Simon Liddle reports back from the IAAPA Attractions Expo.
THERE are two factors, occurring simultaneously, that are bringing confidence to the North American amusement business – a steadily improving economy and the availability of new and exciting products.
At the IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando, Florida, in November, it was clear that amusement and leisure operators were there to invest in new equipment and there was a sense that here is an industry re-energised by the prospect of new opportunities and returning consumer confidence.
IAAPA is a huge event, comprising more than 1,000 exhibiting companies from across the attractions industry. These range from coin-operated amusement manufacturers and suppliers, to the developers of large-scale theme park rides. This year, it was estimated that attendance would top 28,000 – a staggering number. Although the majority of people InterGame spoke with in an unseasonably chilly Orlando claimed that the event was a success, some even going so far as to say it had been the best in years, not everyone was as equally full of praise. The show’s first day was, for some, an unusually slow start but traffic undoubtedly picked up the following day.
There was also concern among some exhibitors that the mix of visitors was now firmly skewed towards North America, with a much smaller international presence. Perhaps the recent Euro Attractions Show and the growing popularity of the Asian Attractions Expo, both of which are IAAPA-backed events, are diluting the international presence at the Orlando show. That being said, for others, IAAPA did pull in attendees from a reasonable geographical spread with reports of visitors from the Middle East, Russia and the CIS states in particular. Because it is an event for the many varied segments that comprise the attractions industry, rather than simply a pure pay-to-play amusements show, IAAPA puts people in front of a much wider audience and opens up new opportunities that otherwise may not have been.
Clearly, IAAPA is still the key event for new product launches and many manufacturers now gear their production schedules towards the show.
Read the full article in the December issue of InterGame
