Creative Works’ attraction education programme LaserTag360 has been rebranded to Amusement 360 and will include upgraded training initiatives for start-ups and operators.
LaserTag360 started in 2011 as an event designed to help operators open immersive attractions at new or existing family entertainment centres. The event originally focused on laser tag but over the years Creative Works has expanded the content to deliver 360-degree education that applies to any attraction.
The new name of Amusement 360 makes it more apparent that the initiative goes well beyond laser tag. Danny Gruening, Creative Works’ VP of marketing, explained the decision to rebrand.
“For many years, our educational content has covered all aspects of entertainment development and operations. The new Amusement 360 name more accurately represents the content we’ve already created and it allows us to continue building new content to cater to the evolving needs of operators in this industry.”
The education event has grown substantially for Creative Works over the last few years and 2019 saw a record number of attendees. In addition to the event, the company wanted to provide additional educational materials, industry discounts and training and operations initiatives for FEC operators.
The new Amusement 360 programme consists of three main pillars: 360 Event (formerly the LaserTag360 event), 360 Insights and 360 Training. 360 Insights allow operators to jump in right away with free educational articles and videos on the website. 360 Event is three days of amusement education for both start-ups and operators and 360 Training provides personalised, on-site attraction training for employees and owners.
For those who attend 360 Event, there is free access to 360 Advantage, a collection of exclusive discounts, deals and offers from the partners and vendors who support it. The total value of these discounts exceeds US$20,000.
The first 360 Event will take place on February 18-20, 2020, in Indianapolis, Indiana, US. Two more events are scheduled in 2020, from June 8-10 and from October 6-8.
“This event is one of my favourite parts about working in this industry,” said Gruening. “I love bringing together aspiring entrepreneurs, operators and industry experts for multiple days of learning and networking. We have some amazing content planned for 2020 and we expect all three events to sell out.”
Creative Works has educated hundreds of operators over the years and says it looks forward to continuing to assist many more operators in any way possible. Brit Jacobs from Langer Entertainment, Oregon, US, said the event is: “A must for the owner considering building or upgrading a facility. Would recommend revisiting every three years at a minimum.”
“I learn something every time, even though we’ve been in the business as long as we have,” added Joe Aboid, owner of US operator Putt Putt Fun Center.
