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New machines for the UK and international markets will feature strongly in the exhibitor line-up for the first IGX trade show - the ‘alternative show' to Earls Court, at the Ibis Hotel in Lillee Road, London, to the rear of Earls Court.
Almost every aspect of coin-op for the street market will be represented at the show, from kiddie rides to street-ready casino-style automated games, redemption to music, pool tables to novelties.
Some of the biggest names in these sectors will be exhibiting equipment. Major German AWP maker BALLY WULFF ENTERTAINMENT will feature four Spanish AWPs on its stand, Royal Bank, Chicago, Galeon Pirate and Casino Caribe, plus a multi-game AWP Game Stations and a multi-player amusement poker table, Play4Pro.
Another German-based manufacturer, CMI GMBH, which specialises in money change and network technology will take its first London stand under its own name. The company produces a terminal suitable for use in arcades or in casinos, which will handle any type of money transaction including coin and note recycling. The terminal, effectively an inexpensive cashier and floor manager, will link any devices which use coins or bills, whether they are amusement machines, AWPs or casino slots and no matter which protocol is used. It can be a complete cashless system and will change foreign currency or break bills, coins or tokens.
Also handling money transactions, CUMMINS-ALLISON is a long-established name in the games and gaming industry with its Jetsort coin-sorter which has been a favourite in the industry for nearly 20 years, with of course, a number of steady upgrades. The Jetsort will handle anything and ranges from a compact desktop version, the M1000 through to the large and free-standing M6400 or M4200. It also links to note counters and scanners.
A relative newcomer to the business is E-SERVICE, although its parent company has been around for a long time. E-Service, established in 2004, offers a ‘non-stop shop' solution for electronic peripherals and sub-assemblies in the coin machine industry. Its engineers and service centres offer a wide range of technical services for coin mechanisms, not readers, computers, processor boards, monitors, power supplies and background music systems. It can take care of all makes of equipment. E-Service has been steadily increasing the number of outlets it provides and now covers Spain, Poland and Romania, often using service vans to access remoter areas picking up defective equipment and returning it after repairs or servicing.
A major manufacturing and distributing name in the international amusement machine market - and one which inspired the establishment of the IGX show - is HARRY LEVY AMUSEMENTS. The British-based company is one of the world's biggest suppliers of pusher machines, redemption games, novelties and cranes.
The latest 12-player pusher It's a Cracker, will dominate the company's IGX stand, in company with a number of new machines. Also there will be the one- to three-player pusher Race to Win, which will make its debut at the show.
Among the redemption machines will be the first-time showing of Beat the Clock, an interactive one- or two-player game, together with Pieces of Eight and Aladdin. American-built redemption games will include Big Bass Wheel, Strike it rich, Spin A Win and the stand - the biggest in the show - will also have ranges of basketball games, cranes, novelties and bowlers.
The IGX show will house something of a concentration of pool table manufacturing suppliers. HAZELGROVE SUPERLEAGUE is a famous name which provides its own-brand pool table and a wide range of accompanying equipment such as Adam snooker cues, Barracuda snooker cues, Aramith balls, Tweeten billiard products, Tower cues and cases, Milliken cloth, the Blue Diamond and Elkmaster tips. The newly re-engineered Imperial Magnum and Winchester coin-op pool tables will be presented to the industry for the first time this year, in both mechanical and electronic versions. The playing surface has been improved, the top frame strengthened and changes have been made to the cushion design. New this year is the use of West of England pool fabrics on Superleague tables.
Another big name in the pool table business, HEYWOOD POOL AND SNOOKER, will also be at IGX with its Supreme pool table. The company is the table supplier to the World Eight-Ball Championships and its Prince and Winner pool tables are well established, coming in a range of laminates and finishes, both as coin-op, electric or freeplay and in six-foot, seven-foot or eight-foot dimensions. The company also supplies bar billiard tables, foldaway pool and snooker tables, bar football and accessories.
Major pool table manufacturer EXCEL LEISURE was also among the first to sign up for the IGX show. The Ashton-under-Lyne, UK, company, is recognised as one of the biggest names in tables sports in Europe. Apart from making its own wide range of pool tables, the company is an exclusive distributor of the Garlando coin-operated table football games. The top pool table, the Mayfair, is Excel's traditional-style table and is sold alongside the competitively-priced Regent table. The company also has a weatherproof pool table, the Rustic, which is suitable for using in countries with warmer temperatures and there is a demand for an all-weather table. Excel also has a wide range of pool and table soccer accessories.
Among jukebox manufacturers, JAYBOX, is a relatively new name, but one which has already made great strides into the pub business with its Pay for Play networked box. It can be connected by conventional broadband or 3G mobile network. The unit offers over 70,000 tracks and provides 200 updates each week, plus online diagnostics to reduce the time taken - and the costs - of service calls. Launched in 2006, JayBox has been engineered to last for over 10 years and can be supplies with fresh screen images and fascias.
For spaces as small as arcades or as large as major amusement parks, PAN AMUSEMENTS' shooting galleries are a wonderful attraction. The company has been supplying the units for many years and they are established all over the world - in fact the number of galleries sold has now passed 500. The galleries, known for trouble-free operation and durability, can be configured to any space, using strong animated characters to react to skilful electronic shooting. Theme parks, retail chains, museums and other leisure outlets use the galleries to great effect.
Bringing cashless play to the amusement industry is the Argentina-based SACOA with its Playcard system. Over the years the product has been refined to provide trouble-free play in arcades and entertainment centres, taking the problems of coins out of the equation. A rechargeable debit card is used with the system, linked to a centralised management system. The system is now controlling over 50,000 machines in 43 countries around the world, installed over the past 15 years. Cards are bought pre-loaded with credits and played off in the machines, which means that great flexibility can be introduced to the system, including player loyalty and enhanced periods of play. The latest technology includes wireless free operation.
The jukebox industry is dominated by just a handful of major names in the international market, among which SOUND LEISURE is now one of the most senior. The UK-based company was a pioneer of digital jukeboxes and now has a comprehensive range of this technology. An addition to the current range will make its debut at IGX, the company has promised.
Another first-time exhibitor in London under its own name is SPP GROUP, a specialist in providing video graphics and animation, artwork design and printed glasses and printing on other materials to the international coin machine industry. The 30-year-old company is now a market leader in this specialist sector, using some very high technology processes to create graphics for both the amusement and gaming industry. It has its own graphics studio offering original concept design services and the factory has three large format flatbed digital print machines to give consistently high quality printed artwork very speedily. SPP also has its own fabrication department to provide additional services such as vacuum forming, acrylic fabrication and interior and exterior signage.
Specialist services to the amusement and gaming sectors are provided by TOWERGATE RISK SOLUTIONS through its Leisure and Entertainment division, which was one of the original supporters of the IGX concept. An insurance specialist, Towergate, works with major insurance companies to work in niche markets such as arcades, bingo clubs, bowling centres, snooker clubs, play centres, leisure attractions and health and fitness centres. An ability to provide flexible coverage tailored to the requirements of the location, helps take the pain out of everyday occurrences such as damage to glasses and signs, as well as the necessary public liability cover.
Some of the brightest ideas in gaming machines these days are coming out of Eastern Europe. VEGAS IMPORTS of Birmingham, brings products in from Poland, where Vegas is a nationally-known name for its AWP machines. The video-based device can be configured for any gaming machine application from the amusement arcade to the casino and its Black Horse has become a well-established game in the UK for the past couple of years. At IGX, Vegas Imports will be able to show for the first time the next level of game from Poland, the Silver Shark, which was given a debut at the Polish trade show, Surexpo in November to great acclaim. In fact the machine won the Grand Prix award at the show.
British distributors of AWP machines WESSEX COIN will be at IGX. The company, which has established itself as a leading supplier of gaming machines over the past 35 years, has built its reputation on its family-business style attention to detail and high levels of service. The company now covers most of the categories of payout machines in the UK, from some of the biggest names, including categories C, D, B3 and B4, together with some new SWP machines from Games Warehouse.
Another major name at IGX is WHITTAKER BROTHERS, one of the longest-established exhibitors in London, which has chosen this year to show at the Ibis along with some other major amusement machine manufacturers. The company specialises in pushers, multi-players, children's rides and novelty games. New for 2009 is a six-player version of its Surfers Paradise pusher with a coin-drop system which will put 10p coins on to the 2p play deck at random - or alternatively a £1 coin on to the playfield of a 10p pusher. The company produces one-player, two-player and three-player wall models for many of its pusher range, including Surfers Paradise, Big Top Circus, Caribbean and Arabian Gold. It also has its Kentucky Derby and Roulette six-player games which are well established.
Whittaker Brothers represents a major Chinese manufacturer, Zhongshan Luck and has worked with the company for the past two years on new products, enabling Whittakers to provide modestly-priced games of a very high standard, including the Horse and the Bee Park three-seater carousel rides, plus redemption/amusement versions of Cheer Bowl and Basketball games.
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