The VNEA global pool league specifically for coin machine operators has announced its new top leadership, serving terms going from its upcoming 43rd annual season and ending in 2024. Taking the reins of the “Valley League” from outgoing president Marshall Kohtz (VVS, Inc., Lincoln, Neb.) is Scott Morgan, who entered the coin-op industry in 1983 when he went to work for the family-run Aactive Coin Machines. He’s built an extensive resume in his years with the company, the first 20-plus of which were spent on the road installing and servicing pool tables, video games and jukeboxes in the Southern Manitoba,…
Author: RePlay Editor
The 2022 IATP Conference and trade show, the North American event for the recently renamed International Adventure and Trampoline Park Association, will be held September 20-22 at the Sheraton Music City in Nashville, Tenn. The three-day event will feature networking, education and exhibits. Among the workshops scheduled are: Protecting Yourself from Litigation Setting an Outstanding Marketing Strategy: The Three Pillars for Success Positive Changes in Operations to Protect Your Business Your First Line of Defense – Your Staff Interaction & Supervision! Creating a Frictionless Guest Experience Social Media Marketing Find the Staff You Need with New Hiring Tips! The Return…
Colerain Bowl in Colerain Township, Ohio, closed at the end of June after 62 years on the lanes, according to WCPO. “The economic landscape of recent years has forced our decision to discontinue operations,” wrote Gina Ruggiere, in a post on the Colerain Bowl Facebook page. “It is a bittersweet end of an era and we wish our customers, employees and the greater Colerain community all the best.” It’s the second Cincinnati area bowling alley to close permanently since the pandemic started. The other was Brentwood Bowl in Springfield Township, which closed in September 2020.
Firestone Financial, a leading financial services company to the amusement industry, has been directed by its parent company, Berkshire Bank, to suspend all future lending to our industry effective immediately. Firestone celebrated its 55th anniversary this May; Berkshire bought the previously privately held company in 2015. CEO Nitin Mhatre said “the decision to stop originating Firestone loans was strategic rather than a reflection of the portfolio’s performance,” reported Diane McLaughlin in Banker & Tradesman. McLaughlin also wrote: “Berkshire had total loans at the end of the second quarter of $7.8 billion, up from $7.2 billion at the end of the…
The members of CAMO (the Colorado Amusement Machine Operators Assn.) gathered at The Summit entertainment center in Thornton (North Denver) for their annual meeting on July 13. Highlights of the day’s events included a legislative update from lobbyist Stephanie Hicks, a Zoom meeting with a state legislator and a raffle to benefit the organization. CAMO President Bob Burnham reported that the organization, which was founded in mid-2020, continues to grow despite some consolidation. With close to 30 members today, they encouraged non-members to attend this year’s meeting to get acquainted and learn more about membership. Burnham, who will remain president…
The new Main Event entertainment center in Brownsville, Texas, has reportedly had the best soft launch in company history. “This Main Event has had the best soft opening in company history,” said Jace Hinderland, a partner with Elm Creek Real Estate, the firm that helped moved the company into the former Sears space at Sunrise Mall on July 1. According to the Rio Grande Guardian, the store showed some of the strongest initial sales they’ve ever experienced at Main Event. Learn more at www.mainevent.com.
Bowl-A-Rama, a bowling alley in Panama City, Fla., that was ruined by Hurricane Michael in 2018, reopened in June. According to WMBB, Donald Williams purchased the property in December 2020 and has been working to get the business back open since then. “It’s just like any other project,” he said. “You have things come up that you don’t expect and then gotta backtrack, correct it and then press on from there.” While the alley was closed, nearby Rock’it Lanes took on Bowl-A-Rama’s leagues. Signups for the fall leagues at the new Bowl-A-Rama are now open to excited bowlers.
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Back 9 Golf & Entertainment, a $30 million facility on the downtown Indianapolis waterfront, will open Aug. 5, according to the Indianapolis Star. The 58,500-sq.-ft. venue will feature 75 climate-controlled golf bays, a three-story driving range and a 350-person outdoor music pavilion. It will also be home to its own restaurant and the new Best Friends Coffee & Spirits, an expansion of the popular Best Friends Coffee & Bagels. Learn more at www.back9golf.com.
The BullShooter Finals, put on by Arachnid 360, celebrated its 36th anniversary from May 26-30 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare hotel in Chicago. Now, the event will be broadcast on ESPN2 this fall. “After not being able to meet up and play darts over the last two years, due to the state of the world, the 5-day weekend was a much-anticipated outing with players coming from all corners of the globe and joining in on the competition,” organizers said. Recently, Sam Zammuto and Dixon Gordon made the announcement that BullShooter has partnered with ESPN to have the sport broadcast on…