How much to charge for a laser tag ticket

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 is 2 hours in which gamers get 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.

How did we get to this price?

Then you can say, market testing!

We went out to the market, adjusting our prices every year 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 do small tweaks every 1 to 2 years to make sure we are on top 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 Live Action Role Play 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.

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 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. So if someone is on the phone asking for a price you can give them an answer just a few clicks away. You can 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. A session of 50 players can be run by one or two staff members, 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.

How much money can you make depending on how many units you have in your arsenal and how much you charge per ticket? Find out by using our free online revenue calculator. 

Conclusion

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.