Sudbury has become the Canadian test case for a Texas-based indoor playground that kids and adults can enjoy.
"We wanted something fresh, something different; and I think people are going to be really receptive to this for that reason," said co-owner of Sudbury's Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park, Tyler Arseneau.
If you haven't heard from the more than 200 people that lined up Saturday afternoon in front of the New Sudbury business, Canada's first Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure park has officially opened in Greater Sudbury. This 2600 sq/ft indoor amusement centre houses 13 different attractions, including climbing walls, trampoline dodgeball and a suspension based ride called the sky rider coster, which is set to open Monday.
The inspiration behind Sudbury's location came from a survey conducted by Sudbury Tourism, said Arseneau, whose question as to the kinds of businesses desired by the community, highlighted a demand for entertainment. "Sudbury is a wonderful place, don't get me wrong...but if you're from Sudbury, you've been doing the same things for 30 years," said Arseneau.
Arseneau, along with his wife and co-found Alisa Arsenea, began researching various entertainment-based businesses from achery tag to axe throwing, eventually coming across Urban Air Adventure Park. Upon speaking with CEO and Founder Michael Browning, Arseneau said they were confident this was just what Sudbury was looking for.
"They're just super-energetic, super-focused, very innovative," said Arseneau. "We've got all sorts of different attractions coming out all the time and we're just blowing our competitors out of the water."
Two years ago, Arseneau said he quit his job and focused his attention on opening Greater Sudbury's first indoor amusement park. "It's been a bit of a challenge to say the least...I haven't had a day off in five months - so yeah, we've been working really hard and I don't think people understand what that's all about," said Arseneau.
Sudbury was just two weeks shy of being Urban Air's first international location, delayed by standards in Canadian safety regulation. "Being the first one in Canada, the franchise is learning with me...they just weren't prepared," said Arseneau.
These delays have been difficult for Arseneau, who has been a small business owner for as long as he can remember. "The difference with running a franchise is that some of the problems that you encounter, you have to wait for solutions -- you can't just drive it yourself," said Arseneau.
Arseneau said that Urban Air Adventure Park is highly customizable to each location, which was important to him as someone used to having executive decision-making power. With some franchises, "you're basically just buying yourself a management job...I wanted something that I could be a part of," said Arseneau.
Arseneau said Urban Air Adventure Park is for both the kid and kid at heart, offering both youth and adult programming throughout the year. Urban Air Adventure Park can also rented for corporate retreats, business meetings, and of course, one-of-a-kind birthday experiences.
The first Urban Air Adventure Park was opened 2011 in Southlake, Texas, by CEO and founder, Michael Browning. Since that time, Urban Air Adventure Park has opened 153 locations in the U.S, Canada and the U.K., but they're not stopping there. "They're looking to open 5-10 locations a month," said Arseneau, which means you will be seeing a lot more of this team and their colourful socks in the near future.
Check out the full list of programs and attractions online, at urbanairtrampolinepark.com.
Get a sneak peek inside Sudbury's New Urban Air Adventure Park below.
