The EAG Expo, which closed its doors yesterday, may only be in its second year but already it has firmly established itself as the key event for the European coin-op amusement industry.
Exhibitors were united in positive comment, from the great organisation led by Karen Cooke and her team at Swan Events to the good mix of quality visitors from all over Europe. Visitors from Greece, Russia and eastern Europe were noted as well as a strong presence from the UK.
It depended on who you spoke to as to which day was busiest; some companies did extremely well on the first day, whereas for others the second day ruled. Some stands were consistently busy throughout. The only time the show really got quieter was towards the end of the day, but with a closing time of 7pm on the first and second day, this is hardly surprising. While some exhibitors on the EAG committee had pushed for such a late closing time, the majority of people InterGame spoke to felt it was a waste of time and something that needs to be addressed ahead of next year’s show.
Product wise, new launches seen at IAAPA made their way across to EAG as well as brand new launches from the likes of Stern Pinball, with its Rolling Stones machine, Sega Amusements and its Sonic Ticket Allstars redemption game, VDW and its Roulette 30 and Magic Ball, Sound Leisure presented its VenueHub jukebox, one of the most advanced on the market and Instance Automatics presented Jackpot Bingo, to name just a few.
A full show report will appear in the March issue of InterGame, as will reviews of all the new products presented.