Family Entertainment Centers

Meet Ben Jones

Benjamin R. Jones is the President of RECreation & Entertainment Consultants, Inc. ("REC"), headquartered in Rochester Hills, Michigan with business locations in Illinois and Wisconsin. REC, formed in 1987 and incorporated in 1993, provides advisory and strategic development, management and training services to developers and planners operating within the experience economy and location based entertainment industry.

Prior to joining REC full time in 1993, Ben was a principal in the firm of Provest, Inc. located in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois and organized in 1983 for the purpose of forming and managing business ventures owning and operating hospitality and real estate in major Midwestern markets.

Jones was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Following 22-years of residency in northern Illinois, Ben and his family returned to their home state of Michigan, locating in Rochester Hills.

As a spirited entrepreneur, Ben has co-founded five holding companies that have developed or acquired, for their own account, fourteen businesses, following which, he assumed the role of managing or operating partner for all such ventures.

Ben excels in hands-on, management intensive environments and develops great rapport with today’s Generation x & y workforce. He has also served as a board director on two publicly traded companies; four private firms and two non-profit foundations.

Ben is an advisor and facilitator for a variety of entertainment organizations and convention planners; organizing, writing, producing educational workshops and training seminars. He is an active member of a few select professional associations and organizations within the real estate, development and entertainment communities and is: the Director of Education for the International Recreational Go-Kart Association; an appointed member of the American Society for Testing and Materials-F15 Safety Committee; a current and alumni member of more than seven committees for IAAPA and is a former member of the Board of Directors. Ben is an accomplished athlete in multiple sports and is a former world ranked pro skier.

In the Spring of 2008, IAAPA hired Ben to serve as the FEC Specialist, providing outreach, support, and assistance to IAAPA’s Family Entertainment Center community. Members can e-mail Ben with questions regarding the creation and operations of FECs.