A Big Party in the Making

Why You Want to be Part of AAMA’s Annual Meeting and Celebration

By Beth Standlee, CEO, TrainerTainment

Coming off the high of the big party, the AEI in March, is pretty exciting! As president of the AAMA, I have to confirm that team member Tina Schwartz is right on the money when she said, “We have been moving and shaking the Etch A Sketch.” Our committees are more diverse than ever, the energy around how we serve our community has expanded, and the AAMA of 2025 includes the entire ecosystem of entertainment.

Originally, the organization was built around the manufacturers, who’ve used their brilliant minds and R&D know-how to create this space in which we all get to play. Through the years, the organization has evolved. Distributors, who sell those great manufactured products, have joined forces and grown the base of the membership. Suppliers, who provide point of sale, card readers, laser tag equipment, go-karts, bumper cars and other attractions that make this industry so great, also have a seat at the table. Professional services, like my company, that help entrepreneurs, their businesses and people grow, are as relevant as insurance companies who help keep us safe, marketing companies, financial card services that work to get us the best deal so that we can do business in the most profitable ways, and more.

Finally, the locations and their owners and operators complete the ecosystem. Without the locations and, honestly, the very consumer who decides to come play and party at those sites, AAMA might not exist. I don’t think people are going to decide anytime soon to give up fun and abandon entertainment. And it’s certain to me that we all have a BIG purpose and a community where we serve one another.

The energy and enthusiasm I saw and continue to witness, even in the face of craziness with tariffs, eventual price hikes and potential supply chain interruption, continue to give me courage. The intensity that makes us who we are and gives us the strength to continue to be who we’re going to be, fuels my fire daily. It’s very exciting to be a part of this journey.

To that end, I’d like to extend a personal invitation to what’s next! AAMA is planning a BIG get together for great minds: our annual meeting and celebrations, which will be Aug. 19-21 in Dallas. We will have the opportunity to rub elbows with one another to make sure that we’re going to thrive throughout the decades. (Extending this invitation to you in May feels perfect to me, because the month has me thinking parties and good times. As you can see by the cover and cover story in this issue, TrainerTainment’s 20th birthday celebration is in full swing, and my own birthday is this month.)

This will be AAMA’s annual event reimagined! We’ve moved to a new city – Dallas, Texas – and our classy, new location is the Warwick Melrose. It’s magnificent. We’re going to take a visit to Alley Cats, the 2025 AAMA FEC of the year, and make another site visit or two. We’re going to have the crème de la crème helping guide the conversations that you’re going to want to be part of. We plan to eat, drink, work and play in a way you won’t want to miss! So, save the dates, book your room, plan who you want at your table and also, whose table you plan to crash! It will be hot here in the great state of Texas…but it’ll be worth it. I will hope to see you there!

Bonus: Hot Party Tip

Make sure to rebook any end-of-school events, find out where the schools went that didn’t come to your center, and coordinate with next year’s graduation and prom committees so you can start the conversation early about 2026 events.

Stop waiting for the business to come to you. When it comes to groups that chose to celebrate elsewhere, find out where they went and what you need to do next year to get them to come to you!

Also, look ahead to early August when groups are harder to come by. You could be a great “in-service” back-to-school location by simply by asking principals what they are dreaming to do to get the 2025-2026 school year off to a great start.

Beth is the CEO of TrainerTainment LLC, a training company devoted to the family entertainment and hospitality industries. Beth and her team are focused on helping the companies they serve to make more money through sales, guest service, leadership and social media marketing training. Training products and services are delivered in person, through books and DVDs, and virtually with e-learning courses, webinar development and 24/7 online access. Visit her company’s website at www.trainertainment.com.