The long wait for G2E is over. Global Gaming Expo will be held from Monday through Thursday this week, featuring many new exhibitors, speakers and questions that attendees and others want answered.
G2E is the largest industry trade show and conference dedicated to the gaming industry. Produced by the American Gaming Association and Reed Exhibitions, the 14th annual show expects to draw more than 20,000 people and spread out over thousands of feet of exhibit hall at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas.
Attendees expect to see the latest and greatest products (including the first clue of what skill games will resemble), hear from the top experts in the industry and network with old and new friends. Just some of the highlights of the new G2E are listed below:
• G2E will expand its programming to cater toward food and beverage professionals as part of its first-ever Integrated Resort Experience at G2E. Featuring in-depth explorations and opportunities to connect with F&B industry leaders, the Integrated Resort Experience will shine new light on the unique dynamic that characterizes a rapidly growing relationship between F&B entities and the casino-gaming industry.
“Food and beverage programs are more important to the casino-gaming industry than ever before,” said Ron Rosenbaum, chief operating officer of the American Gaming Association. “As the world’s preeminent gaming event, G2E is at the forefront of this expansion and sees it not only as an opportunity—but a necessity—to provide specialized programming for this key sector and unparalleled opportunities for professionals in both industries to do business together.”
The inaugural Integrated Resort Experience will embody a full spectrum of leading-edge technologies, products and services offering a complete solution for casino operators interested in corporate meeting business, longer hotel stays, greater profitability and loyalty through management systems, increased food and beverage spending, longer engagement and enhanced guest satisfaction.
• On Tuesday, September 29, AGA President and CEO will deliver Freeman will deliver the annual “State of Gaming Address” that will share how far the industry’s come in terms of economic impact, mainstream acceptance and consumer perception. The audience will also learn about the evolving issues facing the industry.
Following address, the founder of the famous MIT blackjack team, Jeffrey Ma, will speak to thousands of casino industry’s top executives.
“Jeffrey Ma has long been a go-to expert on technology and the digital age for high-profile entities ranging from professionals sports teams to global corporations. We’re incredibly pleased to have him address the world’s most influential gathering of gaming executives at the 2015 Global Gaming Expo,” said Ed Several, senior vice president of Reed Exhibitions. “His insight into how to effectively utilize technology as a competitive advantage will be invaluable information to the attendees of G2E.”
Ma’s keynote address will seamlessly connect his experiences at the blackjack table to business analytics, innovation, and the power of data. G2E attendees and media can look forward to learning Ma’s unique approach to business success in the digital age that is accessible for individuals at every level.
Ma is the expert business leaders turn to for insight on harnessing the power of technology-driven platforms to optimize performance, customer loyalty and overall success. Beyond the blackjack table, Ma has founded four companies that have been purchased by major corporations, most recently tenXer, an analytics tool designed to optimize employee performance that was recently acquired by Twitter.
• On Wednesday, September 30, casino gaming industry titans will assemble for a roundtable at G2E. In one of his first public forums as Caesars Entertainment President and CEO, Mark Frissora will be joined by Scientific Games CEO Gavin Isaacs and Rush Street Gaming CEO Greg Carlin to debate the most pertinent issues of the gaming industry.
“Gaming is a quarter-of-a-trillion-dollar industry that is constantly evolving and finding new ways to provide a world-class entertainment experience,” said Geoff Freeman, AGA’s president and CEO. “We’re thrilled to gather some of the most important voices in gaming for a compelling forum that will shed light on the future of the industry.”
Bo Bernhard, executive director of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ (UNLV) International Gaming Institute, will moderate the discussion.
• At an invitation-only ceremony on Wednesday, September 30 at MGM Grand, the AGA will induct three honorees into the Gaming Hall of Fame’s Class of 2015: Victor Salerno of William Hill US, Lynn Valbuena of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and Navegante Group founder Larry J. Woolf.
The inductees will be honored as part of the annual Global Gaming Expo (G2E), presented by the AGA.
“Victor, Lynn and Larry are pioneers in the gaming industry and worthy of induction into a very special fraternity,” said the AGA’s Freeman. “Victor has been on the cutting edge of the sports gaming industry for decades, Lynn has been a staunch advocate for tribal rights and Larry’s business acumen has been the driving force for the success of several renowned properties.”
• The always-educational seminar sessions at G2E will host elite experts exploring a $240-billion industry through in-depth presentations at the show. Interactive seminars at G2E will cover a variety of topics instrumental to the future of casino gaming, such as the development of skill-based slot machines, a comprehensive look into tribal gaming, innovations in security, the growth of the Integrated Resort Experience, and the evolving state of sports betting and daily fantasy sports.
“We have developed an exciting array of seminars that will look at the most pressing issues of our industry and position our attendees for the future,” said Rosenbaum. “The gaming industry is leading the way in technology, security and entertainment and these seminars are vital to ensure gaming companies across the nation and around the world can progress our businesses together.”
• At G2E’s third annual Casino Entertainment Awards on Wednesday, September 30, 2015 inside Vinyl at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, comedic legend Jerry Lewis will be presented the Casino Entertainment Legend award by “Mr. Las Vegas” Wayne Newton.
Veteran casino entertainment executive H. C. Rowe, AEG Live’s executive director of the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, also will be honored with a Casino Entertainment Legend Award.
The Casino Entertainment Awards are the only awards exclusively honoring outstanding artists, executives and venues in the casino entertainment industry. The Casino Entertainment Legend Awards recognize lifetime achievement in the casino entertainment industry.
Comedian/actor Tommy Davidson will emcee the awards show. Davidson gained national attention on the variety show In Living Color and has appeared in numerous films and TV series.
Complimentary tickets will be distributed to G2E attendees on a first-come, first-serve basis at the Casino Entertainment Awards booth (#20) in the Integrated Resort Experience at G2E in the Venetian ballroom, adjacent to the Sands Expo and Convention Center.
Lots of questions about gaming manufacturers are expected to be answered at G2E. The massive consolidation that has occurred in that side of the business over the past couple of years is finally over, and IGT, Scientific Games, Aristocrat Technologies, Everi, and others will present their completed companies at this show.
Union Gaming Group believes that G2E will be watched closely by investors.
“While we believe that G2E this year will be an impressive event, its unlikely investors will walk away with an increased sense of ease over the near-term prospects of the gaming technology industry,” wrote Union Gaming analyst Chris Grove in a note to investors. “As always, there will be the G2E lift, as investors will finally get to see the product of all the merger activity in one place. As at this point, IGT, SGMS, EVRI and Aristocrat have largely integrated their merged or acquired entities. While the benefits of these mergers won’t be fully reflected until 2016, investors will finally get a sense of what the merged entities will look like going forward.”
