Operators will find a wide variety of suppliers and manufacturers at VAE
After a successful launch in January this year, the Visitor Attraction Expo (VAE) is set for a repeat performance from 12-14 January 2016. Presented by BALPPA and supported by BACTA, the event will again take place at the prestigious ExCel London, alongside the EAG International Expo.
It would be difficult not to be impressed by ExCel’s truly world-class facilities and, according to expo organiser Karen Cooke, of Swan Events, they were well appreciated by the show’s participants.
“ExCel is one of the top exhibition venues in the world and it’s still winning awards for its accessibility and the standard of facilities offered. By co-locating the show with EAG International, VAE exhibitors have access to a level of venue not normally associated with smaller launch events,” says Cooke.
VAE 2015 certainly attracted a wide spectrum of exhibitors, each with a unique product offering for operators of leisure parks, piers, indoor attractions, zoos, adventure play and indoor play. VAE showcased the latest products from suppliers of children’s play equipment, branded merchandise, payment and ticketing solutions, iced drinks, cash handling products, inflatables, 4D motion simulation, adventure play and high ropes, climbing towers, laser games and even a fully-equipped play bus.
A number of specialised service providers also exhibited, offering leisure development consultancy, insurance, purchasing and procurement solutions, safety consultancy and staff training.
With visitors also enjoying free access to EAG International, the product offering was further extended to include: basketball and air hockey, the very latest in access control, candy vending kiosks, capsule, stickers and toy vending, cranes, licensed and generic plush, loyalty card systems, video games, go-karts, coin-op mini cars, jukeboxes and customised music services, kiddy rides, revenue management systems, redemption games and ticketing solutions – to name just a few of the exciting business–building opportunities on offer.
Networking opportunities at VAE 2015 were also excellent, with events held by individual trade associations and interest groups. For 2016, the second night’s After Show Party, just a stone’s throw from the expo floor, is expected to be attended by over 1,000 showers.
What makes VAE unique? In a crowded expo and show calendar, a new event has to deliver something unique to justify any participant’s investment, in both time and money. VAE is differentiated from other industry events by a number of factors:
VAE meets a genuine need VAE was conceived after recommendations from within the industry, made to BALPPA, by suppliers looking for a UK event they could call their own.
VAE is run by the industry for the industry In common with its sister show EAG International, VAE is not part of a large corporate portfolio, meaning it can focus exclusively on its participants. The show’s small operational team is open to feedback on every aspect of the event.
VAE will be held in the same location and at the same time every year Many operators of smaller attractions in particular have indicated that they are unable or unwilling to travel overseas to trade shows. VAE’s convenient location and timing, right at the start of the new year, make it perfect for discussing the previous season and laying plans for the next.
VAE is primarily focused on the UK VAE has a European outreach but is very much about the UK; the show’s overseas exhibitors are at the event because they have a particular interest in our market.
VAE has a first-class programme of seminars and educational events, organised by BALPPA.
BALPPA is recognised for the excellence of its education and training. Indeed, the organisation’s events are regularly attended by employees of leading UK operators. A focus on the UK market ensures that VAE’s attendees are offered sessions that are both topical and relevant.
VAE has a very interesting neighbour! As the distinction between out-of-home leisure markets becomes increasingly obscured, visitors to both EAG and VAE are likely to find business-transforming products at both shows. The critical-mass achieved by joining the shows has had an inclusive effect, making both shows more viable for smaller exhibitors and start-up businesses.
A huge bonus for attractions operators is that the majority of EAG’s exhibits are designed to generate those all-important incremental revenues. Some of the products on display can have a major effect on profitability.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2015 issue 4
Attractions: Gone, Not Forgotten
We find out what people thought of
Dismaland, Banksy’s twisted theme park
and contemporary art attraction – and
talk to one of the Dismal Stewards
Promotional feature: IdeAttack
Mysteries of China’s rich culture are at the heart of IDEATTACK’s new mixed-used tourism destination
Zoos & Aquariums: Turn over a New Reef
The Florida Aquarium is teaming
up with the National Aquarium of
Cuba in a bid to save and restore
the region’s precious coral reefs
Operators will find a wide variety of suppliers and manufacturers at VAE
After a successful launch in January this year, the Visitor Attraction Expo (VAE) is set for a repeat performance from 12-14 January 2016. Presented by BALPPA and supported by BACTA, the event will again take place at the prestigious ExCel London, alongside the EAG International Expo.
It would be difficult not to be impressed by ExCel’s truly world-class facilities and, according to expo organiser Karen Cooke, of Swan Events, they were well appreciated by the show’s participants.
“ExCel is one of the top exhibition venues in the world and it’s still winning awards for its accessibility and the standard of facilities offered. By co-locating the show with EAG International, VAE exhibitors have access to a level of venue not normally associated with smaller launch events,” says Cooke.
VAE 2015 certainly attracted a wide spectrum of exhibitors, each with a unique product offering for operators of leisure parks, piers, indoor attractions, zoos, adventure play and indoor play. VAE showcased the latest products from suppliers of children’s play equipment, branded merchandise, payment and ticketing solutions, iced drinks, cash handling products, inflatables, 4D motion simulation, adventure play and high ropes, climbing towers, laser games and even a fully-equipped play bus.
A number of specialised service providers also exhibited, offering leisure development consultancy, insurance, purchasing and procurement solutions, safety consultancy and staff training.
With visitors also enjoying free access to EAG International, the product offering was further extended to include: basketball and air hockey, the very latest in access control, candy vending kiosks, capsule, stickers and toy vending, cranes, licensed and generic plush, loyalty card systems, video games, go-karts, coin-op mini cars, jukeboxes and customised music services, kiddy rides, revenue management systems, redemption games and ticketing solutions – to name just a few of the exciting business–building opportunities on offer.
Networking opportunities at VAE 2015 were also excellent, with events held by individual trade associations and interest groups. For 2016, the second night’s After Show Party, just a stone’s throw from the expo floor, is expected to be attended by over 1,000 showers.
What makes VAE unique? In a crowded expo and show calendar, a new event has to deliver something unique to justify any participant’s investment, in both time and money. VAE is differentiated from other industry events by a number of factors:
VAE meets a genuine need VAE was conceived after recommendations from within the industry, made to BALPPA, by suppliers looking for a UK event they could call their own.
VAE is run by the industry for the industry In common with its sister show EAG International, VAE is not part of a large corporate portfolio, meaning it can focus exclusively on its participants. The show’s small operational team is open to feedback on every aspect of the event.
VAE will be held in the same location and at the same time every year Many operators of smaller attractions in particular have indicated that they are unable or unwilling to travel overseas to trade shows. VAE’s convenient location and timing, right at the start of the new year, make it perfect for discussing the previous season and laying plans for the next.
VAE is primarily focused on the UK VAE has a European outreach but is very much about the UK; the show’s overseas exhibitors are at the event because they have a particular interest in our market.
VAE has a first-class programme of seminars and educational events, organised by BALPPA.
BALPPA is recognised for the excellence of its education and training. Indeed, the organisation’s events are regularly attended by employees of leading UK operators. A focus on the UK market ensures that VAE’s attendees are offered sessions that are both topical and relevant.
VAE has a very interesting neighbour! As the distinction between out-of-home leisure markets becomes increasingly obscured, visitors to both EAG and VAE are likely to find business-transforming products at both shows. The critical-mass achieved by joining the shows has had an inclusive effect, making both shows more viable for smaller exhibitors and start-up businesses.
A huge bonus for attractions operators is that the majority of EAG’s exhibits are designed to generate those all-important incremental revenues. Some of the products on display can have a major effect on profitability.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2015 issue 4
Attractions: Gone, Not Forgotten
We find out what people thought of
Dismaland, Banksy’s twisted theme park
and contemporary art attraction – and
talk to one of the Dismal Stewards
Promotional feature: IdeAttack
Mysteries of China’s rich culture are at the heart of IDEATTACK’s new mixed-used tourism destination
Zoos & Aquariums: Turn over a New Reef
The Florida Aquarium is teaming
up with the National Aquarium of
Cuba in a bid to save and restore
the region’s precious coral reefs
OMA has completed a major transformation of New York's New Museum, creating a larger
cultural campus that combines expanded exhibition spaces with learning, performance,
hospitality and public programming.
A US$50 million (£44.2 million, €51.2 million) transformation of Chicago's historic McCormick
Mansion has created a new destination that combines live magic, immersive theatre, dining and
private membership under one roof.
The Montana Historical Society has officially celebrated the opening of its new Montana
Heritage
Center, a US$107 million (£79 million, €92 million) destination that combines immersive
storytelling with cutting-edge audiovisual technology to bring the sta
San Antonio Zoo has reported a US$283 million economic impact for 2025, following a decade-
long transformation programme that has seen almost US$200 million invested into the Texas
attraction.
Plans for the AU$180 million redevelopment of Reef HQ Aquarium in Townsville, Australia, are
progressing, with the project set to transform the attraction into a global centre for reef
education and conservation.
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Disney has reaffirmed its commitment to investing US$30 billion in its US parks and cruise
business by 2033, using new America250 celebrations to underline the role its attractions play
in supporting jobs, tourism and economic growth.
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers
confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes.
The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor,
creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's largest visitor destinations.
The Toverland theme park in the Netherlands has announced a €98m expansion programme
that will add a resort, new attractions and staff facilities as it pursues plans to become a multi-
day destination.
+ More news
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