The Backwards Planning Method: A Strategic Framework for Growing Your Park

Why Traditional Planning Fails Activity Centers

Most parks plan forward: "We have X budget, what can we afford?" This keeps you stuck. You're always limited by what you think is possible based on current resources.

Reactive planning looks like this:

"We can afford to keep things the same"
"Maybe we'll add one new thing if revenue allows"
"Let's see how the season goes before investing"

Proactive planning flips the script entirely.

The Backwards Planning Framework

At the end of each season, we look at our total revenue and project it forward. For example:

"We did €200,000 this year. What would it mean if we did €350,000 next year?"

Then we calculate everything backwards:

Step 1: Revenue Target

Set an ambitious but achievable target. Not "10% growth" – think bigger. What would transform your business?

Step 2: Tickets Needed

What does this mean in terms of tickets sold? Break it down:

Cable park tickets
Aqua park sessions
Birthday party packages
Add-ons and merchandise
Food and beverages

Step 3: Capacity Check

Do we even have the capacity to sell this many more tickets? Consider:

Peak hours vs. off-peak
Seasonal constraints
Physical space limitations

Step 4: Customer Acquisition

Where do those additional customers come from? How do we find them and make them aware of us and our (new) product offerings?

Marketing channels
Referral programs
Group bookings
Corporate events

Step 5: Infrastructure

What does this mean for our park's capacity?

Parking
Waiting areas
Equipment
Operational limits

Step 6: Staffing

What does this mean for staffing?

Training needs
Number of employees
Skill requirements
Management structure

A Worked Example

Starting point: €200,000 revenue last season

Target: €350,000 revenue next season (+75%)

Let's work backwards:

Tickets needed: If average ticket price is €25, we need 14,000 tickets (up from 8,000)

Capacity check: Current capacity is 100 guests per day × 100 days = 10,000 max. We need to either:

Extend operating days to 140
Increase daily capacity to 140
Or a combination

Customer acquisition: 6,000 additional ticket sales means:

If 20% come from marketing: €X marketing budget needed
If conversion rate is 2%: Need 300,000 website visitors
If group bookings average 8 tickets: Need 750 group bookings

Infrastructure: 140 daily guests means:

40% more parking
Larger waiting area
Additional equipment

Staffing: Higher capacity means:

2-3 additional staff during peak
More extensive training program
Potentially a dedicated manager

Testing Your Assumptions Against Reality

Now comes the hard part: challenge every number.

Is the marketing conversion rate realistic?
Can we actually extend operating days?
What's the weather risk?
Where's the competitive threat?

Build scenarios:

Best case: Everything goes right
Base case: Realistic expectations
Worst case: What if weather is terrible again?

When to Do This Planning

End of season is perfect. You have:

Fresh data from the year
Time before next season
Clarity on what worked and what didn't

The winter months are for strategic work:

Set priorities
Identify gaps
Prepare for success

Getting Help With Your Plan

This is where we want to be your best partner. We're not just a software company; we're park operators too. We're innovators who believe in sharing knowledge and building tools that help everyone succeed.

We're here, ready to work with you through the winter months to help you plan, strategize, and prepare for a stronger season ahead.

This framework has helped our own park at Charleston Aqua Park grow year over year. We share it because we believe when the industry succeeds, we all benefit.