Getting to visit with the team at iCOMBAT is always a treat, and even more so because I also got to try something new at their IAAPA booth this year! Having gotten a sneak peek, I was particularly interested in checking out the Destiny phaser, an upcoming new project that they have taken on for one of their European clients. This essentially has the inner technology of the Valkyrie encased in a newly designed exterior shell that gives it a space-age look that could merge nice

ZTAG is a unique kind of game that includes some laser tag elements, but with less focus on “laser” and far more emphasis on “tag”. I prefer to think of this as “proximity tag” because the game is played by wearing one of these wrist sensors and getting it into close proximity to another, whether that involves being close to a teammate or an opponent. Founder Quan Gan helped me put on my wrist sensor, explaining to me how this is a unique alternative to traditional laser tag

It was so nice to see some familiar faces once again when I visited the IAAPA booth for Netronic to see what they had to share at this year’s expo. Every time we talk Natalia, the head of sales for Netronic, shows me something new about the gear, whether it has to do with the phaser or the accessories that they offer for enhancing the game. This year she and James, a laser tag operator, were ready to show me some features of the F1 Falcon tagger. James gave me a durability de

The team from Elite Laser Tag Equipment have been working hard on their newest laser tag game components and I was excited to see how much they have accomplished when I visited their booth at IAAPA. Owners Edward and Dana Gainer have been developing their new Battle Towers and it’s exciting to see the progress on this accessory, now ready to fully implement into a variety of their game formats. They took the time to share some insights with me about their gear and their thoug

I always enjoy catching up with Lazer Runner President Paul Savard when I visit IAAPA and this year he had something new to share. While we usually discuss the laser tag equipment itself, this year the enthusiasm was directed towards showcasing these cool arena wall pieces that the company is developing to offer a new atmosphere for playing the game. Shannon Carriere told me all about it as we talked about what they were most excited to share at the show. And she gave me a de

Delta Strike is bringing their new, vestless phaser product to the market with the Genesis Mobile and I was delighted to get a first look at it during this year’s IAAPA trade show. This system allows for a game to be played with phasers only or in conjunction with the Delta Strike packs. The phasers are similar in shape to the standard Genesis phaser with a sensor on the top, as well as on the sides. Mitchell Robertson, the Marketing and Sales Coordinator for Delta Strike Int

I have said this many times and it remains true. When it comes to creatively theming a booth for IAAPA, LaserBlast REALLY understands the assignment! I knew from the pre-show videos I had seen that LaserBlast was building a “dinotopia” for showcasing their laser tag and Putt Mania this year and, as a reptile mama, I was excited to see what I would find. To my delight, I had a chance to play some CyberBlast with co-owner Carla Ewald, and together we went out into this prehisto

Ok, this one is a real GEM (literally)! For Museum Collection Monday I’ve brought out a Darklight system 5 GEM (acronym for Game Enhancement Module). This one is circa 2008 and would be installed as part of an arena. It can both tag you and be tagged and can function in many modes including as a target, source for power-ups or even using a presence detector to deactivate you if you are in its path. See more laser tag history at LaserTagMuseum.com . Comments or Questions?  Con

I’m sure it will shock absolutely nobody to hear that when IAAPA 2025 came to a close and I had left the convention center, the first thing I did was…go play laser tag! I headed for Incredibowl Entertainment in Winter Haven, FL for some Final Assault Laser Tag. Their entrance area is attention-getting and fierce, which builds excitement for the game as you wonder what you’ll encounter behind this door. I was taken into the briefing room and shown the CyberBlast briefing video