Joyce's Column: April

Now for further jottings from the recent Irish Gaming Show

I would like to thank all who donated raffle prizes/monies to the annual charity event held at the Irish Gaming Show the list is given below:

Sound Leisure  

Innovative Technology  

NSM  

Amusement Network  

UDC

RBW Systems 

E-Service

Dualtron 

7’s Above

BandaiNamco

GeWeTe

  Harry Levy Amusement Contractor

Crown Direct

World Of Rides

Instance Automatics

Crowne Plaza Hotel

Whitehouse Leisure

Dransfield Novelty Company

Electrocoin

Joyce Todd (Yes me)

I would also like to thank my transporter of all the prizes from the UK to Ireland namely  Carnaby’s Derek Lynch who ensures there is always room on their van for my prizes and for Derek’s employees! Chris the driver and Kevin who assists Chris with my prizes and then dons his collar and tie at the show and is on Carnaby’s stand on sales. It was a good to see Kevin win a raffle prize, and I believe his son is over the moon with the game he won.

Thanks once more to HC Terminals’ Bob Hepworth for acting as my MC (I couldn’t do without you Bob) and he had only returned from South Africa the day previous to the Irish Gaming Show but like the true trouper he is, he flew out to Dublin to the show Tuesday morning.

 Bandai Namco’s Chris Bell was a great help to me getting the raffle prizes from my room down to the Fahrenheit Suite and setting them up with me, thanks Chris, always the gentleman and you saved me a great deal of time and headache.

There would be no raffle if people did not support me with buying tickets, and I would like to say a big thank you to each and every one of you that buys tickets from me, and congratulations to the winners, and I hope you managed to get your prizes home in one piece.

I would also like to add thanks to Susan Feery and John Purcell the organisers of the Irish Gaming Show for their consistency in allowing the raffle to take place each year, John says that the raffle is as much a part of the show as the exhibition itself, and people look forward to it, so it looks like see you next year then folks for the raffle once more.

It was nice to see Paul Williams at the show, Paul is now with Dualtron (he was previously with Cummins Allison) he was full of enthusiasm about their products. Of course, the Irish Gaming Show suits Paul as he lives in Tipperary and he tells me he will be covering the whole of Ireland and he says that Dualtron are an excellent company offering great products, excellent after care service with engineers on tap so to speak 24/7. Mind you I think Dualtron are lucky to have Paul too as he is a great salesperson, and I would like to wish you good luck in your new venture Paul.

UDC’s Jonathan Lauder and Richard Crompton were good boys on the evening before the show they went off to bed – not together – but at the same time at around 10pm which was very early for anyone at the Irish show in fact unheard of. Who knows maybe they had some sense and were keeping themselves for a late one on the first evening of the show, or is it that they don’t quite have the stamina anymore!!

RBW’s Rob Wheeler went with his son to the tourist area of Temple Bar and after a couple of pints or so of the black stuff (Guinness) decided to go and eat, and Rob tells me it was the best Corned Beef he had ever tasted, and says if he returns to Dublin again, he will be definitely be back for more of the Corned Beef and even though he didn’t say this, I am sure he will be back for more Guinness too.

SB Machines Paulo and Gino Sidoli made a welcome return visit back to the Irish show after several years of absence, they used to exhibit in the days of the Green Isle which of course was many moons ago. They came on a ‘Recce’ to the show and were impressed, and say they might even consider exhibiting next year, and I can assure you that you will both be very welcome back into the fold.

It was good to see other show organisers at the event, namely Karen Codd and her husband Billy of Swan Events who we all know organises ACOS and BACTA’s Niki Lazenby and Martin Burlin organisers of EAG, Niki and Martin attended the show in 2023 but only for the day, this year they had the sense to stay over and enjoy the show in a more relaxed atmosphere not all rush. I hope you all enjoyed the show and I know that some of you certainly made the most of your time there and a deal of alcohol was consumed. On the return flight home Karen and Billy were with Steph Norbury and they sat in the aircraft on the runway in Dublin for 2 hours, I still don’t know the reason behind this despite my asking.

Robert Clarke of GeWeTe was again first to buy raffle tickets, and I am pleased to say that he won a prize this year, Robert is first every year to buy my tickets in fact he looks for me and is always willing to put his hand in his pocket to buy tickets.

Staying with GeWeTe I always thought that Mark Edmundson was a guy that butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth, but it is amazing what you find out, just ask him about Priority Passes at the airport, I won’t tell you about them, all I will say is that butter does melt in his mouth!!

 NSM’s Martin Agabeg and Alex Kirby  were working hard at the show!! They were enjoying themselves on racing bikes in between selling products on their own stand, I don’t know who won the sad thing was not to see the two boys in their leathers!!

Nice to see Ron Vinson there apparently it was HC Terminals Bob Hepworth that persuaded Ron to make a return visit after a few years of absence, our Bob can be very persuasive when he wants to be, but I am pleased he managed to persuade you to attend Ron. Many years ago, in the early days of the Green Isle Hotel Ron and I used to sit up with a crowd until the very early hours of the morning enjoying alcohol of course and great Irish craic, in fact it was known that we were still there when the staff came in to the hotel to start preparing f breakfasts. Ron, those really were the great fun days in our wonderful industry, and at least we can say we did enjoy them, even though we might not be able to do quite the same now, not only has the industry changed but we have also changed too.

In my next chat column in May I will give you details on a surprise retirement party for one of our well known industry colleagues and I was privy to attend this fabulous party.

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10 April 2024

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