ValoArena and ValoJump at AREA 254, Texas USA

Expanding AREA 254 without losing its identity

Located in Killeen, Texas, AREA 254 is a 44,500-square-foot family entertainment center with bowling, laser tag, bumper cars, an arcade with more than 100 games, self-pour beverage stations, and robotic food delivery.

Owner and Co-Founder Jim Lewis originally envisioned the business as a destination for adults first.

"We originally opened thinking that we wanted to serve young adults and older adults. Kids will play where adults play, but adults don't want to play where kids play."

That philosophy shaped the original attraction mix while leaving room to evolve over time.

The team knew its roller skating rink occupied a large amount of square footage and always planned to reevaluate that space once the business was established.

Eventually, AREA 254 replaced the skating rink with a new attraction zone called the Launch Complex, combining slides, zip lines, sports courts, ninja elements, ValoArena, and two ValoJump attractions.

The goal was to attract younger families without changing the identity of the business.

Choosing reliability over operational headaches

Before selecting ValoArena, Lewis explored numerous immersive attractions, including several free-roam VR concepts.

The experiences themselves were impressive, but he kept coming back to operational realities.

"We thought all of those other things were going to have real choke points with regard to equipment that's going to be expensive to maintain and also will require an attendant."

AREA 254 intentionally operates with a lean staff, making reliability a major consideration.

"We operate with only about 35 employees, which is not very many."

Instead of adding another attraction that required constant oversight, Lewis prioritized simplicity.

"We did the ValoArena first because the reputation was that Valo Motion products work. They don't break down. In this environment, that's important."

Using ValoArena to strengthen the pass

AREA 254 originally operated ValoArena as a pay-per-play attraction and saw strong performance.

The attraction was on pace to generate approximately $55,000 to $60,000 annually.

Even so, Lewis believed it could create more value elsewhere in the business.

After roughly a year of operation, the team moved ValoArena into its Launch Complex pass alongside ValoJump and several other active attractions.

"It wasn't a decision we came to lightly because ValoArena was on track to bring in about $55,000 or $60,000 in revenue for the year. But we thought it adds so much value to the pass that it just makes sense."

Guests now receive two hours of access to multiple attractions within a single experience.

The strategy has worked.

"Pass sales have grown substantially."

That growth is especially meaningful because the broader industry has experienced softer demand.

"I've got to say that the ValoArena and ValoJump are a significant part of that because it is definitely part of the value proposition."

An experience parents will actually join

ValoArena quickly proved itself as an attraction that entire families could enjoy together.

For birthday parties, it allows guests to move efficiently through the experience without long waits.

"By being able to get six people in at a time, you can rotate a whole birthday party in two or three attempts, and then everybody can go on to other things."

Parents have embraced it, too.

"Adults like it, kids like it, so therefore adults and their kids would like it. It seemed like a really fun family activity, and I think it's proven to be that."

Lewis also appreciates that adults can participate without feeling intimidated.

"They can be a little bit active, but they're not going to hurt themselves."

The result is an attraction that naturally brings generations together.

"Whole families can get in there and have a lot of fun together, regardless of their age."

Running a large venue with a small team

Operating a 44,500-square-foot entertainment center with only 35 employees requires careful decisions about every attraction added to the floor.

"We think that ultimately standing around and talking to one another leads to terrible service. So we run with a lean staff, but we pay them well and give them the ability to make decisions as they need to solve problems."

That same philosophy influenced the decision to invest further in Valo Motion products.

After adding ValoArena, AREA 254 later installed two ValoJump units.

The experience with the first installation made the decision easier.

"Valo Motion already had a reputation for being pretty bulletproof, and certainly it proved that up when we bought the ValoArena, which made buying the ValoJump a much easier decision too."

Lewis says operational simplicity is one of Valo Motion's biggest differentiators.

"One thing that distinguishes the Valo Motion products is that they are friction-free and headache-free from an operator perspective."

Without headsets, controllers, or complex wearable equipment, there are simply fewer points of failure.

"We don't have to call Valo Motion and find out if their customer service is good or bad because the products continue to work."

Groundfall keeps guests coming back

When introducing new guests to ValoArena, Lewis already knows which game he will recommend.

"My go-to, of course, is Groundfall because it's just so easy to understand. If you aren't stepping on a rock and you fall into the lava, stay out of the lava."

Its intuitive gameplay makes it easy for first-time players to jump right in.

"I've never seen anybody walk out of that game going, 'Well, that wasn't very fun.' They're always walking out smiling."

Reliability is part of the guest experience

For Lewis, the appeal of ValoArena is straightforward. It gives AREA 254 something unique that families can enjoy together without creating additional work behind the scenes.

"We wanted to introduce something that's really cool, that people haven't seen anywhere else, and that will work."

That matters because guests notice when attractions are unavailable.

"We wanted to avoid guests walking in and going, 'Huh, I wonder what that is. I bet it would be neat if it worked.'"

For AREA 254, reliability is part of the guest experience.

And for operators evaluating immersive attractions, Lewis believes simplicity matters just as much as innovation.

"While the other products each have their own individual bell or whistle that's fun, collectively there's just too much that can go wrong with the other products. We wanted to avoid that."

(ValoArena and ValoJump figures reflect data collected as of July 22, 2026, covering the full period since each product's installation at Area 254)