Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Gerbrandt.
Hi Mike, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to share what got you started with Surreal games.
In 2013, I came across a documentary called “The Institute” about a citywide alternate reality experience that was organized in San Francisco between 2008 and 2011. Intrigued and inspired, my wheels started turning; the following year I was commissioned to write 3 experiences for an escape room start-up and this really got me revved up! From there, I got to work on designing games and building the infrastructure for Surreal Escape Games and in January 2016 we held our first beta test group games at the Santa Anita Mall in Arcadia.
“While you’re not escaping from any room, it certainly is ‘escapism.’ Mike elaborates, “So many people are simply bored and inundated with the busy routines of life which sadly includes staring at screens most of their day. Surreal provides a unique social outlet for us to just play and unleash our God-given craving to explore and wonder.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Pretty smooth yeah! People are very pleased with what we produce. If anything our main struggle has been deciding what methods of marketing to invest in. After much trial and error, Facebook ads have proven to be the most effective for us as opposed to Google ad words which was a total bust.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We’re in the business of blowing minds and blurring the lines of reality. We create unique and exciting games for all ages and all group sizes. The possibilities are virtually limitless when you decide to make the Surreal, real! What sets Surreal apart is the fact that we’re not bound by any four walls and our games are fully customizable! In addition, Surreal players are always pleased with our live character interactions which really take our games to the next level. A couple of our greatest moments thus far were: hosting a game for the LAPD at Wattle’s Mansion in Hollywood back in 2017 and more recently orchestrating a 4-room experience at the historic Houdini Estate in Hollywood for an entire wedding party of close to 50 people (where the teams rotate every 20 minutes).
In addition, we’re in the beginning stages of exploring partnership opportunities with AmazingCo! For those that haven’t heard of AmazingCo, they’re all about creating moments of memorable fun through experiences people love.
From milestone celebrations to unique catch-ups or date nights at home they’ve got something for everyone. We think there’s a really great brand alignment and are really excited to see what comes from it!
We all have different ways of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
In our context, I would define success as putting the player before the profits. Revenue will increase when you make sure to please the customer – and this doesn’t exclude developing and refining a killer product – like how do you please a customer without a great product?
Pricing:
- All our games average $40 per player
- Pricing factors include group discounts, customization, and availability
- We also do gift certificates which have been more popular since covid
Contact Info:
- Website: www.surrealescapegames.com
- Instagram: @surrealescapegames
- Facebook: @surrealescapegames
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/qTKq/V7JybeIo2C
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