Music & Games

Changes badly needed for industry survival, starting with trade associations

The need for reform and change within the structure of the amusement and attraction sector has been more than illustrated by recent upheavals, including the role of trade associations.

Image courtesy of iStock

July 1, 2020 by Kevin Williams

As with all major upheavals, there are momentous chances for change, and with them, opportunities exist for the creation of a better business. What was defined by Winston Churchill in the 1940s as "Never Let a good crisis go to waste!"

The need for reform and change within the structure of the amusement and attraction sector has been more than illustrated by the upheavals seen. Many operators who have been depending on vast amounts of debt being balanced by a rollout strategy is one aspect.

Another is the reality of forcing the industry to address modern ePOS and frictionless payment and registration processes that have been adopted by other industries some time ago.

Time for change?

Another aspect has been the question on the reality of support offered by trade associations. In what would be called a perfect storm that would stress-test the best of edifice, the reality is that many operators and manufacturers have had time to consider the value they have received from their affiliation to these associations.

An example of the uphill struggle that associations have had to have their voice included in governmental decision processes was best illustrated in the U.K., when the government's Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, responsible for the growth and promotion of U.K. leisure and culture, announced their plans to form the Visitor Economy Working Group, that would report directly to the U.K. government on the best measures to support and chart a roadmap regarding the reopening and financial support for the entertainment, attractions and leisure industry.

This news of governmental support should have been met with cheers, only for it to be revealed that none of the established U.K. trade associations had a seat on this working group. No recognized representatives from the amusement, leisure or gaming industries — all having been excluded.

Attempts to find out the reason for the snub revealed that a number of individuals with no known connection to the trade had taken positions on the group, leading to questions on how the selection was made, and if there were ulterior motives to the nominations.

Questions call for answers

Serious questions have been raised by those in the trade, seeing a group with the specific names of "arcade" and "amusement" on its list of activities and scope include not one individual with credentials of membership representation on the board — a board including some 32 trade bodies from the hospitality and tourism sectors.

Attempts from trade media in the U.K. to gain an explanation for the omission and have questions answered had not yet been resolved at the time going to the wire. The U.K. amusement and attraction industry is working hard towards meeting a July 4th deadline for the reopening of their businesses, in the face of a confused message on which aspects of their businesses will be able to open, and to what level of capacity, adding to a discombobulated picture.

It is in this confused picture, with the additional impact on the U.K. amusement and attraction trade of losing their major trade exhibition scheduled for September, and there seems to be a growing call for a brand new look at how the overall amusement and attraction business positions itself in the U.K. — especially in the face of the expected impact that the Brexit negotiations will have on future U.K. leisure, tourism and entertainment business, following the separation from the European Economic Union.

A better representation of our industry's needs is in order.

To sign up for The Stinger Report, contact Kevin Williams at kwp@thestingerreport.com.

About Kevin Williams

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Along with advisory positions with other entrants into the market he is founder and publisher of the Stinger Report, “a-must-read” e-zine for those working or investing in the amusement, attractions and entertainment industry. He is a prolific writer and provides regular news columns for main trade publications. He also travels the globe as a keynote speaker, moderator and panelist at numerous industry conferences and events. Author of “The Out-of-Home Immersive Entertainment Frontier: Expanding Interactive Boundaries in Leisure Facilities,” the only book on this aspect of the market, with the second edition scheduled for a 2023 release. 

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