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Many business owners still remember their first game. Some have memories of mistakes and shortcomings, while others had their first game the best ever. For all those who are just beginning their journey in laser tag business, we have prepared a little hint, which describes the main work stages. What to pay attention to, where to focus attention and how to avoid mistakes in the first game - all this in our article "How to organize a laser tag game". Confirming application So you were approached by the first clients, which means that you need to confirm their application. There are various ways of doing this: by phone, on request on the website, through a CRM system, writing the data into a notebook. But the following things must be clarified: Game date and time Number of players Game cost Payment method Wishes on game equipment Event date (birthday, corporate event, family holiday) Contact person whom you can call on the day of the event In general, this is a minimum set of information that will be sufficient to carry out the game. The list can be supplemented and changed depending on the individual characteristics of the rental club. Preparing equipment A few hours before the game, or even better, a day before, make sure the equipment is ready for play: the rifles are clean, the taggers and headbands are ready, the collimator sights have good batteries, and all the weapons have been adjusted. It is desirable to have an arsenal in the club, some of which will be involved in the game, and some of which will be used for maintenance and recharging. With this approach, you will be provided with continuous games. Meeting clients When meeting clients, you must take into account when they visit your club. If this is the first time that players have come, then special attention must be paid to the initial instruction: where they can change clothes, how the playground itself looks like, how the equipment works, where they can eat and where the toilet is located. The more information you give to the clients, the fewer questions you will have during the game. First scenario If your club is being visited for the first time, it is best to be guided by the principle "from simple to complex". In order for players to understand in practice how laser tag equipment works, it is best to play the game in the "wall on wall" format. There are no additional devices in it, and the goal is easily understood by all the participants. It is only after this scenario has been played a couple of times that it is time to add additional devices. Feedback Once everything is over, be sure to collect feedback from players: ask them to evaluate the laser tag club on a special wall with stickers, or leave feedback on social networks. You can motivate people with discounts or special offers. As a rule, even one negative feedback can improve the performance of your business and draw attention to weak spots. Purchase funnel and return of customers The game has been played, feedback has been received, conclusions have been drawn, how can we attract players to the club again? Any marketing tools will be suitable for this: emails, SMS notifications, birthday discounts and promotions for the company. But no matter how good promotion tools are, the owner of the business needs to remember that buzz marketing is the best advertising. If the club has good service and attention to detail, the flow of customers will not run out at any time of year.

What is the starting point of any business? It’s the client. Do you know already who will need your services? Let’s find out! Target audience is a group of users at whom certain marketing approaches are directed, who are the subject of interest for advertisers and/or who are interested about particular information. Target audience (TA) are the people who satisfy the need solved by your laser tag club. Types of TA In contemporary marketing, the following types of TA can be singled out: 1. Primary and secondary.  Main target audience Main or primary target audience is given priority to in brand marketing. It denotes a group of people that make a direct decision as to whether it is necessary to purchase a product or service. The primary target audience is the initiator of a purchase. Secondary target audience Indirect or secondary target audience has a passive role. Even if they take part in the process of a purchase they do not point out the need to buy a particular product or service. Secondary target audience are less important in brand marketing. For you to be able to see a clear distinction between the two types of target audience, here is an example of the market of children’s toys and games. There are two types of target audience on this market: parents (the ones that buy a product or service) and kids (who use the product/service). Children do not buy a toy themselves, yet they often initiate the purchase – they ask their parents to make the purchase. Therefore, children are the primary target audience on children’s toys market, while parents are the secondary target audience. 2. Wide and narrow TA. Here, the name speaks for itself. For example: tea lovers belong to wide TA, lovers of fruit white tea belong to the narrow one. 3. Audience from the type of target group.  TA in business area (B2B) and in individual consumption area (B2C) Besides, TA can be singled out according to the aim of visiting a website or a group in vk: • TA that is interested in the content of the website (visitors come for information), • Visitors interested in purchasing products and services at the website. Where to search? Trying to find information You can do the following to get information about the TA: • questionnaires; • taking interviews; • opinion polls. Aim to interrogate the largest possible number of respondents or do an opinion poll among the most active respondents. Search for information in forums, blogs, social networks (in groups or on public pages) devoted to similar subjects. Remember that there is ’clamorous minority’ at forums and in blogs. Their opinions must be collected and thoroughly analyzed: they shape the image of a product. Yet you must bear in mind that the claims made by that ’clamorous minority’ may not coincide with the opinion of the ‘silent majority’ who buy your services. The portrait of a client: what you can gain from it On the basis of a client’s portrait you can: 1. Make up a marketing campaign that best fits the requirements of a particular target audience (ads, commercial offers, content, etc.). 2. Formulate a well rounded offer: learn what problem your client has and promise to solve it. 3. Make a list of consumer benefits, compile a USP. 4. Learn about the triggers for influencing and motivating a client. 5. Find the main promotion channels in the internet, for instance, by means of the Affinity index. IMPORTANT! The more detailed the portrait and the more characteristics you consider when creating it, the higher is your chance to shape an offer that answers the requirements of your target audience. Use the 5W to segment your target market 1. What characteristics does your product or service possess? 2. Who is your potential client? 3. Why does a consumer need your product or service? 4. When will the purchase be made? 5. Where are you trying to sell your product/service? You must come up with portraits of real clients and find out about particular types of behaviour they display when buying services or products. The data about the TA that you collect will allow you to pick the right promotion strategy. Let’s view the basic segmentation parameters in more detail. Characteristics for target audience description Determining the target audience may depend on the following parameters: • Geographic, • Demographic, • Socioeconomic, • Psychographic, • Behaviour patterns. Geolocation Information about location allows us to show the product only to those who live at that particular area. Besides, geolocation allows us to make assumptions about clients’ needs. Demographic characteristics Needs and preferences, as well as how frequently a product will be used are usually closely connected with demographic characteristics. Unlike other segmentation criteria, demographic characteristics can be easily measured. Variables: age, sex, nationality, parental and marital status. Besides, while performing market segmentation by demographic characteristics one must consider a person’s work sphere. Socioeconomic characteristics: The following consumer’s characteristics are taken into consideration: his occupation, education, source and level of income which shapes the basis of purchasing power. Sex differences, age and consumers' possibilities influence the type of goods and services they buy. Therefore, very often we see drug advertising for pensioners, while car ads are intended for people aged 35 – 49. The most prestigious products and services are eminently favoured by entrepreneurs and managers. Nevertheless, consumer activities depend on psychological traits, which must also be considered when creating a consumer portrait. Psychographic segmentation This is a real Klondyke for studying TA: lifestyle (a stay-at-home or a daredevil searching for adventures), values, life principles, how fast one makes decisions, whether a person has an idol he tries to copy, fears, problems and dreams. Once you know about a person’s inclination to change, or the opposite, that he is quite conservative, you can make the text of your advertisement attractive for a particular group of consumers. It is very important to get a grasp of the peculiarities of product or service promotion in fan societies. We frequently make purchases when we are moved emotionally, influenced by positive emotions, such as tenderness, nostalgy, joy of recognition. Find out what your clients dream about or what they miss. Behaviour patterns Behavioural market segmentation involves selecting the parameters that can describe the moment of choice, purchase and product use. Here are some of them: • What is the driving force behind a purchasing act: the level of service, proof of status, chance to save, price, service rate, etc.; • What is the incentive to buy the product/ use the service: is it for general daily needs or for a special occasion; • The character of a client’s expectations about purchasing a product or a service; • How fast a problem must be solved – the level of involvement into the purchase. • The point about attitude towards a brand can be included in this list – a client’s attitude to the product: loyal, hostile, indifferent, et al: 1. Devoted users: they know about the brand, buy this brand, they are absolutely loyal to the brand and do not defect for competitors; 2. Loyal users: know the brand, buy it, but sometimes they buy other product brands; 3. Slightly interested: know the brand, but do not buy it; 4. Not interested: do not use, do not know. Another marker is how frequently a product/ service is bought, that is, the level of intensity of product use (frequency, experience using it, adaptation to the product). Take aim and fire: working with TA Creating USP After you have shaped the portrait of target groups, do devote some time and efforts to creating a separate ad, banners or landing pages for each target group. Compose a unique selling proposition for them. That’ll be right on the button. If you create a USP for a narrow segment of TA, the targeted action will be more powerful! Affinity Index The affinity index determines just how suitable a particular marketing channel is for the required target audience. It significantly influences the effectiveness of a marketing campaign and the cost of contact with the target audience. By comparing the affinity index with other markers – visits, cancellations, conversion -– you can determine the preferences of the visitors that can be the easiest to convert. TA and promotion channels: SEO Target audience – search engines. Searching for key words and phrases, sorting a website out so that it corresponds to the requirements of search engines. If a TA has been incorrectly determined, this will lead to mistakes during the process of search engine optimization. Content-marketing The topics that shape your content must be interesting for the TA and you must ensure that you have expert knowledge in these areas. Successful strategy does not necessarily imply virus laden content. You simply need to be consistent and sincere with your clients. The influence of stereotypes on TA Our brain painstakingly generalizes the information about the world around us. Therefore, stereotypes are automatically shaped in our perception. They affect both our consciousness and the subconscious. You must consider this when working on the portraits of target groups and when creating marketing identities. The following stereotypes are most common: • gender (women are more emotional than men); • age (the elderly are decrepit and have many illnesses, the young are active); • nationality (the citizens of former Soviet republics are unqualified workers, the English are prim and proper, Germans are punctual); • professional (How come? But aren’t you a programmer? etc.); • class-consciousness (a professor is certainly well behaved, a factory worker is impolite); • appearance (pursed lips — angry person, a person who wears glasses — intelligent, pretty – nice, and so on). It is appropriate to mention current stereotypes that might increase trust in the website/ blog/ group. Consider these: 1. Thought out design, convenient usability; 2. The ability to provide an expert opinion and have partners among famous brands; 3. Corporate ethics and quality Western business management technologies; 4. The organizations that provide the latest news are more appealing than those spreading outdated information. The list of useful programs and services Automatic data collection applications will help you study your target audience quickly and effortlessly. Some of them are free. Surveymonkey.com – you can try it for free. Convenient functions. Simpoll.ru is for Russian language speakers. Qualaroo.com – a popular Western service with a variety of useful functions. Among them – Advanced Targeting. Google Forms – user-friendly and free. Google Analytics no comments. Google Trends – an instrument for determining the mood of the target audience: what key words are used to find your product, how often the interest to your product/service shifted as well as the number of requests and the regions from which these requests came. Use sensibly.

We have prepared a set of rules for you to play laser tag. It can be used as a basis for writing game regulations, player memos or local tournaments. It contains the fundamental provisions that are used in one way or another by the organizers. Prohibited activities when playing laser tag 1. Vacuum cleaner - a situation, in which the laser tag player fires blindly, hiding the headband. You can't hit him back. 2. Ostrich - a situation in which the player hides the hit sensors by any material that does not pass the IR impulse. 3. Jesus - a situation where a player uses additional laser tag equipment for resurrection. This includes remote controls, medical kits, homemade game devices. 4. Ricochet - a situation in which a player uses the reflection of the IR pulse from the surface. 5. Equipment reconfiguration - a situation when a player has arbitrarily changed the equipment settings, and the set parameters contradict the organizers' official settings. 6. It is forbidden to play under the influence of alcohol, drugs or other intoxication. 7. It is forbidden to use obscene language and have physical contacts with other players. (hitting others with the buttstock, hands, feet). 8. It is forbidden to perform tactical maneuvers outside the playground. 9. It is forbidden to break, drop weapons issued by the organizers for rental. 10. It's forbidden to talk to your players after you've been "killed." Rules on laser tag equipment use 1. If grenades and mines are used in the game, the organizers may prohibit the use of such laser tag devices (especially in case of electronics integration into non-standard bodies). 2. If the grenades are still used in the game, the reactivation rules are approved in advance by the organizers. 3. If a player has found another grenade, he must return it to its owner by addressing the organizers. 4. In case of a laser tag knife, any contact actions that can cause physical harm to the player are prohibited during the attack. 5. The rules for using the laser tag knife are determined by the organizers in advance and communicated to the players during the pre-game briefing. 6. If the game uses a medic or any of the laser tag pulses, it can only be used on team respawns and only by the responsible organizer. The remote control is not handed over to the player unless it is specified by the scenario. 7. The laser tag headband must be on the player's head during the whole game. No headbands are allowed to be worn around the neck, arms, legs. Hit sensors must not be covered by a hood or some headdress. 8. If the game uses armor, then after the start of the game it's prohibited to remove it, or to lighten the weight of the plates. Player interaction 1. Communication between players. If there are no additional rules, players are only allowed to interact with each other if they are "alive". Any communication of "deactivated players" is prohibited. 2. Contact with the opponent. It is forbidden to take physical actions that may harm the player. This includes hits, hand-to-hand combat techniques, pushing, spitting towards the opponent. 3. The possibility of radio interception is determined by the organizers before the game. 4. Players revival. It can happen only at a place agreed upon by the organizers. Controlled by a responsible person. The respawn can be implemented after a certain period of time, or at the player's request. 5. The player's revival using the first-aid kit belonging to the opposing team is not allowed, unless it is separately agreed by the game organizers. Punitive measures Depending on the violation of the game rules, the game participant may be subject to penalties and fines. Measures can only be taken if the violation is undisputed and confirmed on video, or based on feedback from several organizers. Depending on the circumstances the following penalties may be applied to the player: — warning —  the player can be suspended from the game for some period of time — full disqualification — blacklisting — removing the whole team from the game This set of rules can be edited depending on the type of game being played, both in terms of strictness and loyalty. When holding kids' tournaments, it is possible to make the list of rules more loyal, and when holding military tactical tournaments, it is possible to toughen and additionally prescribe some regulations. We hope that our list will help the organizers to make their own set of rules.

Unfortunately, or maybe luckily, we will not disclose all the secrets of guerrilla marketing. Our objective is to remind you about the triggers and instruments that help laser tag clubs influence their clients without the need to spend anything or spend very little. The idea of guerrilla marketing was invented long before the term itself appeared. In days of old, many businessmen, too, found inexpensive ways to attract people. While placing ads in printed publications and then advertise on TV, radio was frequently costly, guerrilla marketing helped gain new clients at low cost. The main condition for the actualization of the idea of guerrilla marketing is desire and capability to spend one’s time, energy and creative potential.  What is good about guerrilla marketing? What makes it different from other means of promotion? It is believed that introducing and promoting a new product (in our case a service) on the market is very expensive. Indeed, it is, if you are planning to advertise on TV, reach out to a marketing agency to have banners and signboards put up all over the city. Yet other methods have always been around, too. In 1983, a book by Jay Conrad Levinson was brought out. It gave detailed examples of guerrilla marketing. Today, the tips and hints about inexpensive marketing activities are applied both by niche market providers and huge corporations. Low-budget marketing by yourself  The notion of guerrilla marketing includes all sorts of product purposes and functions. For example, an owner of a retail clothes store wonders how he can outstrip his competitors – famous brand stores and online stores. He comes across an idea of selling clothes by collections (thus increasing an average bill), inviting a stylist who will help to choose the right clothes, offering the services of a tailor to fit ready items a particular figure type. Store assistants must not just stand behind their desks, but offer information to customers, not force them into buying a product, though (this typical example can be easily applied at any laser tag club that is just opening in a competitive environment of a city/ region, where such clubs function). One can also extend opening hours, so that people are able to pop by after work. These all guerrilla marketing means are very selective yet effective. If you own a small business, then placing an ad over a double-page spread of a magazine is pointless: expensive and ineffective. As to trying to reach out to clients where they can be reached, this makes sense. Online guerrilla marketing 1. Search for online forums devoted to a particular subject. The people that visit forums are most interested in finding the answers to certain questions. Due to the fact that we have a niche product (services offered by clubs), we solve the problems of a particular category of clients. Therefore, it is essential that we elaborate upon our subject on forums steadily and constantly. Besides gaining the people who are interested in the product and are ready to buy right here and now, you will get brand advocates and reach out to more people through the word of mouth. 2. Your colleagues can write notes and publish company content on their own behalf. Introduce the practice of content creation by your whole team. You can hold brainstorms, think about topics for entries, create platforms for reviews. The senior managers can make their colleagues mention the company brand, leave hashtags, etc. on their personal pages in social networks. 3. Search for niches on the web. For example, still few have a YouTube channel. At the same time, well optimized content appears at the top of search results. Just imagine how many video ads can be created using just a smartphone camera and a free film editing program. These days, many companies try to get more people to visit their pages by means of SEO, yet a YouTube channel will be a lot more effective. Knitting classes or art classes that receive 50 thousand views daily, can serve as an example. Examples of the cheapest guerrilla marketing methods Start with any idea. Handing out leaflets, going to places of mass gatherings can give an immediate effect. Low-budget marketing must be divided into several segments: • Attracting audience. • Not letting clients go. • Post-sales service. Find out exactly at which stage you lack clients at the moment. Calculate where you miss out on profit. For instance, a newly created business needs clients. Make use of the instruments that will give the maximum effect: placing ads on online advertising platforms, on forums or in printed newspapers, sending out invitations for a free test drive of a playground, new equipment and other, getting subscribers in Instagram or handing out leaflets in the street. If you think you need to persuade and use the word of mouth, you will have to think of objections. For example, detailed entries on forums, in social networks. When you are in shopping areas and at exhibitions, you must interact with buyers directly and learn about their fears and needs. This way, you will be able to take advantage of word of mouth and skip the need to make any extra investments. Don’t forget about post-sales methods of guerrilla marketing. A happy customer will not only become your permanent customer – he will bring 3 to 10 new players along with him. Therefore, offer a warrantee, work out a system of bonuses, a loyalty scheme. Use important dates, such as birthdays, to present a bonus, a coupon or offer a discount. Remember that people are not likely to throw away useful souvenirs (such as memory sticks) right away – they will most probably use them. We can continue examining examples of guerrilla marketing almost endlessly. Essentially, one must think of the right actions that will increase the income of an entrepreneur and will pay off in the end. Guerrilla marketing is ideal for those who start a business with hardly any investments or who won’t pay for standard advertising. For experienced club directors, this information can serve as a reminder about the actions that must be undertaken in order to promote own services. For beginners, this is a call for action and a reminder that a good ad is not always expensive.

Laser tag is a relatively new kind of game in the niche of military tactical games. As the laser tag came much later than paintball and airsoft, it has a number of good advantages when doing business. It's about equipment, technology and banal mathematics: the cost of many things is much lower than in similar disciplines. Today we will list ten main advantages why it is worth choosing laser tag for your business: Initial investments Compared to similar positions in paintball and airsoft, laser tag equipment will cost approximately 20% cheaper at the initial stages. A starter can be purchased for 300 thous. roubles including delivery. Not only is it not so much compared to gaming businesses, laser tag is more profitable even when compared to coffee shops and hairdressing salons. Costs of consumables There is no need to buy consumables in laser tag. No spending on balloons, bullets, no need to charge your weapon with compressed air. Only a charger and a socket will be needed to operate the equipment. As soon as you have bought a 'tagger+headband', you have secured at least more than 1000 rental games without additional financial injection into your equipment. Playground investments When it comes to paintball and airsoft, the costs necessarily include the playground preparation. You will never be able to play games if you do not observe all safety measures. The mesh, shelters, masks - all this deals a heavy blow to the businessman's wallet. In laser tag, many people start with outdoor games without spending additional resources on their own playground. The equipment operates on the basis of IR radiation, which is absolutely safe in all conditions and for all ages. After purchasing the equipment, you can start earning money immediately. Depreciation of equipment In laser tag, physical contact is almost completely eliminated, and equipment is not physically exposed to balls or bullets. This means it deteriorates less, requires less maintenance and brings more money. You will not have to keep in your head how many rental masks you have to replace, how many rental camouflage you have to wash. Laser tag wins in this aspect as well. Staff   The staff of the laser tag club will need fewer people. Since all game events are handled by electronics, there is no need to hire referees and instructors. In the first stage, the business owner himself will be able to conduct games. There will be no arguments about wrong hits and unfair wins. In laser tag, all this work is controlled by technology. Repair The repair of laser tag equipment is considerably cheaper than that of paintball and airsoft equipment. Typical repairs will include: The replacement of the battery, speaker and power sockets. You can perform all these operations in any workshop. And with minimal soldering iron skills, you can do everything yourself. Minimal losses over long-term. Average game check Of course, the absolute values of the average check are higher in paintball and airsoft. But if you look at the strong points, the fact is that there is more money left after playing laser tag than after playing paintball and airsoft. With the same number of clients, the laser tag club generates 15% more net profit per month. This fact is confirmed by rental clubs around the world. Variability Laser tag has more additional devices for playing, which means more scenarios, which in its turn means more services that can be provided to the client. You can play scenarios with checkpoints, digital flags, mines, trip wire, and bombs. This variability forces the customer to return to the club again and again. With proper service, a full sales funnel can be organised in a minimum of time. Connecting additional services Laser tag is also beneficial in terms of additional business. It fits perfectly well with airsoft, paintball, fireball, and a tourist club. You should not be afraid to expand your range of services at the expense of laser tag: this business increases the average check per game and expands the opportunities for the rental club. Fewer competitors The niche of laser tag business is still very uncompetitive, so now is the time to start. A successful start will require enthusiasm, good marketing and service. It will not take much effort to earn the first money. So if you are still thinking about your choice of direction in the niche of military tactical games, then laser tag is your choice.

Something special is always expected from an anniversary release. And our expectations have not been fooled. The anniversary 100th release of LASERWAR UI presents a new system for recording personal players' achievements.   Who is the most accurate shooter? Who spends the most ammo, who is the unluckiest in this round, who was the coolest? - These questions worry the players in each round. The player's stats speak the dry language of numbers, and can solve those disputes. We are providing the best solutions. LASERWAR programmers and designers have prepared a package to reflect key game moments in the personal players' statistics.   The player's personal statistics card was replenished with achievement icons assigned during the game. The player's seven achievements as seven medals will reflect his or her contribution in the current round. The achievements are attributed not only to the fastest and most accurate, but also to those whose achievements in the game did not please the team. But given the humorous nature of those awards, no one will leave offended.   So far, the statistics show about two dozen achievements out of more than forty planned. Please see the list below. In future versions of the program this list will be extended. Faster than lightning - the first accurate shot in the round among players of all teams. First blood - the first kill in the round among players of all teams. Courageous - the first death in the round among players of all teams. Double - kill two of your opponents without dying yourself. Hat trick - kill three of your opponents without dying yourself. High five! - kill five opponents without dying yourself. I am a legend - kill ten opponents without killing yourself. Double kill - kill two opponents at intervals of no more than 10 seconds. Triple kill- kill three opponents at intervals of no more than 10 seconds. Multikill - kill five enemies at intervals of no more than 10 seconds. Berserker - kill ten opponents at intervals of no more than 10 seconds. Avenger - after rebirth, kill the opponent who killed you. Tactician - receive no damage for five minutes during the round. Strategist - receive no damage for ten minutes during the round. Grandmaster - receive no damage for fifteen minutes during the round. Terminator - kill every player from the opposing team during the round. Friendly fire! - injure a teammate (except for rounds with one team only). Fiasco - kill a teammate (except rounds with one team). Fire support - use up the entire ammo five times per round. Play and enjoy the game, while the LASERWAR team takes care of the rest.