Enada Spring 2005 - 1.4% Increase in Visitor Numbers
The 17th edition of the Enada Spring International coin-op show closed yesterday afternoon at Rimini Fiera, after being inaugurated last Thursday with the participation of Rimini's mayor, Rimini Alberto Ravaioli. During its four days, Enada Spring was attended by 24,823 trade visitors (of whom 2,042 were from abroad), boasting a 1.4% increase from last year. Among the attendees were owners, technicians, amusement arcade owners and owners of public venues - bars, pubs, clubs, bathing establishments and hotels. Covering 35,000 sq.m., the expo promoted by Sapar showcased new products, with coin-op machines from 300 companies occupying six halls. On show, the entire range of products intended for public venues for the amusement of young clients, as well as fans of more traditional games (video games, pinball machines, juke-boxes, billiard tables, carom billiards, table soccer, new slot machines and kiddie rides, as well as accessories and spare parts), from a sector made up of 5,000 companies and a workforce of 60,000, which has a turnover of 1.2 billion euros, and ensures the government a revenue of over 4.5 billion euros (20% from public games). The event therefore confirmed its role as the most important for the sector in the whole of southern Europe. Enada Spring's international profile was also confirmed, with exhibitors from Great Britain, Spain, Poland, Russia, the Czech Republic, Belgium and Taiwan. ENADA Spring's product manager Gabriella Zoni said, "Rimini Fiera has always played an important role in the trade. Nobody ignores the difficulties involved in it, but it is precisely this type of event that enables to strengthen the coin-op world and set the route to take for future development, nowadays clearer than in the past. Enada Spring closes with positive results, and the management of the Roman edition in October will enable us to achieve complete interaction with the sector's economy, from which both events will benefit."
On the trade union front, discussions during Enada 2005 regarding revenue for public venue owners led to progress. Sapar chairman Domenico Distante said, "We're very satisfied with both the staging of the show and the feedback from exhibitors. It is easy to realise that we have gone through a difficult period, but we are convinced that we have left this period behind us. At Rome's Enada, we expect that all the new norms governing the sector will be up and running correctly, and I would say that there are the requirements for a re-launch in line with this economy. Whereas in the past we were above all hopeful, we've now got concrete elements on which to base our hopes." Enada Spring 2005 also spotlighted billiards. Thanks to the collaboration of the Federbiliardo F.I.S.Bi., the 1st Enada Cup was held, with the participation of some of Italy's most important players. The contest, based on 8/15 rules, was won by Rome's Fabio Petroni, Italy's 2004 billiards champion. In the finals, he got the better of Ermanno Salardi, from Verona. In third place (with equal points), Stefano Bazzana (from Bolzano) and Alessandro Torrenti (from Rome). The contest will be transmitted at the end of March on Sky's digital channel 841. As previously announced, Rimini Fiera will now arrange the 33rd edition of Enada in Rome from October 13-16, as well as the next 8 editions of this annual show.
533
