On The Record with Ocie – Demographics

This is the 2nd in the series of On The Record with Ocie Mathenia. The first series was on Misconceptions of Starting A Laser Tag Business. Today we will focus on Demographics!

Q: What demographics can be expected in laser tag?

A: Well, demographics in laser tag are extremely important as they are a defining factor when considering the focus of a laser tag business. What are you selling and to whom? Products and services can be tailored to specific demographics enhancing the experience for the end-user as well as maximizing profits for the business.

Laser tag in the past decade has boomed into a plethora of different potential entertainment services. Indoor, outdoor, mobile, rental, traditional, and tactical are some of the main breakdowns but there are others such as haunt attractions that have been carved from the traditional trunk.  All of these can be further tailored to demographics by the use of specific equipment and software.

Traditional laser tag (indoor blacklight arenas using phaser packs with focus on team v team) demographic in most cases runs to the age of 14, with female players accounting for 40% of the total demographic. Tactical indoor laser tag can run well into adult age with a large portion of players aging well into their forties but only a quarter or less of the players are female. This older age group typically already played traditionally at a younger age but yearn for a more realistic and mission-based type of game enjoying a more complex approach. In short, with the proper software and equipment types, the operator can groom his younger players and maintain them as clients in adulthood.

Both demographics are extremely important as they can define what business hours will be the most successful at a facility. The younger demographic suffers from the “dinner time dive” with very little business occurring in the times after the traditional dinner hours, whilst the older demographics relish in this time period., possessing vehicles of their own and of course disposable income. These players can keep a facility humming well after midnight if you let them! If you can determine what your timetables are you can offer a friendlier child experience in the early hours of a facility’s operation and with very little effort (equipment and software) change their operational tempo to attract the older demographic. This ensures that the facility’s open hours increase exponentially as well as their revenue. Traditional and Tactical are not competitive but rather complementary as together they marry the entire spectrum of age demographics.  

 Other factors are where your clients come from and how often are they visiting your facility? Luckily the iCOMBAT Engine tracks all of this information for you so you can get a clear picture of just who your players are and where they come from so you can make smart decisions about your operation.