International visitors were back for IAAPA this year, following the pandemic that reduced their number at the 2021 show, with organisers expecting 26 per cent more visitors than last year.
“We have returned with updated versions of some of the games we showed last year,” said Stefaan Vaerewyck of Elaut, the cranes specialists, “because there were very few internationals at the ’21 show, as we were only just emerging from the lockdown.”
Several other companies in the amusement games section expressed a similar view and the wide range of languages heard as the show opened its doors yesterday morning would support that view.
IAAPA is being held at the Orange County Convention Center, in Orlando, Florida and will continue until Friday afternoon this week. The organisers said that there had been 34,000 registered participants, including 23,154 buyers
Companies on the show floor numbered 1,080, with a majority targeting the global theme parks and attractions business, but around 20 per cent of the show floor was given over to coin-operated amusement games.
All of the big names took sizeable stands, including Elaut, Benchmark, Sega, Apple, Bandai Namco, Bay Tek, Coastal, Embed, ICE, LAI, Lasertron, Intercard, QubicaAMF, Sacoa, Semnox, Stern and Unis.
The entrances to IAAPA this year had theme park décor (pictured).
