Interview with FunLab

Funlab is Australia’s premiere creator of competitive socialising experiences, with eight fun-inducing brands including Strike Bowling, La Di Darts (built around our Augmented Reality Darts product), Holey Moley Mini Golf and more.

We sat down with Blaise Witnish, Acting USA CEO and Chief Operating Officer at Funlab to discuss how they came across 501 Fun, what drove their decision to select our Augmented Reality Darts product, and their successes and learnings so far!

How did you hear about 501 Fun? 

We had the lucky chance to experience 501 in the flesh when we visited London, after which we were excited to jump online and learn more about the product!  

What made you select Augmented Reality Darts specifically? 

We think that Augmented Reality Darts is a more interesting and different product than alternatives, which allows us to provide a more unique and gamified experience for our guests.  

With the ability to customise the experience and gameplay, it was a natural fit for our venues that all about creating an amazing immersive experience for our guests.  

What was the driving factor behind making the purchase decision? 

The main driving factor in our decision making was the uniqueness of the product and the ability to deliver both a more traditional darts experience as well to provide further immersion with a variety of gamified options.  

How did the roll-out work? One venue initially or all at once? 

We started by testing the concept in one venue, Strike Melbourne Central, during which we operationalised the product and created the best possible in-venue experience for guests.  

We then used this product in the ground-up conceptualisation of our premium immersive darts brand, La Di Darts, which launched with 10 premium oches under the iconic King’s Cross Coca-Cola sign in 2022. The success of this brand and the amazing customer feedback encouraged us to expand with 4 further Strike venues over the next months in 2023.  

Most importantly: Why do you think darts is a good additional activity in bowling venues? 

Darts is a fantastic additional activity in our bowling venues, as it allows us to achieve maximum utilisation for guests who can continue to play games while waiting for the next available bowling lane.   

In addition, it’s a great activity that allows guest to continue enjoying food and beverages whilst playing, which is always important in our venues that are famous for their food and amazing instagrammable cocktails !   

Finally, the flexibility and customisable nature of the system allows us to adapt the 501 concept for the venues they’re based in, which ensures the best possible brand experience!  

What has the response from guests been? 

The reception of our guests has been fantastic, with a mix of casual users who love the experience while enjoying our other activities, all the way through to seasoned pros!  

In our Darling Harbour Strike venue, we’ve got a keen flight of Darts players who even come back regularly every week for a round of competitive fun with the team!  

What learnings have there been from the process? 

As we’ve rolled the concept further out, we’ve learnt more about the customisable nature of the system and how we can provide additional graphics and branding to tailor the experience for promotions, campaigns or initiatives.   

This has allowed us to add further addition in-venue marketing touchpoints, which has been super useful for our venues as they meet their key targets.  

Have you seen an uplift in footfall, F&B spend and dwell time? 

The added activity component has been a great help to our venues, helping to increase dwell time for our existing guests while adding to F&B spend!  

Can you speak to the appetite for competitive socialising in Australia? 

Since we launched our first venue in 2002, we’ve seen a huge increase in the appetite for competitive socialising in Australia.   

Post COVID, we think that guests are looking to experience something which is different from the traditional pub meal and provide a sense of escape from their day to day lives. We think competitive socialising venues like Funlab are fantastic for this group, as it brings together both an amazing night out with friends, with the unique enjoyment of competition.  

We’ve recently launched a new brand, called Hijinx Hotel, which combines the theatre and immersion of a New York style hotel, with up to 15 immersive game rooms. This has become a huge sensation, with 7 venues opening over the last 18 months and plenty more to come!

Check out Funlab's promotional video for Augmented Reality Darts at La Di Darts below:

Blaise Witnish, Acting USA CEO and Chief Operating Officer at Funlab