This year's Entertainment Industry show held in Kiev, Ukraine, from September 14-16, was smaller in size but saw a major increase in amusement equipment on show.
Although primarily a gambling equipment show for many years, with changes in the gambling law this year’s show has filtered over to become a true family amusement show, according to InterGame sources. There was a strong push from domestic companies including Game Trade Group, Kids Play and Vita Fox and visitor numbers were strong with serious customers attending clinics and workshops.
As InterGame understands Game Trade, based in Kiev, has worked very hard in the past four years to make the show a full service trade show and its day-long workshops and operator clinics were impressive by western standards and considered pioneering in eastern Europe. Game Trade director Yaroslav Sobko has travelled the US and Europe investing resources and effort to bring established knowledge of family amusement to the Ukraine.
Companies including Namco, Sega Amusements, Bay Tek Games, Benchmark, LAI Games, Coastal and Saint Fun were just a few of the manufacturers represented by Ukrainian distributors at the show, which has put itself on the path of becoming a major family amusement industry show.