LBX Collective

Brandon Willey

5.0 (1)
Business
Updated Daily

The LBX Collective aims to inform and educate, create opportunities to connect with industry peers, and to spur collaboration, discourse, and cross-pollination of ideas in the location-based entertainment and experience industry.Join our online community at LBXGalaxy.com! Proudly sponsored by Intercard!

1d ago

Stinger Report #1278 - Amusement Projecting Change!

Coverage points to a sector in transition: sportstainment and competitive socializing venues are adding arcade and retro amusement to diversify revenues and refresh propositions. Topgolf, Swingers and others are testing hardware mixes, while multicades and revived Atari titles signal interest in IP. Projection mapping and spatial augmented reality are emerging as layers across pool, ping-pong, mini-golf, darts, bowling, floors and karting, with tracking and gamification driving repeat play. However, the Suzo-Happ shutdown exposes fragility in supplier infrastructure, raising concerns about parts, service and cascading disruption. Investors should watch adoption, IP compliance, and economics as operators balance innovation against execution risk. Subscribe and visit LBX Collective for more!
1d ago

Sound Off #133 - AI Slop Invasion in LBE, Zero Latency's XR Report, & More!

Sponsored by Intercard! Sponsored by PartyPing! On this week's show we challenge the idea that buying new machines automatically upgrades a venue, then get specific about how placement, spectator flow, and screen control shape revenue and repeat visits. We also trace the latest moves across sportstainment, competitive socializing, VR and XR, and end with a blunt warning about AI hype, sloppy branding, and hallucinated research. • floor layout choices that prioritize guest flow over power outlets • using oversized game displays for spectatorship and on-site signage • new executive moves across parks, merchandising, and VR brands • Golfzon’s Golf City concept and what hybrid golf signals for sportstainment • Topgolf’s push for committed repeat golfers and the operational reset it implies • investment and expansion signals from Flight Club, Market Hall, and other hospitality hybrids • cautionary lessons from thinly themed, low-staff arcade rollouts • new attraction bets from Five Nights at Freddy’s to electric bikes and escape rooms in kart venues • XR momentum including Apple Vision Pro trials and the need for measurable performance data • consumer research takeaways on AI search, families, and title fatigue • where AI helps operations and where it damages trust through slop and hallucinations Subscribe and visit LBX Collective for more!
6d ago

Entertainment Social Arena #22 - The Growing Social Explosion

This report highlights key trends in the evolving multi-activity entertainment landscape, emphasizing significant investments in “Mixed Use Leisure Entertainment” (MULE) venues designed to boost dwell time and repeat visits through diverse attractions like electric go-karts, immersive gaming, and social experiences. Major players such as Gravity Active Entertainment, Hollywood Bowl, and Little Lion Entertainment are expanding their offerings with celebrity partnerships, immersive IP, and innovative food concepts like Japanese food halls. The social entertainment sector is also integrating celebrity-branded food and beverage experiences, exemplified by Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken and Danny Trejo’s Trejo’s Tacos, aiming to enhance customer engagement. Meanwhile, new entrants like Five Iron Golf and Round1 USA are focusing on premium golf simulators and food halls, signaling a strategic shift toward multi-layered leisure ecosystems for leading investors. Subscribe and visit LBX Collective for more!
Aug 11

Sound Off #132 - D&B's CEO Out, Funlab’s Playback96 Vibe, & More!

Sponsored by Intercard! Sponsored by PartyPing! On this week's show we track the pressure building in location-based entertainment as big concepts face real revenue tests and executive shakeups start piling up. We weigh what’s hype versus what’s profitable across competitive socializing, brand activations, immersive art, and the next wave of mixed-use venues. • boardroom “panic” signals as major chains try to pivot concepts that are not hitting targets • staycations, glamping, and climate risk reshaping demand for regional entertainment • Saudi PIF acquisition of Electronic Arts and what gaming IP means for LBE • Disney earnings takeaways and why attendance softening matters • C-suite departures across the sector and how to read press release language • Dave & Buster’s CEO resignation, internal succession, and the missing CFO backfill • Immersive Game Box shifting to a standalone platform model • Hollywood Bowl and Splitsville growth plus boutique reinvestment • Minecraft touring visitation claims and the profitability question • Malaysia’s GameOn as a blueprint for theming and attraction clustering • Round1’s Japanese food hall as a food-led traffic strategy • Candy Hall of Fame as retailtainment and association-led brand promotion • Wake the Tiger’s immersive art rollout and the “one-and-done” concern • Launch Entertainment’s smaller format gamble for franchisees • Evo Entertainment’s record weekend and the “come for films, stay for play” model • Brogent buying Flyover assets and the shift to owning operations • Funlab’s Playback96 and why vibe is now a core product Subscribe and visit LBX Collective for more!
Aug 11

Entertainment Social Arena #21 - Social Reality Revolution

Competitive socializing faces a pivotal reset as high-profile failures, fresh investment, and evolving concepts reshape the sector. The collapse of cricket-themed chain SIXES, marked by closures, debt exposure, and a flawed business model, highlights structural risks despite prior backing and celebrity involvement. Meanwhile, capital continues to flow into scalable concepts, with Level99 securing major funding and aggressive expansion plans. In contrast, arcade-led operators like NQ64 and independent venues such as The Lucky Goat signal demand for flexible, lower-risk entertainment formats. Across both social and active entertainment, investors are prioritizing adaptability, franchise viability, and diversified offerings in an increasingly crowded and competitive market. Subscribe and visit LBX Collective for more!
Aug 9

The LBX Show #88 - AI Surfing Gamification, Mark Flood on SMS, & More!

Sponsored by Intercard! Sponsored by PartyPing! On this week's show we look at how small, well-timed moves create outsized results in location-based entertainment, from Halloween turning into a full season to AI-driven gamification that pushes repeat visits. We also get tactical on birthday party marketing, including why SMS works only when it feels personal, relevant, and restrained. • Intercard events and how to use vendor experts as resources • IAAPA FEC Scholarship details and who should apply • Season five changes, upcoming schedule and suggestion box link • Halloween as a long promotion cycle with earlier pre-sales • AI gamification in surf parks using scoring, achievements and leaderboards • Birthday party economics and why empty rooms are expensive • SMS versus email differences, with frequency and relevance rules • PartyPing approach with personalized birthday outreach and low operator effort • Openings and closures across LBE, including VR growth and retro concepts • Closures tied to leases, gentrification and market repositioning Subscribe and visit LBX Collective for more!
Aug 4

The Stinger Report #1277 - Amusement Theme Parks Return?

The evolving tech landscape reveals a shift from consumer VR to AI-powered smart glasses, with major players like Apple pivoting away from VR headsets due to pricing and market challenges, focusing instead on AI eyewear. Privacy concerns, exemplified by Meta’s aborted AI app ‘Muse,’ threaten to undermine smart glasses adoption, while Lenovo’s exit from XR enterprise signals industry contraction. Meanwhile, SEGA’s Joypolis celebrates its 30th anniversary, highlighting the enduring appeal of mixed-use leisure entertainment concepts. The amusement sector is witnessing increased facility investments, exemplified by SAI’s strategic push into venue development, signaling a broader move toward immersive, integrated leisure experiences for leading investors. Subscribe and visit LBX Collective for more!
Aug 4

Sound Off #131 - Staytainment growth, Suzohapp closure?, Gamification, & more!

Sponsored by Intercard! Sponsored by PartyPing! On this week's show we argue that today’s guests want agency and creation, which forces location-based entertainment to embrace real gamification instead of bolt-on gimmicks. We also break down the week’s biggest market signals, from travel slowdowns and brand expansions to tech pivots that can reshape operations overnight. • gamification as an operational pivot, not a few arcade machines • why passive experiential venues risk falling behind purchase consideration • softening theme park numbers and what staytainment means for local venues • tourism shifts, national parks strength, and the Canadian travel drop-off • Level 99’s $100M raise and the challenge of executing at scale • Timemission’s expansion plans and the limits of purely data-led site selection • Launch’s rebrand into family entertainment and the risk of unproven small footprints • Topgolf’s arcade add-on debate and the case for integrated play • Five Iron Golf UK’s London entry and the fight for a clear USP • celebrity food pop-ups as a lever for repeat visitation • Suzohapp’s apparent closure and what vendor instability means for operators • transmedia deals, XR platform shifts, and why content refresh wins • AI smart glasses privacy backlash and Apple’s decision to wait Subscribe and visit LBX Collective for more!

The LBX Collective aims to inform and educate, create opportunities to connect with industry peers, and to spur collaboration, discourse, and cross-pollination of ideas in the location-based entertainment and experience industry.Join our online community at LBXGalaxy.com! Proudly sponsored by Intercard!

Creator

Brandon Willey
Years Active

2023 - 2026
Episodes

591
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026 LBX Collective
Show Website

LBX Collective