Play Meter

FAMA giving
away free rides
The Florida Amusement Mer-
chandising Association (F.A .M .A .) is
sponsoring a membership contest
that has as its enticement a free trip to
Puerto Rico for the state association's
fall conference , October 19-22 .
For every three members (of any
dues classification) that an operator
can get into the organization , that
member operator is eligible to receive
one free trip to F .A .M .A .'s Puerto
Rico conference . That trip will
ori~inate in either Miami or Orlando .
Additionally , several of the state's
leading distributors will be giving out
certificates worth $70 for each $5000
of equipment purchased between
July 1 and September 1. If an
operator has four such certificates , he
can redeem them for a free trip to the
Puerto Rico conference .
Participating distributors in this
promotion are Southern Music ,
Orlando ; Rowe International , Tam-
pa , Miami , and Jacksonville ; and
Belam , Miami.
New locations-- A must
One of the key growth mecha-
nisms for expanding your business is
new locations . Atari's representation
at major industry and trade shows for
restaurants and food service loca-
tions , hotels and motels , con ~
venience stores, colleges , bowling
centers , skating rinks , and theaters
has proved that the market for
location growth is prime .
" Atari has been at these shows
primarily to encourage an increased
awareness and interest in coin -
operated games by the locations ,"
said Frank Ballouz , Atari 's national
sales manager. In essence , Atari is
representing operators , distributors ,
and the industry in general at these
shows to promote the use of games
in locations and overall expansion of
the market.
Atari 's presentation at these trade
shows is mainly to inform the
location executives on how the game
operating business can benefit their
organizations. The profit potentials
and added entertainment value of
the games to their customers were of
particular interest. However , many
people at these shows were not
aware of the possibility of game
operators placing games in their
locations. They did not know whom
to contact to learn about this. In
general , it vIas discovered that there
is a need to educate location
representatives to increase aware-
ness of the value of games to their
business and how the operating
business works to their benefit. Atari
distributors receive information on
location leads obtained at the shows ,
which should be followed by an
operator contact and a new place-
ment of games .
New awareness and popularity of
games is also being generated by the
recent publicity about the improved
image of coin games . Man y national
PLAY METER , August, 1978
and local publications are printing
excellent articles on games and
players . Atari is also using this as part
of the presentation to locations at the
trade shows.
Atari will be exhibiting at two
additional location shows this year.
The National Campground A ssocia-
tion and the National Licensed
Beverage Association will hold their
annual meetings this fall. Both of
these organizations represent many
excellent locations for games . In
addition , Atari would like to en -
courage their distributors and opera-
tors to attend and participate in more
regional and local location trade
exhibits to help further industry
growth .
Helping to generate additional
growth of business is one way Atari is
supporting their customers . Each of
the location industry shows has
demonstrated excellent potentials for
games . In addition to new interest in
games by established locations , there
are always more locations being
developed . For example , over
20 ,000 new food service locations
are expected to open by 1980. The
skating rink industry forecasts the
opening of over 1200 new locations
.
••
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Certified BALL Y training school
ixth year
in the next year . Similarly , other
location growth forecasts indicate a
strong market for new game place-
ment.
Atari's representation at the loca-
tion trade shows is specifically
designed to assist distributors and
operators in their efforts to find new
opportunities for placement of
games. Ballouz commented, " We
expect significant growth of new
street locations in the long run from
our efforts. We have found that there
is location interest and room for
growth . Operators should now be
actively pursuing this expansion . "
- By Carol Kantor, Atari
7