London’s weather may be typically rainy and dark, but the city itself is quite bright in many other ways. This U.K. destination is a leading global city, with international business, culture, diversity and trends. No wonder it’s home to some of the best trade shows, with the International Casino Exhibition and EAG International Expo among them, representing the gaming and amusement industries, respectively.
“London is one of the world’s truly great capital cities and has been a center for trade and commerce throughout centuries of history,” commented Karen Cooke, managing director at Swan Events, the organizing team for EAG. “As an exhibitor or visitor, London offers everything you could want or need—business infrastructure, culture and entertainment.”
Cooke said that London’s universal appeal is one of the reasons EAG attracts visitors from almost 80 countries to their expo. And with the 2012 Olympics being held in London, it looks to attract even more visitors.
Another company witnessing firsthand the global appeal of a trade show held in London is Clarion Events, organizer of ICE. Kate Chambers, portfolio director, shared that more than 60 percent of their 20,000-plus visitors traveled from outside the U.K. in 2011 from 126 sovereign states. “Clearly, when you have that type of profile,” she said, “transport links and accessibility are key. Visitors love what London has to offer, whether it’s the heritage, the entertainment offering or the buzz of what is one of the world’s most talked about cities. We validate this every year in our visitor research, and London keeps on coming out top.”
ICE, the only exhibition just for gaming in the U.K., has become an international phenomenon and a staple for many gaming industry executives. And it grows year after year, both in terms of attendees and exhibitors. Just 16 pioneer companies exhibited in 1991, and by 2011, there were 409 companies. “This growth has been achieved through a sensitive combination of co-operation with the industry, market understanding and careful nurturing,” Chambers said.
Also in 2011, it had first-time attendee visitors from Anguilla, Cormoros and Congo. “Sometimes you need to be armed with a World Atlas to establish locations and places,” Chambers said. “It’s simply amazing to reflect on the distances people travel. However, we’ve worked extremely hard with our marketing to get this far. We also work extremely hard to deliver a good customer experience and provide tangible benefits for attending.”
EAG is in its third year and holds its shows at the ExCel Center. ICE has traditionally been held at Earls Court, but due to impending renovations, ICE will also be moving to ExCel in 2013. Though ICE has also been typically held in January, 2013 will mark its move to a February show, with EAG retaining its date in January.
“We are moving to ExCel at a great time,” Chambers noted. “The area will have been transformed by the hospitality and transport infrastructures which are now underway in preparation for the London games of 2012. The Olympics have certainly accelerated improvements to this part of London far beyond what we originally anticipated. The certainty offered by a new purpose-built venue will allow us to take ICE Totally Gaming to another stage in its development and underscore its position as the world’s most complete gaming exhibition.”
Cooke explained that several factors have made an impact on simply having a trade show lately. “EAG International is very clearly defined for the amusement, coin-op and parks industries which, in common with most sectors, have been hard hit by global recession,” she said. “In the case of the U.K., this has been compounded by the negative consequences of the 2005 Gambling Act. As always, during harsh trading conditions, the great companies adapt and innovate, and whilst the process may be painful, it often produces astonishing developments. I believe this is the case with EAG International.”
Even though EAG has only taken place twice, it’s definitely proven to be a valuable show. “Suffice it to say that the inaugural EAG 2010 was the biggest show launch that ExCel had ever witnessed,” Cooke explained, “and that the event then went on to achieve double digit percentage growth for its second year. EAG International has had a great start, and we’re committed to continuing this success.”
The future of this vibrant trade show scene looks very positive. “EAG International’s ethos of absolute service to the industry, coupled with hard work, care and attention to detail, will continue to be the show’s cornerstone,” Cooke said. “If we get that right, then EAG International will have contributed positively to the industry’s future success.”
Chambers added: “Everything we do has the key objective of helping the industry to grow and be profitable. By working with the industry, I am certain that the future is extremely bright.”
And with exciting new developments, both in the past and planned for the future, we have no doubt that they both are right.
Amanda Huggett is the Managing Editor for Casino Enterprise Management. She can be reached at (701) 293-7775 or editor2[at]aceme.org.
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