From the Editor
Without a doubt , the incomparable success of Play
Meter over the past six years can be attributed to our
continuing committment to the needs of today's
operators. Play Meter, in fact, revolutionized this
industry's trade press. We brought to this industry a new
form of trade journalism that was open, honest, and
direct. For the first time , amusement operators had a
publication they could truly call their own. Dedicated
exclusively to the coin-op amusement field , Play Meter
represented a dramatic departure from the traditional
trade press.
Instead of filling our pages with meaningless record
charts, vending machine news, and hyped up stories
about big manufacturers and distributors in exchange
for advertising dollars, we decided to focus our editorial
attention on the most important person of all-the
operator. Our reasoning was pure and simple. An
educated operator is a profitable operator. If the
operator makes money, everybody else up the line is
going to make money. Our goal has , therefore, been to
provide the operator with the information he needs to
stay on top of today's ever-changing climate.
In keeping with our goal of enlightening operators by
disseminating information, we have gone one step
further and instituted a revolutionary trade show for this
industry. Dedicated exclusively to today's operator, the
Amusement Operators Expo was conceived first and
foremost to fulfill the needs of American amusement
operators. Just as Play Meter is an operator's magazine,
so too is the Amusement Operators Expo an operator's
convention.
By popular demand, this year's AOE will again take
place here in New Orleans on March 12-14. It will again
be held on a Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, leaving
Sunday open for sightseeing here in New Orleans or for
traveling back home. Among the improvements slated
for this year's show are an expanded seminar program
that will not conflict with the exhibit hours, lower
registration fees for seminar sessions with free entry into
the exhibit area, a move to a more elaborate facility-the
lush Hyatt Regency Hotel, and the introduction of two
free industry-wide seminars.
In all, thirty-three different seminar sessions are
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scheduled which range from business management to
technical repair and everything in between. This year's
faculty will include nationally recognized experts in
finances, legal affairs, management, taxes, marketing,
and service. A special free "early bird" session will be
held the evening before AOE officially opens. Heading up
this special session will be Gary Stern of Stern
Electronics, Charles Paul, V.P. and general counsel of
Atari, and noted industry attorney Rufus King. This very
important general session will focus in on the various
legal problems facing the industry and suggested ways in
which they should be handled.
This year's seminar format will allow for ample time to
view the exhibit area without having to fight your way
through to the latest equipment, products, and services
that interest you the most. The exhibit floor will not be
crowded with manufacturer/ exhibit personnel, children,
and family members, or hoards of overseas buyers. The
AOE is intended for the serious minded operators of
America. It is not a social gathering for manufacturers
and distributors. It exists solely for the purpose of
gathering operators together from all over the United
States in a sincere effort to promote profitability at the
operator level.
As you already know, from those who attended last
year, the AOE provided the forum for ops to openly
discuss mutual problems and exchange possible
solutions. This interaction between ops, many attendees
pointed out, was the most rewarding aspect of the entire
seminar program. There is probably no better evidence
of this than the fact that 98 percent of those who
attended last year have said they will return this year.
That's not hype. That's the straight word from ops.
Like yourself.
Need we say more?
Ralph C . Lally II
Editor and Publisher
PLAY METER, March, 1961