AVS Companies’ Cortney Kinzler, her husband Graig and their three children are temporarily residing in a local hotel after a lightning strike sparked a fire in their Bartlett, Ill., home, Oct. 5. Adding insult to injury, early in the morning of of Oct. 11, the family had to evacuate the hotel they’d moved into when a fire broke out in its laundry room. Thankfully, that was extinguished, didn’t affect their quarters and the Kinzler family are back to regrouping after all they’ve been through. Cortney said: “We are still very much in limbo waiting to hear how long the rebuild…
Author: Casey Minter
According to The Week magazine, a huge breakthrough in consumer virtual reality is coming next year. Called Oculus Quest, it’ll consist of only one wireless headset and two hand-held game controllers and sell for around $400 retail. “It’s lack of wires and its ease of use could make the Quest the device that finally gets the masses to jump into VR, so long as Facebook-owned Oculus can also get top game developers on board,” the magazine declared. As trade veterans know, what we call the “home video game business” is a multi-billion-dollar industry that spun out of coin-op’s original heydays.…
The upscale bowling entertainment center chain Stars and Strikes celebrated the grand opening of its 12th location on Sept. 22 in Smyrna, Tenn. It’s the Georgia-based company’s first location in the state. “It was fantastic — our best grand opening yet,” said Scott Harris, the director of marketing with Stars and Strikes. He said they hit an all-time grand opening sales record. “We were super happy with that.” Located in a former Kmart building, the 55,000-square-foot facility features 24 bowling lanes, eight of which are VIP lanes in a signature lounge area, a 7,300-square-foot arcade and prize store, a multi-story…
Hal McEvoy, interim president and CEO of IAAPA, has now officially taken over the roles. McEvoy stepped into that slot back in February, and the association said he solidified his role after an extensive global search was conducted for other viable candidates. McEvoy joined IAAPA as CFO in April 2017, after a 42-year career with Busch Entertainment Corporation and SeaWorld Parks. He has attended expos and participated in IAAPA committees for years, and was a member of the Audit Committee since its inception in 2005. “With each step taken, it became evident Hal was the right choice for IAAPA and…
A new manufacturing home is on the books for Gold Standard Games/Shelti, just a few miles from their previous facility. The new plant (pictured below), at 3020 North Water Street in Bay City, Mich., represents a major step forward (and a big upgrade) for Mark Robbins’ company. The previous facility, a factory with a rich history dating back to when Valley owned it beginning in 1947, had served Gold/Shelti well, but its age was beginning to show. Their new place offers comparable space and a modern work environment. “My time with the company over the last five years has shown…
The annual Pinball Expo is all set to wow as it kicks off next Wednesday (Oct. 17) at the Westin Chicago North Shore in Wheeling, Ill. The gathering brings the best in the biz for five days of seminars, shows, tournaments and more. A laundry list of vendors is on board bringing everything pin, including parts, mods, merch and the tables themselves. Some of the most sought after moments during the Expo are seminars with pin designers, and this year will not disappoint. From Pat Lawlor to Keith Elwin and many more whiteboard whizzes will be present to share their…
Another edition of the highly-regarded Foundations Entertainment University (FEU) is set to go in Houston from Oct. 16 to 18. FEU 2.0 offers a crash course seminar program covering the FEC industry, offering the perspectives of six longtime amusement experts. Jerry Merola, Frank Seninsky, Peter Olesen, Kevin Williams, Frank Price and Doug Wilkerson round out FEU’s roster. The presenters cover the basics of planning, design, financing, development, marketing and managing a location-based entertainment business. Early bird registration has ended for Houston’s FEU but potential attendees can still make it to the valuable educational event. Registration costs $495 and gets attendees…
Matic Entretenimento Indústria e Comércio Ltda., has joined the Stern Pinball family as its exclusive importer and distributor for Brasil. The company, located in São Paulo is also an experienced manufacturer and distributor of coin-op games. “Brazil has a long history of pinball enthusiasm. We partnered with Matic Entretenimento because of their knowledge and success in our industry,” said Stern Chairman and CEO Gary Stern. “And they are passionate about pinball.” CEO of Matic Entretenimento Paulo Esteban said, “We have been long time Stern Pinball supporters and are very pleased to have the opportunity to represent Stern in the Brazilian…
Francois De Freitas has joined Apple Industries as its new senior director of marketing, bringing 20 years of experience in the photo booth market courtesy of former employer Photo-Me International. In addition, he has international experience launching amusement products in new markets, matching Apple Industries wide-ranging ambition. “We’re delighted to welcome Francois within our growing and successful team. Francois has the equivalent amount of industry knowledge and experience coupled with extensive international marketing experience,” said Apple CEO, Allen Weisberg. Added Francois himself: “I’m really pleased to join Apple and be part of this truly progressive management team.” The new hire…
On Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, Betson Enterprises’ office on Tributary Street in Baltimore closed. All machine sales and service, parts included, are now being handled from the network’s main office in Carlstadt, N.J. utilizing its fleet of trucks for equipment deliveries to the territory and its well-outfitted customer service department phones for routine service support. The outlet’s veteran manager Nick Sarioglou continues to work for the firm and manage all sales from regional operating companies. Betson’s Sr. Marketing Director James Liess advised that “after a comprehensive examination of our current systems and distribution model, we determined that we can more…