EAASI will continue say representatives
IAAPA, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, has taken full control of the Euro Attractions Show (EAS). A re-brand is expected at a later date.
The exhibition was founded by the European suppliers’ collective EAASI, with the goal of creating a single, strong show for Europe, and took place for the first time under in 20003 as the Euro Amusement Show in Genoa, Italy. A year later EAASI sold a 50% stake in the event to IAAPA, which took over the running of the event from America and tweaked the name.
The upcoming event in Nice from January 23 to 25 will be the first EAS to take place fully under IAAPA’s banner as the organisation expands its European presence. Recently, for example, it announced the appointment of a new executive director of European operations, Andreas Andersen, who will work on the show alongside EAS director of operations, Karen Staley.
“This is a very positive direction for the Euro Attractions Show, IAAPA, EAASI and the European attractions community,” believes IAAPA’s vice-president of communications , David Mandt. “As IAAPA’s new European office develops new products and services for the industry in Europe, it will more fully integrate those programmes into the Euro Attractions Show.“
Although its raison d’être would appear to have been exhausted, EAASI representative Wieland Schwarzkopf told Park World recently that the association will continue to represent suppliers in Europe, focusing its efforts on issues such as insurance and inspection standards. EAASI members will also feature on both the EAS board and IAAPA’s European Advisory Committee.
“As suppliers we will still be able to influence EAS in the future,” insists Schwarzkopf. “This show will always be ‘our baby’ but it was taking too much of our time. We have grown EAS over the years and now it has a value, IAAPA recognised that and has paid a fair price.”
The ideal of having just one European show still seems a long way away, however. To consolidate its position as “the premier conference and trade show for the attractions industry in Europe,” IAAPA will follow up this January’s event in Nice with a second EAS in September during the Oktoberfest in Munich – a month ahead of the established German Interschau event in Stuttgart.
