The fifth edition of the EAG International Expo provides more than just an opportunity to see the latest products on offer from today’s leading suppliers, it offers the chance to exchange ideas and advance the industry further, writes Simon Liddle.
AT the IAAPA Attractions Expo in the US in November, there was an overriding sense of optimism that the amusement market – in the US at least – has turned a corner. In the build-up to this month’s EAG International Expo at London’s ExCel, the question for the industry is whether the same can be said of the European marketplace.
In replacing previous incarnations of the “January show,” the BACTA-run exhibition provides an ideal meeting place for the international, although primarily European, amusement business. The industry has settled into a neat pattern of launching products at IAAPA in November and presenting them at the various regional shows around the world in the months following. EAG therefore provides the first opportunity to see all this new equipment, attuned to local requirements and modified following feedback from visitors to Orlando. As such, it helps set the agenda and tone for the rest of the year.
Unlike other amusement shows, however, EAG combines family entertainment and attractions with street gaming – reflecting the idiosyncrasies and peculiarities of the UK market. The organisers pride themselves on the fact that it is a show by the industry for the industry. Consequently, it is also an ideal forum for the industry to air its views and discuss the issues it is likely to face in the year ahead. The Independent Operators Association and the British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions are organising events to coincide with the show, for example.
Read the full article in the January issue of InterGame.
