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!

4H AGO

The LBX Show #63 - Brass Ring Winners, BW rants about IP, and more!

Sponsored by Intercard! Sponsored by Alan-1! On this week's show we break down the IAPPA Brass Ring winners, why Hupalupa’s guest-first design stands out, and whether an immersive museum belongs in LBE. We unpack CEC’s CEO shift, BW rants about costly IP skins on proven earners, and scan global openings from VR arenas to clawcades and F1’s mega play in Vegas. • Brass Ring wins for FEC and LBE, with Hupalupa praised and Deutschlandmuseum LBE classification questioned • Hupalupa's layout, videos, and clear attraction mix driving pre-visit intent • CEC leadership change from David McKillips to Scott Drake and expansion goals • Skeptical take on branded clones like Ghostbusters wheel vs Big Bass Wheel • Sandbox VR Italy adding cocktail robots to lift per caps • Twist VR’s market fit in Palm Desert and Zero Latency inclusion • Experience Factory’s karting-plus model and Timemission tie-ins • Grand Prix Plaza as a brand-led entertainment platform • Clawcades scaling with social media and local activations • Dave and Buster’s Dominican Republic launch and mix choices • Resorts layering competitive socializing into captive-audience hubs • Cinema closures versus cinetainment resilience • Wahlap’s china footprint, asi teasers, and the importance of build quality • Alan-1’s pepper’s ghost cabinets and retro-tech comeback • Enter the gungeon support ending and lessons on industrial-grade hardware Subscribe and visit LBX Collective for more!

54 min
5D AGO

Sound Off #108 - Meta's VR Retreat, Genda's M&A strategy, and more!

Sponsored by Intercard! Sponsored by Alan-1! On this week's show we weigh Meta’s VR retreat against the strength of premium, social LBE VR, then follow the money through rebrands, mergers, and a wave of manufacturers turning operator. Along the way we call out hard lessons on platform risk, event-led activations, and how edutainment sustains repeat visits. • Meta reduces VR spend, LBE VR value remains distinct • Risks of building on consumer headsets and walled gardens • Amazon Go’s closure and pragmatic automation for venues • Merlin’s new branding and strategy signal watching • Manufacturers entering operations for recurring revenue • Genda’s layered acquisitions and market impact • Phantom Peak expansion and season-driven loyalty • Competitive socializing formats and funding momentum • Atari hotel pullback in Vegas, IP applied to scalable formats • Airports adding arcades and the upkeep reality • Virtuix Omni’s Nasdaq listing and LBE implications • Pop-up Toca Social sports bays ahead of the 2026 World Cup • Shuffleboard tech clarification and Shuffly launches • Amusement Expo session on social entertainment’s impact • AWE presence urged for LBE XR operators Subscribe and visit LBX Collective for more!

53 min
FEB 2

The LBX Show #62 - Dollywood Host Tributes, Cornhole Golf TikTok, & more!

Sponsored by Intercard! Sponsored by Alan-1! On this week's show we scan the FEC and arcade landscape with fresh openings, smart marketing examples, and cautionary tales that point to what actually drives repeat visits and revenue. From Cornhole Golf’s TikTok playbook to archery dodgeball and Dollywood’s employee storytelling, the lesson is design for people, not just hardware. • KartNation POS Winter Summit details and takeaways • Cornhole Golf’s seasonal TikTok strategy and why it works • Sherwood's Archery dodgeball format and pricing • Dollywood’s poster tributes to their hosts and retention lessons • Swingers growth and the claw lounge wave • VR venue viability and curation realities • Nickelodeon Play Istanbul and the age-to-IP mix challenge • Hologram Zoo’s franchise model and questionable repeatability • Airport free-play arcades and maintenance pressure • Bowling M&A, closures, and brand resets • New arcade releases from LAI and Bandai Namco • Game design balance: fairness, pacing, and polish Subscribe and visit LBX Collective for more!

56 min
JAN 27

Sound Off #107 - Party Booking AI Agents, Disney pivots, Padel LBE, & more!

Sponsored by Intercard! Sponsored by Alan-1! On this week's show we look at how AI agents now handle first-contact birthday party and corporate bookings, why you still need skilled closers, and what that means for conversion and margins. We also unpack Disney’s pivot toward original-trilogy Star Wars, leadership moves in FEC chains, the pickleball and padel ceiling, soccer tech venue competition, and a new 360‑motion VR platform built for LBE. • AI agents qualifying party and group sales • why human closers still decide the outcome • filtering tire kickers and surfacing real budgets • Disney’s Star Wars parks shifting back to originals • leadership changes at Family Entertainment Group • techno pickleball hype, naming pitfalls, weak dwell • Crossbar vs Toca Social and membership pivots • the case for wow‑factor XR and 360 motion VR • upcoming Amusement Expo and AWE plans Subscribe and visit LBX Collective for more!

45 min
JAN 26

The LBX Show #61 - Barry Zelickson Guest Gab, LBE vs FEC Debate, & more!

Sponsored by Intercard! Sponsored by Alan-1! On this week's show we unpack Area 15’s phase two expansion, then go deep with Fun Across America's Barry Zelickson on how IAAPA Brass Ring FEC/LBE of the Year awards are decided and what sets finalists apart. The back half tackles LBE category confusion, market openings with Kevin Williams, and the ruthless math of pricing and relevance. • Area 15 phase two and three expansions • Why Miniso at Area 15 prompts curation questions • How judges score FECs and LBEs across operations, tech and brand • Hupalupa’s multi-zone design and digital wayfinding • Spy Ninjas HQ’s IP-led differentiation and fruit slicing rage room • Hall You Need’s BitPong and premium social play • Debating LBE categories: wheel, museum, escape rooms • Openings: shuffle, darts, VR, casino mini golf, nightlife hybrids • Naming and SEO pitfalls that hurt discovery • Pricing discipline, time limits and avoiding undercharging Subscribe and visit LBX Collective for more!

1 hr
JAN 20

Sound Off #106 - Sporttainment’s Fork In The Road, EAG Trends, and more!

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 Subscribe and visit LBX Collective for more!

52 min
JAN 19

The LBX Show #60 - Clint Novak's new Clawcade, EAG Review, and more!

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 Subscribe and visit LBX Collective for more!

1h 30m
JAN 13

Sound Off #105 - Netflix House Dallas review, 3D printing spare parts, & more!

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!

1h 10m

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

511
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026 LBX Collective
Show Website

LBX Collective