Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrew Bauman.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started my career in the Computer industry in the late 80’s when personal PC’s were on the verge of becoming mainstream. After spending over 30 years (25 of which was with Compaq / HPE) working my way up the corporate ladder in technical, product and marketing roles, I spent the last several years as an executive responsible for the server portfolio covering the small and midsize business segment. This is where my passion for entrepreneurship really grew to the point where I knew that my next career move would be to start up a small business. Roughly two years ago is when I decided it was time to leave the corporate world and start the next chapter, not knowing what exactly that might be, I was researching virtual reality for a consulting project and was seeing a trend in the space. That trend was in a category called Virtual Reality Arcades.
After spending a month or so really digging into the space, I really started to see the business opportunity. From there, I worked on building a business plan that I could share with a few investors/business partners to see if I could raise any interest to get what is now Emergent VR Encounter opened. We were able to open our doors in July of 2018. And almost 16+ months later, we’re growing every month and host many birthday parties, corporate team-building events and even a Christmas party which has signed on to do it again this year. The store is managed on a day to day basis by our general manager Michael McLennan whose been with us since day one working closely with me to pick the right platforms and VR gear to successfully run Emergent VR Encounter.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It’s been far from a smooth road as this industry and the arcade space is very young, in technology terms we call it the bleeding edge. Some of the key software components to make a virtual reality arcade work were just being launched. We worked very closely with our key management platform partner to the point where we became charter members of their arcade advisory council. The other big challenge we still face is in educating the public on what a virtual reality arcade really is. Not everyone has experienced virtual reality and so they don’t understand what all the possibilities really are. It’s not just to play games, there are many other options such as traveling the world or sailing a boat, racing a Formula 1 car or walking with dinosaurs as a few examples. There are lots of use cases for VR and more coming everyday as the industry evolves. One of the bigger ones is in the education space. You can learn calculus, dissect a frog, paint, and even learn to do some basic coding. We developed a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) program at Emergent VR Encounter. The education space is a key area where VR is being utilized and so we want to bring this to our customers to mix in some learning options along with the fun.
Emergent VR Encounter – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Emergent VR (Virtual Reality) Encounter is a high-tech virtual reality lounge located in The Woodlands, Texas, offering a wide range of VR encounters with packages to suit individuals, groups, parties and corporate team outings. At Emergent we offer you access to VR stations on time-based blocks, where you can choose from our vast choice of titles for any type of encounter that fits your interest. Each station comes fully equipped with all the gear you’ll need to completely immerse yourself in the experience and there is even an additional viewing monitor, allowing your guests to see exactly what you see in the VR world.
We specialize in virtual reality encounters – all types for ages 8-80 years old. We have a vast library of single and multi-player titles and continue to add to keep up with the latest of what’s available in the VR space. Not only to we have VR stations, but we also have several professional class racing simulators that you can race with a VR headset. They have hydraulics and haptic sensors so that you get a real feeling of being behind the wheel of a professional race car.
We’re most proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish over the 16 months, not only in growth but in developing our company brand and the experience we offer to our customers. We’re very active on SoME and have a 4.9-star rating on Google and get more than 30,000 hits a month search. Our ratings on other SoME platforms are equally as good and we’re very proud that our customers really like the experience we offer.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
The best thing about our city is the vast culture and diversity it offers. From the people to the food to the options for art and entertainment – you can find anything you like in Houston and it’s suburbs. Because of this, there is no better place to be a small business entrepreneur.
The thing I least like about the city is its vast size which creates lots of traffic and makes it hard to experience everything the city has to offer.
Pricing:
- To experience our virtual reality encounters it will cost you $20 for 30 minutes
- To experience our virtual reality encounters it will cost you $35 for 60 minutes
- To experience our racing simulator encounters it will cost you $25 for a ~20 minute session
- We have the Orange Party Pack which is good for 8 players to play our standard VR for 1 hour each for $189 – perfect for birthdays and group outings
- To experience both our standard VR offering and also race in the professional racing simulators we have the Race & Play bundle which has 30 min of VR time with a race session for $40
Contact Info:
- Address: Emergent VR Encounter
385 Sawdust Rd
The Woodlands, Texas 77380 - Website: www.emergentvrencounter.com
- Phone: 832.299.6443
- Email: contact@emergentvrencounter.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emergentvrencounter/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emergentvrencounter/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Emergent_VR
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/emergent-vr-encounter-the-woodlands?osq=emergent+vr+encounter
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh51DMoqmhAYB0x72drup4w
Image Credit:
Michael Mclennan
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