Starting today, April 1, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, CinemaCon dubs itself as the largest and most important gathering for the worldwide motion picture theater industry – with attendees from more than 80 different countries. The event features presentations from big-name studios like Walt Disney, Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures and Warner Brothers, a special screening of the upcoming film Long Shot, and the Big Screen Achievement Awards presented April 4 at the Colosseum to stars like Jamie Lee Curtis, Seth Rogen, Charlize Theron and Steve Buscemi. For the trade show, held April 2-4, Sacoa will be on hand to…

To recognize the 35th anniversary of laser tag’s debut on March 28, 1984, enthusiast and blogger Laurie Jean Britton completed her mission to play the game in all 50 states. She was joined at the Laser Quest of North Richland Hills, Texas by laser tag inventor George Carter III. Carter is widely regarded as the founder of the laser tag industry, and was presented with a plaque in commemoration of the 35th anniversary of opening the first laser tag location for his game Photonin the Dallas area 35 years ago. Britton, according to the Laser Tag Museum, is the first…

Colin Cummings, a student at Baylor University, recently won his 4th USAA title at the 2019 World Air Hockey Championships at Rice University, held March 15-17. Sanctioned by the U.S. Air Hockey Association and sponsored by Gold Standard Games and Valley-Dynamo, second place went to Vince Sauceda of San Antonio, third place to Jacob Weissman of Houston, fourth place to veteran competitor Andy Yevish of Philadelphia, fifth place to Avery Yebernetsky of Houston and sixth place to Brian Quezada of Chicago. At only age 19, Cummings “is already becoming one of the all-time greats in competitive air hockey’s 40+ year…

Friends Paul Jacobs of Gold Standard Games and Tony Maniscalco of Andamiro USA carve out time each spring for baseball and this year was no different. The pair have attended a New York Mets spring training game in Port St. Lucie, Fla. for the past five years since Maniscalco moved to the area. “Tony and I plan to keep this annual tradition alive for many years to come!” Jacobs wrote to RePlay.

On Monday of Expo week in Vegas, Lawry’s Restaurant opened its doors to AMOA’s past presidents, plus assorted officers, directors and friends of the national operator group for the annual dinner. Here’s a swell shot of some of those who “drove AMOAs boat” over the years taken at that prime rib factory:

Friends of RePlay’s ad director Barry Zweben will be saddened to learn that his dad, Stan, passed away Sunday afternoon, March 31, at Silverado, a memory care facility in Calabasas, Calif. Barry and his own son Adam were at his side when he died. After services on April 4, Stan will be buried alongside his wife Myra at Mt. Sinai Cemetery in Burbank. May he rest in God’s peace. ([email protected]).

The site of the 2020 Amusement Expo has been chosen and this year’s Vegas show attendees certainly sounded excited for the change of pace and place – heading down to the Big Easy next March. After those record numbers from this year’s event, organizers expect another great turnout next year. In fact, Brian Glasgow of the W.T. Glasgow management team said five companies have already signed up, including a big-name distributor that plans on increasing booth size. Want to hop on the ball alongside them? Visit www.amusementexpo.org to get those early-bird rates ($20.95/sq. ft.), good through June 3. The 2020…

With more than 40 exhibitors like Bandai Namco Amusement Europe, iPlayCO, Hangfast and Action Tag among many others, the InterFun Expo 2019 in Leeds, U.K., is set for April 30-May 1. The event will be held at New Dock Hall, part of the Royal Armouries Museum canal-side complex. “It’s the place where operators from diverse locations can meet the suppliers transforming visitor experiences,” said Christine Butterworth, managing director of InterGame Events. Operators and managers of family fun centers will get a look at interactive surfaces, indoor and outdoor play, virtual reality, digital content and much more. “We hope the event…

The growth of Amusement Expo International, which concluded its 2019 go-round yesterday, March 28, was a surprise to no one who walked the trade show floor. Event organizers have the numbers to confirm it, too. The Amusement Expo’s report to the board of directors showed 179 exhibitors compared to 169 last year, 488 booths sold compared to 430 in 2018 and 50 new exhibitors compared to 42. There were around 2,000 attendees at the March 26 Education Day. There were two winners this year for the AMOA’s Innovator Awards – TouchTunes with their Fusion Music System and Bay Tek Games for…

Champlain Lanes, a community fixture in Shelburne, Vt., since 1964, is preparing for its final bowlers come May 12, this after the alley’s 55th annual Champlain International Championship Tournament. The Burlington Free Press reported that Randy Longe, who owns the business with his brother Michael, was the alley’s first pin boy when he was just a kid – retrieving balls and replacing pins before the place had automation – and has been working in the business ever since. “It’s a totally different beast,” Randy said of today’s entertainment landscape. “You tell people now there’s a 20-minute wait for a lane…