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NEWS RELEASE 

Turnout Strong for Euro Attractions Show (EAS) 2008 – Nice
Organizers Pleased with Results for First of Two Shows in 2008

30 January, 2008 (Nice, France) – Euro Attractions Show (EAS) 2008 was alive with activity as attractions owners and managers from 75 nations throughout the world met with representatives from 249 exhibiting companies in the Acropolis Exhibition Centre in Nice, France. Attendees from as far away as Venezuela, South Africa, Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Iran participated in a variety of education sessions, and strengthened both business relationships and friendships at the three-day trade conference and show, which took place 23-25 January, 2008. More than 5,000 people participated in EAS 2008 – Nice. Attractions professionals from Compagnie des Alpes, Disneyland Paris, Merlin Entertainments Group, Parques Reunidos, and hundreds of other amusement parks, carnivals, waterparks, garden attractions, zoos, aquariums, museums, and resorts came to Nice to see what’s new in the attractions industry and to make plans for the future. New products covered more than 7,800 net square metres of space on the trade show floor and included products like: inflatable water play structures from Wibit in Germany; high-tech on-ride DVD technology and video souvenir system from CDRide in the United States; inflatables with moving parts from Pro-Fab in Spain; the Loopster ride from Heege in Germany; and many more.

Exhibitors Pleased with Results, Make New Contacts

“We got a lot of contacts and a lot of sales, and we are happy,” said Alvaro Falcon of Xtraice, a Spanish manufacturer of synthetic ice rinks. Falcon said most of the attendees he encountered at the show are new contacts.

“This show is going very well. Yesterday we had a lot of international visitors, and I would say today even more. We did some business already, we have some very good contacts to the U.S. and overseas,” said Romann Rademacher of Wibit. “It’s a very good show for us. It’s important for us to be with IAAPA in the U.S., in Europe, and in Asia. We are quite happy. I made a few good contacts as we launch a new product totally different from our big balloons. It was an occasion for me to discuss with (existing) clients and new clients how they feel about my products,” said Jerome Giacomoni, of Aerophile, a French manufacturer of large balloon attractions. Michael Turner of Gateway Ticketing, a United States-based ticketing and admissions systems company, said he was pleasantly surprised by the show. “It had much better attendance. The quality of contacts was greater, and the volume was higher,” Turner said. “Our new reseller in France and Belgium was overwhelmed with prospects,” he added.

Industry Professionals Turn Out in Force at EAS Educational Programs

The average attendance at the education sessions in Nice increased nearly 50 percent over the previous year’s program. The 2008 program was developed by the EAS education committee and featured a variety of speakers who addressed topics like: the state of the industry in Europe, new attraction financing, what teens want in today’s theme parks, employee motivation, social media and the power of viral marketing, visual merchandising, and using seasonal events to drive business. Attendance for the 12 educational programs was 670.
Social Events Provide Networking Opportunities
Three social events provided numerous networking opportunities for EAS 2008 attendees. More than 1,300 people attended the Welcome Reception at the Acropolis Congress Centre on the first night of the show. Following the Welcome Reception, more than 60 people attended the Young Professionals networking event at Le Liqwid, a bar in Old Town Nice. The final social event of EAS 2008 was the Gala at the world-class Fairmont Hotel and Casino, which overlooks the Mediterranean Sea in Monaco. More than 600 attended the formal event, enjoyed Cirque-style entertainment, danced the night away, and tried their luck at the Old Casino.

EAS Kicks Off New Fall Schedule with 2008 Event in Munich

Based on feedback from buyers and exhibitors alike, EAS will move from its late January schedule to the fall, starting in September 2008. Prompted by requests for additional planning, design, manufacturing, construction, and installation time prior to the start of the peak season, the decision to move the show didn’t come without some transitional challenges.

Charlie Bray, IAAPA president and CEO said “As we transition to the new fall schedule, it was important for us to not overlook the 2008 buying season. As a result, we moved ahead with our January show in Nice to ensure necessary decisions can be made for 2008, and a number of manufacturers and suppliers have taken orders and done business for the upcoming spring and summer.”

The next Euro Attractions Show will take place at the new Munich Trade Fair Centre in Munich, Germany, in the fall of 2008, which gives attractions professionals a chance to make important buying decisions for the 2009 operating season. The show will take place 30 September – 2 October and will provide an additional four months of planning time prior to the start of the following season. Seventy-eight exhibitors have already submitted their contracts to participate at EAS 2008 in Munich.

“The show here in Nice has been a success and now with this kind of momentum we’ve built over the past couple years we’ve laid a tremendous foundation for a great, great show in Munich. Everyone’s already excited about being in Munich just eight months from now,” Bray added.
Organizers Pleased With Results, Look Forward to Munich
EAS board member, Wieland Schwarzkopf said EAS 2008-Nice met expectations and that most of the exhibitors he talked with were happy with the outcome. “They got a lot of new contacts,” Schwarzkopf said.

“Everybody is looking forward now to Munich, and most of the exhibitors took Nice as a warm up for Munich. You (will be able to) see from the floor plan for Munich how big some of the exhibitors’ booths are. We are really enthusiastically looking forward to Munich,” Schwarzkopf added.
Emmanuel Mongon, EAS board member from France said “Hosting EAS in Nice proved that moving the show to different countries is the best way to serve the industry in Europe. A totally new crowd of French operators and exhibitors participated in the show, and a number of new business relationships were developed here. I anticipate the same will occur when we move to Munich in September,” he added.

2008 IAAPA Chairman, Bob Masterson agrees. “It (EAS 2008-Nice) accomplished its objective,” explained Masterson. “French operators came out in force and were well represented. We certainly appreciate the support of the French parks association, SNELAC for helping make this happen. People attending enjoyed the fantastic weather and food and hospitality of Nice. The exhibitors expressed that it was a successful show and that the right people attended.” 
“I think EAS has proven it is THE show for the attractions industry in Europe,” Masterson added.

More information about EAS 2008 – Munich is available at

www.euroas.com.

About Munich
Munich is Germany's third largest city and one of Europe's most prosperous. The city is located on the River Isar north of the Bavarian Alps and is known for high-tech companies, unique traditions, sophisticated style, beer gardens, trendy night spots, art galleries, and Bavarian tradition including the world-renowned Oktoberfest. The new Munich Trade Fair Centre is a modern facility with 17 state-of-the-art, pillar-free halls with 180,000 square meters of exhibition space. The centre is conveniently located between the city and the Munich International Airport.

About EAS
Euro Attractions Show (EAS) is owned by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), and has evolved into Europe’s premier event dedicated to the attractions industry. EAS is managed by IAAPA’s European operations, under the direction of the EAS Board and the European Advisory Committee. The EAS Board and the European Advisory Committee are made up of European Association Amusement Supplier Industry (EAASI) and IAAPA members from Europe. IAAPA is a nonprofit organization. Funds generated for the association by its involvement in trade shows and other activities are returned to the association to fund services for its members and the industry. 

For more information, contact:

EAS Press Office: +1 703/299-5127
David Mandt
Direct: +1 703/299-5752
E-mail: dmandt@euroas.com