The Road to Las Vegas

Get Ready for Amusement Expo 2026!

by Howard McAuliffe, Partner, Pinnacle Entertainment Group

Who wants to spend St. Patrick’s Day and the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament in Las Vegas, surrounded by friends while conducting business that improves your bottom line? I’m betting the answer is everyone. Amusement Expo International (AEI) is the industry’s premier spring event, and for 2026, it is shaping up to be our most impactful gathering yet.

While IAAPA is the global giant, AEI offers a more intimate, focused environment tailored specifically to route operations and family entertainment centers. This smaller footprint is a feature, not a bug; it allows for meaningful face-to-face time with vendors and, perhaps more importantly, with fellow operators. We are an industry built on shared knowledge, and the networking here is where the real “ROI” of the trip often begins.

New Venue, New Efficiency

We have several logistical upgrades this year designed to streamline your experience. First, we’ve moved the host hotel from the Westgate to Resorts World. This is a significant step up in quality, offering a modern, integrated resort experience. For those of us tracking expenses and travel perks, it’s a Hilton property, so you’ll earn Hilton Honors points on your stay.

The commute to the show floor is now easier than ever. The Tesla Tunnel (The Loop) links Resorts World directly to the Las Vegas Convention Center’s West Hall, where both our education sessions and the trade show will be held. The West Hall is a state-of-the-art facility that keeps all exhibitors on a single level, eliminating the “hall fatigue” of multi-story layouts.

Strategic Networking

We’ve listened to attendee feedback and added several new events to foster professional connections:

• The Level Up Lounge (Monday, March 16): A dedicated post-education reception at Resorts World. It’s designed to be a relaxed yet structured environment to debrief on the day’s sessions.

• Rise & Shine Breakfast (Tuesday, March 17): This new event celebrates and supports women in the industry, featuring candid insights from female leaders. It’s open to all attendees, and I strongly encourage everyone to attend. I certainly will be there.

• All-Industry Gala Reception (Tuesday, March 17): A staple of the show, but this year it’s integrated into our Resorts World “HQ,” making it the central social hub of the week.

“Inspiration” Tour

I always set aside time to explore Las Vegas’s latest out-of-home (OOH) concepts. While high-budget Vegas attractions aren’t always directly transferable to a community FEC, they offer vital inspiration for hospitality and immersion. My “must-see” list for 2026 includes:

1. The Vegas Immersive District (AREA15 Expansion): Specifically, Universal Horror Unleashed. This is Universal’s first year-round permanent horror attraction. It’s a masterclass in rotating seasonal content – keep an eye on their “Krampus” winter expansion for ideas on how to keep your own attractions fresh.

2. F1 Arcade (Caesars Palace): A 21,000-square-foot venue with 87 full-motion simulators. This is “social racing” at the highest level, proving that high-end F&B paired with competitive gaming is a winning formula.

3. The Golf Evolution: Between Atomic Golf (the next-gen Topgolf competitor near The Strat) and boutique concepts like Swingers, Puttery and PopStroke, the “social golf” sector is exploding. Notice how they use tech-tracked balls to turn a traditional sport into a “live-action” arcade game.

Working the Floor

The trade show floor is larger than ever. My strategy remains consistent: I head to the Shaffer booth first to grab their new-game flyer. From there, I move through the manufacturers, but I don’t just look at the cabinets – I ask for real-world sales data. IAAPA is where games debut; AEI is where we see the actual numbers from the first few months of operation.

I also spend significant time with card system providers. We use Intercard at our centers, and even after years of partnership, I always find a new software feature or reporting tool that helps us cut labor costs or boost transparency. Finally, I check in with Redemption Plus, another supplier with which we have a long-standing relationship. The arcade’s “cost of goods sold” is managed at the prize counter, and seeing the new merchandise trends in person is the only way to ensure your prize mix stays relevant.

Ultimately, I find that the incremental profit ideas and show-special savings I gather at AEI more than pay for the trip. I look forward to seeing you all in the West Hall!

Howard McAuliffe loves to imagine and implement new products, business models, and ideas, and is CEO and president of Pinnacle Entertainment Group Inc. He’s an industry veteran who got his start in the business when he was just 16 and has 20 years of expertise in product development, as well as FEC and route operations. Howard’s wife Reem and young son Sami are the center of life outside of work. When he’s not working, Howard can be found enjoying the outdoors, hiking, fishing and mountaineering. Traveling anywhere new or to old favorites like the American West is a passion. Readers can visit www.grouppinnacle.com for more information or contact Howard at [email protected], he welcomes positive as well as constructive feedback and counterpoints.