“We launched a night event using the whole mall when it closes”

Taking over a mall: how to attract customers by hosting night events?

LASERWAR equipment is used in 101 countries around the world, including Iraq. Our new partners from the “LASER WARZ” laser tag club are one of the brand’s representatives in the country. They not only own a laser tag arena but also serve as the official dealer for the company.

In an interview, club founder Hussein Naji shared a cool hack on how to grab people's attention by hosting unique events. Laser tag is just starting to gain popularity in Iraq but at “LASER WARZ”, there’s already no shortage of customers.

We also spoke with the head of the club about the story behind building their business and how they ultimately decided on LASERWAR equipment.

1. Tell us, how did you come up with the idea to open a laser tag club? Was it a long-time dream or a spontaneous decision?

— We operate the entertainment in a mall we own and laser tag filled a gap that catered for all ages. I remember playing laser tag in the 90s, which was very different. Then paintball and airsoft, both of which have risks to injury and so were not suitable for us. We had a laser tag arena previously but the equipment was limited. After research I came across Laser War’s equipment and was excited about the array of taggers and complimentary devices to expand the game play.

2. Did you have any experience in the entertainment industry or related fields before opening the laser tag club? 

— Yes, I have 10 years of experience in the entertainment sector, mainly targeting kids up to the ages of 12.

3. Why did you choose LASERWAR? What criteria did you consider first (reliability, price, service)? 

— I chose LaserWar as it is Tactical Laser Tag, not normal laser tag with UV paint and large bulky vests that are connected to taggers, which I tell customers. Secondly broad array of weapons, both rental types and realistic for advanced players. Accuracy and a variety of gameplay was also important to us.

4. Did you consider offers from other laser tag manufacturers? What was the deciding factor in favor of our brand? 

— We had past experience looking at other companies but Laserwar was the only one that offered what we were looking for.

5. Which generation of equipment is in your club's arsenal? What types of play sets do you have? 

— We use AlphaTag with a large variety of devices from MP9 for kids and those not wanting to carry larger rifles to Rangers and Warriors for beginners over a certain age. We then have 14 metal rifles from M4s to Scars, AK Steel, P90s, MP5s and shotguns for advanced / military experienced players.

6. Which game scenarios and modes are most popular among your visitors? 

— Team Death Match is the most popular, then Capture Point.

7. Who is your target audience? Is it families, corporate clients, or groups of young people? 

— Originally families as our mall is well known as a family mall. However in the last month we have changed strategy as a mall with new areas opening and are now bringing in a wide array of professionals and students by utilising the laser tag to attract them as we are the only laser tag centre in Baghdad. We are also attracting a lot of current and former military members including SF guys due to the realism of the game. Student organisations and companies are also now contacting us to bring groups to play.

8. How common is laser tag as entertainment in Iraq? 

— With laser tag maintenance is key and something a lot of people fail with in general in Iraq. There were a few other centres but they closed due to lack of maintenance. There’s one other arena in the North of Iraq only.

9. What feedback do you receive from your club's guests?

— What impresses them the most at first? With a new approach over the last month we’ve gained enormous exposure on social media. We launched a night event using the whole mall when it closes, all 6 floors with 40 players and people are loving it. We do a 10 minute warm up in our arena which we designed like a kill house for both daytime play and target competitions using the Wild West targets, then a 30 minute game throughout the mall. It’s different and unique which people are always looking for.

10. Do you plan to expand the club or upgrade your equipment in the future? 

— We are about to place a third order in under 1 year so we can have more players in the night event. We are also looking into expanding into an outdoor wooded area at weekends and will purchase separate equipment for that.

11. What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs who are considering opening a laser tag club? 

— Research your target market and location, what type of arena you want and how many players. Social media is key to attracting customers. Do a full business plan, even if it’s only for yourself. 

Don’t go overboard on equipment at first but build it up over time. Start with enough to cover your target number of players plus a few extra. If for kids and beginners then concentrate on the MP9 Phoenix and AR-15 Rangers, they’ve been solid. If you want more realistic weapons to attract more people, stick to a small selection of metal weapons only to see what people like and expand later. It’s hard not to get carried away due to the vast selection of equipment available but the more gun types you have the harder the maintenance.

Really we are at the beginning of our imagination with our laser tag company. There are so many different events, game plays and scenarios we will be doing in the coming year and beyond, which is only really possible due to the Laser War equipment and software.