Before the dust has even settled on this year's event, the organisers of EAG International have announced new dates for the 2013 outing.
Martin Burlin, chairman of event organisers EAG Ltd, explained: "The dates for EAG are usually fixed three to four years in advance. However, during the course of last week's show a number of concerns were raised over the 2013 show dates.
''We have listened to and balanced the varying needs of those who came to us. We then negotiated with ExCel to bring the dates forward by one week. This would then resolve 99 per cent of the concerns raised. Next year EAG International will now take place between January 22 and 24.
"Finding the right date at the right venue for all parties concerned is the most challenging issue faced by any event organiser and there have been some lively discussions during the past few days. We have well over 100 exhibitors from all over the world with different commitments and differing requirements and it is extremely difficult to balance all of those needs Many also fail to understand the demands on venues like ExCel and just how many organisations are jostling for space.
"I am confident that these new dates resolve as many difficulties as possible and I would like to thank the ExCel management team who have worked with us to find this solution and make space available for us."
Commenting on the announcement, Harry Levy's Colin Mallery told InterGame: "While I am pleased to hear EAG will now take place earlier in January for next year, these new dates wouldn't be our preferred choice and the ideal would have been for both EAG and ICE to be held in the same venue at the same.
"However, we understand this is not possible so we will make the most out of the situation. If anything, having the two shows further apart might even do the EAG International show some good as some of the people who visit our show and then ICE really only go to see what's going on… It might be that they now don't bother attending ICE. We will see."
