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This spring's Amusement Showcase International (March 27-29) saw lighter attendance than the previous year by all unofficial accounts. Yet exhibitors remained pleased with the business they wrote during the course of the AAMA-sponsored three-day game and prize expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
"Traffic has been light, but we've definitely written orders," said one large exhibitor, summing up many of the comments heard from fellow suppliers. "We'll come back next year, but we'll probably take a smaller booth."
ASI played host to the debut of a handful of new videos, significantly more redemption and merchandise games, two pinball games, plus a celebrity game contest on the final day of the show, when exhibits were also opened to the general public.
Redemption game releases numbered more than two dozen compared to 12 new merchandise or crane games, the next largest category. ASI suppliers debuted eight videogames and simulators, four new jukeboxes, four new table games including three from a debut importer and three never-before-seen photobooths.
Show organizers released final numbers for ASI yesterday, reporting overall attendance at 2,694 including 1,022 buyers (i.e., distributors and operators). There were 134 exhibitors occupying 431 booths and close to 275 members of the public who reportedly took advantage of an opportunity to tour the show floor on the last day for a nominal fee.
AAMA president Mike Rudowicz told RePlay that attendance was down 10% from last year's show. "The show looked good, and we had a lot of nice product," Mike said. "The people who attended were pleased. Many of the exhibitors had a good show. Attendance was disappointing, but that's indicative of the market today as well as the overall economic climate of the times."
Topping news headlines was Rowe's newly formed alliance with View Interactive and the latter's Vision jukebox, TouchTunes Music's announcement of its interactive advertising strategy during a luncheon with its operator partners and the unveiling of a new, online, interactive merchandise vending machine from Interactive Vending, which is headed up by industry veteran George Smith. The impressive unit is based in part on patents acquired from uWink.
Additionally, the expo saw a flurry of special events taking place on and off the exhibit floor. Get the full story on ASI, starting on pg. 39.
A thin crowd on the show floor was matched by a skeleton crew of Century Club members on Friday afternoon of ASI as the longtimers gathered for their semi-annual chit chat. Club prexy Steve Epstein couldn't get away from home for the show (babysitting grandchildren trumped the meeting, according to Mrs. Epstein).
The most fun came when AAMA president Mike Rudowicz ran down some financial statistics for attendees, advising that a person needs to have around $10 million in cash and assets these days if he wishes to have a comfortable retirement. Most left the meeting feeling like paupers.
Merit Entertainment's anti-piracy program scored another victory as officers from the Dubai Police's economic crimes department recently arrested an Indian national and seized counterfeit Merit products in a March 18 raid. The raid and arrest were based on the United Arab Emirates Copyright Law of 2002 and netted 13 suspected ION update kits and 30 suspected Force motherboards. Merit's attorneys from Cedar White Bradley assisted Dubai Police with the raid.
"This was the result of a two month investigation into counterfeit Merit products being sold in the U.A.E," said Bob Fay, Merit's director of government relations. "We will continue our investigation regarding the customers of the Indian national, and appropriate action will be taken."
Merit's anti-piracy program focuses on enforcing the company's intellectual property rights and has produced strong results in several countries around the world.
"The Dubai raid and the raids in China two weeks ago resulted in criminal cases and show Merit's commitment to fighting piracy in any country where our intellectual property rights are violated," added Fay.
The NSM booth was booming at the ASI show in part due to the tremendous bass sounds coming from lightweight, wall-mounted Polk Audio sound systems hooked up to their Icon jukeboxes. NSM chose the ASI event to announce its partnership with the high fidelity audio leader. With Polk Audio, NSM offers operators high performance sound and compact size.
NSM is offering various sound package options, priced and arranged to suit the operator's location and budget. Technology review network CNET applauded Polk Audio by saying, "Times change, audio fashions come and go, but Polk Audio just keeps on producing great speakers."
"Polk Audio is recognized for impeccable standards of performance, and we are delighted to be partnered with them," said Geno Giuntoli, NSM VP of sales and marketing. "This partnership allows us to bring operators high-end sound at an affordable price. If you're an audiophile, you know Polk Audio: the bass is tremendous, the sound is gorgeous and the design is elegant."
Polk Audio is an award-winning designer and manufacturer of high performance audio products and the largest audio brand of Directed Electronics (NASDAQ, DEIX). Founded in 1972 by three Johns Hopkins University graduates, Polk Audio holds over 50 patents for advances in audio design technology.
David Cohen, CEO of Firestone Financial, was recently celebrated as the New York Amusement and Music Owners Association's Man of the Year. Cohen directs the management of all aspects of Firestone's business including new business and existing accounts in the amusement, vending, theme park and traveling show industries.
"David really is a class act," said NY AMOA president Frank Calland at a dinner to celebrate Cohen at Riccardo's Restaurant in Astoria, Queens, N.Y. "This industry is fortunate to have him as a member and an advocate."
Cohen currently serves on the executive committee of AAMA and the board of the association's charitable foundation, AAMCF. Locally, he has also served on various non-profit boards and is presently a member of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies board of directors for the Boston area. He has also served on the board of the UST Leasing Corp.
Before joining Firestone in 1996, Cohen was a divisional controller for XTRA, a transportation leasing company. He earned his bachelor's degree from Rutgers University and started his career as a CPA with Coopers & Lybrand.
Cohen lives in the Boston area with wife Jane. Their daughter Sara recently graduated from New York University and is currently working in the marketing department for a New York law firm. The couple's younger daughter, Rebecca, is in her third year at Rutgers. Cohen enjoys golf, skiing, water sports, cooking and running. This past year he completed his first half marathon in part to help raise funds for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
Sega Amusements reports that Paul Williams, the current managing director and COO of Sega Amusements Europe, will take the position of president and COO of the company in the U.S. In this expanded role, Williams will oversee the entire Western arm of the company, effective immediately. He replaces outgoing president and COO Rick Rochetti, who is departing the company.
"Under Paul's leadership, SAE has grown consistently over the past years, despite poor market conditions in the industry," said Tatsuyuki Miyazaki, head of Sega Amusement's overseas business division. "We are excited that he now has the opportunity to bring his strong management skills to Sega Amusements in the U.S., and we look forward to him guiding the larger company into targeted growth areas."
Williams' approach to leadership in the shifting market will have three main pillars: localizing Sega Japan products for Western markets, developing games locally with developers that are exclusively tailored for the U.S. and European markets and expanding strategically in targeted growth areas. For example, he plans to ensure continued high levels of customer service in the spare parts and repairs department, as well as the successful development of product video for the FEC and arcade market. In addition, he plans to expand into development of redemption and novelty products for the U.S. market.
"Sega has long been a market leader in the development of innovative high-end videogames for the arcade and FEC market," said Williams. "However, the operators are having a difficult time at the moment with declining cash box earnings. We need to react to this quickly and develop more cost-effective product while still being at the very cutting edge of technology. We need to develop product that will give operators a quicker return on investment and help them drive footfall into their locations.
"Additionally, we need to develop a range of product that is suitable to the bar and street market. It seems to me that Sega is currently only developing product for the tip of the iceberg, and we need to focus on the entire iceberg," said Williams.
Drawing from over 25 years of industry experience - including 11 years at SAE - Williams' day-to-day responsibilities will include driving the strategic direction of Sega Amusement's machine sales, spare parts and board repairs, customer service and merchandise divisions in both the U.S. and Europe. He will be based in the company's Chicago headquarters. Williams takes over from industry-veteran Rochetti, who served as president and COO for five years, leading the company through the Sega-Sammy merger and a period of rapid expansion and growth.
Raw Thrills and Play Mechanix recently shipped their 10,000th Big Buck Hunter Pro videogame. "Distributor orders for Big Buck Hunter Pro are still brisk even after shipping the first machine almost two years ago," said Bob Boals EVP of Betson Enterprises.
Play Mechanix is continuing to enhance the game with CoinUp, an operator-friendly, online management system that will allow operators to manage their Big Buck Hunter Pro cabinets via the Internet. Operators will be able to offer their locations national and local tournaments as well as custom advertising for additional revenue.
"With the addition of CoinUp, an online management/tournament system currently under development, we do not foresee the sales of the Big Buck Hunter Pro slowing down any time soon," added Boals. "We anticipate that CoinUp will become the industry standard for online, national and location-based tournament networking."
The game creator also showed their newest Big Buck game, Safari, at ASI, including a standard upright version as well as a deluxe flatscreen edition of the game. Look to our show coverage for more on the new Safari game, which was also profiled in the April issue of RePlay.
Namco America recently sent out a service bulletin to warn operators of a potential issue with Jumpin' Jackpot and Jumpin' Fantasy game machines.
"It has been brought to our attention that while the existing platform on the games is only 1.25' high, in certain locations depending on game location it could become a possible trip hazard," the factory announced. "Therefore, we have manufactured a transition extension to the platform that reduces or eliminates any of these occurrences."
Operators currently operating any Jumpin' Jackpot or Jumpin' Fantasy games are advised to take a moment to contact Namco America or their authorized Namco America distributor to obtain a transition extension for the platform at no charge. For questions or any further information, contact Namco America at 630/238-2248 or email arcadeinfo@namcoarcade.com.
This fall, the 13th group to go through AMOA's continuing education program at the University of Notre Dame will conduct its fifth and final session. Also, during the same October 17-20 dates, the first session for Class XIV is slated to get underway.
The program features five weekend sessions during the course of a two-and-one-half year period, so there will not be another class forming after Class XIV until the fall of 2010. The goal of the AMOA-Notre Dame Management Program is simply to enhance the skills and professionalism of coin machine operators and their distributor, manufacturer and supplier partners.
"There simply is no better forum for the formal classroom instruction, the exchange between fellow coin-machine businesspeople and the long-standing friendships and fun than the AMOA-Notre Dame Management Program," said AMOA's Notre Dame program chairman Phil Juckem of All Brands Vending in Tampa. "It's no coincidence that many of the industry's best operators, distributors and manufacturers have attended or are attending this outstanding program."
Those interested in attending are advised not to delay since space is limited for Class XIV. To learn more, go to www.amoa.com
Coinstar, the parent company of national amusement operator ACMI (a.k.a. Sugarloaf), has said it opposes the appointment of three new directors to its board from the Shamrock Activist Value Fund. Shamrock is an investment firm that owns 13% of Coinstar. The Shamrock fund is headed by Roy Disney and other members of the Disney family. Shamrock was reportedly seeking to replace three Coinstar directors with representatives from the investment fund.
"Coinstar's highly experienced directors have made significant contributions to the company's growth and success, and Coinstar believes the composition of its board should reflect a diversity of backgrounds and experiences relevant to the company's strategy and goals," the company said in a public statement. "In contrast, Coinstar believes that Shamrock's hand-picked nominees do not enhance the board's composition."
As Incredible Technologies prepares for the 20th birthday of Golden Tee Golf, the company revealed plans for the 2009 update that includes more interactive features and elements, all designed to bring players closer to the game, including a new Design-A-Hole contest.
"We've got an enormous amount of new stuff planned for 2009 geared toward keeping the game a relevant part of our players' lifestyles," said Brian Jandula, project manager. "We're kicking things off with a contest that for the first time will give a player a chance to contribute to the game by actually designing a hole. Players have been sending us suggestions for years, and now we'll see who can come up with something truly special."
The Design-A-Hole contest asks fans to submit their creations using any medium at their disposal. The company expects to see everything from bar napkins to CAD drawings. "We know there are some very passionate fans out there with some outrageous ideas," said award-winning game designer Jim Zielinski. "We hope that our fans have fun with this."
Zielinski, who has designed nearly 2,000 Golden Tee holes in his distinguished career, and partner Larry Hodgson are the game's co-creators. They'll also be the judges who decide which submissions make the cut. Once they choose three finalists, those designs will then be voted on by the public at the game's website www.goldentee.com. The winner's design will then be included on one of the 2009 courses.
"We're going to erect a suitable monument to the winner on the course," said Zielinski. "This is our version of Golden Tee immortality. He'll be able to point to that hole as his design for the rest of his life."
The 2009 Golden Tee Live special 20th anniversary update is expected
to debut at the AMOA International Expo in Las Vegas in September. The company
will be announcing more exciting anniversary promotions and features in
the coming months.
TouchTunes has partnered with LocaModa, a technology company providing a mobile social platform connecting consumers' favorite online networks and out-of-home locations, to extend the digital jukebox experience to consumers who participate in social networks such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.
The partnership between TouchTunes and LocaModa will allow patrons to use their mobile phones to interact with flat-panel screens driven by the TouchTunes jukebox's media server.
Applications will feature fun, engaging content such as information about the music playing on the jukebox, user-generated content and even patron photos via their social network profiles. All interactions can also be displayed as data feeds on social networks. Online users will be able to view and participate in the activity at their favorite locations, for example: they can see who has "fanned" the location, who is actually there, what music is currently playing and can even "gift" songs to friends at that location.
"LocaModa's platform enables our jukeboxes to be the new media intersection of entertainment, digital out-of-home services, the Web and mobile technology," said TouchTunes CEO Art Matin. "With LocaModa, we give our customers the ability to interact using their mobile phones, and we extend our reach to new audiences via social networks. It's clear that richer, wider and more measurable interactive user engagement will help monetize new advertising channels for TouchTunes and our operators."
Because user messages and brand content can be displayed both online and on-location, advertisers can easily extend their brand's reach and multiply the number and value of their impressions.
"This is the start of a revolution in the out-of-home music and games experience, one in which users have even more control of the media around them. There are clearly huge untapped opportunities to bring the power and scale of the Web to out-of-home locations, and we're excited to be the connective tissue between the world's largest digital jukebox network and the Web's largest social networks," commented LocaModa CEO Stephen Randall.
LocaModa has connected people similarly in bars, cafes, colleges, public spaces and conferences. The company is privately held, headquartered in Massachusetts and founded by Randall, a former EVP/founder of Symbian. True to its global vision, LocaModa is internationally backed by Dace Ventures in the U.S., Mahindra Group in India and Sumitomo Corp. of Japan all via its U.S.-based strategic investing arm, PresidioSTX.
For more information on LocaModa, visit www.locamoda.com.
Wendy's, one of the world's largest restaurant operating and franchising companies, has launched a national interactive advertising campaign on the Ecast broadband media network. The campaign dynamically serves interactive ads in 5,100 of Ecast-equipped bars and nightclubs that are within a one-mile proximity of Wendy's locations.
MediaVest, Wendy's media agency of record, partnered with Ecast, the largest broadband touchscreen media network in the U.S., and created the Core Burger campaign designed to take patrons back to the original reason why they love Wendy's - the burgers. A video clip goes right for patrons' appetites, showing burgers sizzling in the making. Using data from its ad serving platform, Ecast's touchscreen navigation allows consumers to immediately see the address of the closest Wendy's location. There is also the option of entering additional zip codes to locate Wendy's thousands of other locations. Patrons can even sign up to receive special offers from Wendy's via email.
"Our proprietary research shows that nearly half of Ecast users
will stop off to get something to eat on their way home," said George
Giatzis, senior VP of advertising sales at Ecast. "The Wendy's campaign
is a brilliant example of recency - that is, talking to the right audience
at the right time and place. Their creative execution gets right to the
heart of the late night cravings we can all relate to and inspires consumers
to act on them."
Fragisle International, a company that was marketing a coin-op version of a popular consumer music simulator game under the name Console Planet, has ceased operation, leaving a number of customers who placed orders without product. The firm was also sued for copyright infringement by Activision Publishing over the consumer game that was being used in the system.
California FEC operator Clayton Miller (Nickel Nickel) said he had placed an order for one of the units from Fragisle's Ryan Miller and sent in his money but received no game.
"I've prepaid for a Console Planet game back in late February, and I received nothing," said Miller, who is contemplating litigation against the principals of what appears to be a defunct company. "Nobody can get in touch with this guy. The office is closed. His voice mail box won't take any more messages, and his website is down. I'm not sure if anyone else has been scammed, but I want to warn the industry. Things are tough enough without having something like this happen."
Bob Goodman, who formerly handled sales for Fragisle, said the company owner suffered an illness as well as another family misfortune. "Ryan's not a scammer, but he's hit on hard times," said Goodman, who has moved on to another industry. "It's a sad situation and another coin-op industry horror story."
Goodman said at least one other customer did not receive an order, and a number of existing customers are now unable to get the product serviced.
VirtuPlay, developer and manufacturer of Intevo or "The Advanced Touchscreen Entertainment Counter Top," said they had a good ASI show, where the company introduced its new guided user interface.
"It was an excellent opportunity to show operators that we are not going away," stated Mario Flagiello, president of VirtuPlay. "The majority of sales from the show were from operators that had seen Intevo when it first debuted last year and now feel confident in our company and want to rejuvenate their routes."
VirtuPlay's new interface is loaded with more options and five new tournament-based games including Rev It 21, Spot It, Whack'em Golf, Secrets of Pandora and Blast'em UFOs, plus extended Intevo features. All new features will be automatically available to all units currently on location free of charge. For more information, call 905/265-7529, ext. 21, or email sales@virtuplay.ca.
Merit Entertainment has announced that its full 2008 software release is now available in download form for all Mega Net-connected operators currently running 2007.5 ION software. After downloading Merit's latest software the operator simply installs a 2008 security key, reboots the machine and the software activates automatically. All machine settings are saved so there is no need to reconfigure the game after downloading the update.
The download progress can be viewed on the MegaNet operator website. Then each operator will receive a notification via email once the download is complete and ready for the 2008 key.
Merit's outstanding 2008 ION software features Luxor 2, the high-energy sequel to the 2007's top-earning game. The release is also packed with new hits like Beer Pong, Chainz2: Relinked and Card Pirates as well as proven player favorites like Photo Hunt, Trivia Whiz and Tri-Towers.
Operators who connect their Megatouch machines to an AMI jukebox receive all the benefits of MegaNet for free. For details on how to connect your machines today, visit www.accessmerit.com. To learn more about the latest Merit software release, turn to pg. 105..
Smart Industries recently unveiled its new Bonus Spin crane. With this crane, customers get the chance to play the standard claw game on the left side of the playfield, and if they win a prize, a wheel on the front of the game starts spinning. If the customer can stop the wheel on a "winner" space, the crane dispenses one of the bonus prizes (e.g., higher-value items like cameras, videogames, iPods, etc.) from the right side. This generates more revenues for operators because their customers perceive this extra chance to win as an added value to most other cranes.
Bonus Spin currently comes in a 41" cabinet with a dual prize detection system, two U.S. coin mechanisms and room to add a bill acceptor, and Smart's exclusive one-year limited warranty. It comes in two styles, pink or black, to fit a variety of locations.
Smart has also introduced Ultimate Big Punch Deluxe, an upgraded version of their punching bag game. It comes with a coin comparator mechanism and room for DBA and ticket dispenser, as well as a one-year warranty.
Ultimate Big Punch Deluxe is built with a strong metal cabinet with foam rubber padding and fiberglass, so it can take plenty of punches. Other features include music and sound effects, LED lights, pull-down punching bag, digital displays for credits, punch score and high score. Dimensions are 44" wide x 55" deep x 82" high.
To learn more about either game, contact Smart at 800/553-2442 or visit www.smartind.com
Rowe International and Firestone Financial Corp. are teaming up to offer special pricing and tiered financing options including 0% APR and no payments for up to 180 days on Rowe's GrandSTAR, NiteHAWK and Solara digital downloading jukeboxes. This exciting program is available to all qualified operators on purchases from participating authorized Rowe distributors through June 30.
"There will never be a better time for operators to upgrade music," said John Margold, Rowe's senior VP of sales and marketing. "Special pricing on our jukeboxes and music fees, combined with great rates from our friends at Firestone, give operators flexible finance options that will suit just about everyone."
Investing in three new Rowe jukeboxes qualifies for 7.99% for 24 months with a first payment due in 120 days, plus 50% off AMI music fees for the first three months. Increasing to six jukeboxes entitles the purchaser even better terms with 0% APR for 12 months. There's also a 5.99% APR for a 24-month option with no payments due for six months. Purchase nine or 12 jukeboxes, and the incentives continue to grow, according to Rowe.
For product information, call Rowe at 800/393-0201 or visit www.roweinternational.com; for finance information, call Firestone at 800/851-1001 or visit www.firestonefinancial.com.
Merit Entertainment recently announced its new Ladder Finance Program through Firestone Financial. This program allows operators to take advantage of a 0% APR on Merit products and is open to all operators on purchases from participating authorized Merit distributors through June 30.
Merit's ladder approach to financing allows operators to increase their savings the higher they climb. Investing in two new, dedicated Merit products rewards operators with a Merit service kit ($530 value) for only $99. A few rungs further up the ladder at three to five products scores a free service kit plus 7.99% Firestone financing for 24 months with no payments for 120 days.
Operators who climb even further and invest in six or more Merit products reap the biggest savings. They receive a free service kit and three free software kits ($2,030 value) plus a 0% Firestone financing program for 12 months with no payments for 30 days. Another option for operators is a 5.99% finance rate for 24 months with a 180-day no-pay deal for six or more games.
"The Ladder Finance Program is a great deal for operators, and it is the first time Merit has offered a 0% finance program," said Bob Mills, Merit's VP of sales and network business. "Free service kits and software kits plus great rates from Firestone Financial put operators on the path to making strong profits from their Merit products.""
This year's AmEx 2008, also known as the 29th Irish Gaming & Amusement Trade Exhibition, was held at the Green Isle Hotel in Dublin on March 4-5.
"The show had a definite upbeat atmosphere contributed to by a further increase in both exhibitor and visitor numbers," said organizer Martin Dempsey. "There was a broadening of the visitor base to include casinos and betting shops in addition to the traditional gaming and amusement operators. There was also a noticeable increase in the number of visitors from locations such as bowling and play centers."
International visitors this year included trade members from Britain, the U.S., Canada, Australia, Argentina, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Spain, Latvia, Russia, Hungary, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Poland.
The number of exhibitors and visitors were both up by more than 10%, and new exhibitors resulted in a greater variety of products being offered. In addition to exhibitor-to-visitor sales, AmEx also continued its role of fostering exhibitor-to-exhibitor sales and visitor-to-visitor sales. In addition to the exhibition, there was a series of meetings, business presentations and social gatherings, continuing the show's reputation for bringing together Irish and international manufacturers, distributors and operators in a businesslike atmosphere.
AmEx 2009 will be held from March 2-3, 2009. For further information contact Martin Dempsey by calling +353 (0)45 521 190; faxing +353 (0)45 521198; emailing martin@coin-opexpo.eu; and checking out http://www.coin-opexpo.eu.
Illinois operator Joe Shroyer, who only recently buried his father Ray Shroyer of Metro Amusements in Streator, passed away on Sunday, March 23, after being hospitalized and suffering a fatal blood clot. Joe, who had run his own route in the Chicago area, recently returned to work for his father's company and was reportedly in the process of taking the helm of Metro in the wake of Ray's death, according to friends and fellow operators.
"I just talked to Joe on Thursday," said Ed Velasquez of Velasquez Automatic Music in Chicago. "I can't believe he's gone too." A funeral was held Friday, March 28.
Embed, a provider of debit card and point-of-sale systems for the amusement and family entertainment industry, has now installed its systems in 100 sites in the U.S. market. "We are delighted to have reached this milestone in such a short timeframe," commented Mark Easte, GM for Embed USA.
Embed's 100th site was installed at the Orange Lake Resort in Kissimmee, Fla. Embed systems are in use at each of the three gamerooms located within the expansive Orange Lake complex and are operated by Power Play Amusements.
"Ciro Poma, the owner of Power Play, has positioned his company as a leading game operator in Florida. We appreciate his continued business and look forward to working with the Power Play team on other projects," added Easte.
Power Play is headquartered in Kissimmee and operates in numerous facilities in the region, including the Nickelodeon Family Suites in Orlando.
Embed's U.S. operation was established in late 2005 and today serves as the base for all installation and support services for North America.
"Our success in this market is driven by our experienced team and our commitment to building long-term customer relationships," said Merrik Keller, sales topper for Embed. "Our goal is to educate and be an ongoing resource for our customers on how to use the Embed System to drive sales and reduce operating costs."
Embed products are used by both independent and chain operators including Fun Expedition, Chuck E. Cheese, Fun Factory, Celebration Station, Gattitown, Frankie's Fun Parks, Stars & Strikes, Big Al's, Cyber Quest, Action City, Ollie Koalas and Swaders Sports Park. With offices in Dallas and Perth, Australia, the Embed System is a total operating solution for any entertainment facility. Visit the company website at www.embedcard.com.
The National Automatic Merchandising Association's Spring Expo held during March in Las Vegas was a success, declared show organizers. "I am pleased to report that the exhibit floor at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center was 7% larger than last year, the exhibitor count increased and attendance appears to have exceeded last year's," said NAMA president and CEO Richard Geerdes.
There were 218 exhibitors in 503 booths representing companies from 39 states, three Canadian provinces and three from China all offering a wide array of products and services. Many of the new food products sported NAMA's orange and green Fit Pick stickers for healthier food choices.
"To gain an edge in our highly competitive field, NAMA Expos are must-attend events. In addition to new products, hot technology and outstanding educational sessions, people choose to attend for the unmatched networking opportunities," concluded Geerdes.
NAMA's National Expo will be held Oct. 15-17 at America's Center in St. Louis. See coverage of the NAMA Spring Expo in this issue on pg. 69.
Crane Merchandising Systems has granted Weymouth Distributing in Los Angeles exclusive distribution rights for Automatic Products in Southern California.
"We are very happy to once again be the exclusive distributor for Automatic Products in Southern California," said Weymouth GM Bill Watson. "We have built our reputation on the Automatic Products brand, so to be rewarded with the exclusive distribution rights is a great triumph for us."
In 1949, Al Weymouth became the first distributor for Automatic Products. Over the next five decades Weymouth was an integral part of Automatic Product's success and took great pride in his role as an industry pioneer.
In addition to selling Automatic Products throughout the state of California, Weymouth also represents Dixie Narco, AMS, Vendo, Coinco, MEI, Fastcorp, VE Global Solutions and Rock-Ola. Weymouth Distributing has been enjoying some great recognition as of late. In 2006, Bill Watson was named supplier of the year by the California Automatic Vendors Council. Last year, Weymouth celebrated their 50th anniversary, and just recently Watson served as expo chairman for the 2008 NAMA Spring Expo in Las Vegas.
The International Association for the Leisure and Entertainment Industry will hold a Region II meeting in Orlando from Sunday, May 18 through Tuesday, May 20.
The program will start with a Certified Inflatables Safety seminar and
optional exam presented by Phil Slaggert, president of the Mobile Midway
Safety Institute. Event organizers say the two days will be packed with
informational sessions on everything from marketing and training to birthday
parties and new attraction trends. To learn more, log on to www.ialei.org.
AMI Entertainment recently released the new album Attack & Release to its network of digital jukeboxes a week before it hit stores. The new Black Keys album hit the stores on April 1, but AMI patrons in more than 10,000 locations were able to help fuel the early buzz for this anticipated release. The Black Keys were also prominently featured in onscreen promos impacting impressionable eyes and ears in nightlife establishments.
The Akron, Ohio-based duo The Black Keys - Dan Auerbach, vocals and guitar, and Patrick Carney, drums - is well known for their terse but soulful rock that seems to have time-traveled into the pair's amps from some long-ago radio show. The Black Keys are a solid fit for juke-joint promotion, a medium that thrives in delivering rock and blues classics to thousands of customers daily.
"Attack & Release is primed to be The Black Keys' biggest album, and this promotion gives the band the unique opportunity to push further into jukebox culture," says AMI content manager Brian Hoekstra. "I'm big on the cultural aspect of these initiatives, and more than that, I've seen the band play their sounds live. Their riffs don't leave your head for days, and jukebox customers certainly don't have an aversion to guitars."
As part of its promotional campaign for rising country star James Otto, Warner Bros. released new album Sunset Man a week early on the Ecast broadband network. Already in the top ten on the country charts with the song Just Got Started Lovin' You, Warner sought to leverage the Ecast network of 10,000 locations to raise awareness through special playlists that include Otto's music as well as a video loop with visuals promoting the album.
"Ecast users have been gravitating to the Just Got Started Lovin' You single since it was released to the Ecast network in January, and the album made a natural fit for a pre-release promotion," said Paul Koehler, label relations manager at Ecast. "By promoting James Otto's new album on the Ecast network, the label and the artist reap the benefits of reaching their core audience through an opt-in medium and can generate strong numbers of out-of-home audio impressions for every song on Sunset Man prior to its release date."
Ecast also proved to be a great launching pad for Flogging Molly's latest
release, Float, and the tour to support it. Previously, artists including
LeAnn Rimes, Faith Hill, El-P, Wilco and most recently Kid Rock leveraged
the interactive out-of-home network to promote album releases. In fact,
recent research from Arbitron found that 70% of the Ecast audience felt
it was a good way to introduce friends and family to music that they like.
The committee at the University of Florida's School of Music that directs the AMOA Rich Holley Memorial Music Scholarship met recently and the 2008 awards - of $2,500 each - will go to a pair of clarinet players, Keith Northover and Danielle Drapiza. The scholarship is named after the late Rich Holley, the 2002-2003 AMOA president who died as a result of a plane crash in March 2003. Rich, a long-time native of Florida, was an avid musician. Rich's spouse Bev and son Michael, who currently serves on the AMOA board of directors, were invited to attend and present the award certificates to the scholarship winners at the School's Award Convocation program on the Gainesville, Fla., campus on April 18.
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Betson Enterprises has launched its newly redesigned and enhanced website (www.betson.com). The site has been thoroughly updated to provide a comprehensive overview of the company and its extensive range of products and services. The website's redesign provides users with an updated view of all offerings supported by high-quality, high-graphic images and online specifications. The parts department offers a full online catalog for easy online viewing and ordering with product and financial specials are provided throughout the site. Friendly design allows the user to access contact information for any department to quickly address any need that may arise.
Betson marketing honcho Brian Murphy explained, "As we invest in additional services and tools to address the emerging needs of our clients, our new website will help us to reinforce our leadership in the market and support our growing customer base."
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IMON president Johnson Chiang says U.S. sales remain "very strong" for the company's iGO simulator with Panzer Elite software. The firm's U.S. division, IMOtion USA, exhibited at this spring's ASI.
"This was our best showing we had since our introduction into the U.S. market," said sales director Matt Tarantelli. "Our low-cost motion simulator is earning a steady weekly average, and operators are very excited about future simulators and software."
Looking forward, Chiang said IMON will introduce new products this summer and will offer customers new cooperative programs later this year. To learn more, check out the company's website at www.imotionusa.com.
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MEI is offering U.S. full-line vending and amusement operators the opportunity to trade in their existing bill validators for a credit toward the purchase of the latest MEI Series 2000 comprising Flash-programmable validators already equipped to accept the new $5 bill. The Flash feature will make future currency updates easier. Until May 15, operators replacing non-Flash MEI 2000 validators qualify for a $40 credit while trading in other MEI validators and non-MEI validators qualifies them for a $20 credit. They can trade in their validators through their local MEI distributor.
MEI has also expanded support services for its Conlux value brand of bill and coin acceptors, which include the NBM-3000 Series bill validators and CCM5G Series coin changers. Full-line operators, bottlers and vending OEMs who use Conlux products can now have their products serviced at 36 MEI authorized service centers, which are staffed by Conlux-certified service technicians. These centers are located across the United States, Canada and Mexico. For a full list of MEI service centers and distributors, visit www.meigroup.com.
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Game maker Sega Amusements has recently signed up for significant booth space at this fall's IAAPA show, taking place Nov. 17-21 in Orlando. "We are continuing to invest in this industry, and we are really excited about our arsenal of product for the rest of the year," said Sega sales topper Ron Malinowski. "We have some really good games in the pipeline."
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Kiddie Rides USA says they are selling many coin-op rides sporting the custom themes of particular venues. For instance, Wells Fargo Bank has purchased four very fitting stagecoach rides for their museums on the West Coast. Likewise, the Santa Barbara Zoo purchased a safari wagon that included having their logo on the ride. Also, a kangaroo-themed entertainment center has, of course, purchased a kangaroo ride.
"What people don't realize is just how many shapes and styles rides have been molded into over the last 50 years," says Damon Carson, owner of Kiddie Rides USA. "With a warehouse of over 300 different rides, we have a ride that can fit most any theme." To learn more, check out their website at www.kiddieridesusa.com.
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WRG Services, a full-service ATM partner, recently instituted a company-wide recycling program. Employees are encouraged to deposit all paper generated at their desks into recycling bins and to recycle their aluminum cans.
So far, WRG employees have successfully recycled over four tons of paper. Recycling this amount of paper saves the cutting of 68 mature trees, 28,000 gallons of water, 16,000-kilowatt hours of energy and enough energy to heat and air-condition the average North American home for two years. Furthermore, WRG's efforts have effectively prevented 44,200 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. That is also comparable to preventing the car exhaust of 50,320 miles of driving.
"Office paper recycling is straightforward and relatively easy to
implement and can provide positive results both in cost reduction and in
demonstrating to our employees and the public WRG's commitment to environmentally
responsible practices," said WRG CEO Mike Stevenson. Along with this
program WRG also recycles parts of old CPUs, batteries and cardboard.
Betson Enterprises recently hired Brian Murphy as their new marketing manager. Brian will develop and manage all aspects of their marketing program including tradeshows, website enhancements, database management, sales force and distribution partner marketing, flyer and brochure planning and customer outreach programs.
"We are excited to have Mr. Murphy join our team of professionals," said Bob Geschine, president of H. Betti Industries. "As our new marketing manager, Brian brings rich experience in helping similarly sized companies expand their presence in the market through the establishment of a professionally designed and executed marketing program."
Brian has over 15 years of marketing experience. At his most recent employer, a consumer- and distribution-based organization, he served as marketing manager and was a major force in the company's growth and expansion.
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Sam Cook has been appointed sales and service manager, Eastern/Southern area, for the National Automatic Merchandising Association. Sam has over 20 years of sales experience in the industry, specifically in coffee service. His most recent position was national accounts manager with S&D Coffee, where he was employed for six years. Prior to that position, he spent 20 years with Royal Cup Coffee. During his tenure, Sam held several positions in a sales manager role.
Sam will create and build client relationships to increase new membership sales in appointed regions. His responsibilities also include retaining existing members, and he will do so by resolving problems and researching non-renewal issues. He will also produce and implement quality programs to promote new and existing members.
Sam is a graduate of the University of West Georgia. A Georgia native, he currently lives in Douglasville, Ga. He has three daughters.
"We are pleased to have Sam join the NAMA team and know that his expertise and many contacts in the Southeastern region will be valuable to him in his new position," said NAMA president Richard Geerdes. NAMA is the national trade association of the food and refreshment vending, coffee service and foodservice management industries.
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Amusement Emporium's director of product management Kevin Carter is departing the company to pursue other interests. "It has been my pleasure to work for Amusement Emporium during this last year, and I will miss my associations with clients and colleagues," he said. I wish everyone continued success in all of your endeavors." Kevin can be reached at 6243 S Kenton Way, Englewood, CO 80111; email kevin.kevincarter@gmail.com.
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WRG Services Inc. (www.wrgservices.com) welcomed its new marketing manager Angela Duplago. She began her career as an account executive at The News-Herald. From there she was employed as a marketing assistant at Dollar Bank. Most recently, she was director of marketing and business development at Reward One Credit Union in Brook Park, Ohio.
Angela will be responsible for planning, organizing and directing all marketing activities for WRG. She will spearhead the marketing and branding initiatives and will be responsible for copywriting and managing website and intranet content. Angela will also manage all tradeshows, conferences and speaking events.
WRG Services is a full-service ATM partner, offering ATM sales and service, transaction processing, technical support, customized financing, leasing and customer training. The company has ATMs in all 50 states and plans international expansion. Beginning as a vending business, WRG successfully transitioned itself to the ATM business in 1996.
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iT'Z Family Food and Fun has named Brian Cohen to the position of VP of operations. Brian, the company's former director of amusements, has been with iT'Z since the organization's inception in 2006.
"Brian's extensive background in amusements and his operational expertise made him a natural fit for the position," stated Mark Moore, iT'Z president and CEO.
Prior to joining iT'Z, Brian served as regional manager for Nickels and Dimes, a national operator of mall-based amusement centers. His career as an operator in the amusement industry has spanned 10 years. He holds a BSBA from Washington University in St. Louis and resides in Plano, Texas. He will be fulfilling his new role from the iT'Z USA corporate office in Dallas.
"iT'Z is poised to become a leader in the 'eatertainment' industry and is on the cusp of significant expansion and growth," Brian said. iT'Z operates locations in Albuquerque, Colorado Springs and Houston and has aggressive expansion plans including locations throughout the country. iT'Z Family Food and Fun centers range in size from 45,000 to 70,000 square feet and provide high-quality food, themed dining rooms, gamerooms, amusement rides, bowling and party facilities. .
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