Recent Projects

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May 2009 – Oakdale, MN.

Mech Resistance begins in Minnesota

Mike Anderson, owner of the Pinz entertainment center, was looking to create a state-of-the-art bowling center that would rival the others in his marketplace. He was looking to create the WOW factor when people first walk through his doors and to continue that experience throughout their visit. He contacted on of the top architectural firms for bowling centers in the country, Fitzgerald and Associates out of Oklahoma, to put together a plan that would usher in the next generation of bowling sites. From the beginning he was looking for the best in attractions, products, and services. He came to Creative Works to help create a laser tag arena like no other.
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Visit them at http://www.pinz.com

April 2009 – Ames, IA.

1920's Gangsters take over small town family entertainment center

Bryan and Shelley Kinneer approached us in late 2008 about the new family entertainment center that they were opening called Perfect Games. The center was planned to include 24 lanes of bowling, a multi-level laser tag attraction, inflatables for the younger kids, a sports bar, and a full restaurant. To create a unique facility, they wanted customized theming for a 1920’s to 1940’s gangster concept - Chicago style. With movies such as Dick Tracy and Roger Rabbit as reference material, they approached us to develop Gangster Quest.
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Visit them at http://www.perfectgamesinc.com

April 2009 – Raytown, MO.

Kansas City area bowling center retrofits to add themed laser tag attraction

The owners of the Premier Bowling & Recreation Center, Min Lam and Laura Do, approached Creative Works to design a themed laser tag environment for their bowling facility that would be visually appealing to their guests yet would be low-cost to their bank account. Since purchasing the business less than two years ago, they had steadily refurbished different sections of the facility and were looking to do something with an inactive billiards and seating area.
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March 2009 – Syracuse, UT.

Sparetime Family Fun Center discovers the Lost City in Utah

Providing their guests with a mix of attractions including bowling, laser tag, video and redemption arcade games, indoor and outdoor miniature golf, batting cages, go karts, and more, the Sparetime Family Fun Center offers guests a wild adventure to a Lost City hidden deep in the jungle. The Theme Factory was brought in to deliver the WOW Effect in their laser tag attraction, and we went all out to give them something never before seen.
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Visit them at http://www.sparetime-ut.com

January 2009 – Timonium, MD.

The industrial revolution comes to Maryland

Red Zone Adventures in Timonium, MD. offers guests miniature golf, a toddler's play area, mini bowling, a lazer maze, an arcade, laser tag, concession food, and party rooms. The Theme Factory sent in the Theme Team to create an industrial warehouse environment in both the miniature golf and laser tag attractions. These two themed environments were loaded up with props and gritty scenery including industrial-sized fans, wood and metal crate stacks, large crane arms, twisted metal and debris, and much more.
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Visit them at http://www.redzoneadventures.com

November 2008 – Mankato, MN.

Jungle Props abound at The Wow Zone Family Entertainment Center

Our Theme Team paid a recent visit to Mankato, Minnesota over the week of November 19th to theme the WOW Zone Family Entertainment Center. The WOW Zone offers 16 lanes of bowling, a 3,000 square foot 2 level laser tag arena, 9-hole miniature golf course, arcade, and wood oven pizza kitchen. We themed their laser tag in our “Space Marines” theme, a futuristic space environment similar to that found in popular video games such as Half Life, Unreal Tournament, and Halo. Their 9-hole miniature golf course was given the Jungle Quest theme, with life size animals such as lions, gorillas, and tropical birds. Thick jungle foliage is growing from the walls and a life-size Jeep is crashing through the entrance to navigate the rough terrain.
Visit them at http://www.victorybowl.com

October 2008 – Lakeville, MN.

"BATTLE QUEST - Mech Resistance" theme chosen by BRUNSWICK ZONE XL

The Theme Factory has themed yet another Brunswick Zone XL as we traveled to Lakeville, MN. We installed a 3,200 square foot 2 level Battle Quest arena in Brunswick’s newest facility. This is the fourth Brunswick Zone XL we have done recently, as we also worked with them on their locations in Algonquin, IL., Blaine, MN., and Saint Peters, MO. They have chosen to use varying themes in their facilities, from Space Quest and Battle Quest - Mech Factory to Battle Quest - Mech Resistance, giving each its own unique look and feel.
Visit them at http://www.bowlbrunswick.com

July 2008 – Villawood, NSW, Australia

Theme Factory creates Dinosaurs for AMF BOWLING CENTERS

Our Theme Team went to Australia to install a Dinosaur Experience for one of AMF’s M-9 locations. We created overgrown jungle scenes with a feel similar to the movie Jurassic Park. Our theming work included 5 foot tall raptors, a T-Rex head busting through the wall, and a large volcano. We delivered the “WOW EFFECT” to Australia with a Jurassic twist as we created a one of a kind experience in Villawood NSW. Projects

In The News

THE THEME FACTORY WILL BE EXHIBITING at these events in 2009

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July 2008 – FUN WORLD magazine

Theme Factory environment featured in Algonquin, IL. facility

A picture of our Battle Quest themed environment in Algonquin, IL was featured in the recent article “On Target: More family entertainment centers enter the laser tag arena” from the July 2008 issue of Fun World magazine. This article discussed how "laser tag continues to hit the mark at family entertainment centers around the world" showing that the number of FECs that opened with laser tag almost doubled in the five years from 2002 to 2007. It also mentioned laser tag's wide appeal to a large audience, some new trends in the laser tag industry including two-level arenas and technology improvements to the equipment, and discussed tips to improving the operation of the attraction.

May/June 2008 – RINKSIDER magazine

Two Theme Factory projects featured in Kentucky and Illinois

The “Beyond Roller Skating” section from the May-June 2008 issue of Rinksider included two articles that referenced Creative Works and our themed laser tag arenas. One of the featured facilities in the article “Want great laser tag income? Three operators advise to focus on the details,” was Champs in Kentucky, a Creative Works installation from 2007. The second article “ ILTA helps navigate the facts about multi-level laser tag arenas,” featured pictures of a Creative Works arena from Illinois. News

Press Releases

March 2009

Fun Expo 2009 - LAZER FRENZY attraction released

Creative Works released its newest themed attraction for the entertainment industry this month in Las Vegas at the FUN EXPO tradeshow, receiving interest from a wide variety of venues and fielding many questions from attendees. As described by the company, LAZER FRENZY is an arcade-style attraction that combines the exhilarating, high-tech excitement of interactive lasers with LED technology that literally gets the player inside the game. Taking up as little as 150 square feet and offering a variety of game formats and scenarios, LAZER FRENZY appeals to a broad audience with great revenue potential. "I'm very excited by the response from attendees here at the show." said Jeff Schilling, founder of Creative Works and project leader on the development of the new attraction. "We really think the LAZER FRENZY attraction is positioned to be one of the most popular and exciting attractions to hit the industry in years due to its low price point for operators, the variety of game scenarios available to guests, and the high revenue potential for our clients." To learn more about LAZER FRENZY, click here. Watch the NEW VIDEO Read the Press Release

March 2009

Jeff Schilling panels discussion at Fun Expo tradeshow

As part of this year's Fun Expo show, Mr. Schilling spoke to a crowded hall of entrepreneurs looking to add the profitable attraction of laser tag. Topics of discussion included site selection and site development as well as industry numbers and more. Participants walked away with great resources and educational information about the game, the revenue potential, costs for set-up and other critical data to help them lower their learning curve as they moved forward. It was an engaging fast-paced session that brought together key statistics and core fundamentals so people could get the real answers to their questions before they jumped in feet first.

January 2009

Creative Works unveils new website and new brand

The Creative Works Theme Factory announced the release of its new corporate website this week, re-branding itself with a new color palette throughout the site and incorporating a completely new logo. The new site gives website visitors a "behind-the-scenes" tour of the Theme Factory to show how their artists and craftsmen create themed props and scenery that can be found all over the world, and also showcases an updated Portfolio to display their latest work.

November 2008

The Theme Factory exhibits at IAAPA Expo 2008 in Orlando, FL.

Creative Works exhibited for the first time this year at IAAPA and was greeted with an overwhelmingly positive response from individuals, start up projects, competitors, and large well known companies for the quality and detail of our themed props. “We wanted to create an environment that would appeal too many and showcase the various talents we’ve honed over the years,” said Jeff Schilling, founder of Creative Works. Some of the memorable pieces included the 15 foot tall metallic red robot with four arms, the caveman holding the gecko, the cartoon-like giraffe breaking free from a crate, and the giant Theme Factory sign with gears and pistons in the background. “Thank you to all of our partners and friends for your help, and to the folks who stopped by to find out more about how we can deliver the WOW Effect.”

September 2008

Theme Factory principals speak at Fun Expo Trade Show

Held in Las Vegas, the International Association for the Leisure and Entertainment Industry attracted owners, operators and investors across the U.S. and abroad to the desert sun. Filled with products, services, and seminars this show is one of the best to attend for those who are in or wish to get into the family fun business. Of special interest was a 4 hour segment entitled “Laser Tag Fundamentals”. For new operators, this fast-paced energetic workshop focused on the laser tag industry’s history and statistics, the keys to site selection, site development, operations and marketing for a successful laser tag attraction. For experienced laser tag operators, the workshop solved the challenges of lackluster operations, ineffective marketing promotions and slumping sales. Overall, it focused on proven “turn-around” strategies, keys to competing in your marketplace, and operations and marketing best practices. Press