IAAPA Attractions Expo is a winner in Vegas!
THE annual IAAPA Attractions Expo’s first ever visit to Las Vegas, which took place in November, proved a big success for the international trade association despite some fears that the economic climate may put something of a damper on this year’s event.
Held on two levels at the Las Vegas Convention Centre,
according to the organiser’s figures approximately 24,000 people attended the conference and trade show, of which around 14,700 were buyers from 108 different countries. Indeed the latter figure is said to be a 17 per cent increase on buyers who attended the previous year’s event in Orlando, Florida, which also attracted a total attendance of around 24,000 from 100 countries. Having moved from Orlando, where the event has been
held for several consecutive years, it was perhaps no surprise that a fresh venue, and the bright lights of Vegas at that, tempted strong visitor numbers to attend and while the actual number of exhibiting companies was very slightly lower there was still the usual plethora of products and services on display on the trade show floor to provide much of interest and a packed four days. Commenting on the figures, IAAPA President and CEO
Charlie Bray said: “We had some concerns about the economic conditions of the past year, but Vegas delivered the buyers as we anticipated it would. It may have taken us 91 years to get here, but based on these results, we look forward to our return in 2011.”
While the trade show element yet again offered
visitors a superb shop window of the latest products and services available to the attractions industry, a comprehensive educational programme, various behind the scenes tours, numerous networking opportunities, social events and much more combined to provide a week full of activity. As mentioned, the fact the Expo moved from Orlando
also played a part in the success of the event in what are testing times for us all. Of course, Orlando and its excellent convention centre has much to offer and has done IAAPA proud during the many years the event has been held there, but there can be no doubt that moving to another city (and where could be better than Las Vegas?) proved a deft move on behalf of the organisers and provided the added impetus and attraction which helped ensure numbers were maintained and didn’t fall back as a result of the economic woes currently being felt globally. Buyers as usual represented the full spectrum of visitor
attraction type, from amusement and waterparks to aquariums and museums, and increases were noted in various sectors as far as numbers were concerned. As an example, first time attendees were up 12 per cent, while buyers from small parks increased by 27 per cent. FEC representatives were up 20 per cent and waterparks 25 per cent, while those from casinos jumped a massive 139 per cent, not surprisingly in view of the fact that the major G2E casino industry exhibition was taking place at the same time in another part of the convention centre.
25
SHOW REPOR
IAAPA 2009
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