Retail giant Target opened a pop-up store for the Christmas season in Manhattan, which just so happens to include a Marvel Adventure Lab photo booth from Apple Industries. Called Target Wonderland!, the Chelsea neighborhood venue featured some of the hottest items hoped to be found under the tree this year, including displays by LEGO, Nintendo, Disney and Star Wars. According to Apple’s Francois De Freitas, the booth has proved a hit at the temporary store with young and old lining up to have their photo taken. It’s averaged some 100 photos a day. The venue opened Dec. 13 and is…
Author: Matt Harding
FEC chain D&B recently shared its third quarter 2019 financial results, showing the company achieved a 6.1 percent revenue growth from Q3 2018. Revenues increased to $299.4 million from $282.1 million, and the number of stores increased 13.6 percent – from 118 locations to 134 in the last year. Dave & Buster’s CEO Brian Jenkins attributed the success to “strong new store performance” and noted, “We aresuccessfully executing our plan to drive growth and position the company for long-term success despite comp sales headwinds from increased competition. We will continue to manage the pace of new store growth to maximize…
Located in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, next door to Planet Hollywood, Family Entertainment Group recently installed Vegas VR & Ropes, an indoor attraction featuring a custom, three-story Sky Trail Ropes Course and a variety of cutting-edge virtual reality attractions. The ropes course is the tallest in Vegas, and is designed with 17 elements to “challenge agility, balance and strength, including a dramatic ‘swing out’ experience on levels 2 and 3.” VR attractions include VRsenal’s Beat Saber, LAI Games’ Virtual Rabbids: The Big Ride, Rilix VR roller coaster simulators and more. For more information, visit www.fegllc.com.
A proposed transaction between Player One Amusement Group’s parent company Cineplex and Cineworld Group would make the latter company one of the world’s largest cinema companies with more than 11,200 screens, according to a recent press release. The agreement includes a “go-shop” period, which allows Cineplex to actively “solicit, evaluate and enter into negotiations with parties that make alternative acquisition proposals through Feb. 2, 2020.” Insiders say that for Player One Amusement Group, it will be “business as usual with a possible upside being increased business opportunities within the movie theater industry.” Noted Cineplex’s executive director of communications Sarah Van…
Matthew Deith will be Bay Tek Entertainment’s new director of sales. He’ll replace Rick Rochetti, who is retiring in April. Deith was most recently the managing director at Harry Levy Group in the U.K., where he managed global sales. He’s been in the amusement industry for more than 25 years, and has experience in route operations, FECs and other game venues “I’m thrilled to have Matthew on board,” Rochetti said. “I’ve known him for many years and appreciate what his experience and expertise can bring to Bay Tek. He will serve our internal teams and our customers well.” “We’re looking…
Chris Parente is the new vice president of business development for BMI Merchandise, the company recently announced. “We believe the knowledge Chris has acquired in so many areas throughout his successful career will certainly be a great addition to our dedicated team,” said company president Shelley Fernandez-Katz. “As BMI continues our mission and promise to our customers to constantly innovate and create solutions to help grow their business, Chris will help us continue to evolve as the industry leader.” Parente brings with him more than 23 years of experience in the merchandise industry with Rhode Island Novelty and Little Kids…
Tower Tag, which Hologate calls “the global esports phenomenon where teams battle each other in epic laser tag VR,” has found a home in Hologate’s Arena as its newest game. It’s available now at more than 300 Hologate locations worldwide. The company says Tower Tag is one of the most anticipated multiplayer experience in the world. “For those of you longing for a true esports opportunity in Hologate, look no further,” they said. Like other great games, it’s easy to play yet hard to master – a hallmark of a great esports experience. Learn more at www.hologate.com. See a video…
Brunswick Bowling Products just signed a three-year, multimillion-dollar sponsorship and product registration agreement with the Professional Bowlers Assn., according to the company. The agreement ensures that products for all brands will be represented on the PBA tour, including Brunswick, Columbia 300, DV8, Ebonite, Hammer, Radical, Track ball brands, Brunswick and Hammer bowling shoes and all of the accessories for Ultimate Bowling Products and Powerhouse brands. “The PBA sponsorship was one of our top priorities as a follow up to the recent Ebonite acquisition,” said Corey Dykstra, CEO of Brunswick Bowling Products. “This multi-year agreement with the PBA confirms our commitment…
Exhibitors are signing up in droves for the GTI Asia Taipei Expo & Online Games Expo 2020, reports organizers, and among them are Taiwan’s major R&D manufacturers such as IGS, Feiloli, Paokai, Saint-Fun, Boller, Pan Asia and Asia Amusement. The annual event, held next year from April 16-18 at Hall Area A of the Taipei World Trade Center, focuses on Taiwan’s video game industry – as it has since 1993. For more information, visit www.gtimagazine.com.tw or email [email protected].
For FECs ready to take their theming to the next level, take a look at MK Themed Attractions, which re-themed the Jesperhus Feriepark amusement park in Denmark to great financial success. The park was re-themed with famous Danish IP characters before the summer holiday season, and about $1 million was invested in the project, which also saw a space expansion. The new FEC area saw 45,000 visitors in the first six weeks of re-opening, resulting in a 300 percent increase in sales. “Today’s guests want to enter a storytelling world that lets them escape the stressful everyday life, and this…