We’re excited to see new and familiar faces in just two weeks at the RSA/Lasertag show in Reno! Inquire about how we can help with your event management and online booking needs, or just stop by to say – Hi!
Before the show, click the image to visit our redesigned website for more info. See ya in Reno!
What is the best day for party bookings online?…. According to our Google Analytics that day is usually Monday!
How many people use tablets (iPads) to book events online?… We are seeing about 11-15% of the site visitors coming in on tablet devices of which Apple’s iPad is the dominant player. We have seen this stat increase rapidly over the last 6-9 months.
The value of your website and online booking site is dependent upon how people engage with your content on the site and each page specifically. By using Google Analytics, you’ll be able to better evaluate which pages on your site are the most important, and then where to place your focus.
Party Center Software customers are realizing the benefits of online booking each day – specifically, in the mobile device world! We live in a culture that needs information quickly – and in the palm of your hand instantly. How people are booking parties and events for their children, for their organizations is no different! Understanding your customer’s bounce rates (their average time on the site, and individual pages), and the time of day they’re booking parties will increase your awareness of exactly how each customer is engaging with your online booking site.
Google’s own Avinash Kaushik, one of their top analytics experts, has blogged about measuring the effectiveness of your web pages and writes: “My own personal observation is that it is really hard to get a bounce rate under 20%, anything over 35% is cause for concern, 50% (above) is worrying. I stress that this is my personal analysis based on my experience, but hopefully it gives you a feel for what you are shooting for.”
The indoor and outdoor recreation facility opened on Friday, including a snack bar, lazer tag, an arcade, mini golf and more.
Merrimack Valley Pavilion officially opened on Friday, located at 2087 Main St., Tewksbury. It features a snack bar, Lazer Tag, an arcade, birthday party rooms and a mini-golf course.
MVP is owned by Gary Brown, Bill D’Orlando and Steve Russo. Loretta Ryan has been hired as general manager to lead a staff of 35 full and part-time employees.
“This is a business that will give our kids, and Wilmington’s too, and families in town a fun, safe place to be and something that will draw others from surrounding towns,” said Ryan.
Tewksbury Patch Local Editor Bill Gilman was on hand Tuesday for the “soft opening” and captured the images above.
PartyCenterSoftware.com is sponsoring (and attending) the LaserTag 360 event happening right now, August 7th and 8th in Indianapolis. Another a
mazing event put on by Creative Works (The Wow Effect) to help new and existing lasertag operators. Right now Jeff Schilling is walking through over 40 people on how to analyze a lasertag or family entertainment facility and its feasibility.
If you ever wanted to know all the details about operations and development of a lasertag anchored or attraction based facility this is the event you need to attend.
For a list of the upcoming LaserTag 360 event click go to their website at www.LaserTag360.com.
Thanks Jeff and CW gang for putting on another ROCKIN event!
International Laser Tag Associations Executive Director Resigns
http://www.lasertag.org/execdirector.html
Indianapolis, IN – March 1, 2011 – The International Laser Tag Association (ILTA) today announces the resignation of Executive Director Shane Zimmerman. Mr. Zimmerman served the ILTA as Executive Director for the past 8 years, Assistant Director for 5 years, and Product Fullfilment Manager for 2 years, totalling 15 years at the ILTA.
The Board of Directors appreciates all of Shane’s services and wish him success in his future endeavors. The Board responded to Mr. Zimmerman’s resignation by beginning the steps to identify a new Executive Director in the near future.
The Board appointed Eric Gaizat as Interim Director while the ILTA searches for a replacement. Eric graciously offered to assist during this transition. Mr. Gaizat is currently Director of Member Services and is knowledgeable of the workings of the ILTA.
Mr. Zimmerman stated, “It has been a great and humbling experience to work with so many wonderful people. I have enjoyed delving into the projects of the Developer Members, sharing new ideas with the Facility Members, and getting to know all of the suppliers.”
The ILTA’s will continue its dedication to its Developer Members, Facility Members, and the industry as a whole. The ILTA will continue to focus its efforts on industry research and statistical analysis in order to educate its members.
Nov 01, 2010 – The award winning Lazer Frenzy lazer maze has been added to Alley Cats, the popular bowling and family entertainment center in Arlington, Texas. Each participant is on a mission to navigate through the maze as quickly as possible which gives most everyone a sense that they are a secret agent on a top secret assignment. This arcade style lazer maze is a hit with young and old alike as it involves both mental and physical agility to weave around several lazer beams as quickly and accurately as possible to obtain a high score. It’s almost as if placing the player in their own version of the Mission Impossible movie!
Alley Cats Center is no stranger to Creative Works. Creative Works has had the privilege of working with Brian Smith, owner of the facility, in building their 4,500 square feet space themed laser tag arena in 2006 and then returned in 2009 to enhance the look of the arena to a high tech space adventure. The team at Alley Cats contacted Creative Works to add the Lazer Frenzy attraction to a space in their arcade that wasn’t producing the revenue needed. Lazer Frenzy is a great game to add to any arcade as it produces a great return on the investment. “We’
Jeff Schilling, founder of Creative Works, worked with Brian and his team in making this attraction a reality at Alley Cats. “We delivered a quality attraction that will not only increase the arcade revenues, but also create a buzz in the facility,” said Schilling. “We’re very pleased to install such a great new game in this center.” Lazer Frenzy won the best new product award for family fun centers by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. More information can be found on www.lazerfrenzy.com .
# # #
an 10, 2011 – Fitness is an integral part of everyone’s life. Consumers join and frequent fitness centers every day in order to get in shape. Usually each fitness center has the same basic components to offer consumers: fitness equipment, classes, weights, a track, and childcare services. Bodyworks is a fitness center in Lubbock, Texas that decided to think outside of the box regarding what they could offer their customers. Last month they added a laser tag arena to their facility to spark new interest in their club as well as to outside customers. This is one of the few laser tag arenas to be located inside a fitness center, but the first to incorporate an immersive atmosphere for a more authentic playing experience. The end goal was to create a visually stunning environment that would create a buzz about their existing facility and cause people to think differently about the capabilities of a fitness center. Bodyworks succeeded in doing so through their partnership with Creative Works for designing and building this attraction from the ground up.
Creative Works, the world leader in creating themed laser tag environments, started with a blank slate and customized one of their Jungle Quest style arenas to fit within the area allocated as part of the new center. “The height of the space allowed for us to design and build one of our steel play structures for the client to ensure their guests had a great multi-level playing experience,”
Upon the final installation of the structure, Creative Works sent their Theme Team down to install all of the Jungle Quest décor for this 4,000 square foot laser tag space. This adventure style arena included many unique props and effects including: a 14 foot tall illuminated torch tower with a 3 foot artificial flame serving as a beacon of light throughout the space; oversized old forest logs; twisted vines; colorful species of plants and tree tops; and much more. The outside perimeter of this space was a feast for the eyes as it was painted to resemble an enchanted forest with 3D perspective and depth.
“It was a great pleasure working with Jeff and his team to transform our place and help educate us on adding laser tag to our mix,” said Pat Rose of Bodyworks.
To learn more about Bodyworks, visit: www.gobodyworks.com
By Kathryn Rem
The former Kick’s location reopened Friday as a different family entertainment center, America’s Incredible Pizza Company.
Incredible Pizza, headquartered in Springfield, Mo., has 15 other centers in Missouri, Indiana, Iowa, Oklahoma, Utah, Texas, Tennessee and one in Monterrey, Mexico. This is the first in Illinois.
“We’re a family entertainment center based on Christian values,” said Rick Pogue, company president, who was in Springfield last week for the ribbon cutting.
His business card says the company “exists to bring families and friends together through great food and fun…We operate our business by Christian principles, delivering a positive family experience and a fair return to our company.”
Eighty local employees have been hired at the facility, 2744 S. Sixth St., Pogue said.
The 1950s-themed venue (pictured above) offers laser tag, indoor go-karts, mini bowling and more than 50 arcade and video games. Game winners can redeem points for prizes.
There are three large dining rooms and four private rooms for birthday parties, showers, church events, sports team banquets, family reunions and other get-togethers.
An all-you-can-eat buffet features pizza, pasta, taco, nacho, salad and dessert bars, plus two entrees each day, burgers, vegetables, mashed potatoes and the company’s signature item — cinnamon rolls.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Food service ends an hour before closing. Website: www.incrediblepizza.com. Phone: 280-4067.
For more information about Incredible Pizza, plus other restaurant news, read the A La Carte column in the business section of the print edition of today’s (Jan. 9) SJ-R.
Read Here
Overview
The standard rate of VAT in the UK is changing to 20% on the 4th of January 2011!
Marcus Webb
MarcusWebb@aol.com
INDIANAPOLIS — The International Laser Tag Association has created a new division aimed at serving the family entertainment center industry. The formation of the nonprofit National Association of Family Entertainment Centers was announced in mid-November during the IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando, FL. It is expected to grow into a standalone sister association of the laser tag group.
NAFEC presently counts 200 members, all of which are associated with ILTA, which counts 500 members. The organization is offering six months’ free membership to anyone who joins in any of the three membership categories: developer, operator or supplier.
The laser tag association’s board is providing leadership to NAFEC under the direction of ILTA president Davor Franicevich, who owns Laser Tag of Baton Rouge and Laser Tag of New Orleans.
“Once we get the ball rolling, NAFEC may have a life of its own with its own board of directors and separate membership,” said Eric Gaizat, who serves as membership services director for both associations.
The growth of NAFEC’s membership and its development of separate leadership are expected to accelerate during the first quarter of 2011, particularly as the association launches a dedicated insurance program for FEC owners and operators. NAFEC may use ILTA’s insurance company or negotiate policies with a new carrier, Gaizat said.
Gaizat said it’s “premature” for NAFEC to decide if it will produce a trade show, but disclosed that the trade show question is the most frequently asked which is directed to the nascent organization. NAFEC will offer ongoing educational programs, he said.
NAFEC also announced the formation of the Supplier Advisory Council, which includes U-Profit’s Bill Carlson, Amusement Entertainment Management’s Frank Seninsky, Prime Play’s Nathan Jones and Agile Software and Marketing’s Scott Drummond.
Carlson and Seninsky were both members of the International Association for the Leisure and Entertainment Industry, which folded into the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. Both men were vocal critics of IALEI’s merger with IAAPA, which took place in October 2009.
Sources said the Supplier Advisory Council is “very loosely” affiliated with NAFEC. However, any association of Carlson and Seninsky with the new FEC association — no matter how informal or arms-length — is bound to raise questions about whether the faction views itself as a rival to IAAPA for operator loyalty.
NAFEC’s announcement of its birth provided a hint that such an interpretation may not be unwarranted. “Many [FEC] operators are concerned that their ability to be treated as equals with other high-profile members of [IAAPA] is nonexistent,” the new organization claimed. “We know what it is like to be a member of a large association where you are spoken at instead of spoken to. Our objective is to make each member feel important to the industry as a whole by taking the time to work with them individually and use those experiences to assist other members in similar circumstances.”
NAFEC said its mission is “to help our members become better informed through our research, services and communications with all levels of the industry … to provide our members with up-to-date data on safety, operations, marketing, seminars, trade shows and … to give [members] the knowledge and resources to grow their business and increase revenues.”
NAFEC’s launch announcement also said: “Our aim is to be the voice for the small business FECs and provide a forum for operators to share innovative ideas, learn from industry professionals and consultants, develop effective marketing strategies and address industry obstacles.”
Parent association ILTA was formed in 1996. Just over half of ILTA’s membership is based in the United States. National Association of Family Entertainment Centers is online at fecoperator.org and can be reached at (317) 786-9755.