■ Serena Zheng／Jasmin Zhuang
From March 12 to 14, 2020 at VDNH Pavilion 75, in Moscow, the 22nd International Exhibition of amusement rides, entertainment equipment and services for amusement industry RAAPA EXPO 2020 was held successfully. With the strong support of the RAAPA team and insiders, RAAPA Expo has developed steadily and become one of the most notable expos in the world.

Russian Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (RAAPA), established in 1995, at present represents the interests of more than 355 manufacturing companies, parks, FECs and other amusement industry enterprises of Russia, CIS countries and foreign countries. Aiming at developing the entertainment industry, RAAPA makes efforts to improve the safety and quality of amusement equipment in Russia.

At present RAAPA EXPO is the largest exhibition of the amusement industry in Russia, the CIS and Eastern Europe. Some 200 companies from Russia and over 25 countries from around the world such as Italy, Canada, Belarus, Mexico, Turkey, France, Czech Republic, Belgium, Germany, China, the Netherlands, and others took part in the exhibition. Among them, there were 31 new exhibitors, accounting for about 18% of the total. There were 9 exhibitors from China, including Superwing, Tecway and GTI. This year has seen a dramatically decline in Chinese exhibitors (29 Chinese exhibitors last year).

All major trends of the amusement industry were presented at the exhibition: park rides, arcade play machines, simulators, 5D-cinemas, VR-attractions,  equipment for kiddie and sports grounds, shooting galleries, trampolines, activity parks, theming design, access control systems, automation systems, billiards, bowling, waterpark equipment, vending machines, redemption and prize machines, services on project design of amusement parks, waterparks and FECs, staff training, organization of festive events, landscape design, food & beverage services, and many others.

Annually RAAPA Expo is attended by over 4000 professionals: owners and management of amusement parks, family entertainment centers, water parks, cinemas, resorts, health and leisure complexes, representatives of cities’ governments and bodies of authority, event-agencies, entrepreneurs and other interested parties. Within the exhibition the Business Forum for amusement industry professionals has always been traditionally held. Training and master-classes held by leading Russian and foreign specialists enlightened the most urgent issues of entertainment business.

GTI Organizing Committee has long maintained a good relationship with RAAPA. Last year, Igor Rodionov, Vice President of RAAPA, attended the GTI Asia China Expo for the first time. In an interview, he repeatedly conveyed the intention of inviting Chinese amusement companies to explore the Russian market. Igor Rodionov and Thomas Liu, Chief Executive of GTI Organizing Committee, had reached an agreement on promoting exchanges and cooperation between China and Russia in the entertainment industry at GTI Sino-Russian Business Dinner. With the ambition of developing the entertainment industry between China and Russia, GTI once again exhibited at RAAPA Expo in 2020. Quite a few international buyers visited GTI’s booth, and said that they had a keen interest in Made-in-China products. GTI Magazines and the promotional materials of GTI Expos were in short supply at RAAPA Expo.

While making every effort to promote created-in-China products, GTI also visited other exhibitors in order to bring the latest information of the Russian amusement market to the Chinese insiders, and rejuvenate GTI Asia China Expo, which will be held in September this year.

For the past 20 years, the International exhibition RAAPA EXPO has earned the status of one of the most efficient business platforms for startups and the further development of the amusement industry; it has become the major meeting point for amusement industry professionals from Russia and abroad. The exhibitors’ numbers are expanding from year-to-year, expositions are renewed and complemented with entertainment equipment novelties, current trends, and technologies. RAAPA EXPO is your shortcut to the rapidly growing market of entertainment industry in Russia and a not-to-be-missed advertisement station for GTI. See you again in Moscow in next March!

※The article is published in the GTI Magazine Issue No. 189 in August 2020