This month’s IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando, Florida, is expected to bring together thousands of visitors and exhibitors from every corner of the entertainment and leisure industry.
ONE of the most staggering statistics from last year’s IAAPA Attractions Expo, the huge leisure industry trade show held in the US, was that the show alone was worth in excess of $51m to the local Orlando, Florida, economy. The value of the business done there, one imagines, runs into the billions.
Taking place at the Orange County Convention Center once again, this year’s show will be held on November 17-21. The mammoth convention centre has been home to the event since 2010 and, thanks to a new agreement between its owners, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions and Visit Orlando, it will remain so until at least 2025.
The IAAPA Attractions Expo continues to grow each year and is undoubtedly the largest conference and trade show specifically catered to the international attractions industry. It is in fact, the 28th largest trade show of any kind in North America. Aside from the fact that there are now very few other exhibition complexes large enough to hold an event of this size, Orlando is perhaps its most suitable home. Orlando, after all, is the spiritual home of the attractions industry, boasting some of the world’s most popular theme parks, water parks and other leisure locations. It is also easily accessible from anywhere in the world and travel is relatively affordable. What’s more, since its return to the city, the show has grown significantly.
According to IAAPA approximately 28,000 people from more than 100 nations participated in the event in 2013. This included around 17,000 buyers from amusement parks, water parks, family entertainment centres, museums, zoos, aquariums and other attractions.
“IAAPA Attractions Expo continues to grow year after year and that’s a testament to the power of Orlando as the ideal location for our global conference and trade show,” IAAPA president and CEO Paul Noland said when the deal was announced. “The Orange County Convention Center is a best-in-class venue that’s well-suited for our event and our members love coming to Orlando to see what’s new in the industry and in the area’s world-renowned attractions.”
Read the full article in the November issue of InterGame
