Coinslot: It was the second edition of the ARE Expo last week. How would you rate ARE 2026 and what were the highlights?
Freddie Shreeve: We had a great week at ARE in Manchester. It was only the second edition of the show, but from a Boomerang perspective it felt like a big improvement on the opening year. Visitor numbers appeared to be up and customers really made the effort to come and see us, which obviously was our key objective and was the driver of our pre-show comms.
We certainly took more orders on the stand this year compared to last year, and the follow-up leads and appointments we’ve come away with are very exciting. From a sales point of view, it looks really positive, but from a customer relationship perspective it was priceless.
Shows like ARE give you the opportunity to spend quality time with customers, have proper conversations and discuss plans for the future away from the day-to-day pressures.
I think ARE demonstrated that success comes in all shapes and sizes. Of course, attendance numbers are important but, it’s not a given that you can’t have a successful smaller event and our experience in Manchester is a case in point.
We connected with our customers pre-show, we tailored our messaging accordingly and most importantly we showed the strength of our one stop shop proposition and demonstrated how we are integrating the full suite of solutions.
Coinslot: There has been a very positive vibe around the show since its launch. Did it deliver good footfall and business opportunities or were you more interested in supporting a show that brings the industry together at a last selling point before the summer season gets into gear?
Freddie Shreeve: Due to the way Boomerang operates as a true one stop shop solution with multiple products across our portfolio, we don’t really see one particular peak sales period before the summer season. We are constantly speaking with customers who are either opening new venues or looking to invest further into their existing operations throughout the year.
What ARE gave us was a fantastic opportunity to get our products directly in front of operators and allow them to properly touch, feel and play with the equipment. We can talk about the quality of the products all day long, but exhibitions like this allow customers to see the full ecosystem working together and understand the integrations and development work we’ve been focused on since EAG.
Customers were particularly positive about seeing the progression we’ve made around facial recognition, Smart Tablets, PayStations, mobile membership integration and the daily games available for players. It showed that the products are continuing to evolve and that we are investing heavily in R&D, innovation and connected venue technology.”
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?
Freddie Shreeve: Our facial recognition solution was definitely one of the biggest talking points on the stand and it’s something we are keen to bring fully into the market as soon as possible. The trials over the last few months have been very successful and customers are excited by the potential it offers.
What makes this development particularly important is that the system is designed around safer gambling and player protection, linking directly to databases to help venues identify self-excluded customers more effectively and efficiently.
We believe this is a key development for the industry and one that can help keep venues and players safer for years to come while also supporting operators with compliance and responsible gambling measures. Anyone who has listened to the speeches and comments made by Gambling Minister Baroness Twycross will know how much importance the Government places on player protection and effective self-exclusion.
Our experience from engaging with gaming operators confirms that the industry is very receptive to the use of technology in player protection in particular facial recognition. I’m delighted that Boomerang is at the vanguard of what is a pivotal advance.
We are also preparing to launch our new Multi Progressive Jackpot product over the next few weeks following successful testing with independent operators across the Midlands. The feedback so far has been extremely positive and operators are already seeing the benefits of linked entertainment experiences across multiple machines and venues.
Jigsaw also continued to be a major crowd puller for us. In the lead up to the show we secured a number of significant orders with large independent operators, which created a lot of interest during the show. Customers are increasingly looking for products that stand out on the floor, create repeat engagement and offer something different to the standard venue experience, and Jigsaw continues to do exactly that.”
Coinslot: Were there any notable wins from the two days – new agreements, installations, partnerships?
Freddie Shreeve: Yes, absolutely. We’ve come away from the show with several exciting discussions around full one-stop-shop fit outs, where operators are looking at integrating multiple Boomerang products and services across their venues rather than investing in standalone solutions.
One of the notable successes during the show was agreeing an expanded deal with Game Nation CEO Mark Jepp on the stand itself. The agreement will see their existing Jigsaw rollout increase to cover more than 50 percent of their venues, helping deliver more promotional games, customer engagement features and enhanced entertainment experiences for players.
It’s a really positive outcome because it reflects the confidence that the market is placing not just in our individual products, but also in the wider platform and the long-term partnership approach that we are successfully building.
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