time. This data type allows franchisees to make informed decisions about staffing, park layouts, remodels, and promotional strategies, ultimately improving operational efficiency.

In addition, automation tools can streamline processes such as check-ins, time management, and purchasing additional jump time, freeing up staff to focus on customer service and safety. This level of operational efficiency is fundamental as family entertainment centers scale, helping franchisees manage higher volumes of guests without sacrificing quality. Moreover, it provides an opportunity to personalize the experience further by anticipating guest needs based on data-driven insights.

Understanding the behavior and preferences of guests enables franchisees to create targeted marketing campaigns, personalized offers, and loyalty programs that resonate with their core audience. As the industry grows, leveraging data in this way will be critical for FECs that aim to expand their customer base and drive repeat business.

As family entertainment centers continue to evolve, those that leverage technology effectively will be best positioned for success in an increasingly digital market. Altitude’s approach underscores a broader trend in the industry: innovation isn’t just about creating fun; it’s about creating value for customers and operators alike.

Gina Elliott is the senior director of learning and development at Altitude Trampoline Park. For more information about IFA franchisor member Altitude Trampoline Park, please visit franchise.org/franchise-opportunities/altitude-trampoline-park.