The quality of information
Facto Edizioni is a leading international publisher of professional publications for the leisure industry.
Founded in 1984 and based in Italy, it was one of the very first in Europe and indeed the world to promote technical information for the emerging amusement park industry and travelling funfair operators.
Danilo Tosetto (1947-2016), a native of Venice, journalist, passionate about art, folklore and photography, after learning the trade at a well-known Milan publisher specialising in mechanics and system engineering, had an idea for an original publication that would provide professional information to the leisure business.
The iconic monthly magazine made its debut at the end of the company’s first year. The first issue was in tabloid format and cost 3,500 lire.
It was the first independent international magazine devoted to the leisure sector (not published by nor representing any trade association), a feature that it has proudly maintained to this day.
Since January 1993 it has been called ‘Games & Parks Industry’. Its international profile, on the other hand, has always remained constant, both in terms of content and target. This is also why it is published in Italian and English, with translations in Spanish and French.
"Leisure Parks around The World Vol.1" was the first book of its kind published in Italy. Complete with colour photos, it was a cornerstone in the industry in the 1980s and beyond.
The first leisure trade show in Italy was organised by Facto Edizioni at the Padova exhibition centre. Featuring around 60 exhibiting companies, in addition to conferences and round tables, the side events also included an international competition for theme park projects.
Games & Parks Industry started periodically devoting special issues to large leisure companies, illustrating their history, products, projects and successes. After Schwarzkopf came Atelier Peter Petz, Reverchon Industries, Pax Company, Dotto Trains, and others. Further special editions would later be published on types of attractions and special events.
The international awards for excellence in the sector - Golden Pony® Awards - made their debut in Rimini, Italy with a gala evening that saw 32 operators from 12 countries receive awards. The editorial staff of Games & Parks Industry annually selects the winners from parks, companies, travelling showmen and businesses that have stood out.
Facto Edizioni has since its foundation always promoted several different editorial and non-editorial initiatives, aimed at increasing the professionalism of leisure operators and providing large and small companies with the most innovative tools to reach their customers.
Year after year, international contacts and experiences – participation at and organisation of trade shows and conferences, visits to fun fairs and amusement parks around the world, collaborations with associations and companies – have made Facto Edizioni an authority in the sector.
Games & Parks Industry (since 1984) and Play Machine Europe (since 1990), now also in digital format, are the historical ‘pillars’ of Facto Edizioni’s publishing business. In addition to the monthly magazines, special supplements are published periodically devoted to specific topics and companies.
In 1986, Facto Edizioni published its first book: “Leisure Parks around The World Vol.1”. This was the first publication in Italy to explore the leisure industry. The “Leisure Parks around The World” series was a huge success, comprising a total of 5 volumes.
Our bookshop now features 38 international works: books covering the coin-op games sector, theme parks, virtual reality, mini-golf, waterparks, family entertainment centres and other topics.
Facto Edizioni has always been active in professional updates and training, by organising conferences and seminars. The first, held in 1987, was the first European forum to examine the state-of-the-art of the leisure industry. To date we have organised a total of around 45 events. The common denominators: authoritative speakers, focus on current trends and complete coverage of the entertainment business.
In 1987 Facto Edizioni organised Park Show Professional in Padova, the first Italian trade show of equipment for amusement parks, waterparks and funfairs. It was supported by a complete program of conferences and side events. The trade show, renamed Park Show International, moved to Rimini in 1989 and was organised in collaboration with Fiera di Rimini. It was held 11 times (the last in 2011) and became one of the leading trade shows in the sector in Europe.
The partnership established with Fiera di Rimini led to the joint organisation in 2008 of BER, the first European bowling trade show.
Another trade show, this time a collaboration between Facto Edizioni and Fiera di Genova: Technofolies. Devoted to the entertainment sector, it was held in the Genova 4 times starting in 2006.
In 2002 Facto Edizioni established the annual international Golden Pony® Awards, to recognise excellence in the sector. To date, the Games & Parks Industry editorial staff has awarded over 350 parks, companies, travelling showmen and businesses that have stood out in the entertainment industry, from 53 countries.
Over the decades, the leisure industry has undergone a major transformation, as has the way society communicates and, consequently, sources its information. Facto Edizioni has taken on board all of these changes. Over time, we have upgraded our magazines and our offering, moving into digital, social media and new communication tools such as corporate videos and video interviews. We have sought and found new ways to support readers and businesses.
Facto Edizioni continues its commitment to supporting the leisure industry and its operators. Communication is now multimedia, in step with the pace of the industry and the demands of the market.
Services provided to readers and companies are personalised, digitised and accessible at a click from all over the world.
Facto Edizioni provides information on what companies do by meeting their management directly and staying alongside the operators in the places where they work. We gather and tell stories, follow production processes and attentively monitor the evolution of the entertainment market by interpreting its trends.
Interviews, advertorials, promotional videos, and advertisements are the tools we make available to those who work in the leisure business today.
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Monthly news from the leisure industry, interviews with ride manufacturers and operators, new releases, trade shows reports
International publisher specializing in the leisure industry since 1984
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