What is now a comparatively rare event – an international trade show for amusement products – managed to put together over 1,000 exhibitors and attracted 21,300 visitors.
The Asia Amusement & Attractions Expo was held at the China Import and Export Fair grounds in Guangzhou, after once being postponed from May because of the pandemic. It had few foreign visitors on its 60,000 sq.m. of show floor for the same reason.
But a few non-Chinese companies were represented, including Koman of Denmark, Entre-prises of France, Delta Strike of New Zealand, Röder Architecture of Germany, to join some big Chinese names, including Sealy, Macrown, Gooest, Nitto and Funlandia.
With both indoor and outdoor exhibits, AAA was probably the most comprehensive trade show for the amusement and attractions industry held anywhere this year. The show covered rides, games, play centres, VR/AR, vending and kiosks, attraction construction, water parks, inflatables, landscaping and even hotels and resorts.
This year AAA added a Culture & Tourism Pavilion to its exhibits that attracted some major names in the theme park operations business, such as OCT Group, Disney, Universal and Sentosa.
Inevitably there was an increased focus on delivering a safe experience for the public just as attractions in China are reopening. Kiosks for self-sanitising were plentiful on the show floor, plus visitor reservation systems and contactless game solutions.
New products ranged from Ludaoshe’s giant animated white tiger to Sanzhen Refrigeration expanding its air conditioning-led product range into snow machines.
While international visitors were understandably reduced this year, the organisers still reported registrations from India, Saudi Arabia, Hungary, the UAE, Malta, Pakistan, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Malaysia. The organisers’ Online Matchmaking Program, designed to connect buyers and suppliers, was reported to have received plenty of cross-border co-operation during the show. The system was enthusiastically endorsed by companies such as Wahlap, Arccer Amusement, Mecpower and many others.
Eighty-five industry leaders took part in an Advisor Panel, including representatives of Unis, Polin Waterparks, Sunac, Guangzhou Panyu, Golden Dragon and Kalqi Group. The World Culture and Tourism Conference, running alongside the show was dominated by over 30 trendsetters from leading trade associations, companies and state agencies. Said Chen Meiyan, vice president of Joyu Group: “Before Covid-19, tourism accounted for 11 per cent of China’s GDP. Due to its excessive dependence upon off-line scenarios, tourism has become one of the hardest-hit sectors. To help the industry build more resilience, a new educational technology platform to help foster talents in tourism digitalisation is needed.” The conference was broadcast live online, accounting for 130,000 views.
Next year’s AAA will revert to its May date in the calendar, operating at the same location from May 10-12.
