About out-of-home entertainment, all about the players, the history, and future of this industry also known as location-based entertainment. The term “out-of-home” has been used in the entertainment industry to easily contrast with entertainment that is “in-home.”
For at least a 20 years, there has been an active debate as to how out-of-home options will continue to compete with the ever-increasing quality of in-home entertainment. At the core of this debate is availability of at-home streaming of all manner of content – movies, sports, scripted series, the massive digital (electronic) game options, and the availability of virtual reality experiences to take consumers online to all-new experiences.
The 2020 coronavirus made this debate seem prescient, as consumers have largely depended on in-home entertainment in the absence of the alternative. In fact, as we first write this article, most movie theaters, museums, and other attractions are still operating under limited capacity directives, if at all.
Out-of-home entertainment refers to the array of activities that consumers have as leisure-time options.
We note that in various articles about out-of-home entertainment there may be confusion as to the differences between the out-of-home entertainment (“OHE”) industry, versus so-called location-based entertainment (“LBE”). Truth is, the two terms are largely synonyms. Frankly, we have come to prefer the term place-based entertainment but this term is not commonly used. As well, there is a bit of blurring in definitions between activities typically included as those “away from home” and those that are commonly grouped with outdoor recreation – a different industry. The issue is that some forms of outdoor recreation (including recreational sports) are similar to the more multi-faceted recreation adventure parks and family entertainment centers in operation today.
In the following list, the various great innovations in experiences enjoyed “away from home” are identified and described. A hallmark of this industry is the continued exploration and embrace of new guest experiential technologies. This list about out-of-home entertainment is under continuing research and editing, so we’ll enjoy receiving your suggestions. Thank you for that!