Game Show America Blog

Greetings and Salutations!

A big THANK YOU goes out to all of our clients that contracted GSA in 2009.  We sincerely appreciate your business and look forward to working with many of you again in 2010.

2009 has been quite a year.   We had a few less productions in 2009 than in 2008, and our gross revenues were down, but overall, we kept our head above water and weathered the recession.  2010 shows a lot of promise, with quite a few repeat clients and some exciting new projects on deck.

2009 was the year we transitioned to all in-house designed game show software.  In the past, we had used some commercially available game show software for our productions.  While the software did serve its purpose, it was something that our competitors had the opportunity to use as well.  We broke free from relying on “out of the box” software and now utilize our own software for all of our production.  Our software is designed from a TV perspective, as GSA’s programmers come from the world of TV game shows.  It’s bright, dynamic, and anything but ordinary, and it’s different than any other company’s software.  It’s just one more thing that sets Game Show America apart from the rest.

Some new things to look forward to in 2010…

Set Design - we’ve been working with a master set designer to create some incredible game show sets for our small and medium sized shows.

Audience Response - this is one area where GSA has spent quite a bit of time on developing software.  We expect to launch our new audience response software early in 2010.  It’s almost done, and we can’t wait for our clients to experience it!

Technology - in the past, the typical platform for our software has been PC-based.  The thing about PC’s that scares me - Windows.  So we’ve begun the transition to MAC.  We will soon be running all MAC’s - and as of November 1, all of our game show software became MAC-based.  Our clients with PC’s need not worry though - we will still be able to run multi-platform if needed.

Shuffle Up and Deal - this is an exciting project that GSA is proud to be part of.  This show is a combination of a TV game show, Live Tour, and Casino Promotion.   I will be posting updates on the show as things progress.  GSA has partnered with a major promotions company (they insured the first season of Deal or No Deal) to offer casinos all across the country this exciting new promotion and stage show.

Well, it’s noon, and time to start preparing for our 4th Annual New Year’s Eve Spectacular.  This is a private event that GSA hosts for family and friends.  It’s a great way to ring in the New Year.

To all of our clients, family, and friends…GSA hopes you have an incredibly happy, healthy, safe, and prosperous 2010.

Until next time…keep on playing!!!

Matthew King, President
Game Show America

Greetings and Salutations!

We’re at the start of a busy holiday season, with four productions this weekend!  Two productions are in the frozen tundra of Wisconsin, the third production is in Virginia, and the fourth is in Las Vegas.  When I started this business back in 1996, I had no idea that I’d be managing four crews of people.  This is the part of the job that is slightly stressful, but in the end, everyone’s goal is to provide our customers with the best game show productions on the planet.  By Tuesday next week, things should calm down a bit, only to get fired up for the next weekend.  Now, onto the topic at hand…

So, you’re probably wondering what the title of the blog means.  There is already some information about TPIR on the website, but this post will give more information on what it means and what to expect.

GSA has got some fantastic connections in the game show world.  We’ve worked with celebrities of all kinds and designed software and electronics for some of the biggest names in game show entertainment.  Thanks to some awesome TPIR folks in California, Game Show America is having a trivia contest this December to give away copies of The Price Is Right video game (2010 Edition) for your Nintendo Wii and PC.  This game absolutely ROCKS!

It features 30 games, including favorites like Plinko and Cliffhanger.  You can spin the Big Wheel and head to the Showcase where you can win Fabulous Prizes!  It’s your chance to “come on down” to contestant’s row and play one of the longest running game shows in television history.  Invite your friends, have a party, and play The Price Is Right video game!!!

How do you get this awesome new game???  It’s the grand prize for winning the Game Show America Trivia Challenge!  The challenge will begin December 21st and ends at midnight on January 16th.  The winner will be chosen at random from the entries with the highest scores.  Sharpen your trivia skills, and get ready to play the GSA Trivia Challenge!!!

If you can’t wait to see if you’re a winner and need to have the game right now, you can always purchase the game on The Price Is Right Website.  Check out www.priceisright.com/newgames for purchase information.

The GSA Trivia Challenge will be posted on the Game Show America website on December 21st (http://www.gsapro.com/gsa_trivia_challenge.htm).  You will need to read and accept the terms and conditions in order to have a valid entry (boring legal stuff, but we have to do it).  Remember…you can’t win if you don’t play!

Watch for my next post soon…and until next time…keep on playing!

Mathew King, President
Game Show America, LLC

The Price Is Right is a registered trademark of Fremantle Media.

Greetings and Salutations!

As 2009 winds down (I’ll recap 2009 in my next post), we are looking ahead to an exciting 2010.

GSA has a number of repeat clients that have planning their 2010 events - Southern Tire Mart, The Texas Rangers, and Sussek Machine have already put the wheels in motion and secured dates for their events.  It will be our fifth year with Southern Tire Mart, our sixth year with The Texas Rangers, and our 14th year with Sussek Machine.

A little GSA trivia: Sussek Machine was our very first client back in 1996, and has brought in GSA every year for their holiday party.  A big Thank You goes out to Sussek Machine four 14 awesome years of events!

So…what’s new at GSA for 2010?  The first thing you may have noticed is the logo on our homepage.  It’s still our circle logo with the three question marks, but it’s got a new slogan underneath it…”the games you want.”  The reason for this change is to let everyone know that GSA has they games you want for your events, whether it’s something you’ve seen on television or something completely original.  When it comes to game shows…if you want it, GSA has got it.

A big addition to GSA is the expansion of our Development Department.  GSA has brought on Dan Berger as GSA’s VP of Development.  Dan’s background in game show development, electronics, animation, and graphic design have already played a critical role in creating some exciting new game shows for our clients.  Dan is currently working on a new television project that is being optioned for MyFamilyTV.

On the corporate side, GSA has given two our our signature shows a make-over.  In our Quest for the Best game, we have changed the game play to incorporate the team scores from the audience response part of the game to carry over to the finale by adding video scoring to the Finale.  It completely changes the dynamic of the game, allowing for a much more competitive game.

We have also created a more economical version of our Squares Light game show.  We have upgraded our LED light panels to 46″ LCD video screens.  Using this new technology, the printing of the celebrity names on foam core signage is no longer necessary.  Instead, the celebrity names are displayed at the top of each monitor, with the X or O displayed underneath.  This new system also allows for custom graphics to be displayed on the video screens for advertising and/or branding opportunities.  Utilizing risers instead of the full 18′ grid, the Squares Light game show can fit into smaller ballrooms and conference centers.  It also works with smaller budgets too.  Take a look at the photo below for examples of the screens.

GSA is currently working on two new game shows for television, and four new game shows for casino promotions.  I will post more on our TV work as things develop.  As for the casino promotions, these will be interactive games that can be used as floor promotions and/or live shows.  You can find more information about these game shows on our GSA Casino Promotions website (www.gsapromo.com).

That’s all for now!  Until next time, keep on playing!!!

Matthew King, President
Game Show America, LLC

Game Show America Signs Production
and Live Tour Deal for New
Game Show “Shuffle Up and Deal”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BARABOO, WI–(09/28/09) - Game Show America, LLC, the largest independent game show production company in the United States, announced today that it has signed a letter of intent with Oates Media Group to design and build the set and game show software for Oates Media Group’s “Shuffle Up and Deal” game show.

Shuffle Up and Deal is the first “family friendly” poker themed game show. Unlike the typical poker shows on the air today, which feature professional dealers, dealing cards to professional players, unaffordable buy-ins and slow play, “Shuffle Up and Deal” is a fast-paced game show where contestants pit their luck, intuition and skill, against each other.

In each episode, amateur poker players choose their own cards from an over-sized electronic board, and the turn of each card either helps the contestant’s hand or destroys their chances of winning. The main objective of the game is to finish with the largest amount of cash winnings amongst the 5 contestants. The one that advances to the bonus round plays for a progressive jackpot that seeds at $250,000 and goes up ten thousand dollars for every day it is not hit.  The jackpot will eventually top out at 1 million dollars.

Shuffle Up and Deal will also feature an interactive component where home viewers are invited to play the “Follow the Ace” game, in which they enter, via their home phone or cellular telephone keypad, which of five “shuffled” cards they believe is the Ace of Spades. Those who select the right card number are entered into a random drawing, to win a $10,000 prize.

Game Show America will provide technical staff for each episode and will also produce a “Shuffle Up and Deal” LIVE, a live tour that will be featured in shopping malls, theaters, conference centers, and casinos across the country.

Oates Media Group and Game Show America are working with ValCom Inc., a leader in media technology who will produce and distribute Oates Media Group’s “Shuffle Up and Deal” televised version of the game show.  ValCom will provide pre-production, production and post-production services for Shuffle Up and Deal.  In addition, ValCom will act as the distributor of the televised program.

“We are more than thrilled to work with Matt and his great team at Game Show America to spread this fun-filled game across America,” says Dewey Oates, of Oates Media Group.

About Game Show America, LLC

Since its inception in 1996, Game Show America has produced game shows in 35 of the 50 states, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. GSA’s development team has designed software and electronics for a number of television production companies including Game Show Network, FremantleMedia, and 51 Minds Entertainment.  GSA has also worked with numerous celebrities including Alan Thicke (Growing Pains), John O’Hurley (Seinfeld and Family Feud), Bob Eubanks (The Newlywed Game), and Ross Shafer (Match Game).  Visit: www.gsapro.com

About Oates Media Group

Located in Los Angeles, CA., Oates Media Group is a game show production company specializing in poker game show development.  Oates Media Group was started in 2008 by poker veterans Dewey Oates, Brenda Prackup, Robert Turner and Marsha Waggoner.  Visit: www.shuffleuptv.com

Greetings One and All!

I hope your summer was fun and prosperous.  Ours was one of the best on record, despite the economy’s current status.  We were fortunate enough to have a single client book Game Show America for a series of seven events across Pennsylvania and New York.  Our client is Northwest Savings Bank - voted by Forbes as the Most Trustworthy Savings Banks in America.  The purpose of the events was to launch their new marketing campaign, “SWITCH” across their entire company.  The employees of Northwest would all be introduced to the SWITCH campaign throughout the seven events.  They chose seven strategic locations reflecting their main regions across Pennsylvania and New York where we could set-up a game show to help them present their campaign.

One of Northwest’s biggest concerns was consistency.  They wanted to make sure that the information regarding the SWITCH campaign presented at each event was exactly the same, so all employees received identical information.  They also wanted to have a host that would energize each audience, taking their information and presenting it in a way that everyone would remember.   Our very own Scottie Parr was selected to be the host of the shows.  Scott took full command of the stage and  gave seven over-the-top performances for seven incredibly successful events.

On the technical side of the show - there were a lot of pieces that needed to be put together to ensure each show ran smoothly.  First was the audience response.  Every attendee received a wireless keypad so they could all participate in the show.  The content questions concerning SWITCH were the same at every event.  As each event was in a different region, the questions regarding that specific region were given to us on-site the day of the show.   We also had a Keynote (MAC’s version of PowerPoint) presentation (GSA supports both MAC and PC formats) that needed to be region specific for each location.  We also did a little behind the scenes graphic magic to add that “something extra” to each event.  Add to that the setup of our sound system, microphones, contestant podiums, video system, backdrop, and lighting - and it all sets up in about three hours.  Once everything was ready to go, we had a rehearsal with each Regional Vice President.

Once the doors opened, it was show time!  Each show was a spectacular event, educating each audience about the SWITCH Campaign by providing a fully interactive, high energy game show where everyone got to participate in the game.  In the end, the biggest reward was the takeaway by each member of the audience.  They got a close-up look at all of the elements of the SWITCH Campaign and by participating throughout the show, had an energetic outlook on how to present SWITCH to their customers.  The game show was the perfect catalyst to educate and motivate the employees to carry our their new campaign.

The main reasons a game show truly is the perfect catalyst for a campaign launch:
1) All-inclusive (everyone has the opportunity to play along)
2) Includes company content (we have many different game formats depending on what type of content you have)
3) Multi-sensory (visual, verbal, and tactile) which increases retention
4) Exciting and fun (people love game shows)
5) Competitive (people like to WIN)

In the end, everyone walked away a winner:  the message was well received; the employees were energized, motivated and enthusiastic about the new campaign; and everyone had a great time.  Our client was ecstatic about the success of the events, stating that “GSA exceed every expectation!”  A very enthusiastic THANK YOU goes out to Northwest Savings Bank for choosing Game Show America for these events.

That’s all for this post.  Until next time…keep on playing!

Matthew

Greetings Everyone!

It’s been a busy summer for GSA, with over a dozen shows in July and August.  Somewhere in the middle we had a trip to England…searching for the right investor to help launch Game Show Britain.  In this post, I wanted to talk about the Impact of Game Shows at an event.  There are many types of events where a game show can help create the necessary WOW to energize and motivate your audience.

Game Shows at sales conferences are always a huge hit.  The reason that they are so successful in this environment is due to the competitive nature of the sales reps in attendance at the conference.  Whether it’s teams or individuals, a game show is the perfect catalyst to energize and motivate your audience.  By including company content into the game show, the game educates your audience, increasing retention of the content you want them to retain.  Game Shows are tactile, visual, and auditory.  A game show engages ALL of those senses at the same time, become the ultimate teaching and training tool for your audience.

Trade Shows are an excellent place to utilize a game show.  In the past, the trend has been to have a booth at a trade show.  Our clients have then included the game show in their trade show booths to attract attention.  While this method is generally very effective, it can be difficult to “wrangle” participants at a steady pace throughout the day.  The NEW trend in trade shows has been to have scheduled times for all attendees to make their rounds through organized presentations with set time limits for each presentation.  As an example, one of our clients is participating in a number of “trade shows” around the country.  At each trade show, they are given a space (generally a small banquet room) where 20-30 people at a time will view their presentation.  They have 10 total presentations throughout the day, each 30-40 minutes in length.  Instead of the same old PowerPoint for their presentation, they chose Game Show America to produce a short game show that includes the same exact content from their presentation, making the entire session 100% interactive and engaging for the attendees.  The response is incredible!  Attendees absolutely love participating in the game show, and it makes for an exciting break in their day from some of the other presentations (which, as you all know, can be less than stimulating).  In the end, the attendees retain more, which usually results in a better bottom line for the vendor (our Client).

Since the beginning of 2009, those are the two main types of events we have done this year where a game show has made a HUGE impact.  In the next post (Impact Part 2), I will feature one of our most recent Clients using a game show for a major campaign launch across their entire company.  It was a series of seven total events that were absolutely off the charts!

I am on the road this week, and I will post Part 2 when I get a little downtime.  Until then, keep on playing!

Matthew King, President
Game Show America

Greetings and salutations everyone!

As our theater project in the Dells continues to unfold, we have been working behind the scenes to develop a brand new game show.

The Wisconsin Dells Game Show is a 75-minute game show that will involve the entire audience!  The game consists of a number of mini-games ranging from pop-culture trivia to skill-based challenges.  Comedy, interaction, excitement, and fun are all part of the show.  Anyone could be a contestant at any time throughout the game.  For the winners, we have exciting prizes, with a chance at winning The Grand Prize Jackpot.

The Wisconsin Dells Game Show will be debuting in the Summer of 2010. Show times and dates will be posted on our website, www.dellsgameshow.com.  More information will be posted soon.  We look forward to seeing YOU at the show!

Greetings and Salutations Everyone!

We’re finally into summer, and GSA has a lot of great things cooking.  We’ve been beating the recession by keeping ourselves busy through the past two months.

In early June, I became a partner in a new theatre project in the Wisconsin Dells.  This new project, however, is NOT a game show project.  It’s a magic and illusion project called “The Illusionairium” and we look forward to seeing you in the Summer of 2010.

The premise behind this experience is “an evening of mystery and mischief.”  From my travels, I have discovered a wonderful group of people who love following magic and the people involved with it.  When you enter The Illusionairium, you will leave the real world behind, and step into the exciting realm of magic and mystery.  Be warned - this isn’t your typical “family magic show.”  Nothing will be as it seems.  It will definitely be a bit left of center, with the word “normal” not a part of our guests’ vocabulary.

From the moment you enter The Parlor, the show has started, with guests being enchanted by one of many “close-up” stations, where you will experience a variety of close-up magic, mentalism, and mischief for the first half of your journey.  A disembodied voice will be your guide and lead you from station to station.  As the close-up comes to its conclusion, you will then be guided into the Illusionairium Theatre, an intimate 100 seat black-box concept theatre, where you will experience the second half of the show.  Lasers, lights, fog, sound effects, and some of the leading Illusionists in the United States will comprise the second act of the show.  As many of the Illusionists performing at the Illusionairium are present for limited engagements or perhaps just passing through, each show promises to be a unique experience.  In fact, you may never see the same show twice.  The entire experience is approximately 75-minutes.

For more information, please visit The Illusionairium website.  If you are interested in performing at The Illusionairium, please go to the website and click on “auditions.”

That’s all for now.  I need to get ready for our trip to Atlanta (leaving Monday morning) to do a game show for Nordstrom.  Once back in Wisconsin, it’s back to the theatre to take care of the finishing touches before our grand opening in July.  Feel free to contact me with any questions - and we’ll see YOU at the show.

Greetings and Salutations Everyone!

It’s almost summer… and that means Outdoor Events for many companies.  An FYI to all of our partner event planners…GSA has a number of game shows that work well in an outdoor environment.  Out team-building game “The Island” is an excellent outdooor game.  We also have a number of physical challenge games that work well for company picnics.

A great place to see some of our outdoor games will be in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin the weekend of July 17 & 18.  GSA is returning to Relay for Life with a complete variety show of interactive games.  The entire event is from noon on July 17 until noon on July 18.  It’s a 24 hour marathon with the ultimate goal of raising as much money as possible for the American Cancer Society.

For more information on our outdoor game shows, please call or email me.  Something to remember though…make sure you have a backup plan in the event the weather doesn’t want to cooperate with your plans.  It’s always good to have an indoor option available “just in case.”

GSA is also working on a new show which will be debuting in the Wisconsin Dells this summer.  I’ll post more information on this new show as our planning progesses.  It will be a show you won’t want to miss!

Until next time…keep on playing!

Greetings and Salutations Everyone!

The past ten days on the road have been an incredible adventure for GSA.  We started in Chicago at a urologist’s convention, heading next to Connecticut to do a show for Guinness, then off to West Virgina for a fun-filled evening with an educational organization, and finishing off the tour in Virginia doing a show for a professional golf association.  It was literally non-stop, with one day to break away and have some fun (Busch Gardens and NASCAR).  I am typing this as we are driving home from my mobile office (it’s OK…I’m not the one driving) because once we stop for the night, I know I’ll be asleep in about 10 minutes.

The urologist’s convention was definitely a sight to behold.  Working alongside our sister company, our job was to attract doctors to our client’s booth to answer some questions on a new drug.  Participants enjoyed playing the game over the three days that we were in the booth.  Our standing joke is…we met a lot of doctors, but when it came to shaking hands…we opted for the fist-bump instead.

Once done in Chicago, we headed to Connecticut to perform for the folks at the Guinness headquarters.  The group included 50 sales representatives from from the company.  This show was an absolute home run!  Everyone enthusiastically participated in our Quest for the Best game show.  The response was incredible!  We are looking forward to returning to Connecticut for our next Guinness performance.

We then drove down to Charleston, West Virginia to do an evening of entertainment for a group called SASBO.   They also requested our Quest for the Best game show.  The group was divided into twelve teams (there were 12 states represented).  It was fierce competition all the way to the end, and a great time was had by all.  Debra and her crew made us feel very welcome and part of the family.  Our thanks go out to Jennifer at the Marriott for referring us to this client (it was our third time at this venue - and we absolutely love it!).  Thanks Jennifer - we’ll see you again soon!

The last stop on our tour was Williamsburg, Virginia working with our sister company to provide the game show set and audience response technology for an interactive game show for a professional golf association.  As a bonus, we got to meet some of the players.  The show was a huge success!  A special thanks to Bryan for including GSA on this production.

On the day before this production, our crew had a day off, so we tried to do as much as we could in a single day.  We started at Busch Gardens and tackled some incredible roller coasters.  My favorite was The Griffon.  There’s nothing like a 200 foot drop straight down hanging over the edge of the track.  This roller coaster is definitely on my list of Top 5 Coasters.  Here is a link to check it out:  Busch Gardens

That same day, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was in Richmond.  We made the hour journey to Richmond and got some great seats to the race.  I haven’t been to a race since I was a kid, so I forgot how LOUD these things are.  The race was definitely a lot of fun…and a very cultural experience for me.  Congrats to Kyle Busch on his birthday win!  Another big thanks goes out to Bryan for including us in this unforgettable experience.

And now we’re heading home.  It’s been an incredible tour, and it sure was a lot of fun, but 10 days later, I am looking forward to crawling into my own bed again.  We leave for Dallas on May 15th for our annual Texas Rangers event.  That show is always a lot of fun!  Until then, I’m going to take a bit of time off to relax and enjoy being with my family.

Until next time…keep on playing!