AIP Conference 2025: Inspiration Meets Reality

The Association of Indoor Play’s 2025 Conference brought together operators, suppliers and industry experts for a day that was equal parts inspiration and reality check

With 24 Association of Indoor Play (AIP) trade suppliers in attendance at this year’s AIP Conference 2025 – and with food sampling available throughout the day – delegates had plenty of opportunities to connect, discover and experience what the wider sector has to offer. The event opened with The WonderWorld Story, presented by Narinder Singh Baryah, Managing Director of the WonderWorld Group. He shared the remarkable growth journey of Scotland’s fastest-growing family-owned leisure brand. From the first site in Falkirk in 2013 to the brand-new Southampton opening in 2025, WonderWorld has continually evolved. The group has diversified into trampoline parks, inflatables and even crazy golf with Electric Thrill, proving that variety really is the spice of life.

Singh Bariyah was candid about the challenges along the way. The pandemic nearly broke the business model but strong funding relationships, creative pivots and sheer determination ensured the business emerged stronger. His advice to delegates was straightforward: “Always have a plan B, surround yourself with the right people and accept that leadership and strategy must evolve in a world of wage inflation, rising costs and increasingly demanding customers.”

Industry insights

Attention then turned to the looming Employment Rights Bill, with Dominic Cooper, Professional Support Lawyer at Citation, giving delegates a timely employment law update. He warned that the sector must prepare for the most significant overhaul in employment law for decades.

Sick pay from the first day of absence, unfair dismissal rights from the first day of employment, a ban on fire and rehire and tighter harassment duties will all require careful planning. Further reforms include new rules for zero-hours contracts, stronger family leave rights and the creation of a Fair Work Agency with real enforcement powers. The message was clear: operators cannot afford to wait until 2027 when the final wave of reforms is due. Preparation must begin now. The focus then shifted to marketing, with Matt Baker, Chief Executive of Destination Marketing, delivering a no-nonsense review of how customer perception is shaped. Parents do not just read adverts; they interpret the quality of a business from the way it presents itself. A slow website, broken social media links or sluggish responses to enquiries create a poor impression long before a family even arrives at the door. His tongue-in-cheek “how to lose a customer” checklist drew knowing smiles but his point was serious. Operators must strip out friction, ensure consistency across every channel and embrace storytelling, video and new tools such as artificial intelligence. In a competitive market, the businesses that own their narrative will be the ones that stand out.

Finally, Ken Lunn, Chartered Accountant and owner of Jack in the Box (and AIP’s Finance Director), addressed the topic “where has all the profit gone?”. With inflation, rising wages and the cost-of-living crisis biting hard, many operators are finding that revenue may be up, but profit is slipping away. Ken reminded delegates that profit, not revenue, must be the measure through which every decision is made.

He provided practical tools to help operators tighten margins and encouraged businesses to know their numbers in detail by drilling into profitability per square foot, per head and per activity. He urged operators to challenge costs, from insurance and utilities to consumables and to review pricing more bravely. For example, moving away from blanket discounting and focusing instead on well-packaged experiences such as premium parties, quality food and beverage and loyalty-driven bundles.

Ken also advised the industry to think more like airlines or hotels, using yield management rather than chasing revenue. He closed with a reminder that summed up the day: “Turnover is vanity. Profit is sanity. Cash is reality. Do not just be busy, be profitable.”

Where has all the profit gone? Key takeaway from Ken Lunn’s session

● Know your costs. Understand the difference between direct, fixed, variable and capital costs. Use break-even analysis to see how many families you need through the door. ● Focus on contribution. Not every pound is equal. Entrance fees usually deliver the strongest contribution, while F&B margins vary. Hot drinks and homemade food can be excellent profit drivers. ● Smart pricing. Fear of price increases often outweighs the reality. Regular reviews are essential. Without them, standards slip and profit disappears.

● Customer value. Success comes from clean, well-kept facilities, friendly staff, good quality food and drink and the right atmosphere. It is rarely about being the cheapest. ● Events and parties. Parties can be powerful profit drivers, sometimes outperforming general admissions. ● Cost savings. Small changes in staffing, heating, cleaning products and food preparation can have a big impact. ● Keep reinvesting. Fresh equipment, well-presented facilities and quality experiences keep customers coming back.