RePlay Staff
Eddie Adlum has been covering the coin-op amusement industry almost as long as there have been coin machines. Actually, not quite that long, but he has been writing about this business for over 50 years –– since 1975 within his own RePlay Magazine –– and brings his unique perspective to everything he covers. The “patriarch” of the magazine, has also made records (Castle Kings) and cult-favorite horror movies (Shriek of the Mutilated and Invasion of the Blood Farmers). A bit of trivia: He’s the one who actually coined (pun intended) the term “video game.”
Ingrid Adlum Milkes grew up in the coin machine business as daughter of RePlay founder Eddie Adlum, surrounded by tradesters during her father’s tenure at Cash Box magazine. When he left that publication and started RePlay in 1975, it was only natural that it was all-family-hands-on-deck. Back in the day, Ingrid helped get magazines in the mail by gluing special ad pieces inside and stuffing envelopes, and getting the magazine out to its readers as the Circulation Director is still her main task. As the person in charge of Business Administration, Ingrid also surveys the trade and prepares the Players’ Choice game rating process, delivering what we believe is the industry’s most-accurate chart of the nation’s top-earning equipment.
Barry Zweben is the RePlay Advertising Director and leaves no stone un-turned when it comes to generating revenue for the magazine. All the while, Barry does much more, cultivating true friendships with many he’s met along the way. He’s got a firm grip on what’s happening in the trade and is happy to provide guidance on everything ad related, but is also a key liaison with the editorial department in helping RePlay’s customers get the most from all parts of the magazine.
Key Snodgress, RePlay’s Editorial Director, helps steer the content and also drives the magazine’s production engine with graphic design, print traffic and the like. Most often, you’ll find her in her home office with her four-legged “co-workers” (labs named Coco, Libby and Catalina). Her passion aside from family, it’s the continual improvement of RePlay in terms of its relevance to its readers, effectiveness for its advertisers and an appearance that is clean, easy to read and functional.
Matt Harding, Assistant Editor, is a former business and city government reporter at the daily newspaper in Yuma, Arizona. Born and raised in Detroit, Matt got his journalism degree at Wayne State University in 2015. While he found an interest in business writing during his time in Yuma, his true passions are photography and traveling. Matt initially moved to Los Angeles to focus on concert photography, but wound up leaving to live and travel in his RV. He’s freelanced with RePlay since May 2017 and moved back to L.A. for his full-time position in Feb. 2019. While he has no ties to the amusement industry, Matt looks back fondly at time spent playing racing games with his cousins at bowling alley arcades.
Regular Contributors & Columnists
Bob Cooney, Electronic gaming and location-based entertainment veteran (and avid surfer), has 25-years of experience designing, manufacturing and marketing out-of-home entertainment to consumers, operators and venues –– first as founder and chief executive of NASDAQ- and Inc. 500-listed Laser Storm, and later as an initial member of the Global VR executive team which introduced the first commercially viable virtual reality arcade game. Cooney went on to become VP of marketing and business development of Ecast, the digital content provider for jukeboxes, and COO of NTN Buzztime, the networked trivia game company. Cooney has been a driving force behind the development of numerous top-earning licensed games, including products based on EA Sports PGA Tour, X-MEN and Stargate, and has been a long-time vocal proponent of leveraging new technology to keep the out-of-home amusement industry relevant. Bob consults with companies on strategy and business development, and currently serves as a business development consultant to Zero Latency. He can be reached at www.bobcooney.com.
Gary Flower is the U.K.’s premier writer on the subject of
pinball. Well-traveled, he enjoys an international reputation as a result of articles
published throughout the world, his book Pinball: The Lure of the Silverball,
and his frequent contributions at pinball events in Europe and the United States.
Attorney Tom Fricke specializes in the law of redemption. He has served the amusement game trade for more than three decades in various roles including in-house counsel for a national FEC chain, trial and transactional attorney for many businesses and as an expert witness on the law of redemption. Tom has also penned hundreds of articles on the subject of redemption regulation, legislation and compliance. Redemption and the Law is commentary. It is not legal advice. It is intended only to provide useful information on the subject matter covered with the understanding that neither the publisher nor the author is engaged in rendering legal services. If legal advice or other professional or expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. The views expressed in Redemption and the Law are solely those of the author and not the publisher. Author Tom Fricke claims an exclusive trademark in the phrase Redemption and the Law. He can be reached by email at [email protected]; phone 314/322-9526. (His pieces remain under his ownership: © Copyright, Thomas F. Fricke 2016, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. All rights reserved worldwide.)
Jack Guarnieri started servicing electro-mechanical pinball machines in 1975 and has been involved in every phase of the amusement game business since then. He was an operator in NYC, then began a distributorship in 1999, PinballSales.com, selling coin-op to the consumer market. In January of 2011 he founded Jersey Jack Pinball (named after his RePlay Magazine pen name), which builds award-winning, full-featured, coin-op pinball machines. Email Jack at [email protected].
George McAuliffe has operated family entertainment centers from 2,000- to 150,000-sq.-ft. as a corporate executive and entrepreneur. He is currently Chief FEC Strategist for Redemption Plus and leads the company’s strategic advisory team. George, who recently moved back “home” to the Jersey Shore with his wife Julie, has a passion for passing along what he’s learned in the fun business to the new generation of operators and suppliers. Readers can visit www.grouppinnacle.com for more information, or contact George via email at [email protected] or call 913/563-4370.
Howard McAuliffe loves to imagine and implement new products, business models, and ideas, and is a partner in Pinnacle Entertainment Group Inc. He’s an industry veteran who got his start in the business when he was just 16 and has 20 years of expertise in product development, as well as FEC and route operations. Howard’s wife Reem and young son Sami are the center of life outside of work. When he’s not working, Howard can be found enjoying the outdoors, hiking, fishing and mountaineering. Traveling anywhere new or to old favorites like the American West is a passion. Readers can visit www.grouppinnacle.com for more information or contact Howard at [email protected], he welcomes positive as well as constructive feedback and counterpoints.
Adam Pratt is the owner and operator of the Game Grid arcade near Salt Lake City, Utah. His columns run the gamut from networking at trade events, game selection, emerging technologies and the life of the mall arcade operator. He also publishes the Arcade Heroes blog site and serves as an advisor for the web-based game supplier BMI Worldwide. He can be reached at [email protected].
Hank Schlesinger has covered the coin-op industry extensively for decades and in more recent years has expanded his focus to ATMs and bulk vending. To reach him, email [email protected].
Frank Seninsky, RePlay’s longest-running columnist, is President of the Alpha-Omega Group of companies, which includes a consulting agency, Amusement Entertainment Management (AEM), two nationwide revenue sharing equipment suppliers, Alpha-Omega Amusements, Inc. and Alpha-BET Entertainment, and Alpha-Omega Sales, a full line game and related equipment distributor. A frequent columnist and speaker, he’s set up over 600 game rooms in his 47-year career, and has also held leadership positions in the AMOA and IALEI. He’s a founding member of Foundations Entertainment University and authors The Redemption & FEC Report e-newsletter and a blog at www.frank-thecrank.com. Frank can be reached by phone at 732/254-3773 or by email at [email protected] (the website: is www.AEMLLC.com).
Beth Standlee is the CEO of TrainerTainment LLC, a training company devoted to the family entertainment and hospitality industries. Beth and her team are focused on helping the companies they serve make more money through sales, guest service, leadership and social media marketing training. Training products and services are delivered in person, through books and DVDs, and virtually with e-learning courses, webinar development and 24/7 online access. Visit her company’s website at www.trainertainment.com.
Stephanie Wallin: Former entertainment reporter for the National Enquirer and TMZ (she was among the contributors breaking the story of Michael Jackson’s death), Steph began her coin machine days as a teen working at her parent’s Shakey’s Pizza Parlor game room in Redlands, Calif. Theirs was among the very first Shakey’s locations to add coin machines to their food and fun concept. Not only can she write, she can fix machines when they break down. Pretty cool!
Randy White is CEO of The White Hutchinson Leisure & Learning Group, a multi-disciplinary firm specializing in feasibility, concept and brand development, design and consulting for entertainment facilities. Over the past 26 years, the company has worked for over 500 clients in 32 countries, and won 16 first-place design awards. It publishes an occasional Leisure eNewsletter and Tweets (@whitehutchinson); Randy blogs. He is also a founder, co-regent and presenter at Foundations Entertainment University, now in its 13th year. Randy can be reached at 816/931-1040, ext. 100, or via the company’s website at www.whitehutchinson.com. His Guest Essays are © 2015 White Hutchinson Leisure & Learning Group.
Kevin Williams: With as sharp an eye on the international scene as he has on all things “new tech,” Kevin has an extensive background in the development and sales of the latest amusement and attraction applications and technologies. The U.K.-born specialist in the pay-to-play scene is well-known and respected through his consultancy KWP and as a prolific writer and presenter. He publishes The Stinger Report, which covers the emergence of the new entertainment market, and has co-authored a book called The Out-of-Home Interactive Entertainment Frontier. He’s also the founding chairman of the DNA Association, Which focuses on digital out-of-home interactive entertainment. Kevin can be reached at [email protected].