| EVENT REPORT 06.04.09 6:38 PM |
|
E3's Eye-Popping Exhibits Employ Lots of Video and LED Technology
|
 | Ubisoft's exhibit at E3
Photo: Nadine Froger Photography |
|
Welcome to E3, where the men vastly outnumber the women and more languages can be overheard than you might expect at the Tom Bradley international terminal at LAX. Produced by IDG World Expo and owned by the Entertainment Software Association, E3—short for Electronic Entertainment Expo—kicked off Tuesday and wrapped today in the Los Angeles Convention Center’s south and west halls.
This year's show marked a huge leap forward in scope from last year's event, which had a different format that drew a significantly smaller crowd of mostly buyers. As of Thursday morning, 41,000 people from 78 countries had walked the show floor to see 216 exhibitors making hardware and software announcements of importance to the gaming world. "The booths are back in a big way," said a PR rep for the show.
Some exhibits exceeded more typical trade show booths in size by a factor of ten, and many were outfitted with eye-popping technology and decor. (Organizers noted that the installations that typically would have a 10-day load-in period were installed in the show's tighter four-day load-in time.) Here’s a sample of the memorable setups.
MORE >>
RELATED TOPICS
E3, Ubisoft, Nintendo, Bethesda Software, Gamespot, Warner Brothers Interactive, MTV Games, EA, Square Enix, Disney Interactive, Alienware, Microsoft, Dell |
 |
| EVENT REPORT 07.18.07 4:02 PM |
|
E3 Scales Back at New Venues
|
 | E3 attendees tested video games at the software showcase at Barker Hangar.
Photo: Courtesy of E3 Media and Business Summit |
|
The Entertainment Software Agency’s newly downsized E3 Media and Business Summit—formerly known as the Electronic Entertainment Expo—debuted in Santa Monica last week from July 11 to 13 with a series of radical changes to the 12-year-old gaming convention. The ESA contracted show management to IDG World Expo C.E.O. Mary Dolaher, who acted as show producer and helped the agency reach its goal of creating a more intimate and businesslike environment.
Organizers scaled back the now invitation-only event from 70,000 to 3,000 attendees—consisting of select media, retailers, and financial analysts—and from 400 to 38 exhibitors. The need for a smaller space prompted the show's move from its previous home, the Los Angeles Convention Center, to the Barker Hangar and a series of Santa Monica hotels including the Viceroy and Fairmont Miramar. Buses shuttled attendees from hotel to hotel for press conferences and appointment-based in-suite meetings with game company executives, as well as to the software showcase at the hangar, where they could test video games. For their own press conferences, gaming giants Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo elected to tap into other venues, such as the Santa Monica High School amphitheater, which hosted Microsoft’s briefing.
MORE >>
RELATED TOPICS
E3, Xbox, Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo |
|
 |
|
|
