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It’s hard to believe that the year is over, let alone that we’re closing out a whole decade! But here we are, and 2020 is upon us. If you haven’t started planning your skating rink events for the year, it’s past time to get started. Check out these event planning tips to ensure this is the best year yet for your skating rink or family entertainment center! At Southeastern Skate Supply, we have everything you need to execute awesome events, from rink equipment to skating rink business guidance. 

Skating Rink Event Planning Tips

Look at the big picture.

Planning out your events for the rest of the year might seem daunting, but it can be really helpful to at least get an overview of the year in mind. You can always change event details if needed, but knowing approximately what and when your events will be will help you plan accordingly and ensure that you’re not scrambling to come up with ideas and execute them at the last minute. 

For example, go ahead and block out your major holiday events, closures, etc. Do you already know you’re going to have a big Valentine’s Day event, or that you’ll be closed on Easter? Schedule those on your calendar, and consider using an event planning template to help you stay organized. You don’t have to have all of the answer now; you can fill them in as you go. 

Bring partners on board as soon as you can.

If you know you’re going to be working with other organizations on your events, reach out to them as soon as possible to decide on basic items like dates and times. For instance, reach out to local schools now to book end of the year parties or school fundraisers. If there’s a particular charity you want to work with in 2020, go ahead and let them know that you’d like to plan an event together. (This is when it will be helpful to already have your major holiday events planned out!)

Nail down the details. 

You don’t have to have every detail of every event for the whole year planned out in January, but you can probably go ahead and fill in some of the basic information for events on your calendar. (For instance, school break skates end at 11 pm.)

Try to have the next quarter’s events planned out well beforehand, so you can take a beat to decide how you need to prepare for and market your skating rink events. 

Get the news out. 

Once you have the next few months of events planned, you can divert your energy to marketing those events. Paying for social ads might be effective for your skate center, but don’t neglect old-school options too! Submit your events to the local city, county, and/or Chamber of Commerce calendars; let the local news and radio stations know what you’ve got going on and invite the to do a remote event from your location; create Facebook event pages and encourage people to RSVP and share for more reach. 

Don’t forget to stock up on novelties before big events, and keep your rink equipment updated to ensure an optimal customer experience. 

Whatever you have planned for 2020, we wish you all the best. Thank you to our customers for another fantastic year!

With the end of one year and the beginning of the next approaching, we tend to reflect and review our year. We think about what we could improve on, what we did well, what we enjoyed, what we hated and what we want to try next year. While thinking about this in a personal way is crucial, considering these things when it comes to your business and roller rink are crucial as well. We are nearing the end of a decade and about to begin 2020 fresh. Don’t you want your roller rink to start 2020 fresh as well? Well, we are here to give you the cheat sheet on what to focus on for freshening up any roller rink.

Here are some of our key items to focus on when freshening up your roller rink for 2020:

• Snack Bar. Take your inventory and sales to review from 2019. See what sold and what didn’t. From there, you can possibly simplify the menu. which in turn will cut buying costs. You could also remove what isn’t selling and roll in something new. Try putting a snack bar request form on a clipboard next to the register. Customer feedback is always appreciated and if someone sees something they requested being added to the snack bar, they will become a loyal customer.
• Pro Shop. Again, you will want to take your inventory and sales from 2019 to see what sold and what did not. Make sure you have a variety of sizes and styles. You do not want to lose a customer because you did not have their skate in stock and someone else did. Check out our website or 2020 catalog for everything new.
• Music. Review your playlists, CD’s and track lists from DJs. You want to make sure you have music that is appropriate but also popular among the general public. Also, for theme or throwback nights, make sure to take time to curate a collection of classics from that time or theme. Music does a lot for the atmosphere especially in a place where people are constantly moving.
• Review your hours of operation. See if you are dead for the first or last hour and determine if it is worth adjusting your hours. You want to make sure you are making money for every hour you are open.
• Review the 2020 calendar and plan out any and all parties or theme nights you want to have. This way you can make sure to budget, prepare and get the most advertising yielding the largest turnout possible. Think outside of the box with some parties and theme nights. For example, a Galentine’s Day party a few days before or after Valentine’s. This gives wives, mothers, students and just women in general an excuse for a girl’s night out to your establishment when they may not have before.

We hope that these tips and tricks to refreshing and renewing your rink for 2020 help make next year your rink’s best year yet.

Thank you for another wonderful year and we look forward to working with you next year whether it be for the first time of 500th. Happy Holidays from our family to yours.

Our new pricelists are scheduled to be delivered today (Dec 3).  We will be stuffing envelopes and getting those out as quickly as we can.  The catalogs are at the printer and shouldn’t be much longer.  If you’d like to download a catalog, the pdf electronic version is online at www.seskate.com (click on skates then on catalog).  You can share that via your website or email and you can also print out a copy to show to customers.

The Sure-Grip LoRide plates are now in stock.  These are designed specifically for skaters that are using smaller wheels and that want their skates to be as low as possible to the ground.  The trucks are adjustable with different hanger sizes, so we can adjust the plates to be as low as possible to the ground.  The lowest setting will handle wheels from 32mm-37mm, the medium will handle wheels 32mm-47mm, and the highest setting will take wheels 32mm-57mm.  When you buy the plates they come with all three hanger settings in the box.  You pick which riser to use based on how low you want to go.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year—for event rentals! As a skating rink owner, you no doubt know the importance of booking private, public, and semi-private events, from corporate holiday parties to church groups and everything in between. So, how do you plan to make your holiday event rentals a success this year? Read on for some tips from the skating business pros.

How to Host the Best Holiday Parties

Offer multiple package options. 

Some clients just want to throw a casual get-together on a budget, and without having to do much prep or legwork themselves; others want to create an incredible custom experience for their guests. Both are important components of your business, so make sure your party/event package options have levels to accomodate both. Basic, mid-tier, and high end packages are a good place to start (you don’t want too many package options either, as that just confuses people), with a la carte add-ons like decorations, arcade cards or tokens, additional guests or food, etc. 

Deck the halls. 

If you’re planning to rent your skating rink or family entertainment center out for holiday events, give people a reason to want to celebrate with you! Decorations can go a long way to making your venue feel like a special treat to attendees. They don’t have to be fancy, either; a classic Christmas tree and some string lights in the lobby, garland and lights around the DJ booth, and employees wearing Santa hats will put the HO HO HO in your holiday parties!

Do something unique. 

Does your rink have any unique features, amenities, or attractions? Be sure to hype those up in your party and event marketing. Remember that people love sharing their experiences on social media these days, so take full advantage of the free publicity. You should have signs around your facility telling customers where to find and tag you online and letting them know your hashtags. 

You can even take the social media savvy to the next level by creating a photo op or “Instagram wall,” i.e. a backdrop where people can take selfies and group photos. (Make sure to include your hashtag and Instagram handle.) This could be a mural, a seasonal photo booth setup with fake snow and trees, a “gingerbread house” made out of cardboard, a crafty modern backdrop, or even just a shiny photo backdrop from Amazon. Recruit your most creative employees to execute the idea and have fun with it!

Make sure your music is jingle bell rockin’. 

A good mix of holiday music and classic skate jams that make people want to get up and skate are key to having a good holiday party. Too many (or not the right) holiday songs can be a little much, but you want to keep things festive and seasonal. Consider bringing in guest DJs to change things up, or get everyone in the spirit with Christmas carol karaoke! 

Once you’re booked up with awesome holiday events, make sure you’re stocked up as well! We’ve got the rink equipment and novelties you need at Southeastern Skate Supply. 

All you have to do is turn on the radio or walk into a big box store and you’ll get it—the holidays are almost here. Thanksgiving is just weeks away and with it comes the official start of the holiday season. But before you plan your Turkey Day menu or your Black Friday shopping extravaganza, don’t forget to take care of one important thing: Making an employee appreciation plan! 

Your employees are the eyes, ears, hands, and voices of your business on the front lines with customers everyday. Their behavior reflects on your business and helps to build your reputation, so it’s important to hire wisely and empower your employees to do their very best. A big part of creating a strong and effective work environment is employee appreciation, and the holidays are the perfect time to let them know just how thankful you are for their hard work and dedication. 

Why is employee appreciation important? 

It’s easy to think that employee appreciation is optional or less important than other parts of running your business, but don’t underestimate the importance of recognizing employees for their performance. It turns out that there are a lot of actual business benefits to employee appreciation and recognition! 

• Employees who feel recognized are more likely to feel that their workplace is fun and fulfilling. 
• Happier employees equal less turnover for your business, which saves time and money on recruiting, hiring, and training. 
• Employees who feel appreciated get along better with their coworkers, leading to better teamwork and smoother operations. 

3 Ways to Show Employee Appreciation

If you’re looking for employee appreciation ideas for 2019, check out some of our ideas below. 

• Be loud and proud. When it comes to highlighting your team for their hard work, don’t just keep it behind closed doors. Consider posting a photo and message in your facility or on social media. In fact, highlighting your team members on social media is a great way to say thanks while also showing your customers the human face of your business. 
• Give them what they (really) want. Let’s be honest, company-branded clothing and swag might be nice, but they’re also part of your marketing. If you really want to thank your employees, try to come up with gifts that fit their interests, or at least give them some choice. Visa or American Express gift cards are always appreciated, as are gift cards to retailers like Target, Amazon, etc. that allow the recipient to buy whatever they want. 
• Style your staff. If your employees are avid skaters (which they probably are if they work at a skating rink) you can even order every employee their own pair of roller skates. Let them know how much you’ll pay towards a new pair of skates and let them explore our catalog. You can place your wholesale skate orders with us here at Southeastern Skate Supply, and not only will your employees look great, but they’ll also be a rolling advertisement to customers who may want to buy their own skates instead of renting.

One of the more popular things at our tradeshow each year is the closeout section discounts.  We’ve made a flyer with the closeout items that are leftover from the show and that is now available.  This is only for existing customers, but if you qualify and you don’t have a copy yet, please ask for one with your next order.  Or if you would like us to email you a copy just send us over proof that you’re allowed to see prices by including your account number and a recent invoice number.

The Explorer XT is a new line of inline skates from Pacer.  The adult Explorer comes in men or women versions.  Both have power straps, Gold 7 rated bearings, and 76mm wheels from their new wheel company Kemistry.  The men’s version comes in sizes 6-12, the ladies version in sizes 6-10.

The juvenile version is very similar to the adult except the bearings are Bronze 3 rated and the wheels are a little smaller.  The juvenile skates are adjustable with two versions (boys or girls) and each version comes in three different adjustable sizes.  If you buy just one pair of each version you can stock an inline skate in two colors that will fit almost any younger skater that comes in.
small – fits sies 10J, 11J, 12J, 13J
medium – fits sizes 13J, 1, 2, 3
large – fits sizes 3, 4, 5, 6

Tour has three new hockey skates that are in stock now and ready to ship.
#60TA – Code 9.one – Composite reinforced boots, Bronze 3 bearings, Kemistry wheels.

#70TA – Code 5.one – Heat moldable  boots with carbonite construction, Silver 5 bearings.

#80TA – Code 3.one – Zykin construction boots, Gold 7 bearings, Grippium wheels.

For more details on the Explorer or Tour skates, please see our www.seskate.com/blog page for pics and details.  This is the time of the year when new skates are coming out fairly quickly.  Visit the blog page frequently, sign up for our email newsletter, or follow us on facebook or twitter (www.twitter.com/seskate).

We keep a list of skating rinks on our website at www.seskate.com/rinks.  There is no charge to be listed, even if you’re not a customer, we just want to try to help drive traffic to the different local rinks.  But we need your help to make sure the list stays up to date.  If you could please take a minute to visit that page and make sure your rink is properly listed we’d appreciate it.  Also check out the other rinks in your area.  Let us know if one is missing, or let us know if we’ve got one listed that has been closed.  Thanks for your support in keeping this page as up-to-date as possible.

Several new Tour hockey skates are now in stock and ready to ship.  Here are the details:

 

#60TA – Code 9.One – Composite reinforced boots with deluxe comfort padding.  Tri Coil XT 2 frames.  Bevo Bronze 3 speed rated bearings.  Kemistry Niton wheels (size 5-6 with 76mm wheels, size 7-12 with 80mm wheels).  Black with blue and yellow highlights.

#70TA – Code 5.One – Molded carbonite construction boots with memory foam.  Heat moldable.  Tri Coil XT 2 frames.  Bevo Silver 5 speed rated bearings.  Kemistry Magnum wheels (sz 5-6 with 76mm wheels, size 7-12 with 80mm wheels).  Black with blue and yellow highlights.

#80TA – Code 3.One – The boots have Zykin construction, Accu Aire ventilation, and Sharmin soft interiors.  Tri Coil XT 2 frames.  Bevo Gold 7 speed rated bearings.  Kemistry Grippium wheels (sz 7-13 with 80mm wheels).  Black with yellow and blue highlights.

Corporate events and team outings can be a fantastic source of revenue for skating rinks and family entertainment centers when done right. However, you can’t just expect a corporate group to show up and be satisfied without some preparation on your part. Employers expect team-building events and outings to provide a return on investment in some form or another—either in employee morale, improved communication, or stronger teamwork skills. 

So, how can you successfully facilitate team outings for corporate clients? Read on for some tips from your friends at Southeastern Skate Supply. We are passionate about providing rink owners with the tools and equipment to build a thriving skating and entertainment business. 

3 Tips for a Successful Team-Building Outing

Encourage corporate clients to schedule their events during standard business hours. 

While corporate holiday parties and after-hours celebrations should be scheduled, well, after hours, team-building events should be scheduled between 9 am and 5 pm. This affirms its importance as a team-building event and generally goes over better with employees. No matter how fun a team-building event is—and they can definitely be fun at a skating rink—it’s still a work activity, and no one wants to be at work late.

Create a comprehensive team-building program. 

Before you book your first corporate team-building event, make sure you have a detailed plan in place. Creating package options that include not only the activities, but also food and drink makes planning the event easier on you and the client. This is also a good opportunity to upsell arcade tokens, laser tag games, etc. 

You need to be able to explain to the client how the event will run from the moment they enter the facility until the event is over. How much time is set aside for structured activities versus time for the employees to mingle, skate, play games, etc.? In addition to carefully planning and documenting your team-building program, you will also need to train employees on the differences between corporate events and other events hosted at your skating center. 

Encourage collaboration among participants, not competition. 

When planning team-building activities, try to foster a sense of collaboration, not competition. Cooperative games and exercises that build people up are much more effective than competitive events that reward strong skaters while punishing less experienced skaters. That’s not to say that you can’t incorporate any elements of competition, but keep it friendly and light-hearted as opposed to a cut-throat contest in which only the most skilled skaters are having fun. 

Pacer is introducing a new line of inline skates.  Some of you saw these at our recent tradeshow.  They are now in stock and ready to ship.

 

The Explorer skates are perfect entry level skates for use in the rinks.  The boots have power straps and deluxe comfort liners.  The frames are a lightweight reinforced polymer material.  The bearings are Gold 7 Speed Rated quality.  The wheels are designed for indoor-outdoor use, they’re 76mm large, and the name of the wheels are Kemistry Magnium.  These will be the first wheels from the new Kemistry brand.

 

These come in men’s (sz 6-12) or ladies (ladies sizes 6-10) versions and are in stock now.

 

There is also an adjustable version for the younger skaters.  These are pretty similar, but the wheels are smaller and the bearings are Bronze 3 Speed Rated.  They come in boys or girls adjustable sizes.

Small – fits sizes 10J, 11J, 12J, 13J

Medium – fits sizes 13J, 1, 2, 3

Large – fits sizes 3, 4, 5, 6

A few days ago we did our first post tradeshow interview with Steven from Sure-Grip.  You can view that here.

Today we talk to Will Marion from Roller Derby (aka Pacer, aka Tour).  Here is what he had to say. . .

 

Q1 You talk to a lot of different rinks all across the country, and you met with a lot at our show.  What do you hear from the rinks?  Do they seem excited about the upcoming season?

WILL:  A large majority of the rinks we spoke with are saying business is very good right now.  And yes they seemed excited about the upcoming holiday season.

Q2  You showed a lot of new products at this show this year. The Scout Skate was one that a lot of people were interested in, tell us more about that one.

WILL:  The Scout was very well received – the look of the skate, but more so the color options and it has the “cuteness” element.  [editor’s note – this one is for smaller sizes – 12J-6, four different colors, hopefully arriving just before Christmas, priced close to the current ZTX skates]

Q3  You also showed a couple of new inline skates that are designed for the Pacer brand and specifically for rinks.  Can you give us some details, especially for the rinks that weren’t able to join us?  WILL:  We have had the Voyager model for some time now, and bringing a Pacer inline with more color and more options was received very well.. We are offering the Explorer XT model now in men’s and women’s in sizes and a youth adjustable model in both boys and girls styles.  [editor’s note – more details on this one as soon as they arrive]

Q4  I know some of the new skates aren’t ready yet.  Factories are moving around to try to get away from China.  What’s the latest on when you think these will be available?

WILL:  The Explorer XT models have shipped from the factory and should be in stock in about 2 weeks  The Scout has been delayed at the factory and will ship the end of October so they should be available in early December. I realize not the ideal launch timing wise on a new model.

Q5  You have a lot of customers not just in the USA, but also around the world.  What are you hearing about skate sales and interest in skating from those sources?  Is skating growing in any specific areas?

WILL:  Interest in skating geographically has grown beyond the traditional skate countries.   Latin America became a growth market with the advent of Soy Luna. Asia is a steady market with growth.  Europe at this time is steady but now growing in my opinion.  There are sales to countries now around the world that weren’t there 10 – 15 years ago.

Q6:  Anything else for our readers?

WILL:  I feel your show was very positive not only with the turnout but the positive feeling we got from the rink owners outlook for their business.