Sponsored by Intercard!
Sponsored by Alan-1!

On this week's show we trace where sportainment actually works for guests, where it slips into sports training, and how competitive socializing reshapes what operators buy and build. From CES signals and Meta’s retrenchment to EAG’s on-the-floor realities, we highlight tech that matters and formats that last.

• the split between competitive socializing and active t.24raining
• funding rounds in baseball and golf concepts
• GameStop closures as a cautionary signal for retail and LBE
• why memberships fit training-first facilities
• CES takeaways on AI glasses, AR, and VR positioning
• Meta pullback, studio closures, and investor sentiment
• hygiene and uptime wins with self-cleaning VR hardware
• EAG London trends: fewer novelties, stronger ROI focus
• DDR’s return and music games’ crowd power
• high-fidelity simulators and accessibility design
• AR shuffleboard, modern shooting galleries, projection golf
• the need for multi-activity mixes to drive dwell and spend
• upcoming talks at Amusement Expo and AWE

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Sponsored by Intercard!
Sponsored by Alan-1!

On this week's show, Clint Novak joins us for a Guest Gab in a high-energy tour of the LBE landscape anchored by Planet Novak’s rapid claw-arcade launch, clear payout strategy, and a staff-first service model that turns frustration into wins. We then scan global openings and boutique bowling’s rise with Kevin William, EAG’s standout machines with Adam Pratt, and three concrete ways to build local awareness that lasts with Chuck DeMonte.

• FEC Summit preview, sites, and wacky golf theme
• Brass Ring Award finalists across FEC and LBE
• Planet Novak build timeline, costs, and mall choice
• Linked screens, mini-games, and trade-up economics
• Staff empowerment to create first-win momentum
• Social media that spotlights the team and mascot
• Party design, lounge layout, and expansion ideas
• Openings and closures across bowling, VR, and FECs
• Topgolf’s growth versus stagnation risk
• EAG highlights: DDR World, Go Go Ducky, Neo Shuffle
• Fewer headsets, more practical simulators and sports
• Three steps to build sustained local awareness

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Sponsored by Intercard!
Sponsored by Alan-1!

On this week's show we walk through the biggest shifts in location-based entertainment—from 3D-printed maintenance and executive shakeups to immersive enclosures, data-driven operators, and a field report from Netflix House Dallas with concrete operational takeaways. The throughline: execution beats hype, and learning beats denial.

• Using local 3D printing to reduce downtime and cost
• Executive management turnover driving sudden strategic reversals
• Strong IP venues versus weak reskins and light theming
• Immersive enclosures gaining traction over long VR sessions
• Platform power as Fever moves from promoter to operator
• Repurposing large sites into social-competitive anchors
• Retail micro-LBE: crane machines in convenience stores
• Disney shifts from 3D to 2D for smoother ops
• Netflix House Dallas: layout, pricing, F&B, merch, fixes
• Clear rules for throughput, wayfinding, and payment design

Subscribe and visit LBX Collective for more!