ValoArena Case Study: AR’s Entertainment Hub, USA

Are you tired of investing in attractions that constantly break down and require extensive maintenance? Do you also want to offer your guests a thrilling, immersive experience that keeps them coming back to play new games again? Read along and find out how ValoArena, helped AR's Entertainment Hub do that and even more.

‍AR's Entertainment Hub is a family entertainment center chain with three locations in Texas, USA. Their motto, "Family Fun for Everyone," is reflected in their diverse range of attractions, which include bowling, arcades, laser tag, black light mini-golf, bumper cars, soft play, and roller skating. With a focus on providing a comprehensive entertainment experience for families, AR's Entertainment Hub has become a popular destination for families and friend groups.

The challenge: unreliable attractions and high maintenance costs

Like many family entertainment center operators, Archie Wright, CFO and Co-Owner of AR's Entertainment Hub faced a common challenge: finding an attraction that was both reliable and low-maintenance. Their bumper cars, a staple attraction, were prone to frequent breakdowns, leading to high maintenance costs and disappointed guests. Archie knew he needed to find a solution that would provide an exciting, immersive experience without the headaches of constant repairs and downtime.

ValoArena: A reliable and low-maintenance solution for FECs

After a recommendation from his insurance agent and a visit to the Valo Motion booth at IAAPA Expo 2022, Archie decided to take a chance on ValoArena. 

He recalls, "I didn't know about Valo Motion but I took a risk."

Despite being a highly technical product, ValoArena has proven to be extremely stable and low-maintenance for AR's Entertainment Hub.

Archie expressed his awe, stating, "ValoArena just works when you turn it on. It's amazing that they're able to get all the technology into something that never glitches. It's the most amazing thing I've ever seen." 

Small footprint, big impact

One of the key advantages of ValoArena is its small footprint, making it an excellent choice for operators looking to build up rather than out. Despite its compact size, it can accommodate up to 6 players at a time, making it an ideal replacement for larger, more maintenance-heavy attractions like bumper cars.

Archie noted, "ValoArena occupies the same space or even smaller for up to 6 players and ValoArena helps us increase the value of our unlimited passes."

Archie mentioned that they use InterCard to measure how many times guests swipe to play ValoArena, and the results have been impressive!

A hit among his guests

ValoArena is mom-approved and suitable for everyone aged 6 years and above, making it a perfect fit for family entertainment centers that often cater to a wide range of age groups.

It is particularly popular among 8-12 year olds and their parents, who can enjoy a social, immersive experience without the need for wearables like VR headsets or controllers. Players use their whole body as a controller, and can even receive gameplay videos via email to share on social media or keep as a memorable souvenir, creating core memories and validating their experience at your venue.

“I've seen grown ladies running around and I've seen teenagers. I've seen all ages do it and all ages love it." - Archie Wright, CFO & Co-Owner of AR's Entertainment Hub

Replay value

ValoArena has proven to be a hit with guests at AR's Entertainment Hub, with the highest replay value of any attraction in the facility. Archie shared, "The 8-14-year-olds that try ValoArena want to go right back in there and keep on doing it all day. They go in and out, in and out, in and out."

There are currently 6 different games with multiple levels on ValoArena. New games, levels and features are released regularly as well as updated automatically via the cloud as a part of Valo Motion’s mandatory service package subscription. This reduces the lifetime costs for the operators and ensures fresh content for their guests.

A must-have attraction for family entertainment centers

After experiencing the success of ValoArena firsthand, Archie and his team at AR's Entertainment Hub have made it clear that it is a must-have attraction for family entertainment centers. 

The first ValoArena was up and running for 4-5 months at their San Antonio location, and the management team saw that people loved it and it was stable. This prompted them to order two more units and make a mandate to install ValoArena at all three of their locations in Texas, including Baytown and La Marque.

The ValoArena was working so well that Archie decided to try another Valo Motion product, ValoClimb, as he saw it as a good addition to their entertainment lineup.

"ValoArena is a hit! Everybody loves it. Going forward, we're going to put ValoArena in every single location because it's been so flawless and so amazing." - Archie Wright, CFO & Co-Owner of AR's Entertainment Hub

Discover more in the full case study

While this blog post has highlighted the key benefits of ValoArena for family entertainment centers, there's still more to discover. This isn’t a paywall because the full case study is FREE and to get the full scoop on AR's Entertainment Hub's success story with ValoArena, you'll want to download the complete case study.