Stinger Report

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 […]

Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... We continue the coverage from the Las Vegas show floor for the AEI’24 event and look at some of the amusement and entertainment developments that shaped the industry during these four days, with this second part of the three-part coverage. AEI'24 VR Free Roam Pavilion Regarding the VR showing at AEI’24 – this indicated a high-water mark of representation of the technology and its impact on the amusement sector. The trade show supported the VR Arcade Game Summit with association involvement on a drive for VR free roaming standardization – with a dedicated area on the floor. Exhibitors in this area included Wonders Beyond, who showed demonstrations of their content. An arena was operated by The Rabbit Hole, with their ‘VR Fun Zone’ arena, in an example of their custom turnkey VR […]

Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... March proved a very busy month for the Out-of-Home Entertainment industry, and the leading events all left their mark on the future of the business. We now start an extensive and exclusive review of these events, along with their developments and trends and the impacts observed, in this first part (of our three-part coverage). Amusement Exhibition International (AEI’24) For the US amusement trade industry’s show-of-shows, Las Vegas played host to the trade and assorted supporters. The AAMA and AMOA co-operated show comprised various co-located partnerships with the National Bulk Vending Association (NBVA), Laser Tag Convention, Billiards Congress of America (BCA) Expo – representing billiards, amusement, and home leisure. It was a crowded gathering, with the convention also supported by co-located conferences. Two days ahead of the trade convention, conferences held included the […]

Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... The momentum in the international entertainment scene continues apace. Along with international trade expos promoting the latest trends, we also see the reshuffling of partnerships and venue openings and closings in the immersive space. The entertainment scene is also seeing upheavals in the consumer game studio and media sector, with inevitable knock-on effects to the wider landscape. Trade Event Cluster 2024 gathers pace and sees a gaggle of amusement trade events internationally. Indian Association of Amusement Parks and Industries (IAAPI) held its 22nd event, gathering leading amusement products and service providers in the continent’s largest trade event. This year, a sub-event to the show was ‘IAC Connect’ – representing the Indoor Amusement Centers (IAC) business that is burgeoning in the territory. The largest number of new FEC openings took place in the […]