On June 23-24, Creative Works successfully held their first ever virtual Amusement 360 Event. In all, over 600 people registered, making it the largest 360 Event ever, and one of the largest virtual events that the industry has ever seen.

The Amusement 360 Event, which has been around since 2011, has always focused on helping aspiring and existing entertainment center operators gain the knowledge they need to make positive changes on their business.

“With the current pandemic, most of the events in our industry had to be cancelled,” commented Danny Gruening, our VP of Marketing. “We felt there was a need for education, so we pivoted to a virtual format. And we made registration free to make it easier on operators during these cash-strapped times.”

While we hosted the event from our home office near Indianapolis, attendees around the world were able to participate and soak up valuable knowledge from many industry experts.

The agenda included a wide range of entertainment topics. Day 1 focused on topics related to opening a new entertainment center, including project financing, attraction selection, facility design, hiring and training staff, leadership skills, and more.

The second day featured operator interview sessions that were valuable for existing businesses. The list of guests included Michael Browning (Urban Air Adventure Park), Eddie Hamann (Andretti Indoor Karting & Games), Phil Kaplan (GameWorks), Keri Little and Jenny Emley (High Five), Jay Trietley (Alley Cats), and Marc Wiese (Airway Fun Center). These experts also shared their thoughts on current situations surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, and helped operators create action plans for their businesses.

Although attendees were not able to gather together in person to socialize and share ideas, they still had plenty of chances to interact with event hosts, speakers, partners and fellow attendees.

“This event was life changing. Meeting new friends and learning from distinguished folks in the industry was just what I needed to keep going in the planning phase of my project!” said Julie Chandler, an attendee of the virtual event.

“Amusement 360 is an amazing resource for operators who want to learn from experts and industry leaders. The Creative Works team provides timely and topical information for FEC operators. The community of operators who share their experiences is fantastic,” commented another attendee, Chris Utgaard.

The next virtual Amusement 360 Event will take place on October 6-7. Visit amusement360.com for more information and to register now.