My Startup World speaks with Marwan Shazali, Founder and CEO of TEPfactor about the new attraction in Dubai called TEPfactor Dubai
What does TEPfactor stand for and what inspired you to open your cave in Dubai?
The word TEPfactor to us represents the experience or feeling teams get. How far you push your own limits and collaborate with your team, is what gives rise to your “TEPfactor”. We know how the weather for the better part of the year, can make it difficult to get out and be active here. That’s one of the motivations behind us bringing this exciting experience to Dubai.
TEPfactor is an experience that serves as a reminder of the exciting adventurous TV shows we all watched growing up, while providing the convenience of being indoors. Dubai is a city with something for everyone, and TEPfactor Dubai is an experience for everyone. What better hub than The Walk – JBR to get active and do something different?
UAE has become a land of man-made landmarks with several theme parks, extreme sports and indoor attractions, how would you position TEPfactor Dubai?
TEPfactor Dubai is a unique activity- it does not fall under the category of a theme park, an extreme sport or an escape room. We are an all-encompassing adventure experience unlike other indoor attractions. Teams go up against 21 challenges that test their patience, fitness, logic and skill. Players are not limited by the number of attempts, nor the order of the challenges, and are free to choose their pace. Want to beat the record time? Want to challenge yourself and have a great laugh you’re your mates? Go for it. No matter what, the cave is just the place for teams to lose themselves in their own determination as well as the challenges that lie ahead.
What is so unique about TEPfactor and who is your prime target audience?
The 21 challenges at TEPfactor fall under four different categories, each including five challenges. The final goal is to unlock the found ULTIMATE challenges in each category and with the clues compiled from these, reach the 21st CHEST. It all comes down to how well teams work together, and their level of grit and determination. Players can try the challenges at different levels – bronze, silver or gold – and can even retry challenges multiple times, setting the experience apart from Escape Rooms. This allows TEPfactor Dubai to be an ideal activity for all ages and occasions; from friends looking for something new to try out, to corporates looking for a unique team building opportunity, it is an experience flexible for everyone.
Since you launched it in May, how has been the response in past couple of months?
The response has been simply amazing. We never expected to have built such a strong relationship with our customers in this short amount of time. Many challengers come back to complete the experience, and further push themselves to take on harder levels, and improve their TEPfactor. The sheer resilience we’ve seen highlights the spirit of Dubai that is in all of us. The summer has been quite the roller coaster and it’s amazing how the city and its residents have welcomed us. We’ve held competitions all around JBR, complimentary Cave Yoga for our community, and in the process given rise to spectacular memories for all those involved.
Why do you think people should visit you and experience your facilities?
TEPfactor Dubai brings a new experience to the region, one that encourages players to push themselves to new limits. By trying out the challenges awaiting in the cave, and bringing themselves face to face with entirely unique situations, people are given the chance to discover new sides of themselves and their team mates. We know we are on the right track when we have challengers come out of the experience claiming, “I didn’t think I had that in me”. This is also why TEPfactor Dubai is a great experience for corporate clients, as it encourages teambuilding, all while targeting core communication and leadership skills.
