Themed FECs

A themed family entertainment centre, or FEC, is a centre with activities, rides and event spaces planned under one theme. Mast Parks offers FEC design: themed family entertainment centres planned from theme and layout to rides, merchandising and operations. Its projects include FEC Raipur and FEC Ahmedabad.

FEC design covers the layout, theme and activities of a family entertainment centre (FEC), also written family entertainment center.

This page introduces the work: what makes an FEC different to plan, the projects Mast Parks has covered and where to read further.

A family entertainment centre is planned for many ages at once. A single visit may include a toddler, a teenager, parents and grandparents. The centre has to offer each of them something to do, keep them close enough to share the day and give them places to eat, rest and celebrate. Compared with a large park, an FEC is usually smaller and often closer to the city, so guests may visit more often and for shorter periods.

That changes what matters. Variety, flow and repeat visits matter more than a single flagship ride. Event spaces for birthdays and groups become an important part of the income. Mast Parks offers FEC design and indoor playground design.

What an owner must decide first is answered by the feasibility study. Each feasibility study covers resource availability, similar offerings in the market and, most importantly, the local demand for the park and the weather conditions. The key design difference is that a good story is packed into small spaces, often indoors, and caters to groups who may not take part in the activities the FEC offers.

• The mix of activities. Indoor and outdoor, quiet and active, for different ages.
• The rides. Small amusement rides, go-karting and adventure activities.
• The event spaces. Places for birthday parties and group events.
• The theme. One story and look across every activity.
• The income. Tickets, food, events and merchandise.
• The operation. Procedures, safety, staffing and training.

Mast Parks organises its work as 13 services in four stages. For a family entertainment centre, the services work as follows. An owner can start at any stage, and many owners use the full set from idea to opening.

• Concept and Planning. Feasibility Studies decide whether and what to build. Financial Planning tests the return on investment. Concept Creation and Theme Development give the park its idea, story, look and mascots.
• Design and Execution. Master Planning is the blueprint, and for this park type it is offered as FEC design. Architectural Designing produces the construction-level drawings, and Project Management Consultancy oversees the build.
• Rides, People and Operations. Ride and Attraction Planning selects vendors. Team Hiring and Training prepares the team. Operations Planning sets the procedures and safety.
• Launch and Growth. Marketing and Branding, Merchandising and Content and Events bring guests in and keep them coming back.

See all 13 on the services page.

FEC Raipur. A five-acre themed FEC with indoor and outdoor activities, go-karting, adventure activities, small amusement rides and event spaces such as birthday parties. It includes the first themed indoor playground, built around the story of a crazy elephant and his partner in crime, a monkey. Mast Parks handled theming, ride planning, architectural drawings, financial planning (ROI), merchandising planning, content design and guest flow, and is now also designing and theming the client's existing water park. See the project.

FEC Ahmedabad. A 3.5-acre themed FEC around the world of dragons, with indoor and outdoor zones and a multilevel go-kart track. Mast Parks delivered all services from scratch, including theming, design, merchandising, ride planning, marketing and operations planning. See the project.

See all themed FEC projects.

FECs are commissioned by private landowners, existing park owners, family businesses, government and tourism bodies, and temples and religious trusts. Family businesses with land near a city often see an FEC as a first step into parks, and existing park owners use the format to add a new site.

Owners get more from the first conversation when they arrive with answers, or at least with a view, on the points below. None of them needs to be settled in advance, and Mast Parks can help to settle them.

• How much land is available, and is the site indoors, outdoors or both?
• Which activities do you have in mind, such as go-karting or adventure activities?
• Which ages are you planning for?
• How important are birthday parties and group events?
• What is your budget range, and over what period?

An FEC that adds activities without a plan can end up with too many of one thing and nothing for part of the family. Without a theme, it can look like many other centres. Without careful guest flow, a smaller site can feel crowded. Without event spaces, it can miss an important source of income. Planning the mix, the flow and the theme together avoids these outcomes.

Read the indoor playground business plan guide and go-kart track design. To discuss an FEC for your site, use the contact page.

• FEC. A family entertainment centre: activities, rides and event spaces for families.
• Go-karting. Racing small karts on a track.
• Indoor playground. A play centre for young children, usually indoors.
• Guest flow. How guests move through the centre.
• ROI. Return on investment.

Mast Parks works with the owner at each step. The owner approves the work before it moves to the next stage, and revisions are part of the process. The owner knows the site, the region and the ambition. Mast Parks brings experience of designing and delivering parks across eight park types. The best results come when the two work as one team, with decisions made quickly and in the open.

To start a conversation, use the contact page. Mast Parks will ask about the site, the park you have in mind and where you are in the project.

A family entertainment centre often earns less from the single big day out and more from the many smaller visits: the Saturday trip, the birthday party, the school group. This pattern shapes the plan. Spaces for events need to be bookable, private enough for a party and close to food. Activities need to be varied enough that children have reasons to return. FEC Raipur includes event spaces such as birthday parties for this reason.

Go-karting is a popular anchor for many FECs, and it has its own planning needs: the track layout, the safety separation between the track and spectators, and the viewing and waiting areas. Adventure activities add further needs for zoning and supervision. Both FEC Raipur and FEC Ahmedabad include go-karting. See go-kart track design for more.

Owners who succeed with one FEC often want a second. A good first design makes this easier, because the theme, the mix of activities and the operating procedures can be repeated and adapted. Mast Parks' work with the owner of FEC Raipur has grown to include the design and theming of the owner's existing water park, and consulting on other businesses.