In contrast ECTS is held in a large hall in two rooms each with a balcony and the whole thing heats up like a hot air balloon, witness the number of empty chilled coke bottles strewn around the floor come 6pm each day. In Atlanta there was aircon in everything - the show, the hotels and even the old Chevvy taxi cabs. Fallout 2 should be a great sequel. Spot the empty Coke bottles. The best part about ECTS is that you can try out so many games.
Various publishers take different philosophies in their stand setups.
Some, like Microprose , I-Magic and Sierra go for the more restrained approach, with 1 or 2 PCs per game, an attempt at a quietish area in amidst the blaring noise elsewhere, and a plethora of staff keen to explain the games on show. Of course, with all that noise having a chat about the ins and outs of a game can be a bit tricky. Eidos go for a futuristic arcade style on their stand. Time does fly pretty fast when you're touring a show like ECTS, and I didn't stop for lunch on either day. There was always a Coke or some nibbles being thrust into my paws, and the enthusiasm of most of the reps rubbed off on me.