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Yesterday was the final day of the 8th edition of the Euro Attractions Show (EAS), the premier trade show for the attractions industry in Europe. EAS rotates between different countries and cities, and took place this year at the Olympia Exhibition Centre in London, UK.
NewsParcs has been there during 3 days to cover the event, meeting with industry leaders and companies from around the world. We had very interesting discussions with companies such as Alterface, Maurer Söhne, Sally Corporation, KMG, Zierer, Van Egdom or One World Studios… in order to inform our readers about their latest news, products and projects. And we thank them for their time and consideration! Our articles will be updated in the next weeks, so we already invite you to have a look to our EAS photos album on our Facebook page.
EAS organizer, the European Office of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA Europe) has stated that the show attracted 7.053 visitors (preliminary count), a record number of 336 exhibitors (with 82 UK based) and over 1.000 participants in the conference programme. The visitors came from more than a hundred countries and about 30% came from the host country.
The exhibitors showed their latest products and services (in more than 99 different categories) on the largest show floor in the event`s history. Among the exhibited products were roller coasters, attractions, ticket and access systems, games and animatronics. IAAPA Europe stated that one of the most important trends this year was the combination of 3D-movies with other techniques (making it 4- or even 5D) as well as the focus on theming and interactivity. Remarkable was also the supply of water related attractions and equipment. Several new exhibitors declared that they only expected to generate new contacts, but many said that they also signed contracts and gained business!
Mats Wedin, Chairman of the IAAPA European Advisory Committee says: “We are extremely pleased with this show and the support of the associations in the UK. Not only did we have a record number of exhibitors, we noticed that the European industry is as vibrant as ever ”.
Parallel to the show ran a wide-ranging educational programme. As mentionned before, more than 1.000 people attended the seminars on social media, fan communities, Intellectual Property (IP)-branding, safety, human resources and waterparks. The program also featured a panel discussion with some of the most legendary pioneers of the European attractions industry and a Leadership Breakfast where Nick Varney, CEO of Merlin Entertainments Group Ltd, shared his vision on the company and the philosophy of success. This years´ networking events were sold out.
Euro Attractions Show 2012 in Berlin
In 2012 the amusement and theme park industry will gather in Berlin. The EAS will take place from 9-11 October and will be held in the Messe Berlin. “Germany has many theme parks, family entertainment centers and water parks. Beside that, the country has an outstanding reputation of manufacturing for our industry, so Berlin is the perfect place for the 9th edition“, so says Wedin. The interest of exhibiting companies is again very high: almost 50% of the exhibition space is already sold.
NewsParcs' Theme Park Supplier's News of the Week is a review of the latest news and releases of companies supplying the theme park industry worldwide. This weekly report covers topics such as corporate announcements, ...