AMOA had a modest delegation at the AAMA events this week. Association President Donovan Fremin, Executive Vice President Jack Kelleher and the AMOA members of the Amusement Expo Show Committee: Past President Russ Mawdsley, Secretary Bobby Hogin and Vice Presidents Emily Dunn and Jerry Johnston were on hand for a meeting with their AAMA counterparts and to participate in some of the AAMA social/recreational events during the week.

Yesterday afternoon, AMOA's Show Committee delegates met for two-and-one-half hours with AAMA's committee members: Frank Cosentino, Bob Boals, Chris Felix and Holly Meidl to make plans for the March 14-16, 2012 AAMA-AMOA Amusement Expo in Las Vegas. Others at the gathering included Bill and Brian Glasgow from the show management firm, W.T. Glasgow, Inc., along with AAMA's John Margold, Rich Babich and John Schultz and AMOA's Donovan Fremin and Jack Kelleher.

In the weeks ahead, the Committee, along with the sub-committees focused on special areas such as education, marketing and charitable activities, will be getting together to prepare programs and activities for attendees and exhibitors of the 2012 event.

Since being formed in 1948, a core strength of your national trade association has been its volunteer leadership.

Today, the Board of Directors of the Amusement & Music Operators Association is comprised of 44 individuals: Operators and distributors from 27 states around the country.

One might think it would be a challenge to get such a large group of diverse, entrepreneurial business men and women to reach consensus on much of anything, and yet, almost always, AMOA's leadership has a unified voice.

That's not to say there aren't plenty of opinions — at times expressed strongly and passionately — by AMOA board members about issues affecting the industry, but when the dust settles and the discussion yields a decision, there is an understanding and acceptance that "majority rules."

The volume of volunteers on the AMOA board also generates ample and active participation on its many working committees. So many of my peers in other trade groups lament they can't find enough people — not only to help with the ongoing work of their organizations, but to fill positions of leadership.

According to one of the industry's most authoritative resources — the AMOA Membership Directory — there are some 37 states that have an organized state association.

AMOA is currently ramping up a "state outreach" campaign to encourage greater participation at its annual Council of Affiliated States meeting. For 2012, the annual gathering will be conducted Feb. 9-11 at the Wyndham Hotel in downtown Phoenix.

Considered one of the most valuable information-generating, networking-filled industry meetings of the year, the team planning next year's events are locked in on building upon the 22-25 states that have historically been represented at the event.

Aptly called the State Outreach Sub-Committee, its members are focused on contacting industry execs from states that have not had delegates at the meeting. This would include states that have no active organization representing their interests. During the past decade, AMOA — and the Council meeting specifically — have been instrumental in aiding in the creation of state groups from California, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arizona and Maryland.

If you operate or distribute equipment in a state with no industry organization — or are from a state that is not active and/or has not participated in the annual Council meeting, please contact Jerry Johnston, the AMOA vice president who is heading up this group. He can be reached at 541-688-1888 or at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

... the Grand Prize for the annual Hesch Scholarship Program fundraiser at next year's Amusement Expo will be a 2012 Ford Mustang! The slick new vehicle will be on display in the high-profile Hesch booth during the March 14-16 show in Las Vegas.

Sales for the 2012 raffle program at Expo are just underway. In addition to the Mustang, there are many prizes — mostly industry equipment and services donated by exhibitors and other participants — as part of the daily drawings conducted in the afternoon on each day of the show. The Mustang will be the final prize to be awarded as part of the 2012 Hesch scholarship raffle.