This weekend I attended a party at Sky High Sports – one of many establishments here in the PNW that cater to indoor fun – and noticed something very interesting. All the kids were having a great time and jumping like crazy. And all of the parents were sitting on the sideline watching.
Why doesn’t Sky High Sports (or any other “birthday party”-heavy arena) have a better customer experience for the parents visiting to bring their kids to a party? I was able to play in the arcade, watch kids jumping for a while, and watch sports in the “Cafe.” But I couldn’t shake the feeling that since I’m not in the target market, they didn’t care about me as a customer.
What could have been better? How about an area of the Snack Bar with a couple of recliners and an Espresso bar? I would have been happy to spend money at Sky High Sports on myself, but they didn’t give me the opportunity.
There are a lot of markets like this – popular children’s movies come to mind – that do a good job marketing both to the kids and to their parents. Businesses that capture both sides of this market make more money and produce happier customers – why don’t more do it?
Information Maven 
Dude, **jump**. I’m in ok shape, and an hour on the trampoline kicked my butt (plus it was great fun.)