Amusement & Music Operators Association

For most of this week, the membership and leadership of the American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA) conducted meetings and hosted a series of social/networking programs, culminating with last evening's Distributor Gala.

The group's gathering, presided over by Chairman John Margold, included planning sessions of its Steering, Membership, Industry Promotion and Government Relations Committees, as well as the AAMA and its Charitable Foundation Board of Directors.

AMOA, which co-owns the annual Amusement Expo with AAMA, also participated in a meeting aimed at enhancing the industry trade show. AMOA President Andy Shaffer, First Vice President John Pascaretti and Executive Vice President Jack Kelleher joined AAMA's Rich Babich, Chris Felix and John Schultz, along with show manager Brian Glasgow, in discussing ways to improve the united spring coin-op show.

A new feature of this year's AAMA meeting, which was held at the Wyndham Hotel in the western Chicago suburb of Lisle, were "Manufacturer Presentations" that provided one-on-one interaction between factory execs and participating distributors.

Evening activities included a barbeque and bowling, a welcoming dinner and the Gala. At the festive reception and buffet dinner, recently-retired trade show manager Bill Glasgow, Sr., was the recipient of the prestigious AAMA Joe Robbins Award.