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Showmen’s Guild strengthens presence at EAG Expo following strategic partnership with Bacta
Bacta and the Showmen’s Guild have confirmed a strategic partnership that will see the Guild promote January’s EAG and SIE Expo to its members and take a high-profile presence within the at-show Bacta Business Lounge (BBL).
As part of the partnership program agreed between EAG Chairman Nick Harding and Showmen’s Guild General Secretary Joe Mercer the Guild will help promote and preview EAG Expo ’26 utilising channels including the Guild’s website (www.showmensguild.co.uk), its official Facebook group, as well as through Guild newsletters, Section updates, and the Guild App.
Expanding on the strong ties that exist between the two organisations, Joe Mercer said: “I’m delighted that the Guild is working with the organising team responsible for EAG Expo, continuing in a long tradition of collaboration that dates back to the origins of the Amusement Trades Exhibition which launched in the 1930s.
“EAG has flourished over the past decade, and in recent years, we’ve seen increasing engagement from Guild members. The Guild and Bacta share many members, and the latest products and innovations on display at EAG and the co-located Social Immersive Entertainment Expo provide real inspiration for Showmen who have been delivering fun and immersive experiences to the British public for generations. Our aim is to echo the spirit of the original ATE when Showmen made huge contributions to the success of an event which has stood the test of time and is embracing the future.”
Nick Harding added: “EAG Expo ’26 will feature the Social Immersive Entertainment Expo and the London Casino & Gaming Show, both of which were successfully launched at this year’s event. The integration of these leading co-located exhibitions provides significant crossover opportunities for Showmen many of whom are engaging with the new technologies that are driving the out of home entertainment experience.
“Working so closely with Joe and the Showmen’s Guild is not only a nod to our shared history but as importantly it helps to plot a route map for a progressive and inspiring future.”
The EAG team is focussed on recording a fourth consecutive year of growth. The numbers attending EAG Expo have increased by 69 percent since 2022 with the 2025 edition registering 4,306 unique visitors a 23 percent year-on-year uplift. A total of 1,973 businesses were represented in 2025 with 14 percent of visitors travelling to the London shows from outside the UK.