What a feasibility study must settle
A useful study does more than describe a market. It answers questions that commit money.
- Capacity. How many gaming stations, stand seats or private rooms, for what realistic footfall?
- The activity programme. What fills the venue at 3 pm on a Tuesday, not only on a Saturday final night.
- Technical needs. Network, broadcast control room, stage, acoustics, ceiling height: choices that weigh heavily on the investment.
- The revenue model. Sessions, memberships, private hire, ticketing, bar and food, partnerships.
- Who operates. The project owner, a specialist operator, a resident club? The answer changes everything else.
Each format has its own economics
An esports arena lives off its events. Ticketing, private hire, partners, sometimes a resident club: its balance depends on how many dates it fills each year far more than on its capacity.
A gaming centre works day to day. Hourly sessions, memberships, birthday parties, corporate events. The bar and food often make the margin, and the hardware has to be renewed regularly.
Immersive venues (virtual reality, free roaming, escape rooms) rely on content rotation. Without novelty, local customers do not come back.
One site can combine several formats. That is often what makes it viable, as long as you check that the audiences complement each other rather than compete.
From market to operating account
- Scoping. Your objectives, the site, the timeline, the level of detail expected.
- Market. Catchment area, player profiles, local students and companies, existing offer and comparable venues in France and abroad.
- Sizing. Floor areas, number of stations and seats, activity programme by day and by season.
- Business model. Footfall scenarios, revenue by activity, costs, investment and break-even point.
- Recommendation. Go, adjust or drop, with the conditions for success and the risks identified.
When the leisure venue is only one part of a mixed-use real estate scheme, STAKRN Innovation carries out a market and opportunity study for the whole development.
References
Icone Arena, Toulouse. A tender response for a 16,000 m² project bringing together more than 15 companies: esports arena, esports school, co-living and co-working, free roaming and escape rooms, connected sport, drones and augmented reality, gaming house, performance centre and restaurants.
La Scène Digitale, Thiais. A 30,000 m² project that includes a gaming and esports ecosystem: bootcamp rooms, a mini-arena, a gaming centre and a gaming house. STAKRN supports it under an AMU/AMO framework contract with Linkcity. See our approach to owner and user advisory.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a market study and a feasibility study?
A market study measures demand. A feasibility study goes as far as the business model and operations: it tells you whether the venue can stand on its own, and on what terms. For mixed-use real estate schemes, STAKRN Innovation also carries out dedicated market and opportunity studies.
Do you work with private project owners?
Yes. Entrepreneurs, investors, clubs and local authorities call on STAKRN for gaming and esports venue projects.
Can the study help convince a funder?
That is one of its uses. A bank or an investor expects a documented market and defensible assumptions, not a bet.