The fifth International Exhibition ‘Entertainment and Leisure 2005’ was held on 7-9 of April in Kazakhstan’s Almaty city, in 2 pavilions of the huge exhibition centre ‘Atakent-expo’. The opening ceremony was very festive, and accompanied by music from a military orchestra.

Apart from many local Kazakhstan companies, there were exhibitors from around Russia and overseas. Participating Russian companies included Fair Play, Unicum, GEM, RIO, Villart, Bonus, IGC, Gaming System Brandy, and the magazine “World of Games”. Some of the foreign exhibitors were Gold Club, Odrex, Casino Technology, Extrema-Ukraine, Extrema-Asia, Evona, Azkoin, ICT, Money Controls, Microgaming, Aristocrat and others.

‘Entertainment and Leisure 2005’ had plenty to offer both visitors and exhibitors. There were shows, competitions and, at some of the stands, prize draws. The location of the exhibition meant that visitor numbers were not on a par with the big Moscow shows, but the majority of those who did attend came for a reason - to do business.

Stanislav Ogaya, president of the Association of Gaming Workers, who gave the welcoming address at the opening of the exhibition, met with Evgeny Kovtun, the executive director of the Russian Association ‘World of Games’. During their meeting some important points were discussed, such as cooperation in the legislative sphere, relations between the government and gaming business, and the formation of a positive image for gaming business in Kazakhstan.

As Evgeny Kovtun commented, in the immediate future Kazakhstan’s gaming market can become an important tool in the country’s economic development, and provide many extra jobs for the region.

© Copyright 2005 World of Games



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