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The Miami Herald |
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The Miami Herald |
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Miami Herald, The (FL) November 9, 2006 THE KART OF THE DEAL Author: BRIDGET CAREY, bcarey@MiamiHerald.com Xtreme Indoor Karting in Fort Lauderdale uses go-karts to teach corporate team-building skills Want to see your business zoom? Think go-karts. Xtreme Indoor Karting in Fort Lauderdale is going beyond family fun and targeting their venue to the suit-and-briefcase crowd. It's just one of the many strategies this newly launched entertainment center is using to avoid sharing the same fate as its predecessor, Speed Indoor Racing. The venue, at 5300 Powerline Rd., was previously owned by Speed Indoor Racing, which closed in August 2004. Six months later, PrimeTime Amusements President David Goldfarb and go-kart entrepreneur Bill Mulder teamed up to resurrect and remodel the venue, spending $5 million. Xtreme Indoor Karting will launch its grand opening Friday, which coincides with the opening of Finish Line, its sports bar and pool hall. Goldfarb and Mulder had a hand in supplying the games and karts, respect! ively, to Speed Indoor Racing, but they noticed ``the operation was run down and it was really put together on a shoestring budget,'' Goldfarb said. So with their own money and the help of investors, they redesigned the track to be one of the longest and fastest in the country at a half-mile in length and with top speeds at 45 mph. And with the backing of PrimeTime Amusements, the exclusive provider of arcade games for Universal Studios, they expanded the video game area to include 130 of the newest machines. Just a few months before it was going to open last year, Hurricane Wilma tore the roof apart and undid millions of dollars in renovations. The grand opening was put on hold for nine months. After repairs, the building boasts seven rooms for corporate meetings or parties. The largest room can accommodate 250 guests and overlooks the track. Since the venue's soft opening in early September, several companies have had meetings hosted there, i! ncluding Sprint and Motorola, Goldfarb said. And the venue i s not just advertised as a meeting place; it also features a team-building seminar using the racetrack. Mulder, general manager of Xtreme Indoor Karting, explained that they bring in a speaker to talk about improving teamwork in the workplace. Corporate guests are then split into teams on the racetrack - some on the pit crew and some driving - competing to be the most time-efficient team. ``We're modeling all this after a track in London,'' Mulder said. The London track is only available to businesses, and the only way to race is to host a company event. The venue is already bustling over the weekends with guests of all age groups, and Saturday was one of their busiest as they racked in $15,000 in revenue, Goldfarb said. But their greatest profits come with businesses renting rooms during the daytime in the middle of the week, where arcade and go-karting venues normally don't see many customers. ``Believe it or not,'' Goldfarb said, ``! the best is when no one knows that we're open.'' If the venue only targeted weekend fun-seekers and families, Mulder said, they would limit potential sales since guests have to be 16 years old to ride the karts. Guests under 16 can ride if they are at least 8 years old and take a two-hour, $45 class. Targeting companies is not their only marketing tactic. Step inside the venue and every purchase is made by a prepaid card - even for food. No cash or credit exchanges hands inside the building. The only thing customers use is a swipeable card they can ``refuel'' at several stations around the venue. Using a prepaid card for arcade games is nothing new, but to use that system for the whole building, even for the bar, was a technical challenge not done before, Goldfarb said. ``It's a great marketing tool,'' Goldfarb said. ``People take these [cards] and put them in their wallet, and it reminds them to come back here.'' Spanning m! ore than 90,000 square feet, Xtreme Indoor Karting is anticipating to make $5 million in revenue for the first year and plans on spending another $2 million to install an elevator and add different entertainment activities in the months ahead, Goldfarb said. Aside from expanding the entertainment, PrimeTime Amusements moved its headquarters to the building, giving the company ample storage room for more than 800 arcade games. Owners are now drawing plans to create a similar go-kart and arcade entertainment venue covering 120,000 square feet in Chicago, but first, Mulder said, they're going to focus on the grand opening.
Caption: FINISH LINE: Racers rush toward the checkered flag at Xtreme Indoor Karting in Fort Lauderdale, a unique indoor venue that caters to corporate functions. START YOUR ENGINES! Racers get ready for a run at Xtreme Indoor Karting in Fort Lauderdale, top, owned by Bill Mulder, left, and David Goldfarb. XTREME INDOOR KARTING Location: 5300 Powerline Rd., Fort Lauderdale Prices: Start at $18.50 for nonmembers, $16.50 for members. Membership: $49.50 Requirements to race: Closed-toed shoes, $8 race license (good for one year), $2 head sock. Age requirements: Drivers younger than 16 years old must be at least 8 years old and take a $45 race course. Hours: 3-11 p.m., Monday-Thursday; noon to midnight, Friday-Saturday; noon-11 p.m., Sunday Information: 954-491-6265, xtremeindoorkarting.comPhoto:Racers rush toward the checkered flag at Xtreme Indoor Karting in Fort Lauderdale, a unique indoor venue that caters to corporate functions (a) Racers wear Xtreme branded protective gear at Xtreme Indoor Karting in Fort Lauderdale (a) Racers get ready for a run at Xtreme Indoor Karting in Fort Lauderdale (a) Bill Mulder and David Goldfarb (a)
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(c) 2006 The Miami Herald |