Combat Ops, a 35,000 sq. ft. laser tag venue in Fort Wayne, Indiana, uses Omni Arena’s VR esports features to attract guests and upsell their events. They’re able to charge $18 per play, among the highest prices in the nation, and they routinely add Omni Arena to birthday parties and corporate event packages for an extra $350 per hour.
Watch highlights of our interview with David Dimberio, owner of Combat Ops, below:
Email is King
Combat Ops relies mainly on a combination of social media and direct email marketing to reach their audience. Directly emailing customers is an underrated yet highly effective tool to communicate with guests.
More than 70% of Omni Arena players create a user profile that includes their first and last names, date of birth, and email address. These email addresses provide a valuable marketing channel for Combat Ops to entice guests to come back to the venue, particularly by promoting Omni Arena’s weekly and monthly esports contests that offer thousands of dollars in cash prizes each month.
“Omni Arena is an email collecting machine… I’ve already collected 1,300 email addresses since my opening two months ago.”
Come for Omni Arena, Stay for the Rest
According to David, many guests come to Combat Ops specifically for Omni Arena, making it a true anchor attraction for his venue. After playing Omni Arena, guests stay longer and spend extra money on his venue’s laser tag arena and other attractions.
“They come in specifically to play Omni Arena… It drives excitement for our customer base.”
High Repeat Play
Guests also tend to play Omni Arena repeatedly, especially those who participate in the built-in esports contests. The top team in the monthly contest wins $2,000, real money that entices teams to play again and again.
“We’ve had people play 3-4 times… We’ve seen a lot of repeat play. People absolutely love it!”
Charging $18/play and $350/hour
Combat Ops charges $18 per Omni Arena play, more than any other operator, yet has not seen any pushback from customers. The venue also rents out the entire Omni Arena attraction for birthday parties and corporate events at $350/hour. Most recently, Sweetwater Sound, a large company in Fort Wayne, added 2 hours of Omni Arena to their corporate event package for $700. According to David, it was a “no brainer” for them.
“Operators could get away with charging $19-$20 for it without batting an eye.”
The Most Unique VR Attraction
Before buying Omni Arena, Combat Ops spent several years evaluating every available VR attraction. Why did they select Omni Arena? Hear the answer directly from David:
“Omni Arena is the most unique, and not something people can do at home… it’s a fantastic add-on for us. It’s in a league above the rest. It’s a home-run through and through.”
Considering Omni Arena? Don’t Hesitate!
When we asked David whether he would recommend Omni Arena to other operators, he said: “Absolutely, for sure!” David also complimented Virtuix for our responsive support that keeps his Omni Arena system running smoothly.
“It has the wow factor of something extraordinary, and the revenues are there to back it up.”
Omni Arena is an anchor attraction that can transform your venue and attract a new audience that may not be visiting today!
Watch the complete interview with Combat Ops’ David Dimberio here:
Want to Learn More? Contact us today.
We hope to have the opportunity to work with you!
Best regards,
The Virtuix Team
