Kevin Williams

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 […]

Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... A mixed bag of developments in the amusement and entertainment landscape, while reporting on the last ICE London event, and seeing the impacts of AI and technology in the gaming scene. The AI trend is also followed in the events and amusement scene. Meanwhile, the developments in VR and consumer gaming conclude a momentous period in the sector. Casino Gaming’s Last London Bow The International Casino Expo (ICE) was held in London during February. The massive casino, gaming, and gambling extravaganza once again filled the ExCel exhibition venue (all halls) and offered an amazing snapshot at the gaming landscape – organized by Clarion Gaming. ICE 2024 was another amazing event, filling the London exhibition venue, but was also a swan-song event for its UK presence – marking the last year the show […]

Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... Developments in the Entertainment Space M&A continues to see action in leisure entertainment – investors are looking at the entertainment facility and resort sectors as an opportunity for growth and investment, while at the same time the impacts of the financial conditions globally continue to be felt, seeing major restructurings, layoffs, and mergers to consolidate debts. Following our previous report, and the US scene was witness in the New Year to the announcement that the newly rebranded Elevate Entertainment Group (EEG) had acquired three of the ‘Paragon Theater’ and ‘Penny Lane’ locations. EEG, the “Cinetainment” operation, announced the acquisition in January, with news that these sites will be fully branded under their EVO Entertainment brand by the beginning of May. EEG operates the ‘EVO Cinema’, ‘EVO Entertainment’, ‘Elevate Rewards’, ‘Violet Crown’ and […]

Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... While remembering past developments can be sometimes avoided by the new generation, keeping a weather-eye on past activities can be seen as useful in avoiding making the same mistakes. So it is with interest that we chart the growth, once again, of location-based entertainment and observe its previous attempt at market dominance, along with how this latest move is re-attracting IP and big brands. Return of Location-Based Entertainment Following on from our coverage of the growth in IP and branding within the Out-of-Home Entertainment sphere, we turn to the reprise of a once popular vehicle towards marrying brand and IP and physical entertainment venues. Back in 1996 the term “Location-Based Entertainment” (LBE) gained major recognition. Following on from the boom in Japan in Indoor Amusement venues (Amusement Theme Park); the concept of […]

Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... The first month of 2024 passed and developments abound in the reshaping and restructuring of the entertainment offering in the market. This is supported by a spate of Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) and the continued restructuring of business strategies towards the changed landscape of the market – in both commercial entertainment and consumer gaming. Acquisitions and Mergers Continue In the LBE operation scene, the latest acquisition was revealed with news that Ten Entertainment, operator of some 52 venues in the UK, comprising lasertag, bowling, escape rooms and amusement sites, was the target of a £287m takeover by US-based Trive Capital, an investment house with an interest in this sector. This represents one of the largest UK acquisitions for the year, and a continuing trend in the acquisition of obvious opportunities, as the market prepares for […]

Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... Following on from the largest consumer electronics event which started the year and, a few weeks after, London would play host to the first of the major amusement entertainment trade events, charting the trends and expectations from the trade for 2024. London's Big Coin-Op Blowout The European Amusement & Gaming Expo (EAG’24) has become a landmark gathering for the UK trade and a smattering of European attendees from the amusement and gaming scene. Organized by bacta, the UK trade association, the event has charted the changing conditions of the UK amusement scene from its ATEI predecessor to the current show format. These year’s show, however, offered a positive snapshot of the state of the industry, and the opportunities that lie ahead for the sector. London’s premier amusement trade gathering acted as the starting pistol to […]

As we start 2024, the entertainment and technology landscape is front and center with developments from the largest of the consumer electronic events, along with developments in the scene targeting this major media event. The Stinger Report is one of the few from the sector with a presence at the event, to collect the trending developments related to our industry. Consumer Electronic's New Year Blowout The year starts with a gaggle of entertainment and technology events, one of the pivotal being the Consumer Electronic Show (CES). Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the event saw some 3,500 exhibitors filling the Las Vegas west hall and numerous hotel suites, attracting an expected 130,000 attendees. The event offers consumer electronics, automotive and new technology trends, and has become a barometer of the year ahead. The drive to establish a believable business model for […]

For those who attended the show floor, the majority were wedded to their respective booths, or only able to gather a snapshot of trends spread over a handful of booths over the four days of hectic conference, show floor, and partying. Luckily, The Stinger Report, supported by our affiliates, was able to gather its usual detailed and exclusive rundown of key trends and developments on and off the Orlando trade floor. In this sixth and final part, we conclude looking at the news and developments the show threw up for the industry. XR Driving the Next Phase It would be impossible to circumnavigate the IAAPA’23 show floor without being struck with the reality that XR has defined the future of the business. Be it Gamification, Immersive Attractions, or the deployment of VR, the Extreme Reality landscape is driving the latest […]

For those who attended the show floor, the majority were wedded to their respective booths, or only able to gather a snapshot of trends spread over a handful of booths over the four days of hectic conference, show floor, and partying. Luckily, The Stinger Report, supported by our affiliates, was able to gather its usual detailed and exclusive rundown of key trends and developments on and off the Orlando trade floor. In the fifth part, we conclude the new amusement releases, and then look at the new developments the show threw up for the industry. Continuing New Amusement Opportunities Turning to Andamiro USA – as come to be expected, a slew of IP laden prize and redemption properties. New releases included ‘SuperStar2’ – a new prize merchandizer machine, the latest in a trend for amusement vending (Vendortainment), with a proven formula in […]