After two years of a Covid-induced break from routine, the members of the California Entertainment Machine Assn. were able to once again convene at the Captain’s Arcade Showroom in Anaheim for a meeting and Spotlight Show on Friday, April 22. From the kickoff in the morning with educational sessions on cashless systems, ATMs and unattended VR, CEMA provided a day well worth attending. Highlights were the sharing of association news and reelection of officers with CEMA topper Jim Wyatt, a national update from AMOA’s new president Tim Zahn, a legislative report from association lobbyist Jarhett Blonien and a timely report…
Author: Matt Harding
High 5 Entertainment in Austin, Texas, recently replaced their original axe throwing lanes with Lasertron’s axe throwing attraction. Owner Scott Emley and managing partners Brad and Keri Little previously attended one of Lasertron’s operators’ conferences. “When we saw firsthand what Lasertron had done with axe throwing, we were very excited about it,” Keri Little said. “The look of it, the variety of game options and the safety – it just took axe throwing to another level.” Now, both High 5 Entertainment centers have four lanes of the Lasertron attraction. For more information, email Ann Kessler at [email protected] or visit www.laser-tron.com.
Construction recently began on the new Elev8 Fun entertainment center in Tampa, Florida. The brand opened its first location in the Orlando area earlier this year and the Tampa location is expected by early 2023. According to WFTS, the facility will be building out an old Sears department store; attractions will include go-karts, classic and new arcade games, VR, mini-golf, 12 bowling lanes, axe throwing, laser tag and more. Read more about the company in an upcoming profile in RePlay. Learn more in the meantime at www.elev8fun.com.
The upcoming BTU FEC training program will be held May 23-24 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. in Baltimore at the Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel. The program offers hands-on training with the industry experts at Betson. Topics include a game system overview, basic soldering and splicing techniques, game maintenance, card reader 101, troubleshooting and more. Click here to sign up. The two-day course costs $1,295.
A retro arcade bar opened in late February in Pittsburgh. Called Shorty’s Pins x Pints, the business features duckpin bowling, pinball machines and other arcade games in addition to their bar and food offerings. According to Pittsburgh City Paper, the arcade bar takes up the former Tilted Kilt, which was a pub and eatery. The “retro-tainment” facility was first announced back in 2018 and plans were to open it in 2020 before Covid postponed things. Learn more at www.shortysx.com.
The New Jersey Amusement Assn. will have its 61st Annual Soiree on May 10 at Eagle Oaks Country Club in Farmingdale. There, they will honor Greg Kohr of Kohr’s Frozen Custard. Cocktails begin at 6 p.m. and dinner and dancing will follow. Cost is $125 per person and tables of 10 are $1,000. RSVP by April 29. Learn more at www.njamusements.com or call 732-240-0000.
A new mini-golf course in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, will soon open, according to its owners Rene and Stuart Sullivan. The News-Enterprise reports that their Heartland Mini Golf was supposed to open last year but difficulty getting materials for construction delayed the project. Rene is an attorney and hadn’t practiced law since the birth of her son, Clay, 11. In 2020, she said, “It was either go back to practicing law or choose something a little bit more fun that I could take my son with me to.” There will be 18 holes of mini-golf, plus a bar with food and ice…
Party Center Software recently shared a free ebook with fun centers called “In Case of Emergency: An Emergency Preparedness Guide to Help Your FEC Overcome the Unexpected.” Click here to get the free resource. “As an FEC owner or operator, one thing you can never do too much of is planning,” the company wrote. “Even if you don’t expect difficult situations to arise often, having a plan for how to handle them will alleviate a lot of stress and give you peace of mind. “In this guide, we explore different emergency situations that can occur at your FEC and offer…
AAMA’s next FEC Connect will be May 10 at RPM Raceway in Stamford, Connecticut. The association is looking for speakers for that event as well as its other upcoming FEC Connect meetups. Selected speakers will receive a complimentary event ticket, which includes a site tour, lunch and full participation in FEC Connect. All topics will be considered, but some topics they’d like included are regarding marketing and branding, food and beverage offerings, merchandising, operations and legislative issues, among others. (Click here to see the full list and to submit a proposal.) Other FEC Connect events scheduled this year are: July…
Button Mash, an arcade bar in Los Angeles mostly closed since the start of the pandemic, has finally seen a resurgence. According to Eater LA, the business reopened on April 14, now anchored by Tacos 1986, a local Mexican food chain. At the beginning of the pandemic, following strict lockdowns in the city, Button Mash tried to stay alive as many other restaurants did – by delivering food and having curbside service. But it didn’t work all that well for them or most arcade bars that thrive on the ambiance. With vaccine passports and mask requirements a thing of the…