An Executive Voices Blog by Jennifer Ahearn, Sesame Workshop’s Vice President, Global Strategic Partnerships & Themed Entertainment

Research has shown that children learn best through play when they are cognitively, physically, and socially engaged in activities they are interested in. Play also presents opportunities to try new things. There’s no better example of this than Sesame Workshop’s expanding world of Educational Play Centers (EPCs), which is our unique take on what is commonly referred to as Family Entertainment Centers (FECs).

While you may know us best as the producers behind Sesame Street, Sesame Workshop is so much more. For over 50 years, we have been enriching minds and expanding hearts around the world through beloved characters, iconic shows, community outreach, and joyful experiences. The industry’s focus on LBE comes at a time of shifting consumer behavior that was amplified by the pandemic, especially when it comes to shopping. Mall operators are evolving to become experience centers and, to drive traffic, malls are offering interactive experiences, dining, and entertainment options that are hard to find elsewhere.

FECs provide interactive location-based experiences (typically within a mall or shopping center where families gather) to foster playful and meaningful learning for children. In addition to immersive Sesame Street experiences, our EPCs can include play structures, educational classes, digital experiences, character interactions, birthday parties, and other learning-through-play activities.

In partnership with AVECS Creative Group, a Seoul-based agency, we opened our first EPC, “Sesame Street Learn & Play,” in South Korea in March 2022, followed by a second location earlier this year. These two locations are the first of five EPCs that we’ll jointly launch across Korea over the next few years.

It’s crucial that brand owners work with regional partners when developing location-based entertainment offerings to adapt to local cultural needs and provide interactive, playful learning experiences that encourage children to connect with and engage in their world. FECs can include a wide variety of experiences, including classes and activities. For Sesame Workshop, that means designing with whole child learning objectives in mind and infusing hands-on learning throughout the play experiences.

For example, “Sesame Street Learn & Play” classes include Cooking, Science, Art, Music & Dance, and Messy Sensory Play. Designs feature Sesame Street’s beloved, colorful characters and iconic scenery, making for a welcoming and immersive experience.

Recent data from Grand View Research shows the Location-Based Entertainment market is expected to increase 28.8% from 2023 to 2030. No doubt, FECs and live touring experiences will be the biggest opportunities in this space over the next few years—benefiting operators by drawing traffic to malls and shopping centers. South Korea is the first location in our global roll-out plan for Sesame Street EPCs, and we’ve recently signed new deals to launch Sesame Street EPCs in a number of other major territories in 2024, with announcements coming soon.

Family Entertainment Centers are a powerful way to broaden a brand’s reach, and as our EPCs bring Sesame Street to life they invite fans to interact with our brand on a more regular and repeatable basis. Most importantly, EPCs will continue to provide us with a significant opportunity to grow our brand engagement and relevance, drive revenue to help fund our mission, and create direct impact with children, families, and fans.

About Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop is the global impact nonprofit behind Sesame Street and so much more. For over 50 years, we have worked at the intersection of education, media, and research, creating joyful experiences that enrich minds and expand hearts, all in service of empowering each generation to build a better world. Our beloved characters, iconic shows, outreach in communities, and more bring playful early learning to families in more than 150 countries and advance our mission to help children everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. Learn more at www.sesameworkshop.org and follow Sesame Workshop on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok.