Organizers of the annual laser tag education extravaganza, Laser Tag 360, warn that potential attendees are nearly out of time to register. The event, held Feb. 6-7 in Indianapolis, brings together laser tag pros in order to help attendees open an arena of their own. Organizers promise that when attendees leave, they’ll leave with an action plan, solid contacts in the industry, a re-energized outlook and valuable, cost-saving insights. On top of that, attendees will have the chance to get hands-on demos of laser tag equipment from five different companies, and will receive 16 credit hours applicable toward IAAPA certification.…

More than 220 FEC owners or management personnel are headed to the Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs Feb. 20-22 for this year’s F2FEC “SOUL” experience. Though organizers are reporting that the event is sold out, they’re advising that anyone who’s interested in getting into the event but doesn’t “have a ticket” should get in touch and be added to the wait list, just in case room opens up. The conference is lauded by many in the industry as one of the most beneficial FEC-oriented events of the year. This year, 45 F2FEC game and other product suppliers will join with…

For those interested in attending Foundations Entertainment University, save some money by registering by Jan. 31 for the Feb. 25-26 seminar. Amusement Expo attendees can get two extra days of learning in by attending the seminar, which is hosted in Las Vegas in the run up to the Expo. Early bird registration costs $395, with prices going to $495 after Jan. 31. The event has a hotel special with the Westgate, and more information can be found here.

Timezone Group announced at the start of January that it had completed the acquisition of the remaining majority stake in the Timezone business in New Zealand from Gary Walker, Stuart Jones and Mark Jones. The acquisition was completed on Jan. 1, with Timezone Group announcing that the existing management team will remain in place to operate and grow the business. Scott Blume, Managing Director of Timezone Group, said, “Gary and his team have built an outstanding business and we are very excited to move from a minority equity position to 100% ownership and at the same time continue to work…

VR Takes the Stage at Expo Cooney Makes a Case for Why VR Belongs There & Urges Examination by Bob Cooney For the last twenty-five years, I’ve been observing the virtual reality market emerge, contract and emerge again. In 2015, I went to IAAPA to research an article for this publication in which I intended to proclaim that the third time trying to integrate VR into amusements was not going to be a charm. What I learned changed my perspective. The nost recent IAAPA show featured more than a dozen virtual reality attractions that actually seemed like they could work.…

Editorial When I first started reporting on this industry 53 years ago, it was called the “jukebox business,” and apart from a minority of arcade operators on the Jersey Shore, the San Francisco piers and points in between, it was mostly populated by route operators. The “anchor” location was the bar and the game of the moment was the puck shuffle alley. Pinballs were illegal to operate in my hometown of New York, and cranes, residing in a gray legal limbo similar to video card games, could only be found if you looked real hard for them. The industry has…

Making the Rounds LaFleur Chats About Issues Facing Operators and How AMOA is Helping Q: Before we get into a look at your term as AMOA President, how is the Amusement Expo shaping up? A:  I feel so fortunate to have been able to visit with so many different states across the country over the past nine months. The passion and commitment displayed by AMOA operators never ceases to amaze me. While each state has its own issues and even its own culture, the common thread for all state organizations is the commitment to making the industry better for all of us, especially when…

The VR Scene Tech Development Bodes Well for Arcade-Based VR by Bob Cooney For the last two years, I’ve been observing the virtual reality market develop. In 2015, I went to IAAPA to research an article for this publication that was intended to proclaim that the third try at VR was not going to be a charm. Instead, I experienced a handful of products that began to sway my opinion. I began to think that maybe, just maybe, the technology was catching up to the vision I had in 1992 when, with Edison Brothers Mall Entertainment, I opened a series…

Meet the New Chief Holly Hampton Installed As AAMA President Holly Hampton’s wide-spanning career took her from an early stint in the Army Reserves to working for her father while attending university to falling into an internship with Bay Tek, a company she now calls family. Now, she’s become the first woman to ever top the American Amusement Machine Association, a two-year post she holds with honor, dedication and a cheery attitude focused on determining the industry’s best path forward. As president, she looks to continue diversifying the membership and leadership of the AAMA with a constant influx of new…

The RePlay Rundown of New Games at IAAPA There was a lot to see on the behemuth Orlando show floor. Click on the link below to download a PDF of games, descriptions and the anticipated time they’d be hitting the market. IAAPA Product Review 2017