Prior to establishing Kobane Consulting LLC, Mr. Kobane held several key positions that contributed to his reputation as a leader within the entertainment sector.
SANTEE, CA, May 15, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Ken Kobane has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Mr. Kobane has carved a distinguished career spanning nearly 50 years, primarily within the amusement park and family entertainment center industries, before venturing into consulting as owner of Kobane Consulting, LLC. Prior to establishing Kobane Consulting LLC, Mr. Kobane held several key positions that contributed to his reputation as a leader within the entertainment sector.
Following the completion of a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and Teaching from Eastern Michigan University in 1976, Mr. Kobane embarked on his professional journey. Initially, he served as the Athletic Director and Teacher at The Grosse Pointe Academy from 1976 to 1981. Motivated by new challenges and avenues for personal and professional development, he transitioned from the field of education to the amusement park industry when he relocated from his hometown of Dearborn, MI to San Diego, CA.
Ken moved to San Diego in 1981, without a job, but with a ton of confidence. Mr. Kobane's amusement park career started within two months when he was hired by The Huish Family Fun Centers, owners of seven family entertainment centers in Southern California as their Sales and Marketing Director for two of their San Diego locations. While Mr. Kobane was very impressed with the overall success of The Huish Family Fun Centers and their ownership and an upper management group, Mr. Kobane was convinced that his 5-year background as an educator and Athletic Director gave him an opportunity to quickly influence the ownership group and upper management group by embarking on an aggressive attempt to make a significant difference through Group Sales, an area that had not yet been a focus of concentration.
Contacting every elementary and middle school in San Diego County multiple times to suggest using popular Huish Family Fun Centers as an end-of-the-school-year graduation celebration, reward for all A students, perfect attendance students and more, resulted in Mr. Kobane quickly being rewarded with the promotion to Group Sales and Marketing General Manager, a position he proudly held from 1982 to 1997. He used strategic initiatives to consistently drive growth through the development of his Marketing and Sales teams throughout the Huish Family Fun Centers' seven locations, before their sale in 1997 to Palace Entertainment. Mr. Kobane was taken on by Palace Entertainment and their 20 locations where he served as their Vice President of Group Sales from 1997 to 1999.
Another opportunity in the family entertainment center industry came about in 1999 where Mr. Kobane accepted the National Sales Director position for Celebration Stations and their 15 locations for the next 3 years.
In 2002, Mr. Kobane received an opportunity to rejoin The Huish Family and he is very proud of the significant contributions made during that time to The Huish Family Fun Centers, Bullwinkle's Restaurants and Comfort Suites Hotel as Vice President of Sales and Marketing from 2002 to 2004 in Seattle, Washington.
Mr. Kobane spoke glowingly about the privilege of being a contributor to The Huish Family, a pioneer in the family entertainment center world from the 1950's, who for almost 20 years, "treated myself and my family and close friends as true family, a gift that one rarely finds in the business world."
His leadership skills were further demonstrated during his time as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for both Zuma Fun Centers and DealerMall.com from 2006 through 2013.
As Chief Executive Officer of DealerMall.com from 2013 to 2015, Mr. Kobane orchestrated teams of sales and marketing executives who provided a variety of the most effective products and excellent service to over 700 automobile dealerships in over 1000 markets across the country.
From 2017 to 2018, he was the Vice President of Business Development and Sponsorships at Apex Parks Group, where he was pivotal in helping expand the company's portfolio, having facilitated the acquisition of 16 parks.
This role was preceded by Mr. Kobane's tenure as Vice President of Acquisitions and Business Development at the same company from 2015 to 2018, highlighting his expertise in identifying and securing the beforementioned 16 valuable additions to Apex Parks Group's offerings.
Since 2019, he has served as the Owner and President of Kobane Consulting LLC, where he leverages his extensive experience to represent clients in the acquisition and development of entertainment properties. His role primarily involves identifying interested sellers of amusement parks to present to his interested potential buyers/clients, and orchestrating initial meetings of all parties after executing confidentiality agreements to protect all parties involved. This venture marks a significant new chapter in his career, following his short-lived retirement in August 2018.
Mr. Kobane's dedication to excellence has been acknowledged through such accolades as winning 4 Brass Ring Awards for Marketing Excellence from the International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions (IAAPA), highlighting his impact on marketing within the amusement park industry.
Mr. Kobane is extremely proud of the fact that during his decades in the amusement industry he was an integral part of creating and presenting clean-cut entertainment to countless children, teens, and young adults as well as parents and grandparents. "For the grand majority of my career, I have loved what I have done. I have been blessed!"
In addition to his professional accomplishments, he has also been recognized for innovation. In September 2022, he was granted a United States Patent for a vacuum refuse container assembly, an invention aimed at improving waste management efficiency.
Reflecting on his career journey, Mr. Kobane remains steadfast in his commitment to innovation and growth. His passion for helping coordinate the acquisition process of entertainment properties, nurturing relationships, and partnering with private equity groups and other clients continues to drive his professional aspirations. Looking ahead, he is poised to navigate the evolving landscape of the entertainment and other industries, leveraging his wealth of experience to seize new opportunities and continue to make impactful contributions in those fields through Kobane Consulting, LLC.
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