The AAMA and AMOA sent representatives to the country’s capital Tuesday, April 12, for the first coin-op advocacy trip of 2016. As per usual, the association’s legislative/lobbying firm, Dentons LLP, directed the visit.
The team consisted of coin-op professionals from across the industry spectrum, including Bryan Aune of AMI, Joe Camarota of Alpha-Omega, David Cohen of Firestone Financial, Emily Dunn of Tom’s Amusements, Rick Kirby of Betson Enterprises, Tony Paskiewicz of Columbia Music and Games, Lori Schneider of the AMOA, John Schultz of the AAMA and Steven Toranto of Birmingham Vending Co.
The group split into two teams and mainly focused on visits with staffers in the offices of U.S. Senators. Their efforts centered around coin content changes and small business issues, both of which have been tackled by earlier teams.
These trips are conducted three to four times per year, and are part of the overall goal of the organizations to establish and build connections with Congress. Organizers note that the time to act is not when there are legislative threats affecting our industry, but long before that. They add that the relationships built during trips like this allow the associations to address problems that arise with efficacy and insider knowledge.
Look for more reporting on this trip in our June issue, and to get involved with the next trip, contact AMOA Deputy Director Lori Schneider at lori@amoa.com.