DALLAS, 25 November 2024 – Embed, the world’s FEC tech partner of choice for the amusement, entertainment, and leisure industries, sets a new bar at this year’s IAAPA Expo in Orlando, Florida—holding an industry-first, TED Talk-style Embed Connect Summit as a testament to Embed’s customer-centricity and commitment to layering value for members of the Embed family, with peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and cross-pollination of ideas before stepping on the IAAPA trade show floor, topped off with Embed’s annual after-party.

Embed Connect Summit

To kick off the IAAPA week, Embed hosted its premier Embed Connect Summit a day before IAAPA at Andretti Indoor Karting & Games to bring the industry’s best FEC operators, mavericks, and fun crusaders together:

“We’re so humbled with the amazing turnout at our first-ever Embed Connect Summit exclusive to members of the Embed family of FECs!” shares Renee Welsh, CEO at Embed. “The participants had different reasons for attending, and everyone enjoyed the fantastic keynote speakers, freebies from our Bonus Bar, breakout sessions covering tips & tricks to maximise their Embed system, all-day complimentary food and beverages, and the magic of networking with the industry’s best of the best.”

Attendees learned from a wide range of topics—from Creating “Popsicle Moments” with Service Innovations in Hospitality (Darren Ross, TEDx Talks Speaker & Chief Executive at Service Freak Hospitality), Getting Big Savings and Cutting Losses on Payment Processing Systems (Mitchell Thompson, Enterprise Sales Manager at Windcave with Embed’s Payment Gateway Guru Jeremy Dickamore), to Tech & Sociological Trends in Media & Entertainment, Sports & Games (Jeff Zabel, Strategic Business Development – Immersive Experiences at Amazon Web Services).

The cross-pollination of ideas and best practices sharing also covered how to leverage the Embed system with key strategies for revenue growth and cashing in on cashless with Mobile Wallet adoption-to-advantage journey, with Sara Paz (Embed’s CMO & Growth Officer). And no training event is complete without the industry’s training and coaching icon, Beth Standlee (Founder and CEO of TrainerTainment and President of the AAMA Board of Directors) closing the grand event.

CMO & Growth Officer Sara Paz says: “The Embed family got to enjoy complimentary payment processing consultations, free GoTrain™ staff training, limited-time offers on SaaS solutions, Embed eSHOP access, and free game cards and wearables at our Bonus Bar. This is all thanks to the dedicated Embed Success Squad™— consultants, industry experts, payment gateway gurus, training professionals, and SaaS experts—who painstakingly work to continue layering value to our solutions so customers can maximise their Embed system for transformational growth.”

The Embed team helmed the Embed Family Speed Networking session where operators can rub elbows and knowledge transfer with industry giants like Dave & Buster’s, tech partners, and industry partners.

“It’s the first Embed Connect Summit, and for their first, it was world-class with excellent speakers — an exceptional event! I know the amount of work that goes into these types of events, so ‘WELL DONE, Embed!’ It was a balanced educational Summit of info you need about the Embed system and digital tech market trends (AWS), and TEDx Talk speaker and service expert. And the focus was on me, the customer,” shares Bo Summers of Red Apple Bowling Center.

This event will not be possible without Embed’s network of strategic partners who sponsored every element and touchpoint: AWS and Windcave (Title Sponsors); MTL and OPP IOT (Silver Sponsors); Cirtronix, DFI, and Redyref (Bronze Sponsors); and InterGame, Andretti Indoor Karting & Games, The Events Network, Sugar Pop Productions, Alpha Graphics, and Kobe Creations (Supporting Sponsors).

Trade Show & After-Party

To continue the momentum started at the Embed Connect Summit, Embed conducted complimentary payment processing consultations on the show floor, helping operators cut costs on their fluctuating card processing fees and take advantage of the savings they can get by simply changing their payment provider. Payment Gateway Guru Jeremy Dickamore says: “We’re so privileged to be trusted by our operators to analyse their bank statements and see how we can help them avoid losing 40% of their revenue to payment processing fees. Our mission is to raise awareness in the industry that ‘thinking twice’ about their current rates will get them bigger savings for future expansions.”

Embed also showcased its roster of integrated hardware and software solutions, like the award-winning Mobile Wallet, the new smartTOUCH+, KIOSK+, BOOKINGS, STATS business intelligence dashboard powered by AWS, and its full range of game cards and wearable media at the Embed Bling Trunk. Prospects and customers enjoyed demos over drinks at daily Happy Hour events at the booth, plus unlocking IAAPA-exclusive offers with their visit.

Embed Mavericks capped IAAPA Day 1 with an after-party at long-time customer venue, Dave & Buster’s, sharing good food, drinks, trade secrets, and good times with members of the Embed family, new customers, prospects, friends, and industry partners.

Catch the Embed team next at the EAG International Expo from January 14 to 16, 2025 in London, United Kingdom. For the full trade show schedule, click here.