Adventure park delivers smarter, safer experience
The Fun Station pumps up the fun and guest safety with Axis network cameras, access control, and intelligent audio system. Axis video analytics help optimize staff scheduling and customer service at attractions, food concessions, and party rooms.
The Fun Station - Taking fun to the next level
From the upbeat jingle playing outside the front door to the more than 22 attractions awaiting guests when they come inside, it’s clear that The Fun Station in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is on a mission to create a safe and fun-filled experience for the whole family.
The two-story, 70,000 square foot adventure park offers a myriad of activities from trapeze swings and jousting beams to a ropes course, zip line, and waterless waterslide.
Turn a corner and one can find bumper cars, a two-level laser tag arena, duck pin bowling, and even a jungle safari-themed mini golf course. And when guests need a respite from all the action, they can grab a bite to eat at the Box Car Café, the Landing Bar or The Rail Yard outdoor patio.
We have a lot of high-action attractions, from a laser tag arena and a jump tower to a zip line and ropes course. Axis provides us with an all-encompassing solution that satisfies our insurance company and gives us peace of mind that we have eyes on all areas of our park.
Guest safety and security needs at the adventure park
To ensure guest safety and security, the company needed a camera system that would enable them to easily monitor activity throughout the property. They also wanted a solution that would continuously deliver business intelligence to help The Fun Station fine-tune operations in real-time. To reflect unique customer experiences throughout the property, the company also wanted an intelligent audio system that would allow them to target each attraction zone with its own theme background music and announcements via a public address system. Because they had previously installed Axis solutions in The Fun Stations in Eldridge and Dubuque, Iowa, the company turned once again to Barker Communications & Security, a systems integrator and Axis partner to take on the project.
Keeping a vigilant eye on the entire park property
“We have a lot of elevations, unique angles, and specialty elements to consider in our location,” explains Nick Edwards, President and CEO of Edwards Entertainment, which owns and operates The Fun Station chain. “So, we needed a camera system that could cover all the nooks and crannies and satisfy the requirements stipulated by our insurance carriers.”
“With a project of this magnitude, AXIS Site Designer was critical to a successful design and installation,” says Eric Barker, owner of Barker Communications & Security. “We were able to map out all the different attractions – their different heights and angles – and determine not only the placement of more than 70 Axis cameras, but the models that would give them the coverage they needed.”
Some of the most challenging camera placements included coverage of a ropes course that towers over 18 meters in the air, an elevated zip line rail that extends nearly 91 meters, an arcade area with its flashing lights, and a sports bar featuring a 12m x 3m video wall. “The wide dynamic range of the Axis cameras and the Lightfinder feature give us great image clarity, even in the lowest light areas of the property,” shares Barker.
Pumping up the energy with targeted network audio
Using AXIS Site Designer, Barker was able to determine the optimum placement and volume setting for the various Axis network speakers he would install throughout the property.
“We set up multiple zones so that The Fun Station could broadcast different music for each attraction area, including the party rooms and food concessions,” explains Barker.
“We also had Eric install a speaker outside the front door that plays The Fun Station jingle,” shares Edwards. “So our guests get pumped up before they even walk through the door.”
In addition to programming music for each zone, the Axis network paging consoles allow staff to broadcast announcements to all the speakers on the property at once or to select zones as needed. For instance, staff might direct a live message to a specific group of guests letting them know their party room is ready.
“Just having a good quality sound system for playing music and crystal-clear announcements really contributes to the fun ambiance in the facility,” declares Edwards.
Improving operations with people counting analytics
To maintain exceptional customer service, Edwards also uses Axis built-in analytics applications for people counting to count visitors.
“Having real-time tracking of people coming in and out of The Fun Station gives us a better understanding of our attendance levels throughout the day,” states Edwards.
“Seeing the hard numbers, the true traffic flow, helps us make a host of operating decisions about our Cedar Rapids location,” shares Edwards. “Everything from adjusting our staffing levels to adjusting our food service offering and attractions, even our ticket prices.”
Down the road, Edwards expects to capitalize on other analytics data to conduct smart searches, a system feature that can help staff quickly locate a specific individual, especially when the facility is at full capacity.
He also plans on employing queue monitoring analytics to improve the overall customer experience. “We can see using real-time analytics to help us know when we need to reposition our team members on the floor to address bottlenecks at popular attractions like the ropes course or the laser tag arena or long wait times at food concessions,” asserts Edwards.
“First time guests come to experience our attractions,” declares Edwards. “But they keep coming back because they had a good experience and good customer service.”
Controlling access to restricted areas
While the safety and security of their guests is paramount, insurers also expect The Fun Station to protect back-of-house operations.
“In addition to monitoring all the cameras and running the intelligent audio systems, we’ve configured our AXIS Camera Station (ACS) video management system to control the door locks to restricted areas like the server room, the employee entrance, and the business operations room,” explains Eric Barker.
To further satisfy their insurer, beyond virtually 100% camera coverage and strict access control of private areas, The Fun Station also maintains video storage capacity for up to 12 months.
Extending a flagship security and entertainment solution
Though the newest adventure park for Edwards Entertainment, The Fun Station in Cedar Rapids has quickly become the company’s flagship for entertainment and security.
“Many of the Axis solutions we put in place here will inform improvements in our other locations and any future locations we build,” says Edwards. “The strategic combination of cameras, intelligent audio, targeted analytics, and access control will help us remain a popular, fun, and successful destination for many years to come.”
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