The International E-Arena Fair has been eagerly waited by everyone involved in the gambling industry. Our publication ‚ Casino Life & Business Magazine’, an event partner since its beginning, talked to the exhibitors and the associations that participated at the sixth edition. They shared with us how the fair went and what impact it had among visitors and many others. The exhibition, which gathered together suppliers and manufacturers of mechanical, gambling, casino games and everything related to entertainment in gambling, lasted for 2 days (September 12-14) and was hosted by the Event Center at Polivalenta Hall in Bucharest.
Mr. Anton Vlad, from Expo 24, gave us a few details about the event organization. ,The number of visitors grew to 1,000.
A number of 716 people registered but, since they had access for three days, they have not been counted when came back. Plus, there were visitors who did not want to register. The location was so and so. Technically, it was not an easy task. We would have needed a larger space, but we somehow managed to make the best of the offering. The exhibitors were content, considering that the edition this year was better than in 2011. Next year, the exhibition will be at Romexpo, in September 3-5. We are going back to Romexpo, the space opportunities are better’, said Anton Vlad.
BAUM GAMES
1. How did you see the E-Arena edition this year? Any improvements you would have liked for it?
It was exactly the way I expected. From our point of view, it was a well-done edition.
2. What was the product or were the products you featured and enjoyed the greatest success?
The main products exhibited at the fair was the usual DRACULA’S GAMES and DRACULA’S JACKPOT. As a novelty for this edition, we have showcased the V-th version of the multigame Dracula’s Games, a product with a favorable outcome. The edition this year also featured the BAUMBET sports betting terminal, an item of a rising interest for many people.
David Coldea
DGL PRO
1. How did you see the E-Arena edition this year? Any improvements you would have liked for it?
It was a good edition, smaller than the previous ones, which increased though the visibility of the exhibitors.
2. What was the product or were the products you featured and enjoyed the greatest success?
We had the DGL PRO CLUB MASTER plaque with VGA graphics, two monitors and the machine surveillance system by GSM.
Marius Stoi
ALFASTREET
1. How did you see the E-Arena edition this year? Any improvements you would have liked for it?
The exhibition this year was a splendid opportunity to meet old and new clients, with whom we exchanged opinions about the future.
2. What was the product or were the products you featured and enjoyed the greatest success?
During the exhibition, we were not able to sell anything, but the follow-up to the discussions we had could bring us something really good. The organization was quite good, but my opinion is that such exhibitions should be still hosted at Romexpo. For next year, we are hoping for a slight economic increase in general and for us in particular.
Csortan Gyula
INNOGATE
1. How did you see the E-Arena edition this year? Any improvements you would have liked for it?
It has been an edition that matched the interest range of the previous years – visitors eager to know about the latest in display, but rather reluctant to take firm decisions about making any acquisitions. Our promotions and the special discounts were well received and we hope to turn them into something concrete as soon as possible.
1. What was the product or were the products you featured and enjoyed the greatest success?
I can say, in great confidence, that all the latest products of our partners have been unanimously appreciated by the operators having visited our stand. The series of 8 distinct models of Multigames diversity from SPIELO attracted with its variety of the games and also with the two versions of OXYGEN cabinets hosting it. The recent PINNACLE SL 26’’ machines from APEX surprised by an excellent price/quality ratio, and the newly-launched acceptor SC ADVANCE from MEI has collected the most votes in terms of performance standards. The PATIR chairs have once again consolidated their status of the most wanted available ones on the market.
Anton Lakatos
Novomatic
1.How did you see the E-Arena edition this year? Any improvements you would have liked for it?
The 2012 edition, even though more modest than in the previous years and less participants, was a genuine success for the Novomatic Group of companies in Romania. We have really enjoyed the large number of visitors and been glad of the significant visibility of the products showcased at our booth.
2.What was the product or were the products you featured and enjoyed the greatest success?
The singular offer, valid during the exhibition dates, of purchasing equipment at best prices, has meant a real victory for our company. As always, all the Novomatic products have facilitated both strenghtening the cooperation relations with our current clients and partners and also with the future ones. The novelty this year, Premium V+ Gaminator, with up to 40 sub-programmes, has been the main attraction at the Novomatic stand.
Valentin Adrian GEORGESCU
CEO – Novomatic Group of companies, Romania
MERKUR Gaming GmbH
1. How did you see the E-Arena edition this year? Any improvements you would have liked for it?
The exhibition this year did not gather too many visitors – first, due to a weak or wrongly targeted advertising (most operators who showed up mentioned the fact that they had learnt about it from the participating companies and from other operators). Second, it was the lack of any signs indicating the entrance to Polivalenta Hall from the main street (many people were not able to identify the secondary street, drove around it and finally gave up).
1. What was the product or were the products you featured and enjoyed the greatest success?
The most successful product was the Vision Slant top cabinet, with the latest soft version and mixes of 15 games.
Rolf Gunther Falke
ROMSLOT
1. How did you see the E-Arena edition this year?
Since Romslot – the Association of the Slots Organizers – was a first timer this year, we do not have a comparison term but can say that it has been a real success.
To follow this event and in recognition of the efforts made by our association this year, we have been addressed new requests of partnership from some important slots organizers and we had the chance to identify new guidelines and issues to be solved together. Similarly, we have noticed the interest of many visitors towards our activity and the positive appreciation for everything we do in the gambling industry and for the slots organizers, either they are large, medium or small.
2. How will be the future in this sector, after the interest shown by visitors and exhibitors at E-Arena?
In terms of the interest towards the exhibition, we believe in the future of the industry of slots in Romania. To be successful, it is necessary to achieve the main objectives of Romslot:
– a stable, fair and applicable legal framework;
– a predictable fiscality level, which can be sustained by the industry;
– a fair market of competitors that will implement the same rules to all the slots organizers, irrespective of the method of exploitation of machines (online/offline), their identity (public/private), size (small, medium, large) and the type of rooms where the machines are installed (coffee bars, betting rooms, dedicated rooms).
DAN ILIOVICI
AOPJNR
1. How did you see the E-Arena edition this year?
This year, the number of visitors was smaller than in the previous years, but quality was the key word for the exhibitors. In a good location, following the schedule already known by the similar international exhibitions, the consecrated producers on our market have professionally displayed the latest gambling equipment, customized to the requests. The price tender has to be mentioned, lowered to match the economic crisis still here, the flexible purchase payment methods and also the very much appreciated successful formula to sell the machines in leasing or as rentals. As a rule, the exhibitors and the visitors, the slots machines operators, have used this opportunity to exchange opinions regarding the industry from the economic and legal perspectives. The associations attending the fair have played an important role in the discussions, in the informing and consultation upon the proposals being supported in the name of the industry before the regulatory authorities.
2. How is the future in this sector, after the interest shown by visitors and exhibitors at E-Arena?
This field will follow its trend during the latest years of technologization, modernization, attractive and state-of-art equipment for the players. What matters most for the development in the future is the legal context of solving the issues we are facing, of adopting the amendments to the gambling law and the Fiscal Code related to this industry – therefore, the medium- and long-term stability and forecasting will be provided.
The organizers are still afraid of the possibility of legal and fiscal changes occurence that will negatively affect the industry in general. This fear comes from 2009, when the authorities approved certain unfavorable decisions, not enough documented, that might have a bad impact upon the state budget, the employment places in the sector – a state of events that might be in the interest of a small number of people. The investments in the field, including the market of the Romanian and international equipment manufacturers, would be seriously harmed in this unwanted scenario by most operators.
Cristian Pascu
