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…
Author: RePlay Editor
Maximizing Game Room Revenue – Part Three Growing Profits by Working Together and Being Open to New Ideas by Frank Seninsky, President/CEO Amusement Entertainment Management (AEM) & Alpha-Omega Amusements & Sales [Editor’s note: For a first-time read or a refresher, Part One can be found in the February 2016 issue and Part Two in March. Both are available online at the RePlay website: www.replaymag.com/current_issue/frank.html.] Let me share a real life scenario… Tony has an 8,000-sq.-ft. laser tag center that is grossing only $200,000/year in total revenue. He says he must substantially increase revenue to stay in business. When I asked…
Toy Trends for 2016 Annual N.Y.C. Fair Shines Spotlight on Latest Toys for the Market by Howard McAuliffe, Partner, Global Product Services and piaproducts.com New York City is usually very cold, and often nasty, in February, but that doesn’t stop the global toy industry from converging at the Toy Fair there every year. This is a truly international tradeshow that brings vendors and buyers to see what has been created for the current year. The biggest toy companies in the world are all in attendance as vendors and or buyers, as well as hundreds of smaller companies, including start-ups. Our…
First Things First Set Objectives and Measure Your Success By Beth Standlee, CEO, TrainerTainment S o we’ve finished the first quarter of the year! That was fast. How did you do? Did you have the number of birthday parties and group events you meant to have? Did you have a goal? If not, how do you know if you won or not? Many businesses simply measure how they did this year compared to last year. To me, it’s not enough to know that you beat last year’s numbers. For example, if you didn’t have a very good year, then that wouldn’t…
A Nice Problem to Have Multiple New Pinball Offerings Make Purchasing Decision Tough by Adam Pratt, Game Grid Arcade & ArcadeHeroes.com With every trade show there is always something that stands out to you above the other products and with Amusement Expo 2016, it was pinball. To be honest, I never played pinball until I opened my own arcade since finding a working machine locally was difficult. The FEC where I worked in the late ’90s didn’t have any pinballs either. I did recognize that it was important to have so I purchased a pair of Stern machines for my…
How to Lose Money… And Make Your Accountant Happy By George McAuliffe, Chief FEC Strategist, Redemption Plus I struggled with the headline for this column. I didn’t want to insult all accountants, especially the great ones who understand that saving a dollar doesn’t necessarily mean that you made a dollar. It’s not just accountants, either. Plenty of operating managers miss the big picture by focusing too narrowly in certain areas. Sure it’s important to control redemption cost of sales, but it has to be done in the context of the overall guest experience, which takes place throughout a facility. Redemption…
Positive Vibes Education & Strong FEC Turnout Highlight Expo Q: At the Amusement Expo, you wore three hats – that of attendee, exhibitor and AAMA President. Looking at the show from those different viewpoints, what were your takeaways? A: From an exhibitor standpoint, we’ve been doing this show (as Amusement Expo, ASI or AMOA) since 2005 when I began working in this industry for MEI/CPI. We’ve had great experiences working with the Glasgow organization, with them getting exhibits onto the show floor, coordinating the space and getting everyone in there. I’d say that attendance this year felt really positive, though…
Passing Great Value to Operators Gaines Butler Reflects on Recent Expo Q: Most of AMOA’s members are street operators. How well do you think the recent show served their interests? A: I think this year’s Expo provided great value to route people. It always has, but in recent years, with the expansion of the education program and a greater focus on the FEC, bulk vending and laser tag segments, there is much more for traditional street operators to see and learn about. Simply put, it’s not your grandfather’s Expo anymore! The show has changed and evolved, especially since the new spring…
Editorial The mid-March Amusement Expo in Las Vegas was the 53rd consecutive “AMOA” show I’ve attended during my time on Earth. As many know, the national operator association, formerly called “MOA,” co-owns that trade show today along with the manufacturer group AAMA. The odd thing is that I can still remember those early MOA shows as if they were held yesterday. I can also remember the “culture” of the industry during those days, as well as the public “perception” of the products and the people in it. Simply put, it’s all very different today. Back then, the dominant machine was…
High-Flying JET! Jennison Bros. Soar Into 10th Anniversary of Designing Without Limits by Casey Minter, Editorial Assistant The ideas behind Justin and Kern Jennison’s games don’t come from where you’d expect. They take their Disney-inspired company motto to heart, believing, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” These words are written in the Jennison Entertainment Technologies office in Daytona Beach, Fla., and in their factory in China; they serve as a reminder that the idea for the company’s next big game can come from anywhere and everywhere. Whether a desktop snow globe inspires their next game ––…