Entertainment attractions provider Creative Works recently installed laser tag and new Lucky Putt attraction at Sun Valley Lanes in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Sun Valley Lanes, a traditional bowling centre founded in 1977, was looking to upgrade and modernize their facility to bring in attractions that appealed more to younger adults that make up the majority of their demographic.
As part of his education process of expanding beyond bowling, Sun Valley Lanes owner John Losito attended Creative Works’ Amusement 360 Event in June of 2019. Losito had originally met the Creative Works team at IAAPA in 2018, but at the 360 Event, he made a strong connection with them. “While there, I discovered the enthusiasm that Creative Works has, and I knew that in order for my project to be successful, it had to have the WOW that Creative Works has in its DNA,” said Losito.
After attending the 360 Event, Losito discovered that laser tag would be a great addition to his facility. When it came to selecting a laser tag provider to work with, Losito considered several options, ultimately opting to go with Creative Works. “I did my due diligence and researched several facility manufacturers. I visited all of their sites as well, and spoke to people in the industry and came to the conclusion that Creative Works was the best choice for me.”
The laser tag for Sun Valley Lanes became a tactical arena with a battle theme that featured military vehicles. Losito’s father and three uncles served in World War II and this acted as inspiration for the theme. “Combining this with the success of such games as ‘Call of Duty’ and the demographic that I was shooting for (young adults ages 20-35) for my project, I thought that this would be a good fit.”
About two-thirds of the way through the laser tag project, Losito was offered an opportunity that he could not pass up. “I wasn’t in the market originally for mini-golf, but…my neighbor came to me to sell his building and land.”
“Once this building became available in my project, I wanted to do mini-golf, so I called [Creative Works Creative Consultant] Nick [Salfity]…and said that I need a quote for a mini-golf project. He replied with ‘Hey John, we have this new concept that we think might work well for you.’”
That concept was Creative Works’ new Lucky Putt golf attraction. Debuted at IAAPA in 2019, Lucky Putt is a futuristic, tech-driven, social mini golf experience. Cutting edge technology, custom effects and automated scoring make Lucky Putt a super-sized experience that changes the mini golf game. Lucky Putt turned out to be exactly what Sun Valley Lanes was looking for to fill the new space that he had just acquired from his neighbor.
Once the attraction was completed, Sun Valley Lanes planned two separate soft openings to debut Lucky Putt. According to Losito, the first event was “a HUGE success, and the responses were overwhelmingly positive.” The second event, the unofficial debut to the public, went just as well.
“People are enjoying the ‘gamified’ version of mini-golf. It’s different, fun, and anyone can play. We actually refer to it as the ‘hyper bowling’ of mini-golf, and this helps solidify our reputation in the community of always being on the cutting edge.”
Sun Valley Lanes originally re-opened from the pandemic in June of 2020. Recently in mid-March, they opened up to 75% capacity. The success of the laser tag and Lucky Putt attractions, coupled with continuous increases in capacity allowance, have led to increased business at Sun Valley Lanes. “As odd as it sounds, despite the limited capacity restrictions and with part of the facility still under construction, this March looks to be the best month I have ever had,” said Losito.