Volume 3, No. 18. September 26,2003
FUN EXPO Report
Trading
places
Numbers don’t lie. They don’t always tell the truth, either.
With
that ambivalence, we gauge the start of trade show season.
First
came the American Zoo and Aquarium Association’s annual conference, which
drew standard numbers (about 1,600) but left many of the 121 exhibitors frustrated—and
some outright angry—with the lack of traffic in the exhibit hall. The show
almost unanimously described by vendors as slow was a reflection of a zoo industry
grappling with budget challenges, not only from this year’s attendance
drops at many zoos but also from restricted local government funding.
One week later, the co-located International Association for the Leisure and
Entertainment Industry’s Fun Expo and the Amusement & Music Operators
Association show occupied the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The numbers on the AMOA side of the aisle were slightly up: 162 exhibitors compared
to 143 last year, 2,450 buyers compared to 2,351 in 2002. The numbers on the
Fun Expo side were slightly down: 151 exhibitors, down 26 from 2002, and 2,233
attendees compared to 2,332 last year.
The action on the floor, however, was hot if not hectic. “The feel and
excitement on the trade show floor is very obvious,” said Carole Sjolander,
IALEI executive director. Said AMOA President Chris Warren: “You’re
seeing smiles.”
Longtime exhibitors, like Ride Development Company and Peter F. Olesen and Associates,
saw this year’s Fun Expo as light in leads compared to past shows, but
they were nonetheless pleased with their overall outcome, given the state of
the economy. Newer exhibitors were little short of ecstatic.
Jim
Seay of Premier Rides, who was exhibiting at both AZA and Fun Expo for the first
time, raved after the first day of Fun Expo about the amount of interest and
number of sales his Cari-Co designed electric karts were generating. He and
his sales staff had their biggest shock when one FEC owner jumped in the Premier
booth’s kart and drove off down the aisle, the Premier staff in hot pursuit.
“Scared us to death,” Seay said. “We finally stopped him and
he said, ‘I’m a member of the (IALEI) board, I can do this,’
so we let him go.” After his test spin the operator parked back at the
booth and ordered a fleet.
Preston
& Barbieri Worldwide scored well with its line of Eureka rides, an interactive
family round ride. While Barbieri alone represented the Italian manufacturer
faction at Fun Expo, another surprise overseas vendor came all the way from
Russia, Pax Design Company, which also had some meaningful meetings during the
show. For these ride manufacturers, family entertainment centers are a market
worthy of diversifying their product lines.
The
annual Fun Expo Academy’s 41 seminars drew more than 1,600 attendees. The
two-day Rookies and Newcomers Workshop had 80 participants, a record high. Both
strong numbers are evidence that Fun Expo is establishing itself as an appealing
educational forum—after all, the academy does require a registration fee—and
that the FEC industry is in continuing good health.
Fun
Expo and AMOA revealed a couple more clues to trends worth watching as the industry
nears the IAAPA confab in November. One, the Fun Expo/AMOA trade show traffic
included a larger percentage of international buyers than previous shows, veterans
said, particularly from the Pacific Rim and Latin America. Two, family appeal
is a key watchword.
That
latter notion emerged notably around Fun Expo’s staging a Paintball Tournament.
The event drew eager contestants and curious crowds, and the camouflaged kids
added an exotic energy to the floor traffic. The tournament also drew a bit
of angst from some operators and suppliers, especially when people carrying
authentic-looking rapid-fire rifles set up in the aisles to shoot each other
(sans ammunition, but with realistic sound effects). Paintball arenas could
be a good investment for FECs, but a vocal contingent also believes the sport
is not conducive to the first word in the industry’s identifying acronym:
“Family.”
Clearly, Fun Expo has rebounded from its almost moribund status two to three years ago, and this year’s performance in particular reinforces the industry trend that, in today’s economy, size DOES matter: small IS good.
THE LOOP is written and produced by Eric Minton, Minton Enterprises, LLC. To see more examples of Eric Minton's work and Minton Enterprises services, visit www.ericminton.com.
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