THE WORLD'S ONLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE BUSINESS OF BOWLING
CONTENTS
VOL 26.11
8 SHORTS • Liverpool, UK, reimagines retail space with first bowling center. • C.J. Barrymore’s keeps mixing up attractions. • U.S. hurricanes wreak havoc. • Betson expands its sales team.
32 COVER STORY Keeping Up With The Times The KingPins centers in Portland are state-of-theart with a nod to tradition. By Jim Goodwin
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BEYOND BOWLING 40 According to
By Patty Heath
George
42 Fun Forward at IAAPA
48 A New Game in
16 CENTER STAGE
Town: eSports
54 Virtual Game Hero
Creating a Whole ‘Lotta Entertainment
Armando Lanuti
58 Showcase
The new opening of Cinergy in Amarillo, TX, is a fun-seeker’s dream. By David Garber
62 TRIBUTE Remembering Cesare
22 PROFILE
26
A Family Woven Together Abid Latif’s Expert Hosiery is a family affair.
In a touching article, many industry leaders remember the life and passion of Cesare Lancelotti. By Paul Lane
By Sean Krainert
65 Classifieds 26 FEATURE Taking Wing
By Evan Henderson
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frager@bowlingindustry.com Skype: scottfrager
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER David Garber garber@bowlingindustry.com
OFFICE MANAGER Patty Heath heath@bowlingindustry.com
CONTRIBUTORS David Garber Jim Goodwin Patty Heath Evan Henerson Sean Krainert Paul Lane George McAuliffe Howard McAuliffe Robert Sax
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Jackie Fisher fisher@bowlingindustry.com
ART DIRECTION & PRODUCTION Designworks www.dzynwrx.com (818) 735-9424
FOUNDER Allen Crown (1933-2002)
P.O. Box 7350 Overland Park, KS 66207 (818) 789-2695(BOWL) Fax (818) 789-2812 info@bowlingindustry.com
www.BowlingIndustry.com
HOTLINE: 818-789-2695 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: One copy of International Bowling Industry is sent free to every bowling center, independently owned pro shop and collegiate bowling center in the U.S., and every military bowling center and pro shop worldwide. Publisher reserves the right to provide free subscriptions to those individuals who meet publication qualifications. Additional subscriptions may be purchased for delivery in the U.S. for $50 per year. Subscriptions for Canada and Mexico are $65 per year, all other foreign subscriptions are $80 per year. All foreign subscriptions should be paid in U.S. funds using International Money Orders. POSTMASTER: Please send new as well as old address to International Bowling Industry, P.O. Box 7350 Overland Park, KS 66207 USA. If possible, please furnish address mailing label. Printed in U.S.A. Copyright 2018, B2B Media, Inc. No part of this magazine may be reprinted without the publisher’s permission.
MEMBER AND/OR SUPPORTER OF:
Atlantans flock to the Painted Duck.
4
PUBLISHER & EDITOR Scott Frager
SHORTS
SERVING UP RENOVATIONS
EXPANSIONS, OPENINGS & NEW BEGINNINGS
A fresh look, up-dated equipment, and a new menu are three things that centers need to do. It creates pride and is a draw to bring in new customers. Waconia, MN, is home to Garage Beer & Bowl (GB&B). Its history is long: 1920 – a transportation garage; 1946 – Waconia Lanes, aka Chancellor House, Billy’s and now GB&B. It has just completed a complete renovation. Dan Wyka, owner of T-Byrd Lanes in Rochelle, NY, has completed an upgrade of his scoring and graphics with the help of QubicaAMF and its QScore. The bowling center inside the Gold Dust West in Carson City, NV, sports a $1 million renovation. It includes all new lanes, pinsetters, sound and light, carpet, paint, bathrooms, and a state-of-the-art control booth.
MARCO ISLAND WELCOMES 10K ALLEY The JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort, FL, has opened a stylish combo gastropub and state-of-the-art gaming emporium. During the day, it is a family fun draw and, at night, an adult-centered gathering space. Also offered are mini bowling lanes, themed mini-golf, and traditional pool tables. For the gamers, modern video games, including immersive visual sports simulators. Presently, it is for resort guests only, but 2019 Marriott will extend the motto to the public: “Eat food. Make friends. Have fun.”
GAMETIME OPENS AT ONE DAYTONA One Daytona, a complex of retail, dining and entertainment, is next door to Daytona International Speedway. It is now also the home of the South Florida GameTime chain’s recent venue. It includes 12 full-sized lanes of bowling, as well as more than 100 arcade and video games, a sit-down restaurant, and a sports bar. Having bowling back as an option activity fills a void left by the closing of Bellair Lanes in July 2017. This was GameTime’s first project which was built from the ground up. “The whole concept is to put your mobile phone away and interact with each other,” said Tom Daly, director of group sales and special events.
LIVERPOOL WELCOMES PINS
EAGLE LANES IS BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER!
Reimagining retail spaces is not specific to the U.S. In the UK, Liverpool has given the go-ahead to developer D2 to transform warehouse space, originally intended as an indoor car park, into the city’s first ever city center bowling center and activity venue. PINS is hoping to break away from traditional tenpin bowling and reintroduce the game as a fashionable evening activity for adults. The venue will offer a “street food inspired menu, a quirky tenpin bowling experience, private VIP bowling, shuffleboards, and various other interaction experiences.” [Elle Kirwn, Liverpool Echo] The key is to offer adults an alternative way to spend their evenings and weekends other than a pub. How far afield “quirky bowling” is from traditional tenpin bowling will have to be determined upon its opening later this year.
Manson, IA, has been without its bowling center for four years. The sixlane center was purchased by Deb Huntsinger and with lots of work and community help has re-opened the doors to Eagle Lanes. She told Messenger News, “I just think the town needed it. To give the kids and everybody something to do.” Huntsinger has offered a new menu and a bar, but the real push has been New Owner Deb Hunsinger with birthday parties. Bowlers will still stands in front of a mural do all their own scorekeeping, manually. provided by Manson art students. With a little paint and a lot of work, Eagle Photo credit: Joe Sutter, Messenger News Lanes is back in business.
C.J. BARRYMORE HAS A FERRIS WHEEL IN THE WORKS C.J. Barrymore’s Family Entertainment Center in Clinton Township, MI, is a lot of things to a lot of people. In the 1970s, it was a driving range. In 1982, a go-kart track and batting cages came along. Today, one can do all of the above plus bowling, video games and laser tag. Now, owner Rick Iceberg is planning two new major attractions worth about $2 million: an 80foot-tall Ferris wheel and a drop tower/saddle sling that goes 130 feet into the air before bringing customers back down. The plans are before the Board of Trustees. “We want to keep growing,” Iceberg shared. “We’ve been here since the 1970s, and we want to continue to make upgrades and improve upon what we have here to offer people.”
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SHORTS
iPLAY DOWN UNDER IS OPEN Located in the basement of the entertainment hub in Whitford City, outside of Perth, Australia, iPlay is open for fun. It has eight bowling lanes and a range of arcade games. It will soon offer a café and a Baskin-Robbins outlet.
WEATHER RUN AMUCK Hurricane Michael passes through Marianna is a small town in Florida, the official nickname is “The City of Southern Charm”. Hurricane Michael left no prisoners. Kindel Lanes shows the effects. Five customers, owner Jeff Kindelspire, and Jeff Forester, the maintenance man, waited out the storm in the center.
Hurricane Florence Interrupted. Hurricane Florence wreaked havoc on the Carolinas. Families were displaced by rising flood waters and are yet to get back to their homes or what is left of them. In Myrtle Beach, SC, approximately 65 families have been staying at the Midtown Inn and Cottages. Myrtle Beach Bowl, along with the support of A&A Produce and Surf Dreams Foundation, opened its doors for many of the 150 children staying at the motel. They were treated to an afternoon of bowling and food and time spent away from all the stress. Bravo Myrtle Beach Bowl!
PBA Raffle The International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame (IBMHF) in conjunction with the PBA have announced the “Hall of Fame VIP Experience!” A $20 raffle ticket will give fans a chance at a once-in-alifetime experience during the PBA Hall of Fame Classic, January 5-6, at the IBC in Arlington, TX. Prizes will include a round trip, plus meals, for two to the IBC, plus VIP seating for the event, participation in preevents, meet and greets with PBA Hall of Fame Bowlers, plus much more. Go to www.bowlingmuseum.com/hofvip for more info. Raffle tickes sales began October 15 and will be available at select bowling centers throughout the U.S. or by calling IBMHOF at (817) 3858230. The winning ticket will be drawn on Facebook Live, Dec. 18 at 1:00 CST. All proceeds from the raffle will benefit the Frame4Frame Film Restoration Initiative. 10
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PEOPLEWATCHING Betson Enterprises has expanded its sales team with the hire of sales representatives Brandon Horton and Mark Roth. Horton will cover Texas and the Southwest, and Roth will cover the Northwest markets. Both gentlemen bring extended experience: Horton has worked in Brandon Horton the hospitality and entertainment industries at Chuck E. Cheese’s, Incredible Pizza Company, and Gatti’s Pizza Company. Roth brought 25 years of experience in businessto-business sales in the roofing industry. Bob Dipipi, director of sales for Betson, said, “Horton and Roth’s extensive backgrounds and industry experience will provide tremendous growth and value to our already Mark Roth strong sales team.” International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) announced that Hal McEvoy has been named president and CEO, effective immediately. McEvoy has been the interim president and CEO since February 2018. He joined the IAAPA team as chief financial officer in April 2017 following a successful 42-year career with Busch Entertainment Corp./SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. “His vast industry experience, business acumen, affable leadership style, and his recent experience working with our members and supporting our team around the world make him the ideal president Hal McEvoy and CEO,” said Hank Salemi, chairman of the IAAPA Compensation Committee and park president, Six Flags Great America.
Bo IA ot A h PA # 45 52
SHORTS
ß BITS & PIECES ß ß ß Go Bowling & NASCAR Xfinity Series
Richmond Raceway, Richmond, VA, announced an extension of its relationship with Go Bowling for the fall NASCAR Xfiniti Series (NXS) race in 2019, set for Sept. 20. The synergy of racing and bowling is strong. Go Bowling was entitlement sponsor for the Glen Monster Energy NASCAR Cup earlier this year. It previously was a sponsor at Kansas Speedway and Pocono Raceway. ---------------------------------------------------------------
Intercard’s new Mobile App Collection
Intercard will introduce its new Edge Mobile App Collection at the IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando, FL. The Edge is a trio of essential apps, including the popular iService arcade management tool and new apps for card replenishment and inventory management. According to Scott Sherrod, CEO, users of Intercard’s cashless systems can harness mobile technology to manage everything from marketing to games sales to redemption inventory wherever and whenever they want. ---------------------------------------------------------------
Tragedy strikes Colorado center
Ector Rodriguez, 65-year-old owner of Florence Bowling Alley, Florence, CO, a town of approximately 3,881, was killed after being caught inside the pinsetting machine at his center. An employee reported that Rodriguez had gone to fix a pin that had jammed. When he didn’t return after a few minutes, she went back to check on him and found him stuck in the machine. Rodriguez was a very popular figure in the town. There are no plans to reopen at this time. ---------------------------------------------------------------
CAPTURING AN ANCESTRAL LANGUAGE Bowling can nurture a lot of things: health, competition, and socialization, to name a few. It is also being used to bring the Ojibwe language into everyday life with the hope of keeping it alive. In Canada, there are approximately 60 Indigenous languages. As the older generations pass, there is less and less fluency. Languages are dying. The Ojibwe nation counts 28,000 speakers. At Eshki-nishnaabemjig camp in northeastern Ontario, adult learners brush up on their ancestral language. One way to do that is to bring it into everyday activity. So, just in case you’re bowling at Alley Katz, in Subury, with an Ojibwe and get a strike, yell out, “Shkintam gijitoong kina gwiganaandaming!” which literally translates as “when you knock them down when you first try” – STRIKE.
THE NETHERLANDS WELCOMES HYPERBOWLING Claus Bowling in Hoofddorp (NL), was the place to get up-close-and-personal with HyperBowling, the latest innovation from QubicaAMF. More than 250 participants from 52 different bowling centers in 14 European countries were invited by QubicaAMF and Bowltech to visit the pilot center. HyperBowling is the revolutionary new bowlingbased attraction from QubicaAMF, built to extend interest beyond the existing bowling population. It is a blend of software, mechanical design, futuristic user interfaces, electronics, lights, and sensors—a
Excuuse me!
Talk about a front row seat or parking spot. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but the truck that flew through the wall of Champion Bowl in Ottumwa, IA, left quite a mess. The ottumwacourier.com described the incident as happening about noon when a pickup jumped the curb, hit the wall, moved over a metal bar near the floor, and landed in the main building. The damage was minimal. However, some of the approaches and several pieces of equipment were damaged.
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physical video game on a bowling lane. It was launched during Bowl Expo in Las Vegas last June. There are already three HyperBowling test locations in the U.S. Claus Bowling is the very first center outside the U.S., and it has also been chosen as an official QubicaAMF Showcase Center.
CENTER STAGE
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PROFILE
Abid Latif (far left), owner of Expert Hosiery, has fun at the 2018 Go Bowling 250 at the Kansas Speedway.
A FAMILY WOVEN TOGETHER Abid Latif ’s Expert Hosiery is a family affair. By Sean Krainert
S
uccessful businesses across industries and around the world share some of the same defining characteristics that make them who they are: passion, integrity, business savvy, culture, and entrepreneurial mindset, not to mention a specific target audience and some sort of product or service that they demand. When there are so many thriving enterprises that share these distinct features, there is only one thing that can differentiate one among the many. Abid Latif and his business Expert Hosiery naturally possess this powerful distinguishing attribute that sets them apart: family.
A FAMILY LEGACY Family. That is where Abid Latif’s story begins and what continues to bind his life and work together. Abid grew up in a third generation textile family in Karachi, Pakistan, with a unique paradigm that meshed family, work and personal passions together. Abid’s father wanted him to join and expand the growing business, yet at the same time, also supported Abid’s personal growth and many ambitions. By his own 22
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choice, Abid gravitated to the work/family life to continue nurturing the dynamic he had with his family. With natural talents in math and sciences, Abid took off on a long journey to attend the University of Iowa and pursue his degree in industrial engineering. After meeting his wife at college and getting married upon graduation, Abid followed an opportunity to Hong Kong. What was set for a six month endeavor turned into a ten year adventure in Hong Kong where Abid established a strong division of his family’s textile company. In 1999, Abid, his wife, and their three children headed back to connect with family roots in Pakistan. As the children grew, and Abid and his wife had their fourth child, Abid’s family began to morph into a similar version he remembered of his adolescence. It was only a matter of time before they packed up and headed back to the U.S., settling in North Carolina, to set up a stateside division of their evolving textile company.
PROFILE
Iman and Abid with Lindsey selling their wares at IAAPA.
THE SEED THAT GREW, AND GREW, AND GREW With yarn at the base of their textile offerings, Expert Hosiery’s North Carolina location expanded into specializing in socks. And not just any socks. Socks that people wanted to wear and wanted to buy over and over again. With a small staff of only seven people, the reputation of the business began to exponentially expand through word of mouth. “Our mantra is that we provide a quality product. We make socks that people want to wear. Customers were looking for reliability and consistency in a supplier, and we could provide that,” says Abid. And it was true! Word spread from one customer to another and before they knew it, they had become a premier supplier of socks in the bowling and roller skating market. A fortuitous boost came when over 700 customers in the bowling world were accrued nearly overnight when a fellow sock professional moved out of the bowling business, and Abid had an opportunity for his family business to make their mark on the dynamic and remarkable niche market. While there were so many sock distributors, Abid and his family business were different. Together with his wife and children, who each played an integral role in their success, Expert Hosiery became the beacon of a family-run business rooted in integrity. “Mom and Dad work around the clock coming up with new ideas. Sometimes mom sends out group texts for feedback on new items, or during family time, at home in the living room, we are going over designs together,” says Nadeem, Abid’s 20-year old son.
BEYOND BOWLING FOOTWARE With a spectrum of strengths, the entire Latif family has helped make them a leader in quality, integrity, and of course, customizable socks. 24
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Abid’s professional success woven together by his family has also generated a reach into a number of other causes. Abid and his wife donate time and resources to the Assistance League, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to providing accessibility and fulfillment of community needs at the local level, including clothing for children. “Assistance League is a beautiful organization,” says Abid. “It is run with 33,000 volunteers, all retired, and that is what my wife and I want to do when we retire.” Right now, the family volunteers when they can as well as supply a large amount of new, quality socks for children that are distributed across the country. Today, Expert Hosiery offers some of the most well-known, custom-designed socks in the industry. From comfortable and durable socks made specifically for the average bowler or roller skating rink regular, to creatively-designed cosmic bowl socks, holiday socks, and stockings, the Latifs are continually pushing the boundaries of possibilities by leveraging that
Abid has serious business at yet another trade show.
one distinguishing attribute: family. “We work together as a family, and success just comes with enjoying the work together. It doesn’t seem like work when you love it,” added Abid. ❖
Sean Krainert is a freelance copywriter living in the San Francisco Bay Area specializing in real estate, hospitality, and mental health writing. He is also an alumni of the Wichita State Shocker bowling program.
FEATURE
g n i Tak
g n i W
Atlantans flock to the Painted Duck.
By Evan Henerson
F
irst off, the practicalities. This is a slightly hidden treasure. To find the place, you’ll have to know what you’re looking for. Word of mouth and some untraditional signage will get you to your destination. Secondly, in this establishment, it’s not bowling as usual. All of that skill and strength you use for traditional tenpin bowling won’t necessarily serve you in a venue where a different game has inspired the center’s name and rules the recreational roost.
Third…well, OK, there is no third. The newest entrepreneurial venture of their company, Painted Hospitality, might have seemed like a gamble, but Justin Amick and William Stallworth achieved quick success with their maiden effort – the boutique bowling and dining establishment the Painted Pin. And if early crowds are any bellwether, there is reason to believe their follow26
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up, the recently opened Painted Duck, will take wing as well. “Our model of bowling, gaming, food and beverage worked really well, so we thought why not do a different rendition of it in another part of Atlanta,” said Amick, president of Painted Hospitality. “We’re taking things we know and presenting them in a different way. The lines to get in are around the block.” Located in the basement of a converted industrial warehouse in the stockyards section of Atlanta’s trendy Westside, the Painted Duck beckons you through a heavily graffiti-strewn blacklit hallway. The company’s logo, a pin with feathers, is your only signpost. You emerge into an area that the proprietors say is supposed to evoke a WASP-y hunting lodge melded with Game of Thrones.
Justin Amick and William Stallworth.
FEATURE remembered the sport as a regional favorite from his boyhood and believed that it could still enjoy a niche popularity. Stallworth, who attended boarding school in Alexandria, VA (and was a classmate of Amick’s future wife), knew the sport as well. “I think tenpin bowling is more of a power game. With duckpin, we’ve evened the playing field,” Amick said. “Men, women and kids, it’s much harder for everyone to hold a smaller ball in your
The venue is billed as a distinguished drinkery, bowling center and upscale gaming parlour. An ornate chandelier hangs over the bowling lanes and the 50-foot mural of migrating ducks, by Todd Murphy, gives a sense of what this place is all about. As the establishment’s name and visual motifs suggest, the bowling is not what you might expect either. The Painted Duck offers 16 lanes of duckpin bowling, a less common variation on the traditional sport which finds
hands. It’s interesting for people to do something they know and understand, but that they’re also experiencing for the first time.” Having worked previously with QubicaAMF on the Painted Pin, Amick and Stallworth once again approached the manufacturer with the challenge of creating the duckpin lanes and pinsetters for the Painted Duck. They were initially told it would not be possible, but persistence prevailed, and eventually QubicaAMF agreed to manufacture what might be the company’s first duckpin installation. Or at least the first equipment that Wendy Smith has seen in the 28 years she has spent as the company’s director of new business.
bowlers tossing smaller, lighter balls, finessing their way to try to knock down the pins with three rolls. Strikes are enough of a rarity that when a customer achieves his first strike, he or she receives one of the Painted Duck’s signature drinks - the frosted Duck L’Orange – on the house. Duckpin lanes are by no means the easiest things to find in contemporary or newly developed centers especially boutique lanes. Older centers that once had duckpin lanes are more likely to remove or convert them rather than install new ones. But Amick, who grew up in Maryland and Atlanta and attended boarding school in Massachusetts, 28
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FEATURE Amick had read about mechanical string pin setters being set up for duckpin bowling at a center in Asia. He wanted – and received — the same set-up for the Painted Duck. “We went to our engineering team, and we had to set up the lanes in the factory before we shipped them. From a sales perspective, it was a very creative project to work on,” recalled Smith. “These guys are very cutting edge. I’d say they’ve always been innovative.” The gaming options at the Painted Duck are varied. In addition to duckpin, the facility offers horseshoes, “Secret” entrance to the Painted Duck.
For the time being, however, the unique bowling and drinkery model seems to be working out well. Amick and Stallworth are looking to eventually expand the concept to other Southern cities. On the bowling end, Amick can foresee a rebirth in the popularity of duckpin bowling with his Painted Hospitality center leading the revival. QubicaAMF’s Smith has heard from bowling proprietors who have been inspired by the Panted Pin model. Could there be a duckpin demand as well? “We’ll see,” Smith said. “We’re trying to figure out the same thing.” ❖ Feather bowling.
shuffleboard, toad in the hole, snookball (like billiards only played with your feet) and Belgian feather bowling which has players rolling a cheese-shaped wheel down a half-pipe trying to get it as close to a feather as possible. Amick calls the game a cross between a prehistoric version of bocce and curling. The games at both the Painted Pin and the Painted Duck are variations of those played at British pubs and throughout Europe. None of the games repeat at both facilities, meaning a visit to the Painted Pin will be different from a sojourn at the Painted Duck. Amick earned a degree in business from Tulane University which he attended on a Division 1 basketball scholarship. Upon earning his degree, he worked at various food and wine establishments on both coasts before joining the family business, managing restaurants for his father, Robert. The senior Amick is an internationally renowned restauranteur who launched Peasant Restaurants and later Concentric Restaurants. In addition to his work overseeing Painted Hospitalities ventures, Justin Amick is a distinguished sommelier and Certified Wine Educator who expects one day to earn his Court of Master Sommelier’s diploma. 30
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Evan Henerson is a features and lifestyle journalist who lives in Los Angeles. His work has appeared in TV Guide, American Theatre, Orange Coast and the Los Angeles Daily News where he was a staff writer and critic for nine years.
COVER STORY
KEEPING UP WITH THE
TIMES The KingPins centers in Portland are state-of-the-art with a nod to tradition.
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By Jim Goodwin
T
he Times They Are A-Changin’ — the 1960s anthem by Bob Dylan was still popular and well on its way to becoming a classic in the 1970s when Jon Tang and Tom Burke went to work as teenagers at Sunset Lanes in Beaverton, OR. It was a first job for both of them, and who would have thought then that they would be partners in the ownership of two of Portland’s premier centers more than 40 years later? They have seen many great changes in the business through all those years. That first job at Sunset Lanes led them to a career with Brunswick Recreation Centers, and both of them spent more than two decades learning the business at many BRC
COVER STORY centers up and down the West Coast and in Utah. They learned every aspect of running a bowling center, and they fell in love with the business and the industry. In 1998, Tang and Burke were given the opportunity they worked so hard for: they purchased Sunset Lanes from BRC and made it their own. They steadily built the business, and, in 2015, they expanded their company by purchasing 20th Century Lanes across town. They completely remodeled and updated the center and re-branded it KingPins Family Entertainment Center. It was a big center – 50 lanes; it now has 32 traditional lanes plus an 8-lane lounge they named the TapHouse Bar & Grill. By 2017, Sunset was beginning to show its age. It had been a great center since 1963. When a Portland developer announced a 15-acre, 300,000-square-foot retail project adjacent to Sunset, Tang and Burke made a deal to make the bowling center a part of it with an all new 45,000-square-foot building; Sunset would become the second KingPins center with 24 traditional lanes and a 10-lane TapHouse Bar & Grill. “It was a perfect and natural deal for all of us,” said Tang, “Because it gave us the second location we wanted, and we now have two great KingPins centers, one on the west side of Portland, and the new one in Beaverton on the east side.” No doubt it was attractive to the developer because the center will draw traffic to the retail shops.
Embracing the Past, but Focused on the Future Tang and Burke were trained by BRC in the traditional bowling world, and they have witnessed firsthand the
decline of league bowling and the evolution of the business model that now must focus on new revenue streams to be successful. Both of their KingPins centers have more than 1,000 league bowlers, but they also do a tremendous amount of business in other areas. “We are anchored in tradition, but we also know that we must change to do well in today’s environment,” said Tang. “We now train our staff to develop special relationships with guests that come in twice a week, and also with those who come in twice a year.” The new KingPins Beaverton opened its doors only 10 days after the closing of the old Sunset Lanes. The new state-of-the-art center is 45,000 square feet with 24 traditional lanes and a 10-lane TapHouse Bar & Grill lounge; a big upgrade from the 32,000square-foot building. The move was easy since the new building sits only about 100 yards from the old one. “We are very loyal to our long time customers – league and casual both,” said Tang. “Some of them have been with us since the ‘60s John Tang (left) and Tom Burke, proprietors of KingPins.
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COVER STORY and now we can offer them this beautiful new center that has everything they were familiar and comfortable with, and much more.”
‘Just Do It’ That famous slogan has special meaning at the new KingPin center in Beaverton because the Nike World Headquarters building is only one mile away. 12,000 people work at Nike, and many of them are KingPins customers.
but getting a brand new one with all of the new features.
Out of this World
Some bowling industry veterans may recall that many years ago, Nike ventured into the bowling shoe business, and star bowler Marshall Holman, who lives in nearby Medford, was on their pro staff. “Believe it or not, we still see some of our customers wearing those Nike bowling shoes,” said Tang. KingPins Beaverton has the same employees, same friendly service, same location, same leagues, same ownership, same youth programs, but now has the excitement of everything being new and state-of-the-art. It is like loving an old car
FRONTIER LANES STILLWATER, OK (16 LANES) We Congratulate Wanda and Ernie Simmons on their purchase of this fine center and thank the Cummins family for trusting Ken Mischel to handle the sale. We wish Wanda, Ernie and the Cummins family all the best.
Bowling’s Only Full-Service Brokers, Appraisers & Financial Advisors
(619) 551- 6005 Check out our listings at www.thehansellgroup.com
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One of the biggest new attractions at KingPins Beaverton is the Avatar Earth Quest laser tag arena. Designed and installed by Creative Works, the arena was designed to appeal to both youth and adult players. It is 3,800 square feet on two levels and can accommodate up to 28 players. The themed music and landscape are captivating to everyone. “Our company designed, fabricated, and installed the laser tag arena for KingPins,” said Danny Gruening, VP of marketing for Creative Works. “We installed our Avatar-inspired laser tag experience. The props, barriers, and mural walls depict a land similar to the moon Pandora from the movie. The laser tag equipment and interactive targets were supplied by Zone Laser Tag.” Creative Works VP of sales, Russ Van Natta, worked directly with KingPins owners and general manager Phil Jackson to get the job done on budget and on schedule. Consultants Don MacBrayne and Rick Heim were also an important part of the overall project. The 4,000-square-foot KingPins arcade features more than 50 of the latest video games, and one of the newest on the market is the virtual reality experience by Hologate that was also continued on page 38...
COVER STORY ...continued from page 34
supplied by Creative Works. “Hologate is a stand-alone, virtual reality attraction,” said Gruening. “This four player mini-attraction has an open-air layout, which allows spectators to watch the players and see the action on monitors above the playing space. When players put on the VR headset, they are transported to a virtual world where they can play one of several games available.” What made Hologate attractive to KingPins was the stand-alone feature and the ability to re-program new
calling them FECs or BECs or hybrids, or by any other name than simply bowling centers, and KingPins is a perfect example of what he is talking about. Jon Tang and Tom Burke have proven with their two beautiful KingPins centers that you can have it all – tradition, and all the new bells and whistles in today’s state-of-the-art bowling center. As Nike says,“Just do it.” ❖
games into it over time. “Hologate takes a space of 17’x17’, so it really stands out in the arcade,” said Tang, “And we have noticed that we have customers who come in just for that attraction. It is doing well, and we like the idea that we can keep it fresh by easily changing the games with simple re-programming when the old ones decline. I think we are scheduled to get two new games every year. We really enjoyed working with Creative Works because we had a very tight schedule moving from the old building to the new one, and they were very accommodating and did a great job.”
Eat, Roll, Play The KingPins slogan says it all – upscale TapHouse Bar & Grill featuring a signature Splits burger and more delicious food and beverages, plenty of lanes for leagues, tournaments, and parties, and all the latest games and attractions in an exciting arcade. BPAA executive director Frank DeSocio told us recently that he believes that bowling centers have evolved to a point where we can stop 38
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Jim Goodwin is the founder and president of the Bowling News Network and a former president and life member of the International Bowling Media Association.
FALL 2018
INTRO
According to George egular readers of Beyond Bowling have heard it for years. We’ll restate it for the benefit of new readersIAAPA is a big deal. Our friends at Brunswick Bowling Products shared an interesting fact: 2017 saw a record number of bowling centers close. 2017 also saw a record number of bowling centers open. The closings were in traditional centers, the openings in BECs (bowling entertainment centers). As bowling combines with entertainment, IAAPA, The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Expo, becomes an important venue for keeping up with the trends, educating your team, and deciding what games and attractions you should buy. It has always struck me how tens of millions of dollars are spent on games and attractions in our industry with only the most basic cost-benefit analysis applied to the process, much less getting out to see, touch, and feel the new stuff. Many facility owners spend more energy analyzing the purchase of a car than the capital investment in their business. As we have every year since Beyond Bowling first published, this November edition is designed to help you prepare for IAAPA. To get in the proper mindset of thinking outside the box,
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we offer Robert Sax’s article on E-Sports, which is growing in popularity, and, Robert speculates, may be coming to an FEC or BEC near you. Howard McAuliffe’s “IAAPA Preview” article and the “Showcase” talk about some of the key vendors in our world and share what they will be featuring at the show. It’s looking like a good mix of recent-but-proven, and exciting new, not-seen-before games, attractions, and services. We wrap up with my interview of Armando Lanuti, Creative Works’ president, who knows a thing or two about entertainment product and innovation. We hope this helps you to prepare for the show, and we hope to see you there! Enjoy!
George McAuliffe Principal, Pinnacle Entertainment Group
IAAPA PREVIEW
Fun Forward! Building the future at IAAPA 2018.
By Howard McAuliffe
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AAPA is the most exciting show of the year for the family entertainment center (FEC) industry, bowling entertainment center (BEC) industry, as well as amusement parks. Manufacturers gear their product development timelines to this show, which means we will get our first look at the most exciting new services and products during IAAPA week. We typically take a conservative approach to game buying and use this week to learn and identify products and games to test. We’ve learned the hard way — that spending a lot of money on new products at a tradeshow can backfire — so, we like to wait to prove up the numbers. Others take a more aggressive approach in order to have the newest games and be first in their market with them, which can be good, if you can afford to be wrong. Below is a preview of some of the newest products and services from exhibitors, along with their booth number.
CREATIVE WORKS, Booths #4274 and #4471
Creative Works is a full-service theme creator, prop builder and attractions provider to theme parks, museums, FECs, restaurants, tourist attractions, and other venues. For almost 20 years, they have brought ideas to life with a talented team of designers, sculptors, craftsmen, and artisans, and have delivered the WOW Effect to a wide variety of destinations across the globe. The 33,000-square-foot production facility, combined with their talented team, enable Creative Works to handle any size project. From inception to completion, the team works closely with clients to develop engaging attractions, and design, create, and transform almost any themed elements imaginable. Last year, Creative Works launched Hologate VR, which was the hit of the show. The attraction has continued to grow in 42
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popularity over the last year. This year, Creative Works will again have some innovative and highly exciting products. They have a new feature that will allow mini-golf owners to modernize their courses. Most of these new products are still a secret as of press time, but definitely stop by the booth and see what they feature.
UNIS, Booths #631 and #831
UNIS Technology Co. Ltd., based in China, is a leading manufacturer of amusement machines. Their humble beginning can be traced back to 1993, when they started as a small factory. Over time, they have thrived and evolved into a more sophisticated organization, all the while strengthening operations in the four key areas of manufacturing, research and development, sales, and operations. They manufacture and develop redemption games, kiddy rides, prize machines, indoor/outdoor rides and selective arcade games. Unis makes quality games at an affordable price. Unis will showcase several new games at the show this year: • Treasure Dome: An exciting four-player candy pusher. This game combines features of a crane plus a pusher and combines them with candy prizes and a candy jackpot. • Coconut Bash: A new game that could fit in a carnival line-up, alongside other games like Down the Clown and Let’s Bounce. • FEC version of Pong: Unis showed a sit-down, home version of the classic game last year at IAAPA. This year, they will show a larger version which is built for commercial use.
IAAPA PREVIEW • Single Lane Master: Last year, Unis unveiled Lane Master, and the game has been a hit. It looks great, is fun, and, most importantly, it earns well. This year, they have a single-lane version, which will allow the game to go into more spaces.
LAI GAMES, Booth #1033
With a dedicated research and development team that consists of engineers, game designers, 3D artists, and programmers, LAI Games is
LAI Games was born during the growth of Australia’s amusement industry and has been producing arcade and amusement games for over 50 years. The company develops, manufactures, and sells coin- and card-operated prize merchandising games, ticket redemption games, photo booths, kiddie rides, and video and novelty games.
committed to bringing innovative and high income-producing games to the global market. Their game, Virtual Rabbids, has been one of the biggest hits in arcades this year. The game is an unattended virtual reality ride that has been performing very well. LAI is announcing three new games at IAAPA this year. We tried to get them to tell us about the games, but they are still a secret. We’ll need to stop by their booth to learn about these new games.
BENCHMARK, Booth #1024
Benchmark Games is proud to be a premier manufacturer of fun. They have been well-known for over two decades for producing some of the highest
earning and most popular coinoperated, redemption, and novelty games. Benchmark provides unattended prize and ticket redemption solutions to the FEC community. They are a global amusement innovation leader. Benchmark will be showing the following new games and upgrades: • Space Jump: An interactive game where the player shoots rockets at targets to win tickets. The game has a lot of play value. • Total-Eclipse: A four-player rotary game where the players push the 44
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IAAPA PREVIEW prize to win tickets. • Fireball: This is a new version of the classic monster drop.
UNIVEST CAPITAL, INC., No Booth, contact Jim Hines Univest is a lending institution new to the amusement industry. They offer 100% invoice financing on most of the equipment on the IAAPA show floor. They can do seasonal payments, deferred payments, and have the ability to finance for up to 60 months.
Jim Hines
Business Development Manager Univest Capital, Inc. P (484) 913-1598 M (978) 764-0709 hinesj@univest.net
BAYTEK, Booth #1015
Baytek is a leading game manufacturer that continuously looks to the future of our industry. They have identified the size of games getting larger as a pain point for many locations. This year they will be showing smaller versions of popular games to help alleviate this issue for customers. Some examples: • Piano Keys, a smaller version of the popular Grand Piano Keys • Willy Crash game with related app • Trolls game In addition to games, Baytek will have a 10’ x 10’ section of their booth focused on Gamer Green, which is an innovative product that allows for online redemption of points.
APPLE INDUSTRIES, Booth #1600
Apple Industries is the leading photo booth manufacturer. This year they are introducing Print Budii™, a new division dedicated to digital photo printing via selfservice kiosks. Print Budii photo stations are “the world’s first apppowered printing kiosks.” In addition to Print Budii, they are introducing Photo Studio Prism™, a compact, new version of Photo Studio Deluxe™.
REDEMPTION PLUS, Booth # 224
Redemption Plus is focusing on innovation of the redemption and merchandising component of arcades. Specifically, they are
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developing products and services to save staff time in the game room: wasting less time planning and placing orders, wasting less time placating unsatisfied customers, and wasting less time training staff. This year they will be showing how they can help tackle these tough challenges through product assortment assistance, a teaser of their updated storyboards and an explanation of service packages.
LIVE OAK BANK, Booth #3606
Live Oak Bank is focused exclusively on lending to the entertainment industry. They focus on building long-term relationships, and the long-term success of their clients. This is demonstrated by the fact that, in 2017, half of their new loans were to existing customers. Many readers will know the Live Oak Bank entertainment center industry specialist, Ben Jones, who has 30 years of experience as an owner/operator and consultant in the FEC industry. If you are looking for financing now or looking to develop a financing relationship, visit Ben, Mike Cairns, and Marien Stark while at IAAPA.
INTERCARD, Booth #1324
Intercard will introduce its new Edge Mobile App Collection at the show. The Edge Mobile App Collection from Intercard is a trio of innovative mobile apps available exclusively to Intercard customers. The collection includes the popular iService arcade management tool and new apps for card replenishment and inventory management. Intercard will also feature their Training and Technology Bar, where visitors can watch the latest product videos, charge their mobile devices, and enjoy complimentary water, coffee and, once the sun is over the yardarm, beer. ❖
Howard McAuliffe is vice president of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Pinnacle Entertainment Group has conceived, developed, and operated family entertainment businesses in every size and budget, and integrated in to many other business as both corporate executives and entrepreneurs. He can be reached at howardmc@grouppinnacle.com.
FEATURE
There’s A New Game In Town eSports offers a massive new audience for FECs
By Robert Sax
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emember Pong? When the now-classic video game arrived in the 1970s, along with Space Invaders and Pac-Man, it launched a boom period for arcades that lasted until the early 1990s. Then the introduction of console games from Nintendo and Sega, which offered a sophisticated gaming experience at home, led to the decline of the standalone arcade business. However, arcade games became a strong source of revenue for bowling centers and FECs, even if they were a sideshow to the lanes and other attractions. At the same time, the evolution of console games online was creating a new competitive style of gaming called eSports. Hundreds of millions of gamers around the globe now participate in multi-player online versions of such popular games as League of Legends and Counter Strike: Global Offensive. Competitions in the U.S., Asia, and Europe draw top players with prize money pools of $100,000 and more and have created a burgeoning group of professional eSports players. eSports has also morphed into a spectator sport, with growing numbers of fans leaving their homes to watch the pros compete live and in person in specially-designed venues. As with fans of traditional sports, eSports audiences are willing to pay admission and buy food and beverages to watch top players in action. The profit-potential of that combination has already lured several Las Vegas casinos, as well as cinema chains, into the game, and before long FECs may be pulling in eSports revenues too.
Vegas’ New Prize Fight is the Battle Royal eSports went bigtime in Las Vegas this year with the opening of the Allied eSports Arena at the Luxor Hotel and 48
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Casino. The arena, which replaced a nightclub, is the first dedicated eSports arena on the Las Vegas strip. It is the flagship venue of Allied eSports, a company that is building a global network of upscale videogaming properties that already has eight venues in the United States, China and Europe. The 30,000-square-foot, multi-level arena is designed to host multiple forms of competitive gaming from casual play to professional tournaments. It features a multi-player competition stage with a 50-foot LED video wall, bleacher seating, a bar and a restaurant. There are also banks of PC and console gaming stations where patrons can practice their skills or connect privately with their favorite online games. For private parties there are several VIP rooms that offer gaming stations along with food and beverage service. Jud Hannigan is the CEO of Allied eSports, a division of the Chinese gaming corporation Ourgame that owns the World Poker Tour. His goal is to build a global brand that promotes eSports and cultivates an audience in the same way that WPT made a spectator sport out of poker. “The most popular genre of eSports games right now is what’s called a battle royal format, that is 100 players playing together,” Hannigan says, referring to the wildly popular game Fortnite and others like it, “and so we were designed purposefully to allow that many players to play at one time.” Another key element of Allied’s arena is an in-house, network-quality TV production studio that provides sophisticated video coverage for Jud Hannigan, CEO of Allied eSports.
FEATURE the local audience and can distribute it globally via the popular streaming channel Twitch. On-camera eSports “casters” provide live coverage of the competitions, aided by live spotters who follow the gamers’ moves closely for the inside scoop on the game. “What sets us apart is our production capability,” says Hannigan. “The quality of the content that we can create on top of these amazing experiences that the [arena] will generate is really what sets us apart from anybody out there globally today.” Hannigan’s game plan is to leverage Las Vegas’ international appeal as a destination to develop branded big-money tournaments that draw gamers and their fans to Luxor from around the world. To give you an idea of the audience appeal of eSports, the company claims that more than 680,000 concurrent Twitch viewers watched star gamer Ninja play against his fans at Luxor on April 21, 2018. The stream also amassed a total of 2.38 million unique video views over the course of the six-plus hour event.
Now Battling at a Cinema Near You Another exciting approach is the eSports theatre, a hybrid installation for cinemas that can be quickly converted into a live gaming venue. MediaMation, Inc., a veteran creator of interactive shows, attractions, rides and exhibits, and developer of the MX4D immersive cinema seat, is a pioneer of the genre. It opened its flagship MX4D Esports theatre in late 2017 in the worldfamous TCL Chinese Theatres 6 multiplex in Hollywood, California. The MX4D system combines sophisticated built-in motion and other effects in the seats and theatre walls to immerse viewers in the action of the movie they are watching. Everything from a poke in the back, to mist and snow, to specific smells, can be triggered by special versions of films created by MediaMation for the studios. For videogames, a game jockey uses proprietary equipment to generate similar effects as dictated by the game
play. “So when someone gets hit in the back or a potion [is] thrown at them, we can push the scent of the potion out at them. It comes out of each and every seat,” says Brian Szaks, MediaMation’s events manager. Adding eSports capability to an MX4D-equipped theatre system is relatively simple. The primary add-on is gaming stations for the players, which face the audience and can be folded into the floor between the first row and the screen. Other additions include supplementary elephant-ears, video screens for isolating the actions of specific players and providing commentary from in-house spotters and the game jockey station. It takes about an hour to convert from cinema mode to eSports mode, and it’s already set up to handle VR-capable games. For several months, Szaks has been running tournaments under the Hollywood eSports brand on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights, which are typically slow nights for movie-going. eSports players and fans pay $10 admission and buy food and drinks while mingling in the spacious lobby and playing in the qualifying rounds. Then the group moves into the theatre to watch and feel the play-offs between the qualifiers on the big screen. Along with the game action, there are prize raffles and activities to keep the audience engaged. In-seat food and beverage service is available, so the audience can settle in for the evening. The theatre management is pleased with the results so far. “We have seen our theatre attract a crowd of over 100 enthusiasts coming to the theatre on weekday nights to participate in events,” says Alwyn Kushner, president of TCL Chinese Theatres. “It’s nice to see the fans, many of whom are driving more than 30 miles, come to these events to both spectate and play.” MediaMation is currently reviewing its installed base of over 300 MX4D cinema theatres and sees great potential in utilizing these locations as hybrid movie and eSports arenas. “Adding this additional value to the specialized premium theatres fills a well sought-after niche for our customers, clients, and the local community,” says Dan Jamele, CEO of MediaMation. “Additionally these theatres are technologycompatible so we can hold tournaments and viewing parties across our network of theatres. This is an unsurpassed reach to the players, the gaming partners, viewers and sponsors.”
A New Twist on the Bowling League Super League is a variation on Hollywood eSports’ intheatre approach that adds a league format to generate return play. (BEC operators should appreciate the concept.) Its signature offering is City Champs, which features sixteen City Clubs based in major U.S. metropolitan areas that are organized 50
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FEATURE into four regions. Gamers of all ages and skill levels sign up to play on teams in local and national competitions that blend in-person and remote gameplay. Super League Gaming operates leagues in partnership with the publishers of top-tier games such as League of Legends, Minecraft, and Clash Royale, and each Super League season culminates in a nationwide tournament. “So instead of you just coming in one night, playing for an hour and leaving, you’re coming in four Tuesdays in a row, competing against other cities across the country. So it has a lot more stickiness,” says Ann Hand, Super League’s CEO. “Our platform really allows these different venue operators to just have one more interesting set of offers or draws to bring more people in.” The engine that drives Super League is a proprietary technology platform that enables several kinds of public venues to present eSports. Most of the attendees at these events are players who bring their own laptop computers and play against each other. Spectators usually consist of parents of players, friends of players or gaming fans. “We’ll have anywhere from 50 to 100 gamers in the audience all in seats playing actively together,” says Hand, “but we do have a fair amount of people who come just to watch what’s on the big screen.” The Super League platform is set up and torn down for each event, so the venue owner doesn’t have to make a significant investment in seating or other capital equipment. Hand says the platform was built to be venue agnostic, requiring only a big screen and a suitable internet connection. That makes it possible to hold competitions at retail stores and restaurants; they have done some tests at Buffalo Wild Wings sports bars. Theatres are currently its primary venues, and Super League offers its sessions during slow day parts on Saturday mornings and weekday nights. In a deal similar to the traditional one between theatre and film distributor, Super League splits admission revenue with the theatre, and the theatre keeps the concession revenue. Theatres from several chains have signed on to present Super League, and the Cinemark chain is an investor in the company.
Is it Game Time for You? When or whether to get involved in eSports will depend on the type of facility you have, your budget, and your technology infrastructure. Cinemas and FECs with cinemas can try out eSports right away with Hollywood eSports and Super League. So might venues with sports bars or other eateries that feature big screens. FECs without screens will have to wait for more suitable or affordable formats to come on the market but that should happen eventually. Allied eSports, for one, is working on a smaller footprint format for FECs but can’t yet say when it will be available. It’s clear that eSports offers great potential for FEC owners. Thanks to well-established brands like League of Legends and Minecraft, eSports are familiar to billions of people and already have a strong presence in social and traditional media. Unlike another hot new attraction — virtual reality rides and games — eSports has a broad, established audience. They know what they want and are willing to pay to get it outside the home in a social environment. What’s more, many of them may already be your customers. Now you can give them another reason to come in and play. ❖
Robert Sax is a writer and PR consultant in Los Angeles. He grew up in Toronto, Canada, the home of five-pin bowling.
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INTERESTING INTERVIEW
VIRTUAL GAME HERO Armando Lanuti, president of Creative Works, improves the family entertainment experience with the 21-year-old company.
By George McAuliffe Editor’s Note: Armando Lanuti is the president of Creative Works, one of the industry’s leading experts in immersive attractions, based in Indianapolis, IN. 1. Tell us about your company Creative Works, and why it is in business. At the beginning, it started with creating amazing laser tag arenas. That came from our founder Jeff Schilling’s background as a laser tag operator and his vision for a better play environment. We just celebrated our 21st birthday, and in that time, we’ve evolved into an immersive attractions company with products like Laser Frenzy, mini golf, and virtual reality, to name a few, and we’ll continue to introduce new attractions. Our mission is to perfect attractions that let the guests be the heroes of their own story in their own experience. 2. Is there a hint there that we may see something new at IAAPA? Well, we will be unveiling two new attractions at IAAPA, along with some upgrades to existing attractions. We’re keeping that behind the curtain at the moment. 3. How did you get into the business? Right after college, I took a job running a small laser tag facility with an arcade and food service. That facility had been built by Creative Works in 2001. I became active in the Laser Tag Association and was on a few panels at IAAPA and got to know Jeff Schilling. Six years later, I was looking to grow and talked to Jeff. He brought me into his company. I didn’t have a title or job description but, over time, we figured all of that out. 4. That seems to have worked out well for you. It has. As Creative Works grew, we built a great team, developed other attractions, established our Laser Tag 360 conference, increased the level of technology in our
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Armando Lanuti
manufacturing process, and increased the level of sophistication in our theming. We’ve served some major clients like Brunswick, Main Event, Incredible Pizza, along with many individual entrepreneurs. With only 4% of businesses lasting ten years, we’re proud of our 21st birthday. We were also just named to Inc. Magazine’s list of the top 5,000 fastest growing companies in the United States. 5. Aside from what you’ve already mentioned, to what do you attribute your longevity and success? If we have a secret sauce, it’s to try to anticipate what a guest wants to experience. We bring our history as players and operators, but most importantly, we listen to our clients. We constantly try to develop new experiences, and we’re not afraid of risk. We fight hard not to rest on our laurels, constantly looking to make existing attractions more immersive and better.
INTERESTING INTERVIEW 6. Give us examples of Creative Works’ continuous improvement. OK, I guess I will reveal one of the innovations we’re releasing at IAAPA. We’ve developed electric edging for mini golf courses. It is a patent-pending, illuminating golf course edging that features enhanced lighting and triggered effects. It’s designed to evolve and improve the mini golf experience. The LED lighting fires trails of light down the sides of the hole in reaction to obstacles and props. Another example is making the laser tag world much like a video game,
7. You applied your experience to the escape room phenomenon early on. How is that sector performing and what have you learned about that business that our readers should know? Escape rooms are a great addition to entertainment venues: they bring a different demographic; let you trade in different day parts; and are great for corporate groups. Probably the biggest thing to keep in mind is that they are more labor and maintenance intensive than other attractions. There’s a lot of pulling, tugging, and turning over props and furniture looking for clues. Operators should be aware — and prepared to deal with — significant wear and tear. We’re building our escape attractions to be as bullet-proof as possible. We are also tuned in to the duration of the experience. With the right intensity level, we can create shorter experiences that improve throughput.
8. Recently you acquired the rights to distribute the Hologate virtual reality system in the U.S. How is that going? Phenomenal, absolutely phenomenal. It has validated our desire to incorporate VR into our product offerings and just goes to show that, when the right product has the right components and support, it can have a huge impact on an FEC. We’ve installed systems in a wide range of FEC types, and it has exceeded expectations. We recently delivered our one millionth Hologate play!
9. What are the top three things that VR buyers should consider when selecting a system? First and foremost, the quality of the experience. It sounds simple, but it must first be fun in order to make people want to play again. Variety is important, so multiple titles helps drive repeat play. It’s easy to
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look at different systems, see trusses and headsets, and think they’re the same. Until you experience the content, you can’t see the difference. Second, look at the support infrastructure. Just like any attraction, things will come up — usually at night or on Saturday afternoon when you need your system the most. You want seven-days-a-week support, beyond 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., so that you get it when you need it. Third: curb appeal. Some systems are designed to be behind walls. Our design criteria were to make Hologate visible and attractive to the rest of the game room. [The design is] open so it didn’t block sight lines and functional as a spectator sport, attracting people to watch others having fun.
10. What is your perspective on the BEC in the U.S.? I think it’s a thriving concept that continues to grow and add a diverse amount of attractions that appeal to a broad audience. We see great food and beverage as a common element that allows the BEC to be a complete experience for guests.
11. Any other wisdom you care to share for our readers? One thing I preach on social media and when coaching is to never stop improving. That goes for our personal lives, too, by reading, furthering our education, and staying curious in general. It also goes for our businesses — how do you stay ahead of the guy who might build a fun center a mile down the street? ❖ Thanks, Armando. We wish you the best for continued success.
George McAuliffe has operated family entertainment centers from 2,000 to 150,000 square feet as a corporate executive and entrepreneur. As a consultant he has helped hundreds of clients add or improve redemption game rooms and FEC attractions. He is currently the principal of Pinnacle Entertainment Group whose clients include Embed, Redemption Plus and Shaffer Distributing Company. He writes for RePlay and International Bowling Industry magazines and speaks at FEC industry conferences.
TRIBUTE
REMEMBERING CESARE In a touching article, many industry leaders remember the life and passion of Cesare Lancelotti. By Paul Lane
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esare Lancelotti, who was a giant in the bowling world as a former general manager of SABIM, a bowling distributor in Modena, Italy, for more than 30 years, and, more recently, a cofounder of Switch International, passed away peacefully from metastatic prostate cancer. Cesare is fondly remembered in tributes we collected from people who knew and worked with him over several decades. It is clear he was a dear friend to many who we all will miss dearly.
CESARE LANCELOTTI TRIBUTES Cesare Lancelotti, what a great name…sounds like (and always will) royalty! He always lit up the room with his big, friendly smile and enthusiasm. It was obvious he had a love for life and always wanted to please. That came across the way he treated his business associates and customers. The bowling business is better today because of people like Cesare. He will be missed worldwide, and certainly in my world. ~Gordon Murrey Jr. Cesare was one of the nicest individuals I have had the privilege to work with over my 40 years in the bowling industry. Whether it was Cesare purchasing product for SABIM or Cesare trying to convince me why his computerized scoring was second to none, we had a tremendous relationship. Cesare would always greet me with a handshake and a hug, I mean always. Cesare knew everything about anything when it came to bowling. He was a walking encyclopedia. The industry lost one of the really good guys, that’s for sure. Cesare had a wonderful sense of humor. A good sense of humor certainly helps to have in our crazy bowling industry. I will miss Cesare tremendously. ~Bill Snoberger, national sales manager, US Bowling Corporation 62
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Cesare was a very special guy and a very good guy. I first met him in 1986 when he was the GM of SABIM in Modena, Italy, the home of Pavarotti, Ferrari and Balsamic vinegar. [He was] a handsome and sophisticated gentleman. I probably visited with him in Modena 20 or more times and he visited us in Hopkinsville four or five times. We couldn’t let him come here too often [because] all of the [women] in the office loved him and very little work got done while he was here. Cesare was my guide on my first trip to Ukraine and Russia. He was one of those people who knew 50 words of 10 languages and could make himself understood in all of them. I considered him to be a good friend. Cesare left us far too young. One of the “good guys” in the bowling business. I’m going to miss him. ~Mike Quitter
For many years, Cesare Lancelotti was the face of SABIM, being the only one who could speak English in the company. I was involved in several projects working with Cesare, whether new pro shops in Ukraine or modernizations across Europe, and every event involved at least one good meal! My visits to Bologna were particularly enjoyable as Cesare would pre-select our next restaurant, and in return I would bring him a bottle of Unicum, an herbal liqueur, his favorite Hungarian drink. He was first and foremost a great friend; the added bonus was we also conducted business for over 25 years. ~Nick Keppe, Bowltech U.K. Ltd.
For over 30 years, Cesare Lancelotti was SABIM’s Ambassador at Large as he travelled extensively to the U.S.A.
FEATURE making friends for the company with the various manufacturers whose products we marketed in Italy. No one could have done a better job, as Cesare’s charm and warm personality always won them over. I’m sure our American friends will miss him just as we all do in Italy. ~Mario Silvestri, SABIM, Italy
Cesare was a very experienced person. He had been involved in the bowling industry since the ‘70s, in conjunction with SABIM, Italy: Installing wooden lanes, and refurbishing pinsetters. He was a shareholder within SABIM and moved on to take care of customer services and scoring installation as well as on-line support. His fluency in English and French on top of his native Italian helped the company in all of its international dealings. He represented the company in all the foreign trade shows but mainly in transactions with U.S. based suppliers. He was liked and appreciated by all. In the last 12 years he was involved in helping the start-up of Switch International. His responsibility was scoring research and development, and support and product documentation. Unfortunately, the past few years had become very difficult for him, but he never allowed that to stop him. He refused
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to be defeated and always had a positive attitude and a big smile on his face. ~Alain Winterhalter, president, Switch International
I had known Cesare since 1975, having met him in Modena, Italy, when I was updating a bowling centre and he was in partnership with someone who had the franchise for the bar. During this period we formed a company called SABIM and he was one of the four partners at the time. I left the company around 1996 but during this time we had many good times together doing installations and travelling to the U.S. and all over Europe. He is sadly missed. ~Frank Stametti, BKF Bowling U.K. ❖
Paul Lane is former Director of Marketing and Marketing Services for AMF Bowling, Inc. He has been the director of 18 AMF World Cups, an officer in national and international trade associations, and a pro bowler during a career that spans more than 60 countries and 50 years.
CLASSIFIEDS
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CLASSIFIEDS EQUIPMENT FOR SALE FOR SALE: 24 Brunswick seating: swing &swivel, oval, and 18 swing&swivel, pear, glow; Steltronic & Qubica automatic scoring. Email for details; 24 synthetic lanes foulline forward, includes deck; reconditioned Lustre Kings; ZOT ball kickers; Kegel Kustodian; Bumper/gutter and capping; and 16-lane package, includes A2s, Steltronic auto scoring w/ 42� flatscreens, Brunswick synthetic panels, auto bumper system, also Laser Runner laser tag, fantastic condition. Will take out and move to your location. Knotritellc@gmail.com. NEW & USED Pro Shop Equipment. Jayhawk Bowling Supply. (800) 255-6436 or jayhawkbowling.com. REPAIR & EXCHANGE. Call for details (248) 375-2751. 12 AMF COMPLETE BOWLING LANES FOR SALE. Excellent condition. 82-70 pinsetters; AMF synthetic lanes + all scoring, gutters, ball returns, etc. MIKE (954) 224-4655.
EQUIPMENT WANTED LANE MACHINES WANTED. We will purchase your KEGEL-built machine, any age or condition. Call (608) 764-1464.
POSITION WANTED Certified Brunswick mechanic versed on all American and Japanese serial machines and ZOT conversions. Seeking part time or full time in the Denver and central Colorado area. Will furnish all tools and equipment. Very experienced; with excellent references. Call (303) 948-8770 or (720) 527-4287.
EDUCATION & TRAINING PRO SHOP TRAINING. Classes always forming. Jayhawk Bowling Supply (800) 255-6436 or jayhawkbowling.com.
SERVICES AVAILABLE Drill Bit Sharpening and Measuring Ball Repair. Jayhawk Bowling Supply. (800) 255-6436 or jayhawkbowling.com.
CENTERS FOR SALE CENTRAL IDAHO: Busy, updated, 8-lane (synthetic) center: electronic scorekeeping, league play & 50-seat restaurant with drive thru. Easy highway access. Assumable loan. Call (775) 720-2726 for more details. OHIO: Well-established 42-lane center: Brunswick A-2 jetbacks; AS 90 scoring w/all upgrades; new upper flat screens. Includes restaurant, snack bar, nursery, liquor license. 42,000 s/f bldg. on 5.46 acres in the city. COMPLETE TURNKEY OPERATION. Contact Allan Anderson, (740) 503-0452. NEBRASKA: 16-lane center in a nice town, Ogallala. Remodeled bar and kitchen. Asking 250K. Contact Jacob. cornhuskerlanesNE@gmail.com. NE IOWA: 8-lane, upgraded center on 1.1 acres. Includes: 82-30 Golden Edition pinsetters, AccuScore Plus with Purrfect Desk; new flat screen monitors & carpet. Also, kitchen, snack bar, lounge, game room, lockers, & ball drilling equipment. TURNKEY sale. roncyndi@hotmail.com or (641) 485-1752.
WWW.TEXTBOWLING.COM MINIATURE GOLF COURSES BEST DARN DEAL ON THE MIDWAY!!!!! For your average sized center, I can bring 2,000 open bowlers over 5 months. I have dozens of topnotch references. Kevin Malick since 1991 Bigk2u@yahoo.com |(863) 602-4850 Leave an email address for more info
Indoor/Outdoor. Portable/Pre-Fab. Black Light/Traditional/Pro Putter. 202 Bridge Street Jessup, PA 18434 570-489-8623 www.minigolfinc.com
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AMF • BRUNSWICK EQUIPMENT COMPLETE PACKAGES WORLDʼS LARGEST NEW – USED SPARE PARTS INVENTORY ALL AMF BUMPER PARTS, XS Q-BUMP, DURABOWL AND GEN II IN STOCK
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Danny & Daryl Tucker Tucker Bowling Equipment Co. 609 N.E. 3rd St. Tulia, Texas 79088 Call (806) 995-4018 Fax (806) 995-4767
Bowling Parts, Inc. P.O. Box 801 Tulia, Texas 79088 Call (806) 995-3635 Email - daryl@tuckerbowling.com
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November 2018
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CLASSIFIEDS
TECHNICIAN NEEDED QubicaAMF, the world’s largest bowling equipment provider, is seeking a technician wanting to take their skills to the next level by joining our Technical Support team located in Richmond, Virginia. We are seeking a self-motivated professional with excellent communication skills, who pays attention to details, is a great listener and technical troubleshooter. The ideal candidate will have practical knowledge on lanes, ball returns and scoring equipment and working knowledge of pinspotters and/or pinsetters. They will know safety procedures and standards of bowling equipment. Can easily troubleshoot, identify and suggest repairs and/or replacements of malfunctioning bowling equipment. This position will be will be responsible for answering incoming calls for customers, conducting comprehensive assessments of issues, troubleshooting and providing solutions to challenges. We offer a competitive compensation package which includes medical and a 401K plan. If you have the desire to work for the market leader in the industry, please send your resume along with a cover letter detailing your experience to Peggy Martin at pmartin@qubicaamf.us.
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SELL YOUR CENTER
(818) 789-2695
CLASSIFIEDS
AMF and some BRUNSWICK PC board repair/exchange. 6-month warranty, fast turnaround. Call or write: WB8YJF Service 5586 Babbitt Road, New Albany, Ohio 43054 Toll Free: 888-902-BOWL (2695) Ph./Fax: (614) 855-3022 (Jon) E-mail: wb8yjf@sbcglobal.net Visit us on the WEB! http://home.earthlink.net/~wb8yjf/
PROPRIETORS WITH AMF 82-70 S.S. & M.P. MACHINES Save $$ on Chassis & P.C. Board Exchange & Repair! A reasonable alternative for Chassis and P.C. Board Exchanges MIKE BARRETT Call for Price List
Tel: (714) 871-7843 • Fax: (714) 522-0576
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