If you are weighing up whether to become a murder mystery licensee, you are probably asking the same question we ask on every application: will this person actually make the games work in their own market? We are not looking for enthusiasm alone. We are looking for a specific mix of traits that tells us a licensee will run the games well, protect the brand, and build something that lasts longer than one good weekend.
This post sets out exactly what we look for, so you can work out for yourself whether the fit is there before you apply.
What We Look for When You Apply to Become a Murder Mystery Licensee
Every application gets read against the same short list. We look for someone who is organised enough to run a recurring events calendar, comfortable talking to venues and businesses, willing to follow a proven system rather than rewrite it, and financially ready to invest in the license before the bookings start paying it back.
We also look for people who understand that this is a game the guests play, not a show they watch. A licensee who treats it as dinner theatre, hires actors, and tries to stage a performance will fight the format instead of running it. The people who do well are the ones who see themselves as hosts and organisers, not producers.
Reliability matters more than charisma
You do not need to be the loudest person in the room. You need to turn up, follow the booking process, brief your game masters properly, and deliver the same standard of night whether it is your first event or your fiftieth. Consistency is what turns a one-off booking into a repeat customer.
Do You Need Previous Event Experience?
No, but it helps. Licensees come from hospitality, sales, entertainment, and plenty of other backgrounds with no direct crossover at all. What matters more than a résumé is whether you can recruit and manage a small team of hosts, keep a schedule of private and public ticketed events moving, and handle the admin side without it slipping.
If you have run any kind of recurring event, a pub quiz night, a fundraiser, a regular class, you already have some of the muscle memory this needs.
What Kind of Venue and Audience Do You Need?
You do not need to own a venue. Most private bookings happen at the customer's own restaurant, function room, or event space, so your job is finding venues willing to host and businesses or individuals willing to book. A licensee who already has relationships with local restaurants, hotels, breweries, or corporate event planners has a head start, because those relationships are what fill the calendar in the first few months.
For public ticketed events, you will need a venue that can hold a decent-sized group and an audience willing to buy individual tickets rather than book the whole night. Both models run side by side once a territory is established.
How Much of the Ticket Price Do You Keep?
As the licensee, you keep the large majority of every ticket sold in your territory. In exchange, you get the games, the training, the brand, and the booking system, so you are not building any of that from nothing. The exact commercial terms are covered when you apply, and you can see current examples of private event pricing on the pricing and availability page to understand what customers are used to paying.
What Happens After You Apply?
Once you submit an application through the licensee application page, we review it against the criteria above. If it looks like a fit, we talk through your market, your venue connections, and what territory would make sense before anything is signed. There is no obligation at the application stage; it is a conversation to check the fit runs both ways.
Is This the Right Fit for You Right Now?
It is worth being honest with yourself before you apply. This works best for people who want to build a recurring local events business, not run a single splashy launch and move on. It works less well for anyone who wants to change the format, cut corners on training, or treat the games as a side hustle they never actually market.
If you are still working through the basics of how the games run, the customer experience, or what a licensee actually gets, the frequently asked questions page covers most of the practical detail before you get in touch.
Where to Go From Here
If everything above sounds like a description of you rather than a stretch, the next step is straightforward. Read through the licensee program page for the full detail on what you get and what is expected of you, then either apply directly or get in touch first if you have questions about your specific city or venue situation. We would rather answer those questions before you apply than after.