We're Looking for a Few Good Operators (Under 40)

They say you don’t exist — or at least not in any sizeable numbers. They say the industry is drying up with little to no fresh blood, new perspectives or confidence in the future. We know there are 20- and 30-somethings in the field, diligently pounding the pavement on the street and in tradeshow aisles. Step out of the woodwork and share your reasons for entering into the coin-op amusement industry — and staying. What are the positives about the business? As a member of coin-op’s younger class, what’s your opinion on the divides between generational stances and ways of looking at the problems we all face? The role of the operator? The industry at large?

The Operator's Vote

The race is on. The calendar is speeding toward Super Tuesday, February 5, when voters in 22 states descend on polling stations to vote for their candidate to lead the Democratic and Republican Parties’ race to the White House. (For the record, that’s you operators in Ala., Alaska, Ariz., Ark., Calif., Colo., Conn., Del., Ga., Idaho, Ill., Kan., Mass., Minn., Mo., N.J., N.M., N.Y., N.D., Okla., Tenn. and Utah.)

If you’re engaged in this primary process — or have already participated in the Iowa and New Hampshire caucuses or elections in Nevada, South Carolina or Florida — are coin-op issues on your mind in the voting booth? Have candidates specifically spoken to your needs and interests as a small business owner directly or indirectly? How did that affect your selection of a candidate? What concerns and causes will be on your mind as operator and citizen come the presidential election this fall?

Operator Interface: Vegas Expo or Bust?

What are your plans for attending the AMOA Expo, Fun Expo and souvenir show this September? What expectations do you have?

If you're going, what company reps do you want to talk to? Do you have any potential purchases in mind?

Operator Interface: Should the AMOA, AAMA and IALEI co-locate their tradeshows?

Give us your Yeas and Nays on whether the time has come to combine the AMOA and Fun Expos with the Amusement Showcase International.

Does the schedule of one show in the spring and one in fall, in addition to IAAPA, actually spread the downsized coin-op trade too thin? Would consolidation bolster tradester and exhibitor attendance, perhaps giving a shot of adrenaline to the overall health of the industry? Would seasonal distributor open houses become even more popular?

Or are the ripe buying times for route vs. location operators -- fall vs. spring, respectively -- too inflexible for compromise? What about the AMOA and AAMA, who both rely on their shows as moneymakers?

Why or why not? Discuss.

Operator Interface: Do you give what you receive?

What charitable deeds does your street operation make to the local community? Donations, sponsorships, scholarships? If you have a location, are there causes you support outside of offering discounts or coupons?

Do you publicize these good works and, by proxy, give your business and the industry at large a better public image?

Are such donations just a luxury that only larger companies can afford? Can everyone give back in some way, regardless of size and overall health of the business?

Share your thoughts, words and deeds with us today.

Lucky or Good?

As most in the coin-op trade know, Club Lucky and Promo Nation are groups of amusement operators that have formed national consortiums to run tournament promotions. Club Lucky, in particular, is bargaining for direct buying rights from manufacturers.

Is this almost 20-person strong collective, drawn from larger-than-average operating companies, justified in asking for the special clout as major, multi-state operating businesses and arcade chains? How will local competitors of club members be affected, competitively? And how does the group fit into the larger discussion of the necessity for the industry’s middle-tier — regional distributorships?

ASI 2007, part ii: Wrap Up

What did you take away from ASI 2007? What caught your eye as interesting? What was “all hat and no cattle”?

Considering its size, was it a more focused show on the core of the industry, catering to buyers in a more intimate format, as show planners argue? If not, what was the tradeshow's main value?

Also, as a recent blogger posed, “Why does coin-op need two shows a year when a much larger industry such as amusement parks only has one (IAPPA)? Is there so much new equipment shown each year that we need two shows? If a regional show is required, why not depend on the distribution network to provide it?”

ASI 2007

The Amusement Showcase International 2007 is less than a month away. Planners are optimistic about a slight spike in exhibitors and registrants perhaps due to moving the locale back to Las Vegas.

Do you share that optimism? Why are you attending, or why not? Are there particular manufacturers and product that you want to check out? Will this show follow the lead of last year's event -- that is, a more intimate, boutiquey tradeshow with a healthy showing of FEC and arcade managers?

Planners are foregoing the traditional reception for what they are calling the Big Bar -- a recreation of the Chicago Hyatt's lobby bar, the bustling center for after-hours industry activity -- erected on the show floor. Do you think this will spark interaction among tradesters, or will people flock to leave the space they've been in all day?

Share your thoughts and expectations about these or any other issues.

Operator Interface: How do you get your party on?

We're turning our focus to the cash cow of arcades and family entertainment centers: birthday party programs. What was your learning curve in launching and profitably running a party system? How many do you throw during the week and weekend, respectively? What do your packages include? Have you branched out into corporate events?

Get this party started by sharing what works and what doesn't in professionally throwing a festive bash.

Also, feel free to continue grading RePlay (see previous post). Inquiring minds want to know.

Grading RePlay

Now that you've taken stock of 2006 and of what 2007 may hold, it's our turn. We want to know specifically what works for you about RePlay. What sections do you read each month? What articles and columns have assisted you in conducting business?

Don't by shy: Give us your honest opinion about what works for you, what doesn't and, most importantly, what you would like to see in our pages or approach.

Have winter storms given business cabin fever?

An unseasonably warm winter in much of the country has been punctuated by brutal blizzards and quirky weather patterns. A state of emergency was declared in Colorado in December, while much of Texas and Oklahoma were recently paralyzed by an icy grip for days. How has your operation or distributorship in the country's mid-section been affected by these massive storms? How has business been impacted?

New Year's Resolutions...?

Has your business been shrinking over the last five years? What have been doing to shore up revenues and location accounts? What specifically do you plan to do in 2007 to grow or maintain your market presence?

Taking Stock of 2006

Heading into the holiday season, we are often inclined to take stock of the year that is coming to a close. How was 2006 for your business? More of the same? A burst of new growth from online music? Less competition from other operators as consolidation continues? A shrinking or expanding location base, depending upon your approach or locale? None of the above. Chime in and lets us know how 2006 was for your company and what you are expecting for 2007.

What are the criticisms being leveled at online games and jukes?

A friend of RePlay's recently pointed out the considerable resistance to fees for downloading jukeboxes and online games among operators. What is the objection rooted in, considering that the servers for these machines have resulted in greater functionality and therefore generally increased revenues? If fees are part of the way manufacturers maintain their networks and the way content providers receive their due share, where does the resistance lie? Is it part of the general feeling of being nickeled and dimed by too many fees already or something more specific?

Expo 2006: Was it as good for you as it was for me?

We know you were at the AMOA and Fun Expos. RePlay saw you there, roaming the aisles, inspecting product, talking shop.

So give us your impression of the shows, and don't hold anything back, least of all your honest opinion. From the looks of the product and tones of conversations, where does the industry stand today? What do we have to look forward to? Why?

Bryan Dodge: inspirational or unhinged? The souvenir show: a bigger drag for you or for them?

Let fellow readers, showgoers, blog posters and AMOA honchos know your exact impression. All those inquiring minds want to know, fellas. So spill it.

Operator Interface: Behind Bars?

How would you characterize your relationship with bar owners on the whole? How do you nurture those relationships? Do you have business dealings with them above and beyond revenue sharing? What are the issues indemic to those give-and-take bonds today?

Operator Interface for AMOA and Fun Expos and Big Kahuna West

What are your plans and special interests in preparing to go to the AMOA Expo and co-located shows in Las Vegas this September? What expectations and potential purchases do you have in mind? Any opinions on the new souvenir show, Big Kahuna West, that will also be at the civic center? Thoughts on staying at Bally's and travel logistics?

Operator Interface for August 2006

Are you required to pay license fees to the state? To local governments? To both? What about taxes on gross receipts, the purchase of games, etc.? What percentage of your gross income goes to such fees? Is your state association addressing this issue?

Operator Interface for July, part ii

What is your strategy for investing in new equipment?

Phone queries have revealed that some operators devote 30% of their revenue to new games, while others borrow generously and buy year round. Some have seen investment suffer in the past three years, while others believe the peaks and valleys in spending have averaged out.

What are your tricks of the trade? What product categories do you invest in the most? the least?

E3 Sound-Off

Did you attend Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles? What struck your eye as noteworthy in light of today's coin-op amusement industry?

Newsweek's review of the show's buzz product was, "Nintendo's Wii: a hit for both kids and Grandma. Xbox 360: perfect for the dorm room. PS3: for movie lovers with a trust fund." Is this a realistic evaluation? How does affordable, family-focused fun register on the radar?

A discussion on E3 began in a former post, with an attendee commenting the show "was interesting in that there was little media focus or attention on the violent home titles. There was more interest on new hardware (Sony's Playstation 3 and Nintendo's Wii) as well as mobile phone software. It was also nice to see coin-op equipment on the floor, but why were they pieces not available to us operators yet (Time Crisis 4 and DDR Supernova)?"