Liam Barrett considered that the number of visitors on the ATEI's upper floor was, if anything, lower than last year. He wondered whether the presence of other UK pool table manufacturers at Intergame's ISX Show might have had some bearing on the attendance which apparently was, according to general reports, higher overall than last year. 

He told Euroslot: "It was certainly not an encouraging show for Sam Leisure's UK business. Operators were not there in their usual numbers although the Irish were there in force and worldwide business in general was very good."  He added that a review of business after the show indicated results were much the same as last year. Some noteable successes and the potential for more gave rise to the feeling that things could have been much worse.

With English pool in the doldrums Barrett noted that the air hockeys and football tables created a lot of interest. He also took interested parties to three nearby American pool venues. One of those, he reported, the Elbow Room, was still "pulling them in" after 10 years and showing no sign of recession. The Southern Belle, which only opened at Chsitmas, was "heaving with the young and beautiful" using the bar and food tables as well as the SAM Magno American pool tables, with which each site was equipped. Barrett think pool table operators who find business difficult in the traditional pub sites for English pool might seek alternative sites of a similar nature to those he visited.

In conjunction with BAPTO SAM arranged for Cueaction's Steve Daking to give exhibitions of trick shots and challenges. Regrettably audiences at these events were not high.

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