General News (8)
Laser Tag opens at noon this Saturday, May 18th, at Columbus Event Center. Visit our laser tag page for a full schedule and pricing. The system originally shipped last Monday, and we have been working diligently to get ready for this weekend's launch. It's been a looong week or so with plenty of late nights (which is why we are a little behind in posting league stories and photos - sorry), but as you can tell from the photo above, we are nearly ready to go.
Laser Tag is a game in which participants use vests and phasers to tag other participants to earn points. Our laser tag system uses color-changing vests that have multiple sensors built-in, and a phaser (laser gun) to play. Our arena is split into two colored zones, one green and the other red, which is necessary for certain themed games, team play, or leagues. Players navigate through the arena, using these barricades to protect their lives/points, and to get off spectacular shots to earn themselves points. Our system has a variety of themed games, including the most common "every man for themselves" style of play.
We will offer two different admission options for laser tag. The first, which we call "Open Play," keeps the line moving by continually sending new players into the arena for the duration of their game. While other players will already be in the arena (having played part of their allotted time), new players will start with a fresh clock. During open play, all players will complete the full length of a paid game. So, players will be coming and going from the arena during open play. This also means that if you bring a group of friends or family along, you will be joining (and later joined by) other participants.
If you are looking to have the arena to yourselves for the duration of a game, you can opt for "Reserved Play." As the name implies, Reserved Play blocks out a time on our game system, allowing just you and your friends or family to enjoy a game of laser tag without any other players joining in. One additional feature of Reserved Play is the option to choose from one of seven themed games. More details about these themed games is available at the Event Center. Games can also be handicapped to level the playing field, if so desired.
Cost for a single Open Play game is just $4/person. For Reserved Play, the cost is $6/person. If you plan on playing more than one game, save by taking advantage of our Triple Play discount. Three games of Open Play cost just $10, and just $15 for Reserved Play. Regardless of which type of game play you choose, families can take advantage of our Family Discount, where each member of the immediate family (parents and siblings) get $1 off. Our Family Rate can not be combined with any other offer, including Triple Play options.
Laser tag will be open to all ages on Saturdays through Monday evenings, with a special session for those 14 years of age and older on Tuesdays (5-7pm), and a separate "Adult Night" for those 21 & older on Tuesdays (7-9pm). If enough interest exists, laser tag leagues would be held on Monday evenings starting at 7pm. Visit our laser tag page for a full schedule and pricing.
Please keep in mind that this is brand new to all of us, and our schedule is subject to change depending upon customer demand. We look forward to seeing you at the Event Center on Saturday, May 18th, at 12pm (noon)!
It's official: Columbus Event Center will be adding laser tag to its lineup! Just ordered this week, the equipment is expected to arrive in early to mid-May. We are tentatively scheduling a "launch date" of Saturday, May 18th. Be sure to mark your calendars for mid-May, and watch our website for more details as we get closer to launch.
Columbus Event Center is currently working on adding a new attraction to its facility in the very near future...LASER TAG! The Event Center hopes to have final confirmation within the next couple of weeks, with a target launch date of mid-May.
Because of our current ongoing indoor soccer, dodgeball, and roller hockey leagues, which won't be wrapped up until the first week of May, we will not be offering this attraction until early to mid-May at the earliest. Once all Spring sports leagues are completed, the Event Center (located at Wishbones) will convert the rink floor into a laser tag arena. The facility will still continue to host roller skating on Friday nights, but our current plans are that the rink will be converted over to laser tag from Saturdays through Thursdays. This schedule is subject to change, and will depend upon other possible Summer activities at the Event Center.
When operating as a laser tag facility, the Event Center will be open to the general public and available to host birthday parties as well. Depending upon the level of interest, laser tag leagues and/or tournaments will be held on certain nights or times of day, and will be offered for all ages. Also planned will be a separate adult night (21 & Over), as well as a certain time slot or evening for high school and college ages. Anyone interested in getting their name(s) in for a league or tournament can currently do so by emailing us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or leave a message at (402) 562-5663.
It is currently expected that laser tag will be a seasonal option at the Event Center while located at Wishbones. Due to our current lack of space, it is expected that laser tag will be offered only from mid-May through mid-October, with other special appearances during the Fall and Winter months. There is a possibility that laser tag will continue to be offered a minimum of one night per week throughout the year, depending upon the sports league schedules. With a move into a new facility in our future plans, laser tag will be offered year-round and will always be available in addition to roller skating and other activities at any new, future location.
Our goal at Columbus Event Center is to offer a variety of family-oriented, fun options for all ages here in the Columbus area. A full calendar will be available once this addition is confirmed. Please stay tuned to ColumbusEventCenter.com for further developments.
Columbus Event Center continues to move forward on plans to relocate into or build a new facility to house its events and activities. As we continue to finalize our plans and proposals, more exciting options could possibly be available for the city of Columbus than previously imagined.
Of course, there is the larger skating rink surface, which also means a larger court for indoor soccer and roller hockey. It also means the addition of new sports leagues not currently available at the Event Center (or in town at all) presently. It also means more opportunities for large-scale community events, concerts, and other shows also not possible at our current location.
There are plans for a much larger arcade than is currently possible, including other exciting family entertainment options not currently available in Columbus. We're kicking around a few ideas for outdoors as well during the warmer months, so don't think we're only about the indoor stuff!
We are also looking into an expanded menu, or even the possibility of a full-blown kitchen. Some of these options will be coming soon to the existing location at Wishbones, as we plan to expand our concession menu in the near future with the purchase of a new oven. This will open up a new line of snacks and meals not previously available. A new Event Center would further expand upon that as well.
But, what if we built an ice rink instead of a roller rink? And, what if one of the most exciting possibilities yet could be our very own ice hockey franchise? Are you excited about our future plans yet?
Please consider supporting the Event Center currently located in the former Wishbones building just outside of Columbus on Highway 81. With your help and support, many great, exciting things could be coming to Columbus in the very near future! Be sure to spread the word, enjoy a night of skating or register for one or more of our leagues, and stay tuned for more updates as we work towards bringing a new Event Center to Columbus!
Be sure to check out this article for details on how you can help. Click here to read it.
For many years, we have been talking about and planning for a new, larger skating rink for Columbus. We have added new programs, laid the foundation for others not possible at our current location, and investigated a variety of different possibilities for such a new facility or location. We have been doing research, formulating specific plans, and assembling a variety of different options. Building plans have been drawn up, alterations and potential changes have been discussed, and a solid plan has emerged for us going forward.
Now is the time! Our "best-case scenario" goal is to open the doors at a new location by Fall of 2014. We need your help more than ever. As these plans come together in the near future, one thing is certain...we must have the support of the community to make this happen. Will you join us and support our efforts? Can you help us make this dream a reality for the citizens of Columbus? We need your help! Here's how:
1) Obviously, a project such as this requires a great deal of financial support. Now, we're not here asking for money. To fund a project like this would take tens of thousands of kids involved in all of our programs to just make this happen outright. So, simply signing up for a league or stopping out for a skate session won't pay off the cost of such a project. But, it does help. We are looking for such support not only to help make loan payments and cover costs, but to also show that the Columbus community supports a project just like this. By supporting us through attending a public skate session (or two), signing up for one of our leagues or clinics, or hosting your next party at the rink, you show that Columbus wants such a facility, and also that the community as a whole is willing to support it being around for many years to come. In return, not only will you help us bring a new, larger skating rink into Columbus in the near future, you get the immediate satisfaction of participating in a fun league or event. Your continued support up to this point has brought us closer to achieving our goals, but we must step it up. Tell your friends, neighbors, family, and anyone else to help support this project.
2) Another way you can help us out is by helping us network. Facebook and Twitter are among the best ways to spread such a message throughout the area (and even the world). As we move forward with this project, as we post updates and stories, or even add special events and registration dates to our calendar, your help in promoting these items will only grow interest and support for this endeavor.
3) We want to build this facility "by Columbus, for Columbus." We want to build this using construction companies, materials, and workers from the Columbus community. We don't want to go out of town or out of state to make this happen. Help us keep this project local. Local businesses, organizations, and individuals who help us make this happen will be recognized permanently in the lobby of the new facility, as well as in other ways. If interested in investing in this project, or in providing a "hometown discount" in exchange for permanent recognition, please contact us today. These opportunities are available on a first come, first serve basis, so don't delay!
4) Tell your parents. Yes, the great majority of our current activities are kid oriented. While the new facility will only expand on those options for kids, we will also have more entertainment options available for parents and families as well. So, even parents have a reason to jump on board with this project. Our planned facility will offer even more fun for everyone! Any parents who are interested in learning more about our plans, or to become actively involved with this project should contact us today.
5) We are still taking your ideas. We don't have all of the answers. We've always taken pride in taking recommendations, suggestions, and concerns from our customers and the community and using them to make improvements and other changes to our business. The same is true for our future facility. We still want to hear your ideas for the new facility, from new programs and entertainment options to our concession stand menu. Whatever you would like to see happen, just let us know. We have received plenty of great ideas, many of which have already been worked into our future plans. So, keep 'em coming!
Be sure to watch our website, as well as our Facebook page (or follow us on Twitter) for the latest news and updates on this project. Be sure to use the links below to share this article (and any others) with your friends and family. Also, tell your parents to visit our website to stay updated and informed as well. We need the support of not only the kids, but adults as well.
Thanks for all of your help, and we look forward to coming together as a community to make this happen!
Columbus Event Center continues to move forward with plans to relocate into Columbus in the near future. In an effort to keep the public informed of our intentions, we wanted to release another update. Based upon current goals we have established, it is possible that we could be opening our doors from a new location as early as 2014. If we simply relocate into an existing building inside the city, it is very possible that 2014 could be a good year for Columbus. Or, if we decide to build new, and are able to acquire financing early on, that could also be a possibility. Although, it would be more probable (with new construction) that we would begin construction in 2014, with the doors not opening at a new home until the following year. More details of our plan are written below.
As we have mentioned previously, we are actively looking at relocating or building a new facility for the Columbus Event Center. While we have been working hard on these plans for some time, we feel we are in a good position to begin moving forward with planning for such a project.
The first step for helping us create a successful plan for this project is to gather input from the Columbus-area community. We are needing your ideas to help us determine just what we should offer at a new location. This information gathering phase will be broken down into several parts or opportunities for your suggestions. We will host online forums for kids to provide their ideas, and we will likely do the same for adults as well. We will also host a series of informal meetings (face-to-face) with anyone from the public who wishes to contribute ideas or be actively involved in helping us reach our goal.
Our online forums for kids to contribute their ideas have now been posted, and are available at our Facebook fan page (www.facebook.com/columbuseventcenter). We invite all kids, whether you have ever been to "the rink" or not, to give us your ideas and suggestions for what type of facility we should build. The discussion is broken down into different categories, including ENTERTAINMENT, SPORTS & LEAGUES, and LOCATION. Feel free to take part in as many of the discussions as you would like.
Every little bit helps. Every suggestion will be taken into consideration as we plan our next move. We appreciate your help!
Watch for other updates throughout the Summer and beyond here at our official website, our Facebook page, or on Twitter. Thanks again to everyone for your suggestions!
Columbus Event Center, currently located in the former Wishbones building just west of Columbus on Highway 81, has been working on plans for relocating or constructing a new facility in the near future. It has long been our plans to accomplish this goal, in order to better serve our customers with additional opportunities not presently available at our current location.
While we have already thought of several additions to our entertainment and sports lineup, we are requesting the input of our community for further direction. It has always been our goal that whenever relocation or construction was to take place, that this became a true Columbus project. Our goal has always been to involve the citizens of Columbus in planning our future expansion, as well as using local businesses to help create such a facility with local labor and materials, ultimately keeping as much money from such a project in our community as possible.
In the near future, we will be asking for your input on what our new location or facility should offer. No idea is too big or too small. We will be setting up online discussion, as well as meetings that will be open to attendance from anyone in the public. We honestly want to know what the citizens of Columbus want to see offered here in town, and we hope that this project will make many of those desires possible. Your input is critical to the planning, design, and location of our future facility.
If you would like to become involved in this project, whether as a volunteer citizen or local business, please feel free to contact us at (402)562-5663. We look forward to some great discussion and brainstorming in helping build a better, more entertaining Columbus, Nebraska.
Please watch our website for more information, coming soon.
