From escape rooms and immersive theatre, to axe-throwing and re-invented darts, Ottawa companies that offer immersive and engaging experiences saw a strong 2023 and don’t expect business to slow down.s
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While many business owners are struggling to stay afloat in a post-COVID economy, one industry might have the pandemic to thank for its recent “explosive” success.
From escape rooms and immersive theatre, to axe-throwing and re-invented darts, Ottawa companies that offer immersive and engaging experiences saw a strong 2023 and don’t expect business to slow down.
The term “experience economy” is often used to refer to good customer service or moody lighting, but Steve Wilson, owner of Escape Manor, said the term has evolved to include businesses that “sell experiences,” which is “more coveted and desired now than ever.”
Since opening in 2014, Escape Manor, known for its themed, immersive escape rooms, has aimed to return guests to “a playful state,” explained Wilson.
“We were looking to upend the industry and give people something fun to do that would immerse them in a world of wonder and return to a useful state, like playing hide-and-seek in your grandparents’ basement, and escape from the doldrums of day-to-day-life,” he said. “It took off way faster and larger than we anticipated. We couldn’t keep up.”
Part of Escape Manor’s goal is to disconnect guests from technology.
“We realized the world is more connected digitally and we wanted to give people a space to disconnect from devices and become human again,” he explained. “The emotions they have during the experience makes them human again and show their best self to build connections. We are non-digital by design in a time when people are spending more and more time on devices.
“As a father, I loathe the times I will give my son an iPad. We wanted to give people an environment that’s not digital and more experiential, and people are craving that and we’re seeing the demand.”
Approaching its 10-year anniversary, Escape Manor is a “packed house,” and Wilson credits some of the success to recent cultural shifts brought on by the pandemic.
During lockdowns, there was a surge in online streaming, takeout food and at-home experiences, and so people grew used to entertainment from the quiet of their homes, Wilson explained. Now, economic pressures are causing consumers to pull back on spending, choosing to stay home rather than attend a cinema and limit their entertainment expenses.
According to Wilson, all this means that, when people do choose to splurge on a night out, they go “all-in.”
“People are looking for more for their dollar now. They want to be entertained and left with a subconscious feeling that they just had a lot of fun,” he said. “People have evolved and are looking for more than that two-dimensional experience.”
