The London Preview, which concluded yesterday, put suppliers under pressure as it was the first major UK event in a recessionary year - and brought the show's role under some pressure as a result.
In fact the Preview was a small, but bright and busy show, especially on the first day, and the fact that it was held at all in these very tough times for the industry was an achievement for Phil and Ylva Howard, the organisers.
The product was excellent and largely reflected the growing influence of the digital technology on Category C games. But the buyers, generally, kept their money in their pockets - with some isolated reports to the contrary - and everything now hinges on the January shows.
Said Harry Levy, who is very much a campaigner in the exhibition field: "I have always loved this show - but the cost of exhibiting has become a problem."
Dean Harding of Crown: "Last year I had a disastrous Preview. We will wait a week to evaluate follow-up sales calls, but if this year is as bad for us, then we will seriously have to look at our options for 2010."
John McKenzie of Namco: "We will do what everyone must do in these hard times; look at the results and decide accordingly. We have made some sales, but we have to assess whether we would have made those sales anyway if we had not been here."
Michael Green of UDC: "At the start of the first day I would have said it was doubtful that we’d return in 2010, but I have to say that we have made some sales here."
Chris Black of Sound Leisure reported that it was a great show for the company and its jukeboxes, aided by the resurrection of its Old Macdonald redemption game. The success story was echoed by Tony Eyre at Nova Productions who said sales for the company’s poker game had been ‘brilliant.’
Conflicting views therefore, but Phil Howard was content. "It has been desperately hard work this year and we took the decision as far back as June to reduce the show to just one floor (of the Novotel, Hammersmith, London), but we have had the people here….1,200 pre-show registrations and over 800 badges on the first day. We have had over 50 different nationalities here."
Preview moves to October 20-21 in 2010 through a major two-week commitment on the venue by the multi-national IBM.
