IALEI members came to Las Vegas in greater numbers this year than in 2007. Over 150 more members came to see the latest trends in the industry with the “exhibits only” badges and almost 200 more took advantage of the two free “exhibits only” badges they received as part of their membership. Even Fun Academy and Rookies & Newcomers registration was up this year – at 160 more IALEI members in attendance than last year.
The week started with Rookies & Newcomers, which had 51 attendees this year versus 39 in 2007. “With so many in attendance, it demonstrates that even in challenging economic times attendees still invested the time and expense to find ways to improve and strengthen their businesses,” said Dorothy Lewis, IALEI Education Committee Chair. “The Rookies program in its new format set the groundwork for a promising number of new business start-ups as well as some novice business owners.”
Many exhibitors also commented how successful they found the show. “Fun Expo 2008 was a huge success for Camp Iliff,” said Gregg Kubala, General Manager for Camp Iliff, L.L.C. “After speaking during Fun Academy on Tuesday, we had non-stop visitors at our booth all show long. We have already signed three facilities from this year’s Fun Expo, with numerous more very interested in adding child care to their facility to eliminate dreaded downtime forever! We already signed up for the show in March and are looking forward to it!” Tracy Sarris, IALEI President said, “I spoke with many of our Fun Expo exhibitors during the show and found that they had the same positive reaction [to Fun Expo] throughout the floor – ‘Fun Expo 2008 was a SUCCESS!’ with many saying there was also great traffic, solid leads and more business being conducted. In fact, some exhibitors at the show asked if they could sign up for the 2009 Fun Expo so they could secure their space!”
Eighty-three exhibitors in 129 booths attended the show to display their latest products for the family entertainment industry with 13 new exhibitors on the show floor. Almost 890 “buyers” (operators, developers, designers or architects) came to the show. Of the operators/developers, 311 of them were IALEI members representing 80 companies.
This year’s show was filled with good friends, great sales, top buyers and a lot of learning. Mark your calendars for next year’s Fun Expo dates: Wednesday, March 11 – Friday, March 13, 2009 in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Fun Academy will be Monday, March 9 – Friday, March 13, 2009.
photo courtesy of Gary Slade of Amusement Today
About Fun Expo: Fun Expo is the premier event devoted to the family and location-based entertainment industry and the trends that drive it. It's a focused and efficient event bringing buyers and sellers together in an atmosphere that allows industry professionals to conduct business. Held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Fun Expo exhibits were from Wednesday, September 10 – Friday, September 12, 2008 and Fun Academy was from Monday, September 8 – Friday, September 12, 2008.
About IALEI: The International Association for the Leisure and Entertainment Industry is a non-profit trade association representing family and location based entertainment centers and leisure and entertainment facilities of all kinds. It serves its members with a wide array of educational, research and informational projects and services, including the Fun Expo Trade Show. For information, call IALEI at 888.464.6498 or visit the Web site at ALEI.com.
See also-
IALEI Holds the First Region II Meeting in Orlando, Florida