Kevin Williams

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 […]

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 […]