Poker Show Holds Its Own
Diane Taylor -- Tradeshow Week, 7/3/2008 10:20:00 AM
When a consumer show boasts 50,000 attendees, that’s news. When it’s coupled with the world’s largest and richest gaming event, the World Series of Poker Las Vegas, the consumer show could … wait for it … get lost in the shuffle.
Gaming Life Expo at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino’s pavilion is, however, alive, well and celebrating its fourth anniversary. Though final figures weren’t available at press time, last year’s attendance of 50,000 was expected to be equaled, if not exceeded, this year.
The four-day show, owned by the Rio and held July 3-6, piggybacked on the tourist-heavy Fourth of July weekend and the largest draw of the World Series of Poker – the first four days of the main event, the 12-day World Championship No-Limit Texas Hold’em Competition. Admission to the show was free and hours coincided with the poker-player hours, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
On the showfloor, 75 exhibiting companies featured poker apparel, sporting goods products, live entertainment, giveaways and guest appearances by sports celebrities.
Show Manager Sharon Wayne said show participation has remained strong, even after live-play online poker sites were no longer among the big exhibitors. Some of this year’s special events included book signings and kick-boxing demonstrations.
The World Series of Poker is not just one event; it is 55 that run from May 30 through July 14. During that time, special poker valet parking is offered at the Rio, and a covered red carpet and cooling mists welcome players and spectators. Hallways are dotted with sponsor banners and 36 individual booths marketing poker-related items, including massages for weary all-night players. A World Series of Poker logo store is part of the action.
Ezra Galston, director of marketing for Card Runners, an online poker instruction site, said his company previously exhibited at the show with success, so this year it also sponsored one of the poker rooms, allowing it a hallway table for 50 days of World Series of Poker registration and play. Halfway through the experience, Galston said his company was “quite happy” with the World Series of Poker association.
Sponsorships and hallway rentals are handled by Harrah’s License Company, an affiliate of Harrah’s Entertainment, and brand marketing is omnipresent. There are a number of “officials” – an official World Series of Poker energy drink, timekeeper and broadcast partner, for instance.
