Imagine this scenario. You recently opened a new laser tag attraction at your facility. Customers love the experience and you’re booked solid on your busy days. This is great! But how do you keep this enthusiasm and momentum going for multiple years? With a little bit of planning up front, you can keep your guests excited and avoid hitting the one year wall (this is when the “honeymoon” phase ends).

We like to call this strategy the “1/3/5 Plan.” Essentially, you should plan for a small update 1 year in, a slightly larger update 3 years in, and a fairly big overhaul/addition 5 years in. This will show your customers that you’re reinvesting in their laser tag experience, and it will also help you spread out the costs of the attraction over several years.

In this article, we’ll provide some examples to help you develop your own laser tag 1/3/5 Plan.

Ideas For Year 1

If you’re marketing and operating well, you should be close to hitting your ROI on the attraction. That being said, you’re probably not ready to reinvest a large amount of capital. But even small tweaks/additions to the attraction can make an impact on the one year wall:

• Install small accent props in the arena: These small props can immerse guests even further into the theme and they don’t take much time to install.
• Enhance the theming to the laser tag entrance: The entrance (which is usually off the lobby/arcade) sets the tone for the entire experience. Enhancing this entrance will create even more excitement for your guests.
• Offer greater variety in game modes for the laser tag equipment: Your laser tag equipment has a lot of capabilities for different game modes, power-ups, and memberships. Flex the power of this system during weeknights when your “regulars” come in and you focus more on adult/Millennial traffic.

Ideas for Year 3

Laser tag attractions offer amazing experiences to both birthday parties and Millennial/adult audiences. That being said, year 3 is the time to make a slightly larger investment so the attraction doesn’t become stale or “old news.”

• Upgrade the lighting system and program DMX scenes: DMX lights are fantastic for laser tag arenas because they can dynamically change the mood of your arena. Plus they integrate with your laser tag equipment and props, so the entire arena becomes interactive and responsive.
• Add a larger signature prop to the arena: These signature props are impact pieces that make players take notice. This could be a space ship smashing through the wall, a 16′ battle station prop in the middle of the arena, or any imaginable prop that fits your theme.

Ideas For Year 5

This is your chance to double down on your laser tag attraction and show your customers you’re invested in providing the best experiences possible. The year 5 addition is more substantial than previous years and might require closing the attraction for a few days.

• Enhance the murals and paint work throughout the attraction: Large, detailed murals bring the entire theme together, especially when you use the full height of your walls (which in many cases are 18′-22′ high). New murals allow you to re-imagine your theme in a way that really captures your guests’ imaginations.
• Change the props and layout: We design arenas to fit your space for the best player experience. When it’s time to switch out some of your props, it’s also best to adjust the arena design and layout to maximize the impact of the new props.

Why is this 1/3/5 Plan important? Think about your own experiences. Just about all of us have seen other local businesses that refuse to reinvest. Everything is great immediately following the opening/expansion, but things become stale after a while. The longer they wait to reinvest and improve, the more it seems like the owners don’t care. You don’t want your customers to think you don’t care.

If you want help developing your own 1/3/5 Plan, or you have other questions about laser tag, we’re here for you! Take the first step and download the presentation below.

The Customer Experience Matters: Learn how to maximize the laser tag experience and increase revenue