In 1983, one year out of college, I had a piece of mail come across my desk at Chilton Vending that caught my attention. It was a flyer for the AMOA-sponsored Notre Dame Executive Development Program. I didn't know a lot about AMOA at that time, but I had sure heard of Notre Dame. I thought it would be great to go to an industry-sponsored educational program at this famed university. I called the AMOA office and the only real question I had was: "Is it really held on the campus at Notre Dame?" The answer was yes, so I sent in my check for $300 for the initial three-day program.
I had never been to South Bend, Indiana. It's a short flight over Lake Michigan from Chicago in a commuter plane. I've been on many small planes since, and I still don't like them any more than I did that first time. The school is a 20-minute taxi ride from the South Bend airport. It is striking when you turn left on to the main University entrance drive and see the famous golden dome at the center of campus.
My driver dropped me off at a little place called the Morris Inn. It is really unlike any motel I've stayed in, closer in resemblance to a college dorm room than a traditional hotel. Notre Dame green is everywhere. It is on the Notre Dame, campus within walking distance of every building on campus, and when walking out the front door of the motel, you look at the football stadium. Knute Rockne. The Gipper. I was impressed.
When I arrived for the first day of class in South Bend, Ind., knowing absolutely no one, and worse yet, knowing very little about the industry, I was but one of about 25 guys, and one lady, who were all much more "seasoned" than I. My expectations were that the group would consist mostly of my peer age group and that we would spend most of our time at the famous Notre Dame student watering holes. What the group actually consisted of was a cross section of industry leaders from around the country. They knew exactly what they were attending because they put this new industry educational program together, and were there to ensure its success. Name dropping only sounds self serving, but if we had a who's who list in the industry, 80% of the people in that room would be on it today.
In the evenings we didn't go to the college bar scene, which was a temporary disappointment for me. However, in the very stuffy Morris Inn, there is a little bar near the back door, across from the restaurant. The bar tender was born for the role. A good Irishman, named Murph, had been there long before we arrived, and I'm betting he's still on the job today. This little pub is where we went every night after our eight hours of class. Everyone in the bar knew everyone else, it seemed, but me. It's a small bar, and our class took up all 20 seats. Being very intimidated, young, and lacking confidence among this veteran group, I sat at the bar and befriended Murph.
We got on just fine. After a while, a couple of the AMOA guys wanted to find out who I was. They invited me to join them and I obliged. A sympathetic move, I reasoned. It's a tough group to break into because a few of them dominated every conversation. I managed to meet a few of the guys that night, and got to know them a little better throughout our three-day stay. Today, 16 years later, many in that original group I consider some of my very best industry friends and mentors.
Sometime during that week, I was asked if I ever thought of serving on the board of directors of the Amusement and Music Operators Association. I told them I hadn't thought about it...and that I wasn't sure exactly what the AMOA was, either. I knew it was an association that Chilton Vending belonged to, but that was about it. They gladly educated me about the AMOA board, rotating in AMOA information between hands of liar's poker, a well-named game which they also were very excited to teach me.
Under the guidance of a couple of leaders who took me by the hand, I found five Kansas operators to sign my nomination and sent it in. I began my AMOA journey in the Spring of 1984. A story I have told at AMOA meetings that I'll repeat here, is that I also got married the first time in 1984. Two big commitments made at the same time, one I planned on being long term, and the AMOA commitment I figured to be good for two or three years. Oops. The marriage ended in 1987, but today I'm still on the AMOA board of directors... as a Past President.
The AMOA is now taking nominations for new directors. Candidates will be voted on by the current board at its annual meeting in Las Vegas in September. I, along with many of my AMOA colleagues, are frequently asked: "Why would you devote so much of your time to volunteer work like the AMOA?" I could fill up this whole magazine with my positive AMOA experiences and what it has done for my career in this industry. I will tell you that if I knew in 1983 what I know today about the AMOA experience, and they told me that I needed to attach a check for $100,000 to my board of directors application, I would have found it.
The experience may not be for everybody. There are many worthwhile causes to which people volunteer their time. However, this industry puts food on the table for many. If you are the owner or executive of a small coin-op business, as I was, AMOA membership puts you in the same room with the best and brightest in the industry. With a little effort, you'll get to know them and learn from them.
Your commitment for the first three years as a director is to attend two meetings per year...and one is at the AMOA show, which you likely will attend anyway. You'll just go in two days earlier. The cost per year for travel and hotel expenses for a director is about the cost of one new video kit, less than $2,000.
It is a new day at the AMOA, and it is a great day. There is new leadership with Jack Kelleher as our executive director. We have small operators, large operators, and distributors currently on our board. It is a great cross-section of the operator population. The perception is of a bunch of good ol' boys, but it's anything but that. Our new alliances with AAMA and IAFEC mean that if it's going on in the industry, you'll be in the middle of it. Our most exciting and bold convention will be held in September side by side with Fun Expo on Sept. 23-25. It will be great to be a part of this exciting new experience.
Call Jack at 800-YES-AMOA. Talk to him about being on the AMOA board, or about attending the AMOA Notre Dame Executive program. Both are experiences you'll never regret.