Virtuix, developer of the “Omni Arena” virtual reality esports attraction, announced that industry veterans Lisa Chapman and Marisa Garris have joined the Virtuix sales team as National Sales Manager and Director of Business Development, respectively.
Together, Chapman and Garris bring more than 30 years of experience in the amusement industry to Virtuix. Prior to joining Virtuix, Chapman was a sales executive at Embed for nearly seven years. Most recently, Garris served as the sales manager at Embed. Chapman and Garris will work alongside Virtuix sales manager Sergio Garcia, who joined Virtuix from Exit Reality earlier this year.
“Selling a virtual reality attraction wasn’t on my radar,” said Garris. “But when I tried Omni Arena in Austin, I was taken by surprise. It was such a different experience, and I realized this is the future for our industry. The attraction is a turnkey solution from start to finish and gives guests a reason to return.”
Lisa Chapman echoed a similar story. “Before I flew to Austin to meet with the Virtuix team, I wasn’t even thinking about VR,” said Chapman. “When I played Omni Arena, I found myself laughing like a little school girl. It’s an incredible product, and Jan and his team demonstrated a willingness to listen, learn, and respond to customer needs.”
“We’re thrilled that Lisa and Marisa are joining our team,” said Jan Goetgeluk, Founder and CEO of Virtuix. “Given their wealth of knowledge and expertise in our industry, they can truly help our customers navigate the landscape of dozens of VR attractions and provide practical advice on how VR and esports can increase revenues at family entertainment centres.”
Entertainment venues are rushing to add VR attractions at a dizzying pace. Family entertainment centres, go-kart tracks, bowling centres, movie theatres, casinos, and even shopping malls are scrambling to keep up with consumers’ desire for immersive entertainment. “Now that it’s been proven VR isn’t a just another fad, the demand for VR is accelerating,” added Goetgeluk. “I’ve been watching this trend develop for six years. I’ve never seen the volume of calls and inquiries we are getting now. Three to four customer groups each week are visiting us in Austin to see and experience Omni Arena. That’s why we needed to expand the size of our sales team.”
Omni Arena is an anchor attraction for entertainment venues that includes managed, ongoing prize contests with a $50,000 prize pool sponsored by Virtuix, HP, and HTC. The attraction’s revenues at FEC sites to date average $20K/month, achieving 30% repeat plays and an ROI of less than 6 months. In recent months Virtuix has installed Omni Arena systems at Dave & Buster’s in Austin, Sky Zone in Atlanta, and Rockin’ Raceway in Pigeon Forge, among other venues nationwide.