On November 13th-16th, hosted by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), the 100th IAAPA Attractions Expo took place at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, USA.  As an influential global event in the games and amusement industry, the Expo has attracted the attention of domestic and foreign professionals.  According to data from IAAPA, the net area of the Expo reached 600,375 square feet (about 56,000 square meters), attracting more than 42,000 registrants and 1,151 exhibiting companies.  And the number of qualified buyers broke a new record with 26,600.  The Expo also pumped an estimated $77.2 million into the Orlando-area economy (about 540 million RMB).

Focused on the first scene
On the first day of the show, the opening ceremony was held, the organizers said that this year is a historic moment for the 100th anniversary of IAAPA, IAAPA has witnessed the prosperity and development of the industry in these years, which is inseparable from everyone’s efforts, and hope the Expo can bring new opportunities and ideas to everyone.  Besides, IAAPA also hoped that it can work with everyone to promote the development of the industry.  “There is no better way to celebrate IAAPA’s centennial anniversary than with a remarkable and record-breaking Expo,” said Hal McEvoy, IAAPA president and CEO, adding, “IAAPA’s mission is to connect attractions professionals with each other and with new and innovative ideas.  All that and much more happened here in Orlando, it’s been an incredible week!”

IAAPA Attractions Expo 2018 Ended Successfully.

After the opening ceremony, lots of buyers entered the show floor, and after 10: 00 in the morning, the number of buyers reached the peak.  The centennial event brought everyone a perfect opening.  According to data, a record 1,151 high-quality exhibitors from China, Italy, Turkey, Germany, France, Japan and other countries gathered in the pavilion.  There were nearly 130 exhibitors from China, which shows a growth of 30% compared with the previous number of 90.  It added special elements of “made in China” to the event.  Besides, except the outdoor exhibition area due to the large number of new exhibitors, the Expo also featured a new Exploration Station--a custom-built outdoor structure with more than 140 exhibitors.  It provided exposure for first time exhibitors, and also provided convenience for the buyers to explore the new exhibitors.  As the largest international trade association for permanently located attractions, IAAPA is dedicated to the preservation and prosperity of the global attractions industry.  So the products on the Expo were mostly large-scale equipment, covering amusement parks, theme parks, attractions, water parks, resorts, family entertainment centers, zoos, aquariums, museums and so on.

The Expo attracted 1,151 exhibitors from home and abroad.

During the Expo, busy buyers could be seen everywhere.  After a glance of the products on the first two days, they preferred to slow down and communicate with manufacturers to learn more information.  According to observation, the majority of products were large-scale equipment and related equipment at about 30%; video games followed closely, accounting for about 25%; VR equipment accounted for 15%; water parks related equipment accounted for 10%; and others accounted for about 20%.  In terms of popularity, traditional large-scale equipment and water park equipment were still popular, the trend of VR equipment was also strong.  In addition, there were many traditional equipment combined with VR technology such as VR roller coaster, VR water slide, and VR flying chair, to name a few.

Various kinds of products displayed in the Expo.

*Registration update as of 3 p.m., 11/16/18

According to the chart, compared with last year, the number of qualified buyers increased by about 12% and the total number of registered visitors increased by 14%; compared with the same period in 2016, the number increased by 37% and 43%, respectively.  This year’s trade show has set a new record in terms of scale, exhibitors, buyers and influence.

Varied conference activities
Except the wonderful trade show, varied conference activities were also attracting attendees.  During the Expo, IAAPA also revealed its new logo and brand that will officially debut on Jan. 1, 2019.  “This new identity is the result of a thoughtful, three-year strategic initiative led by many IAAPA members,” said Jeff Klocke, chairman of the IAAPA Branding Taskforce and vice president and general manager of Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier, “Through surveys, interviews, and research we came to better understand how members view IAAPA, and what services and resources they need and want from the association.  IAAPA members shared they value the vast diversity found within our industry, and view IAAPA as the source to make lasting connections and feel inspired.”

IAAPA revealed its new logo and brand.

713 attractions industry professionals attended the GM and Owners’ Breakfast featuring Bob Chapek, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Consumer Products; and approximately 364 industry leaders who enjoyed a lunch-and-learn presentation by Mohamed Al Zaabi, Developer of Yas Island and CEO of Miral in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; more than 3,600 people attended IAAPA Celebrates: IAAPA’s  Centennial Celebration at Universal Studios Florida.

Invitation! GTI aims at the world
Faced with the popularity of the Expo, the GTI team at booth【2018】made greater efforts in its first-hand information collection.  Aside from collecting purchasing needs and contact information for marketing, we distributed the English magazines “Game Time International”, “The Vision of China Amusement Equipment”(Spanish, Russian, Arabic), and promoted GTI Guangzhou Expo and GTI Taipei Expo.  We sincerely invite all overseas buyers to visit GTI Guangzhou Expo in 2019.  Lots of buyers showed a strong interest in GTI Guangzhou Expo, and left contact details for more information.

GTI strove for China attractions industry.

The IAAPA Attractions Expo 2019 will take place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Nov. 18-22 (Trade Show: Nov. 19-22), 2019.  GTI hopes to see you again next year.
※The article is published in the GTI Magazine Issue No. 171 in December 2018