Cosmic Leisure’s Martin Austin has said that he would like to see EAG Expo be held later next year.
The company director said that more business would be able to be done if the show were held mid-February.
He told InterGame: “It is way too early. The show needs to be mid or third week in February to maximise the sales.
“People have just come off Christmas, they’ve all got colds and they don’t want to be here. It is far too early. I think they need to try and look to book it later next year.
“I’m not saying that the people who spend the money like me should boycott it, but this has cost me the fat end of forty grand and if I don’t get the footfall coming through, it is not worth me doing it.”
Austin said that the show had been “ok” for business, with some business being done on the show floor.
He was showing off the company’s latest attraction, Fireball, which launched in March 2022. He said: “We did about 50 units and none of them came back. Most operators would say it’s their best taker. Hopefully we’ll do another 100 units this year - I think we will. When you’ve got showmen coming onto the stand and selling it to other showmen, you know you’ve got a good piece and that has happened over the last two days.
“How you know if your products are good is if there are any in the market second hand and there isn’t. People don’t trade my gear in. If they did, it would be impossible for me to sell my gear new at the same price that I was 18 months ago but I am. I get repeat sales because they stick. They’re all pretty good.”
