Amusement Expo International 2025

Amusement Expo International proved once again to be a wonderful opportunity to check in with the industry leaders in the world of laser tag and amusement attractions during the two days of trade show activity taking place at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Wednesday morning began with the opening ceremonies and cutting of the ribbon to open the show floor.

Once the show was officially underway, visitors from literally all over the world entered the event with booth spaces sold-out to capacity and professionals from all across the amusement industry on hand to meet and network. 

Of course I spent the majority of the show checking in with the laser tag manufacturers who were representing their businesses and meeting with customers.

I interviewed each of the manufacturers in attendance and you’ll hear what they had to share in a forthcoming episode of the Laser Unfocused Tag Talk podcast. Overall, there was a lot of positivity and everyone stayed quite busy during the show.

I know that my blog in many ways serves as the unofficial “laser tag media”, but I appreciated that for the first time I was invited to attend the AEI press conference, which I felt really affirmed that I have found my seat at this table.

During this press conference Brian Glasgow noted “the resurgence of both exhibitors and attendees continues to demonstrate that face-to-face conversations and meetings are vital to the game and out-of-home entertainment industry.”

With 70 new exhibitors and 703 booths sold (up from 653 last year) all signs pointed to this show being quite a success.

Bob Burnham of AMOA noted “The energy is up, the buyers are there. I think people are excited now.” That was definitely the vibe I felt while walking the show floor and often having to wait a bit to talk to people because business was getting done.

I took some time at the end of the press conference to talk with a couple familiar faces. Beth Standlee is the president of AAMA, so working more closely with her this year in preparation for the Laser Tag Summit was a delight.

And I always love chatting with Bob Cooney! 

He is of course the name to know in the world of VR, once again leading the VR Arcade and Attraction Summit (of which I attended a few panels and find the industry knowledge shared to be quite interesting!), but he will also always be a significant part of the history of laser tag as the founder of Laser Storm.

Meanwhile, there were lots of familiar faces out on the show floor as well. Sometimes it surprises me to run into friends from my hometown on the other side of the country!

And I saw many laser tag operators who I already know or had met during the course of the week in Las Vegas.

Without a doubt, this year’s Amusement Expo International had something for everyone in the amusement industry! I was delighted to be part of the planning team for the Laser Tag Summit and look forward to seeing that continue. I am excited to share the interviews and the panels that will provide greater insights for those in the laser tag industry. And I am enthusiastic about the future of laser tag and look ahead with optimism, especially on the heels of such a successful show!

Comments or Questions? 

Contact: Tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com 

Websites: www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com

and https://tiviachick.wixsite.com/photonforever

and https://lasertagmuseum.com

A Night To Tag 4 The Paws

Tag 4 A Cause returned to Battle Blast Laser Tag in Las Vegas with a successful evening of fun, fundraising and fitness to support the local Las Vegas dog rescue organization, A Path 4 Paws. I love that this is a way to use laser tag as a catalyst for raising donations to help wonderful causes like we did on this special event night!

After visiting one of A Path 4 Paws’ dog adoption events over the weekend and seeing their volunteers’ good work in action, I was especially pleased to be able to host this opportunity to raise funds for such a great cause and be joined by the team of volunteers who helped to make this laser tag event such a success!

Battle Blast had been promoting this event with me for the past month and they have been wonderful to partner with to Tag 4 A Cause for the third year in a row.

At the start of the night I was joined by Zane from Battle Blast and A Path 4 Paws volunteers Alicia, Haley, Erika, Zack and Samantha.

We looked forward to an exciting night where anyone who made a donation would receive a resin medal of thanks and if they also played laser tag games during the event their scores would count towards the high score trophy challenge.

My thanks to Marsigliano’s Pizzeria for donating pizza samples for the participants. We really enjoyed the delicious food!

This was a chance for community outreach where participants could learn more about A Path 4 Paws and the dog adoption opportunities they have while chatting with the volunteers at our table.

I must say, the competition for the trophy was intense! Congratulations to Jack who won the trophy with his score of 77!

The night was a huge success with a great group of participants and a nice amount of donations raised to help A Path 4 Paws continue their work in finding dogs forever homes.

Thank you again to Battle Blast Laser Tag and everyone who helped us Tag 4 A Cause! And as a special bonus, remember earlier in the week when I shared this photo of my new buddy Tofu from the adoption event?

Great news! Tofu has a new family and did in fact find his forever home!

This is such a happy ending that affirms we really do help to make a difference when we Tag 4 A Cause!

Comments or Questions? 

Contact: Tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com 

Websites: www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com

and https://tiviachick.wixsite.com/photonforever

and https://lasertagmuseum.com

A Different Kind of Tag

I heard through the grapevine that Spy Ninjas HQ in Las Vegas had ZTAG available to play in their Ninja Tag arena, so I had to check this out! 

I had never played ZTAG before (other than trying demos at the trade shows), so I was intrigued to see what this game was really about. Originally it was marketed as a phaser-free laser tag game, but to my mind this is better described as “proximity tag”. It works and “tags” when wrist units are in close proximity to one another.

I looked forward to having a unique experience. ZTAG is not always utilized, but by request or with larger groups it is an available option. This gear is a new addition in the last few months, easily brought in and out of the Ninja Tag course as needed with this portable tech box. 

My thanks to Izzy, the Spy Ninjas HQ manager who facilitated a game for me to play with staff members Sam and Jimmie. 

Kam set us up to play a Zombie game where my wrist unit turned red (identifying me as the zombie) and my goal was to get close enough to the other players’ green wrist units to turn them red in this infection-style format. This was more intense than I expected!

We chased each other around in and out of tunnels, foam ramps…

…and while traversing plexiglass-bottom walkways to see the activities below…

And from the highest peaks of the soft-play obstacle space.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, this video has got to be worth even more!

Suffice it to say, I have never played a game of tag quite like this! It may not be a traditional kind of laser tag, but it definitely provides a unique kind of tag entertainment that elevated my experience here.

According to ZTAG inventor Quan Gan, this game is not only entertainment at its core, but the units are also being used in schools and educational environments that “align with our mission of promoting physical activity, social interaction, and learning through fun and creativity.” Well, all three of those objectives were definitely met during this game.

What an experience this was to play my first game of ZTAG at Spy Ninjas HQ!

Comments or Questions? 

Contact: Tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com 

Websites: www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com

and https://tiviachick.wixsite.com/photonforever

and https://lasertagmuseum.com