One Product, Two Business Models: How to Monetize Off-Site Events with a Portable Escape Game

When entrepreneurs choose entertainment equipment, they usually think within the boundaries of a classic stationary venue. But what if the exact same product could generate revenue both inside your walls and far beyond them, without adding a single pound to your rent?

Meet Ruth Curtis, the owner of Rushden Escape Rooms in England. Her venue already runs several successful stationary escape rooms and other entertainment formats. Ruth, however, was looking for a way to make the business more mobile: reaching corporate clients, partnering with schools and joining community festivals.

To do that, her company acquired our autonomous escape game, the Wizard’s Chest. Here is how this format expands the boundaries of a traditional entertainment business.

Our commentary: portability as a diversification tool

We have written before about how venues use the Wizard’s Chest inside stationary locations: they allocate a minimal footprint (literally 10-15 sq m, or 110-160 sq ft) and sell the game as a private experience for two or three guests. That model works: Conundroom in the US made the investment back in two months.

But the format has a second major advantage: mobility.

The Rushden Escape Rooms team uses the Wizard’s Chest as a fully mobile solution for both B2B and B2C: they bring the game to school festivals, corporate parties and community events. That instantly expands their reach and generates revenue without opening new branches or taking on extra rent, the same second revenue stream we described in our piece on corporate events and weekdays.

Below, Ruth shares her real experience after running a major school STEM festival challenge. It is a model example of scaling an entertainment business without new walls.

The client’s experience: an escape game at a school STEM festival

Here is Ruth’s account, verbatim:

“A fantastic day today at a school STEM festival challenge event! I had the opportunity to bring along my Wizard’s Chest Escape Experience, where teams of children aged 9-11 worked together to tackle a series of puzzles, clues, and challenges hidden within a mysterious magical chest.

What makes the Wizard’s Chest special is that it’s a fully mobile escape-room experience. There’s no dedicated venue required: the entire adventure can be brought directly into schools, festivals, community events, workplaces, and other venues, making it accessible to a wide range of audiences.

Throughout the day, it was wonderful to see the children:

• 🔍 investigating clues and thinking critically;
• 🤝 working together as a team;
• 💬 communicating ideas and sharing discoveries;
• 🧩 solving problems collaboratively;
• ✨ building confidence through participation.

One of the most rewarding aspects was watching different personalities contribute in their own way. Success wasn’t about who could solve a puzzle the fastest: it came from listening to each other, sharing observations, and combining everyone’s strengths.

While the Wizard’s Chest has a magical theme, the skills it develops are very real: teamwork, communication, logical thinking, and perseverance. These are valuable skills for learners of all ages, which is why the experience works just as well for schools, family events, youth groups, and corporate team-building activities.

A huge thank you to the organisers of the school festival for creating such an engaging event and to all the enthusiastic young problem-solvers who took on the challenge today!”

Support you never expect: a testimonial for ProducED

A successful event is only half the story. What matters most to us as a maker is the relationship with the operator after the purchase – even when our equipment is bought second-hand.

Here is the review Ruth published on her professional network. We are sharing it verbatim:

“I’ve always believed that the best customer service is the kind you never expect.

A little while ago, I bought a Wizards Chest from a fellow escape room owner. I’d already had the chance to play and test it beforehand, so I knew exactly what I was getting – and I was genuinely excited to add it to our venue, as well as take it out into the community for schools, fetes and events.

When I shared a LinkedIn post saying, ‘Look what’s going to be available very soon…’, I certainly wasn’t expecting what happened next.

Anna from ProducED got in touch. Not to sell me anything. Not because I’d reported a problem. Simply to say they’d be happy to update the software, increase the number of languages available on the chest, and make sure I was getting the best possible experience from it.

Since then, Anna has answered countless questions, helped me troubleshoot a few things, and has always been happy to explain how everything works.

Here’s the thing… I bought this second-hand.

ProducED hadn’t made a penny from my purchase, yet they’ve treated me as though I’d bought it directly from them. They had absolutely no obligation to offer any support, but they did it anyway.

That level of care says so much about a company. We often talk about great customer service, but this is something else. It’s standing behind your products, supporting your community, and recognising that every person using your product matters – not just the person who originally paid the invoice.

So this is simply a public thank you. Thank you, Anna, and everyone at ProducED, for going above and beyond. You’ve turned what was already an exciting purchase into an exceptional experience, and you’ve earned a genuine advocate in the process.

If anyone ever asks me whether I’d recommend ProducED, the answer will be an immediate and wholehearted yes.”

“ProducED hadn’t made a penny from my purchase, yet they’ve treated me as though I’d bought it directly from them.” – Ruth Curtis, Rushden Escape Rooms

How that support works from the inside is exactly what we broke down in What happens if your escape room breaks.

Want the same for your venue?

We will gladly show you how to adapt the Wizard’s Chest to your business, calculate the ROI of mobile formats in the calculator, or check whether an exclusive city licence is still available for your region. Drop us a line – and read more about the format itself in our piece on the portable escape room.