Play Meter

UP FRONT
It won't be long before the Amusement Operators
Expo (AOE) will open its doors to the industry.
From all indications, this year's show will be the best
yet. It certainly will be the biggest AOE to date.
To begin with , we 've beefed up the seminar
program considerably. There will be more topics of
discussion; and each seminar will be extended to two
full hours to allow more time for questions, and, more
importantly, to encourage the open exchange of ideas
and experiences. Operators ·have often told me that
the sharing of information that takes place during the
se minar sessions is the most helpful aspect of the
program . Many operators use this opportunity to dis-
cuss mutual problems and find workable solutions.
Operators from the same area general ly don 't talk
to each other. And when they do talk , rarely do they
discuss intimate details of how they run their bus-
inesses. Considering the competitive nature of our
business , this situation is understandable. But at the
AOE show, it is common to see operators sharing
ideas as if they were partners .
I suppose it is the combination of pertinent infor-
mation imparted during the seminar sessions and the
interaction among operators that has establ ished the
AOE seminar program as a highly successful endeavor.
One thing is certain: there is an abundance of know-
ledge at the AOE show and it 's yours for the taking .
I am pleased to report there will be more than three
times as many exhibition booths as there were last
year. This is a clear indication that the industry 's major
manufacturers and suppliers are now giving their full
support to the AOE . Thanks to them and the yearly
increase in operator attendance, the AOE has
established itself as an important industry event.
I'd like to preview some of the exciting new equip-
ment that will be on display at AOE '82, but I h ave
been literally sworn to secrecy in that respect. I can
only say that there are a significant number of
momentous surprises in store for attendee s.
Last year Pac-Man and Defender reigned supreme
in the amusement world. This year Donk ey Kon g,
Stargate, and Tempest are the current leaders, but I
have a strong hunch that we have yet to see the top
earners of 1982. I suspicion that some manufacturers
have been holding back their hottest games for AOE
debuts.
Those who will be in Chicago by the Thursday pre-
ceding the show should remember the free Early Bird
General Session that will begin at 6:00 p .m. that
evening. This year's offering is entitled "Manufac-
turers Face the Firing Line." A panel of manufacturers '
representatives will discuss important manufacturer-
related issues that operators are currently grappling
with. This panel discussion will provide a rare
opportunity to open the lines of communication
between operator and manufacturer, and , hopefully,
lead to substant ive ideas of how manufacturers can
help so lv e some of the problems operators are con-
fronting .
I was recently discussing AOE ' 82 with an operator
who co_mplained that his business was in so rr y
cond ition .
" The way things are today , I can't afford to go," h e
told me .
" The way things are today, can you afford not to
go?" I asked.
He thought a while , but not too long . Then he
nodded and said: " See you in Chi cago ."
Ralph C. Lally II
Editor and Publisher