EAG Expo 2025 featured 96 exhibitors from 14 nations demonstrating the latest trends in ‘out of home entertainment’.
Operators attending the 2025 edition of EAG that took place once again at ExCeL in East London in January had access to three shows in one, with the launch of the co-located London Casino and Gaming Show and the Social Immersive Entertainment Expo in addition to EAG.
A total of 96 exhibitors from across the world showcased their latest products, attracting operators from various sectors including FECs, AGCs, seaside piers, leisure attractions, bars, clubs and more.
Wednesday, the middle of the three-day event is traditionally the busiest for Showmen, with increasing numbers involved in a wide variety of leisure businesses beyond traditional arcades.
Speaking of the exhibition, which was his last as Chairman of EAG Expo before handing responsibility to former Bacta President, Nick Harding, Martin Burlin said: “I am delighted to confirm that the 2025 edition of EAG Expo was the biggest since we launched. The Social Immersive Entertainment Expo (SIE) and the London Casino and Gaming Show sat alongside EAG as a natural expansion, offering important new revenue streams for both operators and manufacturers.
“Once again, the show was packed with innovation. Research conducted prior to the 2024 edition showed that exhibitors were planning in excess of 1,000 product launches at EAG a figure which underlined the scale of the opportunity for operators to use EAG to source the very latest products and keep their customers entertained.
“Whether EAG visitors were interested in children’s rides, simulators, gaming machines, roulette wheels, jukeboxes or augmented reality EAG was all about innovation across the various out of home entertainment sectors. In many ways the show was the perfect way for operators of all sizes to start the business year.”
As well as providing an opportunity to source the very latest products and technologies impacting out of home entertainment, EAG Expo also featured a comprehensive seminar program outlining the latest industry thinking, including a Pub Summit, which provided a focus on the importance of machine income to the sector.
Bacta and the Showmen’s Guild
Over at Bacta, Executive Director of Public Affairs, George McGregor has made his mark over the last year, since his introduction last January 2024. Working with Dane Bainbridge, Public Affairs Advisor, they met with the Showmen’s Guild General Secretary Joe Mercer during EAG to discuss common issues of importance to both Bacta and the Showmen’s Guild.
This started with an emphasis on parliamentary representation, including the reemerging industry APPG; direct discussions with DCMS and other government departments; continued liaison with the Local Government Association (LGA); and support for the implementation of the current White Paper, that itself was the talk of the three-day show.
