Coinslot: It was the second edition of the ARE Expo last week. How would you rate the 2026 outing and what were the highlights?
Kevin Temple: ARE 2026 was an outstanding show for us and an extremely fruitful two days in Manchester. It once again proved why it’s become one of the UK industry’s key events, with strong attendance, a lively atmosphere and a real sense of momentum.
We were also delighted with how the stand came together. It looked fantastic, was welcoming, and worked brilliantly as a space for live demos and longer, more detailed discussions.
The highlights were the consistent engagement across both days, the ability to reconnect with existing customers, and the quality new leads and contacts we generated.
Coinslot: There has been a very positive vibe around the show since its launch last year. Did it deliver good footfall and business opportunities or were you more interested in supporting the show in bringing the industry together at a last selling point before the summer season gets into gear?
Kevin Temple: It delivered on both fronts.
Footfall was consistent and the level of engagement really stood out to us. We had a steady flow of people making their way to the stand, and the atmosphere made it easy to slow down and get into the detail.
The show created strong business opportunities on the stand, but it also did a great job of bringing the industry together at an important point in the calendar.
We were proud to sponsor the official opening-night drinks reception for the second year running, and it was a real highlight being so well attended, relaxed, and the perfect setting to continue conversations beyond the show floor.
After a long first day, having great food and the chance to catch up with customers and peers helped strengthen relationships and set the tone for a very positive second day.
Coinslot: You have given strong backing to ARE particularly with the quality of product you took to Manchester. Talk us through some of the crowd pulling innovations in your portfolio?
Kevin Temple: We brought a strong and well-rounded product line-up to Manchester, designed to showcase both the depth and flexibility of our portfolio.
We showcased some of our high-performing premium cabinet models, including the BLACK EDITION II range and the DIAMOND X™ 3.32. Each cabinet was configured with distinct game packs, Magic Games Premium HD™ B3 and Cat C as well as B3 NovoLine™, giving operators the opportunity to explore a broad variety of content styles and identify the right fit for their venues and players.
We also showcased three standout NovoLine™ titles: Piggy Prizes™ Wish of Riches™, Asian Flower™ Plus and Belldorado™, all of which have proven to be strong performers since their launches earlier this year and generated significant interest throughout the show.
Alongside this, a key focus for us was our latest cash handling innovation, the NOVO Cash X10. The kiosk drew significant interest and the live demonstrations led by our Technical Sales Manager, Paul Abbott, gave customers the chance to see the unit in action and ask very practical questions.
We also added some fun touches that people genuinely enjoyed, including custom NOVO Cash chocolate coins, a lucky prize wheel, and the return of our custom doughnuts, which once again created memorable touchpoints and kept people coming back for a chat.
It was also encouraging to hear customers reference products they’d seen through other operators’ recent rollouts, which shows our strong visibility in the market. Visitors really responded to the new titles, features and characters. Alongside that, the DIAMOND X™ cabinet continued to draw attention, and we also had plenty of conversations about our larger cabinets such as the V.I.P X Dream™ and the V.I.P X Royal™, even though they weren’t physically on the stand, which underlines the level of appetite for premium formats.
The show was ideal for the kind of detailed, practical conversations customers want to have, and we received excellent feedback on both cabinets and content. On the games side, Big Bass™ Bonanza was once again a consistent crowd-pleaser and the upcoming title Athena™ Goddess of War on B3 NovoLine™ attracted notable interest.
Coinslot: Were there any notable wins from the two days – new agreements, installations, partnerships?
Kevin Temple: We certainly came away with exactly the kind of outcomes you hope for from a show like ARE.
We generated quality new leads and contacts across the two days, had valuable follow-up meetings with existing customers, and gained strong customer insight on cabinets, game packs and the operational options we’re bringing to market.
Overall, the event reinforced the strength of our industry relationships and the importance of face-to-face time with customers, which the calm atmosphere of the show facilitated perfectly.
Copyright 2024. All rights reserved.