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In-depth interview with Embed’s CEO, Renee Welsh

Transforming the business of fun since 2001, Embed, the ultimate cashless solutions provider for the amusement, entertainment, and leisure industries is set to bring their latest breakthrough innovations to the IAAPA Expo Europe show in London, United Kingdom on September 13 to 15.

With over 1,000 customers and more than 3,000 installations around the world, Embed is equipped and ready to empower family entertainment center (FEC) businesses in Europe and UK.

Here is Embed’s CEO, Renee Welsh, to talk about this industry-leading business:

Talk us through Embed and its offering.

As a company, we have deep roots in the family entertainment space dating back to 1956. We have a rich legacy as innovators and pioneers and we intend to keep it that way – this is why we continuously develop breakthrough innovations that will shape the business of fun through increasing profitability while lowering costs.

Speaking of innovations, we offer an integrated cashless solution made up of hardware - such as kiosks, arcade game card readers, and RFID wearable media - and a software suite branded TOOLKIT. We also have Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions that feature events and bookings platforms, and central reports, to name a few.

What sets Embed apart from its competitors?

As we keep a finger on the pulse of trends as industry insiders, we partner with the likes of Amazon Web Services (AWS) for our SaaS solutions; Apple and Google to for our mobile solutions. These industry titans give us access to their pilot technology, allowing us to experiment and test how such transformational tech can be applicable to family entertainment centers.

In fact, in 2019, we launch the award-winning Mobile Wallet – a virtual game card that sits in guests’ Apple Wallet or Google Pay, enabling them to top-up or reload without leaving the game – which means non-stop revenue for the operator. The Mobile Wallet is still the only Apple and Google-certified mobile solution in the industry since its launch, and is in an entirely new tech category for the industry.

Our SaaS solutions use AWS in the backend. Just recently, we launched EVENTS – an end-to-end publishing-to-payment events marketing platform that allows guests to sync their personal digital calendars to an FEC’s calendar and promotions.

Do you believe the move to cashless payments is crucial for the future of the arcade industry?

Without question, it’s an immutable force. It was evident how the family entertainment industry was slow to digitalize by embracing technology business solutions to run its businesses. FECs were still bound by semi-manual processes, usually centered on POS systems, which are inflexible and impact the consumer experience. As digitalization eliminates overlaps, gaps, and errors in processes and operations, cashless solutions also prove to be maximizers of operational efficiency when it comes to costs, maintenance, manpower, and eliminates hurdles to growing revenue. This is exactly what we promise to deliver through our integrated hardware and software solutions.

Zooming in on the EMEA region, we are lucky to be at the forefront of the tech transition of business processes from coins to cashless in Europe. For a region rich in tradition that still includes regular use of physical currencies in daily transactions, we are in a position to be partners for those who are ready to take a plunge into the era of digitalization and cashless through the use of Embed’s tech of transformation.

Will cashless revolutionise the sector and result in new innovative tech?

Absolutely! Today’s tech will ultimately pave the way for the tech of tomorrow where operations will be revolutionized, the consumer journey is reshaped, and the revenue landscape is expanded in ways we have never imagined.

Can you tell us more about the innovative tech such as KIOSK+ and smartTOUCH that you will be demonstrating at IAAPA Expo Europe?

We’re excited to showcase our breakthrough innovations at IAAPA Expo Europe this September! For one, our cutting-edge KIOSK+ has the smallest footprint versus other kiosks in the industry. It’s smart and sleek design also features an expandable modularity – it has a removable screen and base! This dramatically changes what operators expect from their solutions providers – no more bulky and space-consuming hardware. KIOSK+ allows FECs to maximize their game room floor revenue per square foot.

We will also feature our smartTOUCH game card readers that comes in tap or swipe configurations. What’s incredible is that guests can also use their Mobile Wallet game card on the readers! Cashless card readers also eliminates coin and ticket jams, which then lowers operational and maintenance costs and manhours of troubleshooting. Aside from these two, we will champion our full range of wearable media.

And there’s more we’re working on in the tech lab and it’s going to change the industry, but you’ll have to stay tuned for that announcement.

What does the future of the arcade industry look like according to Embed?

When we develop our solutions, we keep in mind that these should be designed to future-proof businesses. In order to propel businesses into the future, going cashless is really the first order of business to achieve greater efficiency and sustainability. This is where our vision of the ‘FEC of the Future’ comes in. When we say this, we mean a next-gen FEC.

While a number of today’s FECs have adopted tech that eases operations, an FEC of the Future demands more than just that. It is in tune with consumers’ ever-changing tastes and preferences. Upon entering a venue, an AI or virtual assistant can help guide guests’ decision-making by ordering and receiving products, prizes, or food orders anytime, anywhere in the FEC. The guest experience can also start before guests step into the FEC through their mobile. Technology like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) can produce flexible and heightened experiences such as projections on screens, floors, walls, and ceilings, creating an ever-changing ambient experience.

We look forward to helping our customers skyrocket into a future where we make these a possibility for them and their guests.

About Embed

Embed is the ultimate cashless solutions provider for the amusement, entertainment, and leisure industries. With more than 20 years in the family entertainment sphere, Embed continues to transform the business of fun with an integrated cashless system of hardware and software solutions designed to deliver a superior guest experience. With over 1,000 customers and more than 3,000 installations around the world, Embed is equipped and ready to empower family entertainment centers (FECs) with direct sales, services, and support anytime and anywhere in the world.

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