Amaze World, located in the Sunshine Coast of Australia, is an adventure park featuring mazes, augmented reality experiences, a water play area, mini-golf, and various other interactive attractions designed to puzzle, excite, and engage guests. The venue has significantly evolved since it first opened in 1993. When the current owners, Robyn and Adam Cheshire, purchased the site in 2018, they commenced a significant upgrade project to transform the business from a tired venue to the modern, thriving attraction it is today. Part of this project involved upgrading their venue management software to ROLLER.
Myra Williams, Acting General Manager, recounts the decision-making process that the business went through to choose a venue management solution. Prior to using ROLLER, they were using Point 3 for POS and Wordpress for online bookings, and wanted a single streamlined system to simplify operations. Although they were selling tickets online, they were struggling to increase visitor numbers because of the run-down state that the venue was in. Amaze World was committed to investing in a robust, high-quality platform like ROLLER to help them increase sales. “Adam wanted a streamlined booking system, and was prepared to pay the price for something he thought would work well,” says Myra.
Reducing wait times
Part of why we chose ROLLER was because it allowed us to schedule times for people to come in. Therefore easing the congestion in our car park and easing the frustration of having to line up at an admissions area.
Myra Williams
Acting General Manager
As Amaze World upgraded its facilities, visitorship grew rapidly, and managing the increased footfall, especially with limited parking and entry points, became a challenge. "We were having huge problems with the car park not being big enough," says Myra. The need for a robust solution to streamline admissions and manage guest flow efficiently was evident. ROLLER’s ability to schedule entry times for visitors helped manage the park's capacity. “Part of why we chose ROLLER was because it allowed us to schedule times for people to come in. Therefore easing the congestion in our car park and easing the frustration of having to line up at an admissions area. We wanted to give all our guests an aMAZEing experience from start to finish."
Changing guest perceptions
I like that we don't have to take payments over the phone anymore. We just send guests a payment link, and it's up to them. We don't have to facilitate any card numbers.
Myra Williams
Acting General Manager
A significant challenge faced by Amaze World following its transition from previous ownership was altering the public's perception of the business. Modernizing the booking process with ROLLER’s simple online checkout has been vital in changing brand perceptions. “We're still getting over those perceptions of what it was to what it is now. ROLLER is an integral part of that because of the ease of booking,” says Myra. Now, Amaze World can seamlessly sell memberships, timed sessions, and birthday party bookings online.
They also encourage more people to purchase online by incentivizing them with discount codes - these codes can be built and managed in ROLLER. “On our website, we have 5% off if they purchase online, which creates less work for us,” Myra says.
Not only does this increase convenience for guests, but it removes the burden on Myra and her team manually processing payments. “I like that we don't have to take payments over the phone anymore. We just send guests a payment link, and it's up to them. We don't have to facilitate any card numbers or anything like that.”
Myra notes that the return on investment from ROLLER is clear because their guests are happier, and they’ve been able to grow online revenue. Thanks to successful marketing initiatives and the increase in online sales that ROLLER has helped unlock, they’ve doubled their revenue. And the change in public perception is abundantly clear with the accolades they’ve received recently. “We took out a Sunshine Coast Business Award in 2022 and 2023 and won the overall Sunshine Coast Business of the Year in 2023,” adds Myra.
Increasing F&B revenue and simplifying stock management
Food and beverage (F&B) sales are a crucial revenue stream for Amaze World, helping them increase guest spend per head. “You want people to spend around $10 extra each. You want to have those food and beverage options available so you can maximize sales,” comments Myra. Myra adds that this is particularly important in challenging financial conditions. Today fewer guests can afford to visit, so the business is focusing on increasing spend per head for the guests that can afford to visit through additional in-venue purchases. “Because of the times we’re in, we have fewer customers but are bringing in slightly more money,” Myra says.
In addition to helping Amaze World increase F&B revenue, ROLLER has simplified this aspect of its operations. Easily seeing how much stock they have on hand helps Myra order correct quantities to limit the financial risk of over or under-ordering. “You can view stock levels and see straight away that we need these, these, and these. That works really well so that you can easily place your updated orders,” says Myra. When the stock arrives on site, Myra also appreciates how quick it is to add stock items to the point of sale system - she’s reduced time spent on inventory management by around 50%. "It's such an easy process. When a stock item comes in, I can go to Venue Manager on any of our computers, put the new stock item in the POS system, and it's available straight away."
They’ve also just opened a brand new cafe with upgraded F&B options. Myra notes that this will help manage fluctuations in weather - as an outdoor venue, this is a constant challenge for the business. Guests now have somewhere to shelter from the heat or rain, eliminating frustration for guests while maximizing F&B sales.
When a stock item comes in, I can go to Venue Manager on any of our computers, put the new stock item in the POS system, and it's available straight away.
Myra Williams
Acting General Manager
Looking ahead
Amaze World has strong growth ambitions for the future. In addition to a phased venue upgrade program, which will see them add a new gift shop, themed mini golf course, and more mazes, they’re continuing to explore ways to increase revenue with the support of ROLLER.
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