Reed Exhibitions, which along with the American Gaming Association produces the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia trade show and exhibition, announced the lineup of activities for the 2016 edition of the show—the 10th annual edition—to be held May 17-19 at the Cotai Expo center at Venetian Macao.
Reed announced that so far 180 exhibitors have been confirmed, a 12 percent increase on last year’s show. A quarter of the 2016 exhibitors will be new to the show, the firm added.
Josephine Lee, executive vice president of Reed Exhibitions Greater China, told GGRAsia at a daytime press conference held at Pacha, a nightclub at the recently opened Studio City casino resort in Macau, that some of the new features at G2E Asia 2016 will seek to address the regional casino industry’s shift from an emphasis on VIP business to one of serving mass-market customers.
“We are focused on delivering the right value to our suppliers [the exhibitors] and to our audience. We are focused on doing what is right for the industry,” Lee said. “That includes how to address the new group of mass-market travellers. This is not just a question in Macau but for operators across the region,” she added.
The new features for G2E Asia 2016 include the Macau Retail Summit, which will look at customer service and technology as ways to improve retailing of non-gaming products and services in the Macau market.
Another new feature for G2E Asia in 2016 will be what is described as the Asia Gaming White Paper, a document produced in collaboration with CLSA that will be presented during the event. It is said to include projections of future trends for casinos in major Asia-Pacific markets.
Returning elements at the 2016 expo include what Reed Exhibitions describes as a “highly targeted” business matching service, which the company branded in a press release as the “IT and Business Solutions One2One Event.”
The iGaming Zone, for suppliers of online gaming products and services, will also be back. Reed said there will be double the number of exhibitors this year, with half of the exhibitors being new to the event. The Macau Pavilion, first introduced at the 2014 edition, will also be there in 2016, highlighting gaming and entertainment offers in the host city.
The expansion of the iGaming sector is another of the main highlights of the 10th edition of G2E Asia. “There is a 52 percent increase in terms of exhibitors from the iGaming segment,” said Josephine Lee, vice president of Reed Exhibitions East China.
“In terms of area occupied by this segment, it has more than tripled (compared to last year). The show continues to evolve, according to the changing rhythms of the industry, which is why it remains so relevant, and why the gaming and entertainment industry throughout Asia trusts G2E Asia as the right exhibition platform to drive business forward.”
This year will also see the inauguration of the Asia Gaming Awards, jointly organized by Asia Gaming Brief and The Innovation Group. The awards are open to operators, regulators, suppliers and service providers that have made outstanding contributions to the land-based and online casino industries. The awards will also recognize up to 18 young gaming executives from Asia based on their talent and potential to shape the industry in the coming years.
