If you stop by the Head Rush Tech booth at any major tradeshow related to adventure, amusement, outdoor recreation, ski areas, etc., you’ll probably bump into Leslie Rasch, our Global Distribution Manager. She was recently at the European Attractions Show (EAS) 2014 September 23-25 in Amsterdam and came back with three notable trends to share:
- The zip line park model currently popular in the US is growing in Europe. We expect to see a continued growth in this segment in the next few years and could see some increased zipSTOP Zip Line Brake sales to these markets.
- European interest is growing for amusement-type devices like the QUICKjump and FlightLine. Show attendees (some of them current HRT distributors) were excited to learn more about the QUICKjump Free Fall Device in ropes courses and amusement, adventure or entertainment centers. FlightLine was frequently brought up with great enthusiasm and anticipation for the 2015 launch.
The climbing industry continues to show steady growth in the region, opening the door for more TRUBLUE Auto Belays to get into climbing gyms. - The biggest takeaway is the European market is growing and the next several years we could see a lot of new construction projects and expansions.
About EAS 2014
EAS 2014 included a record number of exhibitors and attendees – an estimated 26% increase over the 2013 show in Paris. Over 10,750 people attended the show in Amsterdam last month, making it the most successful show in their 11-year history. People from 100 countries attended and 441 companies from 36 countries were there exhibiting. The shows’ organizers, in a post-event press release, said, “The growth in guest interactivity and the combination of different technologies in one attraction are some important trends featured among the products exhibited at this year’s show.” Further, they saw an increase in representation from family entertainment centers, campgrounds and shopping centers, showing that the attractions and amusement park section is growing and diversifying. Click here to read the whole release.