Measure a complete cycle
To estimate capacity, measure how long a station remains occupied by one participant and how long it takes to become ready for the next. The cycle includes the session and the changeover. Instructions, fitting equipment, showing a result or cleaning may belong in either part; count each task once and keep the definitions consistent.
For identical independent stations serving one participant per cycle, the simple hourly rate is: stations × 3,600 ÷ (session seconds + reset seconds). It estimates attempts available under continuous use. It does not predict how many unique visitors will arrive or how many will complete successfully.
Worked example: two game stations
Assume a hypothetical activity has a 90-second session and a 30-second changeover. One complete cycle is 120 seconds. One station can complete 30 cycles in an uninterrupted hour; two independent stations can complete 60. These numbers are assumptions for comparing layouts and must be replaced by trial measurements.
| Scenario | Inputs | Capacity under stated assumptions |
|---|---|---|
| Base arrangement | 2 stations, 90 + 30 seconds, 60 productive minutes each | 60 attempts per hour |
| Longer session | 2 stations, 150 + 30 seconds, 60 productive minutes each | 40 attempts per hour |
| Additional independent station | 3 stations, 90 + 30 seconds, 60 productive minutes each | 90 attempts per hour |
| Downtime at both stations | 2 stations, 90 + 30 seconds, 50 productive minutes each | 50 attempts during that clock hour |
In the downtime case, each station loses ten minutes and has time for 25 complete cycles. Do not apply the same loss again as an additional percentage. For a finite event window, round completed cycles down at each station when a partial final cycle does not fit.
Check whether stations really operate independently
If one host must complete a task for every guest, that task can limit the whole zone. For example, adding a third screen may not improve the rate when the same person must run a lengthy individual introduction before every start. Draw the sequence and identify which work can happen at the same time.
MIT's operations-management material distinguishes capacity, demand and bottlenecks in a process. Its capacity lecture provides the underlying framework. For an activation, check joining, play and exit separately before assuming that more hardware increases the whole system's capacity.
Use attempts and people as different measures
If a visitor takes three turns, the station has delivered three attempts to one person. A capacity calculation counts those turns. It cannot deduplicate people by itself. Group activities also need a different unit: define whether each session serves one group and how many people actually participate in it.
Report completed attempts, abandoned attempts and any measured unique-participant figure separately. Avoid multiplying theoretical station capacity by opening hours and presenting the result as expected leads. A conversation or contact submission is another action that needs its own definition and evidence.
Plan for peaks as well as daily totals
Guests often arrive after a presentation or during a break. Even when the day's total demand is below the day's capacity, a sudden group can create a queue. Ask the organiser about likely arrival waves and decide how the host communicates waiting, repeat attempts and temporary pauses.
Run several trial cycles with first-time participants. Record each complete cycle, where help was needed and what caused delays. Compare a typical case with slower cases instead of using only the fastest demonstration. If changing the experience to increase capacity, check that the shorter version still meets the brand objective.
Inputs to take into planning
Number of simultaneous independent stations or group sessions.
Measured occupied-session time and changeover time.
Shared host tasks and practical staffing arrangement.
Opening hours, planned interruptions and observed downtime.
Replay policy, arrival peaks and the chosen reporting unit.
Use the calculation to compare options, then ask the installation team to validate the guest cycle. The most useful outcome is a capacity plan with visible assumptions and a practical queue arrangement.