Bowling & Beyond: Social Gaming’s Attraction Impact

Overview:

In a captivating episode of “Live with Sondra,” Gatemaster Technology CEO Sondra Shannon engaged in a thought-provoking discussion with Bart Burger, Director of Marketing and Investor Success at QubicaAMF.

Societal Shifts & Bowling’s Enduring Appeal

Bart Burger opened the discussion by emphasizing how COVID-19 accelerated existing societal trends. He pointed to the boom in food delivery, widespread remote work adoption, and the rapid shift to online entertainment reservations as key examples. Bart highlighted a significant societal shift: a growing preference for “in real life” (IRL) social experiences over material possessions, underscoring that humans are “wired to be in community”—a trend reinforced by recent global events.

This shift, Bart explained, directly underpins bowling’s enduring popularity. He called bowling the “original social network,” highlighting its surprising status as America’s largest participation sport, with over 50 million annual participants. Bart attributed bowling’s lasting appeal to its accessibility, inclusivity across all ages and abilities, and its unique ability to bring multiple generations together for fun, where skill level never detracts from the social experience.

Insights from This Live

The Pandemic as an Accelerator of Societal Trends:
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated existing societal shifts, including the rapid adoption of food delivery, remote work, and online reservations, fundamentally reshaping consumer behaviors and expectations for entertainment.
The Enduring Power of In-Real-Life (IRL) Social Experiences:
People increasingly prioritize in-person activities over material possessions. Bowling, as the “original social network” and America’s largest participation sport, exemplifies this due to its inclusivity and multi-generational appeal.
Food & Beverage Integration as a Revenue Driver:
For entertainment venues, quality food and beverage integration is crucial for revenue, enhancing the social gaming experience, increasing guest spend, and extending visit durations.
Data as the Foundation for Effective Marketing:
Strategically collecting and using guest data builds relationships, enables consistent communication, and drives repeat visits and new customer acquisition through compelling offers.
The Imperative of Working On the Business and Documenting Processes:
True growth for small businesses requires working on the business, not just in it. Entrepreneurs must define vision and values, and meticulously document processes to ensure consistency and empower staff, moving beyond “tribal knowledge.”

5 Notable Quotes:

“There’s a high probability had you not had that extra meal, you would have left [the restaurant] and you would have went somewhere else. So that share of wallet would have went somewhere else.”
– Bart Burger
“The only thing worse than not asking for guest data… is asking for it and then not communicating with them.”
– Bart Burger
“You know you have an opportunity to solve their problem, so what problem are you solving?”
– Bart Burger
“People buy from brands that they know and trust and respect and share something with them.”
– Bart Burger
“If you can’t document what good guest service looks like, then you can’t give it consistently long term, and you can’t expect the frontline people to do that.”
– Bart Burger

QubicaAMF’s Approach: Blending Experience with Strategy

Bart Burger of QubicaAMF emphasizes that the entertainment industry is evolving towards social gaming, characterized by high repeat appeal, participatory elements, and technology. A key development is the seamless integration of high-quality food and beverage (F&B) with gameplay. He asserts that all out-of-home entertainment venues are now inherently in the food business, requiring “five-star” F&B quality to boost check averages and enhance the guest experience, even if not fine dining.

Bart Burger’s Preferences and Technology

Bart stresses the critical role of technology and data in marketing and guest engagement. He states that “data is king” for attracting new guests, increasing frequency, and maximizing spending per person. Businesses with strong data capabilities recovered faster during the pandemic due to effective communication. He also highlights the need for exclusive and “compelling offers” that make guests feel special, moving beyond generic promotions.

Sondra’s Perspective: Reinforcing Core Principles

Sondra Shannon echoes Bart’s points, noting how a theme park’s meal pass extended her family’s stay and increased spending, affirming the value of F&B integration. She strongly agrees with the “data is king” philosophy, emphasizing the importance of consistent, purpose-driven communication with guests who provide their information, fostering trust rather than sporadic, transactional messages.

Improving Guest Experience

Bart identifies a common pitfall for small business owners: working “in their business” instead of “on their business,” which turns their dream into just a job. He urges them to establish structure, define culture, mission, vision, and values, and address pain points. To scale and ensure consistent service, businesses must document processes and service standards, moving beyond “tribal knowledge.” He cites Chick-fil-A as a “gold standard” for its meticulously documented service.

Creating Memories and Guest-Centric Culture

Bart advocates for formalized onboarding programs to empower staff, especially younger generations who want to understand “the why” behind their work. He points to Texas Roadhouse as an example of a brand maintaining high team member satisfaction through comprehensive training. Bart concludes that being an “employer of choice” is not just about wages but about cultivating a strong vision, mission, and values that create a compelling culture, ultimately leading to a better experience for both staff and guests and lasting memories.