Show Review
parkworld-online.com
IAAPA ATTRACTIONS EXPO Orlando show excels
Anyone who had a suspicion that, a few years into its 10- year residency in Orlando,
IAAPA Attraction Expo might run out of steam, was proved wrong in spectacular fashion this November after a barnstorming week in the “theme park capital of the world.” Paul Ruben and Owen Ralph report
Eventually the numbers confirmed it. Approximately 29,000 amusement park and attractions industry professionals from 110 nations, 18,200 classed as buyers, packed the Orange County Convention Center for this, the 95th IAAPA Attractions Expo. That's an increase over almost 10% over the 26,500 attendees in 2012. The last time attendance got to such lofty heights was in 2003, when 30,062 industry professionals gathered in Orlando.
The week kicked off on Monday 18 November with various meetings and education sessions, including a well-attended (1,000+) Lunch & Learn session with Walt Disney World president George A Kalogridis. The doors to the trade show were then thrown open the following morning, and business was brisk until the inevitable last day drop off on Friday 22 November.
ithin an hour of opening, one could sense that this year's event – the fourth consecutive year of its current run in Orlando – was going to be special. The floor was crowded, more so than in recent memory, and the buzz in the hall was infectious. “What I’ve heard all over the floor is that the show this year is unprecedented compared to recent history," offered newly inducted IAAPA chairman Mario Mamon from Enchanted Kingdom in the Philippines. "We see a lot of interest from Asia Pacific, Europe and all around the world here in Orlando. This bodes well for he coming year for the industry.”
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Visitors were able to shop their way around the largest floor in a decade, measuring 528,578 net square feet (49,107 sq m). Individual exhibitor numbers stood at 1,098, down from 1,167 last year – leading us to assume that several companies were taking bigger booths.
Big booths It wasn’t just the ride manufacturers keen to flex their muscle, witness for example the large “wave” structure floating over the booth of newly relaunched Accesso (formerly Lo-Q), the swish chandelier-like decorations hanging down over the domain of JRA (Jack Rouse Associates) or the massive display of midway games contributed, as always, by Bob’s Space Racers – almost an FEC in itself. Park operators, along with operators of attractions as varied as casinos, museums, miniature golf courses, zoos and aquariums, were pleased with what they found. “It’s always a busy week,” observed local park proprietor John Arie, who runs Fun Spot venues in Orlando and Kissimmee, “but the show is fuller and with more innovations than I’ve seen in years. We’re looking for something new and different, to meet old acquaintances, and to renew friendships and see how things are going.” “The Lunch & Learn with George Kalogridis was really interesting,” Gröna Lund (Stockholm) rides manager Peter Osbeck told Park World, “and the IAAPA app was very helpful. This show is always interesting, but for us the social contacts are the most important thing.” Reaction was uniformly strong among exhibitors.
A small part of the show floor 22
“It’s been a fantastic show,” smiled Michael Kitchen of US Thrill Rides, whose towering four-sided LED screen promoting the new Polercoaster was an eye- catching addition to the S&S-Sansei booth. “We’ve had quality leads. We entered the show with two very large sales, and that momentum and excitement is carrying forth. Through our appearance at IAAPA we’ve met with many potential
JANUARY 2014
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