An evolved brand message that refocuses on its bar element has allowed Red Engine to increase dwell time by around 30 minutes, marketing director Juliette Keyte told delegates at MCA’s Hostech conference last week.
The group currently has 12 Flight Club venues in the UK and a further eight in the United States and Australia, alongside 5 Electric Shuffle venues, offering a high-tech version of classic darts and shuffleboard in a premium bar setting.
“When we first launched, it was very much leaning on our USP of social darts or shuffleboard, which is a good differentiator.
“But what that meant was people were coming to us thinking we were like a traditional bowling alley, where you come for your slot and that is typically the end of your experience.
“We had to dial that back and say, first and foremost we are a bar.
Reconfiguring how to deliver that message, and “start with the bar”, has meant guests are more likely to remain in venue before and after their booking.
“That has fed through into our interior design, so the first thing you see in our venues is the bar and then you get a teaser of the experience.”
It has also altered the business’ booking experience and marketing channels which prompt customers to book a table.
“It is bar first and then the concept element.
“Creating that full package for them has increased that dwell time from 90 minutes to 2 hours.
In a panel discussion around the tech that is powering experiential hospitality brands, business development director at Lucky Voice, Nick Jones said that more broadly, the rise of social leisure and post-pandemic habits has helped evolve customer habits positively.
“After Covid, people wanted to stay in one venue for longer and they wanted bookable space.
“People will book a table and their food and packages in advance, so all of that has helped to increase dwell time.
The 7-site strong private-room karaoke concept has also redeveloped its website to make both the experiential element, and food and beverage offering, “front and centre”, and foreground a full package experience.
“As a standard we have a two-hour booking and now people will come to the bar or for food beforehand, they know the F&B product as well as they know the karaoke.
Commenting on how the brand is creating interactive and bespoke hospitality experiences, Keyte said that tech was playing a key role.
“We have the technology for the games to bring groups of people together.
Developing an “action replay” feature was a real opportunity, says Keyte, capturing key game moments and delivering them back to the customer, the day after their booking.
“They later share those experiences with their friends, which is always quite helpful with a new business.
“Customers have got those memories as a legacy of their time with us, but it’s also a good way to create brand ambassadors.
Keyte said that the business would look at opportunities to utilise AI, but that this would most likely be “back of house”, rather than within the customer facing product.
“We want our technology to be seamless. But people still use the human experience of being served by a person at a bar.
“It is about learning what AI can offer for us in terms of our efficiencies and less so within our products - but never say never.
Jones said that Lucky Voice was also “tracking” AI developments within the sector, but that any use within the business would only be driven by significantly improving the customer experience.
“It’s so much to do with keeping that experience reasonably pure.
“We want to maximise their experience and the service element, the interaction with our staff who take the guests to the room and explain the technology.
“I don’t know where in that singing experience you add AI to benefit at the moment.”
