AAMA recently announced its establishment of the Coin-Op Industry Hall of Fame, created to honor individuals and entities who have “made outstanding contributions to the coin-op industry.” Nominating ballots are being sent out this month and will be accepted through Sept. 2, two weeks before AAMA’s Annual Meeting. In the inaugural year, up to 20 nominees will be admitted into the Hall of Fame; in years two and three, up to 10 will be admitted; and each year after that, up to five. The names of the individuals selected will be shown on a Wall of Fame in the Amusement…
Author: Matt Harding
IAAPA president and CEO Hal McEvoy has announced that he will retire effective April 1, 2023, giving the attractions association plenty of time to find a replacement. McEvoy has served on the executive team since 2017, when he was hired as chief financial officer. “Hal has done a tremendous job leading this association through some truly exciting and unprecedented times,” said Ken Whiting, IAAPA’s 2022 chairman. “Under Hal’s leadership, our association completed the headquarters relocation from Alexandria to Orlando, worked with the board and relocation task force to design and build the new headquarters building and grew membership and total…
From 6-9 p.m. on April 25, the Amusement and Music Owners Assn. of New York will meet for their Annual Gala at Ben and Jack’s in New York City. The association will honor Chris Brady, the vice president of sales for LAI Games. “AMOA-NY’s 2022 award is a true honor to be recognized by the customers we serve,” Brady said. “AMOA-NY has navigated through challenging times. The Annual Gala will be a demonstration of support for the operator and a celebration of the importance of their strength and vitality to our industry!” The association wrote of Brady: “His success and loyal customer following has…
Virtual Dining Concepts has been busy helping kitchens across the U.S. generate incremental revenue by adding one of the company’s virtual brands into their operations. One such business is High 5 Entertainment in Austin, Texas. “Ever since we partnered with Virtual Dining Concepts, we have seen a huge increase in to-go revenue,” they said. “Having this as an added revenue stream during this pandemic has been a game-changer. This has also made a positive impact on our labor line.” VDC allows centers to capture off-premise revenue and enhance their in-house offerings. More than 50 locations are currently benefiting from their…
AAMA held its latest FEC Connect event at the Dave & Buster’s in Hollywood, Florida, on April 5. The next one is scheduled for May 10 at RPM Raceway in Stamford, Connecticut. The day was packed with information presentations by industry leaders, including a media and PR talk with Russ Van Natta (Creative Works); “The Five Myths of Hiring” led by Vivian Conterio (TrainerTainment); a panel on supply chain issues with Dan Coppola (ICE), Paula Rinker and Trevor Gianaris (both of Elaut); a discussion on monitoring contracts with Kevin Lonzo (Lonzo Law); and a legislative update from Margeaux Plaisted and…
The Georgia-based Stars and Strikes bowling entertainment center chain recently announced plans to open their 16th location later this year. The facility, located in Myrtle Beach, S.C., will be their third location in South Carolina. The new venue is 52,500 sq. ft. and will house 24 bowling lanes (eight of which are upscale VIP lanes), SPARK Augmented Reality Bowling, a 10,000-sq.-ft. arcade, a multi-level laser tag arena, axe throwing and a full-service sports bar. “We are aware of the demand for our unique brand of entertainment from both the residents and tourists in Myrtle Beach,” said Chris Albano, managing partner…
Intercard recently installed its cashless technology at Coco Loco, the arcade at the SeaWorld theme park in San Diego. The arcade offers more than 150 pinball machines, video games, basketball, Skee-Ball, midway games and more. The company worked with industry partner CTM Group on the SeaWorld project. Coming up next for Intercard and CTM Group are arcade installations at SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment’s Busch Gardens in Florida and Virginia. “Installations of this significance require enormous planning and tight coordination with the facility IT,” said John Kneip, CTO of CTM Group. “It’s Intercard’s team of technology professionals behind the system that…
The Oregon Amusement & Music Operators Assn. will hold a meeting next month on May 18 at Langdon Farms Golf in Aurora, Ore., about 20 miles south of Portland. The facility is located at 24377 Airport Rd. NE, Aurora, OR 97002. For more information on the day’s events, contact Jerry Johnston at 541-688-1888.
The ParadropVR Pod was recently installed at Adventure Parc Snowdonia in North Wales, manufacturer Frontgrid’s first location in the U.K. The VR flying experience was created by combining motion-based engineering hardware, which the company calls the ParadropVR Pod, with exciting game content to give the sensation of flying. “After 18 months of product development, it’s very exciting to see ParadropVR Pod live on location and people coming off the ride and saying ‘wow,’” said CEO Matt Wells. Frontgrid also announced an exclusive distributor partnership with Amusement Services International, which will sell the company’s products in the Middle East. Learn more…
As you’ve likely already heard, Main Event announced this week that Arden Leisure Group Ltd. and RedBird Capital Partners have entered into an agreement with Dave & Buster’s to acquire Main Event. Main Event’s current CEO Chris Morris will be named CEO of Dave & Buster’s and the two companies will continue to operate their distinct brands. “We are thrilled to join the Dave & Buster’s family,” Morris said. “We will undoubtedly benefit from the collective expertise and strong culture of both brands, particularly as we continue to accelerate Main Event’s aggressive expansion plans.” Main Event currently has 50 locations…