Shaffer Distributing has announced the retirement of longtime sales veteran Dennis Stern (left). With 39 years in the business, Dennis worked out of the dealership’s St. Louis office. He entered the industry in 1988 when he joined the sales team of J&J Distributors, and stayed on when Shaffer acquired the company later that year. Shaffer execs say Dennis has consistently been a strong sales performer, and has developed many strong personal relationships with his customers over the years. His last day is April 29, and Shaffer hopes to celebrate his career and wish him the very best. Mike Carr will…
Author: Casey Minter
Organizers of VR Arcade Conference, the first out-of-home entertainment virtual reality get together, are reporting an “incredible take-up in support for the event.” With less than a week to go — the event runs May 2 to 4 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif. — organizers were excited to announce the latest list of supporters. Leading developers and investors in the out-of-home entertainment community are backing the conference, as well as many firms interested in breaking into this new business sector. Vizuality Studio, a company focused on immersion through architecture, design and virtual tourism, has become a…
After a yearlong search, the American Amusement Machine Association has announced that Pete Gustafson will take over the Executive Vice President role from John Schultz, who is retiring at the end of May. Gustafson will be leaving his role as Sega USA’s GM and says he’s excited to continue the extensive work and progress that Schultz began. The two will begin the transition in mid-May, and Gustafson will officially take the post on June 1. “I’m deeply honored and humbled by the appointment. It’s a big position with a lot of responsibilities,” Gustafson said. “I’ve been working with the AAMA…
Intercard Inc. is encouraging current and prospective clients to update their credit card devices in order to comply with new EMV standards put into effect in October 2015. According to the company, businesses that are using devices that aren’t EMV compliant are exposed to potential fraud risks. The 2015 compliance rule shifted the responsibility for fraudulent card use to merchants not using EMV-compatible machines. In the worst-case scenarios, this means a business without these updates is stuck to foot the bill if a customer swipes several charges then disputes it as fraud. “We’ve already heard of such scenarios,” says Scott…
The 2016 Euro Attractions Show, which runs Sept. 20-23 at the Fira Gran Via in Barcelona, has been building well, according to show organizers. More than 435 companies from 60 countries will be exhibiting new products across a record-breaking 130,000-sq.-ft. trade show floor. The expo is expected to attract strong attendance from international companies, including exhibitors from Italy, France, Germany, Great Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. On top of this, the show offers its own conference program with more than 20 hours of education, including the IAAPA Institute for Attractions Managers, Lunch and Learn seminars and a Leadership Breakfast.…
The reality home improvement show Vanilla Ice Project (VIP), headed by the pop icon Rob Van Winkle (aka Vanilla Ice), recently outfitted a 3,000-sq.-ft. West Palm Beach, Fla., home with an Infinity Mini Bowling Alley. These miniaturized classics offer the fun of bowling at a smaller footprint and price tag, though we can’t help but think it can’t possibly compare to the fun you have at a “real” bowling center/FEC! VIP is a show that chronicles Vanilla Ice and his Ninja crew as they purchase and renovate Florida homes, and it airs on the DIY Network. This 13-episode series premiered…
The GameTime FEC chain’s newly improved menu will be featured on a radio and TV show airing tomorrow, Saturday, April 23. Jimmy Cefalo, a sports broadcaster and journalist, and Brenda Bassett, a food, wine and travel writer, will feature the fun center’s cuisine on their show, Eat This Drink That Go. The radio/TV program, which is sponsored by Whole Foods Market, focuses on dolling out solid dining and drinking advice about restaurants around the country. Mike Abecassis, owner/CEO of GameTime, welcomed the hosts into his FEC recently to display the company’s focus on quality eats. “We work quite hard on…
TouchTunes’ Director of New Business Development, Noah M. Rappe, passed away in his sleep on April 17, just weeks after many of us in the industry chatted with him at the annual Amusement Expo. He was 36, and leaves behind a grieving wife of 10 years, Melinda, and their four-year-old son. “Noah joined TouchTunes in January of 2011, and over the past five years has been an integral part of our TouchTunes family,” said CEO Charles Goldstuck. “He will be deeply missed by all and our thoughts are with his family.” “Noah found his calling as Director of New Business…
The New Jersey Amusement Association shared the news that Mike Chance, president of Chance Rides, Inc., lost a long battle with depression on April 19, at the age of 42. “Yesterday our family and company suffered a tremendous loss. Our son and company president Mike Chance lost his long-term and well-fought battle with depression,” said Dick Chance, CEO of Chance Rides and Mike’s father. “Mike had suffered from this tough disease for years and had faithfully sought treatment and relief from its effects. Like any other disease that is not yet well understood, depression is often difficult to successfully treat.…
On April 21, Raw Thrills announced that alongside the Chinese Copyright Bureau and a former FBI agent, they’ve shut down all known manufacturers of counterfeit Raw Thrills games in China. “These games are of extremely low quality, do not conform to U.S. and international electrical and safety standards, are unreliable, and have no warranty,” said Sales Manager Mark Struhs. “In addition, it is a violation of U.S. and international law to sell, buy, own or operate these games. So we will continue to monitor the situation at home and abroad and prosecute without reservation.” The copy games first came to…