Page 104 - BCM June 2024

FIRST LOOK

The arcade at Elev8 Fun includes 125
games, providing plenty of opportuni-
ties for guests to amass points that can
be transformed into prizes.

The Elev8 Fun Indoor Adventure
Park in Sanford was recognized
at Amusement Expo International
this spring as the AAMA’s 2024
FEC Location of the Year.
There are three additional Elev8
Fun locations in the pipeline, all in
the Sunshine State.
“The one in Jensen Beach is just
beginning to get its interior attrac-
tions, and we’re hoping to have it
open by the end of 2024, if not by
the summertime,” Baldwin says.
“Miami is under construction as a
“Our model right now is that we’re going into exist- 2025 project, and Jacksonville is in the future.
ing malls and we are working with real estate groups “The ownership group, PrimeTime Amusements,
in these malls,” says Keith Baldwin, the director of is located in South Florida. Their research led them
business development for Elev8 Fun. “Our first, sec- to start this business and adventures throughout
ond and third locations coincidentally are all closed Florida.”
Sears locations. The main attractions at the Tampa location, which
“In Sanford, our flagship, we took over a two-story also has two stories, are 12 lanes of string pin bowl-
Sears at Seminole Town Center, and it has a very simi- ing, a glow-in-the-dark mini golf course downstairs
lar footprint. That’s part of our business model, and and a go-kart track and laser tag upstairs. There also
malls are very welcoming of our concept because of are virtual reality games, a large arcade and other
the potential foot traffic. For the Tampa location, this attractions.
mall had a 90 percent occupancy. So this has been a “We go to the IAAPA Expo every year in Orlando
great partnership.” and we see what is the next ‘greatest thing’ out

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