Show Review
www.parkworld-online.com
Pictured on the nWave booth launching Mack Media’s new 3D movie Castle Secret were Europa-Park mascots and stars of the film including Louis and Euromausi, nWave’s Eric Dillens, Michael Mack, Euromaus, Böckli and Eurofant
important, and while Orlando remains of great interest, this show is essential for our members.” Accompanying his colleague Fernando Aldecoa, the CEO of PortAventura who shared the stage with Roland Mack at Wednesday morning’s Leadership Breakfast, the Spanish park’s operations manager Giovanni Modena was due to spend two days in Berlin attending meetings and browsing the EAS exhibits. “Of course we already know all the ride manufacturers but every time we come to this fair we always get at least one thing we can use in the park,” he told Park World. “It’s a very big show this year!”
“I think the show is fantastic,” enthused Peter van Bilsen from Vekoma Rides Manufacturing. “There are new customers and new projects out there, which is very positive for our industry. We’ve seen people from a lot of places including Eastern Europe, where they don’t really have a lot of amusement parks at the moment but there is a lot of potential.”
Eastern European visitors “There have been lots of Eastern European visitors,” agreed Elena Munari of IE Park. “We’ve also seen a few clients from the Middle East. In Italy we have been hit by the economic crisis, but overall our industry is doing well; there is work for everybody.” “We caught up with many people and will have a lot to follow up after the show,” said Mirko Schulze of Huss Park Attractions. “Still nothing beats face to face contact. Looking at our order book, I do not feel the crisis!”
“I think this has been one of the best European trade shows so far,” commented Eric Dillens of 3D film distributor nWave. “The first two days were brilliant and our new films helped drive traffic to the booth.” Last year, on home soil, Simworx offered a full 4D theatre on its booth in London, but was adopting a more low key approach in Berlin. “That meant the people we got to see this time were those already interested in what we do,” noted Terry Monkton. “There weren’t too many quiet spells.” Two British companies – Garmendale (GEL) and KD Decoratives – decided to pool their resources and present a nice booth showcasing their wide-ranging services, from ride building and theming to maintenance and general engineering projects. “We’ve had some really good meetings and set up a few site visits,” GEL’s David Shelmerdine informed us. “Working with Merlin does us a lot of good because people know they are quite hard task-masters.” “Yeah it’s certainly been a good show,” remarked Coen Nieuwenstein, representing Gerstlauer Amusement Rides. “There is some confidence in the market, however it’s still very tough out there.” “This show has been a lot better than last year in
London, but I would prefer the dates not to be so close to Orlando,” said Theo van Zwieten from Mondial. “Also the event is lacking travelling showmen.” As the world’s leading waterpark supplier, WhiteWater is a regular fixture of this and many other industry events, but it was the first time at EAS for the Canadian company’s Julie Zakus. “I never knew the show was this large,” she confessed. “There’s been traffic all day, every day, and I am very impressed with the organisation.”
“EAS 2012 demonstrated the increasing importance of our sector to the entire European tourism industry,” concluded Roland Mack. “he attendance was evidence that the industry is resilient in times of crisis. EAS is now recognised as the most important [attractions industry] trade show in Europe.”
Exhibitors and visitors alike will be relieved that next
year’s Euro Attractions Show – in Paris – is scheduled for September as the five week gap between the Berlin event and IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando was a little too close for comfort. Nevertheless the growth of EAS, in both size and stature, makes the need to visit both shows unnecessary. With both travel budgets and work schedules under pressure in the current climate,
To Paris
...and
beyond! Euro Attractions Show 2013 will take place at Paris’s Port de Versailles convention centre from September 18 to 20, and more than 200 exhibitors have already confirmed their attendance. After moving EAS around Europe for the best part of a decade, IAAPA is expected to settle on three or four host cities for future events, which should make things a little easier for all concerned, not least the exhibitors and IAAPA itself. Berlin could well become one of those cities, and it certainly provided an enjoyable meeting place for most concerned this autumn.
Italian manufacturer EOS exhibited this Venetian-themed tower rde
Lisa Gosetto with a car from one of her firm’s new dark rides Theming and Animatronics Industries (TAA) made an effort! NOVEMBER 2012
Mettalbau Emmeln was displaying this ride vehicle destined for Toverland
More EAS pictures over the page
39
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76