Lower Earley
Hi all,
I'm in the early stages of planning a tourist attraction for the south coast of the UK, a pinball museum.
The general business plan is based around making a self sufficient attraction which would have an entry fee and all the machines on free-play.
The museum would initially launch with a collection of around 45 machines, with a range from the 30's - modern day, and these would be arranged into areas based on the decades.
As opposed to a 'hall of machines' style layout, the machines will have key info sheets that explain their key features and historical significance. The museum will also educate on key dates and times in the lifecycle of pinball.
The collection will be well maintained, and expanded as museum funds allow. The goal will be the preservation of key historic machines and to expand peoples exposure to pinball (which in the UK is now very limited).
The location will be based on finding the right commercial space at the right price and position, but will be coastal to benefit from inbound tourism. At the moment, the short-list includes Bournemouth, Brighton, Plymouth and Weymouth.
The plan is to establish links with schools to encourage trips as part of a science/physics curriculum. We would also encourage local players and tournaments to bring in additional income.
A secondary phase will be to obtain a licence for alcohol sale on the property, to open up additional revenue and to allow parties, private events, etc.
During these initial planning stages I'd love to hear from the community with ideas, plus if anyone is able to volunteer skills, time, money or pinball machines to loan to the museum then they will of course be gladly accepted.
Once a final business plan is drawn up, we will seek funding from a variety of sources including various seed funds, the bank and Kickstarter.
Once again, if you would like to help or have something you can contribute then please get in touch!
Craig
