Licensing an Escape Room
The biggest mistake an aspiring escape room operator can make is to underestimate the substantial cost, time-deication and resource-draining marathon that is escape room development.
As a test we recommend the following challenge
Create a gift box with a chain around it and a three-digit combination and some paper clues.
Offer it to family and friends.
Watch as they do nothing like what you intended and find solutions you hadn't foreseen.
Re-jig your clues and try again.
Continue this testing process until you can reliably predict what 7/10 people will do with your clues such that they solve your 3-digit lock.
The reality
This is just a $50 puzzle with a box, lock, chain and paper.
It probably took you 60 mins to buy the parts, assemble (needing pliers for the chain) and type/come-up-with the clues.
Scale this across a venue with 13-20 puzzles and include doors, creative decor and secret compartments and you can understand why some designs take 1.5 to 2 years to create.
Why Licencing Is a Better Approach
Escape Room Operators spend a substantial amount of time and money creating their designs, however they do not haev the time or energy to set them up across a large geographical area.
Licencing allows escape room operators to earn income from areas they otherwise wouldn't whilst allowing aspiring escape room operators to setup and run escape rooms quickly without the large wasted expenditure on creation.
How does a Licence Deal Work?
When you licence one of our designs you buy the physical goods from us, you obtain the rights to use our intellectual property and you receive a three-day training program for you and your staff.
The average escape experience takes 6-12 months of trial and error to build at a cost of $20,000-$50,000 to develop. Licensing costs a fraction of this and provides a working design without the long and costly RnD as well as valuable insight and a great starting point for those who may then want to build their own designs or find a cost effective way to test whether the economics of an escape room in their area will work.
As a test we recommend the following challenge
Create a gift box with a chain around it and a three-digit combination and some paper clues.
Offer it to family and friends.
Watch as they do nothing like what you intended and find solutions you hadn't foreseen.
Re-jig your clues and try again.
Continue this testing process until you can reliably predict what 7/10 people will do with your clues such that they solve your 3-digit lock.
The reality
This is just a $50 puzzle with a box, lock, chain and paper.
It probably took you 60 mins to buy the parts, assemble (needing pliers for the chain) and type/come-up-with the clues.
Scale this across a venue with 13-20 puzzles and include doors, creative decor and secret compartments and you can understand why some designs take 1.5 to 2 years to create.
Why Licencing Is a Better Approach
Escape Room Operators spend a substantial amount of time and money creating their designs, however they do not haev the time or energy to set them up across a large geographical area.
Licencing allows escape room operators to earn income from areas they otherwise wouldn't whilst allowing aspiring escape room operators to setup and run escape rooms quickly without the large wasted expenditure on creation.
How does a Licence Deal Work?
When you licence one of our designs you buy the physical goods from us, you obtain the rights to use our intellectual property and you receive a three-day training program for you and your staff.
The average escape experience takes 6-12 months of trial and error to build at a cost of $20,000-$50,000 to develop. Licensing costs a fraction of this and provides a working design without the long and costly RnD as well as valuable insight and a great starting point for those who may then want to build their own designs or find a cost effective way to test whether the economics of an escape room in their area will work.
Why Licence an Escape Room?
Low Build Cost.
Proven In-Use Design.
Less Risk.
A great place to start (make your own thereafter).
Low Build Cost.
Proven In-Use Design.
Less Risk.
A great place to start (make your own thereafter).
Indoor Designs
OUTDOOR ADVENTURES
PORTABLE POP-UP DESIGNS
The Value in Licencing
Real Custom-Built Puzzles not bought online or from a store
Knowledge of BCA Regulations and Council Zoning Requirements
Experienced Designer (circa 2015) who follows good practice
Staff training on how to run the designs once completed
Knowledge of BCA Regulations and Council Zoning Requirements
Experienced Designer (circa 2015) who follows good practice
Staff training on how to run the designs once completed
The Roadmap for Licencing an Escape Room
You've found a location & have permission/an agreement with the venue owner to run an escape room there.
You've gained council permission.
You have an insurance quote from an insurance broker.
You've set out a business plan.
You've picked an escape room licence (theme) you think fits the area.
Now it's time to consider how the licence works.
Step One
Buy Your Open-Market Gear; and
Buy Your Escape Room Games Pty Ltd Gear
Each escape room consists of item (the Gear) you can buy in the open market (not from us) and also custom props (from us).
Note: We only sell low-cost props to ensure you don't end up spending lots of money on replacement parts.
The equipment purchased from us is available on fixed-repayments or at an upfront cost.
Step Two
Licence Your IP Rights
In addition to the physical items you will need to licence the rights to use our Intellectual Property on a non-transferrable, non-exclusive basis.
IP Rights include the right to use things like artistic works, sounds, background tracks, the game format itself, manuals, literary works etc - but does not include our branding (eg logos, Trademarks or product names) nor does it include our marketing images/videos (as distinct from in-game images/videos).
This fee is a combination of:
a) a one-off up-front fee; and
b) ongoing Royalties in the form of a percentage of sales (negotiated).
Step Three
Train Yourselves and Your Staff
We provide on-site training to you and your staff on all aspects of the product.
The training normally takes two or three days and you get manuals and instruction videos afterwards (but you do not get ongoing support as this is the licencing of a product - not a Franchise)
There is a Training Agreement - the fee depends on the duration of training desired & your location.
Additional training days beyond the initial training are billed accordingly (you can always train your own staff).
Step Four
Get to Work on Your Business
Now you have the parts, the licence an the training needed to run the experience it's time to sell the experience.
Create your own website, social media and promotion materials (eg marketing photos & video).
Find and setup a booking platform (eg we use Bookeo) as well as your payment gateway (eg we use PayPal).
Train your staff and run some practice gigs.
When you're ready open up for bookings.
Summary - How an Escape Room Licence Works
The three agreements that make up the licence are:
1) Sale of Goods to you by Escape Room Games Pty Ltd
2) A Licence of the Intellectual Property of Escape Room Games Pty Ltd
3) A Training Agreement for training to be provided by Escape Room Games Pty Ltd
You've found a location & have permission/an agreement with the venue owner to run an escape room there.
You've gained council permission.
You have an insurance quote from an insurance broker.
You've set out a business plan.
You've picked an escape room licence (theme) you think fits the area.
Now it's time to consider how the licence works.
Step One
Buy Your Open-Market Gear; and
Buy Your Escape Room Games Pty Ltd Gear
Each escape room consists of item (the Gear) you can buy in the open market (not from us) and also custom props (from us).
Note: We only sell low-cost props to ensure you don't end up spending lots of money on replacement parts.
The equipment purchased from us is available on fixed-repayments or at an upfront cost.
Step Two
Licence Your IP Rights
In addition to the physical items you will need to licence the rights to use our Intellectual Property on a non-transferrable, non-exclusive basis.
IP Rights include the right to use things like artistic works, sounds, background tracks, the game format itself, manuals, literary works etc - but does not include our branding (eg logos, Trademarks or product names) nor does it include our marketing images/videos (as distinct from in-game images/videos).
This fee is a combination of:
a) a one-off up-front fee; and
b) ongoing Royalties in the form of a percentage of sales (negotiated).
Step Three
Train Yourselves and Your Staff
We provide on-site training to you and your staff on all aspects of the product.
The training normally takes two or three days and you get manuals and instruction videos afterwards (but you do not get ongoing support as this is the licencing of a product - not a Franchise)
There is a Training Agreement - the fee depends on the duration of training desired & your location.
Additional training days beyond the initial training are billed accordingly (you can always train your own staff).
Step Four
Get to Work on Your Business
Now you have the parts, the licence an the training needed to run the experience it's time to sell the experience.
Create your own website, social media and promotion materials (eg marketing photos & video).
Find and setup a booking platform (eg we use Bookeo) as well as your payment gateway (eg we use PayPal).
Train your staff and run some practice gigs.
When you're ready open up for bookings.
Summary - How an Escape Room Licence Works
The three agreements that make up the licence are:
1) Sale of Goods to you by Escape Room Games Pty Ltd
2) A Licence of the Intellectual Property of Escape Room Games Pty Ltd
3) A Training Agreement for training to be provided by Escape Room Games Pty Ltd