The EAG Expo Advisory Board at its meeting earlier this week discussed plans for the major social event of the week - the Dixie Queen riverboat evening on Tuesday, January 26, the first day of the show.

The boat will hold 1,000 people and will be open from 6.30pm with the show finishing that day at 7.00pm. A hot buffet will be run until 9.00pm and the event will conclude at 11.00pm.  The boat is being sponsored by Bandai Namco and entertainment will be staged on all decks, with casts from current London West End shows.

The expo is now 95 per cent full, the board was told (more exhibitors have booked since that meeting), and the current floor plan is available on the www.intergameonline.com website and also on the EAG website www.EAGExpo.com

With over 100 exhibitors the expo actually has the products of nearly double that number of companies and will cover all parts of amusement and low-stake gaming. Visitors will have access to free seminars, which will include sessions on matters of current interest from the Gambling Commission.

During the first day there will be a number of events taking place to favour BACTA’s current official charity MacMillans. The hall will have two bar/restaurants, dubbed North and South for convenience of visitors to arrange meetings with friends and colleagues. The North bar will serve tapas and the South salt beef.

The board was told that a number of trade organisations had organised meetings at the show venue (ExCel), including the Independent Operators’ Association, BALPPA and Euromat. There will also be events held for international regulators, ministers and legislators. Martin Burlin, chairman of BACTA’s organising committee, said: "It is all building up into a truly international event - the only place to be during the third week of January 2010."