In total, 5,460 visitors made their way to London’s ExCel, a positive reflection due to the number being slightly higher than recorded at the 2013 show.
Many exhibitors reported brisk business with orders being taken throughout the entire three day event and there were favourable comments regarding the number of serious buyers in attendance.
Sound Leisure’s Chris Black had major cause for celebration during the first morning of the show: “We’ve experienced the best day at any show ever. We’re delighted to have received confirmation of a 250 machine order from Gamestec, plus a further order for 50 machines from another customer. Operators who have previously held back are now investing,” revealed Chris.
On the E-service stand, Mike Clokie and his team were also kept busy: “We always look forward to EAG International and have every faith in the show. There has been a lot of interest in our new ticketing solutions with deals and trials agreed. We’ve gained new customers; for us it’s not just meet-and-greet, we’re achieving genuine orders,” he confirmed.
EAG International continues to maintain its worldwide appeal with 30% of visitors travelling from a total of 62 countries outside of the UK. For some exhibitors, the opportunity of meeting international buyers is their primary reason for attending the show, whilst for others they provide a welcome addition to their core businesses.
NSM Music’s Alex Kirby revealed that the company also enjoyed a positive show: “Our EAG offer on the Icon Lite was a huge success and our latest background music offering was also well received. There was a strong overseas representation and on the basis of this start to the year, 2014 is likely to be a very good year indeed,” predicted Alex.
RLMS Sales’ Phil Boulton also reported a good show: “Within the RLMS Sales camp we are delighted with the initial reaction from our visitors to the array of models we had on show. It turned out to be a real selling show, buoyed by having some proven new product within the range, many fantastic looking new models and of course, new Category C prize levels going live the week before,” explained Phil.
Another exhibitor experiencing a significant interest in new products was Project Coin’s Tony Boulton. “We’ve had a good show with a lot of enthusiasm for £100 products. AGC and bingo operators are seizing the opportunity created by the Triennial. We’ve seen a lot of UK buyers,” informed Tony.
The 2014 EAG International attracted first-time exhibitors from a number of industry sectors, one of which was FutureLogic International which provides both standard and customised printer solutions for a wide range of applications, including casino/ gaming vouchers, petrol pump receipts, medical devices, POS coupons, and labels for assembly-line products. The company is a regular exhibitor at amusement and gaming expos around the world. Marketing Manager Anette Gauch was pleased with the company’s EAG debut. “This is our first year at EAG International and it was absolutely the right decision. We’ll be back next year,” promised Anette.
Another first time exhibitor was Teddy Mountain, the leading Build Your Own Teddy Bear brand. “This is our first year at EAG International. It’s been great to meet overseas visitors,” confirmed Sales Manager Tina Chiffers.
An innovative new product which attracted much interest was the Pic ‘n’ Mix vending machine from Pure Novelty Ltd. The company’s Dan Perkins described EAG as “the perfect platform to launch our new innovative Pic ‘n’ Mix solution. All I will say regarding this year’s EAG International is if you have an innovative, cost effective, fun product that’s different, you cannot fail to sell it at EAG: the buyers are all here. This year I’m very pleased to say was our turn to have the product people wanted.”
EAG International Chairman Martin Burlin was also proud of the show’s fifth edition. “EAG International is now a mature show and it’s very gratifying to see visitor numbers being maintained this year. Even more gratifying are the favourable comments we’ve received about the show’s smooth organisation and the amount of genuine business being written by exhibitors.
“This year there were many truly innovative products; a real testament to the creativity of our industry. After a great summer last year and a positive Triennial for some, operators are investing for the coming season; it’s fantastic news for our industry. I’d just like to convey my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported the show and helped to make it the vibrant industry event that it is today.”