Leisure Supplies Show 2026
Exhibition Review by Spencer Elliott
Last year I said the Leisure Supplies Show was the best we'd had in at least three years. I stand by that, but this year has gone one better. In fact, I think this was the best show I've attended in years, and I've been going to these things for quite some time now.
It had everything. Returning exhibitors we hadn't seen for years, new companies, new products, innovations, collaborations, improved quality, some very well-kept secrets and, perhaps most excitingly, some proper arcade equipment. Not somebody with a retro arcade machine tucked in the corner, but genuine commercial amusement machines that we've been wanting to see at these shows for years.
There was a real buzz about the place, and not just from the 150-odd fans Airquee had running.
I was particularly pleased to see Better-Bounce returning for a second consecutive year after their previous absence, alongside other familiar faces making a welcome return. It's encouraging to see suppliers recognising the value in being there.
I think the days of exhibitors taking up an entire hall are probably behind us, unless you're Airquee, obviously, who appear to regard the concept of available floor space as more of a personal challenge than a limitation.
But you don't need an enormous stand. Four or six units, a couple of new products and some good show deals can be enough. You're reminding customers that you exist, meeting new people, reconnecting with old ones and maintaining relationships that otherwise slowly disappear behind emails and Facebook messages.
The attendance was extraordinary. Aftab normally publishes his figures after the show, telling everyone that records have been broken and numbers were through the roof. I'm not suggesting he's making them up, but I've always taken these statistics with a pinch of salt. You've got eyes, you can see how busy it is, and exhibitors are usually pretty forthcoming about how well they've done.
This year, though, he could probably have published whatever number he liked and I'd have believed him.
Day one was absolutely rammed. Familiar faces, new operators and even people from Europe. Day two was quieter, but I'd go as far as saying there were probably more people there on the second day than I've seen on the first day of all previous shows.
That's obviously my own eyeball assessment, but it was busy. Really busy.
Maybe the unusually good weather helped, with operators finishing the season having made some decent money. Maybe it was the advertising, the broader range of exhibitors or the increasingly popular social side. Probably a combination of everything - Whatever it was, it worked.
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