I know, just when you were getting used to the word “Eatertainment,” another phrase has entered the social competition with the great food and beverage arena: SPORTAINMENT. Andrew Petcash, the founder of Profluence, a venture fund and media brand designed around all things sports, used the term in a recent LinkedIn post.
So, what’s the difference? And are there eatertainment concepts not designed around sports? As eatertainment has risen the ranks to the darling of today’s generations looking for the combined ingredients of a great experience and exceptional food, the tides are shifting. What began as arcade games with tokens and prizes to be won among ball pits and sky tubes has transitioned from appealing to families to drawing in the sports-minded and those simply looking for a good time.
Here, we’ll explore the differences and which concepts are taking the world by storm.
Fun & Food
According to research published in Psychological Science, sharing experiences with another person, even someone you met just minutes ago, intensifies that experience, making the pleasurable even more enjoyable. That defining quality in human nature may be part of the reason eatertainment is such a fascinating concept.
Take an everyday activity, such as singing in the shower, and add the energy of group participation, and you have the foundation of a successful endeavor. This is the idea behind concepts like Lucky Voice, a unique creation that’s a little like karaoke on steroids.
BRKTHROUGH, a social gaming concept, offers 40 rooms that provide physical, mental, and skill-based challenges. From trivia to prisons, jungles, and spaceships, it offers elevated, immersive experiences. Garden Social adds engaging DIY experiences, like candle and terrarium making as well as yoga.
SPORTAINMENT Concepts
So, how do we define Sportainment? Is it all about the athletes looking to up their game? Or is it the curious looking for a good time while trying something new? According to the National Golf Foundation, over 50% of Topgolf guests may have never played the game before.
Venues such as this one give people a chance to experience a sport they’ve never tried without going all in on equipment and finding themselves on a golf course with near-professionals looking on and lining up behind them, waiting to take their shots. It’s approachable, beginner-friendly, and fun.
Today’s successful concepts usually focus on one sport combined with elevated food and drink offerings.
Gameplay Vs. Food & Beverage
Concepts in this competitive landscape lean toward high spend on gameplay versus F&B. Five Iron Golf offers state-of-the-art simulators and instructions. It’s a place where you can take a lesson and join a league, putting it squarely in the high-spend gameplay category. These concepts tend to fall into the active sports category. Some of the others in this segment include:
- SPIN with Olympic-caliber ping pong tables
- BOUNCE uses proprietary ping pong projection mapping technology
- SIXES for those into social cricket
- Batbox for an immersive, social and tech-infused baseball experience
- Chicken N Pickle is the off-and-running sportainment concept with pickleball courts and a chef-driven restaurant
On the other hand, Flight Club is elevating darts using technology, craft cocktails, and globally inspired dishes. While an established sport and a serious tradition in the U.K., most people in the U.S. see it as a fun way to pass the time with friends. The high spend in this concept goes to F&B.
Elevated bowling concepts are also on the rise, with Bowlero leading the pack as the world’s largest owner and operator of bowling centers combining interactive arcades and inventive dining.
The Defining Difference
As with most activities, proprietary technology is enhancing the experience and creating leaders in the industry. It’s providing a seamless digital experience in which guests no longer need to keep score. Examples include Puttshack’s patented Trackaball technology, using sensors and high-tech balls to keep track of players’ progress through mini golf courses. Flight Club uses ground-breaking dart-tracking technology.
Petcash offered a unique look into additional opportunities possessed by the high-tech sportainment concepts, including micro-academies where youth can train during the weekdays and corporate events. Both ideas provide solutions to the challenge of increasing weekday revenue.
Another essential element you’ll see amidst the top brands is inclusion, the ability to create a space where people of varying skill levels can come together and enjoy the offerings, whether they intend to simply have a good time or increase their capabilities.
At the EMERGING Fund, our innovative investment portfolio includes many of the top players in the sportainment sphere, including Puttshack and Flight Club. To learn more about our take on this progressive sector or to discover investment or partnership opportunities, contact the EMERGING Fund.
