Industry plans for the future with EAG 2023 showing growth across the board
Lockergreen Ltd and Redemption Software have become the latest exhibitors to confirm their attendance at EAG 2023 which is taking place across the 10th/11th/12th January at ExCeL London. The additions to the EAG show floor are the latest in a positive set of metrics which will see industry operators have access to 72 exhibitors (year-on-year growth of + 9%) occupying 80 stands (+11%) across 3,726 square metres of net exhibiting space (+5%). Registrations compared to the last pre-Covid edition of EAG which took place in January 2020 are a healthy 20% up.
EAG Chairman Martin Burlin believes there’s a sense of positivity percolating through the industry ahead of EAG 2023. He stated: “It’s unusual to have demand for exhibition space so late in the promotional cycle and this combined with the array of product launches and innovations that we understand exhibitors have been saving-up in order to unveil at EAG all point towards a real mood of positivity and expectation with businesses at last able to look beyond Covid and plan for the future.
“There will be some operators who are understandably concerned by rising business costs and the impact of inflation on leisure spend: I’ve mentioned this before but I believe that it’s exactly during challenging trading periods that events such as EAG come into their own and I can’t think of a more relevant time to meet with colleagues, experience the very latest game-changing products that will be on the show floor and to plan for the future.”
John White, chief executive of the UK trade association bacta, which owns EAG added: “All of the show metrics are positive and whilst pre-registration figures can only provide an indication of where we are at I’m delighted that bacta members and the industry at large is responding positively to what we have attempted to deliver. Of course the most important reasons for attending any show is to meet with the industry’s leading product innovators and to get together with friends and colleagues. But events such as EAG also provide an opportunity to network with people from outside the business and share new ideas and approaches. To this end EAG/bacta has put together a targeted Seminar Programme which draws on the experience of 21 sector experts and covers topics including the role of amusements and gaming equipment in pubs and clubs, how to use social media to engage with customers, the political landscape including the prospects for the industry in the event of a Labour Government, safer gambling and player engagement, tips on how to reduce energy bills and a session on the latest phenomenon of Social Entertainment. All of the EAG seminars are free to attend.”
He added: “Safer Gambling is a core theme of this year’s show and I’m delighted that we have secured Kay Roberts from the Gambling Commission to officially open the EAG Safer Gambling Hub, one of two new show floor features alongside the Bingo Hub.
“In keeping with the personality of our industry we will also be making a cheque presentation to the MS Society and we are also honoured to have the World Number 1 Paralympic table tennis player Will Bayley with us on the opening day. In his role as brand ambassador for Merkur UK Will will be presenting £5,000 to the bacta Charitable Trust. Lastly, we will be using the opportunity to celebrate the lives of former show Director Jimmy Thomas and show photographer Norman Leftly who both sadly passed in 2022. All show visitors and exhibitors are invited to raise a glass in their memory at a reception taking place at 1pm in the bacta Lounge on the closing day. ”
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EAG Show Schedule of Events
Tuesday 10th January
EAG Opening Ceremony featuring past and present Directors of ATEI and EAG
10.00 – 10.10hrs
Entrance to S2 at ExCeL London
EAG Chairman’s Award to John Stergides of Electrocoin as ‘Longest Continuous Exhibiting Company’ and Derek Horwood of UDC for ‘Longest Continuous Exhibiting Individual’
10.00 – 10.10 hrs
Entrance to S2 at ExCeL London
Opening of Safer Gambling Hub by Kay Roberts, Gambling Commission Executive Director of Operations
11.00 – 11.10 hrs
Safer Gambling Hub
Pubs and Clubs Summit
11.00 – 12.00 hrs
South Gallery Room 7
Merkur UK £5,000 cheque presentation to bacta Charitable Trust Chair Steve Hawkins by World Number 1 Paralympic Table Tennis star and Merkur UK Brand Ambassador, Will Bayley
13.00 hrs
Blueprint Operations Stand 280
Safer Gambling Seminar
14.00 – 15.00 hrs
South Gallery Room 7
Social Media Seminar
15.30 – 16.30 hrs
South Gallery Room 7
Wednesday 11th January
Politics Is For Everyone Seminar
10.15 – 11.15 hrs
South Gallery Room 7
How to engage with your MP (one-to-one advice surgeries for bacta members)
11.30 – 13.30 hrs
Bacta Lounge
Bacta Charitable Trust cheque presentation to MS Society
13.00 – 13.10 hrs
Bacta Lounge
Social Entertainment Seminar
14.00 – 15.00 hrs
South Gallery Room 7
Reducing Energy Bills Seminar
15.30 – 16.30 hrs
South Gallery Room 7
Thursday 12th January
Celebrating the lives of Jimmy Thomas and Norman Leftly – Drinks Reception and screening of industry archive photographs
13.00 – 14.00 hrs
Bacta Lounge