Choosing the right location is at least 50% of a future VR arena's success. Where you open determines the flow of guests, the potential revenue and the payback period of the project.
In this article we look in detail at the main types of location for opening a virtual reality arena.
1. Shopping malls
The top choice. Developed infrastructure and the chance to work both with passing footfall and with guests you attract yourself.
Pros:
• high footfall at weekends and on holidays
• ready infrastructure (parking, cafés, cinemas)
• people are already in the mood to spend money and look for entertainment
A tip: in a mall it is best to open on the floors with entertainment — next to the food court, the cinema or a children's trampoline park. That is where people relax and often make the impulsive decision to “drop in and try it”.
2. Residential districts
A less obvious but very profitable option. Most of the revenue here comes from events: birthdays, proms, corporate parties, team games and tournaments.
Pros:
• low rent
• a flexible schedule (you are not tied to mall opening hours)
• proximity to schools and to your guests' homes
• low competition
Important: the success of an arena in a residential district depends not on passing footfall but on marketing activity, effective sales and good service. This format runs on leads you attract, not on people walking by.
So that our partners feel confident, we provide the whole set of tools they need:
• a branded website with an online booking system;
• advertising tools and promotion strategies;
• a corporate training system for staff (video lessons, scripts, guidelines and service standards)
3. Tourist and resort areas
Suitable for models built on impulse visits. People stroll by, see your arena and come in on emotion.
Pros:
Important: if you open a VR arena in a high-traffic spot — a pedestrian street, a city park or a promenade — your business model is built on impulse visits. People do not plan the visit in advance: they walk by, notice your VR arena and come straight in to play.
In such locations it is critical to have:
• bright, eye-catching decoration of the venue
• an open shopfront where passers-by see the players' emotions
• fast, precise service that keeps the arena filled without delays
So that a partner can make the most of a tourist area, we develop an individual design project:
·we create stylish, bright decoration for the venue so it draws attention and works as advertising;
·we plan the ergonomics of every square metre so that high traffic can be handled effectively.
4. Office centres
Suitable if you bet on the corporate segment and want to fill the arena on weekdays.
Pros:
• high occupancy on weekdays
• a convenient location and developed infrastructure
• the chance to host corporate parties, team buildings and private events;
• a good format for B2B sales: contracts with companies for regular events
Things to keep in mind:
• the flow of “spontaneous” players is lower here than in malls or resort areas
• it is important to develop corporate sales and cooperation with company HR teams
HOW TO CHOOSE THE PERFECT SPOT
Here are a few universal rules:
1. Count the traffic in numbers — not “seems like a lot of people”, but exactly how many walk by in an hour (better to count weekdays and weekends separately).
2. Assess the competition — next to escape rooms, trampolines and children's play areas your chances are higher: people are already looking for entertainment.
3. Check the infrastructure — parking, a transport stop, cafés and a cinema all raise the chances of your arena.
4. Negotiate with the landlord — ask for a rent holiday and reduced rates at the start.
5. Do not rely on the map alone — go to the spot and watch the real flow of people.
HOW WARPOINT HELPS FRANCHISEES
We do not just give advice — we support partners at every stage, from choosing the premises to reaching operating profit.
We suggest where exactly it is better to launch in your city.
• we analyse traffic, surroundings and competitors
• we assess the potential revenue
• we help negotiate with the mall or the landlord
• we recommend the best areas and layouts
The result: you get a location that becomes the foundation of a successful start and steady growth of the business.
To assess potential locations we have developed a special checklist that lets our franchisees run a quick analysis and understand whether a given property is worth considering.
In this article we look in detail at the main types of location for opening a virtual reality arena.
1. Shopping malls
The top choice. Developed infrastructure and the chance to work both with passing footfall and with guests you attract yourself.
Pros:
• high footfall at weekends and on holidays
• ready infrastructure (parking, cafés, cinemas)
• people are already in the mood to spend money and look for entertainment
A tip: in a mall it is best to open on the floors with entertainment — next to the food court, the cinema or a children's trampoline park. That is where people relax and often make the impulsive decision to “drop in and try it”.
2. Residential districts
A less obvious but very profitable option. Most of the revenue here comes from events: birthdays, proms, corporate parties, team games and tournaments.
Pros:
• low rent
• a flexible schedule (you are not tied to mall opening hours)
• proximity to schools and to your guests' homes
• low competition
Important: the success of an arena in a residential district depends not on passing footfall but on marketing activity, effective sales and good service. This format runs on leads you attract, not on people walking by.
So that our partners feel confident, we provide the whole set of tools they need:
• a branded website with an online booking system;
• advertising tools and promotion strategies;
• a corporate training system for staff (video lessons, scripts, guidelines and service standards)
3. Tourist and resort areas
Suitable for models built on impulse visits. People stroll by, see your arena and come in on emotion.
Pros:
- less investment
- organic footfall
- no spending on marketing
Important: if you open a VR arena in a high-traffic spot — a pedestrian street, a city park or a promenade — your business model is built on impulse visits. People do not plan the visit in advance: they walk by, notice your VR arena and come straight in to play.
In such locations it is critical to have:
• bright, eye-catching decoration of the venue
• an open shopfront where passers-by see the players' emotions
• fast, precise service that keeps the arena filled without delays
So that a partner can make the most of a tourist area, we develop an individual design project:
·we create stylish, bright decoration for the venue so it draws attention and works as advertising;
·we plan the ergonomics of every square metre so that high traffic can be handled effectively.
4. Office centres
Suitable if you bet on the corporate segment and want to fill the arena on weekdays.
Pros:
• high occupancy on weekdays
• a convenient location and developed infrastructure
• the chance to host corporate parties, team buildings and private events;
• a good format for B2B sales: contracts with companies for regular events
Things to keep in mind:
• the flow of “spontaneous” players is lower here than in malls or resort areas
• it is important to develop corporate sales and cooperation with company HR teams
HOW TO CHOOSE THE PERFECT SPOT
Here are a few universal rules:
1. Count the traffic in numbers — not “seems like a lot of people”, but exactly how many walk by in an hour (better to count weekdays and weekends separately).
2. Assess the competition — next to escape rooms, trampolines and children's play areas your chances are higher: people are already looking for entertainment.
3. Check the infrastructure — parking, a transport stop, cafés and a cinema all raise the chances of your arena.
4. Negotiate with the landlord — ask for a rent holiday and reduced rates at the start.
5. Do not rely on the map alone — go to the spot and watch the real flow of people.
HOW WARPOINT HELPS FRANCHISEES
We do not just give advice — we support partners at every stage, from choosing the premises to reaching operating profit.
We suggest where exactly it is better to launch in your city.
• we analyse traffic, surroundings and competitors
• we assess the potential revenue
• we help negotiate with the mall or the landlord
• we recommend the best areas and layouts
The result: you get a location that becomes the foundation of a successful start and steady growth of the business.
To assess potential locations we have developed a special checklist that lets our franchisees run a quick analysis and understand whether a given property is worth considering.
Subscribe to our Telegram channel — we publish even more useful content there and show how the VR business works from the inside.
OUR CONTACTS
on opening a WARPOINT VR arena
YULIA MAYER
Head of development
Phone: 8 800 550 16 91
WA/Telegram: +7 (922) 033-88-99
E-mail: sale@warpoint.ru
Website: franchise.warpoint.ru
on opening a WARPOINT VR arena
YULIA MAYER
Head of development
Phone: 8 800 550 16 91
WA/Telegram: +7 (922) 033-88-99
E-mail: sale@warpoint.ru
Website: franchise.warpoint.ru
