BIRMINGHAM, England – (PRESS RELEASE) -- The summer's £1bn World Cup betting explosion, the harnessing of new technology across betting platforms and the pace of deregulation in Europe, are key drivers in the growth of interest in the 2006 Betting Show, which is poised to become the biggest in its three year history.
The Show, which takes place across 25th and 26th October at the NEC Pavilion, Birmingham, will comprise 1,600 square metres of stand space with 65 exhibitors drawn from nine countries, breaking all previous records for the event.
Jim Cremin of industry bible, The Racing Post, confirmed: "2006 has been a big year for the business. Despite the fact that England yet again failed to progress beyond the last eight, more than £1bn was staked on the FIFA World Cup alone. Add the big annual events such as the Cheltenham Festival, the Grand National and even Big Brother, and there's been a feast of betting. Despite recent developments in the United States, I think the glass is definitely half full for the industry, a fact that I expect to be reflected in October, at what is definitely the industry's flag ship event."
Karen Cooke, head of exhibitions at Clarion ATE confirmed: "We are projecting some encouraging year-on-year growth for the Betting Show. For the first time we've targeted mainland Europe and the results have been encouraging with strong pre-registration figures from countries including Austria, Cyprus, Malta, Poland and Spain.
"The Betting Show is fast becoming the annual meeting place for networking with colleagues and industry friends, the Betting Show Bar sponsored by Finsoft ensures visitors can do this whilst soaking up the atmosphere of the show."
The Show also features a strong seminar programme supported by the Association of British Bookmakers (ABB), with a range of sessions designed to address topical issues and debate the future of betting. All seminars are free to attend and are open to both visitors and exhibitors.
Visitor registration is now open and a newly designed website is available with essential show information, including an up-to-date exhibitor list and floor plan. Pre-registration is free to all trade visitors, the quickest and easiest way to register is via the Betting Show website.