GSA finished out May with a crazy busy schedule.  We had shows in North Carolina, Boston, and New York, traveling 6,500 miles in three weeks.  Big thanks to Wholesale Supplies, Intuit, Ernst & Young, and True North for making Game Show America part of your events!

In our last blog post, we talked about our software design team.  They truly are an integral part of what keeps the Game Show America machine moving.  They have enabled Game Show America to offer 15 original software titles as part of our game show productions, as well as tributes to some many classic TV game shows.

As we stated in a Facebook post, many of our clients know that Game Show America has evolved from just being a game show production company into a game development company.  On June 3rd, GSA secured a major software development contract.  Today in our development studio, everything is getting re-arranged, networked, and organized to begin this project.  While the details of the project are strictly confidential, we promise that we will let everyone know when it’s ready for release.

While our programmers are coding, our production design team is working on an all-new set for a big conference coming up later this year.  We are also working on our 4th generation video podiums with larger screens and wireless connectivity.  So many new things to look forward to!

Over the next two weeks, GSA will be in Denver and Aspen, Colorado followed by a trip to Orlando, Florida for a four-show mega-event at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center.  We’ve also got two more TV Pilots on our production schedule, which are set to shoot at our studio in late June and July.  Then we’re headed back to Orlando, FL in early July followed by a trip to Pittsburgh, PA for two exciting shows.

We always do our best to let our clients know that there is always something happening here at Game Show America.  It’s important to us and to our clients to let you know what’s going on – whether it be productions, programming, set construction, shooting tv pilots, or creating new game shows.  When we say we’re busy, we really mean it!

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

Since our last post, the GSA Crew has literally been traveling non-stop producing shows all over the country.  Atlantic City, NJ; Cleveland, OH; Oshkosh, WI; Greensboro, NC; Nashville, TN; Chicago, IL (twice); Norfolk, VA; and Dallas, TX.  Our next three stops are Raleigh, NC; Boston, MA; and Las Vegas, NV to finish out the month.

In our last post, we posted a photo of Wink Martindale with a “Coming Soon” message.  As of May 1st, the announcement became official and was broadcast to our entire database of clients (both corporate and casino).  Game Show America is proud to present Wink Martindale’s Hit Me! Game Show.

“Hit Me!  is blackjack on steroids!  It’s got a hook that no other game of blackjack has ever had, and it’s part of our trademark,” states Wink.  Hit Me! is produced under an exclusive license by Wink Martindale Enterprises, Inc.  For more information on this exciting new game show, call Game Show America today.

Part of why Game Show America was granted this exclusive license is because of our commitment to quality.  Our goal is to provide the best game show productions on the planet, period.  Game Show America is the leading game show company in the United States.  Other companies have tried to copy us, but rarely have they succeeded in providing the level of quality our clients have grown accustomed to.  Part of this reason is the attention to detail in our game show software and set pieces.

For the past six years, GSA has had an in-house software development team.  The software for all of our game shows is 100% unique to Game Show America.  Most of the other game show companies in the U.S. use game show software that is commercially available.  This software was originally designed for classroom use, and isn’t really meant for live performances.  So when you look at the other companies side-by-side, there is really nothing unique about them, as they all seem to offer the same thing.

Game Show America’s software is designed in-house by a team of programmers that understand game shows and live entertainment.  Our software is custom made to fit all of our productions that no other game show company can offer.  The entire look, feel, and game play of every piece of software is customizable for each and every client.  It is designed with live entertainment in mind, and every inch of every game show can be custom tailored to our clients’ event.

As important as the software is, the set pieces are just as important.  From the smallest props to the largest backdrops, all of our set pieces are designed and constructed in-house by master craftsmen.  The internal electronics are also designed in-house by our electronics team.  This includes the game show buzzers, lockout circuits, wired and wireless connectivity, and technology that allow the game boards to interact with our podiums.

All of this attention to detail assures our clients that what they are getting is a professional, quality production that is unique to GSA.  Simply put, Game Show America offers productions that no other game show company can provide.  It’s what makes GSA stand out above all the rest.

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

After three months on the road, the entire GSA Crew has had a chance to rest-up to hit the road again at the beginning of April.  April takes us to Atlantic City, NJ; Cleveland, OH; Oshkosh, WI; Greensboro, NC; Nashville, TN; and Norfolk, VA.

In addition to corporate and casino game shows, a market where GSA is gaining attention is in providing a TV game show experience for Bar and Bat Mitzvahs.  GSA’s production team has developed the “Mitzvah Game Show Extravaganza.”  It’s three game shows rolled into one big show – and the entire audience can participate!

The Mitzvah Game Show Extravaganza brings all of the sights, sounds, and excitement of a real TV game show, right to your Mitzvah celebration!  Content of the games is customizable to include questions that will relate to your audience.  The show can be scaled up or down depending on space and budget.  We guarantee that everyone will be talking about this long after the show is over.  It’s a truly one-of-a-kind experience that only Game Show America can provide.  Call GSA’s Mitzvah specialist today to reserve your date.

Behind the scenes, GSA is evolving from a game show company into a game development company.  Currently, GSA has 15 original games that are being licensed by corporations and casinos across the country.  Late in 2012, news of our game development reached some famous industry ears in Hollywood, and in January of this year, GSA was invited to meet with legendary game show host Wink Martindale (Gambit, High Rollers, Tic Tac Dough) to develop an all-new game show.  After our follow-up meeting in February, GSA has been given the green light to get this exciting show up and running!  Our Facebook page featured this post:

BREAKING NEWS: Something BIG is coming soon from Game Show America. The details of the show are still under wraps, but we CAN tell you that legendary game show host Wink Martindale is attached to the project. Wink hosted a number of classic game shows including Gambit, High Rollers, and Tic Tac Dough. Keep watching our FB page and Blog for updates!

In addition to this new project, Wink is available as a host for ANY of Game Show America’s productions, making an already extraordinary event even more spectacular!  Call GSA today for pricing and availability.  That’s all for this post.  Until next time, keep on playing!

It’s been an incredible two weeks since our last post.  We had two amazing week-long full-production shows in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma for Sonic Drive-In and San Marcos, Texas for Southern Tire Mart.  It was our second year with Sonic and our 11th  year with Southern Tire Mart.  At the same time, GSA was headlining in Branson, Missouri for five shows at The White House Theater.  As it was our first time in Branson, we had no idea what to expect.  The response was incredible.  Every show was a sold-out grand slam home run.  As it turns out, Branson absolutely loves Game Show America.  Expect to see a lot more of GSA in Branson in the upcoming year.  :)

After an amazing week in Branson, we had a game show close to our corporate office in the Wisconsin Dells – our second year with Heartland Business Systems.  From there, it was back to Las Vegas for the Event Solutions Idea Factory.  The response from attendees was better than we could have ever imagined.  With over 7,000 meeting planners in attendance, GSA put the WOW factor into corporate game shows for all of them.  The response we received from attendees made it clear that Game Show America is the most recognizable brand for corporate game shows in the United States.

As of this post, GSA’s tour continues over the next 10 days to North Dakota, Tennessee, and Missouri.  Kudos to the entire GSA Staff for being able to live on the road since January 4th.  It’s difficult to be away from family for that long, and your hard work does not go unnoticed.  Huge thanks to each and every one of you for making all of GSA’s shows simply spectacular.  You are the best!!!

Behind the scenes, GSA is working with Wink Martindale (Tic Tac Dough, Gambit, High Rollers) on two exciting new game shows.  We will have more information on these shows in the next few months.

All of us at Game Show America are thankful to all of our clients who are keeping us busy this year.  We can’t do what we do without you.  You all make going to work every day a lot of fun!  From all of us at GSA – THANK YOU!!!

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

2013 is here and the Game Show America team has already produced over a dozen amazing shows.

Our first show of 2013 was in Los Angeles where the crew produced an amazing game show for a major satellite TV provider.  From there, the crew went in three different directions.  One team headed to Minneapolis to produce an event for St. Jude Hospital, our second team drove from Los Angeles to Las Vegas for a GSA Squares show, and GSA’s third team was off to Salt Lake City, Utah.  Later that week, the crew heads to Chicago to do an event for Kraft.  After the Kraft event, the crew split off again.  One crew is went to Nashville for a two day event and another crew headed down to Orlando for two game shows with John O’Hurley.

After the Florida events, GSA had an event back in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and then it was off to Tucson, AZ for a three day convention where GSA set up an attention getting game show in our client’s trade show booth.  The crew back in Wisconsin then had another event for Kraft in Madison to finish out January.

After the crew finished the trade show in Tucson, it was back to Las Vegas for another game show – this time at the Venetian, where GSA produced our Q&A show for a pharmaceutical client.

With February in full swing, the crews are still on the road heading to Nashville for our second of four production shows for one of our long-standing clients, with our second team heading to Denver to produce our Corporate Feud show.  As soon as the crews get back from Nashville and Denver, they are off to Los Angeles for a second show with a major satellite TV provider.  From Los Angeles, they head to Oklahoma City for a week-long conference featuring GSA’s Quest for the Best game show.  From there, the crew heads off in two directions again – this time to San Marcos, Texas for our 11th year producing Southern Tire Mart’s Annual Sales Conference and then to headline for a week in Branson, Missouri with five exciting game shows!

That takes us to the end of February and into an equally busy March.  March has Game Show America producing shows in Las Vegas, NV; St. Michael, ND; Madison, WI; Nashville, TN; and Springfield, MO.

We’re hoping to have some fantastic photos from all of these events posted soon.  Thank you to all of our clients for keeping Game Show America on the road in 2013.

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

It appears we survived the end of the world on December 21st, which brings us to the end of 2012 in just a few short days.  We actually thought the end was near as a huge snowstorm blanketed Wisconsin and covered everything with two feet of snow.  Everyone got a snow day on the 20th – the day after an amazing production day shooting a TV Pilot in our new production studio.  Once the snow stopped, the crew was back at work, keeping the shop buzzing with activity – preparing for the next month on the road.  With new games being built and three trucks to pack, we’ve got our hands full until the first truck leaves on January 4th.

Our final corporate event of 2012 was on December 10th, and our previous blog post shared an incredible story about how one of GSA’s hosts turned a potential disaster into a tremendous success story.  From December 10th until the 18th, GSA was building a set, preparing lighting, and putting the finishing touches on software for a TV Pilot that was being shot in our production studio on December 19th.  About four years of research and development went into the back-end of the concept that was brought to us by an entrepreneur from Milwaukee.  He approached Game Show America in June of 2011 with the concept.  After a year and a half of preparation, Game Show America was ready to shoot the pilot in our own production studio.  GSA brought in a producer from Hollywood to help with the production, talent preparation, and behind the scenes work.  From beginning to end, the entire day was simply fantastic.  Here are some photos from the shoot:

The images on the video screens have been altered so they do not reflect the actual graphics from the show, as the specific format and content are still confidential.  Thank you to everyone who was involved in the pilot. You all did a fantastic job!  We are all keeping our fingers crossed that we’ll be seeing the show on TV sometime in 2013.

The New Year kicks off with an incredibly busy schedule.  Currently our road map take us to:  Los Angeles, CA; Minneapolis, MN; Las Vegas, NV; Chicago, IL; Nashville, TN; Orlando, FL; Lake Geneva, WI; Tucson, AZ; and Madison, WI – and that’s just our schedule for January.  In addition to all of GSA’s shows, there’s even more going on behind the scenes.  So many new things to share in 2013.

That’s all for our final post of 2012.  Everyone at Game Show America wishes you a very happy, safe and prosperous New Year.  We’ll see you all in 2013.

That’s all for this post.  Until next year, keep on playing!

As 2012 comes to a close, we want to thank all of our clients for the best year in Game Show America’s 17 year history.  We had a blast working with all of you this year – and we can’t wait to work with you again on your events in 2013.  Thank you for choosing us.  Thank you for believing in us.  Thank you for making us part of your events.  Thank you for making us part of your corporate family.  Each and every one of you are the reason we love to come to work every day.  From the bottom of our hearts everyone at Game Show America says THANK YOU!

Our year here at Game Show America ended on a high note.  We had two amazing shows in Tunica, Mississippi last week.  These shows featured our all-new video contestant podiums.  Here are two photos of the podiums in our shop.

The production in Tunica required three of these new podiums for the show, however the number of podiums that can be connected is unlimited.  Typically our game shows utilize four to twelve podiums.  Game Show America’s video contestant podiums can display video content and 3D animation. They are completely customizable to display your company’s graphics, logos, and content.

We also acquired a new truck for our fleet, bringing our total number to four trucks.  Our new truck is currently in the shop getting graphic work done.  We should have photos in the beginning of 2013.

Once we got back from Tunica, MS – we had our final corporate game show for 2012 on December 10th.  This is an interesting story which is worthy of sharing…

The event took place in Madison, Wisconsin.  The audience was about 80 people.  It was a pre-dinner event – with only 45-minutes allotted for the show.  The event was booked by an event planning company.  Game Show America’s job was only to provide an emcee for the event.  All of the game show equipment was provided by the event planning company, as it was their event (Game Show America was representing the event planning company).  The game show was simple – three table top lockout displays and a small sound system.  The emcee’s job was to divide the group into three teams and ask trivia questions.  The team with the highest score would win the game.

Before the show, the emcee  and the event company technician tested the sound system and lockout podiums to ensure everything was working.  30-minutes later the show started.  The emcee took the stage, divided the audience into teams, and invited the first round of contestants to the stage.  The emcee asked the first question and the contestants raced to buzz in.  All three teams kept hitting their buttons, but the lockout podiums were not responding.  The technician clicked on the computer system trying to get the lockout podiums to respond, but nothing was working.  The only solution was to reboot the computer.

The emcee, instead of panicking, turned to the audience and began an impromptu monologue with interspersed trivia questions to keep the audience laughing and engaged.  For what seemed like an eternity (in reality about three minutes), the emcee kept the audience  entertained while the computer rebooted.  The technician, got the program up and running, and without missing a beat, the emcee turned around and had the contestants each test their lockout buttons.  This time, all of the buttons worked and the game play on stage resumed.

After 15 questions, round one was a success.  Time for round two.  New contestants came to the stage and after 15 more questions, round two came to a close.  It was a close race – with the teams each separated by 10 points – for a distinct 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.  The audience was totally engaged in the game – rooting for their team members on stage.

Time for round three – new contestants to the stage (and about 20 minutes left in the show).  All the contestants are ready – with their hands by their buzzers.  The competition is fierce and they are ready to hit their buttons.  The emcee asks the question and the contestants again race to hit their buzzers – and then….. nothing….  The computer failed again – this time, erasing the contestant scores from the digital displays on the podiums.  With no time to panic – the emcee told the technician to grab a pen and paper, and we were going to finish the game the old fashioned way – with the contestants raising their hands.

The final question was asked, the scores were still 10 points apart, with any team poised to win the game.  The final task – a physical challenge that had each team unrolling a 1,000 sheet roll of toilet paper – without ripping it.  If the roll broke, your team was out of the game.  The team that unrolled the entire roll first – was the winner.

Ready – Set – GO!  The contestants started furiously unrolling the rolls of toilet paper – one person on each team was the holder – the other was the roller.  The audience members on their feet cheering for their team to win the game.  It’s down to the wire – all the teams are within 1/4″ of unrolling their rolls.  It’s a photo finish, but one team emerged victorious!  Their entire team in the audience jumped to their feet and cheered!

The emcee congratulated the two runners up and then a big round of applause for the winning team.  The emcee said those famous words, “Thanks everyone for having a great time with us tonight!  We’ll see you NEXT time!”

The emcee stepped off the stage and walked out of the room smiling.  The technician looked a bit frazzled and disappointed that the technology didn’t work.  Standing in the lobby, the client came out of the room with a glowing smile, came up to the emcee, shook his hand, and said, “Thank you!  OMG, that was so much fun!  The boss really loved the show!”

What’s the point?

The point is – a great emcee can make or break any game show.  If the emcee is truly a professional, he/she will take what’s handed to him/her and make the absolute best of it.  Yes, the technology failed – but that didn’t mean the entire show had to fail.  A great emcee can overcome the technical challenges and still go on with the show. What could have been a disaster, and perhaps having the event planner not getting paid, turned into an absolutely fantastic show.  The bonus – the boss talked to both the emcee and the event planner after the show and requested them for another event in January.

Kudos to the meeting planner for keeping it together and not panicking.  Kudos to the technician for not buckling under pressure.  And kudos to Game Show America’s emcee for doing what it took to save the show.  At Game Show America, that’s what it’s all about – ensuring that the show goes on…

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

It’s been Game Show America’s absolute best year ever.  We literally have a million reasons to say thank you to all of our clients who chose Game Show America as part of their events in 2012.   And 2013 is already looking spectacular with 18 events already confirmed.

Many people have already asked, “What’s new for Game Show America in 2013?”

The simple answer is – A LOT.  Here is what’s new for 2013…

There has been a significant amount of growth this past year in all areas of the company.  Because of this growth, Game Show America has actually split into four different companies.  The four companies are:

Game Show America
Specializing in Corporate Game Shows
www.gameshowamerica.com

King Casino Promotions
Specializing in interactive promotions, prize insurance, training and consulting for casinos
www.kingcasinopromo.com

DeepBlueSee
An audio/visual and scenic production company that provides sound, lighting, video, scenic and event management for events
www.dbsav.com (this website will be launching January 2013)

GSA Interactive
An audience response technology provider for meetings, conferences, and trade shows
www.gsainteractive.net

All four of these companies will be operating independently of each other.  Each company is available separately or collaboratively for your events.

On this blog, you will only be seeing postings that relate to corporate game shows.  The other companies will have their blogs and already have their own Facebook pages.  Here are the links to their respective Facebook pages:

Game Show America Facebook Page
King Casino Promotions Facebook Page
DeepBlueSee Facebook Page
GSA Interactive Facebook Page

We encourage you to go to our Facebook pages and LIKE each of these.  Each Facebook page will let you know what’s going on with each company.

In 2013, there will be a changing of the guard here at Game Show America.  We’ll have more about those changes in our first posts of 2013 to introduce you to the new management team.

One of the new projects that is being launched for 2013 is Game Show America’s “Board Room Game Show.”  It’s got all of the same interaction as our large productions, except the entire show has been scaled down to fit into a much smaller venue.  GSA’s Board Room Game Show is perfect for audiences of up to 100 people.

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