Electric Playhouse is placing a bet on Vegas.
The Albuquerque-based company that focuses on interactive and immersive play experiences is set to open its second location on the Las Vegas Strip by summer.
According to Brandon Garrett, Electric Playhouse CEO and co-founder, the Las Vegas, Nevada, location will be a smaller footprint than the Albuquerque location.
The opportunity to open a second location in Las Vegas was a no-brainer because it could expand what Electric Playhouse offers for family entertainment.
“From 10 a.m. until early afternoon, we’re going to focus it towards games and family entertainment,” Garrett said. “We’re using this opportunity to build a whole new way to play.”
The location will be at The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, which gives it a place that is tourist heavy. It also gives Electric Playhouse an opportunity to create a niche for itself in the area.
“Play is essential for all ages, not just for children,” Garrett said. “It is at the core of the human experience. It helps us to connect with others, to connect with ourselves, to be creative, to be inspired, and to have fun. We believe that play can change the world, and we want to share that with Las Vegas.”
The 10,000-square-foot venue will include a full kitchen and bar, and space for concerts. It will feature a variety of interactive and immersive games, fine dining and events.
Garrett said visitors to Electric Playhouse in Las Vegas will be assigned a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), which will keep track of the scores when people play games.
“You’ll walk in and get assigned an avatar,” he said. “As you play the games, the scores will be built in real time. We’ll have a big leader board and collectively everyone will compete with each other.”
The play will be done in 90-minute increments and Garrett said it will help create a social tie among the guests.
“We all have a competitive side to us,” he said. “With this, it will build teamwork all while having fun. Since the walls are all interactive, the leader can have flames following them throughout the area.”
Garrett said the idea will be implemented for the gaming at the Albuquerque location in March.
When Electric Playhouse opened in Albuquerque in 2020, the celebration was short-lived as the pandemic shuttered places of gathering.
Garrett and the team continued to create content and look at expansion.
“Our strategy was to look at neighboring states,” he said. “We met with Simon Malls, who really liked Electric Playhouse. There was an opening at Caesars Palace and it was an opportunity to bring games as well as immersive fine dining to the area.”
There is a plan to host concerts and performances at the Las Vegas location. Electric Playhouse’s effort for performances and concerts in Albuquerque is picking up steam. In the fall, Electric Playhouse teamed up with the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum to present “Music For the Eyes: A New Georgia O’Keeffe Experience.”
“We’ve had a number of drag brunches or drag shows,” Garrett said. “The popularity is increasing. The concerts we’ve had are like no other because we can transform the space into what the entertainment calls for. With a click of a button, we can attract an entirely new audience.”
The Las Vegas location will also have a full bar and a balcony area with a full view of the Las Vegas Strip.
“We’re continuing to blend the physical and the digital world,” Garrett said. “This gives us another step into attracting a global audience.”
