A roller rink and family entertainment center will make its way to Virginia Beach, Va., this fall, according to the new venue’s Facebook page. SK8 House Virginia Beach will have two roller rinks, a modern arcade room, eGaming, private party rooms, three food stalls, and a craft beer and wine bar. Touting it as a “one-stop destination for all families,” additional details are scant, but keep an eye on www.facebook.com/SK8HouseVB for upcoming information.
Author: Matt Harding
The IAAPA Expo Europe (formerly Euro Attractions Show) is now taking registrants. The event will be held at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles in France from Sept. 16-19. It’ll be the largest show floor in the event’s history with more than 550 exhibitors. Attendees will be able to take part in more than 100 hours of education, featuring 15 general sessions on topics like team management and leadership, revenue operations, guest experience, design, sustainability, marketing and more. To register, visit www.iaapa.org/iaapaexpoeurope.
The Amusement Machine Owners Association of Florida’s efforts to help stop a cigarette machine ban in the state were successful, according to the organization. An amendment to a bill in the state legislature would have criminalized the sale of cigarettes through vending machines. The bill itself would have upped the age to purchase tobacco from 18 to 21. AMOAF credits their lobbyist Scott Dick for preventing the success of the bill. Visit www.amoaf.com for more information.
Just shy of their two-year anniversary, the virtual reality gaming experience Hologate just recorded its 2 millionth player, according to the company – a first in location-based VR. They called it “a highly impressive feat in a virtual reality market that has performed significantly below expert analyst projections made over the past five years.” The attraction had a steady increase of 200,000 players each month “with no signs of slowing down.” Hologate is installed at more than 250 active locations around the world (21 countries and five continents), including Two Bit Circus, Cinergy Entertainment, Main Event and many more. The top…
Apple Industries’ CEO Allen Weisberg will receive the Sunrise Championship Award at the Sixth Annual Dare to Dream Benefit, held June 6 in New York. The event serves as the kickoff to camp season and recognizes important volunteers who support Sunrise Day Camps, which offers day camps for children with cancer and their siblings. You can make a donation here or visit www.daretodreamforsunrise.org.
As part of the grand reopening at their Lake Creek location on April 27, Pinballz’ CEO Darren Spohn announced a $3,500 donation to Gamers Outreach, an organization that provides portable go-kart video game kiosks. Built specifically for medical environments, the units will provide bedside recreation at Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, Texas, home of Pinballz. “We have so many kids that are part of our Pinballz family,” said COO Mikki Spohn. “It makes us very happy to be able to do something to make their time in the hospital a little bit more enjoyable.” The company is online at…
Ralph Baer, whose “Brown Box” prototype went on to become the first video game console, will be memorialized May 10 with a statue in Manchester, N.H., where he died at age 92 in 2014. According to Boston.com, Baer also created the precursor to Pong and the electronic memory game Simon. His basement lab was recreated at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., and now his sculpture will be placed in Manchester’s Arms Park, where he’ll be shown seated on a bench holding the Brown Box. Fifty-five backers pledged $14,771 on a Kickstarter campaign last year to turn the idea into a…
The global association for the attractions industry, IAAPA just announced the promotion of David Mandt as their new executive VP and chief engagement officer. The newly-created position is responsible for association member engagement, global marketing, communications and education. Mandt most recently was the organization’s senior VP of marketing and communications. He began his long career in the attractions industry in 1981 as a ticketing and parking host at Paramount’s Carowinds theme park in Charlotte, N.C. More information about IAAPA is available at www.iaapa.org.
World-famous toy chain Mattel has plans to create its first multi-branded entertainment centers featuring Barbie, Hot Wheels and Mega Construx. According to Worldscreen, the centers will bring the popular brands to life by “combining physical and digital play, featuring immersive, hands-on activities and entertainment experiences.” Geared toward families with children aged 4-10, various types of gaming and content will be available. The first center is a planned 25,000-sq.-ft. location in Toronto. Slated to open spring 2020, it would have themed areas for those three Mattel brands. Learn more about the company at www.mattel.com.
Cobra Arcade Bar in downtown Phoenix will be opening a second business later this year in the area, a pinball lounge called Stardust. According to the Phoenix New Times, the pinball-only Stardust Lounge will be located next to one of the city’s most popular live music destinations, The Van Buren. Cobra co-owner Ariel Bracamonte said the focus at the new place will be on pinball, but there will also be a fully-stocked bar, lounge seating and other nightlife elements like a DJ booth. “There are already arcade bars around like Cobra that are more about video games and we wanted…