Bring IAAPA Home
What 300 Roadshow Visits Taught Me About Our Industry
By Clint Novak, Owner of Planet Novak & The Novak Network
In 2019, I was walking around the FEC Reception at IAAPA, doing what I usually do: talking to people. Somewhere in those conversations, I met Kassidy, who was working for Tilt Studio in Texas. We became friends, stayed in touch, and spent plenty of time playing Call of Duty together.
At the time, it was simply a new friendship. Neither of us knew that a conversation at an industry reception would eventually lead to working together at two different companies.
When we were preparing to open Fun Land of Fairfax, we hired Kassidy to help bring that new location to life. Later, after I joined A&A Global Industries, she joined that team shortly afterward. I still wonder if any of that would have happened if we hadn’t crossed paths at IAAPA.
That’s the part of the show I value most. You never know where a conversation might lead or when someone you meet will become an important part of your business.
Over more than 20 years, I’ve experienced IAAPA from several perspectives. When I first started attending, I was there as media, covering the show on YouTube and sharing new roller coaster announcements with fellow enthusiasts. After joining Fun Land, my attention shifted to POS systems, arcade card systems, and operational tools that could improve our business. At A&A Global, I stood on the other side of the booth, helping operators learn about our products. I’ve also had the opportunity to speak at IAAPA a few times. Today, I attend as a buyer and an industry consultant. What I’m looking for has changed, but relationships have connected every chapter.
I still love walking the floor and seeing the new attractions. But most years, I don’t leave with something new and shiny headed to my facility. A major purchase deserves research. A demonstration can spark interest, but it cannot tell you everything about operating an attraction on a busy Saturday. You need to understand staffing, maintenance, capacity, installation and whether your guests will want it. Talk to operators who already own it. Visit their facilities when possible. Let IAAPA start the conversation, then do the homework before making the commitment.
Before leaving for Orlando, ask your team what needs attention. Where are guests getting frustrated? What keeps breaking? Which tasks take too much time? What would make your employees’ jobs easier? Bring those questions with you. They give your conversations a purpose and help you recognize useful solutions among the distractions. You might discover equipment worth researching. You might also meet an operator who solved your problem with a better checklist, a different layout or a simpler package. Sometimes, a conversation gives you something you can put to work immediately.
A schedule matters but leave room for conversations you didn’t plan. Introduce yourself at a reception. Sit beside someone you don’t know in an education session. Ask another operator about their facility. Give an existing vendor time to hear how things are going. You don’t need an immediate business opportunity to make a conversation worthwhile. Kassidy and I didn’t meet because I was recruiting for Fairfax. We became friends and stayed connected. When an opportunity came along, that relationship already existed. Take an interest in people beyond what they might sell you.
The follow-up is where the week becomes progress. Write down who you met, what you discussed, and anything you promised to send. Then make time when you get home to send the introduction, share the checklist or arrange the facility visit. Bring your team into the process. Share what you learned and choose a few ideas to explore together. Give each one a next step, make someone responsible, and set a realistic deadline. Returning with 50 ideas can overwhelm everyone. Making progress on three can change your operation.
Some IAAPA ideas pay off quickly. Other connections take years to reveal their value. In 2019, I left a reception with a new friend who eventually became a colleague at two companies. This November, explore, learn and talk to people. Then bring IAAPA home and keep those conversations going. You never know where that first hello might lead.
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Clint Novak is the co-owner of Planet Novak and the founder of Novak Amusement Solutions and the Novak Network. He provides a bridge between high-level strategy and boots-on-the-ground reality for FEC operators. Visit him online at www.novakamusementsolutions.com or email [email protected].