Combined attendance levels at the 2007 editions of the Amusement Trades Exhibition International (ATEI), International Casino Exhibition (ICE) and interactive gaming show (ICEi) hit new heights with overall participation surpassing 25,000 for the first time. In total 25,055 people from 117 international jurisdictions attended the three-day event, a marginal 0.57 per cent increase on 2006, comprising 13,032 ATEI-dedicated visitors, 9,662 in ICE and 2,361 in ICEi.
Combined figures (ATEI + ICE/ICEi)
International attendance rose by 5.3 per cent to an all-time high of 11,919, representing 47.6 per cent of the total. UK participation fell by 4.5 per cent to 12,920. Of the 117 nations represented in London, 74 recorded annual increases in visitor numbers, with 43 registering record-high levels and 35 providing 100 visitors or more. Paraguay and the Aland Islands were represented by visitors for the very first time in 2007, taking the total number of territories participating since 1995 to 178.
ATEI
The ATEI headline figure of 13,032 comprised 8,245 domestic buyers and 4,687 from outside the UK. Overall attendance recorded a deficit of 13.8 per cent, roughly in line with the 14.8 per cent drop in the number of exhibitors, a proportion of whom opted to take new stand positions within ICE. ATEI succeeded in raising the ratio of visitors to stand from 48.6 to 49.2 year-on-year. 87 nations were represented by visitors to ATEI 2007, of which 30 recorded annual increases in visitor numbers, with 14 registering record-high attendances (Armenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Hong Kong, India, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Taiwan). Georgia was represented by ATEI visitors for the very first time, taking the total number of territories involved with ATEI since 1995 to 146, and the show welcomed back its first visitors from Ghana since 1996 and from Namibia since 1997.
ICE+ICEi
The ICE/ICEi headline figure of 12,023 comprised 9,662 ICE-dedicated buyers and 2,361 registered for ICEi and included 4,675 UK-based industry professionals and 7,232 from outside the UK. Overall attendance increased by 22.7 per cent year-on-year. 110 national jurisdictions were represented, compared with 102 at the 2006 show, with visitor debuts from the Aland Islands, Angola, Paraguay and San Marino taking the number of territories represented at ICE/ICEi since 1995 to 166. Attendance levels rose across more than 80 countries and for every geographical region.
