October 3, 2024 - Creative Works concluded its final Amusement 360 Event of 2024, an educational industry event that placed a primary emphasis on uplifting the way operators cater to both their staff and guests.

The event took place from September 10th to 12th, in Indianapolis, Indiana and brought more than 120 new startups and existing operators, an event record. The theme for this year's Amusement 360 was HERO, celebrating the important role FEC operators play in creating spaces for people to celebrate, escape, and forge lasting memories together.

The event included educational presentations from top experts in the amusement industry. The topics ranged from financing and architecture to group sales, guest engagement, leadership, and food & beverage.

Amusement 360 featured a returning favorite, Scott Harvey, as the keynote speaker. Scott is a former FBI-trained hostage negotiator who shared powerful stories from his career to educate attendees on the value of effective communication skills with employees and customers.

In addition to the educational presentations, Amusement 360 included in-depth operator interviews, giving attendees an exclusive glimpse into the practices of businesses that have achieved remarkable success. Those interviews featured Jenny Emley from High Five, Chris Albano of Stars & Strikes, and Dennis McIntire from B&B Theatres.

The full list of speakers at the event included:

• Armando Lanuti, Creative Works
• Danny Gruening, Creative Works
• Russ Van Natta, Creative Works
• Kimberly Schilling, Creative Works
• Kashif Ahmad, Embed
• Chris Albano, Stars & Strikes
• Britannie Betti, Betson
• Jenny Emley, High Five
• Scott Harvey, Speaking of Harvey
• Sherry Howell, CenterEdge Software 
• Adam Kleinhenz, Shaffer Distributing 
• Kevin Lonzo, Lonzo Law 
• Kevin Loughery, Prospr Communications 
• Dennis McIntire, B&B Theatres 
• Jerry Merola, Amusement Entertainment Management 
• Frank Price, FL Price 
• Beth Standlee, TrainerTainment 
• Sarah Vigil, Trifecta Management 
• David Wallace, Turfway Entertainment 
• Jason Wistreich, JKRP Architects

According to survey results from attendees at the last event, 100% of respondents reported learning valuable insights that significantly boosted their revenue and improved profitability.

Renee Dixon, an attendee, praised the opportunity to connect with industry peers, saying, “The 2.5 days that I have spent at this event has been a life changer for me. I am blessed tremendously to have had an opportunity to be in rooms with so many amazing people that are like-minded.”

Weston Monson added, “I met so many operators dealing with similar problems as our facility. We were able to solution swap and brainstorm together to improve. The networking opportunity is invaluable.”

The 2025 dates for Amusement 360 have been slated for May 6-8 and September 16-18. The full agenda and registration for 2025 will be announced later this year, and that information will be shared on the official Amusement 360 Event website at https://amusement360.com/event/