Getting to attend the 30th anniversary of Ultrazone Fort Wayne in Indiana was such a wonderful experience! This is quite a milestone for a legacy, standalone laser tag center that was not only the first laser tag in Fort Wayne when they opened three decades ago, but has also resonated strongly with me over the last ten years of my own laser tag journey.
I had first heard about the event from manager Paige Herman who reached out about a month ago to ask if I might provide some laser tag history to share with their players and guests. Happily! Then last week I saw a few Fort Wayne players while we were all playing in Ohio, so my resolve to be there became even stronger. It was well worth making the travel from New York.
As soon as I got out of my rental car I heard a voice call out “is that who I think it is?!” Imagine my surprise when the inflatable balloon man waving out front (aka Cody) comes to life, calls my name and rushes over to say hello!
I ask if I can hug him in this costume, not sure if it will pop!
Waving to me from his seat by the front door where he was soaking the sun (as it was a PERFECT weather day) was owner Pat O’Connor, who I had not actually met until this day. He was such a delight, as were his wife and his daughter Mary, who I met throughout my visit. He escorted me in where I immediately saw more familiar faces. Ultrazone is a little like Cheers, where everybody knows your name!
There were plenty of activities planned for the day including an ice cream truck, balloon animals, coffee, face painting and prize wheel. They also had my favorite thing…30th anniversary tag swag!
Thank you to Pat for hooking me up with some awesome souvenirs to add to my collection.
We ventured into the side room where I signed the anniversary wall.
Then I saw a bit more of the collection display I had prepared showing up on the monitor. They were playing the “History of Zone and Ultrazone Fort Wayne” video that I had sent to Paige to serve as a virtual “Traveling Museum Collection” display, in lieu of my not being able to bring all these artifacts with me on the plane! ;)
It was truly delightful to see players enjoying the history that was showcased in this video. I tailored a special version for the occasion, including many highlights specific to Ultrazone Fort Wayne, then added an archival version of the “History of Zone” to the traveling exhibit series at LaserTagMuseum.com.
I had shared this video in advance with the team at Zone Laser Tag… and speaking of Zone, who should show up but Simon!
Ultrazone had some examples of Zone phasers from over the years available to hold for photos. This seems like an opportunity for a past, present and future photo op for sure!
From here I needed to seek out some nostalgia with a return to the arena where I have enjoyed many laser tag experiences over the years, going all the way back to my very first visit to Ultrazone Fort Wayne to play in the Battle for the Fort in 2016 with this awesome team, Ascendance!
So, back into the arena, but with a very different game experience ahead of me. I started tagging with the completely inconspicuous Cody!
Want to see how that game went?
And while that game was a LOT of fun, I couldn’t say I had the full experience this trip until finally getting into the laser tag arena and playing Zone against Simon!
I joined the other familiar faces on my team and it was cool to have a reunion vibe with these guys.
Meanwhile, Simon took some of the younger players under his wing for some in-game coaching, which was really delightful to see.
During the course of the day I had a chance to break away for some interview time with Pat, Paige and Mary.
They will all be appearing on the next episode of the Laser Unfocused Tag Talk podcast, which will post this coming Friday.
I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to be present for this event. To achieve success with a business and thrive in the laser tag industry with a standalone attraction like this for three decades is an amazing accomplishment! The fact that I can feel so connected to this place while living halfway across the country is testament to how special their laser tag community here really is. I never cease to be amazed at how laser tag brings people together, whether it’s across town, across the country or quite literally across the globe. It was such a privilege for me to be able to take part in this celebration with so many familiar faces. Congratulations to Ultrazone Fort Wayne on 30 exceptional years in business. You have truly created a legacy laser tag experience!
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Contact: Tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com
Websites: www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com
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