26 IBI November 2012

ne thing for sure about the family entertainment andout-of-home entertainment industries is that changeis a constant; it really should be part of the business

plan. Our friends from the bowling world who haveexpanded their centers into Bowling Entertainment Centershave learned that they have to change and experiment tostay relevant to the BEC audience.

We launched the first edition of Beyond Bowling, thissection of Bowling Industry Magazine, back in March. Thename reflects our intention to bring focus to the variousdisciplines that comprise BECs. Beyond Bowling coversgames, redemption, laser tag, food and beverage, and allthe other possibilities. With each quarterly edition, we hopeto bring you relevant and up-to-the-minute information byprofiling leading BEC centers, letting you hear straightfrom the owners and managers, and by adding a little bitof “how to” and “how not to.” We’ve also created a BeyondBowling group at Bowling Industry Online. You can jointhe group at bowlingindustry.com/groups/BeyondBowling.

In this our third edition, we feature the sport of laser tag.In the BEC, laser tag has proven itself a worthy andcomplementary attraction. It stands on its own in paidadmissions while helping to drive party and group sales overa wide age group. We also provide a preview of games andattractions that will be featured at IAAPA 2012, being heldin Orlando November 12-16. This is the entertainmentindustry trade show of the year, with over 1,000 exhibitorsand nine miles of aisles. If you’re in the family entertainmentbusiness or contemplating a modernization to a BEC, thisshow should be on your radar. This will be my 25thconsecutive IAAPA. Stop by our Pinnacle/Redemption Plusbooth 1021 and say hello!

According To George Chris’ Corner

INTRO

Oo you remember back in your youth when yourimagination was the only limit to what kind of funreality you wanted to experience? Whether it was

a hundred foot tall roller coaster or fighting a fire breathingdragon, anything was possible.

Over my time here at IBI, I have heard of this event calledIAAPA that takes place every year in Orlando that just mightbe the closest thing to the imaginary wonderland of ourchildhood. As the bowling world continues to evolve, thistrade show that caters to the broader amusement and familyentertainment industry is becoming more important tobowling proprietors. While Bowl Expo will remain themarquee event of the bowling world, learning more aboutwhat IAAPA has to offer can only help you more in everyaspect of your business, including bowling. In this edition ofBeyond Bowling, we wanted to give just a taste of what toexpect from this show. We hope it will inspire you to digdeeper into what is possible. When going down that road,I encourage you to bring the imagination of your youth. Younever know what you will discover.

D

Chris HolmesDirector of Advertising,International BowlingIndustry

George McAuliffePresident, PinnacleEntertainment Advisors

28 IBI November 2012

nyone who has thrilled to Han Solo dispatchingImperial stormtroopers with his blaster in “StarWars” will understand the appeal of laser tag. With

more than 800 laser tag arenas in the U.S., it’s one of the mostpopular recreational attractions around. There are morethan 420 laser tag attractions in bowling and familyentertainment centers, and it is the #2 attraction in ourindustry in terms of revenue and return on investment. So,if you are considering expanding your center, laser tag maybe your best choice for bringing in new customers andboosting your revenues.

When Max Bowl in Port Arthur, Texas, planned to renovateits 40-lane FEC, the owners considered a variety of newattractions including indoor golf and car rides before settlingon a 4,000 square foot, two-story Lasertron system. “Aftertalking to other people in the business, they said that out ofall the things you could do, laser tag is your best bet and themost profitable,” says general manager Doug Davidson.The picture is bright so far, with weekend revenue for laser

A Blast for Building Business

FOCUS By Robert Sax

Adding a laser tag feature to a bowling center is a large undertaking thathas proven to be very profitable for many centers.

A tag running as high as $3,000 after just 60 days in operation.Since the first “Photon” game center opened in 1984,

people around the world have enjoyed this exciting high-techgame where hand-held infra-red-emitting “phasers” areused to “tag” the sensor vests of other players. A computerkeeps track of hits and generates a score card for eachplayer or team at the end of the match.

Laser tag is popular with male and female players in all agegroups. The two biggest demographics are children aged7–13, especially for birthday parties; and young adults aged16–25, who spend the most on the game. These groups areprobably a big part of your customer base already, and thegame is also popular with corporate and adult social groups.

PLANNING FOR SUCCESSThere is an outdoor version of the game, but “arena” or

indoor laser tag is the one for BECs and FECs. Within thearena format there are three levels: attraction, standard andpro. Attraction-level systems are the least expensive to build

and operate, but the entry-levelgame experience they offer maynot generate enough repeat playto really boost sales. Standardlevel systems offer more featuresand a level of game play thatshould appeal to all but the mosthard-core laser tag players. ABEC will be better-served by astandard-level system that cangrow with the customers’ needs.

Regardless of which levelchosen, a laser tag attractionusually consists of three areas:the arena, the briefing room andthe vesting room. The arena isthe enclosed space in which thegame takes place, and it is the

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largest of the three areas. The briefing roomis the place where staff explain the gamesand rules to the players. The vesting roomis where players suit up with their vests andweapons.

Arena designs vary, but the basic layoutis a single room with a maze of obstacles,doorways and windows through whichplayers stalk and fire at each other. Moresophisticated arenas add ramps andmultiple floors plus “themed” elementsthat transform the area into a rich fantasyenvironment such as a medieval castle, ajungle or a spaceship.

The average laser tag arena at a BEC orFEC is between 2,000-3,000 square feetand the average startup cost is $80,000 to $120,000. Theamount of space needed for the attraction will depend onhow many players are to be accommodated.

An average size laser tag arena in a BEC or FECaccommodates 24 players. According to Lathan Gareiss,founder of Budget Arenas, that’s a number that willaccommodate two average size birthday parties at onetime, which is important to maximize the best source oflaser tag revenue.

Prime Time Family Entertainment Center of Abilene,Texas, opened in 2007 with bowling, laser tag and otherattractions in a new facility. The original one-story LazerRunner arena cost approximately $150,000. Several years laterthey renovated the arena to add a second story at a cost of$75,000. It was money well spent says general managerScottie Squyres. “A two-story arena is ten times better forplayers, and our laser tag revenue went up 100% after weadded it.”

As with building or renovating a bowling center, settingup a laser tag attraction is a sophisticated project with manyvariables. There are many equipment vendors, systems,contractors and other elements to choose from, which canbe intimidating for a first-timer.

“There really is no such thing as a full turnkey operation,”says Ryan McQuillen, executive director of the InternationalLaser Tag Association, the laser tag industry association. “Iconsider [a laser tag attraction] three different pieces.There is the laser tag system, the arena and the themingcompany that creates the environment,” McQuillen addsBEC owners should enlist experienced help in order to getthe project done with a minimum of headaches. Oneoption is to hire a consultant who specializes in laser tag.Be aware, however, that a consultant may work with onlyone laser tag system vendor.

A general contractor, who has built laser tag attractionsand who can refer a buyer to several system vendors and

other providers that are needed to complete theproject, is also a choice.

Another option is to join the ILTA as adeveloper member. They will help a buyernavigate the many choices of systems andcontractors, and will offer valuable guides andchecklists to help budget and plan the project.For additional fees, they will consult on-site.

On average it will take two to four weeks todesign and plan an arena and six to eight weeksto build it out. If a fancy theme is chosen, it willtake three to five days for painting and installationof props. It will take an additional two to threedays to set up and test the game system and getready for players.

Budgeting time and money for the trainingof staff about the laser tag system is of utmostimportance. It is best to retain a trainerexperienced in laser tag. Figure on a few days

32 IBI November 2012

for basic training on the game and the game systemplus one to two weeks for center staff to get up tospeed running the attraction.

INTEGRATING LASER TAG INTO YOURCENTER

McQuillen notes that too many operators treat lasertag like bowling or an arcade, expecting it to run withminimal supervision. But laser tag involves multipleplayers with varying skill levels, often playing at thesame time. Experienced players will have highexpectations of game play, while newbies will beunhappy if their game ends too soon due to their lackof skills. It’s important to meet the needs of all playersso that everyone has fun.

It’s best to have a separate desk to service laser tagplayers because checking them in takes time and hasmany details. If a separate desk can not be provided,be sure to have several staff members dedicated to thelaser tag attraction. It takes more time and staffinvolvement to ensure that all the laser tag customershave a good experience, but it is crucial to generate therepeat play that is so important to its success.

Marketing a laser tag attraction takes fore thoughtand planning. Start building anticipation through word-of-mouth among the existing center customers as soonas construction starts on the arena. Outdoor and in-house signage and flyers as well as posts on yourwebsite and social media platforms. Be sure that thespecial event planners know about the new offering, anddevelop some special party packages that incorporatelaser tag.

Don’t overlook the value of a public relationscampaign to generate media coverage of anew laser tag attraction. The game is excitingand offers lots of the great visuals that mediaoutlets love. Try inviting local TV newsanchors to play a game, or team up with acharity for a celebrity-fueled fundraisingevent. Keep local bloggers and websitesthat cover family activities in mind as well.

Crazy Pinz of Fort Wayne, Indiana,combined several marketing tactics for thesuccessful launch of its $250,000, Delta Strike-powered, pirate-themed “Piratez Cove” laserattraction earlier this year. First they held anupscale VIP party to woo local companies forcorporate events. They also offered free lasertag on opening day, drawing 1,000 people injust twelve hours. Social media initiativesincluded email blasts and promotion of lasertag on their existing Facebook page, whichhas a strong base of 9,000 friends. The

34 IBI November 2012

owners considering a laser tag attraction pay close attention to their marketwhen developing a budget and projecting revenues. “It’s easy to getcarried away,” he says about all the systems and options that are available.“Stick to your budget and remember that it’s easy to upgrade later.”

Being strategic with the theming budget is essential. Gareiss recommendsusing those dollars to make the entrance, vesting and briefing areas enticingand to get players excited about the game. Many laser tag attractionsfeature expensive paintings and props in the arena, where players oftendon’t notice them due to the black light, fog, loud sound effects and thedemands of the game. “I played an arena that had a $10,000 mural on the

marketing campaign has sparked strong initialbusiness. “Dollars per square foot is alreadyproducing about what we averaged on thebowling lanes for the year, and we’re not intoour busy season,” says Dave Kerschner, apartner in Crazy Pinz. “I anticipate our revenueper square foot to be double what we createdwith bowling.”

TAKE AIM AT THE BOTTOM LINEHan Solo didn’t have to worry about return

on investment, but it’s important in our universe.The good news is that over the last few yearslaser tag operators have enjoyed annual salesgrowth of 8%, according to the ILTA.

In summer 2012, Spare Time FamilyEntertainment Center in Lansing, Michigan,added a Laserforce arena as part of the majorrenovation of its 40-year-old, 40-lane center.The 2600 square foot arena has two levels, isequipped for 20 players and costapproximately $200,000. Operations managerBill Assande expects it to pay for itself in a yearand estimates that laser tag has already added3-4% to the center’s revenues.

Assande recommends that BEC and FEC

Hats off to ECM’sfirst graduatingmanagement class!

The BPAA announced thefirst graduating class from theSchool of Entertainment CenterManagement (ECM). Twenty-nine students representing 11states and Canada attendedthe curriculum-rich, 6-dayprogram packed with 30-plushours of classroom and hands-on instruction, individual andgroup projects. Studentsworked on real-life problems,learning real-life ideas and solutions they will be able to take back andimplement in their centers.

“The School for Entertainment Center Management is the onlycertification program of its kind in the bowling industry,” said SteveJohnson, BPAA executive director. “Students attending the course receive

valuable one-on-one time with some of the best bowling and entertainmentcenter, business people the industry has to offer. If anyone aspires to furthertheir career in a bowling-anchored entertainment center, this school shouldbe the destination of choice on their career path.”

Students covered all the complexities in operating centers that also offera unique combination of attractions, food & beverage service and eventhosting, and visited multiple sites where they were able to question themanagers, operators and owners.

The professional faculty included executives from Namco,TrainerTainment, Brunswick Bowling, Trifecta Management Group,Cornerstone Consulting and Stars & Strikes among others.

36 IBI November 2012

wall,” says Gareiss, “and I didn’t noticeit the first five times I played.”

In general, center owners who haveadded laser tag have been very happywith the results. “Any time you canbring more bodies into your center isgood,” says Prime Time’s Squyres.“Even if they don’t bowl, [laser tagplayers] are going to buy food anddrink and play in the arcade.” Lasertag represents about 16% of PrimeTime’s business, and some months itoutpaces bowling.

The Clubhouse, an FEC in Statesboro,Georgia that opened in October 2010,included laser tag from the beginning.The Zone Laser Tag-equipped arena hasbeen so successful that it paid for itselfin less than a year. “Laser tag is by far thenumber one revenue generator in ourarcade,” says owner Tony Ross. “I wouldtell [other owners] to do it. It’s a greatattraction to have as part of yourattraction mix.”

Laser tag’s high compatibility with yourexisting customer base can also pull incustomers who don’t bowl. Jay Patel ofFrames N’ Games in Pooler, Georgiaoperates a Laser Blast system and hasseen nice ancillary sales in other parts ofhis facility that. “Grandparents will bringtheir grandkids in to play laser tag andend up eating lunch at our restaurantwhile the kids are busy,” said Patel.

If you want to add another profitcenter to your business, you shouldgive serious consideration to laser tag.It’s hard to beat laser tag’s combinationof exciting game play, high publicawareness and potential to generaterepeat business. It may be morecomplicated to set up than an arcadeor boutique lanes, but the strongrevenue potential makes it worth, well,taking a shot.

May the force be with you. ❖

Robert Sax is a writer and PRconsultant in Los Angeles. He grewup in Toronto, Canada, the home offive-pin bowling.

their track record for great games,makes me want to stop by. BalloonBuster is a merchandiser where theplayer must pop a balloon with a dartto win his chosen prize. Payout for theprize arms can be set globally, orindividually for a mix of prize values.

Speed of Light, an interactive musicgame (think Dance, Dance with hands) debuted last yearand was a Best in Show winner from several industryobservers. Since then LAI has refined the piece withpositive changes in appearance and game play. Itrecently placed #1 novelty game in the latest RePlayPlayers’ Choice Poll, receiving a 9 out of 10 score fromoperators, which corresponds to a rating of “Excellent.”LAI reports that Speed of Light is developing a largeplayer following, as evidenced by the number of player-posted videos popping up on YouTube.

In addition LAI tells us they will show Mega StackerLite, the all tickets version of Mega Stacker, whichfeatures a progressive ticket jackpot. Both it and MegaStacker, are an affordably priced “extreme” version ofthe classic Stacker. We’ve had success with themerchandiser version, in our higher volume clientlocations in particular, and I want to put the ticketversion through the paces. I’m also planning to see, feel,and touch LAI’s three new children’s redemption games:Pirate Battle, Princess Castle, and Choo Choo Train. Likeothers LAI has produced over the years, the cabinets area work of art, and I like the ball toss format. Children’sgames are usually not the highest ranking games inthe arcade, but it’s important to recognize that they arelargely incremental sales–sales we wouldn’t have if wedidn’t have something for the younger kids.

All American Chicken, Booth 3681I’m fascinated by the possibilities this 21st century

version of a classic concept has for bowling centers. The

38

his will be my 25th IAAPA. I can’t tell you where the firstone was- it moved around quite a bit in those years- butI was there, at the “park show” as we arcade operators

called it, to scour for attractions to combine into our new largeformat family entertainment center.

For Bowling Entertainment Center (BEC) operators who arebowling proprietors first, with a developing FEC expertise, IAAPAcan provide much more than a place to see rides and attractions.It offers a tremendous amount of information on business ingeneral and on the attractions business in particular. An extensiveseminar program provides targeted educational opportunities.Beyond formal seminars there are roundtables, field trips,networking, and social events where some of the best work getsdone. Check the daily schedules.

Most of your time and focus will be on the trade show floor.In the early days show management didn’t group exhibitors bytype of attraction or product. Today’s show floor is much easierto navigate. BEC operators will want to spend considerabletime in “The Coin Op Pavillion,” located in the lower left handquadrant if you look at the Expo floor plan, available at:http://www.iaapa.org/expos/attractions/2012/exhibitor/BookBooth.asp. All of the game manufacturers and distributors are in this area,as are related attraction providers for FEC’s. I’ll be in the RedemptionPlus booth #1021 throughout the show. Please stop by, say hello,and we’ll take you through some of our innovative redemption, craneand merchandiser products.

We have called all of our friends who are exhibiting and have puttogether the following quick preview, exclusively for Beyond Bowlingreaders, of what “must see” new product will be on display.

Product Preview

LAI Games, Booth 1031LAI Games’ will be in the house with several proven products

to show. Their newest might be Balloon Buster. Although itdebuted last year at IAAPA, this is the new and improvedproduction model that is reportedly earning well on tests right now.LAI believes it will be a very successful piece for them which, given

Insider’s Guide to IAAPA 2012

IAAPA PREVIEW By George McAuliffe

T

IBI November 2012

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machine incorporates sports, cute characters, motion/animation,sound and lights to create a true attraction. The egg format allowsfor vending a wide variety of prizes, the machine can vend atvarious price points, and it is a low cost piece. We will beexperimenting in the coming months to best locate: either on theconcourse or in the arcade “kiddie corner.”

Baytek Games, Booth 1024Baytek will be leading with their hit attraction game,

Connect Four which has extremely solid, Top 5 numbers inthe locations we work with. It’s big, interactive, eye catching-and fun! We expect to see the usual solid lineup fromBaytek, makers of Big Bass Wheel, Crank It, Road Tripmerchandiser, and many others. Look for a surprise as well!

Benchmark Games,Booth 515

The Benchmark booth will featureseveral new products which Benchmark’sRich Long, while not prepared toannounce as we went to press, tells usare “guaranteed to raise a smile.” Longdid tell us that they will feature MonsterDrop in Extreme and Standard versions,their Super Hoops Basketball, and a“new style” Tickets to Prizes automatedredemption center.

Betson/Raw Thrills,Booth 2015

It appears that RawThrills has broken newground once againwith the introductionof Sno Cross, whichwill be seen for thefirst time at the show.Sno Cross is reported

to offer “next generation true HDgraphics” on a 42” monitor. Players,utilizing QR codes, will be able to sharehigh scores on Facebook and Twitter.The game play features six racers andseven tracks based on the x gamesvenues throughout the world. This willbe an attention getter.

Brady DistributingCompany, Booth 404

Brady Distributing Company will bepresent as always. This year’s Bradybooth will have their SalesRepresentatives and FEC NRG AdvisoryTeam to assist attendees with theiramusement equipment needs. Theyalso provide professional guidance andlayout assistance for development ofnew FECs and BECs, conversions ofexisting facilities, and upgrading ofunderperforming facilities. On the gameside, Brady will feature two of the latestand hottest HD Video Games.

42 IBI November 2012

Coastal, Booth 1324Coastal is aggressively developing product and will be

showing three new titles: The Simpsons Soccer, Super SeaWolf and Temple Run. The Simpsons Soccer combinesone of the most widely known characters worldwide withthe world's most popular sport. Super Sea Wolf is thelatest version of what has been a solid, steady earner. Itfeatures a 55" LCD with other updates like attacking planesand machine guns. Temple Run is Coastal’s move intoapplying a licensed smart phone application (Temple Runhas had 100 million downloads) and can be run as eitherredemption or straight video–we will be testing todetermine the best use.

Ice, Booth 1408ICE is no stranger to good licenses and is out front on the

trend to arcade versions of game apps. Their booth will leadwith Doodle Jump Arcade, based on the app which has soldtens of millions of copies worldwide. Joe Coppola told me“Raw Thrills did an incredible job in identifying the elegantgame play of Doodle Jump. It’s got a sleek cabinet andunique leader board element to this game to make it thatmuch more competitive among the players, addingexcitement to locations that don’t have redemption but wishto add Doodle Jump to their game offerings. ICE will alsobe showing Milk Jug Toss which is a redemption twist on thetimeless hit carnival game. Cut the Rope, the company’slatest merchandiser, will round out the offerings. Cut theRope is a merchandiser that is a true skill game, whichgives it a unique place in the market.

Sega, Booth 815Sega, coming off of last year’s

IAAPA success with Keymaster,arguably the hit of the show, promisesan aggressive lineup of new releasesthis year. Keymaster will still be animportant piece in the booth; Sega isnow offering the piece in six differentcolors. This is great for route operatorswho can rotate colors between

locations but also for arcades which can use multiple colorsto distinguish prize mixes or just find a color complimentaryto their décor.

Sega recently began shipping two new “videmption”pieces, Bejeweled and Super Monkey Ball.

“Videmption” is the term for the growing trend todevelop redemption games with a video screen component.It is not simply adding ticket dispensers to redemption

games–that’s been tried before without much success.Rather, “videmption” games are designed as redemptionskill games, but utilize touchscreen, HD and other videofeatures as part of the play.

Bejeweled plays much like the app game from which itwas inspired. It has a few features not present on the appgame to enhance its suitability for redemption. It is abeautiful attraction in terms of cabinet design, shaped likea giant translucent gem that changes colors. It’s a fourplayer game.

Sega will also be showing Super Monkey Ball TicketBlitz. Whether it’s the challenging, multi faceted gameplay or attractive cabinet design–or most likely, both–weare seeing nice numbers on this piece.

Redemption Plus, Booth 1021Redemption Plus has a lot of new

things in store this year that you won’twant to miss. We've expanded our boothsize, allowing us to feature twice as manyitems as in previous years. We’ll beshowing a wide selection of ourredemption merchandise, the latest andgreatest from our line of HIP Crane &Merchandiser Kits, as well as our

amusement park line of Emerald Toy plush. Our PinnacleEntertainment Advisors team, Jim Kipper and I, will bethere and available to discuss how we can help you improveyour FEC profitability. This year we are introducing a littlemore fun to the booth through our Spin to Win gamewhere you can win some great prizes like free product, apercentage off your next order, or a free redemptionprofitability check from Pinnacle, among other things. Justlook for the big purple Redemption Plus sign hanging fromthe ceiling, and you won’t be able to miss us!

Intercard, Booth 1015Debit card systems are integral to

the success of today’s modern day FEC.Intercard will be featuring their iEventonline scheduling system, an onlinesolution to booking facility resourcesfor parties, group sales, and specialevents. The program is controlled onlinewith the system architecture provided byIntercard's available Cloud technology.

Based on security permissions, all users (admin to customer)will use the same software to book reservations, blockdates, administer payments, and set up routing sheetsand itineraries to manage the facility resources daily.

44 IBI November 2012

Intercard will also be showcasing a new style ofautomated payments kiosk called The iScan. This sleek,more compact kiosk will join its big brother The iTeller inoffering Intercard clients highly versatile and reliablepayment stations. Both utilize an optional marketingscanner that allows guests to bring in a single use QRcode email blast for redemption at the terminal. Also newis the "Points for Play" e-Ticket payment option (PatentPending). When activated, customers can use the points(or e-Tickets) they were awarded for playing redemptiongames as tender on arcade readers and elsewherethroughout the facility. Items at your Redemption Counterare no longer the only way to provide incentive to keeppeople playing.

Embed, Booth 1034Embed is showing several product enhancements at

IAAPA including the company’s new Facebook plug-infor the Embed Self-Service Debit Card Kiosk. This socialmedia interface will allow guests to quickly register orupdate their play card account by using their profileinformation from their Facebook page, making it easier

than ever for location operators to capture importantmarketing data. They will also show their existing systemswhich together provide a total operating solution for anyentertainment facility.

So there’s a preview for you that will hopefully help withadvanced planning and save you some steps. Again, pleasecome by our booth 1021 and say hello. We will be continuingto improve Beyond Bowling in the coming year and wouldlove to hear your thoughts on what you find useful. ❖

George McAuliffe is a 30 year family entertainmentcenter operator and president of Pinnacle EntertainmentAdvisors by Redemption Plus. Pinnacle is an industryconsulting firm www.grouppinnacle.com. George hasoperated entertainment centers from 2,000 to 150,000square feet including redemption and merchandise gamessince 1983 and has assisted numerous BowlingEntertainment Center owners develop their FEC side. Heis a regular speaker at industry conventions worldwideand writes for RePlay and International Bowling IndustryMagazine. He can be reached at 913-563-4370 or email atgmcauliffe@redemptionplus.com.