Blaise Witnish on Funlab's VR Utilization Playbook: Peak the Peaks, Pack the Gaps

Every empty VR slot is a plane leaving the gate with a seat unsold. That mindset built Funlab into 50 venues across Australia and New Zealand. Blaise Witnish, the company's Chief Growth and Innovation Officer and acting US CEO, is now moving to Los Angeles to bring the playbook to America.

Bob Cooney sits down with Blaise for a straight operator masterclass. Funlab runs eight brands, over 3,000 staff, and three Zero Latency free-roam sites, all on one principle: VR is a utilization game. She lays out the airline model for pricing, the "peak the peaks and pack the gaps" mantra, and why a five-minute free taster converts at 95 percent.

Then the practical stuff. Her "service is selling" philosophy and how she runs it across 3,000 staff. Why she hires people who love to serve and bring real energy. How STEM school groups turn into weekly baseline revenue. And why a simple viewing window into the VR arena doubles your cross-sell.

If you run a venue, one location or fifty, this is for you.

Watch the recording → https://thevrcollective.com/peak-the-peaks-pack-the-gaps-funlabs-vr-utilization-playbook/

The VR Collective → https://thevrcollective.com/
LEXRA → https://www.lexra.org/home

Chapters

0:00 — Intro: where in the world is Bob, and Blaise's move to LA
2:13 — How Funlab found Zero Latency
4:15 — Reading trade areas with Placer.ai
7:19 — Why Funlab chose Zero Latency
9:06 — Eight brands and the precinct model
10:42 — Three Zero Latency sites, distinct catchments
11:32 — Cross-sell and the viewing window
13:05 — Tasters: five minutes free, 95% conversion
15:32 — Training 3,000 staff on the utilization game
17:40 — Bring VR to the front: warpaint and curiosity
20:28 — Service is selling
22:13 — Hiring people who love to serve
26:01 — Zero Latency vs laser tag
29:45 — How mainstream VR really is
31:10 — Pricing: premium peak, accessible off-peak
33:45 — Filling gaps with geo-targeted ads
34:50 — STEM school groups as weekly baseline revenue
37:16 — How VR changed the attraction mix
38:52 — Coming to America: Hijinx Hotel and brand strategy
41:20 — Inside Hijinx Hotel
42:44 — The VR content the industry needs next
44:45 — Who drives LBE spending now
46:01 — Peak the peaks, pack the gaps