7 Ways to Attract More Laser Tag Players

1. Use the Best Laser Tag Equipment

One of the biggest factors in the ongoing success of any laser tag center is laser tag equipment. If you choose a low-end system, one that only allows players to zap in different colors, you’re limiting your business. Sure, it may cost less upfront, but the maintenance fees alone can put you in the hole. Not to mention the limited features, which creates zero incentives for people to come back again.

The best choice for commercial laser tag equipment is a high-end system that includes everything from advanced role-playing games and immersive features to social media integration and diagnostic tools. This is the exciting and interactive equipment that will drive word of mouth and repeat play for customers. It’s also the practical and analytical system that will drive efficiency and profit for your business. 

2. Offer New Laser Tag Games

If you’ve selected that higher-range commercial laser tag system (and we hope you have!), you will have access to multiple game types that offer advanced role-playing games, competitive team play options and player handicapping. Laserforce, for example, currently offers 30+ game modes, and we frequently release new game types. 

Additionally, high-end laser tag equipment provides a game editor, which allows you to adjust game length, deactivation time, shot speed, hit points, shot power, points scored and more. 

These features can be used to roll out new games and game modes to your players. This will keep things fresh and exciting for your loyal players, and if you make a splash with each new game, you can also generate interest from new players or attract those from competitors. 

Don’t go overboard releasing a new game each week or day though. You need to give your members enough time to enjoy and get good at the game before moving on to something else. If you’re not sure what the right timing is, just ask — your frequent players will likely be happy to provide you with feedback (and proud that they’ve helped contribute to their favorite laser tag arena!). 

3. Get the Word Out Through Marketing & Advertising

There are near endless possibilities for promoting your business online and offline. Some tried-and-true methods our operators stand by include:

• Running ads in local newspaper
• Running ads on local radio stations
• Partnering with nearby businesses
• Sending out direct mailers to local residents
• Sending email newsletters to stay top-of-mind with previous customers
• Posting flyers around town
• Hosting parties and events 
• Reaching out to corporate event planners, schools, churches and other organizations in the area
• Claim listings on Google Maps, Yelp and other local online directories
• Actively manage Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitch and/or other social media profiles 
• Invite local reporters and influencers to a free game in exchange for coverage

People can’t come to your laser tag arena if they don’t know it exists. So make sure you’re leveraging marketing and advertising channels to reach your target market and drive recurring revenue.

4. Host Laser Tag Tournaments

Hosting a laser tag tournament or competition is a great way to generate buzz for your center. This not only brings in repeat customers, but it also draws new players and can even turn spectators on to the game. 

Encourage your loyal customers to participate, and invite players and teams from near or far to enter. A small trophy or some free play is a nice prize, but bragging rights might be enough of an incentive! You can even get sponsors involved to expand coverage and offset any costs. 

This year Mercuria Laser Game, one of our Laserforce centers in Prague, hosted their 2nd Annual Laserforce Prague Cup. During this international tournament, teams from three different countries battled it out in the arena for two exciting and intense days! The winners this year were The Flying Eagle team from Germany. 

5. Leverage Laser Tag Membership Cards

One of the most efficient ways to encourage repeat play is with a laser tag membership system. Membership cards bring your customers back, again and again, to unlock new abilities, collect achievements, and hone their laser tag skills. They’re also the key to each player’s unique laser tag persona–custom codenames and avatars are linked to the cards and used to display on kiosks, scoreboards, chest screens and more. 

Membership cards can also make it easier for customers to activate and upgrade their battlesuits, creating a more frictionless (and thus more fun!) experience. Our Gen 8 laser tag system integrates with industry-leading debit card and POS companies, allowing players to simply tap their member card to their battlesuit to trigger a transaction, just like they would with any other arcade game. It’s simple and seamless for the players and provides you with more accountability for each and every game played.

6. Offer Better Refreshments

If there are multiple options for family fun in your area, and your F&B offering is the best, you have a fierce competitive advantage over the others. 

“The best” isn’t just about quality though. Maybe you’re the only center to offer vegetarian or gluten-free options. Maybe your thing is that you don’t use a fryer and have a healthier selection. Maybe you have a different food truck parked outside every evening (there’s that cross-promotion with local businesses again!). Maybe you have the largest selection of craft beers. Or maybe you just have some killer happy hour deals. This is especially useful in making your business stand out for birthday parties, corporate events and tournaments. 

Remember, people come to a family entertainment center for the full experience. That not only includes the laser tag arena and other attractions, but also the friendly staff, clean facilities and certainly the food and drink offering. 

7. Consider Adding New Attractions

Laser tag can be your only activity and you can still have an extremely profitable business. Many of our Laserforce locations only offer laser tag, and they’re running successful and growing businesses today. 

However, you can open up untapped revenue streams by adding new attractions or even expanding into a comprehensive family entertainment center with bowling, arcades, trampolines, go-kart racing, miniature golf and other activities. Naturally, there will be initial investment required to expand your offering, but increased foot traffic and ticket sales are sure to come.