E for All organizers are calling response to the show “overwhelmingly positive,” despite attendance figures considerably lower than they had hoped for.
The show attracted roughly 18,000 “hardcore and casual gamers, developers, retailers, media and other members of the game community,” according to a statement by E for All organizer IDG World Expo. The final figure was less than a third of what E3 drew prior to its collapse, and paled next to that of the 2007 Penny Arcade Expo, which doubled E for All with a reported attendance of 37,000. IDG World Expo CEO Mary Dolaher herself said in an August interview that she hoped for attendance of 20-30,000 people; in spite of that, Dolaher expressed satisfaction with the result.
“We are thrilled with the attendance, and we are pleased that we delivered the event we aimed for,” she said. “With over 18,000 attendees on the show floor, from gamers and exhibitors, to developers, retailers and families, the mood was always fun and energetic. The response to the event was overwhelmingly positive, and we want to thank everyone for their tremendous support of E for All.”
Dolaher also said the show would return to the Los Angeles Convention Center for 2008, but gave no specific date. Next year’s show was initially set to take place on the same weekend as the 2008 PAX, but will apparently be changed to avoid conflict.
