An Interview with Kevin Odekirk, Big Air Trampoline Park CEO: ‘We’re Going to Continue to Make Big Air the Brand Everyone Wants to Be Like’

An Interview withKevin Odekirk, Big Air Trampoline Park CEO: ‘We’re Going to Continue to Make Big Air the Brand Everyone Wants to Be Like’

The premier indoor trampoline park offers high-flying fun for the whole family where you can literally bounce off the walls. Thousands of square feet of jumping surfaces include trampoline dodgeball courts, slam dunk courts, foam pits, launch pads, a rock climbing wall, battle beam and massive freestyle court. With so much to do, Big Air Trampoline Parkis the ideal venue for your next birthday, team party, and/or group event.

Southern California-based Big Air is making leaps and bounds in the family entertainment industry. Founded in 2012, Big Air is led by an executive team with over 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry. With trademarked attractions like Battlebeam^®, events like Toddler Time^®, and an award-winning birthday party program, Big Air offers a brand experience that is second-to-none. The company is now expanding across the United States through franchising, with a program that offers exceptional support in location analysis, construction, park operations, marketing strategy, and more.

Kevin Odekirk, Big Air Trampoline Park CEO, spoke exclusively to The Silicon Review. Below is an excerpt.

Q. How did you select this vertical in the family entertainment/amusement space?

Big Air Trampoline Park is the “Next Generation of Trampoline Parks”. Traditionally, trampoline parks have been located in industrial warehouse districts. Big Air focuses on locations within retail corridors that provide ample parking, a warm and appealing building façade and a family friendly environment, and to enhance good traffic in the adjacent retail spaces and shopping centers. Big Air strives to provide a safe, fun and innovative park utilizing technology in the trampoline industry as well as, climbing, rope courses, ninja warrior courses, and award-winning birthday parties that have adults.

Q. How was the first park launched?

Big Air was born from one of the most profitable and longest running water parks – Wild Rivers in Irvine, California. This park operated for three decades. The leader of this park, Greg Briggs, is a member of Water Park Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, the Irvine Company decided to end the lease due to a need for family homes in the Irvine area. In an effort to even out seasonal waterpark ownership we installed a few trampolines almost immediately. Our first trampolines were installed at our water park in Redlands over 10 years ago.

Q. How successful was/were first park/s? How did the first park success lead to experience today?

Laguna Hills, CA was our first location. Laguna Hills opened about eight years ago and quickly became a success. As per our Big Air Franchise Development Documents, which are publicly available on our website www.bigairsua.com, the Laguna Hills achieved $3M top line revenue.

We remain 100 percent focused on fun and the safety that is required to run a popular trampoline park.

Fun is what trampoline parks are all about. Birthday mom’s and dad’s come to us for great fun and safe time for children of all ages!

We have an amazing attraction mix from Toddler Time^®, Cosmic Nights, to Battlebeam^®, Dodge Ball, Basketball, Volleyball to climbing walls and ninja courses to test your skills!

Q. How as the consumer response shaped Big Air over the years?

If you were to walk into a Trampoline park 10 years ago you would have walked into a warehouse or industrial space with trampolines; not a very friendly environment.

We recognized from having three decades of actual amusement park operatorship that birthday mom’s demand a better location for trampoline parks.

First, our physical unit locations have a retail centricity; we are in former Toys R Us, World’s Gym, Sports Authority or inside a physical mall location.

Second, the impact of the attraction mix: It’s a big deal.

We recognize trampoline park industry standard for foam pit, main court, dodge ball, basketball are great but industry stand out attractions are essential.

Stand out attractions get you noticed. Big Air is always adding new, unique, and exciting stand out attractions.

Third, our Big Air, Big Eats food and beverage, Award Winning Birthday Party offers, and Relentless adherence to safety/training are all a part of the reason for our success.

Q. What are the reasons behind Big Air popularity and growth?

The current environment among youth today is focused on video games and technology. The number of hours people are spending online is bigger than
it has ever been.

Anytime you see this kind of market expand you are going to see parents looking for a more athletic, engaged, and healthy child activity outside of the home.

Children want to live out being the superhero in real life, just like their video game! Big Air gives them this chance, and they love it!

We have created a super special environment specifically for families and for youth at Big Air.

Q. How does Big Air contribute to the family entertainment/amusement business today?

Big Air is proud to lead the trampoline industry and it does not take this leadership lightly.

We have been leaders in the amusement industry for three decades and have helped the entire trampoline park business over this time. We were founding members of IATP and helping write the ASTM standards for trampoline parks in the US today.

Big Air’s biggest contribution is the focus on family!

Q. Do you foresee anything new/unique Big Air will prepare to roll out to the market in the near future?

We believe we do things in a way that no one has ever thought of. Currently, we’re working on our new/unique vision of Big Air ‘Disneyfication’ of the trampoline park model.

“Do what you do so well that people want to come back, and bring their friends.” — Walt Disney. We take this special quote very seriously leading Big Air.

Q. Where do you see Big Air in a few years from now?

We’re going to continue to make Big Air the brand everyone wants to be like.

Leadership | Big Air Trampoline Park

Greg Briggs: Greg has spent the last 30 years leading the family entertainment and amusement park industry. Prior to building Big Air Trampoline Park, Greg served as the VP of Wild Rivers Waterpark in Irvine, CA. He has also served as the VP of the World Waterpark Association (WWA) where he was responsible for developing operating policy and managing public relations. In 1998, Greg was inducted into the World Waterpark Association Hall of Fame for his contributions to the industry.

Greg’s Trampoline Park experience is unparalleled as well, serving as a founder member of the International Trampoline Park Association. His attention to detail and wealth of operational experience is largely responsible for Big Air’s exceptional reputation industry-wide. Simply put, his expertise is second to none, both in the trampoline park industry and the wider amusement park and family entertainment spaces.

Kevin Odekirk, President/CEO: Kevin joined Big Air Trampoline Park with the ability and first-hand experience required to build a thriving franchise system. A long-time key player in the Entertainment Industry, Kevin is a dynamic leader with demonstrated executive-level success guiding Fortune 500 companies throughout the United States. From marketing and communications strategy to education, to sales management and operations, Kevin has driven bottom-line growth for well-known brands such as Jaguar Land Rover, Max Muscle Sports Nutrition, EMI/Capital Records.

Building from a unique background as a performer in Les Misérables on Broadway and touring with such stars as the famed Julie Andrews, he enjoys not only the ability to strategically plan for growth but to communicate that vision in an engaging fashion that is second to none.

Kevin holds a marketing degree from Brigham Young University and an MBA from Texas A&M. Leveraging unparalleled entertainment and park experience, Kevin now leads the trampoline park industry’s most innovative and experienced team.

“Our Big Air, Big Eats food and beverage, Award Winning Birthday Party offers, and Relentless adherence to safety/training are all a part of the reason for our success.”