april 2015 play meter

PLAY METER 4 APRIL 2015

Member of:

American Amusement Machine Assn. (AAMA)Amusement & Music Operators Assn. (AMOA)

Facebook.comIntl. Assn. of Amusement Parks & Attractions (IAAPA)

Founder Ralph C. Lally II

Publisher Carol P. Lally

President Carol Ann Lally

Editor Bonnie [email protected]

Assistant Editor Tim [email protected]

Art & Production Director Jane Z. [email protected]

Art & Production Assistant Eric [email protected]

Advertising Carol Lea [email protected]

Circulation/Office Manager Renée C. [email protected]

Contributing Writers Joe Camarota IIIJim ChapmanAmber CollierBrian ElliottBrian RigglesJim SchelbergFrank SeninskyJosh Sharpe Zach Sharpe

Mailing Address P.O. Box 24970New Orleans, LA 70184

Shipping Address & 6600 Fleur de LisPublishing Office New Orleans, LA 70124

Telephone (toll free) 888-473-2376

Web www.playmeter.com

METER“The Operators’ Choice”play

PLAY METER, (USPS 358-350) (ISSN 1529-8736) APRIL 2015, Volume 41,No. 4. Copyright 2015 by Skybird Publishing Company. PLAY METER is pub-lished monthly. Publishing office: 6600 Fleur de Lis, New Orleans, LA 70124.MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. BOX 24970, New Orleans, LA 70184, USA Phone:888/473-2376. Subscription rates: U.S. and Canada--$60. Advertising ratesare available upon request. NO PART OF THE MAGAZINE MAY BE REPRO-DUCED WITHOUT EXPRESS PERMISSION. Play Meter reserves the right toedit submitted materials. The editors are not responsible for unsolicited manu-scripts. PLAY METER buys ALL RIGHTS, unless otherwise specified, toaccepted manuscripts, cartoons, artwork, and photographs. Periodicalpostage paid at New Orleans, LA 70113 and additional mailing offices. POST-MASTER Send Form 3579 to Play Meter, P.O. Box 24970, New Orleans, LA70184. Canada Agreement number: PM40063731.


CONTENTS

48 2652

On the Cover Elaut USA adheres to a company philosophy: “No mat-ter what the concept, build the finest product possibleand make it last.” The result is a line of top qualitygames with universal appeal.

28 AMOA Council of States MeetingNowhere else can you get as much information in a dayand half as you can at this annual gathering that includ-ed state reports, factory panels, and operator-led ses-sions.

44 Buyer’s Guide Children’s GamesFun centers feature games that appeal to young chil-dren in theme and size. Check out the currently avail-able crop of games designed with the younger crowd inmind.

55 22nd Family Fun EditionEach spring we highlight attractions in family entertain-ment centers (FECs). This year we focus on insurance,laser tag, an FEC success story, and an update ontrampoline parks (plus our monthly family fun columns).

56 F2FECThe Three Amigos planned and hosted the inauguralFace 2 Face Entertainment Conference in Phoenix,which followed an open discussion format conducive toidea sharing.

Vol. 41 • No. 4

April 2015

www.playmeter.com

DepartmentsAd Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112Anniversary (J&J Amusements) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62Beyond the Playfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100Coin-Op News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Cover Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37Critic’s Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Equipment Poll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10FEC Dallas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82FEC News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77Merchandise Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96NAMA OneShow Preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90News Bulletin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1News Feature (AMOA-NDA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36News Feature (AVS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42On the Front Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80Pinball Curious . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88Redemption Formula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73Sporting Edge (Arachnid) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94Sporting Edge (MOMA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95Streetwise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92Travel Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25VNEA Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93What’s New . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26


EDITORIAL

ecently, there has been a veritable explosion of interest in the family enter-tainment center (FEC) segment of the industry, and that’s putting it mildly.It seems that every week we hear about another 40,000-60,000-square-foot FEC planned or under construction, mainly in large metropolitanareas. An equal share of smaller-scale facilities are either expanding their

attractions or franchising their concept. Not since the 1990s, when FECs were among the most desirable businesses to

pursue, and the Fun Expo was in its heyday, have we seen this much interest. Along with this interest comes a corresponding flood of educational conferences

aimed at this market and conducted by industry experts and experienced FECowners/operators. The longest running conference is Foundations EntertainmentUniversity (FEU), which just graduated its 35th class (see the article in our Marchissue).

This month we include coverage of two other FEC-related conferences: Face toFace FEC (F2FEC) and FEC Dallas. Additional education opportunities are present-ed during the year by Amusement Products, Creative Works, and LASERTRON.The common denominator: to improve and grow the industry by sharing best prac-tices and experiences.

What constitutes an FEC? Our definition has always been that there must bethree different attractions featured in order to qualify as an FEC. The days ofstand-alone arcades, bowling centers, skating rinks, and pizza restaurants survivingon a single offering are long gone. The public not only wants but demands choices,especially high quality choices, when it comes to entertainment.

One year ago, in the April 2013 issue, we introduced a new column (On theFront Lines) by Amber Collier of The Zone Family Fun Center in Kalispell, Mont.Her monthly columns are full of the wisdom gained by being in the trenches everyday. Her column this month is titled, “Failure is an option.” In it she outlines someof the mistakes that she has made and lessons learned. Your success depends onhow you learn from mistakes and build for a better future. She sees mistakes as astepping stone and learning tool.

This special issue, our 22nd Family Fun Edition, devotes 30 pages to FEC-relat-ed topics including Amber’s column; tips on adding interest to cranes and redemp-tion centers in the Redemption Formula column by Jim Chapman; an article oninsurance options for FECs; an update on the burgeoning market of trampolineparks by Tracy Sarris; the five main reasons that laser tag continues to rock, by JeffSchilling; coverage of F2FEC and FEC Dallas; and a Scoring Success article thatrevisits Big Thrill Fun Factory in Minnetonka, Minn., after its second year of opera-tion, penned by Frank Seninsky and Joseph Camarota III.

In addition, this month’s Streetwise column by Brian Riggles provides a handyRoute Service Checklist that all route technicians should carry with them. And wetop it off with a Buyer’s Guide of games designed with younger children in mind.When you combine all this with our regular features, a preview of the NationalAutomatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) OneShow, and coverage of theAmusement and Music Operators Association (AMOA) Council of Affiliated StatesMeeting, you have one heck of an issue. ▲

BONNIE THEARDEditor

We want to hear from

you about any of the

articles in this issue or

topics you’d like to see.

E-mail:

([email protected])

STATE MEETING

One of the most informative eventsin the industry took place Feb. 5-

7 at the Double Tree Mission ValleyHotel in San Diego when 66 attendeesfrom 29 states took part in the Amuse-ment and Music Operators Association(AMOA) Council of Affiliated StatesMeeting.

In welcoming the group, AMOAPresident Bobby Hogin said, “Those ofyou who are veterans at this meetinghave come to expect a top-notch event.I have never left one of these meetingswithout gaining a wealth of informa-

tion. This is not one of those meetingswhere you are a spectator. Whether aveteran or a newcomer, you will leavewith greater insight into the industry.”

The event followed the theme,“Waves of Change, Strategies for Suc-cess.” The agenda included statereports; a legislative update; three fac-tory/supplier panels; and sessions spe-cific to keeping state associationsstrong, being in charge of your destiny,and knowing your legislators.

An association management sessionfor state association executive directorswas held on Feb. 5 and a post meetinground table exchange took place onFeb. 7 with 25 participants. A welcomereception, group dinner, and golf out-ing rounded out the activities.

Special guests included PeteGustafson, President of the AmericanAmusement Machine Association(AAMA), and John Schultz, ExecutiveDirector of AAMA.

COMMENTSBruce Dentice of Sam’s Amusement

Co. in Wisconsin, said, “The reasons Iattend State Council Meetings are self-ish. I’m always looking for new ideasand better ways to improve my compa-ny, which means equipment marketing,management, and buying.

Industry leaders gather in San Diego



LEGISLATIVE UPDATEVia conference cal l , Michael

Zolandz and John Russell of Dentons,Legislat ive Counsel for both theAMOA and the American AmusementMachine Association (AAMA), provid-ed insight into the political climate inWashington, D.C.

Tony Paszkiewicz, Chair of the Gov-ernment Relations Committee, intro-duced Zolandz and Russell saying,“They are brilliant minds and they areworking for us on a daily basis, lookingout for what could affect our industry.”

Paszkiewicz encouraged operatorsto meet with their legislators on CapitolHill . “That is part of the politicalprocess. It’s important to see whatdrives our country, what makes thepolitical machine move in WashingtonD.C.”

“Bottom line, we are in a new Con-gress,” said Zolandz. “The elections ofNovember 2014 are in the rearviewmirror but we are seeing the conse-quences now.” He expects to see con-tinuing immigration reform initiatives.“Given the political dynamic in theSenate, there is a possibility you canget legislation through both bodies ofCongress and to the President for nego-

than at some of the previous meetings.”AMOA Deputy Director Lori

Schneider said, “It’s great to have thewhole industry represented in this oneroom.”

AMOA Executive Vice PresidentJack Kelleher said, “This is my 16thstate association meeting and it hascome a long way. I have seen it evolvein quantitative terms and qualitativeterms.” He complimented Schneider,“Lori is the glue that holds it all togeth-er and year after year is largely respon-sible for making this event better andbetter.”

Also recognized for their work wasevent Chair Tim Carson of AmusementServices; Vice Chair Michael Martinezof N2 Industries, who said this was themost valuable event he attended in hisearly time in the industry; ProgramSub-committee Chair Randy Bergmanof Darrt Amusement; Sponsorship Sub-committee Chair Donivan Molitor ofDonivan’s Vending Service; and StateOutreach Sub-committee Chair EmilyDunn of Tom’s Amusement Co.

Rick LaFleur of I.F. LaFleur & Sonand Mary Lavine of Bullseye Gamesassisted in moderating the factory panels,operator-led sessions, and state reports.

STATE MEETING

“Most often, the ‘staple products’ ofour industry are represented at thisconference and it gives me the oppor-tunity to talk with factory personnel ina format that’s nowhere near as rushedand hurried as on the floor of a tradeshow.”

He continued, “As a business ownerI get the chance to develop relation-ships with key manufacturers in myindustry. When I have problems I cancall for help and those factory peopleknow me personally. It makes a big dif-ference in response.

“In the service business we’re in,first and foremost, Sam’s AmusementCo. provides ‘The Best Service inTown.’ The faster a machine is fixedthe more money I make for myself andmy customer. Then my customer tellsanother possible customer and I’mgrowing! I feel that of all the manythings AMOA offers operators, thismeeting is my best bang for the buck.”

First time attendee Bob Case ofNew Pants Publishing in Colorado said,“It’s very interesting to see what differ-ent states have to deal with. You canlearn from everyone and their situa-tions. It gives us ideas on what weneed to be doing and ideas for growth.I would like to see an association forthe Rocky Mountain region.”

Kim Paugh of the Indiana Amuse-ment and Music Operators Association(IOMOA) and the AMOA NationalDart Association (NDA) said, “Thismeeting leaves you wanting more.”

Bob Lund of the Nebraska Opera-tors of Music and Amusements(NOMA) said, “I came to network andget assistance in the formation of anassociation in Nebraska. We are organ-izing specifically to protect ourselvesfrom adverse legislation. We have iden-tified 17 operators in Nebraska andhave 12 members.”

Denis Smith of Vend Music NevadaLLC, said, “This is one of the bestattended state council meetings. Thecaliber of participants is so high, aswell as the quality of the input. I’mleaving with more information shared

Top left: Georgia group, (l-r): Gaines Butler of Metro Distributors, Christina Kaiser ofGAMOA, and Emily Dunn of Tom’s Amusement Co. Top right: From left: David and KimCorey of OCMA, Mona LaCombe of LAMOA, and Rich Mitchell of ICMOA. Bottom left:Michael Martinez (l) of CEMA, Bonnie Theard of Play Meter, and Jack Kelleher of AMOA.Bottom right: Paula Rinker of S&B Candy & Toy Co. and Bruce Dentice of Sam’sAmusement Co.


California: The new state associa-tion is up to 75 members after its suc-cessful spotlight show in January. Thereis growth but association leaders saidthere needs to be more marketing tooperators in Northern California. Self-redemption came under fire in thestate two years ago but the focus onthose games has eased. Currently,there is no prize limit.

Some operators want a definitiveanswer on what they can and cannotdo, while others want to leave the issuealone. The state association adopted a14-bullet point, best practices docu-ment to be self-policing and set guide-lines for the membership.

Colorado: The state has been inthe news with a law that legalizes thesale of recreational marijuana to any-one 21 or older. Unemployment is atfour percent; it’s hard to get workers. Aracetrack casino proposal on the ballotwas defeated. Consolidation in theoperator ranks has made it hard for astate association to get off the ground.

Delaware: Delaware has three casi-nos at race tracks. There is no associa-tion and only a small number of opera-tors, thus efforts to place gaming equip-ment in fraternal clubs have gainedtraction. Operators are being offered asmall portion of the net to do servicework. The concern is that over timethe state will take it over entirely.

Florida: A new state associationwas formed in 2013 to represent oper-ators when a new law passed to get ridof proliferating sweepstakes machinesbut the language unintentionally result-ed in restrictive regulations for redemp-tion equipment and the prize limit. Thefocus is now on Senate Bill 268 that isan effort to modify the previous law.

Georgia: In 2013, amusementequipment became regulated by thelottery. There are two machine classifi-cations: Class A, traditional amuse-ment; Class B, adult redemption, skill-based games, which are connected tothe lottery with the SAS protocol(wholesale value of $5 per play can bewon). There is a 50/50 split between

an impact on your industry, you haveto already be engaged in Washington,D.C. You don’t want to show up only ina crisis. The need to engage remainshigh. This is one of those cases wereyou cannot say enough about whymembership in an organization with acommitment to government affairs isrelevant.

Zolandz also advised operators tobecome a known quantity in theirhome towns and states with local rep-resentatives. The best way to knowwhat is going on in your area is tocheck the Web page of your congress-men where updates are posted and youcan see what they are pushing.

STATE REPORTSArizona: The state association

works closely with the alcohol andliquor beverage association. Plans areto try to change a law pertaining tocranes that resulted in Golden Teegames having a $35 award limit. Self-redemption games now have a $50limit. A new casino being built next tothe University of Phoenix stadium willhave an impact on mom and pop bars.There is an issue with Phoenix Dartstrying to push out the operator in bars.

tiation,” he said. “Tax reform and budg-et issues will dominate the early part ofthis Congress.”

Russell said, “Keep in mind thatRepublicans have to show that theycan lead and produce results. Quietlybehind the scenes, House and Senatestaffs will be working together to putsomething before the President so hehas to make a decision. That bodeswell for us to see some movement oncopyrights and other issues.”

Both referenced the “win” on thecoin issue, in which visits to CapitolHil l , the formation of the “Don’tChange Our Change Coalition,” and afierce letter writing campaign helpedbring about a favorable result in theU.S. Mint’s Biennial Report to Con-gress, which included a recommenda-tion to not change the metallic contentof commonly used coinage, specificallythe quarter.

Russell said, “We had an effort thatwas a year-long and involved AMOAand AAMA taking leadership roles tobring the concerns of the coin-opindustry to the attention of the U.S.Mint.”

Zolandz added, “When you arefaced with an issue like this, with such

Top left: California group, (l-r): Ron Hunt of Betson West, John Lemieux of DandyAmusements, and Lawrence Coelho of West Coast Amusement. Top right: From left:Russ Mawdsley of Russell-Hall, John Pascaretti of Pascaretti Enterprises, and CharlesRowland of Games People Play. Bottom left: Oregon group, (l-r):Tim Turnquist of NEN,Jerry Johnston of Amusement Unlimited, and Rich Gill of Melody Amusement. Bottomright: Maxine O’Brien of WAMO and Tony Paszkiewicz of Columbia Music & Games.


working to change regulations pro-posed by the lottery.

The lottery wants to impose prizelimits on games and add a license feeon top of what operators already pay,which could be crippling. Operatorshave been at every monthly lotterymeeting, visible in the front row. Afive-member advisory committee wasformed with two representatives fromthe state association. Pull-tab machinesrun by the state are being placed inprivate clubs. Operators tried to stopthis from happening, but were not suc-cessful.

Massachusetts: Sweepstakesmachines have been banned in thestate. The state approved three casinosand one slot parlor with language thatcould affect merchandisers. A tragedyled to passage of a bill to add securityfor ATMs: surveillance cameras, prop-er lighting; and programming for a per-son to enter an emergency pin to sendan alarm to local law enforcement.

Montana: The state has a maturevideo gaming program; the state associ-ation works closely with the tavernassociation. The legislature is lookingclosely at who can own a l iquorlicense. The state lottery is placinglarge electronic horseracing machines

poker market, which has caused a divi-sion between old school operators oftraditional amusements and those whoonly operate video poker. Due to a pre-occupation with gaming, many loca-tions are underserved in their amuse-ment game needs, opening the door fornew operators to fill that gap.

A big setback came recently whenNew Orleans passed a Smoke-Free AirAct that is a citywide ban on smokingin public places including bars. Thevideo poker industry is in the processof transitioning to the SAS protocol,which means a large number of oldermachines will not comply and willhave to be replaced.

Michigan: The state has a favorablelaw for redemption games. In May,there will be a proposal to raise thesales tax from six percent to seven per-cent. One of the battles operators faceis that every city can impose their ownfees and some are unreasonable. It isunclear if operators will be involved inelectronic pull tabs the lottery is doingfor fraternal organizations.

Maryland: Three years ago the coinmachine industry came under theauthority of the state lottery, which haspower over skill-based amusementgames. The state association has been

the operator and the location and thelottery gets five percent, which can goup to a 10 percent cap.

There is no tax on proceeds butoperators pay licensing fees and decalfees. Class B locations cannot ownmachines, manufacturers cannot beoperators, and operators cannot berelated to locations in any way. The lot-tery formed a separate division for theprogram and an advisory board thatincludes operators.

Indiana: Most operators belong tothe state association because of thelarge pool and dart tournaments.Attendance is up at those events due toa change to electronic bracketing, aboon for the association and the play-ers. Even though the state is next toIllinois, which has video gaming, thereappears to be no interest in gaming leg-islation.

Illinois: The addition of video gam-ing has caused a division among opera-tors in the state. Some have traditionalamusements and video gaming, somehave only traditional amusements, andsome have only video gaming. Thestate pool and dart tournament has suf-fered. Operator consolidation is also afactor. There was a two-year moratori-um on tax increases on video gaming.That time is coming up and operatorswant to ensure that there is no taxincrease on video gaming, which hashappened in other states.

Iowa: Currently, there are no majorlegislative issues. The state associationis 25 years old and has 27 members,most of whom operate dart and poolleagues. Separate dart and pool tourna-ments are popular each year. Self-redemption games have a $50 prizelimit.

Kentucky: The Kentucky Lottery ismoving into bars with a new game.There is no state association but Ken-tucky operators are looking at howneighboring Tennessee established itsassociation. There are no limits onprizes in cranes and merchandisers.

Louisiana: Gaming dominates inthis state with a mature legalized video

Top left: From left: Jenny Duede of IOMA, Ronda Wiggers of MCMOA, and Kim Paugh ofIAMOA. Top right: Tim Zahn of American Amusement Arcade and Susie Peterson.Bottom left: Chris Asher (l) of Revenue Boosters and Chi Babich of Game Exchangeof Colorado. Bottom right: From left: Rick LaFleur of I.F. LaFleur & Son, Rob Case ofNew Pants Publishing, and John Margold of AMI. Photo by Rob Case


Tax Code (part of the stimulus pack-age), and it is not extended, you willhave to pay a big amount because inessence it is a tax-free loan. It wouldrequire rebuilding the depreciationschedule.

Ohio: After a big turnover in thestate Assembly, the state association ismeeting with all of the new membersand beginning to establish relation-ships. More work has been done thisyear in the regulatory arena. There isa $10 prize limit on skill games. A def-inition of skills games was createdyears ago; the prize limit was set in2007.

The revenue from casinos and videolottery terminals in the race trackshave not come close to projections,which is why the tracks now wantvideo draw poker machines. The stateassociation has partnered with Intraloton a few projects and there may be anopportunity to work with them again,this time placing Keno Plus machinesin bars.

Oregon: Operators continue to sparwith the state lottery, which confiscat-ed countertop games years ago, believ-ing them to be casino-style games.After a long process the games werereturned without memory cards. Oper-ators are trying to change the law toavoid this happening again.

Pennsylvania: State associationmembership is holding steady, consid-ering industry consolidation. The newDemocratic governor has suggestedthat a video gaming program pay for abond issue. Existing casinos in the stateare not going to be in favor, nor thepredominantly Republican legislature,but it could be a possibility for opera-tor participation.

Tennessee: Operators have a stick-er fee and a master license fee. Victo-ries include defeating a proposedsmoking ban and getting the license feefor jukeboxes dropped. The associa-tion’s lobbyist is a watchdog who moni-tors proposed legislation and notifiesthe association of when to rally thetroops.

A game called Bank Shot Sill Gamehas come into the state, unregulated,which offers a chance for a prize. It is atouch screen game that is a crossbetween a line game and tic-tac-toe. Arecent visit to the company’s Web sitesays there are 364 locations with thegame in 132 cities across Nebraska.

Nevada: The state association hasbeen dissolved but there are hopes tostart a new association. There is nopending legislation impacting opera-tors, and no limits on redemption gameprize amounts, thus it is difficult tomuster support . The governorannounced an education initiative andit will have to be funded, perhaps byan entertainment tax.

North Dakota: Avoiding legalizedgaming is a focus in the state becausecoin machine operators would not beable to participate. There are Indiancasinos, the state lottery, and a hugecharitable gaming sector.

The goal of the association is to pro-tect operators. The state associationworks with the tavern association tohelp both speak with one voice. Atissue is depreciation. If you elected touse Section 179 deduction of the U.S.

in bars that take up a lot of space.Operators are sending players to thestate pool and dart tournaments butnot staying since electronic bracketingmakes the process easier and not asmuch help is needed. However, it isimportant that operators be present.

Minnesota: There has been somesuccess in getting sales tax relief on thepurchase of new equipment. Operatorsare working to get relief on the grossreceipts tax, which is especially heavyin Minneapolis. The state pool and darttournaments remain the bright spot.

Missouri: The state association iswatching legislation through its legisla-tive consultant. Missouri has not takena firm stand on games in fraternalorganization clubs. A proposal isexpected that would allow the pur-chase of medicinal marijuana fromvending machines. There is no smok-ing ban.

Nebraska: Efforts are underway toform a new state association and trackproposed legislat ion that wouldadversely affect operators. They arefighting a proposed 10 percent tax ongross receipts. Currently, there is alicense fee of $35 per machine.

Top left: Carol Ann Lally of Play Meter and Mick White of Valley-Dynamo. Top right:Factory panel, (l-r): Chuck Reed of CPI, Michael Guthrie of Cypress Advantage, JimHines of Firestone Financial, and Ted Furkin of Pyramid Technologies. Bottom left:Factory panel, (l-r): Ron Hunt of Betson West, John Lotz of Apple Industries, Jim Dupreeof Smart Industries, and Paula Rinker of S&B Candy & Toy Co. Bottom right: Factorypanel, (l-r): Phil Cohn of TouchTunes, Sabrina Mokuahi of IT, John Margold of AMI,Shawn Beall of Arachnid, and Mike Sebazco of Valley-Dynamo.


and Music Operators (WAMO), is retir-ing from WAMO.

Wyoming: The state pool and darttournaments each attract 1,000 play-ers. The tournaments have adoptedelectronic bracketing like other states,which saves on staff required.

In 2013, the legislature approvedhistoric horse race betting machines,which are appearing at locations inlarge cities. The machines have smallscreens and look like slot machines.There is no limit on the payout, whichis given at the location. The intentionwas to benefit the tracks in the state; aportion of the revenue goes toward themunicipali ty, county, state, andWyoming-bred purse fund.

Next year the meeting will be heldin Texas. For more information, visit(www.amoa.com). ▲

routes. This is another state that hasapproved the sale of marijuana for citi-zens 21 and over. There is a newopportunity in vending since american-green.com launched a new vendingmachine that dispenses medical mari-juana and verifies age.

Wisconsin: Members in the stateassociation have to meet certain crite-ria. The successful state pool tourna-ment draws 4,800 players and the darttournament draws 1,000 players. Theassociation’s primary focus is legisla-tive; the lobbyist tracks bills and otherissues, informing the association ofwhat needs attention. The associationworks closely with the tavern league inthe state and follows the lobbyist’sadvice of building relationships withlegislators.

Note: Maxine O’Brien, ExecutiveDirector of the Wisconsin Amusement

Texas: Oil prices are down (two-thirds of what they were in the past), sogetting rid of some taxes is not feasible.The state has a huge issue with humantrafficking.

Virginia: Plush toy cranes wereruled as games of skill so there are noproblems with that equipment. Thebiggest problem affecting operating inthe state is the change in establish-ments. In the past operators dealt withlocation owners, now it’s chain loca-tions with managers.

Charles Rowland of Games PeoplePlay in Virginia said, “The manager getspaid if the games are down or not. Theyseem to be too busy to call to say agame is down. Bar-top videos are outand pinball games are back, also pinballleagues that bring people into locations.”

Washington: Sixty percent of oper-ators in the state have darts on their

nators of the Big Choice and TopChoice cranes of the 1980s that set thestandard for quality and reliability andbecame known as “the Belgium crane.”

Fast forward to 2015 and ElautUSA produces no less than 11 standardmodel cranes including the popular E-Claw series; container, custom, andtrailer models; Plucky Ducky; also theMistral and Blackbeard’s Bounty coinpushers; the Ticket Wheel; and theTicket Eater Redemption Center.

Elaut USA is widely known for theWizard of Oz game, which

changed the style and operation of coinpushers. And while this machine is stillin the company’s vast arsenal of equip-ment, it only touches the surface of theentertainment options that Elaut USAhas brought to the marketplace.

The company has a rich historygoing back to 1959 with its parentcompany based in Sint-Niklaas, Bel-gium, and the Verstraeten family, origi-

E-Claw

COVER STORY


Elaut USA provides top quality

entertainment

Elaut USA headquarters.


time Elaut USA had a cooperativeworking arrangement with Skee-BallInc. to manufacture and distribute forElaut. Skee-Ball had a close relation-

ship with the Dave & Buster’schain and they took the initialrun of product and placed oneunit in every store.

What are the newest gamesin production for 2015?

The newest games are Black-beard’s Bounty coin pusher,Plucky Ducky Play Till You WinCrane; Put in a Buck and Win aDuck!; the E-Claw series ofcranes; and the redesignedShocker Electric Chair.

The Ticket Circus coinpusher and the Tower of Tick-ets redemption game wereshown at the IAAPA Expo2014. Are they currently avail-able?

Yes, they are available alongwith the entire Elaut line of prod-ucts.

Does the company follow aparticular business philoso-phy?

Without a doubt, and if thecompany did not have a strongbusiness philosophy it wouldn’tbe here today. That philosophyhasn’t changed in over 30 yearsas set down by the company’s

so it was natural for all Elaut productto be introduced in Europe first.

But the first big success for ElautUSA was the Big One Crane. At the

Elaut USA games can be found inarcades, family entertainment centers(FECs), and large and small amuse-ment parks in the U.S. and around theworld. The company is located inLakewood, N.J., and has a widenetwork of distributors.

Play Meter caught up withElaut USA officials for moreinformation on the company, itsproducts, and the future.

When was the Elaut USAoffice established?

The concept of Elaut USA andthe opening of a U.S.-based officeof Elaut began in late 2000. EricVerstraeten of Elaut and NealRosenberg of Betson had built astrong business and personal rela-tionship over the previous 15years of Neal handling the Elautaccount on behalf of Betson. Bet-son decided to end its representa-tion of Elaut in the U.S. at thesame time that Neal decided tomake a career change and so theinevitable happened. As they say,“Right time, right place.”

What was the first gameintroduced here by the U.S.office?

There was never really anygame first introduced in the U.S.or by the USA office becauseeverything came out of Belgium,

Lee Brannigan Thomas Burk Thomas Czaplinski John Dondzila Albert Giorla

Jesse Hanrahan Melinda N. Levine Robert Luft Barbara Mocarski Paul Molod

Wizard of Oz 6 player


taken the player into considerationbefore anything else.

What kinds of games does Elautproduce specifically for parks?

Elaut produces the same units forall venues but with a lot ofcustomizing to fit into agame stand in an amuse-ment park or a road trailerfor the carnival industry ortraveling showmen.

Most everyone knowsabout the Big One crane,which is approximately eightfeet by eight feet by eightfeet, but what most havenever seen is a Big One thatis 12 feet by 26 feet byeight feet, which was builtfor a specific location withinan amusement park. Elautcontinuously strives to satis-fy its customers no matterwhat the request.

Will Elaut USA branchout into different kinds ofgames in the future?

Elaut USA is always onthe lookout for somethingnew and different , so i freaders have any ideas, letus hear from you.

How important aretrade shows in gainingfeedback from customers?

what is already in hand and always tryto build a product that carries the goldstandard of excellence that Elaut hasbecome known for, while keeping theplayers first in line. Elaut has always

Founder, Achiel Verstraeten: “No mat-ter what the concept, build the finestproduct possible and make it last.”

Cranes are mainstays on manyamusement routes, fun centers, andparks. What makescranes endure andremain popular?

Cranes are certainlypopular but only so far asthe way they are operated.You can build the bestproduct in the world but ifthe operator doesn’t payattention to the merchan-dise they select to run andthe init ial set-up of thecrane, then al l is lost .Remember: WINNERSMAKE PLAYERS!

This phrase was coinedmany years ago and shouldbe the mantra for any andall involved in the cranebusiness today from themanufacturer to the opera-tor. If you don’t have anywinners you will certainlynot have any players.

What are the mostimportant elements toconsider when designinga new crane?

Keep up with currenttechnology to improve

Lawrence Morgenstein Dave Myers Richard Rivera Dean Satos Erik Snowden

Patricia Spencer Mark Thompson Christine Tomassone Lenny Vasile

Blackbeard’s Bounty


dising game that can fulfill the needs ofthe street operator. Small in size, butlarge in value! We’re working on it.

Where would Elaut USA like tobe in five years?

Elaut is committed to the amuse-ment industry on every level by deliv-ering top quality entertainment andfun to the player through its games andwill continue to do so as set down byits Founder and guiding light, AchielVerstraeten.

For more information on Elaut USA,visit (www.elautusa.com). ▲

What are operators at tradeshows saying they need for theirbusinesses to grow?

Every operator has the same ques-tion, “What’s new?” Elaut finds itself ina very difficult position due to the factthat it is trying to satisfy many differentvenues and operations with the sameproduct so it’s become a juggling act tosatisfy each avenue. This is the veryreason that you will see Elaut productin various sizes: one player, two player,or three player models.

What is truly lacking in the markettoday is a true redemption or merchan-

The age old question is: “Whatcame first, the chicken or the egg?”Some of us have seen product sold inlarge quantities long before it is shownat a trade show and then again just theopposite has happened as well.

Trade shows are a great place tosocialize with customers and keep yourname out in the forefront while afford-ing customers the opportunity to con-verse with not only the sales represen-tatives but also the technical staff.However, the big factor still remainsthat if you’re not at a trade showeveryone thinks you’re out of business.

COVER STORY

Tower of TicketsPlucky Ducky

EClaw Cosmic

“No matter what the concept, build thefinest product possible and make it last.”


Best Bulk VendingMachine:

Northwestern Corp.

Best Redemption Game:Sega Amusements

for Key Master

Best Photo Booth:Face Place/Apple

Industries for Sapphire

Best Table Game: Valley-Dynamo for Valley Pool Table

PlayMeter

OperatorsChoiceAwards

’

Best Boxer:IGPM/

Kalkomat

Best Video Game:Raw Thrills/PlayMechanix forBig Buck HD

Best Pinball:Stern Pinballfor Star Trek

Best Jukebox:TouchTunes Interactive

Networks for Virtuo

TRAVELTRACKS


May 21-2530th BullShooter World FinalsRosemont, Ill.Hyatt Regency O’Haretel: (800)435-8319e-mail: [email protected]: www.bullshooter.com

May 21-3035th VNEA ChampionshipsLas Vegas, Nev.Bally’s Las Vegastel: (800)544-1346e-mail: [email protected]: www.vnea.com

June 16-18E3Los Angeles, Calif.Los Angeles Convention Centertel: (508)424-4864e-mail: [email protected]: www.e3expo.com

June 16-19AAE Hong KongHong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centretel: (703)836-4800e-mail: [email protected]: www.iaapa.org/asianattractionsexpo

June 18-21VNEA Jr. ChampionshipsRochester, Minn.Mayo Civic Centertel: (800)544-1346e-mail: [email protected]: www.vnea.com

June 22-26International Bowl ExpoLas Vegas, Nev.Las Vegas Convention Centertel: (800)343-1329e-mail: [email protected]: www.bpaa.com

July 21-23Foundations Entertainment UniversityChicago, Ill.tel: (816)931-1040, ext. 103 e-mail: [email protected]: www.foundationsuniversity.com

August 5-7BCA Billiard & Home Leisure ExpoLas Vegas. Nev.South Point Hotel, Casino, and Convention Centertel: (708)226-1300e-mail: [email protected]: www.bcaexpo.com

April 14-16DEALDubai, UAEDubai World Trade Centretel: +9714-3435777e-mail: [email protected]: www.dealmiddleeastshow.com

April 16-19Clean ShowAtlanta, Ga.Georgia World Congress Centertel: (404)876-1988e-mail: [email protected]: www.cleanshow.com

April 22-24NAMA OneShowLas Vegas, Nev.Las Vegas Convention Centertel: (312)346-0370fax: (312)704-4140web: www.namaoneshow.org

May 1-9NDA Team DartLas Vegas, Nev.Bally’s Las Vegastel: (800)808-9884e-mail: [email protected]: www.ndadarts.com

May 5-6LaserTAG360Indianapolis, Ind.Creative Works Headquarterstel: (317)834-4770fax: (317)834-4771web: lasertag360.com

May 7-9GTI Asia Taipei ExpoTaipei, TaiwanTaipei World Trade Centertel: 886-2-2760-7407 ext. 207e-mail: [email protected]: www.taiwanslot.com.tw

May 10-13Roller Skating Association ShowLas Vegas, Nev.South Point Hotel-Casinotel: (317)347-2626e-mail: [email protected]: www.rollerskating.com

May 16-19National Restaurant ShowChicago, Ill.McCormick Placetel: (312)853-2525e-mail: [email protected]: www.showrestaurant.org

PM denotes Play Meter as an exhibitor.


game. The options available today forplaying fields run the gamut, from thesterile to the imaginative and everythingin between. Environments that mimicthose of console games have an undeni-able attraction to those playing them.

Authenticity, though, is the key asguests are more demanding when itcomes to the experiences they choose.Multi-level arenas have increased oversingle level playing fields by a rate ofthree to one. Whatever you do, or have,ensure you give them “the WOW effect.”

■ Options: The vests and phasersof today, especially those that havecome out in the last few years, areremarkable when it comes to the playoptions available. They are morerobust, have better electronics, andscalable software that allows you tocontrol countless items to make games

Most of us don’t realize how longlaser tag has been around.

Believe it or not, it has been 31 yearssince the first commercial system wentinto operation. Back then, it was muchdifferent, as one would expect, andthought to be a fad by many. Today ithas become a source of profits formany operators.

Following are some reasons whylaser tag has stood the test of time andcontinues to be placed in attractionmixes throughout the world.

■ Popularity: Today, more thanever, laser tag has become a mainstayattraction in the amusement industry,especially among family entertainmentcenters (FECs) and renovating facilitieslike bowling centers and skating rinks.It’s stable, competitive, and provides agreat attraction for people of all ages.

From age six to 66, this game touchesevery generation.

■ Interactivity: Games that encour-age interaction between people areimportant when it comes to creatingmemorable experiences for yourguests. Laser tag is all about games andconnecting with one another, smiling,laughing, feel your heart race, strategiz-ing, and more. It’s about comparingscores, making friends, and formingcamaraderie among groups.

In an age where we are always look-ing down at our phones and texting,this attraction connects us again to oneanother. From birthday parties to cor-porate team building events, laser tagcontinues to be a clear winner whenbringing people together.

■ Uniqueness: Walking into a lasertag arena is like stepping into video

LASER TAGJeff Schilling

Laser tag continues to ROCK


Jeff Schilling is the Chief Architect ofExperiences at Creative Works with over20 years of experience in designing,developing, operating, and marketinglaser tag attractions. Known for itsunique attractions and education events(www.lasertag360.com), the companyhas been a pioneering force in the amuse-ment industry with its games and attrac-t ions. For more information, visi t(www.thewoweffect.com).

unique and different for each play andeach team.

Additionally, the options for arenadevices and targets have created moreinteractivity during the game where play-ers not only compete against one anoth-er, but the game system itself. With tech-nology updates every few years and easyupgrades, the options for players willgrow closer to those of home consolegames at the future unfolds.

■ Returns: When done right, lasertag is one of those attractions that cando very well for operators. Nearly 70percent of the revenue for this game isgenerated between Friday and Sundayin most locations. With marketingefforts in place, additional revenue canbe generated through the weekdays viaprivate events and arena rentals.

As a time-based attraction, it’s aboutmaximizing each game and realizing

the full potential in both slow and busytimes. Ensuring this game operates effi-ciently will make this a reality andincrease your bottom line.

To learn more about adding thispopular attraction, attend a trade showor educational conference where youwill see how it can be incorporatedinto your venue; also, how to renovatewhat you have or how to improve theefficiencies of your operation and mar-keting efforts. ▲


ber of the IATP, believes that healthyactivities combined with jumping on atrampoline creates a ‘fun physical fit-ness’ outlet for children and adults ofall ages. Rockin’ Jump’s Web site refer-ences a 1980 NASA study that states:10 minutes of jumping on a trampolineprovides the same fitness results as 33minutes of running.

“Our motto is ‘Fitness and Competi-tion Disguised as Fun,” said Wilson.“We like to bring the element of com-petition into the attraction and providean activity for kids that gets them outof their houses and unplugged fromtheir computers/game systems and intoa safe, clean, and fun environment.”

The first Rockin’ Jump opened inDublin, Calif., in May 2011, less thansix months after Sue and her husbandDrew changed their minds from want-ing to open a health club to, at the urg-ing of Rockin’ Jump’s Co-FoundersMarc and Shelly Collopy, opening anindoor trampoline park. In just threeyears, the founders opened up threemore parks and created Rockin’ JumpFranchise LLC at the recommendationof a business partner who had successin health club franchising.

“Our first franchised park opened in

Where else can you l i teral lybounce off the walls, jump high

in the air, slam dunk a basketball whilecatching some serious hang time, peltfriends with balls in an extreme gameof dodgeball, soar into a pit of foam orflip onto an airbag, all the while burn-ing up some serious calories throughexercise that is fun!

Indoor trampoline parks have beengaining popularity since the first parkopened in 2004 in Las Vegas, Nev.Last year, at this same time, the Inter-national Association of TrampolineParks (IATP) had been able to roughlyidentify over 280 existing parks orthose in the development stage ofopening. Just one year later we are esti-mating that there were 345 parks openby the end of 2014, and anticipatethere will be another 115 open by theend of 2015 in North America alone.

The international market is quicklyrecognizing the popularity of this newfamily attraction. At the end of 2014, itwas estimated that there were over 40outlets outside of North America, and

by the end of 2015 there will be atleast 100 indoor trampoline parksopen internationally.

There are parks popping up all overthe globe operating in the U.K., Singa-pore, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico,Hong Kong, Malaysia, Dubai, Spain,Estonia, Bahrain, The Netherlands,Thailand, Indonesia, and France. Everyweek the IATP receives severalinquiries from individuals interested inopening indoor trampoline parks out-side of the U.S.

ROCKIN’ JUMP,ROCKIN’ JUMP FRANCHISE

So what is the attraction? Sue Wil-son, Co-Founder and Co-Owner ofRockin’ Jump and Rockin’ Jump Fran-chise LLC, and a current board mem-

Indoor trampoline parks continue to be one of the fastest growing

indoor entertainment attractions worldwide.

By Tracy Sarris

Jump! Spin! Fly!Rockin’ Jump Arena (l) and Rockin’ Jump Dodgeball (r).

What was to be a temporary job relo-cation became a permanent move forBice after receiving a call from a col-league, and now co-owner, telling himabout an idea a family member hadpitched to him regarding opening atrampoline park in Hawaii.

Bice and Co-Owner, Kelsey Lewis,opened the first and only indoor tram-poline park in Hawaii in 2013 on theisland of Oahu. I-Trampoline is a36,000 square-foot facility with morethan 14,000 square feet of trampolinecourts. Although the park is similar to

June 2014 in Trumbell, Conn.,” saidWilson. “There are now 11 Rockin’Jumps open in the U.S. and our goal isto have 30 open by the end of 2015.We also work with converting existingparks into Rockin’ Jumps in territorieswhere there is a franchise interest andexisting sites become available.”

Rockin’ Jumps average around23,000 square feet and require aninvestment of around $1-1.3 million toopen. Their model includes the usualopen arena, dodgeball courts, basket-ball zones, and foam pits or airbag pits.

They have also added some customelements to their parks like the X-Beamand Trip Wire—a customized version ofCreative Works’ Laser Maze. Otherattractions include climbing walls, tod-dler areas, party rooms, and cafes.

I-TRAMPOLINEIATP member Robert Bice of i-

Trampoline did not initially set out toopen a trampoline park when he trans-planted from Louisiana to Kapolei,Hawaii, after hurricane Katrina forcedhis former business to shut down.


Rockin’ Jump Basketball (l) and Rockin’ Jump Beam (r).

Marines from Air Station Kaneohe Bay visit i-Trampoline. Photo by Jay Parco.


safety as their number one priority. “I love the fact that individuals who

can be competitors in the industry areable to come together through ASTMand IATP and be able to share ideasand know that we are all in this togeth-er,” said Wilson. “I chose to be a partof and support these organizationsbecause I want to see the industrythrive and survive.”

INSURANCEIn addition to its focus on safe oper-

ations, IATP leaders believe that it isalso important to address some of themore substantial challenges facingindoor trampoline parks and providethe services and tools necessary tofacilitate commercial success and stabil-ity in the industry.

Insurance is a critical business needfor parks. When it became apparentthat many of its members were experi-encing significant premium increasesthat did not appear to be substantiatedby any apparent loss activity, IATP lead-ers realized this could have a significantimpact on the industry in the long term.

The association began a rigorousselection process in early 2014 to findan insurance product and serviceprovider who could develop a programfor the IATP members. After an exten-sive Request for Proposals (RFP) andinterview process, the IATP Board ofDirectors approved the selection com-mittee’s recommendation of Haas &Wilkerson Insurance for their newinsurance program partner.

many other parks in its structure andattractions offered, Bice feels that itsuniqueness comes from the diversity oftheir guests.

“We pride ourselves in capturing theculture of the Hawaiian Islands, whichemphasizes family traditions and diver-sity,” said Bice. “With a demographicthat is 35 percent Asian in culture, werecognize the need to accommodateour guests and create an experiencethat meets their needs and expecta-tions for fun, family, and fitness.”

Another unique feature of i-Trampo-line is its relationship with the militarypresence on the island. Just threemonths after opening, Marines in theSingle Marine and Sailor Program fromMarine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bayvisited the park for a day of physicalfitness that was all fun. That presencehas continued to grow as military per-sonnel realize the overall physical ben-efits that trampolines provide.

“We open our doors at 5:30 am toaccommodate early morning physicaltraining for our military personnel,” saidBice. “It’s also been great to see thelocal military groups as well as fire-fighters laughing and having a greattime on the dodgeball courts or enjoy-ing the various attractions at the park.”

One constant theme that we seewith these parks and their owners istheir commitment to the optimal safetyof their guests. Due to the nature of theactivities associated with the trampo-line, there exists the opportunity forinjury if not used correctly.

Wilson and Bice, along with IATP’sfounding board members, workedalongside the American Society forTesting and Materials (ASTM) Interna-tional to establish a set of operatingstandards that address the design, man-ufacture, installation, and maintenanceof indoor trampoline parks and estab-lishes a safe level of construction andconformity among parks. This groupcontinues to meet and reviewimproved practices and performancestandards that will continue to elevatesafe operations in parks.

Both individuals are now active onIATP committees that are pursuingnew programs to promote safety stan-dards and provide resources to encour-age patron education to ensure parkowners both in the U.S. and abroad areoperating their parks with the jumper’s

Main Court and Foam Pit at i-Trampoline

In 2014, we spoke with Sky Zone Franchise Group’s President and CEO, Jeff Platt, who gave usa snapshot of Sky Zone trampoline parks that had opened and were projected to open over thenext year. We can now compare a year later and see that growth has not slowed down yet andSky Zone is on target for continued expansion both in the U.S. and internationally.

201455 Sky Zone parks openAnother 85 sold but not yet openLocations in: U.S. Canada, Australia, and MexicoPrediction: 200 franchises sold by 2015

2015100 Sky Zone parks openAnother 80 sold but not yet openLocations in: U.S. Canada, Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, and Saudi ArabiaPrediction: On target for 200 franchises sold by 2015

Sky Zone Parks


and putting the right people in place tolead it. Fun, family, and fitness is notjust an i-Trampoline target.”

For more information about theIndoor Trampoline Park Association, call(717)533-1945, or visit (www.indoortrampolineparks.org).

To learn more about: Rockin’ JumpFranchise LLC, visit (www.franchise.rockinjump.com); i-Trampoline Hawaii,visit (www.itrampolinehawaii.com); orSky Zone Franchise Group, visi t(www.skyzone.com/franchise/ActiveFun.aspx). ▲

“While researching the insurancelandscape this past year, we found vastinconsistencies in the rates, terms, con-ditions, and coverage,” said DougFlora, Senior Producer of Haas & Wilk-erson. “Multiple insurance companieshad entered the marketplace and exit-ed within a relatively short period oftime causing instability. This left tram-poline park owners frustrated, con-fused, and concerned about futureinsurability.”

The association’s goals for the pro-gram include: availability of insurance,affordability of insurance premiums,stability of the insurance market thatserves the members, and appropriateprotective coverages in the market-place. In addition, through its partner-ship with Haas & Wilkerson, IATPlooks to provide educational resourcesto assist member trampoline parks to

satisfy insurability standards for theirbusiness. The IATP Insurance Programwill be rolled out this year and is antic-ipated to be a vital member benefit.

IATP and its members will continueto work hard to make sure that indoortrampoline parks are here to stay forthe long term.

Bice summed it up by saying, “It iscritical to take the right steps to addressissues that could turn a thriving indus-try into a ‘fad.’ We need to realize thevalue of what we can learn from othersby supporting associations like the IATP

Tracy Sarris is the Executive Vice President of the International Associationof Trampoline Parks (IATP). IATP is a 501(c)(6) industry trade associationwhose purpose is to promote safe operations, facilitate commercial suc-cess, and stimulate growth of the trampoline park industry. For more infor-mation, visit (www.indoortrampolineparks.org). Inquiries should be directedto Sarris, (717)533-1945; e-mail (tracysarris@indoortrampoline parks.org).

“An estimated 345 trampoline parks were open bythe end of 2014; another 115 are anticipated toopen by the end of 2015 in North America alone.”


months miniature golf is the #1 attrac-tion; during the fall and winter monthslaser tag is the #1 attraction.

CONTINUING TO UPGRADEWith the continuing success of BTF

through the first year, Barry felt theneed to upgrade to keep the momen-tum going. “The games paid for them-selves in less than one year,” he said.

The first step Barry took was addingseveral of the hottest games thatrecently came into the market. Withthe help of Alpha-Omega Sales, whichcontinued to review monthly gameearnings, redemption/merchandisepayout, redemption center payout, andoverall function of the game room,

On March 1, Big Thrill Factory(BTF) in Minnetonka, Minn., cele-

brated its second anniversary and hadplenty to be excited about. In two shortyears, BTF has become a top destina-tion for families, teens, and adults inthe surrounding Minneapolis metropol-itan area.

In Play Meter’s November 2013 issuewe covered the history and initial open-ing months with Barry Zelickson, Presi-dent and Owner. What we want to knowis: What’s new? What’s been successful?What have been the challenges?

OPENING DAY 2013 BTF opened its doors March 1,

2013, and was hailed as one of the

best family entertainment centers(FECs) in the Americas. The 45,000-square-foot former K-Mart was aninstant hit.

“BTF hosts parties, school events,field trips, and themed events, as wellas a variety of ongoing promotions,”said Barry. “We support the communityand engage in charity work. We havebeen embraced by the community. It ismy understanding that typically afterthe first year business drops, but wehave seen sustained growth.”

When the harsh Minnesota winterbegan to fade, BTF had a second grandopening, this time for the 14,000square feet of outdoor attractions. Interms of revenue, during the summer

SCORING SUCCESS

Big Thrill Factory lives up to its name

By Joseph Camarota IIIand Frank Seninsky


Games; KC Cobra from Family FunCompanies; and Dead Storm PiratesDeluxe from Bandai Namco.

Striving to say on top of the indus-try trends, BTF was far from doneupgrading. The initial layout of theroom left one under-utilized space: theentire area under the 18-foot-highropes course. After extensive researchBarry decided to add two new attrac-tions: X-Rider Motion Theater fromSimuline and Room Escape Adven-tures, themed as “Trapped in a Roomwith a Zombie.”

Both attractions were an instant suc-cess. X-Rider provided a rush for thrillseekers and “Trapped in a Room with aZombie” allowed families, friends, andcorporate crowds to have a bondingexperience they would not soon forget.There are 12 “Trapped” shows perweek and they are booked one monthin advance, mostly online. Additionalevents were added, including datenight, dinner shows, and painting class-es with wine.

Barry said, “It’s not all about addingnew attractions but rather keeping thecustomers entertained. We are always

BTF and Alpha created a plan to tradein some of the lower earning games.

Some key additions were added,such as Harpoon Lagoon, Down the

Clown, and Whack N Win from ICE;Ticket Monster and Sink It Shootouttwo-player from Bay Tek Games; Mon-ster Drop X-treme from Benchmark

Big Thrill Factory FactsSize: 45,000 square feet indoors and 14,000 square feet outdoorsCost: $4.2 MillionSeating: 75 inside, 120 outsideFood/Beverage: Gourmet dining with beer and wineDinner ShowsPainting classes with wine

Indoor AttractionsRegulation Bowling: 8 lanes, QubicaAMFLaser Tag: 30-player multilevel, Zone NexusBallocity: 3 levels, PrimePlayBlacklight Ropes Course: 7 poles, Ropes Courses Inc.Bumper Cars: 8 units, Amusement ProductsTime Freak: Art AttackArcade Games (70): Alpha-Omega Amusements & SalesTrapped in a Room with a Zombie: Room Escape AdventuresX-Rider Motion Theater: Simuline

Outdoor Attractions18-Hole Miniature Golf: Cost of WisconsinTrampolines: SomersaultClimbing Wall: 3-story, Extreme EngineeringSpider Climb: 25 feet with Giant Slide, Extreme Engineering

Feasibility Study/Project Development/Set-Up/Training: Amusement Entertainment ManagementDebit Card System: Embed


someone training right now. That is thelast piece.”

What does the future hold for BTF?Upgraded attractions, more new games,additional expansion?

Barry’s first thought is to add addi-tional “sound’ zones now that he knowsexactly where customers congregatemost. An attraction rotation will mostlikely happen before year four. BTF hasshown the willingness to stay on top ofthe industry and make the communitya more fun place to live in.

“I’m continually impressed withBarry’s ability to constantly reinventthe experience for guests , whileexpanding awareness of the brandthroughout greater Minneapolis. He’s anatural operator with an acute passionfor the business and a clear sense ofwhat needs to be done to achieve suc-cess,” commented Jerry Merola ofAmusement Entertainment Manage-ment (AEM).

In the end, Barry summed up thereason behind BTF’s success: “We are inthe business of fun and we make sureour guests are having fun.” With a mis-sion statement like that, BTF will surelycontinue to rank high on the scoringsuccess ladder. For more information,visit (www.bigthrillfactory.com). ▲

looking for ways to bring in new peo-ple and engage the community. Wedon’t just do it through attractions butthrough upgrading menu items andother package deals to give peoplemore reasons to come back.”

When it comes to marketing, theprocess is continuous. There is some-thing going on every day. Daily deals areused to keep up weekday business. Onedeal that has worked well is unlimitedbowling, laser tag, and one other eventfor $15 from 8 pm to closing time.

Another is receiving a $5 game cardfor each game of bowling purchasedduring certain hours. There are a seriesof events planned for every month.Halloween, for example, features ahaunted walkway, trick or treating, anda costume contest. Very little is spenton print or television ads. Billboardadvertising has worked well. Socialmedia is a main priority.

MOVING FORWARDBarry is always focused on putting

processes (systems) in place once theyhave been tried and make sense. Keep-ing the staff engaged is a key part.

The biggest struggle is the ebb andflow of the business (busy weekendsand a slower week),” said Barry. “Keep-ing everyone excited is my most impor-tant job responsibility.” His positivedemeanor has helped create a positiveculture. Barry has watched his teamtransition from eyes wide open to eyesfocused and having fun.

Barry continued, “There was a highlearning curve. The team has done agreat job adapting and finding the bal-ance of running a business but mak-ing it a good time for the customerbase.”

Because of the family oriented wayBTF management runs the facility,there has been relatively little turnover.“Only in the team member ranks hasthere been turnover,” said Barry.

We are open seven days a week andit’s a challenging business. There are alot of great people on the staff and thestaff more often grows than loses peo-ple. The last challenge has been findinga full time events person; we have

SCORING SUCCESS

Frank Seninsky is the President of the Alpha-Omega Group of com-panies, which includes Amusement Entertainment Management,Alpha-Omega Amusements & Sales, and Alpha-BET Entertainment.He is Co-Regent for Foundations Entertainment University and a pastPresident of both the Amusement and Music Operators Associationand the International Association for the Leisure Entertainment Indus-try. E-mail ([email protected]).

Joseph Camarota III began his coin-op careerat Alpha-Omega Amusements & Sales in 1994

working part time servicing local route locations and reconditioningand repairing games. In 1997 he decided to commit all his timeand energy to Alpha-Omega. He worked his way through each

department and has managed Merchandise, Dispatch, and Partsand Service. In 2009 he became Director of Operations and Sales.

E-mail ([email protected]).

HistoryIn early 2010, Barry Zelickson had an idea to open an outdoor 18-hole miniature golf course

and began visiting local entertainment sites. He saw other attractions that also piqued his inter-est and his vision started to grow.

Having a background in entertainment, as a former owner/operator of Spooky World, Barryunderstood he had to continue his research and education. According to Barry, FoundationsEntertainment University (FEU) was a pivotal turning point.

“Although I had experience in an area of entertainment, I was not in the family entertainmentcenter (FEC) business and the knowledge the presenters provided was invaluable,” said Barry. “IfI knew back when we first started visiting other entertainment centers what we learned after lis-tening to the presenters, we would have looked at the centers in a much different way.”

After attending FEU, Barry decided he was going to need an expert in the amusement indus-try to proceed with his vision. Barry retained Jerry Merola, Managing Partner of AmusementEntertainment Management (AEM), to complete a market feasibility study. “As a result, we wereable to raise $1.5 million in private capital and $2.7 million in bank financing,” said Barry. “Thestudy also provided the foundation necessary to obtain backing by the Small Business Adminis-tration (SBA).”

Barry continued his partnership with AEM and had the company complete a DevelopmentServices Program, which took the project from concept to completion, through opening andbeyond. It also included assistance in negotiating the lease, equipment procurement, design,integration, and development of the early stage marketing plan. The entire process took threeyears. Remember that financing was difficult to obtain during that time. It took nine months tofind a lender and close the deal.


Spring into action

TIP ONEMajor League Baseball’s spring train-

ing has started and this means all therecently traded players will have newuniforms. Your cranes and merchandis-ers may soon be outdated if you don’tchange out the old for the new. Rundown to any local retailer that offerssports apparel and scoop up the newplayers’ jerseys or shirts to display.

TIP TWOKeeping with the baseball theme,

have you seen what a new baseball batand glove costs these days? Give yourcustomers a chance to own one ofthese expensive items by winning a giftcard to a local sporting goods store.Use a bat, glove, and some baseballpants to dress up your crane to addexcitement. Also, display a poster inthe back of your game that highlights

REDEMPTION FORMULAJim Chapman

the location where the gift card camefrom (you may be able to score a dis-count on the purchase of the giftcards).

TIP THREEI know I have mentioned this before

but adding 4-inch capsules to a ball-filled crane will add another dimensionto the game play. The capsules willblend in well with the balls and will upthe ante for any player. You can alsouse this same set up when using a SideBox. Simply add 15 capsules to yourmix and fill them with Smarties andJolly Rancher candies, but in two of thecapsules add a key to the Side Box.

TIP FOURI was in Portland, Ore. recently and

came across a great location that addeda sport court. The general managersaid that the sport court added a greatdeal to entertain his customers. Hefound that families stayed a bit longer,that his adult crowd at night played thegames and ordered more drinks, andthat his servers we getting better tips.Seems this simple idea both enter-tained and made more money.

What I liked most about this simpleidea is that it does not take up muchspace, can be played by all ages, incor-porated into parties, and will give yourlocation another reason for customersto stay a bit longer and have more fun.This could be a great addition just intime for spring. Who knows, maybeone of your key suppliers would payfor it if the area had their logo. ▲

Jim Chapman has been a part of the coin-op industry for over 25 years. His experienceranges from manufacturing cranes, merchandisers, redemption, and video games to opera-tional experience in FECs. You can find him at trade shows sharing his passion and experi-ence when giving redemption seminars. He can be reached via e-mail ( j [email protected]).

Spring has finally sprung and with it are new opportunities to impress your customers.


competitive insurance coverage. AsInternational Association of Amuse-ment Parks and Attractions’ (IAAPA)FEC Risk Management Partner, AIRand the FEC Elite program are settinga new standard in risk management foramusement and FEC businesses.

COSSIO INSURANCECossio Insurance Agency is a lead-

ing insurance broker in the entertain-ment industry for family entertainmentcenters (FECs), indoor inflatable cen-ters, party equipment rentals, and nowtrampoline parks. Cossio is licensed inall 50 states and writes with 12 insur-ance carriers to cover the diverse mixof entertainment exposures includingits own program with NationwideInsurance Co. Offered are general lia-bility, property, inland marine, accidentmedical, worker’s compensation, andcommercial auto coverage.

HAAS & WILKERSON INSURANCE

Haas & Wilkerson Insurance, itsAmusements Division, and the hun-dreds of amusement industry organiza-tions it serves, are the foundations ofthe company. It wrote its first specialtyamusement policy in 1939 and contin-ues to set a high standard for the spe-cialty insurance sector. Haas & Wilker-son Insurance offers comprehensivecoverage and strives to deliver cus-tomer service beyond comparison. ItsFEC Insurance Program offers a com-prehensive risk management and insur-ance approach and includes risk toler-ance/exposure reviews, exposure andrisk transfer (placement of insurancewith a carrier), preventative loss controlinspections, and claims management.

ISERAThe International Special Events &

Recreation Association (ISERA) is a

The amusement industry can be afun but risky business. No matter

how prepared you might be, accidentswill happen. Drew Tewksbury, SeniorVice President and Director of Amuse-ment Insurance Resources at BrittonGallagher, moderated a session at theInternational Association of Amuse-ment Parks and Attractions (IAAPA)FEC Dallas program where he outlinedhis tips on how to stay above the curvewhen it comes to insurance and safetyfor your facility.

Tewksbury insists on being proac-tive and aggressive when it comes tosafety, recommending that you learnyour state’s specific regula-tions. Training proceduresand protocols, proper sig-nage, accident drills, andusing the right languagewhen capturing an incidentreport are also musts tohelp prevent incidents.

All this precaution isgreat, but what happenswhen an incident becomesa total mess? You’ll need ateam of experts and legal support tohelp sort it all out. Play Meter compileda list of leading insurance programsand agencies to help you weather thestorm of knowing who, when, and howto insure your amusement business.

ALLIED SPECIALTYINSURANCE

Allied Specialty Insurance wasestablished in 1983 for the sole pur-pose of providing insurance coveragefor clients in the amusement, entertain-ment, and leisure industries. They pro-vide a full suite of coverage including,general liability, commercial auto, prop-erty, inland marine and mobile equip-ment, mechanical equipment break-down, equipment breakdown, crime,directors and officers compensation,

and worker’s compensation. Allied alsooffers in-house claims processing with24/7 responsiveness and serves clientsin all 50 states, plus Puerto Rico andthe U.S. Virgin Islands.

BOWLING CENTERINSURANCE

Bowling Center Insurance (BCI), adivision of the independent insuranceagency Brown & Brown, was developedexclusively for the sports, leisure, andentertainment business and offers acomplete package of insurance coveragetailored to the specific types of risksfaced by the bowling center industry

today. BCI programs utilizeover 20 insurance carriersthat all maintain an AM Bestrating of Excellent or higher,each with an appetite forbowling industry business.

As part of Brown &Brown Insurance, the sev-enth largest insurance bro-kerage, BCI provides thebest available coverage andprice. Coverage available

include property, commercial generalliability, umbrella/excess liability, busi-ness auto, inland marine, businessincome, liquor liability, employee bene-fits liability, crime, and worker’s com-pensation.

BRITTON GALLAGHER Amusement Insurance Resources

(AIR), a division of Britton Gallagher, isa specialty insurance program managerthat provides focused risk manage-ment, safety education, and innovativeinsurance products for the amusementindustry. Its FEC Elite program forfamily entertainment centers (FEC)brings a new approach to risk manage-ment through proactive on-line educa-t ional tools , sound loss controlreviews, and strategies and responsible

Peace of mindFEC INSURANCE

Drew Tewksbury


business or organization has a compre-hensive solution designed specificallyfor your industry exposures. FEC spe-cific coverage includes laser tag, paintball, mini golf, zip-line, bumper car,arcade, batting cage, and more.

NAUGHTON INSURANCENaughton Insurance has specialized

in providing insurance programs foramusement parks and related enter-tainment industries since the 1950’s.Offering over 60 years of stability, con-sistency, and reliability, they are recog-nized as one of the oldest and mostexperienced insurance providers to theamusement world.

Naughton continues today as a lead-ing producer and innovator of amuse-ment park insurance programs andcoverage to this ever-changing andexciting industry. With in-house under-writing, policy issuance, loss control,

non-profit Risk Purchasing Group(RPG) of special event and recreationbusinesses that provides individualmembers with access to liability insur-ance through the association. Liabilityinsurance can be difficult for industryprofessionals, especially small opera-tors, to obtain. ISERA provides a solu-tion for the insurance needs of battingcages, trampolines, inflatables, recre-ation and sports event operations,recreation centers, and many more.

K&K INSURANCE GROUP For over 60 years, K&K Insurance

has been recognized as a leadingprovider of sports, leisure, and enter-tainment insurance products. As one ofthe largest managing general under-writers in the U.S., K&K Insurance per-forms a variety of traditional insurancecompany functions on behalf of theinsurance companies it represents,

allowing them to provide exceptionalservice in: program development; salesand marketing; underwriting; policyissuance and administration; loss con-trol; and claims. K&K Insurance pro-vides coverage for either part of a cen-ter or a standalone operation for bat-ting cages, go-karts, bowling, bumpercars and boats, inflatables, kiddie rides,soft modular play, laser tag, trampo-lines, and more.

LIBERTY UNITEDINSURANCE

Liberty United Insurance providesinsurance for family entertainment cen-ters (FEC) of many different types andunderstands the unique exposures andchallenges that many of these business-es face. Liberty United Insurance hasover 15 years of combined experiencein underwriter expertise and risk man-agement solutions to ensure that your


comprehensive insurance coverage tomany different types of family enter-tainment and related attractions,including motorized, movement,games, and sport centers. Designed todrive down your insurance premiumswithout compromising coverage, aswell as provide safety managementtools to control costs, the program canhelp you dramatically reduce yourcosts and improve safety, which direct-ly improves your facility’s bottom line.

Underwritten by the same group of“A” rated insurance companies for thepast 12 years, the program offers: Com-petitive pricing along with enhancedcoverage; low-cost accident insurance;complete claims management and pro-cessing; on-site safety inspections; andcustomers can take advantage of theprograms’ premium savings, increasedcoverage and state-of-the-art claimsmanagement while still maintainingtheir current broker relationship. ▲

and claims handling, Naughton Insur-ance has both the authority and expert-ise to fully service each account. Prod-ucts include amusement park generalliability, excess and umbrella liability,inland marine including transit, ridemanufacturers liability, and worker’scompensation.

NORTHEAST INSURANCECENTER

In 2004 Northeast Insurance Cen-ter discovered the whole new excitingworld of the amusement industry andall its great people and providers.Drawing on 28 years of commercialexperience, they set out to change theway insurance was being distributed tothe industry. Most agents only workedwith one carrier, so there was no com-petition offered to the customer. Highpremiums were coupled with highdeductibles. Northeast Insurance Cen-ter’s first goal was to secure every

major insurance carrier that wroteinsurance in the amusement industry.

This opened the door to over 100insurance carriers that were not onlywilling to insure the amusement indus-try, but were more than willing to com-pete for the premium and the cover-age. Competition means lower premi-ums and expanded and improved cov-erage. That coverage includes amuse-ment parks, batting cages, bowling,bumper cars, FECs, indoor play cen-ters, indoor trampoline centers, go-karts, inflatables, laser mazes, laser tag,rock walls, and many more.

STERLINGRISK INSURANCE SterlingRisk Insurance’s Family

Entertainment Center Safety Associa-tion (FECSA) Insurance Program hasbeen providing comprehensive insur-ance products and solutions to theentertainment and leisure industry forover 25 years. This program provides

FEC INSURANCE


ideas on running a successful business. Steiner offered signed copies of his

book “You Gotta Have Balls” in returnfor a small donation that generatedalmost $1,000 for IAAPA’s officialcharity, Give Kids the World.

IAAPA FEC moderator Carla Clarkbegan the educational sessions by high-lighting the key elements of a compa-ny’s vision. Safety, efficiency, leader-ship, security, and cleanliness shouldbe a part of that vision and will giveguests an authentic experience thatmakes them feel they experiencedmore than they expected, said Clark.She also stressed, “Get your staff tobuy into your company’s vision.”

Clark spent eight years workingwith Disneyland gaining leadership andoperations experience. She is presentlya consultant for theme parks, resorts,and service businesses.

Ryan Curtis of Quarters and EndlessEntertainment spoke about businessvalues with Company Culture—How DoYou Build and Sustain It. He shared histhoughts on FEC leadership positionsand how they can affect your business.Employees that are passionate aboutothers is an important key to your facili-ty’s revenue performance, said Curtis,whose business has become successfulby holding group events, birthday par-ties, and fundraisers.

TrainerTainment’s Beth Standleemoderated the Identifying Your GroupSales Star seminar. A great sales team issuch an important function of yourFEC, said Standlee. She instructedattendees on how to find and hire salespeople and manage their accountability.

Money saving ideas were presentedby Brian Cohen of Entertainment Prop-erties Group during the Tips and Tricksto Shave your Expense Budget session.Cohen asked attendees to look at theiroperating hours and decide which aretheir good revenue days. Some facili-ties close on days that are low. Face-

The International Association ofAmusement Parks and Attractions

(IAAPA) held its 3rd annual familyentertainment canter (FEC) conferenceFeb. 8-10 in Rockwall, Texas at theHilton Dallas/Rockwall Lakefront. PlayMeter magazine was honored to be asupporting media sponsor for the event.

The conference welcomed 145international attendees including 27sponsors and 11 committee members.It was a three-day fun filled eventpacked with 10 educational sessionsfocused on all aspects of owning andmanaging an FEC. Sessions includedtopics on building a business, groupsales, expense budgets, family ownedbusinesses, debit card technology, food

and beverage practices, risk manage-ment, capital expansion, and pricingstrategy.

Gerardo Arteaga, IAAPA Chairman,thanked the attendees for supportingFEC Dallas and encouraged everyone tomaximize their attendance by reachingout and sharing ideas with other FECowners and managers during the event.

The conference opened with akeynote address from author, speaker,and media personality Brandon Steinerof Steiner Sports Marketing. His hum-ble beginnings as a paperboy led himto creating the most successful sportsmarketing brand in the industry. Stein-er compared his thoughts on FEC own-ership and management to his own

A well-rounded education

IAAPA FEC DALLAS

IAAPA’s FEC conference staged another successfuleducational event filled with presentations, a fundraiser, social gatherings, and tours.

Carol Lally of Play Meter magazine enjoys playing games at Pin Stack.


the How Debit Card Technology CanAdd Dollars to Your Bottom Line ses-sion. These three representatives high-lighted how a debit card system canenhance profitability in an FEC.

Food and beverage is anotherimportant topic to FEC managers.David Yarmer of iT’Z spoke of his bestpractices and commented, “It is soimportant to make sure food and bev-erage is on point for your facility.”

He also advised to hold weekly

book is a good place to communicateyour open/close hours, advised Cohen.Pre-book your parties and always havesomeone to answer the phone evenwhen closed.

Operating a family owned businesscan present unique challenges. TheFamily Business Buzz session was pre-sented by three family-owned businessexecutives: Gerardo Arteaga of Fantasi-landia; Kyle Allison of Andy Alligator’s;and Mark Bingeman of Bingeman’s.

They discussed operating challengesand how to overcome them. Having along-term business plan will help youoperate efficiently as you pass the busi-ness from one generation to the next.Develop an outside advisory council toresolve conflict.

Debit card technology and the fea-tures FECs need to look for when pur-chasing one were shared by JasonMitchell of Intercard, Brian Duke ofSacoa, and Phil Showler of Embed at

Steven Tan and Debbie Gonzalez of Universal Space enjoy theSponsor Zone Cocktail Party.

From left: Dave Ellis, Lydia Klein, and Elaine Scovill of FunHaven, Ottawa, Ontario.

The IAAPA FEC Committee members.Adam Hickey of Magic Mountain Canadaasks a seminar question.

Al Novstrup (l) of Thunder Road and Ryan Curtis of Quarters andEndless Entertainment look over seminar notes.

Peter Manougian (l) of Fun World, Andrew Shaw of Pin Stack, andBrian Duke of Sacoa.


Stack, on Tuesday night along withcomplimentary play on all its attrac-tions. Universal Space, also a platinumsponsor, held a cocktail party and din-ner on Wednesday evening which con-cluded with a Sponsor Zone prize give-away for attendees.

For an extra fee, attendees touredAmazing Jakes for breakfast, Speedzonefor lunch, iT’Z for dessert, and Celebra-tion Station for a “Texas Happy Hour.”

In addition to Amusement InsuranceResources and Universal Space’s plat-inum sponsorships exhibiting sponsorsincluded: Fun Express, Quibica AMF,Rhode Island Novelty, Flagship Carpets,Sureshot Redemption, Simuline, FECMusic, Betson, Brunswick Bowling,Embed, Sacoa, Moss Distributing, Tri-otech, J&J Amusements, Intercard,Make Meaning, Benchmark Games,Redemption Plus, Shaffer Distributing,Falgas, Art Attack, Haas & WilkersonInsurance, American Specialty, andBrady Distributing. For more informa-tion, visit (www.iaapa.org). ▲

meetings to make sure everyone is onthe same page when it comes to groupevents. Contracts are necessary to backeverything up in writing. “Pre-sell asmuch food and beverage as you canand anything you can do in-househelps you control your costs.”

Risk management is always a hottopic. Drew Tewksbury of AmusementInsurance Resources and Bryan Pope,member of the International Amuse-ment and Leisure Defense Association,captivated the audience with their Tak-ing Control of Your Risk Managementseminar.

“You need to be proactive andaggressive in your organization’s safe-ty,” they said. “Know what your regula-tions and standards are for your state.Check the ASTM organization’s F24Committee on the Internet. Make sureyou have proper risk signage and takepictures of it yearly. Have a broker thatknows the FEC industry.”

Global expert on arcade manage-ment Mike Abecassis of the M.A.

Group shared the tools you can use tofind the next popular attraction foryour FEC. It is important to reinvest inyour facility every year and calculateyour ROI to help you project your levelof expansion, he said.

Pricing Particulars by Al Weber ofthe Apex Park Group explained thatthe key to a good revenue manage-ment strategy is to adopt a plan tomake intelligent pricing decisions andmake sure you factor in hard costsbefore you project profits. Look at pro-motional giveaways and discounts tosee how it is affecting your bottom line,he added.

In between sessions attendees weregiven casual time to visit with sponsor-ing exhibitors and learn about theirproducts. Breakfast and lunch wereserved daily in the Sponsor Zone areaand an exhibitor sponsored cocktailparty was held on the opening night.

Amusement Insurance Resources, aplatinum sponsor, treated attendees toa dinner and tour of local FEC, Pin

Kyle Allison of Andy’s Alligator’s, Gerardo Arteaga of Fantasilandia, and MarkBingeman of Bingeman’s at the Family Business Buzz session.

Gregg Borman of Apex Park Groups andAmber Collier of the Zone Family FunCenter.

Wanda Donnan (l) and Louise McClellandof Moviehouse Cinemas, Ireland.

Beth Standlee of TrainerTainment andRichard Sanfilippo of Sam’s Fun City.

Carla Clark (l), FEC Dallas Moderator,and Gregg Borman of Apex Park Groupsget ready for the next seminar.


enough, it has an address that is difficultto forget as long as you can count totwo; it’s located at 2222 2nd Ave.

There are cool people and coolplaces but it’s not often those are com-bined. Allow me to introduce you toAvout. He is a Dutch transplant whotraveled from Holland to the U.S.often, but in 1998 he came to Seattleto stay and later inherit a bar.

“It started in 1997,” he says. “Myex-wife had the wonderful idea toopen an arcade and decided to focuson pinball. But when she found shewasn’t making money with that, shedecided to add the bar. I showed up ayear later and was complaining abouthow bad the pinball games were.

“One day she said, ‘OK, hot shot,why don’t you fix them if they botheryou so much?’ I told her I’d be there

Association with pinball has yieldeda number of perks aside from

dealing with the game itself. Previouslyin these pages I’ve awarded top of theheap A#1 status to the people I havemet along the way.

Places are cool, too, and one of myfavorites is Shorty’s in Seattle. Untilrecently, the Northwest Pinball andArcade Show was held just down thestreet from the iconic Space Needle inan area of the city full of cozy hotels,unique restaurants, and Shorty’s.

OK, Shorty’s is a bar but it’s a barwith pinball games. Not just a few butover a dozen. They are all clean, inworking order, and usually include thelatest models. But wait, there’s more,the booth tables in the bar area areconstructed from classic pinball play-fields and they are lit!

Recently, there have been a numberof Barcade locations popping up aroundthe country but there is nothing recentabout Shorty’s. This place has had pinsfor nearly 20 years and just may be theFIRST of its kind! As if that’s not

in the morning with my tools and Ihave been here ever since.” The origi-nal version of Shorty’s was more of alunch counter-style place with lowstools and tables that looked like droptargets and bumper caps.

While this decor was created bylocal artists, Avout remembers, “Itlooked really nice but was not function-al.” The current set up includes a cou-ple of video games up front, a tradition-al bar along one side, and the “pinballtable” booths along the other. The blacklight painted arcade is in the back.

While the Northwest Show hasmoved to nearby Tacoma, Shorty’s is

PINBALL CURIOUSJim Schelberg

Shorty’s:a pinball

destination

Top left: Avout, wearing a Shorty’s T-shirt,shows off late Williams games and someby Stern Pinball.Top right: Shorty’s inSeattle. Bottom: Classic pinball artistKevin O’Connor tries a game at Shorty’s.


also have a Jersey Jack Pinball Wizardof Oz and will get a Hobbit as soon asit’s available.

“I have other street locations with atotal of about 50 games so we canrotate out the other games as well tokeep our lineup fresh. I like to keepmy ‘girls’ on location as much as possi-ble. There is also an interesting mix ofgames. We just took out Surf Champand replaced it with Jack-In-The-Box.Those older Gottlieb games are in aclass of their own.”

Avout is a staunch supporter of pin-ball. He sponsors a page in the North-west Show guidebook and duringshow time finds it difficult to split hisloyalties between the show and hisbusiness. The fact that Shorty’s hasbecome an unofficial extension of theshow makes that choice easier.

It is well known that pinball indus-try folks (as well as the pinball press!)

still a must-visit destination for anyoneeven remotely interested in pinball.Around show time you can find coin-op luminaries there almost constantly.One night during the 2013 show, anumber of us were there and someoneasked, “Anyone seen Eugene?”

So I wandered into the bar area tofind Eugene Jarvis playing a game ofBig Buck Hunter. He was playingagainst a local patron. I pulled the guyaside, telling him that his opponentwas the head of the company thatmade that game so he might want tobe careful.

The guy, who was obviously high onmore than excitement, looked at me andsaid, “That’s what people keep tellingme and I keep losing!” I replied, “Well,maybe you should LISTEN to them.”

He shrugged his shoulders andwent back to the game. The hot dogswere cooking and the beer was flow-ing and everyone was having a goodtime, especially Eugene. Shorty’s offersmore than just bar snacks. There arethe famous Vienna Beef hot dogs, Ital-ian sausages, and you can even get abowl of chili.

“The idea is to have an arcade withfood,” Avout explains. “We, of course,have a full bar and try to focus onlocal Seattle micro-brewed beer. Welike to be current with our games soStern Pinball is our main source. We

are always welcome at this pinballMecca for a drink, a hot dog, and a T-shirt as long as they autograph agame! Shorty’s is represented by twoteams in the Seattle bar pinball leagueand “Shorty’s Slayers” are undefeatedin the past two seasons.

Shorty’s hosts a number of its ownevents including a Valentine’s DayTournament, Tommy Tournament(players are blindfolded), an annualPowder Puff Tournament, and theShorty’s Open Event that takes place

every November. Avout is not one to drop

names but after some seriousarm twisting he told me thatone of the first celebrities toplunge a plunger at Shorty’swas Wayne (Kick Out TheJams) Kramer of the MC5, andthe most recent to his knowl-edge was a visit from ChefAnthony Bourdain of “The Lay-over” on The Travel Channel.

“The crowd changes,” heexplains. “On the weekdays wetend to have more of a serious

crowd and on the weekends we get theless experienced players. Pinball is anovelty for them. On a weekday theplayers come in and play all night.”

Certainly part of Shorty’s success isdue to the personality of its proprietor.Avout is one of the most down toearth, modest, easy going, and gener-ous souls in pinball.

That’s what makes visiting Shorty’sso great. Yes, it’s a nice, homey barwith a large, well maintained gameroom but Avout has filled it with hisinviting personality, which comesthrough in his employees as well.

Readers are encouraged to stop byif the opportunity arises. If not for adrink, a hot dog, or a game of pinball,then go to sit and have a chat withAvout. One thing’s for sure, no oneshould forget the address. For moreinformation on Shorty’s, visit (www.shortydog.com). ▲

Photos by Jim Schelberg

Jim Schelberg, always curious about pinball, has beenpublishing the PinGame Journal for more than 20years. Jim has about 40 games of his own but spendsmost of his pinball time attending events, snappingphotos, and talking to people about pinball. He can bereached at (j [email protected]); Web(www.pingamejournal.com).

Top: Eugene Jarvis take a turn on a gamehe’s probably never played before, at leastnot in the past week. Right: Avout in front;seated, (l-): designer John Popadiuk, artistDoug Watson, Northwest Show organizerJerry Thompson, and pinball historianGary Flower.


S & B Candy &Toy Co.

S & B’s Super Sour AlienMix combines the hottestselling sour candies includ-ing: Sour Punch Twists, SourJack Sour Candy, Fruit Tarts,Sassy Sours, Sour Worms,and Smarties Extreme Soursmixed with other candyfavorites. Combine withsmall alien toys just in timefor the four alien-themedmovies premiering thisspring.(www.sandbsales.com)

MERCHANDISEMARKET

Big Apple VendingLaser beam rings have been a

best seller for Big Apple Vendingand they are now introducing astyle that fits in 1.1-inch as wellas 2-inch capsules. Suggestedvend price is 50 cents. Big AppleVending also has new light uplaser beam guns and grenades.Each one shoots out a coloredlight. They fit into 2-inch capsuleswith a 50-cent suggested vendprice.(www.bigapplevending.com)

More magazines distributed.More exposure for your product.

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[email protected]


www.playmeter.comCLASSIFIEDS

Play Meter’s classified advertising is primarily intended for: buyers and sellers of used equipment, support and supplyfirms and employment opportunity ads. You may pay by check, money order, Visa or Mastercard.

The deadline is usually before the 12th of the month prior to issue (example: September ad must be in before July 12).FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT CAROL LEA: (504) 488-7003 / [email protected]

If you have problems with or questions about any advertiser, PLEASE CONTACT US. We keep a file on all complaints.Play Meter Magazine / 6600 Fleur de Lis / New Orleans, LA 70124 or fax: (504) 488-7083.

READERS/ADVERTISERS

We do not knowingly accept adsfor copies or licensed games involving a third party. We do notprint prices on games currently inproduction. We encourage advertisers to include their name,address, and phone/FAX numbersfor the purpose of credibility. Wedo not accept ads from companieswho consistently advertise products they do not have or fromcompanies that we receivemulti-complaints about.

PLAY METERMAGAZINE


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DISCOUNT! Buy ten kits and take$1.00 off each kit.

FLYBACKS! Electrohome, Hantarex,Wells-Gardner, Neotec, etc. $24.95ea

We make kits for every monitor. Just askfor your make and model number.

ZANEN ELECTRONICS888-449-2636 (orders only)

806-829-2780, FAX 806-829-2781

[email protected]


WANT TO BUYFantasy Island rotaryredemption 4 player

arcade game from the 80s

Full running machineor for parts

Made by CromptonMachine Co. LLC UK

Email: [email protected]: 309-662-3660Cell: 309-275-2793

email: [email protected]

www.bannervending.com

• New & Used Bulk Vending Equipment

• Northwestern Machines & Parts

• Free Shipping!


www.playmeter.comA & A Global . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 . . . . . . . . . . . .800-638-6000 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.aaglobalind.comAAMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 . . . . . . . . . . . .866-372-5190 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.coin-op.orgAmerican Vending Sales (AVS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 . . . . . . . . . . . .847-439-9400 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.americanvending.comAMI Entertainment Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 . . . . . . . . . . . .215-826-1400 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.amientertainment.comAMOA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 . . . . . . . . . . . .800-937-2662 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.amoa.comAmusement Smart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 . . . . . . . . . . . .217-347-5242 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.amusementSMART.comApple Ind. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7, 23 . . . . . . . . . .516-619-8000 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.appleindustries.netBetson Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 . . . . . . . . . . . . .201-438-1300 x3408 . . . . . . .www.betson.comBMI Merchandise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 . . . . . . . . . . . .800-272-6375 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.bmimerchandise.comCenterEdge Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 . . . . . . . . . . . .336-598-5934 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.centeredgesoftware.comCoast to Coast Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 . . . . . . . . . . . .800-224-1717 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.cranemachines.comCoin ConneXion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 . . . . . . . . . . . .877-264-6269 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.coincnx.comCossio Insurance (The CIA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 . . . . . . . . . . . .864-688-0121 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.cossioinsurance.comCreative Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 . . . . . . . . . . . .317-834-4770 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.theWOWeffect.comElaut USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 . . . . . . . . . . . .732-364-9900 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.elautusa.comFace Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7, 23 . . . . . . . . . .516-619-8000 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.faceplacephoto.comFamily Fun Companies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 . . . . . . . . . . . .920-497-6991 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.familyfuncompanies.comFirestone Financial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 . . . . . . . . . . . .800-851-1001 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.firestonefinancial.comHero Dist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 . . . . . . . . . . . .800-244-1914 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.herodistributing.comHoffman Mint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 . . . . . . . . . . . .800-227-5813 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.hoffmanmint.comImpulse Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 . . . . . . . . . . . .800-446-7857 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.impulseindustries.comIncredible Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 . . . . . . . . . . . .800-262-0323 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.itsgames.comIndiana Ticket Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-428-8640 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.indianaticket.comIntercard Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 . . . . . . . . . . . .800-732-3770 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.intercardinc.comLAI Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 . . . . . . . . . . . .888-211-6370 . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.laigames.comLegacy Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cover 3, 21 . . . .800-232-6467 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.legacydist.comLive Oak Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 . . . . . . . . . . . .910-798-1210 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.liveoakbank.comMCM Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 . . . . . . . . . . . .414-367-9626 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.mcmelements.comMuncie Ticket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-428-8640 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.muncienovelty.comPDQ Merchant Enterprises Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 . . . . . . . . . . . .815-331-8082 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.pdqmei.comPlay Machanix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 . . . . . . . . . . . . .630-942-1070 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.playmechanix.comPlaycard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cover 4 . . . . . . .866-438-7226 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.playcard.com.arPrimeTime Amusements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 . . . . . . . . . . . .800-550-0090 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.primetimearcade.comQubicaAMF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 . . . . . . . . . . . . .866-460-QAMF (7263) . . . . . .www.qubicaamf.comRaw Thrills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 . . . . . . . . . . . . .847-679-8373 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.rawthrills.comRhode Island Novelty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 . . . . . . . . . . . .800-435-3456 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.rinovelty.comS&B Candy & Toy Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 . . . . . . . . . . . .800-773-0531 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.sandbsales.comSacoa/Play Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cover 4 . . . . . . .866-438-7226 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.playcard.com.arTeam Play Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 . . . . . . . . . . . .847-952-7533 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.teamplayinc.comUniversal Space (UNIS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cover 2 . . . . . . .714-377-0508 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.universal-space.comVenco Business Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-762-9962 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.vencosolutions.comZone Family Fun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 . . . . . . . . . . . .406-261-5153 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.zonefamilyfun.com

DISPLAY AD INDEX

Amusement Entertainment Management 104Amutronics Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108Auction Game Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103Baton Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106C & P Dist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100, 110, 111C.B. Sales & Distributing . . . . . . . . . . . . .111Captain's Auction Warehouse . . . . . . . . .105Coast to Coast Entertainment . . . . . . . . .110Eldorado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110Gateway Rides & Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . .112Grady's Family Fun Center . . . . . . . . . . . .111Jamma Boards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108, 111Lock America (LAI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102On the Ball Vending . . . . . . . . . . . . .108, 111Penguin Amusment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100PNL Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108Primero Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102R.K.S. Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107Super Auctions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101, 109Suzo-Happ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104Tokens Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106Zanen Elect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110

CLASSIFIED INDEX

Complete KiddieRide Service

• Restore • Repair • Paint

• Parts • Sales

• Revenue Share for all locations

172 Sedore Ave. • Fairview, NJ 07022

Phone 201-945-5050 Fax 201-945-2139

[email protected]

Over 30 years Experience

april 2015 play meter

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