Play Meter

The tax revolt's 'Paul Revere'
featured at NAMA convention
Howard A. Jarvis , provocative
author and sponsor of California's
tax referendum , was keynoter at the
opening session of the 1978
Convention-Exhibit of Vending and
Foodservice Management , October 5
through 8 at Atlanta 's Georgia World
Congress Center.
• With a record 190 exhibitors
showing the newest versions of
vending machines , food service prod-
ucts , equipment and services needed
by industry companies , the sponsor-
ing National Automatic Merchan -
dising Association (N . A. M. A. )
held its national convention in
Atlanta for the first time .
More than 6 ,500 convention
visitors attended the four-day affair .
Program topics also included a
review and forecast of economic
trends by Leo Cherne , executive
director of the Research Institute of
America , New York City; a
discussion of plans for a new dollar
coin by U. S . Bureau of the Mint
Director Stella Hackel ; a keynote
address by association chairman Dick
Estey of Portland , Oregon , and
numerous discussions of industry-
related topics presented by panels of
experts or treated in group discus-
sions .
J. Gordon Scott III , Scott Vending
Company , Forest City , North
Carolina , was general chairman of
the convention ; and William Finn ,
Trico Vendors , Easthampton , Mass-
ach usetts , was program chairman,
assisted by Richard Ball , Wes-Tex
Vendor initiates
foosball 'mini-tour'
Mitchell Games Machines of
Mitchell , South Dakota-a vending
route owned and operated by Adrian
Hoines , ElRoy Gruenwald , and
David Backlund-is initiating a new
concept of foosball play for its South
Dakota players . That concept is a
tournament mini-tour .
M. G . M. has always been a
pioneer in South Dakota foosball
promotion and had a loyal body of
players , but this is the first year that
an organized and well-advertised
$1 ,000 mini-tour will be run .
The success of the tour depends
on player response (which has
always been good) and location
cooperation . M. G . M. has been
able to use not only its primary
locations but has even been asked to
install foosball tables in new
locations because of the expanded
business foosball promotion brings.
[n these new locations where just
foosball tables were set in , says
Hoines , owners are seeing their
profits double and triple because of
increased patronage .
According to Hoines, there are
many advantages to running a
mini-tour. First , as has been
mentioned , foosball play can double ,
triple , or even quadruple . Increased
play, Hoines reports , leads to a
desire for tables at home , and this
10
becomes an outlet for old coin-op
tables , thus allowing the operator to
buy new models .
This increased demand for home
tables , he points out , allows for the
operator less depreciation expense
since the selling price for the home
model should remain as high as the
purchase price for a new coin-op .
From the interest generated by
mini-tours , M. G . M. plans to take
an additional step and develop
foosball leagues , run by the players
and locations . This will give
operators a steady , weekly foosball
income .
Most players are excited by the
prospect of leagues , Hoines pOints
out , but they should not be
attempted before a large core of
players is developed from tourna-
ment promotion . M. G . M. believes
that December is a ripe time to begin
leagues after the mini-tour program
has begun , and players are becoming
more involved with the sport.
A mini-tour involves a series of
small tournaments in various loca-
tions for $50 to $500 scheduled on
the same poster for advance
advertisements . Operators interested
in developing a mini-tour can contact
Adrian Hoines , Premier Soccer,
Rural Route 114 , Mitchell , South
Dakota 57301.
Vending , Mineral Wells . Texas , and
Bennet Taylor , Rochester Coca-Cola
Bottling Company , Rochester , New
York . Mrs . William H . Martin ,
Columbus , Georgia , was in charge of
ladies' program activities.
Entertainment highlights included
a reception sponsored by vending
machine manufacturers on October 6
and the annual N. A. M. A. ban -
quet on October 7 with the Peter
Duchin Orchestra and Singer Helen
Forrest entertaining .
"[t Only LOOKS Automatic ," a
new audio-visual story produced by
N. A. M. A . which gives a look
behind the operations of vending and
foodservice management firms , was
shown for the first time October 6 . [t
is available
for
purchase to
N. A. M. A . members and others,
N. A. M. A.
President G .
R.
Schreiber said .
The Friday program also offered
thirty different round-table discus-
sions on such diverse topics as
computer applications , foodservice
trends , cigarette vending and em-
ployee training .
Other Friday subjects included a
discussion on acquisitions and
mergers , employee incentive pro-
grams , and the keynote address by
Ms. Hackel on coinage .
On Saturday concurrent sessions
dealt with trends in cigarette vending
and maintaining a company's non-
union status . Newly appointed
N. A. M. A .
labor counsel P .
Kevin Connelly led the discussion .
General sessions on Saturday
covered parts inventory control
systems , a panel discussion on
innovative foodservice management
methods and the economic trends
review by Cherne.
The Sunday morning concluding
sessions covered management of
cash flow and getting maximum
results from the use of computers .
All meetings were held at the
Georgia World Congress Center .
The special programs for ladies
featured tours of historical areas , a
seminar on financial and estate
planning , and several luncheons .
Sponsors of the ladies ' programs
were The Vendo Company , National
Vendors , R. J . Reynolds Tobacco
Company , and Rock-Ola Manu-
facturing Company .
The convention banquet enter-
tainment was sponsored , as in
previous years , by Philip Morris
U. S. A .
PLAY METER, November, 197 8