Five Star Parks and Attractions recently appointed Natalie Johnson as their vice president of marketing. She will now lead the company’s brand strategy, customer engagement and integrated marketing efforts across Five Star’s growing portfolio of parks and attractions. She was most recently director of market at Rusty Taco Franchising LLC and had previously worked with Raising Cane’s Restaurants LLC. “I’m incredibly excited to join Five Star Parks and Attractions at such a dynamic moment,” Johnson said. “This is a brand built on joy, connection, and unforgettable experiences, and I look forward to helping amplify that story across every touchpoint. I’m…
Author: Matt Harding
Valo Motion will be in IAAPA Expo booth #3886 with their FEC-friendly focused products, including the new ValoArena 4-player attraction. The company will also have their full suite of mixed reality attractions, including ValoClimb and ValoJump. “Since Valo Motion launched in 2016, we are proud that our products have been widely adopted in activity and trampoline parks around the world,” said Raine Kajastila, CEO and founder of Valo Motion. “While active play centers will continue to be a focus, our push into building products for family entertainment centers has shown us that a smaller product footprint and short, exciting games…
Digital Centre is always ready with seasonal and custom photo booths and Halloween is no different. They’ll be at IAAPA in booth #3200. “In a world where variety is key, our outdoor photo booths stand out with their customizable designs,” the company said. “Whether capturing the spirit of Christmas, Halloween, or the whimsy of Hello Kitty, these booths provide a perfect entertainment hub. Guests are welcomed into a setting that can be transformed to reflect any theme, merging the excitement of various occasions with the conveniences of digital technology.” Equipped to offer a variety of themes, the booths offer themes and…
Montgomery, Alabama’s oldest bowling alley – Bama Lanes – recently recognized its 65th anniversary. Dozens of people came out for a celebration event with tournaments, snacks and prizes, reported WAKA. “Getting out there with friends, having fun – it’s more fun than watching a movie,” said the center’s owner Steve Lander. “Everybody has a different style and the bowlers who haven’t been bowling long are the most fun to watch because they’ve got their own way of doing it.” Tournament promoter Jennifer Hill was also on hand, saying bowling is a family tradition that lasts generations: “The reason I bowl…
Arcade chain Adores will close its Sunshine location in Tokyo, Japan’s Ikebukuro Station neighborhood this January after 40 some years of operation. Japan Today reports that the three-level arcade thrived in the area during the 1980s through early 2000s. “Our entire staff is filled with appreciate for all of our customer who visited our arcade and spent happy times here over these many years,” the company said in a statement. “We look forward to the day when we will be able to see you again!” Despite the latter comment, Adores gave no indication that they intend to reopen a new…
Amusement industry veteran Dave Schwartz recently joined the Boca Raton, Florida-based licensed plush supplier Good Stuff as its vice president of sales. A subsidiary of Basic Fun, the company manufactures popular, exclusively-licensed plush like Nintendo Mario and Friends, Marvel, Care Bears, SpongeBob, Five Nights at Freddy’s and all major sports leagues, among others. “It’s a thrill to be part of amusement’s finest plush company,” Schwartz said. “Good Stuff’s commitment to the latest, trending merchandise today’s players want to win is second to none.” Most recently, Schwartz was with BMI Merchandise for 12 years. He previously held sales and marketing roles…
Frontgrid will show off their new Containerised Pod in booth #1765 at the upcoming IAAPA Expo, held Nov. 18-21. They say the product is “engineered to sit within a shipping container” but have “the same adrenaline-fueled immersive experience as ParadropVR.” The ParadropVR flying experiences combine motion-based engineering and VR content that takes guests through various cityscapes and landscapes. Learn more at www.frontgrid.co.uk and click here to book a meeting with the company’s CEO Matt Wells at the trade show.
The cashless supplier Embed will be in IAAPA booth #1040 next month to showcase the Embed Ecosystem, which offers a whole host of front-of-house and back-office tools that help operators power their venues. Their revamped BOOKINGS platform boosts guest walk-ins and impulse buys and now integrates seamlessly with KIOSK+ and SALES for a unified POS – online or offline. “From front-of-house to back-office, Embed powers a seamless, revenue-driven ecosystem – exactly how operators like it,” said CEO Renee Welsh. Added CTO Andy Welsh: “With these latest enhancements to the solutions under the Embed Ecosystem, BOOKINGS, WAIVERS, SALES, and REPORTS come…
The Texas-based cinema entertainment center chain Cinergy recently broke ground on a 90,000-sq.-ft. development in Corpus Christi, KRIS reports. “We love to come to cities the size of Corpus Christi,” said CEO Jeff Benson. “We wouldn’t have made a $45 million investment here if we didn’t have 100% certainty that it’s an under-served community when it comes to bowling, amusements and movies. So, we don’t have any doubt that we are going to perform.” In addition to the above, the facility will also have a three-level indoor electric go-kart track and mini-golf. Construction is expected to begin by the end…
The indoor slide chain Slick City Action Park now officially has 107 locations signed or opened across the country and beyond, the company recently reported. Since its founding in 2021, it’s grown to 33 states and even internationally. “This milestone represents a defining moment for Slick City and the incredible community of franchisees who have helped bring our vision to life,” said Bron Launsby, the company’s CEO and co-founder. “We’ve built something truly unique, an indoor park experience that appeals to everyone from kids to adults, and the response has been nothing short of extraordinary.” The company dubs itself “the…