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Amusement Expo 2015
Industry veterans and newcomers alike attended the Amusement Expo, held March 24-26 in Las Vegas, and enjoyed another successful year.
The expo followed the theme "Get in the Game" and continued the new format of one full day for education and two full days for exhibitions (the exhibition floor was open from 10 am to 6 pm both days). The agenda included a morning and afternoon presentation by Bryan Dodge, who inspired the crowd with great soundbite quotes, "You're never in the game without goals. Goals are not an option; they are a responsibility."
The expo was co-located again, with the National Bulk Vendors Association (NBVA) Convention, and for the first time with the Laser Tag Convention. In total, counting the Amusement Expo, the NBVA, and the Laser Tag Convention, there were 32 seminars.
After the Amusement Expo seminar on Salesmanship, Ace Leiding of River City Amusement Co. said, "I find the seminars are really helpful. They are like a refresher. If you come out with one or two new ideas it's like finding gold."
After the seminar on Rules of the Redemption Road, Paul Churchill of Parhill Vending said, "The whole trip has a cost but the investment was well worth it for the one hour spent in this seminar alone."
Final statistics on the show were presented at a press conference on the last day of the expo. There were 151 exhibitors compared to 133 last year and 44 of that number were new compared to 31 new exhibitors last year. The grand total of attendees this year: 2,840. Seminar attendance was outstanding.
The exhibitions floor included much of what has already been seen at shows such as IAAPA and EAG International. Stern Pinball was showcasing their Wrestlemania and Whoa Nellie! pinball machines. Raw Thrills showed off their Jurassic Park theatre cabinet game, as well as Big Buck Wild which has officially released today! Namco had Time Crisis 5 and Star Wars and many of the same products they've been showing off in the last few months, while Sega brought their highly anticipated Showdown driving game. There was also some exciting and innovative products on show, such as newcomers Rivalfly - more news on that to follow!
The press conference was also the occasion for Pete Gustafson, President of the American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA), and Bobby Hogin, President of the Amusement and Music Operators Association (AMOA), to sign a contract to continue co-sponsoring the Amusement Expo for another five years. Judi Heston, President of the NBVA, also signed a contract to co-locate the NBVA Convention with the Amusement Expo for another five years.
We look forward to another exciting expo next year!
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