62 existing and aspiring operators joined Creative Works for an education on various topics within the family entertainment industry at LaserTAG360 in Indianapolis on June 10th-12th.
LaserTAG360 event is a 2.5-day event designed to help operators open immersive attractions at a new or existing family entertainment centres (FEC). The event originally focused on laser tag when it started back in 2011, but over the years, Creative Works has expanded the content to deliver a 360-degree education that applies to any attraction.
“Go! It’s got really good insight on every aspect of the entertainment industry and they continue to add new attractions to stay relevant,” said Autumn Helmuth, an attendee from the June event.
The core of the education included attraction selection, design, operations, and marketing. Industry experts gave presentations on specialized topics such as project financing, brand strategy, site selection & demographics, and group sales. Creative Works also moderated group panels to discuss topics such as attractions, safety and training, arcade, and more.
Creative Works’ VP of sales, Russ Van Natta, interviewed Jeremy Hoyum, the owner of Jake’s Unlimited, winner of IAAPA’s Top Family Entertainment Centre of the World. Hoyum talked to the audience about staff culture development, amusement product mix, and other valuable lessons he’s learned as an operator.
Attendees networked with other operators, partners, and vendors as they toured the Creative Works Theme Factory and two local family entertainment centres. They also got hands-on experience with Hologate virtual reality, Voxel mixed reality, Esports, and laser tag equipment from five different vendors.
“The information is so valuable and the networks you make are more valuable,” said Ron Covington, owner of Party HQ.
Creative Works has one more LaserTAG360 event this year on October 7th-9th, and expects this event to fill up quickly.