Christmas Marketing - Roundtable Discussion // Takeaways
About a month ago I organised a roundtable so we can share ideas and best practices about marketing escape rooms duing Christmas. We all know that this is one of the most lucrative seasons of the year so it’s important that we make the most of the Festive season.
Over a dozen escape room owners gathered for the roundtable discussion to share their insights on seasonal rooms, discounts, corporate teams and more. Here are the key takeaways of our discussion.
The Power of Preparation
I always say to all my consulting clients that preparation and planning is key when it comes to marketing. This is especially true for Christmas. Why? Because this is the busiest season of the year and you won’t have the bandwith to focus on your campaign during the season so you should arrive prepared.
The group agreed that being prepared makes a huge difference in overall performance of the season.
The four key marketing channels you should focus on are:
🌐 Website: Update the site with festive touches to help your customers get in the mood. Keep updating the site as we get closer to Christmas
📧 Email marketing: Don’t shy away from sending a couple of emails per week during the season. There is a lot marketing noise so up your own chances to be seen.
🔒 On-site: Decorate your place for the season, the more photos people post from the venue the better. Also don’t forget to display any seasonal offers like Christmas Gift Card in the lobby.
🔗 Social media: Plan the key social posts in advance about the seasonal offer and put some money behind it so at least you existing customers will see it on their feed’s.
Read my blog about why and how to get started
Seasonal Escape Rooms
The question of seasonal rooms and whether they’re worth it pops up in escape room owner groups regularly. We had several participants in the roundtable confirming that they’ve seen great success with seasonal rooms. One UK owner did a shorter 30 minute game which was also more family oriented last year and said that the room was nearly sold out during the season.
If you’re thinking about trying this, remember—it doesn’t have to be a massive overhaul. Even just redressing the room and small tweaks can create buzz and attract more players. It also gives your marketing campaign a great talking point.
Discounts, Black Friday & Cyber Monday
Disounts work, especially for boosting a slower month. But remember, this is the busy season so you shouldn’t rely too much on discounts during this season. Pretty much all participants agreed that if you are using discounts you should be clever about it and apply it sproadically.
Some participants found success with small discounts to track the effectiveness of their marketing efforts, while others preferred to steer clear, focusing instead on offering value-packed experiences.
If you decide to use discounts make sure that it is either limited in stock, time or targeted at a specific group of people. This applies to Black Friday and Cyber Monday too. One nifty trick we use is that all our BF and CM gift cards are only valid from the 1st of January the following year.
Another clever move shared with the group was offering big savings on less popular games or time slots. This way, you can boost your email opening rates and get more people interested in your games.
Cracking the Corporate Code
Corporate bookings are a treasure trove during the festive season and they can add up quickly. To capture this market you have to focus on a few key things:
Have a specifically designed ‘Holiday Packages’ landing page like this one we created for one of my clients
Create Festive themed corporate packages clearly outlining the content, length and per person pricing
Make the booking process as easy for them as humanly possible. Corporates are looking for convenient options
Participants shared how engaging with local business networks, like Chambers of Commerce, opened doors to new corporate clients. Some participants have seen great success with offering mobile escape experiences that could be set up right at a company’s location, making it super convenient for corporate teams.
Wrapping Up
The biggest takeaway from our roundtable? Know your audience, stay organized, and always be ready to try something new. Whether it’s seasonal themes, smart pricing strategies, or creative marketing, the goal is to create unforgettable experiences that keep people coming back.
Thanks to everyone who joined the session—it was an absolute blast. For those of you reading this, I hope these insights help you gear up for a successful holiday season. Keep an eye out for future roundtables, and good luck with the Festive season!
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