How much to charge for a laser tag ticket

 Pricing anything, your laser tag sessions included is something that Battlefield Operators need to consider carefully. 

Especially when starting up your new laser tag business. Your business needs to be sustainable.

Your goal is to price your tickets at what you think people will be willing to pay based on what they expect to get out of your event. 

Set your ticket prices to represent value. 

But cover your costs.

Remember, you are creating one of their best memories, so that's priceless!

Price in your market

Research what other similar entertainment businesses are charging.

If you are running a press day (aka media day or an influencers' day) as part of your grand opening, then, of course, you don't charge anything. Rather, the journalists and bloggers expect to be looked after.

Price on Value

If someone has pre-paid for their ticket then this greatly increases the chances that they will turn up.

The laser tag industry standard for ticket prices is approximately $1 per minute of gaming in an indoor arena and $0.50 (50 cents per minute) of gaming in an outdoor battlefield. Our standard public session lasts 2 hours, with gamers getting 4 x 15 minutes of gaming.

 If we get a "walk-on" i.e. someone who has not pre-paid then the price of the ticket is $50pp for 4 games during a 2-hour session. However, if a gamer pre-pays at least 48 hours before their event then the price drops down to $40pp.

Or less for big group discounts.

There is a sliding scale of discounts. The bigger the group, the bigger the discount.

We offer group discounts for large groups (30 plus players) so the price can go as low as $29pp. We also have an option for a shorter experience. For a Junior Session - for players 10 and under (2 games over 1 hour) pre-paid tickets start from $24pp.

How did we get to this price? Then you can say, market testing! We went out to the market, adjusting our prices yearly until we reached the ideal rate. If it was too much, no one would book, too little and we wouldn't make any money.

 Of course, this price is subject to change. We make small tweaks every 1 to 2 years to ensure we stay ahead of the market.

Price in Your Market

Ticketleap, an online ticket tool, found that (before covid) of the millions of tickets sold online in the last year, the median price for an event up to 3 hours was $20pp (United States Dollars). Since then, however, just about everything's gone up. 

To some people, this may seem like a lot, or too little. Every market has a different price point - often determined by wealth and competition in the local area. 

If you are running a special event, however, such as the Friday the 13th "Operation: Zombie Destruction" at Fear Factory Salt Lake City, USA then you can afford to charge a premium. 

Tickets for that event were $15 for a 30-minute experience.

Locally have run a special LARP experience "Scarlett Hollow 2" which is $25pp for a 30-minute experience or $33pp at the door. 

 According to attractions entrepreneur Lynton V Harris, the average ticket price for the long-running Disney on Ice was, back in the day, $24.50 per person. Whereas the limited season Ice Age on Ice was, a few years ago, $80 per person. According to TicketSmarter the average price you'll pay to see a live performance of Disney On Ice now is $131.88. Ticket prices top at $908.00 for premium views of the show. 

Consider too the average price for Taylor Swift's concert tickets in Canada was $1,500 each. Not bad if you can get it!!

 If you are pricing an event that is for a mobile event, there are additional price drivers to consider:

•  How many miles do you need to travel to the venue? 
• How long will it take to set up / pack down? 
• How many gaming guns do you want to book out? 

 Likewise, if you have a specific market segment you want to encourage, you might offer a special discount. For example, you might offer a 5% discount for students or first responders. 

 Or if you have VIP customers (customers who have booked, say, 3 or more times previously) you might like to offer them a special discount. Or a special up-sell, like a camo outfit rental.  While offering tickets for sale online is popular, not all battlefields have access to the Internet.

So, offering an over-the-phone purchase is a good option. 

The "Battlefield HQ" software (available in the online Battlefield Sports University) has a module where you can set prices, including packages, inclusions, and discounts. In other words, you can set up your own business rules or policies in the software reference table. If someone is on the phone asking for a price, you can give them an answer just a few clicks away. You can give your customers an answer then and there. 

To find out more about Battlefield HQ Software, contact your local consultant.

How Do The Numbers Stack Up?

As an example, if you use our local fields as an example, we can say our average ticket price that customers end up paying is $40pp for a 2-hour event.

Here's how the numbers pan out for an outdoor laser tag operation:

12 players = $400.

A session like this might be seen as marginal, often only covering expenses. 20 players = $800.

A 20-player session can be run with one staff member, therefore that extra $400 goes straight into your pocket.

50 players = $1,500.

One or two staff members can run a session of 50 players, you will turn a profit.

80 players = $2,400.

With the same number of staff (one or two) you can entertain bigger groups and that means you can trigger bigger profits.

Our average group size is 60 people.

Conclusion

How to price your laser tag events needs to be carefully considered.

 Key considerations when determining how much to charge for a laser tag ticket are:

to price on value, and

price to suit your local market.

Whatever ticket price Operators choose, you need to ensure that the amount is sustainable for your laser tag business.