How does your skating rink stack up when it comes to revenue, bookings, and guest behaviors? The skating industry (including both roller rinks and ice rinks) is experiencing a fresh wave of growth, as more guests discover, (or rediscover) a love for the sport, often turning casual visits into lifelong hobbies.
At the same time, digital transformation is making it easier than ever to attract, book, and retain these guests through streamlined ticketing, membership management, and personalized marketing. There’s never been a better time to leverage data and evolve your strategy.
To help you stay ahead, we’ve rounded up exclusive data from two sources:
- The 2025 Attractions Industry Benchmark Report, which reveals operational and sales trends across hundreds of venues, including skating rinks
- The 2025 Rink Report, which captures direct guest feedback about what they want, what frustrates them, and what keeps them coming back
Together, these insights paint a clear picture of where the industry is headed and how skating venues can optimize for growth, loyalty, and long-term success. From mobile bookings to membership perks, here’s what you need to know to roll into the future with confidence.
Online bookings are rising, but there’s still room for growth
Online bookings continue to outpace traditional point-of-sale (POS) transactions across the entire attractions industry, and skating rinks are no exception. In fact, online bookings for skating venues now represent 26.9% of total bookings, up slightly from the previous year. While that’s a positive trend, it’s still well behind the 65.7% of bookings that happen on-site via POS.
That gap represents a major growth opportunity. Not only are online orders worth more (3x higher on average), they also reduce operational strain and increase guest convenience. And with 82.5% of online checkouts happening on mobile, it’s clear that mobile-first experiences are the key to conversion.
Quick tips for rink operators:
- Streamline your mobile checkout process; fewer clicks means fewer abandoned carts.
- Promote online bookings with early-bird pricing or exclusive packages.
- Add upsells at checkout: think skate rentals, glow night upgrades, or food vouchers.
Online bookings bring in more guests
Here’s one stat you can’t ignore: skating rinks see an average of 3.2 guests per online booking, compared to just 2.2 guests for POS bookings. That’s a +1 guest difference every time. Multiply that across hundreds or thousands of bookings, and the revenue implications are massive.
When it comes to parties and events, the trend gets even stronger. Bookings made via venue manager (like birthday or group packages) bring in an average of 11.1 guests per transaction across the attractions industry, underlining just how important these group experiences are to overall guest volume.
Quick tips for rink operators:
- Build bundled party packages for different age groups or themes (e.g., disco night, winter wonderland).
- Offer incentives for large groups booking online, such as free skate hire for the organizer.
- Target families and schools with pre-designed group offers and streamlined booking flows.
Rink memberships = reliable revenue and repeat visits
One of the biggest levers for growth in 2025? Membership programs.
Rinks offering memberships saw 244.4% more visits per member than non-members—a clear sign that when guests commit, they come back again and again. Whether it’s unlimited skating, discounted concessions, or members-only events, the potential for recurring revenue is huge.
Quick tips for rink operators:
- Offer tiered membership levels (e.g., weekday-only, premium, family).
- Promote membership sign-ups at checkout and after parties.
- Include exclusive perks like skip-the-line entry or member skate nights..
Go digital improve safety
Skating rinks are increasingly adopting digital tools to improve operations. According to the Benchmark Report:
- 87.6% of skating venues now use digital waivers, speeding up entry and boosting safety compliance.
Quick tips for rink operators:
- Embed waiver signing into your online booking flow to reduce wait times and staff load.
- Use integrated systems for waivers, payments, and bookings to improve reporting and reduce friction.
What guests really think: data-backed insights from the 2025 Rink Report
We surveyed 1,000 roller skating rink guests to understand what they really want, from the vibe that keeps them coming back to the experiences that make them book.
Here are the top takeaways to help you optimize your operations and guest experience:
Who's visiting, and how often?
49% of respondents visit rinks a few times a year, while 25.7% visit a few times a month. Only 10.6% visit weekly. This shows strong potential to convert occasional skaters into more frequent guests.
What guests love most about skating rinks
The music and vibe is the biggest draw for 53.4% of visitors, followed by open skate sessions (29.4%).
What guests want more of
The top improvement guests want is additional activities like arcades, laser tag, and escape rooms (42.7%), followed by friendlier staff (27%) and easier online booking (17.3%).
What influences their loyalty
42.3% have considered becoming a rink member but haven’t signed up, and another 16.1% didn’t even know it was an option.
Discounts are the biggest motivator for membership (44%), followed by exclusive events (27.9%) and rewards programs (18.9%).
Ideal membership pricing? 51.5% prefer $10–$20/month, and 25.3% would only consider memberships for under $10.
Booking birthday parties
The biggest driver for party bookings at skating rinks is all-inclusive packages with food, drinks, and decorations (38.2%), followed by a fun and safe environment for kids or teens (31.4%).
Where to reach your guests
Social media is the clear winner, with 54.4% saying they’re most likely to respond to rink promotions via Instagram, Facebook, etc. Email and in-person promotions trail behind at 12.7% and 18.7%, respectively.
Ready to roll into the future?
2025 is shaping up to be a strong year for skating rinks, with data-driven operators leading the pack. By embracing online bookings, enhancing party and membership offerings, and streamlining operations with digital tools, you’ll be better positioned to delight guests and boost revenue.
The data from ROLLER’s 2025 Attractions Industry Benchmark Report and Rink Report shows that today’s guests want convenience, connection, and more reasons to return. And the most successful rinks are delivering on those expectations—using technology and insights to evolve how they engage, sell, and serve.
Ready to see where you stand and where you can go next?
Download the full reports below to explore more insights and benchmarks for skating rinks like yours:
