rAge, the godfather of Gaming Expo's returns
FOR IMMEDIATE ISSUE
MARCH 2008
Bookings for this year's rAge are open for exhibitors! This godfather of technology expos is back for the 6th consecutive year, and rAge 2008 - once again with the participation of awesome exhibitors - will blow visitors away with a more interactive expo than ever before.
rAge 2008 will take place in Johannesburg from the 3rd to the 5th of October at the Coca-Cola Dome in Northgate. Perfectly positioned to take advantage of pre-Christmas sales and marketing campaigns, the expo is a not-to-be-missed event on the South African gaming and technology industry calendar.
rAge has gone from strength to strength since its 6,000-visitor beginning in 2003. 2007 saw 17,233 visitors through rAge's doors - an increase of just under 20% from 2006 - and this year rAge's organisers are confident of reaching over the 20,000 visitor mark. 2007 also saw a substantial increase in floor space at rAge, with 25% more floor space than in 2006, and more custom built stands than ever before.
This expo is fast becoming an important marketing tool for brands, products and services aimed at both casual and hard-core gamers, computer enthusiasts, the youth and technology-conscious families. The expo is a fantastic opportunity to debut new products, to promote unique concepts and showcase existing technologies and, for retailers, to build awareness and interact face-to-face with their consumer. The importance of rAge as a marketing platform is evidenced by the fact that Microsoft chose rAge as the venue for the South African launch of the Xbox 360 in 2006, and that The Core Group chose rAge for the Nintendo Wii's first public appearance in South Africa in 2007.
According to Gary Burgess of Intel, "Intel's level of involvement in rAge has grown tremendously over the years due to the growth in the consumer and gaming segments in South Africa, as well as the introduction of Intel's dual and quad core extreme processors, aimed specifically at performance hungry gamers and multimedia enthusiasts. rAge 2007 was definitely the most successful yet, and we were extremely satisfied with the number of attendees, the quality of exhibits and the response we got from our many activities at the show."
There is incredible growth in the gaming and technology industry, both in South Africa and worldwide. According to The NPD Group's consumer tracking service in the USA, consumer technology sales reached a record $129 billion in 2007, a 6.5 percent increase over 2006. Almost half (47%) of all consumer technology spending in 2007 was concentrated on five categories: notebook computers, LCD TVs, desktop computers, digital point-and-shoot cameras, and MP3 players. That's up from 42 percent in 2006 and 36 percent in 2005. U.S. sales of video games, which includes portable and console hardware, software and accessories, generated revenues of almost $18 billion, a 43 percent increase over the $12.5 billion generated in 2006.
Gamers and computer enthusiasts are a discerning group of consumers for businesses to target - they are media-literate, switched on and extremely passionate. rAge is the ideal opportunity to engage with highly motivated buyers and to nab their interest in a specific brand.
Exhibitor bookings are open, so for more information, or to book your space at this unique and compelling event, call Michael James or Jacqui Jacobs on 011 704 2679 or Samantha Gore on 011 704 7770, or send an e-mail to rage@tidemedia.co.za.
Issued By: The Lime Envelope
On Behalf Of: rAge
For Media Information: Kerry MacKenzie or Sarah Martin
Email: kerry@thelime.co.za or sarah@thelime.co.za
Telephone: 011 704 7770/1