5 KEY FACTORSTHAT

WILLMAKE YOUR

ESCAPE ROOM

SUCCESSFUL NEXTYEAR

BYALEXANDR GIRSHFELD FOUNDER OF

INDESTROOM ESCAPE ROOM FACTORY

ABOUT ME

Founder of “INDESTROOM", the largest escape room factory

More than 450 escape rooms built worldwide

40,000 sq ft full-cycle production

15 turnkey escape rooms per month

Co-owner of one of the largest ER chainsin Russia - 30 rooms

Leeds University Business School – Master of Marketing and AdvertisingThe National Research University Higher School of Economics - Master of Marketing

ALEKSANDER GIRSHFELD

ESCAPE ROOMSHISTORY

FirstRooms:

2007Japan, SCRAD (TakaoKato)

2011Europe, Budapest, Hungary Parapark (AttilaGyurkovics)

20121stER in the USA, a Real Escape Game in San Francisco

2012PaniQ Room - the 2nd escape room in Europe (Budapesht)

2013ER Madness inRussia

first promo video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P39eiKd6NOU

ER boom

ERBOOM

2014 –Russia

2015 –Europe

2015 –USA

0

5

10

15

20

25

2014 2015 2017 2018

Number of rooms per 1 millionpopulation*

USA EU Russia

*roomescapeartist.com, exitgames.co.uk, questfinder.ru,Wikipedia

ESCAPEGAMES DENSITY-PERMILLION POPULATION

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Netherlands Poland Russia UK France Germany USA

2019*

*Local ER aggregator web-sites,Wikipedia

CONSUMER INTEREST (USA,CANADA)

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

USA,Canada*

USA Canada

*trends.google.com

CONSUMER INTEREST(RUSSIA)

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

trends.google.com

CONSUMER INTEREST (EUROPE)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

20

13

-01

20

13

-04

20

13

-07

20

13

-10

20

14

-01

20

14

-04

20

14

-07

20

14

-10

20

15

-01

20

15

-04

20

15

-07

20

15

-10

20

16

-01

20

16

-04

20

16

-07

20

16

-10

20

17

-01

20

17

-04

20

17

-07

20

17

-10

20

18

-01

20

18

-04

20

18

-07

20

18

-10

Germany UK France

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Romania Netherlands Hungary Polandtrends.google.com

WORLDWIDE TRENDS. CUSTOMER`S DEMAND

77%

21%

2%

demand is increasing

demand remainsunchanged

decrease incompetition

*Worldwide survey among 200+ ER owners (Indestroom, 2019)

WORLDWIDE TRENDS. QUALITY

32%

30%

14%

13%

11%

ER Quality

increased dramatically over the 2-3 years

new locations are much better than 2-3 years ago

decorations and props are more impressive

the difficulty level is the same

quality is more or less the same as 2-3 years ago

*Worldwide survey among 200+ ER owners (Indestroom, 2019)

USA,Canada

Standalone non-franchise locations arestill

emerging asbefore

Morenon-franchise locations are closing as

compared to the previousyears

Europe

Standalone non-franchise locations arestill

emerging asbefore

WORLDWIDE TRENDS. FRANCHISE

WORLDWIDE TRENDS. FRANCHISE

Moreescape rooms will be operating

under a franchise

Standalone roomswill be bought by

larger chains

Aggregators will becomepopular

Franchise can advertise more effectively for each ER.Standalone rooms can use aggregators as a new trend in promotion.

Future trends

CHANGES IN COSTS-2017 VS 2018 (USA,CANADA)

21%

79%

21%

79%57%

43% 36%

64%

*Worldwide survey among 200+ ER owners (Indestroom, 2019)

Equipment Rent Repairs,

installationWages

CHANGES IN COSTS-2017 VS 2018 (EUROPE)

69%

31%

50%50%

60%

40%50%50%

*Worldwide survey among 200+ ER owners (Indestroom, 2019)

Repairs,

installation

Rent WagesEquipment

DEDUCTION FROM THE STATISTICS

You need to invest

more

ER market became more professional

and stable. And it is still

growing!

Consumer interest

continues to rise

KEY FACTORS OF SUCCESS

Target audience

Immersive scenario

Rational use ofresources

Effective promotion

Short paybackperiod

KEY FACTOR#1

TARGETAUDIENCE

WHO IS YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE?

General info

Interests

Relation to ER

• Advanced players/beginners• What problem do they solve by playing your ER?

• Motivation (low price/uniqueness/quality/reputation of a company,etc.)

• Obstacles (high price/payment methods/remoteness/badreputation)?

• Male/female• Age

• Income level

• Locals/tourists

• What do they like, careabout• Their background,education

AUDIENCE – USA, CANADA

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Young adults,students

Corporate employees

Families withchildren

Women30-50

USA

*Worldwide survey among 200+ ER owners (Indestroom,2019)

AUDIENCE – EUROPE

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%

Young adults,students

Families withchildren

Groups offriends over 30

Corporate employees

Europe

*Worldwide survey among 200+ ER owners (Indestroom,2019)

Immersive scenario

KEY FACTOR#2

HOW TO CREATE AN IMMERSIVE SCRIPT

COOL SCENARIO

Game s̀ legend

Wow-effects and anchors

Interests ofyour targetaudience

The most significantpart

of your EscapeRoom

!

WHERE YOU CAN GET THE SCENARIOS FROM

If you're not a professional writer your

time might be wastedCreate your own one

Starts from$1000Order from

professionals

Acopywould cost you $300 -

$1000Buy an existingone

TYPICAL MISTAKES OF CREATING A SCENARIO

Topic based on your owninterests

IP issues

Too difficultOutdated

topics

Without a particular

theme

The most boringpuzzles:• UV light

• keys – locks

• find and insertbattery

TRENDS IN ESCAPE ROOM INDUSTRY

ER and VR are totally different types of entertainment

Corporate Games

Escape Rooms for families with kids

Promotion escape Games

Arcades

Rational use of yourresources

KEY FACTOR#3

YOUR ADMINISTRATIVE RESOURCES

Staff

• Themed costumes

• The story of the game, narrated with

a suitable intonation (like an actor)

• The way you give the THEMED hints

• Giving some extra time for players to

enjoy the moment

• Courtesy, politeness, positive attitude

Players loyalty

Better impression about

the game

LOCATION – EXTRA PROMOTION OPPORTUNITIES

o If you have a themed waiting area you can hold

corporate and otherwise host a party

o Photos of players in the themed area

o Geo Location

o Building outerdesign

o Interior design

o Extras for the players(food/beverages)

First experience starts on yourweb-site.

But the biggest impression of your ER will be made at the moment when players open the front door.

No

Logo on building, windows, banners

Themed entrance witha small logo

Billboard

Printed windows

It is advertisedon its own

Large LEDsign

Doyou promote your location? How?*

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

*Worldwide survey among 50+ ER owners (Indestroom,2018)

LOCATION – EXTRA PROMOTION OPPORTUNITIES

Doyou have a themed waiting area?*

yes74%

no26%

KEY FACTOR #4

Effective marketing tools

THE MOST EFFECTIVEAND PROVEN MARKETING TOOLS

Magazine/newspaper

Outdoor/bus commercial

Pop-up events

Celebrities/influencers

PAID

GoogleAdWords

Targeting in social networks

Aggregators

TripAdvisor /Yelp

THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND PROVEN MARKETING TOOLS

Perks (Discount coupons / Gifts/

Photo printing / Discount card

for your bestfriend)

SHAREWARE

Flyers

Gift Certificates

“Street" promotion

Cross promos

Word ofmouth

MARKETINGCHANNELS

100%

social networks

aggregator websites

google targetedads

word ofmouth

USA,Canada

0% 20% 40%

low average

60% 80%

hight

0% 80% 100%

social

networks

aggregator

websites

google

targetedads

word ofmouth

Europe

20% 40%

low average60%

hight

*Worldwide survey among 200+ ER owners (Indestroom, 2019)

WORD OFMOUTH

Encourage your clients to leave reviews,

thank them for positive.

Instruct your staff (to make quickright

decisions for thegood of theclient)

Ask players for their feedback after the

game

Do you interview players after thegame?*

*Worldwide survey among 50+ ER owners (Indestroom,2018)

Work on every positive and negative review.

Contact every client with negative reviews to

find out the reason. Make them change their

attitude to neutral, loyal. (Offer them a free

game/ discount)

yes no sometimes if there is time

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEWMANAGEMENT

Dealing with good reviews Dealing with badreviews

Post bestreviews

Use best reviews in advertising

Comment them on networks:

say thanks, ask what they likedthe most

Take them extremely seriously and reactimmediately

Try to turn negative reviewinto a positive one

• Talk with players by phone /e- mail /networks

• Offer discount for anothergame

• Let them know that you aredealing with the problem

SOCIAL NETWORKS

100

35

20 20

10 10 105

0

20

40

80

60

100

120

Facebook Instagram Twitter Tripadvisor Snapchat YouTube Other LinkedIn

*Worldwide survey

among 200+ ERowners

(Indestroom,2018)

%

In which networks doyou promote your ER?*

GOOGLEADWORDS

none

19%

50-300

38%

300-700

12%

morethan

700

31%

*Worldwide survey

among 50+ ERowners

(Indestroom,2018)

How much do you spend on Google ads per month? ($)*

Short paybackperiod

KEY FACTOR#5

LONG LIFE AND FAST PAYBACK OF ESCAPEROOM

Quick payback

Long life

successful theme

quick opening

good promotion

anti-vandal equipment

maintainability

SUCCESSFULCASE www.escape3600.com

TARGET AUDIENCE

SCENERY

ADMINISTRATIVE RESOURSES

PAYBACK PERIOD

Anti-vandal equipment Opened in 2weeks after receiving the equipment

Prepared facilitywithin 1 month while all the

equipment was in production

families withkids

bought a proven scenario with equipment(JUNGLE, PIRATES)

involved the owner, teamed costumes, great story

6 months

THANK YOU FOR

YOUR ATTENTION