The principals of the European Amusement and Gaming Expo (EAG) and show venue operators ExCel were due to meet today and high on the agenda is the situation which has arisen over the 2013 show.

EAG is due to run at ExCel at the end of January, 2013 and a week later Clarion is proposing to put its ICE Totally Gaming show into the same venue. Clarion went on record last week as hoping that EAG might move its dates to coincide because of the strong cross-over of visitors.

The international community for both the gaming and amusement sectors will now have its fingers crossed that the existing differences which stand in the way of a bi-lateral London event in 2013 will be overcome, and thus eliminate the frustrating cross-London travel between ICE’s current Earls Court venue and EAG at ExCel.

No comment on the situation was forthcoming today, pending those EAG/ExCel talks, but high on the agenda is likely to be the commitment which ExCel has given EAG in its contract that no competing products will be permitted into the venue close to EAG’s operating dates. In terms of products there are overlaps between the two shows.