As you approach the end of your first year as EAG Chairman, how has your industry experience helped to shape the show?
You’re correct, it is my first EAG as Chairman but throughout my career I’ve attended more than 40 editions dating back to ATEI’s time at Earls Court, Olympia and even one at Ally Pally. So, whilst I had never seen the show from within, I have experienced a great many shows over the years and have formed opinions about, from a visitors’ perspective, what is good and what is not.
I’ve also served as President of Bacta the trade association which owns EAG Expo, so I understand the dynamic between the two and from both a Bacta exhibitors’ perspective and also from a Bacta visitor perspective. This background means that I’m fully aware of how much EAG means to both the industry and to the trade association particularly in these difficult times.
Having taken over from the inimitable Martin Burlin – who ran the show for BACTA for 15-years – I started the process of preparing for Chairman by overseeing a far-reaching engagement programme with all of our exhibitors, listening to what they want from EAG and wherever possible incorporating their requests into what visitors will experience at ExCeL in January. In so many different ways my first edition of EAG is a product of what our customers have asked for.
EAG’s visitor numbers have surged recently. What does that growth signal?
The momentum has been extraordinary. Since 2022, attendance has risen by 69 percent, and the 2025 edition welcomed 4,306 unique visitors – a 23 percent increase year-on-year. We also saw 1,973 businesses represented, and we’re optimistic about once again delivering growth across every metric. These numbers underline how vital EAG Expo is underlining its status as the most important business show of the year.
As the sectors we serve evolve and expand, the show grows with them and ExCeL London gives us the space to keep pace with that demand. My focus is to build on these foundations, grow the exhibition further, and ensure the event is in-step with the evolving needs of the entire amusements and gaming ecosystem including, of course, Showmen.
You have announced a strategic partnership with the Showmen’s Guild – can you expand on this?
Of course. Myself and EAG show director Nicola Lazenby had the pleasure of meeting with Showmen’s Guild General Secretary Joe Mercer and Public Affairs Manager Des FitzGerald during which we agreed a programme of collaboration that will see the Guild promote January’s EAG and SIE Expo to its members and take a high-profile presence within the Bacta Business Lounge (BBL).
As part of the partnership program the Guild will help promote and preview EAG Expo ’26 utilising channels including the Guild’s website (www.showmensguild.co.uk), its official Facebook group, as well as through Guild newsletters, Section updates, and the Guild App.
I’m delighted that we are working together continuing in a long tradition of collaboration that dates back to the origins of the Amusement Trades Exhibition which launched in the 1930s.
EAG has flourished over the past decade, and in recent years, we’ve seen increasing engagement from Guild members. The Guild and Bacta, which owns EAG, share many members, and the latest products and innovations on display at EAG and the co-located Social Immersive Entertainment Expo provide real inspiration for Showmen who have been delivering fun and immersive experiences to the British public for generations.
Our aim is to echo the spirit of the original ATE when Showmen made huge contributions to the success of an event which has stood the test of time and is embracing the future. Working so closely with Joe and the Showmen’s Guild is not only a nod to our shared history but just as importantly it helps to plot a route map for a progressive and inspiring future.
The campaign theme for 2026 is ‘Under One Roof’. What’s the thinking behind it?
‘Under One Roof’ is more than a slogan – it’s a statement about consolidation, collaboration, and convenience. For visitors, it means three interlinked sectors of entertainment and gaming gathered in a single venue.
They’ll find the established amusements exhibition that anchors the UK industry; the SIE Expo, which showcases the expanding competitive socialising market; and the London Casino and Gaming Show, highlighting products for both domestic and European street gaming and casino sectors.
Visitors can discover a broader sweep of innovation, meet more suppliers, and explore more business opportunities without hopping between separate shows. It’s a time-efficient, joined-up business opportunity that sets the tone for the rest of the year.
What can visitors expect from EAG Expo 2026?
This edition will be the largest in the show’s history. We’re planning for over 100 exhibitors across 5,000 square metres at ExCeL London. What excites me most is the innovation pipeline: last year our research showed more than 1,000 new products were scheduled to debut at EAG. That’s a remarkable indicator of how central the show has become as a launchpad for industry innovation. ExCeL is now easily accessed by the fantastic Elizabeth Line, you can travel from the West End to ExCeL now in about twenty minutes, door to door!
What are the main motivations driving visitors?
Speaking from my experience as a long-standing visitor and also from the conversations that I’ve had since becoming Chairman, visitors see EAG as a non-negotiable date in the diary for two core reasons – People and Product.
Exhibitors use EAG, SIE and the London Casino and Gaming Show to unveil their latest products and innovations. Aligned to seeing the very latest that the industry games creators have to offer is the opportunity to meet-up with friends and colleagues, share the latest news, get up to speed on what equipment is taking the most money and of course share a few drinks. So many of our visitors see EAG as an opportunity to meet and catch-up. It’s a core part of the experience.
In just a few sentences how would you persuade an operator to make the trip to EAG Expo?
EAG is the first show of the year and it is where the industry kicks-off its year and where manufacturers unveil the products that will shape the next 12 months. If your business touches amusements, competitive socialising, or gaming in the UK or Europe, you need to be in London in January. Everything you expect will be there as well as many that you won’t have anticipated.
To attend EAG Expo incorporating the Social Immersive Entertainment Expo and the London Casino and Gaming Show, 13 – 15 January, ExCeL London visit: www.eagexpo.com
