Adventure Course at The Recreation Center at Rob Fleming Park - Conceptual Business and Operational Plan - July 2018
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Adventure Course
at
The Recreation Center at Rob Fleming Park
Conceptual
Business and Operational Plan
July 2018
Table of Contents Executive Summary …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2 Purpose of the Business and Operational Plan ………………………………………………………………….. 4 Goals Operational Plan ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4 The Woodlands Township Parks and Recreation – Recreation Division …………………….………. 5 Role of Parks and Recreation in the Community ……………………………………………………………….. 5 Providing Cost Neutral Recreation Services to the Community …………………………………………. 5 What is an Adventure Course ………………………………………………………………….………………………… 6 The Woodlands Township – Market for Recreation Services.…..……….…………………..…………… 9 Internal Analysis …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….… 13 External Analysis ………………………………………………………………………………….………………………….. 22 Public Comment ………………………………………………………………………………..………………………….…. 23 Research Conclusions ……………………………………………..……………………………………………………….. 24 Adventure Course Plans …………………………………………………………………..………………………………. 25 Financial Plan …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..….…… 34 Overall Key Performance Indicators ……………………………………………………………………………...... 35 Implementation Plan – Construction/Marketing/Opening …………………………………………..….. 36 Phase II ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………… 36 Attachment A-Analysis of Competition ……………………………………………………………………….…….37 Attachment B-Course Elements – Samples ……………………………………………………………………….59 Attachment C-Staff Costs.……….………………..……………………………….…………………….……….……….61 Attachment D-Job Descriptions.………………………………………………………………………………………..62 Attachment E-Marketing Plan.…………………………………………………………………………………………..73 Attachment F-Expense Plan – 5 year.………………………………………………………………………………..78 Attachment G-Cash Flow Analysis………………………………………………………….………………………….79 Attachment H-Revenue/Expense Analysis…………………………………………………………………………80 Attachment I-Implementation Plan…………………………………………………………………………………..82
Executive Summary
During the 2017 Budget process for Fiscal Year 2018, the Board of Directors of The Woodlands Township
authorized the development of an adventure course at The Recreation Center at Rob Fleming Park. The
authorization was founded on the Board’s desire to provide quality, outdoor recreation experiences for
Township residents, visitors and tourists by taking advantage of the synergy of the recreation center with
the George Mitchell Nature Preserve and the Spring Creek Greenway. Additionally, the Board believes
there to be potential for an adventure course to generate revenue that supports the Township’s
Recreation Division and to generate additional sales tax and hotel occupancy tax revenue. Recognizing
that an adventure course would be a unique and unfamiliar recreational operation for the Township, this
Business and Operational Plan was directed to be developed.
The components of the plan are as follows:
Review market place, demographics and competition in the local area that produce a similar
experience/service (adventure courses, experiential activities, enterprise recreation)
Identify multiple organization paradigms and cost to operate the facility (staff/contractor)
Develop a cost analysis including revenue projections for the “Adventure Course at The
Recreation Center at Rob Fleming Park”
Create a marketing plan for the facility that leverages traditional, new media and social
networking to communicate benefits of the Adventure Course
Create a facility name, brand and image that is appealing to various market segments and is
keeping within Woodlands standards.
Develop a business and operating plan that provides the foundation to operate the facility on a
100% cost recovery financial model
In May 2007, the Woodlands Community Association, The Woodlands Association, Woodlands
Commercial Owners Association, and Woodlands Recreation Center (the “Boards”) approved a Facilities
Operation Agreement with the Woodlands Community Services Company (WCSC) that granted WCSC the
exclusive right to use WRC’s Recreation Center at Bear Branch Park in exchange for the WCSC managing
and maintaining the physical building, programs, services and assets. In conjunction with the Agreement,
the Boards approved a Revenue Management Plan that directed the Recreation Division of WCSC to cover
100% of the operational cost of the Recreation Center (direct, indirect, staffing, program expenses, etc.).
This cost-recovery expectation has been the foundation for the operating budget of the Recreation
Division each year and the Division has been cost neutral to the overall general fund budget since 2010,
including Boat House Operations. By extension of the programs and services of the Recreation Division,
the operation of the Adventure Course is expected to conform to the same cost recovery goals and this
Business and Operational Plan establishes the operating model to ensure the expectation is achieved.
Adventure courses have seen explosive growth over the past 10 years. According to the 2017 Adventure
Park Insider- State of the Industry Report, Aerial Adventure Parks (Adventure Courses) are a fast-growing
segment of the challenge course business- 38% growth in this market (number of courses) over the course
of the past 4 years and have experienced a 25% growth in visits over the course of the past three years.
The Township’s Parks and Recreation Department uses a business and operational planning process to
review operations and develop plans for new innovative programs, facilities and services. Such analysis
Adventure Course at Rob Fleming Park Business and Operational Plane – 2018 Page | 2
evaluates the current market, market place, competition and reviews the strengths and weaknesses of
the current operation and business environment.
Through this type of extensive analysis relative to the proposed Adventure Course, the following key
factors were identified:
The Woodlands Township operates several recreation based revenue producing enterprises
with a high degree of success, each with varying levels of cost recovery percentage objectives:
100% - Riva Row Boat House and Lakes Edge Boat Houses; 100% - Recreation Centers at Bear
Branch and Rob Fleming Parks; 100% Ice rink; 50% Swimming Pools
There is currently no outdoor adventure course in the Greater Houston area; however, an
amusement based course is expected to be opened in east Montgomery County this year
Typical guest types include but are not limited to families, couples and school groups
The industry average for repeat guests is 20% for pay to play adventure courses
Within a 20-mile radius of The Woodlands there is a population of 1,743,234 with a median age
of 33.8 and an average household income of $94,206
Within 5 years this population is forecast to increase to 1,931,185 (increase of 187,951) and the
average household income to rise to $110,032 (increase of $15,856).
The Woodlands Township has several recreation facilities that can be marketed and packaged
with the Adventure Course to enhance the visitors’ experience: George Mitchell Nature
Preserve, The Lodge at Rob Fleming Park, Ice Rink, Aquatic Center and Boat Houses
Facebook and other social media such as Instagram, Snap Chat, Twitter, Trip Advisor, Yelp, etc.
are key to attracting and retaining customers
Adventure Course staff must be trained to ACCT standards and receive continuing education.
Related expenses must be factored in to the operational budget
Competition for the Township’s course will be from a variety of forms - water parks (local),
indoor adventure centers (local), and outdoor adventure centers (Austin, Dallas).
The Township website, POPS system and social media presence is currently not adequate to
support the Adventure Course operation and the experience that adventure course customers
expect
These factors have been incorporated into this Business and Operational Plan for the Adventure Course
at Rob Fleming Park. Within the plan there are expanded marketing, financial, and staffing plans that
detail what is believed to be necessary to ensure the business operation is a success. Key points of the
plan include:
Staffing -
o Eight (8) Full Time Equivalent Employees: 1 Recreation Coordinator, 1 Recreation
Specialist, 10-part time year-round Recreation Aides and 4 seasonal Recreation Aides
Marketing -
o Marketing of the course will focus on families, couples and school groups and within
these market segments the following groups will have targeted messages and marketing
materials created: residents, teens, corporate groups, summer camps, non-residents in
close proximity and visitors.
o The facility will need a name and brand which may help to illustrate the experience that
the course is intended to impart on the customers. Possible names include but are not
limited to: Adventure Course at Rob Fleming Park, The Woodlands Adventure Course,
Adventure Course at Rob Fleming Park Business and Operational Plane – 2018 Page | 3
Treehouse Adventures, The Woodlands Forest Adventures, Spring Creek Adventure
Course, George Mitchell Nature Preserve Forest Adventures and Tall Pines Adventure
Course
o The use of dedicated social media platforms, website and POS are required to ensure a
positive customer experience
Financial
o The course will have multiple diverse revenue streams including: daily passes, group
revenue, food & beverage concessions, promotional material sales, photo sales, lessons,
skill competitions, sponsorships, etc.
o The profit and loss analysis projects the course will operate at less than the 100% cost
recovery goal the first two years of operation: net losses of $30,942 in 2018 and $50,700
in 2019. These losses are due to no revenue generation during the startup period in
early 2019 and limited awareness of the facility for some period of time – time to build
brand awareness and a customer base.
o The operation is projected to be at 100% cost recovery in 2020.
Overall, it is believed that an adventure course will attract users to the Spring Creek Greenway,
the Recreation Center at Rob Fleming Park and other recreational amenities in the Township
and while it will not only operate at a 100% cost recovery model for a short time, should be a
positive revenue generator in the year 2020 and beyond.
Purpose of the Business and Operational Plan
The purpose of this business and operational plan is to detail a plan that will serve as a road map to the
development, implementation and operation of an adventure course. The plan will also review the
administrative, programming, and operational costs for the facility, along with revenue projections.
Furthermore, the plan will review the competition for the facility and an overall marketing plan will be
developed that will aggressively advertise the facility within identified market segments
Goals Operational Plan
The Woodlands Township Board of Directors provided funding for an Adventure Course at The Recreation
Center at Rob Fleming Park, in conjunction with other capital improvements to the facility (dog park, field
lights) as part of the 2018 Capital Improvement Funding. The authorization was founded on the Board’s
desire to provide quality, outdoor recreation experiences for Township residents, visitors and tourists by
taking advantage of the synergy of the recreation center with the George Mitchell Nature Preserve and
the Spring Creek Greenway. Additionally, the Board believes there to be potential for an adventure course
to generate revenue that supports the Township’s Recreation Division and to generate additional sales
tax and hotel occupancy tax revenue. Recognizing that an adventure course would be a unique and
unfamiliar recreational operation for the Township, this Business and Operational Plan was directed to be
developed.
The components of the plan are as follows:
Review market place, demographics and competition in the local area that produce a similar
experience/service (adventure courses, experiential activities, enterprise recreation)
Identify multiple organization paradigms and cost to operate the facility (staff/contractor)
Develop a cost analysis including revenue projections for the “Adventure Course at The
Recreation Center at Rob Fleming Park”
Adventure Course at Rob Fleming Park Business and Operational Plane – 2018 Page | 4
Create a marketing plan for the facility that leverages traditional, new media and social
networking to communicate benefits of the of the Adventure Course
Create a facility name, brand and image that is appealing to various market segments and is
keeping within Woodlands standards.
Develop a business and operating plan that provides the foundation to operate the facility on a
100% cost recovery financial model
The Woodlands Township Parks and Recreation- Recreation Division
The Woodlands Township Parks and Recreation Department is composed of eight divisions: Park
Operations, Recreation, Aquatics, Development/Special Events, Planning, Environmental Services,
Resident Care Center and Town Center Operations). The Recreation Division is responsible for all
recreation programming (general recreation programs, aquatics, races, boat houses, tennis, indoor
programming, summer camps, etc.) and provides support services for other divisions in the Department
(pool pass sales, facility rentals, etc.).
Role of Parks and Recreation in the Community
The Woodlands Township Parks and Recreation Department is tasked with managing the Township’s
parks and recreational facilities and providing recreational opportunities that foster community spirit,
family values and healthy lifestyles. As the adventure course facility has the potential to be marketed to
tourists, non-residents and residents alike there are opportunities to use the facility as a part of the overall
support system to expand the local tax base (hotel tax, sales tax). The “Adventure Course at The Recreation
Center at Rob Fleming Park” Conceptual Business and Operational Plan is consistent with the following
goals of The Woodlands Township Vision 2034 Strategic Plan:
1.2. Provide superior parks and recreation amenities, facilities, programs and services
o 1.2.1. Ensure high quality programs and services remain affordable and cost effective
while facilities are still effectively used and maintained
o 1.2.4. Provide for quality, diverse, life span recreational programming and opportunities
o 1.2.5. Provide special event opportunities that foster community spirit, family values,
and healthy lifestyles
5.3 Support events, venues and programs to bring visitors to The Woodlands
o 5.3.3 Expand, support and create new cultural, sporting and entertainment venues
o 5.3.5 Expand Hotel and Occupancy Tax Revenues and tax base
Providing Cost Neutral Recreation Services to the Community
In 2002, the joint Boards of the Community Associations (The Woodlands Association, & Woodlands
Community Association) adopted a policy statement and critical success factors that recreation
programming is an integral part of the community services provided by the Associations. Additionally, it
was recognized that the facility at that time (The Recreation Center at Bear Branch Park) may not be
meeting the needs of the community and that an expanded and improved facility might better meet those
needs as well as be able to generate additional revenues that would reduce the cash requirements
provided by the Associations.
Adventure Course at Rob Fleming Park Business and Operational Plane – 2018 Page | 5
In May 2007, the Woodlands Community Association, The Woodlands Association, Woodlands
Commercial Owners Association, and Woodlands Recreation Center (the “Boards”) approved a Facilities
Operation Agreement with the Woodlands Community Services Company (WCSC) that granted WCSC the
exclusive right to use WRC’s Recreation Center in exchange for the WCSC managing and maintaining the
physical building, programs, services and assets. In conjunction with the Agreement, the Boards approved
a Revenue Management Plan that directed the Recreation Division of WCSC to cover 100% of the
operational cost of the Recreation Center (direct, indirect, staffing, program expenses, etc.). This cost-
recovery expectation has been the foundation for the operating budget of the Recreation Division each
year and the Division has been cost neutral to the overall general fund budget since 2010, including Boat
House Operations. By extension of the programs and services of the Recreation Division, the Adventure
Course is expected to conform to the same cost recovery goals and this Business and Operational Plan
establishes the operating model to ensure the expectation is achieved.
The Boat Houses (Riva Row and Lakes Edge) have both been positive contributors to this approach as
revenue in excess of expenditures have contributed to the cost neutral operation. It is believed that the
Adventure Course will also provide positive revenue over expenses thus allowing the Recreation Division
to continue to meet the cost recovery goals and provide exceptional programs and levels of services to
the residents of The Woodlands.
What is an Adventure Course???
Adventure courses and their predecessors, so called “ropes”
courses have been in use in the United States for the past 40
years. During the early years, these ropes course were used as
a way to train military units and for corporate team building.
During the 1960’s and 1970’s a movement began to implement
“adventure activities” whereby learning (physical education,
environmental education, leadership) was to occur through the
use of these courses. The concept was for the learner to go
from obstacle to obstacle (element) and challenge themselves
which would be in conjunction with a professional facilitator or
guide.
Adventure Course at Rob Fleming Park Business and Operational Plane – 2018 Page | 6
By 1993, the formalization of the “ropes” course
industry was set in place with the establishment of
the Association of Challenge Course Technology
(ACCT). This trade association is key component of
the professionalization of the industry as they set
minimum standards for course installation, operation
and management. In addition, to setting minimum
standards ACCT offers peer review and accreditation
services for designers, installers, instructors and
trainers. This aspect provides a level of legitimization
for the concept of challenge and adventure courses.
Currently, the adventure course industry is multi-faceted as there are courses around the world and
take the forms of a traditional ropes course, zip line/canopy tour or an aerial adventure course. Since
2007, the overall industry has grown in the United States and Canada from 43 sites to over 1,157 which
includes zip lines, aerial trekking (adventure courses) and zip rides. It is important to note that there are
currently no adventure courses in the Houston market, the fourth largest metropolitan statistical area in
the United States. (population-6,490,180). Additionally, the growth trend in the industry is leaning
towards aerial adventure courses, due in part to the difficulty of finding large tracks of land required for
a zip tour (Smith, 2016 p.13). Facilitation of an aerial trekking course also has the ability to be less
expenses in terms of staffing due to various harness systems that greatly reduces the need for staff.
Adventure Course at Rob Fleming Park Business and Operational Plane – 2018 Page | 7
*Challenge Courses, Zip Lines and Aerial Adventure Parks- A Historical Primer and Examination of Current
Trends and Statistics. (Michael R. Smith- AdventureSmith, Inc. 2016)
In the 2017 Adventure Park Insider- State of the Industry Report there are a number of factors that need
to be reviewed to understand how an adventure course is used, who uses the course and how the
experience is desired to be managed and operated.
Aerial Adventure Parks (Adventure Courses) first appeared in the early 2000’s and are a fast-
growing segment of the challenge course business- 38% growth in this market (number of
courses) over the course of the past 4 years
Average course operates 238 days per year. This is partially due to courses in the north shutting
down operations for the winter months.
Average course size is 54 elements for pay to play operators.
82% of pay to play operators use a continuous or smart belay system. This type of system
reduces (does not eliminate) the need for staff.
Pay to Play operators have experienced 25% growth in visits over the course of the past three
years
While there are no economic demographics in the report, the most common age group users
are:
o 13-17 years’ old
o 18-24 years’ old
o 25-34 years’ old
o And a growing segment of 2-5 and 55+ (think bucket list)
Common guest types include but are not limited to:
o Families
o Couples
o School groups
The industry average for repeat guests is 20% for pay to play adventure courses
The top three sources of revenue include:
o Day passes
o Multi Activity passes- bundling other recreation amenities
o Groups
An additional source of revenue are photos from the course which can equate to 10% of total
revenues
Overall gross profit margin for pay to play operators is 42.54% and the per visitor cost is $26.75.
It should be noted that as volume goes up the per visitor average goes down.
Average cost to obtain a customer (marketing cost) is $7.20 per visitor
Facebook and other social media are key to obtaining and retaining customers
Play to play facilities named Facebook as the key marketing channel while noting that Trip
Advisor and Instagram have tremendous impacts.
Booking guests are done over the phone, in person and through the facilities’ websites.
Adventure Course at Rob Fleming Park Business and Operational Plane – 2018 Page | 8
The addition of specialized lighting can spur night time use and affords opportunities for unique
programming- Haunted Adventure Course, Christmas at the Adventure Course, etc.
Challenges for the Adventure Course industry include: competition from family centers, other
adventure parks and employing qualified staff.
The Woodlands Township-Market for Recreation Services
Market Conditions
Located 30 miles north of Houston, The Woodlands is one
of the top master planned community in the nation and
fosters the best in family life, career opportunities and
community involvement. The Woodlands was founded by
George Mitchell in 1974, contains over 28,000 acres and is
divided into eight villages. Since the 1970’s, The
Woodlands has grown residentially and commercially as
many companies are headquartered in the community or
have a significant presence including: Chevron Phillips,
Huntsman, Anadarko, Aon/Hewitt, Lexicon
Pharmaceuticals and Woodforest Bank. Located to the
south of The Woodlands is the world headquarters of
Exxon Mobil who opened their campus late in 2015 and
has brought an estimated 10,000 jobs to the area. In addition, a number of ancillary and support
companies to Exxon Mobil have relocated to The Woodlands and surrounding areas. While many
people think of The Woodlands as a bedroom community, it has grown into a major satellite city of
Houston, as The Town Center area has approximately 199,000 “residents” on a daily basis. (ESRI/
Woodlands Area Economic Development Partnership. 2017)
The research for the operational and business plan must examine a plethora of data including
information on current residents, future residents, demographics, competition in the market place, i.e.
other recreation providers in the area and a review of the current staffing model, programs and services.
Demographic Review-
As of January 2017, The Woodlands consisted of 42,508 dwellings and 114,625 residents, an increase of
20% since 2007. In the last two years, residential growth has slowed in the community as single-family
residential buildout is drawing near; however there continues to be commercial land available which is
being developed.
Over the course of the last five years there has been considerable growth in the commercial area due in
part of the development of Hughes Landing and the completion of the expansion of The Woodlands
Waterway to Lake Woodlands.
Adventure Course at Rob Fleming Park Business and Operational Plane – 2018 Page | 9Historically, the primary market for the Recreation Division has been the residents of The Woodlands.
An adventure course is a different type of amenity as compared to a swimming pool or even a boat
house thus an expanded review of the area demographics and marketplace is warranted. An adventure
course has the potential to draw people from a 2+ hour driving distance radius due to the time/length of
the activity (2-3 hours). The Recreation Division has experience with serving non-residents and tourists
coming to the Township as is evident by various special events such as Red, Hot and Blue Festival, three
signature race events, Lighting of The Doves, the Ice Rink and as indicated by the non-resident use levels
at the Boat Houses. In 2017, 45% of the overall use at the Boat Houses were residents from The
Woodlands Township and 55% were non-residents.
Woodlands Demographics-
The below figures come from the January 1, 2017 demographic study of The Woodlands Development
Company. Most intriguing from the review of this document is the fact that there are 31,654 children
and 44.1% of households have children, which compares to 41.6% in 2015, a growth of 2.5% or
approximately 2,865 children. Secondly, the median adult age in the community over the past two years
has changed from 38.7 in 2015 to 38.8 in 2017 which indicates a large segment of the population that
has the ability (health and financial) to take part in a wide variety of programs and services.
The following is being presented as basic demographic date of The Woodlands.
Population Total 114,625
Persons Per Household 2.70
Occupied Dwellings 42,508
Adult Ages Median Age 38.8
Total Adults 82,971
18-24 9%
25-34 13%
35-44 19%
45-54 25%
55-64 18%
65-74 9%
75+ 7%
Children Households with Children 44.1
Total Children 31,654
Under 5 20%
5-9 19%
10-14 38%
15-14 23%
*The Woodlands Texas Demographics- January 1, 2017-The Woodlands Development Company.
Educational Attainment
Degree Type The Woodlands Montgomery County 10 Miles Radius-
Area WP/I45
Population (Age 25+) 127,915 308,171 283,563
High School Graduate 12.3% 20.1% 17%
Some College 20.1% 22.1% 22.4%
Adventure Course at Rob Fleming Park Business and Operational Plane – 2018 Page | 10Associate Degree 8.4% 6.9% 7.9%
Bachelor’s Degree 33.6% 22.7% 27.4%
Graduate or 18.0% 10.9% 13.7%
Professional Degree
2017 Sources: Texas Workforce Commission –January 2017 and ESRI
http://www.edpartnership.net/site-selectors/Labor-Market-Statistics-January-2017-Woodlands-EDP-
1.30.18.pdf
2017- The Woodlands Demographics – Howard Hughes/The Woodlands Development Company Annual Report.
Beyond The Woodlands Demographics
While The Woodlands demographics are important to understand it is estimated that 40% of the users
of the adventure course will come from outside the community. As an adventure course is a regional
draw, whereas visitors will drive up to 2-3 hours away (i.e. Greater Houston, College Station, Beaumont)
it is important to review the market area around the Township and other communities that have similar
demographics (income levels, education levels, discretionary spending).
The 2017- The Woodlands Demographics – Howard Hughes/The Woodlands Development Company
Annual Report provides a demographic and income profile summary for a 5, 10, 15 and 20-mile radius.
The 20-mile radius is very important to the adventure course due to its draw area. Current
demographics (2016) illustrate the following: Population-1,743,234, Median Age 33.8, Median
Household Income $66,111 and Average Household Income-$94,206. What is more important is the
data that suggests within 5 years (2021 forecast) that the population increases to 1,931,185 (increase of
187,951) and the average household income rises to $110,032 (increase of $15,856). With these
statistics it can be deduced that there is the population to support this facility within a 20-mile radius
and there are discretionary dollars available to be spent on this service.
Adventure Course at Rob Fleming Park Business and Operational Plane – 2018 Page | 11Since The Woodlands Township owns and
operates other outdoor experience facilities (Riva
Row Boat House, Lakes Edge Boat House) some of
the data from those operations can be evaluated
as a basis for the adventure course. The adjacent
image is a heat map that was developed from
Boat House users zip code data. The areas with
the highest level of use (dark blue circles) include
the following: George Ranch, Morton Ranch,
Bellaire, West University, Cy Fair area, and
Kingwood. The purple dots also include areas such as- Sienna Plantation, Pearland and Clear Lake, which
have similar demographics as to The Woodlands. This data set indicates that people are willing to drive
to The Woodlands (60-90 minutes) to have a positive outdoor experience.
As the Adventure Course industry is relatively new, there is not a large set of data for the average
demographics of course users. The 2017 Adventure Park Insider- State of the Industry Report provides
some data on the typical users which includes the following
The most common age group users are: 13-17 years’ old, 18-24 years’ old, 25-34 years’ old and a
growing segment of 2-5 and 55+ (think bucket list)
Common guest types include but are not limited to: Families, Couples and School groups
Adventure Course at Rob Fleming Park Business and Operational Plane – 2018 Page | 12Internal Analysis-
The Woodlands Township Parks and Recreation Department is a diverse unit of The Woodlands Township.
The goal of the Department is to support the public use of a parks and recreation system that
encompasses 140 parks, 220 miles of pathways, 14 neighborhood pools including the Rob Fleming Aquatic
Center, The Recreation Center at Rob Fleming Park, The Recreation Center at Bear Branch Park, The Riva
Row Boat House, The Lakes Edge Boat House and the Town Center/ Woodlands Waterway area (inclusive
of Hughes Landing). The purpose of this section of the plan is to review the infrastructure available and
needed to locate an adventure course, specifically at The Recreation Center at Rob Fleming Park.
The Recreation Center at Rob Fleming Park
The Recreation Center at Rob
Fleming Park is located at 6464
Creekside Forest Drive, across
the street from the Rob
Fleming Aquatic Center and
approximately .2 of a mile from
The Lodge at Rob Fleming Park.
The architectural elements of
all three facilities are the same (i.e. Arts and Crafts style) and have a synergy of use due to the
recreational nature of the three facilities and their proximity to each other. The Recreation
Center complex includes 19 acres, five acres above the floodplain and 14 acres in the floodplain.
While the facility service as a recreation center for the southern portion of the community, the
main theme of the center is outdoor based recreation.
Located in the five acres above the floodplain is the main recreation center building, a sportfield
and the parking for the facility. The 14,000-square foot main facility includes an office, a fitness
area, a meeting room, two programming rooms, a catering kitchen, storage areas and restrooms.
Outside the main facility is an undeveloped area that is currently being used as a multipurpose
sports field. Overall, the main facility is in excellent condition and is well maintained.
The majority of the property is located within the floodplain and takes on an outdoor camp
feeling. There are four “units” of elevated “tree houses” that are used for The Township’s Sunny
Dayz camp and community based programming. In addition to the tree houses, there is a tipi
village which is currently used for day camp programming. Within the elevated portion of the
facility there are restrooms (with storage underneath), an outdoor classroom, archery range and
other programming areas.
Adventure Course at Rob Fleming Park Business and Operational Plane – 2018 Page | 13The Recreation Center at Rob Fleming Park is
open Monday-Thursday from 6 am to 9 pm,
Friday from 6 am to 8 pm and Saturday from
6 am to 6 pm. As the facility had its soft
opening in the Summer of 2017 and its formal
grand opening in October 2017, the full
potential of this facility has yet to be realized.
A Business and Operational Plan was
developed specifically for this facility and
which was approved by the Township Board
of Directors.
Spring Creek Greenway/George Mitchell Nature Preserve
The Spring Creek Greenway is a 12,000- acre linear park system
which stretches nearly 40 miles from the San Jacinto River at
Highway 59 to Spring Creek Park in Tomball. The Greenway
preserves and protects the land along Spring Creek and provides
countless recreation opportunities for the residents of this area,
tourists and visitors. Within the Greenway is the George
Mitchell Nature Preserve (1,800 acres) for which The Recreation
Center at Rob Fleming Park is located in/on. One of the
purposes of acquiring the Recreation Center, which was the
former YMCA, is to provide opportunities for Township residents
to enjoy countless nature based activities (archery, hiking,
kayaking, fly fishing, adventure activities, etc.). As the gateway to the Spring Creek Greenway
there is the potential to work with a number of entities to promote the Preserve and Greenway
for nature based experiences including but not limited to Harris County Precinct 4, Bayou Land
Conversancy, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, local hiking and mountain biking clubs and The
Woodlands Convention and Visitors Bureau. to leverage the facility for various corporate
outings, conference events and day trips, which may serve as an additional revenue stream for
the Division.
Location/Traffic Counts
While the Recreation Center at Rob Fleming Park is located within the Village of Creekside Park,
there is merit to reviewing the location of the facility with respect to traffic counts. The facility
is located on Creekside Forest Drive; it is a short drive from the following major highways:
I-45 and Woodlands Parkway-7 miles
Adventure Course at Rob Fleming Park Business and Operational Plane – 2018 Page | 14 Gosling and Grand Parkway (99)- 4 miles
Kuykendahl and Grand Parkway (99)- 7 miles
More importantly than the short drive from key highway interchanges is the volume of cars that
are at the axis points to the Village of Creekside Park. While the data presented in the table
below is from 2015, significant changes have occurred to this area including the opening of
Grand Parkway, which had improved the access to Creekside Park from the south. Furthermore,
Gosling Road from Grand Parkway to Creekside Forest is currently being widened and there are
plans to expand the Gosling Road Bridge from two lanes to four lanes. Grand Parkway is the
outer loop around Greater Houston, thus the experience driving to the Adventure Course at Rob
Fleming Park is convenient. This experience is important due to the need for visitors and tourist
alike to be brought to the facility.
Cross Streets 2010 2011 2012 2013 2015
Kukyendahl 14,511 13,310 14,022 20,553 26,282
and Creekside
Forest
Gosling and 12,713 14,227 17,782 15,243 19,692
Creekside
Forest
Other Community Facilities
As stated above, The Woodlands Township has a myriad of facilities whose goal is to provide a
positive experience to residents and visitors alike. An inventory of these facilities is necessary in
order to identify if there is the ability to package the Adventure Course at Rob Fleming Park with
other Township owned or operated facilities. This would allow bundling of experiences, thus
being able to keep a visitor to The Woodlands in the community longer. By extending the
experience there may be a greater chance for that person to stay in The Woodlands the night
before or the night after their Adventure Course experience thus generating additional sales and
hotel taxes.
Adventure Course at Rob Fleming Park Business and Operational Plane – 2018 Page | 15Riva Row Boat House/Lakes Edge Boat House-The Riva
Row Boat House is a 1.6-acre park in the Town Center
located at the juncture of the upper level of The
Waterway and lower level connecting to Lake Woodlands.
Lakes Edge Boat House is located in Hughes Landing on
Lake Woodlands. The Woodlands Township owns and
operates these facilities through its Parks and Recreation
Department. In 2017, a total of 21,714 kayak rentals
occurred between both boat houses and 56% are from
Greater Houston, 4% are from Texas, and 6% are from out
of state. The remainder are local (The Woodlands- 34%). Non- residents typically originate
from: George Ranch, Morton Ranch, Bellaire, West University, Cy Fair area, Kingwood, Sienna
Plantation, Pearland and Clear Lake.
Single and tandem kayaks and paddle boards are available for rental. Rentals include a life jacket
and paddles. Dog life jackets are also available. The fee structure has been set to be in line with
a family of four going to a movie (2-2 Hour Tandem Rentals=$50, 4 movie tickets x $12 per
ticket-$48).
Tandem Rentals- $20 per hour, $5 additional hour
Single Rental-$15 per hour, $5 additional hour
Paddleboards-$15 per hour, $5 additional hour
Rob Fleming Aquatic Center- The award-winning
Rob Fleming Aquatic Center is located in the
Village of Creekside Park and is adjacent to Lake
Paloma and across the street from The Recreation
Center at Rob Fleming Park. The Rob Fleming
Aquatic Center is actually a small water park as it
has a beach entry pool with a play structure and
water buckets, a regular pool, lap lanes, a 400’ lazy
river and a two-story water slide. Concessions are
rd
available through a 3 party vendor, which at this time is Chick-Fil-A. In 2017, the facility
hosted 50,000+ visitors with a season running from early May through the middle of September.
A unique aspect of the Aquatic Center is the “Rivers Edge” which is a rental pavilion within the
facility. Guests at the Aquatic Center have enjoyed this for smaller groups and parties.
The price for admission at this facility is dependent on height which includes the use of the
tubes for the slide.
Over 48”-$10 per day
Under 48”- $8 per day
Adventure Course at Rob Fleming Park Business and Operational Plane – 2018 Page | 16Ice Rink-
The Ice Rink at The Woodlands Town Center, located at
2005 Lake Robbins Drive, operates annually mid-
November to mid-January in a 21,000-square foot facility
located near the north gate entry of The Cynthia Woods
Mitchell Pavilion. The facility features ice skating in a
main room with lighting, a state-of-the-art sound
system, tables for parties and concessions. Each season,
the Ice Rink attracts more than 50,000 skaters,
spectators and visitors to The Woodlands Town Center
throughout the holidays season. During the season, the
operating hours are:
Monday - Thursday: 3 to 9 p.m.
Friday: 3 to 11 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Sunday: Noon to 7 p.m.
Fees for this attraction vary based on the day of the week: Monday-Thursday: $10.50 adults, $5
children 5/under; Friday-Sunday: $12.50 adults, $6 children 5/under. The Woodlands Township
operates the Ice Rink through a contract with a third party, thus one challenge in bundling this
service would be to the allocation of expenses and revenues to the ice rink/adventure course.
George Mitchell Nature Preserve/ The Spring Creek Greenway
As mentioned above the George Mitchell Nature Preserve, the Spring Creek Greenway and the
related natural trail system, affords an opportunity to extend the outdoor adventure experience
for users of the Adventure Course. The trail system could be used in several ways:
Short trails to manage waiting times, i.e. identify 30 minutes and 60 minutes walks
Longer hikes- 2-3 hours to balance the day with the 3-hour experience at the Adventure
Course
There would be no revenue generated from use of the trails, however leveraging the
Preserve/Greenway aids in the overall attraction to the adventure course and to the community
and provides for the potential extension of a visitor’s stay in The Woodlands.
Lake Paloma Kayaking- To date, Lake Paloma
has not been used to facilitate a kayaking
experience by The Woodlands Township. To
contain a visitor’s experience in Creekside Park, a
review of the opportunities and challenges of
providing kayaks at the Adventure Center for
rental have been examined. The concept would
be for a small fleet (10 kayaks/paddleboards) to
be stored at the Course. The Course staff would
Adventure Course at Rob Fleming Park Business and Operational Plane – 2018 Page | 17move the kayaks to the launch at Lake Paloma and lock them up. Customers wanting to rent a
kayak would pay the rental fee (same as Riva Row/Lakes Edge) and obtain a key/code to unlock
the kayak. This is a simple method in which to extend the nature based experience for visitors to
The Woodlands without having to go to Boat Houses in the Town Center, however this option
would still be marketed.
A challenge with this option is the purchase of 10 additional kayaks/paddle boards, a trailer and
potentially a ATV to transport the kayaks across the street.
Staffing-
The staff of The Woodlands Township Parks and Recreation
Department are eager for the opportunity to fulfill the goals and
objectives of the Board of Directors and operate an Adventure Course
on their behalf. A challenge of operating a course will be the
education and training requirements due to various Association of
Challenge Course Technology (ACCT) credentialing requirements.
ACCT is the benchmark used in the industry for training and
credentialing. In discussions with the Texas Municipal League
Intergovernmental Risk Pool (TMLIRP), The Woodlands Township
insurance carrier, they anticipate requiring staff that are involved with the management and operation
of the course to be credentialed through ACCT. Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 of the ANSI/ACCT Challenge
Courses and Canopy/Zip Line Tour Standards outline the staff training includes but is not limited to:
C.2.1.8. The organization’s staff shall properly fit and use equipment in accordance with
manufacturer and/or qualified person’s recommended procedures.
C.2.1.9. The organization’s staff shall be able to set up or take down initiatives, low, or high
elements
C.2.1.10. The organization’s staff shall be able to evaluate proper equipment setup.
C.2.3.3. The organization’s staff shall be able to tie and evaluate appropriate knots for life safety
systems.
The ANSI/ACCT standards outlines three certifications- Level 1, Level 2 and Course Manager that staff at
the Adventure Couse will be required to have, depending on position within the course (welcome
center, gear house, on course staff, course manager).
Level 1- Candidates must be a minimum of 18 years old and have a minimum of eight hours of
site specific training, A Practitioner Level I shall possess all staff competencies listed in Section C
of the Operation Standard including core, technical, and facilitation competencies (See
ANSI/ACCT Challenge Courses and Canopy/Zip Line Tour Standards) Certification is good for one
year, and staff need to recertify each year.
Level 2- Candidates must be a minimum of 18 years old and have a minimum of 16 additional
hours of Level II experience (24 hours total) of site specific training, A Practitioner Level II shall
Adventure Course at Rob Fleming Park Business and Operational Plane – 2018 Page | 18have 200 hours of documented experience working on the course. Certification is good for three
years.
Course Manager- Candidates must be a minimum of 21 years old. A Course Manager candidate
shall document five hundred (500) hours of work experience. Certification is good for five years.
The purpose of this section of the plan is to identify that there will be costs and time associated with
training and retraining of staff to ensure a safe and effective course and operation. Furthermore, per
ACCT standards there needs to be experienced and credentialed staff on site at all times when the
course is in operation.
Web/POS Infrastructure
One key component of the internal analysis is to review the Township’s web site, point of sale system
and social media required to ensure a positive experience. The Woodlands Township’s website serves
residents’ needs primarily through the dissemination of information. Information can be found on a
variety of topics ranging from Board of Directors meetings, to how to apply for a permit to change paint
colors on your home to public safety information. One of the largest challenges with The Woodlands
Township web site is that information can be buried in the site thus tough to find. For example, if one
were to desire information on the Riva Row Boat House they would:
Go to www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov
Make a decision on what button to click- “Government”, “Residents”, “Businesses” or “I Want
to…”
If the visitor correctly chooses “Residents”, they then must scan a long list of additional links
The visitor would then have to know to go to “Parks and Recreation” and work through another
list-(16 items)
Once they find and click “Riva Row Boat House” the dedicated webpage is opened
The issue with this five-step process is that the consumer can become frustrated in the time it takes to
cull through the website, which may decrease the ability to make the sale. From discussions with
adventure course operations and e-commerce vendors, the typically point of purchase standard is
three (3) clicks to the sale, and The Township is at least 5 clicks to be able to locate the facilities’
website, assuming they know that the facilities are operated by the Parks and Recreation Department.
A second challenge with the current infrastructure is Active.net, which is the facility and program
registration software system used by the Parks and Recreation Department. While the software has
served the Township well over the past 10 years, there are challenges with it in an environment that
demands “three clicks to sale”. The software was not intended to be used on the phone, iPad, or other
portable computing devices where the customer is interfacing with the system. Adventure course
operators are finding that their client base wants to book their experience via portable devices.
Programs such as Flybook, Fareharbor, Singenuity, Check Front have been developed by the commercial
recreation industry which offers users and enhanced experience which is tailored to this type of service.
Adventure Course at Rob Fleming Park Business and Operational Plane – 2018 Page | 19A unique aspect of these services is the ability to maximize the number of users in time slots. For
example, if the service operates groups arriving at 9 am, 11 am, 1 pm, 3pm, 5 pm, etc. The program will
not open up the 3pm or 5 pm slots until the 9am, 11 am and 1 pm are full. This allows the facility to
better manage staff costs, the largest component of a course’s budget. These programs also provide the
ability to merge a 3rd party on line waiver system, photo sale integration, and reports such as- revenue
per customer, revenue per customer type, revenue by zip code, booking of bundled opportunities (i.e.
Riva Row Boat House). Cost for these services range from a monthly fee + credit cards to a percentage of
the sale. One unique aspect of this industry is the willingness to pay for the service fees for the
registration system (daily fee + service fee) as opposed to traditional parks and recreation programs
(daily fee only).
Social Media
During the past 18 months (March 2017-2018), The Woodlands Township Parks and Recreation
Department has established a presence on social media through a Facebook site. In that time 8,127
people have liked the site and 8,898 are following the site. The Department uses Facebook to deliver
messages on programs and services seven days a week with multiple messages per day. Facebook
allows the Department to answer questions from residents in near real time. While Facebook has been
a positive factor for the Department, one challenge with this social media platform is that it attempts to
advertise the myriad of programs and services offered. The challenge would be the Adventure Course
may be lost in the confusion, tough to find on Facebook and Facebook is only one of many social media
avenues.
If the most common age group users for adventure courses are 13-17 years’ old, 18-24 years’ old and
25-34 years’ old, then the social media mediums used by the Course need to reflect its users. The table
below is from Statist (February 2017) which measured social media use by age. For ages 18-29, a large
potential demographic area for the course, the most used social media platforms are: Facebook,
Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Snapchat and You Tube. In order for the course not to get lost in the
social media presence of The Woodlands Township, separate distinct social media platforms (Facebook,
Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, etc.) needs to be created for the Adventure Course.
An additional element to be examined is the use of Trip Advisor, Yelp, Open Table, Google Sites to
promote the facility. These sites allow people to comment (positive and negative) on their experience.
ACCT credentialed courses should have a ranking of 4.5+/5 on Trip Advisor which indicates to users they
will likely have an overall positive experience. In addition, course websites are linked to Trip Advisor and
similar sites as the industry knows that their consumers are looking to those sites to assist them in
making choices about their recreation experiences.
Adventure Course at Rob Fleming Park Business and Operational Plane – 2018 Page | 20https://www.statista.com/statistics/305245/us-social-network-penetration-age-group/
Naming and Branding of the Adventure Course
A name of the adventure course is very important. It will be the foundation for customers to be able to
find the facility, talk about the facility and recommend the facility to others. It is the first thing
customers see and must convey the right message, make a positive impression and establish the
experience the customer can expect, even before they come to the facility. The business name and
brand are integral to the marketing plan which must meet the needs of the consumer of the adventure
course market. The potential needs to be met include but are not limited to: fun, excitement,
exhilaration, natural experience, challenge, etc. Therefore names, brand and logos should be created
around these consumer needs and expectations. Guidelines for good business names are: make it brief;
create a positive image; create visual appeal; be consistent; and be unique. Potential names provided
below need to be fully researched to identify if there are other courses (or business) with similar names,
how the consumer/customer might respond to the name. The reaction to the name can be explored
through a public vetting process of the plan. Finally, the naming of the course is subject to the review
and approval of The Woodlands Township Board of Directors.
Potential names for the course include but are not limited to:
Treehouse Adventures Muddy Bottoms
Woodlands Treehouse Adventures Rob Fleming Aerial Trails
Boardwalks and Treehouses Rob Fleming Adventure Park
Adventure Course at Rob Fleming Park Business and Operational Plane – 2018 Page | 21You can also read
