The former DEAL Dubai trade show is now the Entertainment & Leisure MENA (Middle East/North Africa). They’ve scheduled their 2027 event for Jan. 12-14 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The trade group focuses on family entertainment and indoor attractions, esports, digital entertainment, XR attractions, outdoor attractions, rides, waterparks and more. They bring together operators from across the Middle East, Africa and India each year. You can learn more at their new website, www.enlmena.com.
Author: Matt Harding
The experiential art and entertainment center AREA15 in Las Vegas will be celebrating Star Wars Day (“May the Fourth”) and Cinco de Mayo next week. A play on the iconic Star Wars “May the force be with you line,” May 4 is recognized as Star Wars Day and AREA15 will offer themed cocktail specials and screenings of three Star Wars films starting at 4 p.m. that day. On May 5, Cinco de Mayo, they’ll celebrate with a special bar crawl from 4-9 p.m. throughout their facility. Learn more at www.area15.com.
In coin-op for more than 50 years, the director of business development at J&J Amusements and leader of SMART Software – Sam Westgate – is in the Amusement Industry Hall of Fame. He began his journey just before his 17th birthday at Williams Enterprises and rose through that organization to become general manager and shareholder, helping transform them from a regional business into a successful multi-state company. Leading up to the passage of video gaming in Illinois, he was appointed as ICMOA’s liaison to the Illinois Licensed Beverage Association, where he educated ILBA members statewide on the benefits and significance…
TouchTunes has reported that Sam Zammuto, a leader and innovator who joined Arachnid in 1982 as part of the original “A Team,” is now officially retired after his nearly 50 years in the industry. Zammuto discovered his love for darts while in England during his U.S. Air Force service. In 1977, he launched the first-ever electronic dart league with TBI Games – “a pivotal moment that helped transform darts from a casual pastime into a structured, competitive and widely accessible sport.” Since 1982, he’s played a critical role in growing Arachnid and the broader darts community – expanding league play,…
Betson Enterprises’ Brittannie Betti was introduced as AMOA-NY’s Woman of the Year on April 22 at a ceremony at Benjamin Steakhouse in New York City. Accepting the award, she said: “Tonight is just not about me, but about all of you in this room who have helped me to get to where I am through all of your support.” She thanked her family, “who have always been my biggest cheerleaders when it came to my ambitions.” And she recognized Bob Geshine for his mentorship. “I could only imagine to be as smart or have as much business acumen as he does…
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Midwest Gaming Classic is expecting more than 35,000 attendees this weekend in Milwaukee. The event, which started in 2001 as a basement meetup for Atari fans, will feature more than 10,000 playable games across 350,000 sq. ft. at the Baird Center from April 24-26. “This has always been about bringing people together,” said co-founder Dan Loosen. “You play a game next to someone and share that experience. That’s what keeps people coming back.” The event has video games of all kinds, pinball machines, board games and more. Visit www.midwestgamingclassic.com to learn more.
It’s the Summer of ’85 down at the new arcade bar just north of downtown Milwaukee. CBS 58 reported the new bar-restaurant was inspired by movies like Beverly Hills Cop, Purple Rain, Ghostbusters and Sixteen Candles, and features retro arcade games from the era as well as themed food and beverage. Uniquely, the space will be a 30+ club after 7 p.m., though all ages are welcome before that. Learn more at www.so85mke.com.
Battle Royale, a new microbrewery and arcade in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, is set to open this summer Philly Voice reported. Co-owner Matt Courchain had left a job he had for 13 years and decided to lean into his two passions with Battle Royale. He’s been brewing small batches of beer for about 20 years and is a “diehard gamer with a knack for repairing electronics.” So, when a nearby arcade closed and auction off its collection of pinball machines, Courchain jumped at the opportunity. Learn more at www.brbrewingco.com.
The Scorbit online platform for pinball has launched a real-money tournaments feature in an effort to transform “physical gameplay into connected, competitive and monetized experiences.” Scorbit has rolled out tournaments across 13 locations with $4,000 in total winnings available. The tournaments conclude today, April 22. Among the 13 locations are Capital Pinball Parlor in Sacramento, California; RLM Amusements in Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Beer Bunker in Portland, Oregon. Click here to read more from Yahoo! Finance and visit www.scorbit.io to learn more about the platform.
Betson Enterprises recently installed a 67-game arcade at the new Slick City Action Park in Woodbury, Minnesota. The indoor park also offers high-speed slides, sport courts, ziplines and trapeze swings. For its part, the arcade is 4,000 sq. ft. and a full redemption wall. “We wanted to bring additional excitement to our guests while also creating another strong revenue stream,” noted Mike Kelly, the owner of Slick City Woodbury. “Betson’s customer service is the absolute best I’ve received since entering the FEC space a year ago.” Betson’s Mike Springman, their director of FEC development, worked closely with the Slick City…