As this Instant RePlay was going to press, the trade was gathering at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the official ribbon cutting of the 10th Amusement Expo International at 10 a.m.
While the exhibit hall opens today for its two-day run, many operators got an early start yesterday, March 26, at the Westgate for the convention’s traditional “Education Day.”
Among the programs was the popular operator roundtable which was held twice this year (once in the morning and again in the afternoon), and attendees seemed most excited to discuss “What’s Hot” with Tim Zahn of American Amusement Arcade (pictured above). Squishy toys, merchandisers and coin pushers were among the winning products mentioned by various operators.
An end-of-day session with Tyler Bushnell of Polycade (pictured below) focused on the mentality of Millennials and Gen Z, both of which he noted are digital natives who grew up with technology and also have a “founder mentality,” meaning they want to create and be part of something bigger than themselves. That sentiment held true, he said, regarding employees wanting to help grow a business with their own ideas or someone, for example, with a desire to start up monthly gaming events.
There was also much to learn about the world of virtual reality and the tech behind it with a full slate of sessions that hit upon eSports, content, creating multiple revenue streams and much more. The day of learning concluded with an all-industry gala. Read more about the Expo in future Instant RePlays and in the May issue.
In addition to Expo’s own full slate of education, the 48th class of Foundations Entertainment University was held March 24-25 at the Las Vegas Convention Center to coincide with the convention and drawing strong attendance.
