AUSTIN (KXAN) — The rise of positive COVID-19 cases in Texas is bad news for some businesses in the state, especially when their model is all about gathering folks together.
That’s a predicament Dallas-based family entertainment company Main Event found itself in. They have a local center here in Austin off U.S. Highway 183 in north Austin.
Vice President of Sales and Strategic Initiatives, Robert Jenkins, did not foresee the company having to navigate a pandemic when it came to family fun this year, but they were ready to meet the moment and pivot operations.
“Within this pandemic, we realized an opportunity and also speaking with our guests, that they wanted to join us, wanted to be with us, but there were safety and health concerns regardless of the safety protocols we had in place,” Jenkins said. “We wanted to create these experiences and give our guests opportunity to create memories together outside of our four walls.”
Main Event usually brings fun to families through in-person events like arcades, laser tag, bowling, etc. They’re still welcoming walk-in guests, hosting in-center events and birthday parties. You can learn more about its safety guidelines on its main website.
However, they’ve shifted some focus online, recently launching live-hosted virtual trivia, escape rooms and other virtual events — offerings meant to be healthy and safe options for their customers.
“I, like many, probably was going through this phase of ‘virtual fatigue’ where you have Zoom call after Zoom call and you’re waving after meetings now,” Jenkins said.”My takeaway from this is that these virtual experiences are anything but fatiguing. I think it’s a great way for people to stay connected, it’s a great way for office workers, who are remote, to team-bond and team-build and I don’t think there’s any occasion that doesn’t fit a virtual experience. We’ve already had an anniversary, we’ve had numerous birthdays, we’ve had an early holiday celebration.”
You might also notice a familiar face in the process. Actor/comedian Brian Baumgartner is featured in a few of the company’s online how-to instructional videos, providing laughs while teaching viewers how to integrate virtual experiences into their social life, with their family and at corporate events. You probably know him better as Kevin from “The Office.” You can watch his videos on Main Event’s YouTube page.
“Kevin was more than excited to hop on board — he believes in the Main Event brand, the story, and what we’re trying to do during this pandemic and unite families and teams together, virtually, so he was very willing and happy to do it, and it’s a perfect tie-in to experiences. We’re targeting families, we’re targeting office workers, especially coming up on the holiday season when they may not be able to celebrate together within four walls. So, he’s more than happy and I think he’s a perfect fit,” Jenkins said.
The business is hosting a couple of free virtual parties so you can preview what the experience is like before you buy. You can register to join on their website. The first event is Tuesday, Nov. 17 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. CT and the second is on Nov. 30 at the same time.
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