Big Cedar Lodge, a 4,600 acre resort located in the heart of the Ozark Mountains in Missouri, recently contracted Creative Works to install a themed laser tag arena.
The Bass Pro Shop-owned resort installed the customised arena inside its Fun Mountain, a new 50,000-square-foot family entertainment facility. Given the initial project outline early this year, Creative Works worked closely with Bass Pro Shop’s upper management to bring the project to fruition.
“Two of the ladies from the location down there came to visit us [in Mooresville] to see what we do and how we do it, and discussed what props made sense and what didn’t,” said Creative Works creative experience broker, Marsha Brentlinger. “We didn’t start off with the theme we wound up with, but that’s how it evolved.”
The arena transports players to Fort Big Cedar, a 2,500-square-foot log fortress buried deep within the Ozark Mountains. Up to 26 players can “enter” the log fortress to battle in the two storey structure lined with wood-painted panels. Players can also take the battle outside the fortress where they can navigate through lush forest and boulders. Additionally, large scale props of wildlife that can be spotted throughout the resort surround the arena.
“Because they are affiliated with Bass Pro Shop they wanted something that was oriented to the products that they sell,” said Brentlinger. “They gave us a lot of input as to what they wanted in the arena.”
“We had a bit of a challenge when doing a second level,” Brentlinger said. “The second level had to be strategically placed at the back of the building. It’s the only place we had enough ceiling height. I don’t think they had taken into account a two-level arena until they already designed and started on the building. That was a bit of a challenge, but that worked out and [we] made it work.”