The Euro Attractions Show, which is set for Barcelona, Spain, next month, is likely to prove a major attraction for Middle East operators, says Karen Staley, senior vice-president of organisers IAAPA.
The association, says Staley, has deliberately targeted operators from the Middle East over the past few years and the policy was paying off.
“We are focused on servicing our members in the Middle East. We are seeking to help with education and provide them with the means to ensure that they are successful in the years to come. We have always participated in the DEAL show in Dubai and will continue to have a booth there.”
EAS this year will have the largest exhibit floor in its history and will have more than 30 hours of education sessions, tours to the PortAventura theme park and the Barcelona Aquarium. Staley said that she felt that Middle East operators will continue to visit both the EAS and the IAAPA show in Orlando, despite their close timelines as “they offer different experiences.”
Staley told InterGame that the growth of Middle East influence at EAS was due to the IAAPA office in Brussels having responsibility for the entire EMEA region. It would also continue to rotate the venue for each EAS show around Europe as part of its policy to bring it to members’ own doorsteps. The show will move to Berlin in 2017, where EAS was very successful previously.
