Organizers behind the annual Amusement Expo are asking for speaking proposals for the return of their next big show on March 26, 2019. The Expo Education Day will feature a wide range of presentations and organizers are looking for a similarly wide ranging group of presenters. Proposals will be evaluated on relevance to the industry, organization and presentation, and should focus on at least one of the following tracks: people management, customer experience, business management, operations, marketing, industry trends and development. General sessions will feature speakers covering a broad segment of attendees while the day’s breakout sessions allow for more…

Rock-Ola’s Glenn Streeter updated RePlay on some of his recent travels with favorite gal Corinne, sharing some pictures from a fun British car show: “Corinne and I have been going to Goodwood, England, for the past several years. The Revival Car show and event is a great experience that will dazzle your mind. The Brits love their cars and there are thousands of them as far as the eye can see and that’s just in the parking area,” wrote Streeter, an auto enthusiast and collector. “Then when you get in, there’s a huge race track with grandstand and WWII grass…

The Spare Time Entertainment BEC chain opened its newest location on April 27 in Greenville, S.C., according to the facility’s Facebook page. Headquartered in Colchester, Vt., Spare Time has 17 locations, majority of which are in the New England region. The facilities typically offer bowling, laser tag, arcades and food. WSPA 7 News reports that the 52,000-square-foot space is the first Spare Time to offer escape rooms. The Greenville location will also use Zone Laser Tag’s 20-player Helios CE system, according to a press release. The new laser tag arena is industrial themed and was designed by Creative Works. Zone/Lasertag.com…

The recently opened Funstation at Fountain Park in Edinburgh, Scotland, went with Laserforce for its new laser tag arena, according to a press release. The massive arcade and entertainment center is the sixth location for the Funstation chain — the third to have laser tag. “I have been totally impressed with Laserforce and chose them ahead of my previous supplier,” said Funstation owner and CEO James Miller. “Their quality, technology, installation and support have been faultless (and) I wish I’d used them sooner.” Other locations include Birmingham, Castleford, Braehead, Nottingham and Hull. More information here.

LAI Games announced today (August 1) a new version of its Virtual Rabbids: The Big Ride VR game that is suitable for locations with height restrictions. The new model is identical in gameplay to the original, but comes in at 99 inches tall, making it 36 inches shorter than the original. (This was accomplished by removing the top marquee and making the spectator video screen smaller.) LAI was proud to announce the game is currently sailing on the NCL ship Norwegian Bliss, and will soon come to Carnival Cruise Lines. For more information, click here or contact your local distributor.

George Angermeyer, Betson-Carlstadt’s veteran service manager, died July 26, after a long illness. He’d been in their service department for over 30 years and was only 57 when he passed. “From the beginning, we recognized George’s superior service skills and he rose steadily to manage all of Betson’s and Raw Thrills service operations but first and foremost he will be remembered as a kind individual who was always there if anyone needed him,” said Bob Geschine, President of H. Betti Industries. “He was a true friend to everyone that he knew and will be greatly missed,” Bob added. George was…

The arcade classics are coming back with a frosty, thirst-quenching twist in Bandai Namco’s new Pac-Man’s Pixel Bash Chill cabinet. The retro cabinet is filled with classic games and, thanks to an included mini-fridge, filled with your favorite drinks as well! The machine offers 32 officially licensed Namco games from the past, including Dig Dug, Galaga, Rolling Thunder, a host of Pac-Man variants and more ideal for any home “Pac-Man cave.” Bandai Namco released a coin-op version of the multi-game unit (without the mini fridge) just after Bowl Expo. Check it out here.

Each year, the AAMA’s charitable arm (AAMCF) produces an ad journal saluting the most recent winner of their Lifetime Achievement Award (Bay Tek’s Larry Treankler got it this time). Now, they’re also going to include a “CEO Corner” in a special section of the journal where company toppers can expound on how much they appreciate Treankler’s contribution to the industry (an extra contribution to the AAMCF is required to participate). The phone call squad who’ll be contacting coin-op’s heavies includes Bob Geshine, David Cohen and Allen Weisberg. Since 1983, the AAMCF has contributed nearly $1.5 million to over 125 mostly…

H. Betti Industries President Bob Geschine has promoted longtime Betson rep Glenn Quaiver (right) to Chief Operating Officer of this multi-faceted coin-op organization. Before this, Glenn served as their SVP of Operations. In his new post, he’ll be responsible for operations in all three divisions of the company: Betson Enterprises, Imperial International and Betson Imperial Parts. Filling his former post is longtime employee, Bill Seibert who’s been with the company for 32 years, most recently as VP of Operations. “We’re excited to have both Glenn and Bill as operational cornerstones at H. B.I.as we pursue our continual growth strategy,” said…

On April 27, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia got a new addition to their third floor South play area: a TouchTunes jukebox! Angelina’s Song, a foundation started by Lou and Nicole Miele in memory of their late daughter, donated the box while TouchTunes donated the music and waved the service fees. “Our family spent a lot of time here with Angelina and we wanted to add something that all the kids could enjoy,” said her mom, Nicole. The Mieles had the juke powder coated yellow to represent pediatric cancer and added the Angelina’s Song logo to the front where the bill…