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Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... We now cover a very crowded last few months in the sector. The proximity of this mass of “May Convention Madness” to the next run of shows was not lost on hard pressed exhibitors. The next few weeks, moving into June, saw IAAPA Expo Asia, Licensing Expo 2024 and other events. IP Drives New LBE Investment Rushing back from China’s AAA’24 and we were Vegas bound with the Licensing Expo 2024 (LE’24) at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas. The branding and licensing mega-event continued themes of previous years by promoting their “Brands at Play”. The show and conference was promoting the new immersive brand experiences, with 2024 making a major investment in the venue business. As seen both at the US and at coming September European Brand Licensing Show towards […]

Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... Continuing our coverage of the Asian amusement scene, and the second part of the Asian Amusement & Attraction (AAA) Expo 2024 report looks at the developments on the extensive show floor. Asian Expo and China Roundup (Part 2) Continuing reporting on the UNIS Technology booth at AAA’24, and a new mid-range three-player variant of ‘Bigfoot Smash’ was on display. This is a unique platform from the conventional DX motion racer original, and the new variant seems to be aimed at younger players. Concerning video amusement, the reality of the business was on display, as Chinese versions of games already represented in the Western market jostled for recognition. Represented by SEGA Amusement International in the West, the Chinese version of ‘Apex Rebels’ was on display – this is a fast-paced racer, with dedicated […]

Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... Continuing the coverage of a crowded last few months and we point to events such as FIJMA, Amusement360, SINDEPAT Summit, SNELAC Meeting, and Asia Amusement & Attractions (AAA) Expo, to name a few. The Stinger Report will attempt to capture a snapshot of the trends and developments seen at these events in this coverage. Amusement Wagering Impact Racing across the globe to follow developments across the social and leisure entertainment scene, and we attended the Madrid International Game Fair (FIJMA). Taking place at the same time as SEA’24, this event in Spain was the 40th edition of the International Game Fair, an anniversary for Spain’s largest gaming and casino show. The show was interesting, as it marked the crossover of casino business in the region and the growth in representation of amusement. […]

Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... You could be forgiven for thinking that May was just one wa-to-wall trade convention month. Over seven different events internationally, all vectoring around the LBE, FEC, and Out-of-Home Entertainment trade. These included the Roller Skate Convention, SEA Expo, FIJMA, Amusement360, SINDEPAT Summit, SNELAC Meeting, and Asia Amusement & Attractions (AAA) Expo, to name a few. The Stinger Report will attempt to capture a snapshot of the trends and developments seen at these events in this two-part coverage. Saudi Surprise for Amusement Following on from a whirlwind of trade conventions, and the amusement and attraction trade descended on the capital of the Kingdom for the 5th Saudi Entertainment & Amusement (SEA) Expo at the Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – going the additional mile to cement the brand […]

Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... The developments of a fractured market, and the growing pressures of the cost-of-living crisis and international events, are all impacting spending and culminating in the perfect storm for our industries. The drive for entertainment continues unabated, but the investments now are focused much closer to home. Although no one is saying “Staycation” (yet), the need for regional, rather than international, development is driving much of the focus. Continuing Layoffs, Mergers and Acquisitions The latest developments in the park and resort business saw the privately held themed entertainment company Herschend Enterprise acquire control of the Callaway Resort and Gardens. This deal for a $20m investment will see the Georgia-based resort fall under control of the operation which already runs some four other resort/park locations – and is the largest family-owned themed attraction and […]

Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... The development of the next generation of audience-based experiences are seen following the developments in theater business. Along with the investment in new chains of Location-Based Entertainment (LBE) venues, and the opportunity for driving the immersive experience business. The New Immersive Auditorium Following the developments at CinemaCon’24, as seen in our previous coverage, we see a drive for the next generation of audience experience. This was illustrated with the news that CJ 4DPLEX and D'Place Entertainment announced their partnership to bring the new ‘ScreenX’ auditorium platform to the North American market, increasing their market penetration. It is this drive for a more immersive audience experience that has been seen receiving serious market investment – a kind of “Cinema 2.0.” to offer a compelling experience for an audience looking for the next big […]

Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... Continuing the trend in the entertainment and leisure sector for major upheavals during these financial and global conditions, we saw the next series of Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) sweeping the market, along with some major disturbances. Cinema and 4D Attractions The 4D and 5D movie attraction sector has been seeing its own spate of M&A, with the consolidation of operations such as the TRIOTECH acquisition of CL Corp. in 2019. The 4D theatre and attraction scene has proven a tempestuous sector, as more and more attractions move from a passive film base approach to more immersive experiences, such as the development of “Soaring” style attractions, as well as new CGI film competition from Chinese studios. The impact of these changes was inevitably going to be felt by the older established operations in […]

Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... This marks an important point in the history of our news and views service. A momentous period of some thirty years covering developments in the digital Out-of-Home Entertainment landscape, as well as being instrumental in offering observations that have, in their way, shaped these developments. We now look at this landmark in the service’s progression. Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of The Stinger Report The very idea that The Stinger Report would be celebrating over 1,200 issues, let alone 30 years of supplying near-weekly coverage of the Immersive Out-of-Home Entertainment international scene, is a pause for reflection. The Stinger started as an answer to, at the time, draconian editing of trade articles for the then-popular amusement trade publications – it is now sobering to consider that the report has outlived most of these […]

Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... The developments in the consumer VR scene have galvanized many towards the reality of hyperbole vented for some ten-years, about this technology which was going to take over the social media and entertainment medium. As with Bitcoin, NFTs and even eSports, a new critical eye is being applied to all those who proclaimed this technology, and the reality is being hard sought by those who still have invested heavily in the tech. Building a New Love Affair for XR The dust (and hype) seems to have settled, following a tempestuous few months since the Apple launch of their Vision Pro MR platform. The media hype for all things glasses-based has quelled, and a new reality seems to have descended. This is what many see as a clearing of the decks towards a […]

Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... Following on with our Vegas coverage, we conclude this three-part series from the AEI’24, BRE’24, and social entertainment landscape. We cover the hospitality crossover at the Bar and Restaurant Expo, and also look at the Game Developers event and its LBE implications – concluding our three-part coverage. Bar and Restaurant Expo (BRE’24) A tale of other events happening as AEI’24 took place, seeing the rebranded Bar and Restaurant show gathering its own record attendance. Co-located with the World Tea Expo, and linked to Pizza Expo, the event offered a great snapshot on the impact that the hospitality and general F&B scene has on amusement and entertainment. The Bar & Restaurant Group is part of the Questex Travel & Hospitality Division. The amusement presence at BRE’24 was much more focused on the entertainment […]