 THE LAST WORD
David Peters
 Don't underestimate Dave Peters of Absolute Amusements. To think he is all fun
and games just because he has a great sense of humor and supplies the special event
industry with fun and games is to overlook a savvy businessman. Peters is tuned into the
knock of opportunity. When he hears it, he's sure to invite it in for a game of pool or a
keg race.
Since starting the Orlando, Florida-based interactive game rental firm in 1991, Peters
has aggressively acquired or merged vertically with companies that strengthen and
complement his business objectives. As one of the pioneers in special event games, a
youthful niche market in the special event industry, Peters is developing his own
distribution, manufacturing and repair divisions.
First, he purchased a game broker--HEC *--which
can develop and purchase games for Absolute Amusements as well as sell games to
clients. Next, he merged with a manufacturer of inflatable games. Both companies were
moved closer to Absolute
Amusements office and are run as separate entities that sell to, rent to
and hire one another. Peters also has become the U.S. rental distributor for Airstar, a
French company that makes oversized lighted balloons. And Peters recently purchased a
California company called Surf Systems, which produces Virtual Surfer and Virtual
Snowboarder. Through this venture, Peters is working on a CD version of Virtual
Snowboarder for Sony. To state the obvious, there is a lot going on.
*(NOTE: Since this article was originally
published, Dave Peters sold his shares of HEC, sitting differences in management
philosophy.)
But wait! There's more. After four years of working at it, Peters and others have
started an association for game companies that is now 120 members strong and aligned as
the rental division of Outdoor Amusement Business, a magazine and association.
Whether building companies or building an industry, it's safe to say that Peters is not
playing around.
MOST ASKED QUESTION:
HOW DID YOU GET INTO THIS BUSINESS?
"I used to be in the game room [or arcade] business, then left it to work on special
events. I love both and wanted to find a way to combine them. So, I bought a jukebox and,
within a few weeks, was getting calls for it. It was 1991, the Super Bowl was in Tampa,
and Orlando was getting business. Sports bars were a new theme and for that January,
basketball games, pool tables and Foosball were my life. We were getting a tremendous
amount of orders. In February, we officially opened for business. In the beginning, we
were thinking about servicing only Orlando. But I was advised to get the business settled
at home first, then find balance between work and life, then go national."
VIRTUALLY RENTAL
"With virtual reality games, we need tech staff at higher levels. We need a lot of
backup. When I buy a virtual golf game for something like $50,000, I also need to buy
$10,000 worth of parts, because you can't run down the street and get them. There are only
500 Virtual Batting games in the United States and only four available for rental. It's
all logistics, which is the rental business."
THE ULTIMATE GAME
"We are looking to buy, merge and create contracted alliances with other game
companies in other cities to combine talents. We have tried to open in other cities, but
have been unsuccessful*. It's easy to get clients, but hard to find the
right people to run the operation."
*(NOTE: Since this article was originally
published, Absolute Amusements has opened a successful office in Las Vegas, NV.)
MOST ASKED QUESTION BY HIS FATHER
"Sometimes this business cracks me up with the places we will go to find a game and
what we have to do to make it happen. When you are in New Zealand, looking at a keg racer,
you just know that Mom didn't say, 'Son, if only you could be a keg racer dude, I'd be
happy.' I'm still trying to explain to my parents what I do for a living. My father always
asks, 'And people pay you ... ?'" |
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