Building on Greatness Toy Factory Reflects on Its Successful Journey in the Plush World The average American probably wouldn’t consider there to be many similarities between the world of plush toys and Hollywood, but the folks at Toy Factory would be happy to correct that misinterpretation. After 17 years in the amusement industry, the company has forged relationships with some of the most well-known names in showbiz, as well as some of the biggest names in the amusement industry. These relationships are integral to their business and their customer’s satisfaction, and stem from years of dedication to their product. From…
Author: RePlay Editor
Summer is Sizzling With Merchandise Putting Consumer Preferences to Work in Your Entertainment Centers by Howard McAuliffe, Partner, Pinnacle Entertainment Group As summer is getting into swing and kids are filling redemption centers, it’s a good time to take a deeper look at products. By understanding overarching consumer trends, we can better understand guest preferences and decide what items to include in facilities. I’ve included trends for different demographic groups, which is very important for creating an experience that generates repeat business. Keep these in mind when selecting products for redemption, cranes, and merchandisers: 1) STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and…
Charitable Efforts Giving Back Is So Much More Than a Tax Deduction by Jack Guarnieri, Jersey Jack Pinball & PinballSales.com Charitable donations should be part of your business budget. In recent years charitable causes have been hit hard by the economy and the budget cutting of many financial planners in businesses, as well as private donors. Overall, the trend is up, but we can all do a little better. If it’s buying a box of Girl Scout Cookies or donating to a worthy cause, we can all do something to help a make this world a better place. Winston Churchill…
Create Special Moments And Increase Excitement and Sales at the Same Time By Beth Standlee, CEO, TrainerTainment I personally celebrated a wonderful “Birthday Cruise” this year; and the service team at Norwegian Cruise Lines delivered an experience I’ll never forget! We had gone ashore at the first stop, which fell on my actual birthday. When we returned to the ship that day we found our cabin decorated with birthday streamers, a happy birthday banner, and a towel animal holding a balloon and a cupcake. Giddy, excited, appreciated, these are all words that come to mind when I think of it now.…
Redemption: Is It Art or Science? The Balance that Creates Success Starts with the Fundamentals By George McAuliffe, Chief FEC Strategist, Redemption Plus As this issue delivers RePlay’s focus on redemption, it’s a good time to revisit the basics. People ask: Is redemption art or science? The answer is that it’s both! The “Art” is in having a good feel for what customers want, creating the experience, picking the right pieces, and presenting them attractively. The “Science” starts with the numbers: What do our games truly pay out in value? Do I balance my cost of sales percentage against my…
Positive Vibes Gala Plans, Buyers’ Program & the Dallas Expo Q: Registration for the AAMA Meeting and Gala opened recently. How are plans shaping up for this year’s event? A: It’s coming together very well. Registration is open and the schedule is out. If you’re an AAMA member, you’re welcome to join so by all means, please come out and attend it. It’s going to be a full week with numerous committee meetings, our Government Relations luncheon, which is usually pretty insightful into the world of legislation, the sponsor presentations and the Gala’s dinner, awards ceremony and product preview. I…
Editorial I recently celebrated my 77th birthday, if “celebrated” is the correct verb. Anyway, many of my friends are, shall I say, “mature,” so you won’t be surprised to learn that some are rather averse to change. One guy said: “At my age, I already learned all I need to know, so it’s not always necessary to learn anything else.” Another one didn’t like Lady Gaga though he never heard her sing or saw her perform. . .until, that is, he saw her sing on the Oscar show on TV. Now he likes her. There are also a ton of…
“We’ve Only Just Begun” Gaines Butler on Upcoming AMOA Plans Q: What are your goals as you make the rounds this summer at the many industry events you’ll attend? A: While we’re already entering the sixth month of 2016, it’s just the start of the summer state association meetings season in our industry. Since beginning my term as AMOA president in mid-March, I’ve traveled to the National Dart Association’s (NDA) Team Dart program in Las Vegas, the Pennsylvania Amusement & Music Machine Association’s (PAMMA) Annual Meeting and Legislative Reception in Harrisburg and the Oregon Amusement & Music Operators Association’s (OAMOA)…
Sega Celebrates Sonic With Amazing Stable of New Product Sega’s got its swagger back. The company that brought the coin-op industry some great products in its 60-odd year history has its R&D and production engines burning the midnight oil these days to offer operators and FEC buyers a very generous plate of brand new games. Originally founded as a route operation called “Service Games” back in Japan and soon after jumping into machine manufacture, Sega’s U.S. legacy really began with a seminal arcade game called Periscope back in the late ’60s, early ’70s. It was one of the very…
Roll on Over! Roller Skating Association Focuses on S.T.E.M. and Fun at Convention By Beth Standlee, CEO, TrainerTainment The Roller Skating Association International’s convention, held May 3-4 in Las Vegas, was great fun this year. With a focused theme of “Connect, Create, Accelerate,” the planners and attendees alike networked, caught up with old friends, made new friends, and concentrated on making their businesses better. The Las Vegas Rio Hotel and Casino played host to the event. I spoke with Convention Chairman Christopher Griffith, who said they jumped out and tried lots of new things this year. Of those new events, they…