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Phil DeAngelo is president of the International Association of Family Entertainment Centers, a director of the New Jersey Amusement Association, and is the director of the Oglebay Entertainment Business Institute at the Oglebay Resort and Conference Center in Wheeling, West Virginia. DeAngelo is also a project coordinator with Family Golf Centers, Inc., based in Melville, New York. FGCI is a multifaceted leisure and entertainment company that owns and operates 150-plus practice golf facilities, ice skating facilities, and family entertainment centers. ESP is pleased to welcome Phil to our editorial advisory board, the ESP Brain Trust, and as a contributor to the magazine.

"Baby, You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet"
Al Jolsen

That's right. Ya just gotta believe in what's happening in the leisure and entertainment business today. Ya just gotta believe in our economy and in America. Ya just gotta believe that the leisure, entertainment and recreation business is the most exciting and electrifying industry on earth. And if you're a developer, investor, supplier or operator that is part of the serious business of "fun," then "Baby, You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet."

As president of the International Association of Family Entertainment Centers (IAFEC), which is a worldwide organization that serves the needs of developers, suppliers and operators in the family leisure and entertainment industry, I am able to assist our membership as well as network and integrate their requests and needs with potential new sources. IAFEC is recognized as the leading and driving force in the leisure and entertainment industry. We are a "lean, mean, service-oriented machine" that is aggressive and energetic; we are dedicated to leading the leisure and entertainment industry today and into the new millennium; we are knowledgeable yet still know the importance of continuing to listen and learn; we are keenly aware that while we are an operator-driven organization, we also recognize the importance of the balance required between operator, developer and supplier. Recognizing these entities allows IAFEC to play the role of bringing these "players" together.

Part of the IAFEC network, and a major source of information and collaboration, FUN EXPO is the largest exhibit and conference trade show that specifically focuses on family-oriented developers, suppliers and operators. I can't think of a better way to express the importance of this show to industry professionals than to say, "Just do it!"

Fun Expo in Las Vegas, September 23-25 at the Sands Convention Center, is a "Must See! Must Do! Can't Miss!" event of the year. No other show in 1999 will present a better opportunity, a more attentive and receptive environment, and a more fun and friendly group of colleagues than this year's FUN EXPO. You've just got to be there.

Jolsen immortalized the words, but the leisure and entertainment industry is putting the words into action. Just a few examples, such as Disney's DisneyQuest and ESPN projects, the great successes of Dave & Buster's, Jeepers, and Jillian's, are all signs that the fun industry is alive and well and the future has all of the excitement and exhilaration of a Barnum & Bailey extravaganza. In fact, forget the circus – we're the "Greatest Show on Earth."

The loophole we need to address, and I believe we can do this effectively through ESP and IAFEC, is the marriage of the hundreds of operators (the retailers) with the developers (the opportunities). Projects being developed today are textbook examples of how the future of leisure, entertainment, shopping, dining, and who knows what else will evolve as our ships set sail into the next century.

ESP, IAFEC and FUN EXPO have already begun the process of closing the knowledge and networking gap that may exist between operator and developer. The results could be fantastic as each find in each other the opportunities to create and develop new fun-filled, multifaceted environments that bring the combined synergies of entertainment and retailing together on a new and higher level.

With all of this happening, ya just gotta believe in the serious business of fun. We're the folks that exemplify the four basic cornerstones for success: courage (to grab for the brass ring); entrepreneurship (we let the creative juices flow); hard work (if you don't have it, forget it); and belief (it truly is fun to work and play in our industry). Regardless of whether you're on the operator side or the developer side of the leisure and entertainment industry and where it is heading, "Baby, you ain't seen nothin' yet!"