The rise of competitive socialising – and the venue making it unmissable

With the rise of competitive socialising, the days of simply heading to the pub for a catch-up are, it seems, on the wane. Now, we’re craving experiences – ones we can play, share and remember. At least, that’s the thinking behind Super Social, Dublin’s newest and most ambitious entertainment venue, where technology meets team bonding and fun takes centre stage. We caught up with its co-founder Dan Begley to find out more.

Co-founder of gaming venues Super Social and Jump Zone, Dan Begley, believes that people are no longer accepting ‘passive entertainment.’

“Traditional bars, restaurants and clubs are fine, but they don’t offer an engaging activity,” Begley explains. “Competitive socialising venues like Super Social are part of a new era of entertainment, offering a memorable, immersive and active experience for all who visit, while fostering a sense of community. We believe this is exactly what experience-driven and social media-enthusiastic consumers are now seeking.”

Alongside Super Social, we’ve seen the opening of other competitive gaming venues like Pitch, Flight Club, and Sandbox VR. The way we socialise in Ireland is shifting, not just because of a want to inhabit experiences wholly, but because our culture is changing too. “More and more people are cutting down on drinking or cutting it out completely, focusing far more on their well-being,” he says. “Super Social is a reflection of the fact that drinking habits are changing in Ireland. According to the National Drug and Alcohol survey, the number of non-drinkers sub 24 years of age increased from 17% in 2006/07 to 28% in 2019/20. A study in 2024 by Drinks Industry Group of Ireland showed a 31% drop in the average alcohol consumption per adult since 2001. People are looking for venues to go to that reflect this trend, and we believe we have tapped into this.”

He notes that such movements are also visible in the way we work. “Organised interaction has become more important as a result of remote working, especially as post-work pints are in decline with so many people being out of the office,” he adds. “Competitive socialising venues like Super Social allow employees to get together and interact in person, as opposed to on a Teams call. Employers are looking for somewhere to bring staff to develop their culture.”

What is Super Social all about?

Spread across 15,000 square feet, Super Social is a heady mix of style, tech and variety. Sure, there’s a sleek restaurant and bar, but the real draw is the four immersive activity zones: Hi-Tech Mini Golf, NxGen Darts, Supercharged Shuffleboards, and the showstopping Super Social Arena. “I co-founded Super Social with my business partner Paul Quinn. In the majority of venues that we visited abroad, they were one-dimensional, offering Shuffleboard only or darts only,” Begley explains. “We offer variety and quality. What we offer is real-life activity that uses technology to make each experience engaging.”

Take the golf course, for example. It’s not just a putting green, as each of the 12 sport-themed holes includes bonus shot features and ball-tracking technology, meaning scores are automatically tallied. “No cheating allowed,” Begley muses. The darts are similarly souped-up, combining traditional boards with digital overlays to suit all skill levels, while the Arena – described as “The Cube on steroids” – mixes agility, memory, and interactive tech in an adrenaline-boosting workout.

So, who’s coming through the doors? Pretty much everyone. “When we first opened, there was both huge corporate interest and non-corporate interest, and this has continued,” Begley says. “However, we are now starting to receive a lot of bookings from sports groups, people booking birthday parties, stags, hens and also from older aged school groups, which is very encouraging. The corporates tend to come to us on Wednesdays and Thursdays, while parties and small groups of friends tend to visit on Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday afternoons.”

The school groups are an especially happy bonus. “We particularly like them as they generally come earlier in the day, at a time when we would normally be closed,” he says. “Depending on their size, they can get the place to themselves, and we get an additional revenue stream.”

Interestingly, no one game is dominating. “We have also been surprised by how the games have been received,” Begley muses. “We thought one would far outperform the others, but this has not been the case. People enjoy golf as much as they enjoy darts and Shuffleboard. And everybody loves the Super Social Arena, it is the pièce de résistance.”

People are also staying longer than expected. “They may initially have planned to only play golf, for example, but then decide to stay on and play darts. If something is booked out, they will either come down to the main bar and restaurant area and have something to eat or drink, thus greatly increasing their dwell time, or come back the following week. The number of repeat visits has been particularly encouraging.”

The benefits of ‘play’ for adults

The most powerful thing about Super Social, however, might not be the technology or even the games; it’s how the space enables people to truly unwind. “From a more spiritual perspective, the greatest achievement of Super Social has been its ability to provide people with a venue where they can relax and be themselves,” Begley says. “We often observe large corporate groups arriving, and there is minimal chat. You can see that they aren’t relaxed. Then a half an hour later, the situation is totally different. People are more themselves as they play the games. They are being far more honest in how they act.”

That shift can be transformative. “Several have commented how they had previously often avoided work days/nights out as they only involved drinking, and they either did not drink at all or felt they had to drink a lot to be at ease,” Begley adds. “It shouldn’t be like this. Venues like Super Social provide the platform for people to come and wind down, relax and enjoy themselves through play. We offer a broad menu of non-alcoholic drinks, including our very popular mocktails, so everyone is catered for.”