
An important step towards recovery
11 November 2021/ A successful trade show does not always mean big numbers, as proven by the recent IAAPA Expo Europe in Barcelona /
IAAPA Expo Europe is finally back: after more than 18 very complicated months for operators in the parks and attractions industry ( just like all other sectors of business), with the pandemic and its consequences that probably no-one had imagined would have been so dramatic – extended closures, safety protocols, a drastic drop in attendance and turnover for the entire sector (including suppliers), partial reopenings, vaccination passes, and so on – finally, at the end of September the IAAPA Expo Europe trade show held in Barcelona brought a pleasant breath of normality back into the professional life of European operators.
The long pause between trade shows, interspersed with a few unsuccessful attempts at virtual events, is thus over, and the leisure business was thus able to meet again in person (naturally with all the precautions required due to the global pandemic) and in doing so also give new impetus for the challenges that the pandemic continues to pose. Four-hundred-thirty-nine companies exhibited at Fira Barcelona and attendance reached 5,800 qualified buyers from 3,200 companies. “IAAPA Expo Europe represents a fresh start for our entire industry,” said Jakob Wahl, vice president and executive director, IAAPA EMEA during the opening session. “This Expo is about preparing for the future, inspiring each other, and sharing important learnings from the global pandemic.”
In fact, speaking with those who exhibited and those who visited the show, the picture that emerges is one of the sector’s resilience and desire to get moving again, returning to invest in new products, services and technologies both as suppliers and buyers. “There are understandably fewer visitors than at the previous IAAPA Expo Europe, but those that are here are highly qualified and very interested buyers, and ready to make purchases,” one exhibitor told us, an opinion shared by many other colleagues. “We expect to…
Continue reading and full photo gallery Games & Parks Industry October 2021, page 10
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