Almost two months to the day that her husband Bob died, his wife Beverly Rondeau passed away herself, at home and surrounded by family. She had suffered from memory problems for years beforehand. The couple, who were married 70 years, is survived by four children, four grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and Bev’s two sisters. The family would like to acknowledge Nimka Majigsuren, who helped Bev and Bob as a caregiver for five years. Beverly was the rock behind her husband’s successful business, managing the accounts and running the office, as well as helping Bob make big business decisions. She also loved…
Author: Casey Minter
Industry vet George McAuliffe intends to transition Pinnacle Entertainment Advisors back to an independent company under his ownership, focusing on planning and designing FEC facilities. McAuliffe founded Pinnacle Entertainment Group, LLC in 1996, and since then, the firm has worked with Disney, Wal-Mart and Sega, as well as new clients developing FECs and game rooms. “As with everything else in my 18-year relationship with Ron Hill and Redemption Plus — as a customer, a member of the management team and, now, as a consultant — we have created a win-win solution,” McAuliffe said. “I want to expand my current scope…
BMIGaming and The Stinger Report released the list of their annual awards highlighting what they consider to be the very best in new arcade and amusement technology. The organizations say the awards are to recognize and celebrate “vibrant creativity and innovation within our industry.” Based on new equipment displayed at the IAAPA Attractions Expo, the awards are judged on five areas of importance: product originality, uniqueness/playability, enjoyment/relevance, earning potential and product pricing. They are issued in five product categories: video arcade games, video redemption games, redemption games, motion simulators/theaters and (a new category for 2016) kidtainment games/rides. A list of…
In order to keep up with what Apple Industries calls an “explosive and sustained demand for our products,” the company has restructured its sales and marketing department. Kristin Link has been promoted from Director of Distributor Relations to Vice President of Sales, Distribution and FECs. Her role now includes special focus on the fast-growing FEC market. Johnny Lotz has been named General Sales Manager, tasked with increasing the company’s inroads into street operations and tavern locations. Mel LaForce, the company’s Vice President of U.S. Sales and Marketing, will take on new responsibilities in the events sector and look for new…
Intercard has recently completed an installation of its i3 Readers at Spare Time’s newest FEC location in Pflugerville, Texas. The ultra-modern bowling center opened in December of 2015, and features an arcade, a multi-level laser tag arena, full-service bar and grill and a private bowling lounge. Spare Time says it saw plenty of benefits in Intercard’s technology, but specifically noted the versatility of card payment options as one of their most desired features. “We felt Intercard is ahead of their competitors when it comes to RFID technology,” said Rick Heim, who owns Spare Time Texas with partner Mike Emmons. “Their…
Southern Europe’s leading international trade show, Enada Spring 2016, ran concurrently with our own Amusement Expo International, beginning on March 16 and ending March 18 in Rimini, Italy. Over 25,000 visitors came to the show, demonstrating what organizers say is an increasing popularity in the industry. Enada featured a host of new products, including the newly arrived and eagerly awaited Moto GP driver by Raw Thrills (the Moto GP franchise enjoys more popularity in Europe than the States). ICE brought several ticket redemption games, including their Angry Birds game and Ghostbusters. For more information on the Italian trade event, visit…
You could say Nolan Bushnell knows quite a bit about having a good time; he’s famous for founding Atari, Chuck E. Cheese and more. On March 13, Nolan and three of his children hosted a panel at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival to discuss the future of fun. The four Bushnell’s spoke about what they perceive as fun, and how technology continues to drastically impact play and entertainment, “gameification” (inserting video game concepts into learning ), and how playing can build valuable relationships. A full run-down of the family’s discussion can be found here: schedule.sxsw.com/2016/events/event_PP91681
PayRange celebrated its new products at this year’s Expo with a burst of confetti and a Millennial-inspired flash mob. During a company announcement headed by Founder and CEO Paresh Patel, a group of young PayRange-attired attendees stunned the attentive crowd with dance moves and lip-syncing. PayRange’s announcement matched the energy and excitement of their performance as well. The company showed off its new BluKey Smart, an improved, more versatile version of their previous product that allows mobile payment on amusement and vending machines. “It’s as easy to install as plugging a USB into a computer,” Patel told the crowd. “Any…
Apple Industries’ Face Place photo booths now have a new, and well-recognized, face: Gene Simmons! The rockstar visited the company’s booth during the final day of this year’s Amusement Expo International, offering photos inside its Photo Studio Deluxe. The company is tapping into the number one most-merchandised band — KISS — in order to pump up their latest offerings. Now customers will be able to enjoy licensed KISS content on all Smile 2.0 enabled machines, and Apple is also building a KISS-branded photo booth. “I think the future of photo booths is in licensing,” said Apple’s CEO Allen Weisberg. Among…
The 2016 Amusement Expo International finished strong on March 17 as organizers reported a continued pattern of growth in attendance with 2,785 people attending. The combined AMOA/AAMA event is co-located with the National Bulk Vending Association and laser tag conventions. Highlights from the Expo were numerous. Things began on a positive note with organizers reporting a huge increase in the number of participants in their day of education, which preceded the two-day trade show. Todd Louthain and Emily Dunn organized the two-track popular education series covering both FEC and route operations. The seminar chronicling Dave and Buster’s transformation from paper…