How Can FEC Operators Keep Venues Cool During Hot Weather?

Hot weather does not have to mean quiet days for indoor attractions.

For years, many indoor play operators have had a fairly simple relationship with the weather: rain is good for business, sunshine sends families outside.

But extreme heat can change that behaviour.

When outdoor temperatures become uncomfortable, families may start looking for somewhere indoors where children can still be active, play and enjoy their day away from direct sunlight.

That creates an opportunity for FEC operators.

But only if the venue is ready for it.

Many family entertainment centres operate from large or older industrial buildings where controlling the temperature can be challenging. High ceilings, clear roof panels, limited insulation and large activity spaces can all contribute to heat building up inside.

For operators, managing that heat is not simply a facilities issue. It can influence bookings, session capacity, dwell time, café spend, staff comfort and whether a family decides to visit again.

So, how can operators prepare their venues for hotter conditions?

There is an interesting shift beginning to emerge in indoor play.

Rather than assuming that sunny weather automatically means quieter trading, operators may need to distinguish between a pleasant summer day and a day when it is simply too hot to spend hours outside.

A recent Association of Indoor Play member poll, reported by PlayNation, provides an interesting snapshot.

Among participating centres with proper air conditioning, 75% reported being busier or sold out during the heatwave. Among centres without proper air conditioning, that figure was 13%.

The poll was a relatively small member snapshot rather than formal industry research, so the figures should not be treated as a universal benchmark.

But the difference raises an important question for operators:

When it becomes too hot outside, is your venue ready to become somewhere families actively choose to go?

The article also highlighted experience from operators in hotter markets, including Spain, where particularly hot days can drive indoor leisure demand rather than suppress it.

That does not mean every hot day will suddenly become a peak trading day.

It does suggest that operators who can provide a comfortable indoor environment may be able to turn weather that was previously considered a threat into an opportunity.

And that starts with understanding the building.

Before making major changes, operators should understand how heat enters and moves through their venue.

Clear roof panels are common in older industrial buildings because they allow natural light into the space. However, they can also allow direct sunlight to heat the building throughout the day.

One busy indoor attraction reduced this effect by covering sections of its clear roof panels, limiting the amount of direct sunlight entering the venue.

Operators should review the entire customer journey, not just the main activity space.

Reception areas, cafés, party rooms, queues, spectator seating and quieter corners of the venue may all respond differently to heat.

The warmest part of the venue may not even be where guests are most active. A spectator sitting in a still, poorly ventilated party area can have a very different experience from a child moving around the main attraction.

Understanding those differences makes it easier to decide where changes could have the greatest impact.

Air movement can make a large indoor space feel noticeably more comfortable.

At the venue we observed, several large fans had been installed throughout the building. Suitable openings on opposite sides of the venue were also used to encourage fresh air to move through the space.

The fans then helped circulate that air and reduce the hot, stuffy feeling that can develop inside a large industrial building.

Operators considering a similar approach should look at airflow across the entire venue rather than simply positioning a fan near the entrance.

Fans can improve comfort, but they should form part of an effective ventilation strategy rather than being viewed as a replacement for it.

Any use of roller shutter doors, entrances, exits or other openings must also remain compatible with the venue’s fire safety, safeguarding and security procedures.

Heat management should begin before customers arrive.

On particularly warm days, the venue we observed adjusted its operating routine so ventilation could begin earlier and fans could be switched on before the first session.

This gave warmer air more time to move through the building before customers arrived.

Operators could develop their own hot-weather procedure covering when ventilation begins, which equipment is used, which areas need checking and who is responsible for monitoring conditions throughout the day.

Because the challenge can change as the day progresses.

A venue that feels comfortable when it opens may feel very different several hours later when outdoor temperatures have risen, and hundreds of customers have passed through the building.

The aim is to react before guest comfort begins to suffer.

Sometimes the answer is operational rather than structural.

One practical option during particularly warm periods is reducing the length of high-energy play sessions.

The venue we observed had previously offered two-hour tickets but moved to one-hour sessions during hotter conditions.

That reduces the amount of continuous physical activity for guests while creating more opportunities for staff to encourage hydration, monitor conditions, and reset the venue.

Depending on the attraction, operators could also consider additional breaks, longer changeover periods, adjustments to capacity during particularly hot periods or designated areas where families can rest.

Reducing a session may initially sound like a commercial compromise.

But there is another way to look at it.

What is more valuable: a two-hour ticket that leaves a customer uncomfortable, or a well-managed one-hour experience that leaves them wanting to come back?

Protecting the experience can be more important than protecting the clock.

Hydration should be one of the simplest parts of a hot-weather plan.

Free drinking water should be visible and easy for guests to access, with staff actively encouraging families to use it.

Hydration reminders can also become part of session briefings, signage, announcements, booking confirmations and pre-visit communication.

Then there is the commercial side.

Anyone operating an FEC will already know what happens to the slush machine when the temperature rises.

Slush drinks, ice creams, ice lollies and cold drinks become part of the experience.

Operators should anticipate that change in demand and adjust stock accordingly rather than reacting once products start selling out.

Paid refreshments should, of course, sit alongside easy access to drinking water.

Hot weather changes customer behaviour.

The food and drink offer that performs well during colder months may not be what families want on a very warm afternoon.

Operators can review whether their summer menu, party packages and stock levels reflect that.

Cold drinks, frozen treats and lighter options can all become more prominent, while party packages could include additional water or cold refreshments.

It is a relatively small operational adjustment, but it helps the entire venue respond to the conditions rather than leaving temperature management entirely to the facilities team.

There is another challenge operators need to manage: perception.

A family looking at the weather forecast may see a very hot day and immediately dismiss indoor play because they imagine a hot industrial building full of people.

If you have made changes, tell them.

Explain that you are ventilating the venue before opening.

Show the fans running.

Mention that drinking water is readily available.

Tell customers if you have adapted session lengths or introduced additional breaks.

Show them the cold drinks, slushes and ice creams waiting in the café.

Do not simply tell customers that your venue is “cool”.

Show them how you are managing the heat.

That communication can happen through social media, emails, booking confirmations and your website before the family even leaves home.

It can turn a potential objection into a reason to visit.

For some venues, air conditioning or another mechanical cooling solution may ultimately form part of the answer.

But there is no meaningful one-size-fits-all cost or recommendation.

FEC buildings vary enormously.

Floor area is only one consideration. Ceiling height, total cubic capacity, insulation, existing ventilation, electrical infrastructure, visitor numbers, attraction layout and local climate can all influence the type of cooling system a venue would require.

That means operators considering a significant cooling installation should speak to a qualified heating, ventilation and air-conditioning specialist who can assess their particular building.

That assessment may identify full air conditioning as the appropriate option, but it may also highlight other opportunities involving ventilation, extraction, insulation, solar control or more targeted cooling.

Airparx is not a specialist HVAC provider, and we would not pretend to be.

Where we can help is making sure the wider venue is designed with real-world operation in mind.

Hot weather is another example of why an FEC cannot be designed around a floor plan alone.

Think about where parents sit.

Where do parties wait?

Where do queues form?

Which attractions create the greatest physical activity?

Where can guests easily access water?

Are there areas with poor airflow?

Where are your busiest routes when the venue reaches capacity?

Attraction placement, spectator areas, seating, party rooms, entrances and guest flow all influence how a venue performs when conditions become challenging.

And those challenging days are often when good design becomes most obvious.

There will always be sunny days when families simply want to be outside.

But extreme heat creates a different customer need.

Families still want somewhere to go. Children still need opportunities to play and be active. Parents may simply be looking for an environment that feels more manageable than spending several hours in direct sunlight.

For operators, the opportunity is to be ready for that moment.

Shade the building where possible.

Improve ventilation.

Get airflow moving before opening.

Adapt the session if necessary.

Make hydration easy.

Adjust the café offer.

Tell your customers what you are doing.

And if heat is repeatedly becoming an operational problem, bring in the appropriate specialists and understand the options available for your individual building.

Because hot weather does not simply test the temperature inside an FEC.

It tests how well the whole venue operates.

A successful family entertainment centre needs to work in real operating conditions, not just look good on a floor plan.

At Airparx, we work with operators to consider guest movement, attraction mix, capacity, staff sightlines, dwell time and the day-to-day realities of running an FEC.

Whether you are developing a new venue, expanding an existing attraction or looking at areas that are no longer performing as effectively as they should, our team can help you create a space designed around how your business actually operates.

Talk to Airparx about your next FEC project.