ShowUp Conference schedule announced

ShowUp- the new social convention and trade show for family entertainment centers released their education schedule. It’s shaping up to be a very different conference for the location-based entertainment industry. More than half the speakers have never presented at an amusement industry conference before. Organizer Bob Cooney promised new voices, and he’s undoubtedly delivering. The conference covers three days and features more than 40 sessions and at least four new product launches.

“Saying this has been a difficult year for our industry is the understatement of the century,” commented Bob Cooney, show founder and Master of Ceremonies. “We’ve had plenty of discussion on how to survive the pandemic. Now it’s time to talk about what’s coming in the future. There’s so much to be excited about.

“The collision of rapidly changing consumer trends and accelerating adoption of emerging technology is creating massive disruption and opportunity for location-based entertainment. I want to educate the amusement operator community so they can prepare for the near future. One only needs to look at the movie theater business to see a stark example of what happens when operators don’t stay ahead of consumer and tech trends.”

More than 80 speakers have agreed to share and collaborate with family entertainment center owners, operators and managers over three days of sessions. While the conference focuses on the future of the FEC market, each day has a specific theme:

• Day 1 focuses on new revenue streams, business models, and go-to-market strategies. Innovators will be sharing their strategies for increased revenue and profitability during and after the pandemic.
• Day 2 covers the impact of emerging technology on entertainment attractions. Attendees will explore how augmented reality, 5G, live-streaming and esports, open opportunities for increasing frequency of visits and recurring revenue streams.
• Day 3 delves into changing consumer trends, featuring Joe Pine. We discuss the future of The Experience Economy; how the desire for transformational experiences creates opportunities for family entertainment centers.

Each day will start with a broad array of panel discussions and keynote presentations arranged around that day’s theme.  Attendees then move into The Carousel of Learning, a multi-session immersive experience centered around a critical topic. The ‘Carousel’ starts with an expert panel or keynote, followed by audience Q&A. Attendees are given a few topical questions to meet other participants in a Speed Reflection. Everyone then joins moderated roundtables for collaborative discussion, followed by a reflection on the stage where the roundtable moderators share insights from each table. Before things wrap for the day, attendees meet with their Tribe of Five, their small working groups to create an action and accountability plan. The Carousel of Learning is inspired by Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle, which suggests learners need to experience, reflect, conceptualize and test.

ShowUp is the new social convention and product launch platform for the location-based entertainment industry. Its inaugural trade show will run from February 1-3, 2021, featuring 80 speakers and more than 40 exhibitors showcasing solutions to the problems faced by today’s family entertainment center operators. ShowUp was founded by virtual keynote speaker Bob Cooney, human-centered design expert Kylie Savage, and trade show veteran Chris Albaugh.