

Weekend Highlights
I’m always appreciative whenever this blog gets a mention in an industry publication. My thanks go out once again to RePlay Magazine for including a bit about my talk at the Laser Tag Convention round table discussion in their most recent August 2021 issue. They included a very nice article about the event in their coverage of last month’s Amusement Expo in Las Vegas. Reading this was actually the second cool thing to happen to me this weekend. What was the first? This weeken


The High Score Challenge at Fake Nats 2.0
The generosity and support of the laser tag community is really quite remarkable. Last night we held a very successful side event as part of the Fake Nats 2.0 tournament going on at The Fun Warehouse in Syracuse, NY. Take a look at all the laser tag players from across the country who participated in Tag 4 A Cause and donated in support of the Doreen Katz Memorial Cancer Foundation! The idea behind Tag 4 A Cause is simple: donate to our designated cause (in this case a wonder


There’s a Pack with My Name on It…Literally!
Having played laser tag in more than 365 arenas, I have been fortunate to have a lot of unique experiences. However, earlier today I was given a distinct privilege at one local arena which I have never been offered anywhere else. Apex Entertainment in Albany, NY just honored me by permanently naming a pack after me! When you walk into that site you can pick from among the variety of pack names, now including Tivia! This was a really amazing and completely unexpected thing to


What's New in Laser Tag?
Want to know about some of the latest developments in the laser tag industry? I did, so I asked the experts during the Amusement Expo in Las Vegas to tell me about what’s new in laser tag from each of their companies. I had the chance to talk with some of the top laser tag manufacturers including representatives from Laser Blast, Zone, Laserforce, Delta Strike, Battle Company and EXO. I also talked with companies who specialize in other parts of the laser tag industry includi


In Search of Some Urban Air
Sometimes I’m spontaneous! Last night was one of those times and I found myself making a quick decision to leave a quiet night in Syracuse and, since I was already that far west, keep on driving to Buffalo in search of something new. That’s how I ended up playing Delta Strike Evolution FEC at the newly opened Urban Air in Cheektowaga, NY. To be perfectly honest, this place was on my radar mostly because I had incorrectly thought that they were running the DS Genesis system, w


The Best Battle
Showing up to Battle Blast with these guys was the most fun I’ve had playing laser tag in awhile! After a full day at the Amusement Expo, a few of us decided to go out to play some laser tag at my personal favorite site in Las Vegas. Walking in with Erik and Eric (Guthrie and Gaizat), I knew this was going to be a good time for reasons nobody else was yet privy to. I’ll give you the benefit of some context, which none of the staff or players knew when we arrived. Erik is the


Amusement Expo 2021 in Las Vegas
The Amusement Expo trade show in Las Vegas was one of the first events of its kind to take place in the last year and it looked to me like everyone was there with a brighter attitude about the future of the amusement industry going forward. I found this to be a wonderful opportunity to check in with the laser tag manufacturers on site and to ask them “what’s new in laser tag?” since the last time we were all at this show together in March of 2020. There is a lot of optimism a


The Laser Tag Convention
The Laser Tag Convention is co-located annually with the Amusement Expo International and it benefits the Laser Tag Museum. This year’s event was held in Las Vegas, NV and provided an opportunity for attendees to attend industry related educational seminars on the first day prior to the start of the two-day trade show being held at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The seminars provided a wide range of content for all ends of the amusement industry, but the primary event held


Laser Mania with the Members
I had a flattering moment shortly after my arrival at Laser Mania Family Fun Center in St. George, UT. I dropped in unannounced and walked up to the front counter asking to play some laser tag, but I was told that there was nobody currently signed up. Whenever this happens I always ask if I can do a 1v1 with a staff member instead, but this time there was a bit of hesitation and the girl behind the counter was starting to say no to that. No worries, I was prepared to make a c


Heading to Utah for Some Fiesta Fun
I ended up with an unexpected free day in my schedule prior to the convention, so I continued on towards St. George, UT where my first stop was to Fiesta Fun Center. I took a look around and there were a lot people out enjoying the activities here on a Monday night. I’m pleased to see so many of the locations I visited this trip have enough business to sustain good weekday hours. I headed over to the laser tag and got ready to see what was behind door number one. Inside I fou