Jumpstart Future Event Sales Now! It’s Time to Plan to Ensure You Maximize Opportunities By Beth Standlee, CEO, TrainerTainment Zig Ziglar said, “Plan your work and then work that plan!” There are three big initiatives to consider right now to plan for big group business in the coming months: back to school, holiday events, banquets and post-prom/graduation/end-of-the-school-year parties (especially for fifth and eighth graders). Back to School When I think about back-to-school opportunities in July and August, these “must do” activities come to mind. First of all, school counselors are already at work so call on them. They won’t be…
Author: RePlay Editor
Arachnid 360 Goes 360 Company Gets Back to Its Roots, Pushes Forward with Tech & Innovation Nearly 25 years ago, a family banded together in its love of a budding, evolving sport: electronic darts. That’s when the Beall family took the reins of Arachnid, the premier dart game manufacturer in the industry today. It’s hard to imagine that the company ever did anything else, but back in 1975, under the leadership of Rudy Allison, they switched from making balloon inflators to electronic dart games. The struggles Allison encountered with optimizing the new dart machines led him to sell Arachnid to…
Horses, Donkeys and Humility Changing Your View of the World: It’s Not All About You! by Jack Guarnieri, Jersey Jack Pinball & PinballSales.com Humility. This is sometimes difficult for people who have a bigger view of themselves than others have of them. Did you know that the eyeball of a horse is the largest orb found on any land mammal and therefore has an oversized retina? This large retina magnifies close objects the horse sees, making it 50 percent larger than what the human eye perceives. If the horse knew it was larger than you, it may act differently and…
Trending towards Frivolity? Good Times May Be Opening the Door to Poor Decisions by Howard McAuliffe, Partner, Pinnacle Entertainment Group Webster’s online dictionary defines a trend as “a prevailing tendency or inclination.” In thinking about trends, many people, including me, focus on new products, ideas or innovations. But recently, I’ve been struck –– and troubled –– by a potential trend I’ve noticed towards frivolity. It seems that good times and profits are giving way to a degree of frivolous behavior, which if not kept in check, can lead to major problems. Here are a few of the indicators I’m noticing…
Editorial During my very first year working for the old Cash Box magazine, my boss sent me out to visit a documentary movie maker name of Morty Heilig. It was 1964, but I remember it pretty clearly because I was still a raw kid and nervous going on “a live assignment” outside the office. Morty let me into his apartment and ushered me into a room that sported something between an electric chair and one of those dryer hoods you see at a lady’s beauty shop. I don’t remember what he called the thing, but it was right out of…
The Internet of Things Could Soon Include Your Route Options to Connect Games & Vending Are Growing & Getting Cheaper; Parish Claims Gemalto’s Cinterion Terminal Seeks to Top Them All Today, having your route connected to the Internet can be the first line of defense for operators as well as an efficient way to improve revenues. Technology to connect your machines is rampant and rapidly getting cheaper, and with it, reasons to stay in the pre-Internet stone age are falling away. For operators looking to know the ins-and-outs of their route at all times (especially those that have routes covering…
Happy Hyosung Prominent ATM Maker Strives for Superior Technology & Service by Hank Schlesinger When Nautilus Hyosung America Inc., based in Irving, Texas, recently marked its 20th anniversary in the U.S. market, the company had every good reason to celebrate. Perhaps the best thing to celebrate was Hyosung’s leading position as supplier of ATMs in America. Hyosung’s rise to the top since entering the North American market in 1998 with its MB2000 ATM (quickly followed by the MB1000), is largely due to its popularity among independent ATM operators. As the industry grew, word spread quickly about the firm’s innovative products…
VRstudios Makes a PowerPlay Company Continues to Surprise with Massive D&B Deal, FEC-Focused Management Platform & New Game that Lives Up to the Promise of VR Thinking of diving in headfirst and adding VR to your location? You may just want to upgrade your air conditioning first, because VRstudios is changing the entrenched concept of gaming as a lazy man’s hobby with its latest developments and content. The Seattle-based studio is swiftly becoming the leader in location-based VR, and for good reason. From penning a wide-ranging deal with Dave & Buster’s to scoring huge IP for current (and upcoming!) games…
First Timer at China Show Worthwhile Expo Trip Generates Enthusiasm For New Equipment Coming to Market by Jack Guarnieri, Jersey Jack Pinball & PinballSales.com As I write this, I’m flying home from Hong Kong and the IAAPA Asian Attractions Expo held June 5-8, which I attended for the first time. It’s just around 15 hours back, but don’t feel sorry for me since I was upgraded on the flight and I actually slept, something those who know me well will find surprising. The show wasn’t the biggest I’ve ever been to, but overall, it seemed well attended, and everyone was…
The Limits of Automating Redemption By George McAuliffe, President, Pinnacle Entertainment Group Limits on automation? That statement counters the trends all around us. Several vendors have been marketing automation of the redemption merchandise process (RMP) and promising to “make it easy.” If it were only so simple! Don’t get me wrong, we are big supporters of technology, and we make a living advising FEC operators how to systematize operations for efficiency. We’ve been out front on adapting technology and integrating into FECs. But there are limits. Some of the automation schemes out there today confuse the means of redemption…