AOE '86 set
for Mardi Gras
in New Orleans
The seventh Annual Amusement
Operators Expo (AOE) will be held
Mardi Gras weekend, February 6-9,
1986, at the Sheraton New Orleans
HoteL announced Carol P. Lally,
publisher of Play Meter and sponsor of
the industry event.
"We're really excited about holding
AOE '86 in conjunction with Mardi
Gras. the greatest free show on earth,"
said the Play Meter publisher. "There's
nothing like it in the world. Mardi Gras
is one of the world's greatest a1trac-
tions; and, when we had the oppor-
tunity to hold AOE '86 in conjunction
with such an event we just couldn't
pass it up! "
The Mardi Gras season actually
runs for two weeks with parades. cos-
tume balls. and millions of parade-
goers dressing up in Halloween and
"Let's Make a Deal''-type costumes to
a1trad throwers on the parade tloats to
throw down beads, doubloons, and
tons of other Mardi Gras memorabilia
to them.
But the season hits high gear
during the final weekend when New
Orleans businesses close down and
the streets are filled with Mardi Gras
revelers. and that's when this year's
AOE will be held.
Mardi Gras is a tradition spawned
by New Orleans' deep Roman Ca1holic
tradition. The final day of the season.
Mardi Gras Day or Fat Tuesday, imme-
diately precedes Ash Wednesday and
the 40-day penitential season known
as Lent.
Since Lent is a period of retlection,
penance. tasting . and abstention
leading to spiritual renewal on
Easter- Mardi Gras evolved into a
bacchanalian celebration of over-
indulgence just prior to that period.
And New Orleans is tlooded with
revelers from around the world who
join in this raucuous celebration.
PLAY MfTER. September 1 5, 1985
On the final days, millions of
people crowd the parade routes to
grab the carnival baubles thrown
down from the passing parade.
Among the parades coinciding with
that weekend 's events are such
famous parades as Endyrnion and
Bacchus.
Celebrities from the entertainment
world reign as honorary kings atop
the floats.
"We're billing AOE '86 as two shows
tor the price o f one," said Lally. "It's
AOE and Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras and
AOE . The activities at AOE should not
in any way interfere with convention-
goers' plan to enjoy the celebrations
below because our seminars and
exhibit hours are not in conflict with
any of the parade times.
"From the early responses," Lally
continued, "we expect AOE '86 to
become probably the quickest show
to sell out its exhibit space in the
industry's history. The demand tor
exhibit space is so great that we may
have to start limiting the number of
booths late exhibitors can take, so
we'll have enough to accommodate
as many exhibitors as possible.
She said the attradion of Mardi
Gras may mean AOE will sell out even
prior to the AMOA show.
In addition to the exhibit halL AOE
'86 will feature 24 operator-oriented
seminars on a variety of topics of
current interests to veteran operators.
"The streng1h ot AOE has always been
its seminar program. " she said, "and
this year AOE will again feature some
heavy-hitting seminars with top-notch
speakers. We believe the dual a1trac-
tion of these seminars and Mardi Gras
AOE goers will be a part of the incomparable celebration. Mardi Gras.
Here float riders throw trinkets to crowds of people hoping to catch
a string of beads or a doubloon.
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