The DEAL 2018
has promised to be the largest show in the amusement industry that is held
closer to the African region, reports ITRealms.
The show aims to
provide an effective platform for the stakeholders within the African leisure,
entertainment and amusement sector, as per International Expo Consults, the
organisers of the show. Recent developments in the countries within the African
continent have created the necessary demand for the leisure amusement industry
operators.
“The amusement industry stakeholders including mall owners,
retail operators, consultants and developers in Africa will immensely benefit
by visiting the show in April this year. Each year we see a large
representation of African trade visitors who visit our show to understand the
on-ground industry developments. They strike deals with operators from across
the globe that are present at our show. DEAL has been shaping the industry for
close to two and a half decades and has made significant inroads and shaped
several markets globally,” said Mr. Sharif Rahman, CEO, IEC.
Africa’s population is set to grow to 2.3 billion by 2050.
In contrast to the rest of the world, however, its booming population is
getting younger. African millennials are changing their consumer spending
patterns, from markets to malls, where they can eat, socialize and get
entertained at Family Entertainment Centers (FECs) apart from shopping. Also,
there have been key amusement parks in Egypt, Nigeria, Tunisia and South Africa
which have attracted people around the African region and the concept is fast
catching up within the other countries.
FECs are mini theme-parks and are a collection of more than
one attraction including rides, soft-play equipment such as the plastic maze of
tubes, slides and ball pits, kid’s play areas, video arcades, redemption and
carnival games. African gaming enthusiasts, can get a hands-on experience with
the world of Virtual Reality (VR), the next big thing in electronic
entertainment which is all set to become an integral part of FECs. With the
help of VR technology, users can experience a new reality which only seemed
possible in the motion pictures and video games.
“The future looks promising for the African amusement and
leisure sector which has reported a steady growth on the revenue front. Africa
has been growing in terms of tourism and infrastructure as well. Africa will
see newer malls in the next couple of years and will be home to several global
brands. The retail industry is taking shape on one hand, and so is the family
entertainment industry and they are complementing each other,” added Mr. Sharif
Rahman, CEO, IEC.
Themeparks and malls are set to be a crowd puller to raise
the revenues to contribute to the GDP of African countries. Tourism in this
region has seen a boost that is simultaneous to the economic growth being experienced
across many parts of the continent. Reports predict that direct contribution of
Travel & Tourism to GDP will increase by 4.8% per annum, to USD121.3bn
which is approximately 3.2% of GDP by 2026.
DEAL has led the amusement and entertainment space during
this period and the testimony to this is the fact that exhibitors at DEAL 2017
have signed multi-million dollar contracts in just 3 days. Foraying into the
24th edition, DEAL 2018 expects to witness an even larger gathering of key
players and visitors in the amusement industry from Middle East, US,
Mediterranean, Asian, and especially African countries.
DEAL, since its inception in 1995 has developed into an
unparalleled platform that gathers exhibitors, buyers, and professionals from
the international amusement and entertainment industry. DEAL is the region's
most anticipated and leading attraction for global and local stakeholders in
the amusement and entertainment industries. The show is slated to be held from
9th-11th April 2018 at Halls 1, and Za’abeel Halls 1,2 and 3 at the iconic
Dubai World Trade Centre.
Ogochukwu Nebenanya/GEE
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