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New Attractions Tip the Balance at Amusement Franchise Expo

Escape Rooms and laser maze attractions generate big interest at this year's mega show.

LAS VEGAS, NV, US, March 20, 2018 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Over 45,000 amusement industry buyers from over 90 countries visited the Amusement Expo 2018 in Las Vegas, and it seems like nearly all attendees that were on the floor at any given time gravitated to the Amusement Franchise Pavilion which drew more attention than most of the other 1,000+ exhibitions combined.

Two attractions in particular were responsible for most of the traffic. Escape rooms, which have become the de facto attraction in the amusement industry, shared a pavilion with two other amusement related companies, all of which were the big show stoppers this year. So big, that the aisle was, at times, completely blocked with onlookers as well as those who were vying to try the products. Show management came up with a solution that seemed to move the escape room exhibit to the front corner of the show, apart from the other merchants.

Those who braved the long wait to try Escape Logic's the "Cabin Escape," were in for a treat. Especially if they had never tried an escape room before. Six men and women get locked in a cabin and have 60 minutes to escape. They frantically search for clues, solve puzzles, or find anything that will help them escape. It was a very impressive layout with special effect props that made you feel like you were in the movie Mission Impossible. Escape rooms have become so popular that the majority of buyers didn't wait to test the room, and wrote purchase orders site unseen. Escape Logic's also won the award for best new attraction.

Speaking of Mission Impossible, the other attraction which drew a big interest was the Mission Impassable Laser Maze by Studio Tech. Laser mazes have been around these shows for a few years now, and have been one of the more popular attractions. However, this laser maze was most likely a game changer with respect to affordability. If you wanted a laser maze in the past, you had better plan on spending upwards of $35,000 for a basic one which precluded many from purchasing. However the Mission Impassable maze is sold at a fraction of the cost and seems as though it has every feature of their expensive counterparts, perhaps more. It did work very well and was able to move many people through quickly. Mission Impassable won the award for Attraction Breakthrough.

The show, which has existed for over 20 years, broke an attendance record this year as they had branched-out to non-amusement related products such as music and art. "We have been fortunate to be able to put on such a fantastic show this year by adding to the variety of products," said John Fontin of show management. "While we had some logistical hiccups, everything worked out great in the end, and it was a win-win for both buyers and sellers. We look forward to expanding upon the new categories next year."

The Amusement Show is divided into nine major categories that function as separate mini-shows. The
new SourceDirect hall brought together manufacturers from all over the world so that buyers directly from the source.

The Amusement Show will return to the Las Vegas Convention Center on March 1, 2019, and will once again be free to qualified buyers who register in advance, or $40 for on-site registrants.

Dana Forlani
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