Colin Mallery, whose background in the coin machine industry goes back 50 years, this week expressed relief at the arrival on the scene of the European Amusement and Gaming Expo (EAG Expo), organised by UK trade association, BACTA and set for the ExCel exhibition centre in London for next January.
Mallery, a consultant with Harry Levy and a leading light in the establishment of the IGX show in January of this year, told InterGame: "I have just received the contract for the EAG Expo -.a bit early you might think, but I know from experience how long it takes to organise a show. Thank goodness that we’re not going upstairs at Earls Court or being demoted to a corner of the ground floor.
"I can remember going to my first exhibition for Ruffler and Walker at the Royal Horticultural Hall in Ldonon over 50 years ago. I was excited. That excitement continued throughout my career every time the exhibition was near. Three years ago we were forced to move upstairs at Earls Court and everything changed. What a disaster for the amusement industry in the UK that proved to be."
He added: "A once-world class exhibition was reduced to a flashy imitation of what went before. Gone was the special atmosphere, the variety and the equipment. The different sounds heard in amusement centres throughout the world were all removed and what we had was the muted hush of the casino."
Mallery said that the advent of ExCel gives the industry the room it needs. A purpose-built exhibition centre, on one level with excellent vehicular access, car parking under the hall, and with numerous catering options and hotel a few minutes’ walk away.
"The contract has been signed and I am once more becoming excited by the prospect of a trade show approaching. This could be the start of something big - I certainly hope so; the industry deserves to be seen as a major player in the entertainment industry. It also deserves to be recognised for helping in the regeneration of the country’s searonts. What would they be without us?"
