New Awards Program for Integrated Resort Casinos
With the growing prevalence of integrated resort casinos across Asia, it is only right that a more dynamic and centralized infrastructure is created to boost the reach and public perception of the new industry. The IR Academy Awards has been founded for this specific purpose and will begin in the near future with its award programs. With many exciting integrated resort projects launching across Asia in the coming months and years, this will serve as a fantastic opportunity for these venues to gain some early popularity and legitimacy.
The event being planned will be open to all who have worked in the Asian casino business for at least 2 years. Entrance to the awards evening is free of charge and there are two awarding categories with five prizes in each up for grabs on October 12 in Macao. ©crystal710/Pixabay
The new awards program was developed by the Academy of Integrated Resorts and Gaming Executives in Asia, and as the name suggests, this organization is heavily influential in the regional operations of integrated resort programs. Given that the first-ever ceremony will be held on October 12 at The Londoner casino in Macau, organizers will set themselves quickly to the task of categorizing the prizes and choosing a worthy winner for the first iteration of the new ceremony.
With the integrated resorts sector finally getting its own rewards program, it feels like the industry is catching up to the importance of this sector. The IR Academy Awards will see their inaugural awarding ceremony at the beginning of next month, and interest is already growing to find out who the first sets of winners will be. Japan’s integrated resort program has been gradually establishing itself, and strong candidates also exist across the rest of the Asian peninsula in the likes of Cambodia and the Philippines.
The awarding academy was formed under the guidance of Inside Asian Gaming (IAG). Launched at the beginning of 2021, the group has stated its objective is to differentiate the best from the rest and help advance the culture of professionalism with the land-based casino industry. It will also help recruiters identify and reward the key people involved and making contributions to each entity’s success. It’s safe to say a lot of attention will be on Macau next month for the inaugural ceremony.
First Ever Awards Ceremony for Integrated Resorts
There are many casino awards ceremonies held across the world each year, and some awarding bodies carry considerable influence and prestige making the prizes they award an extremely asset for competing casinos in the industry. With the advent of this new award specifically for integrated resorts, the organizers hope to enable that same competitive dynamic and help drive a new framework for ranking the quality of the competing operators in the integrated resorts sector.
The IAG has sent a clear signal that it is time to recognize the achievements of the best players in the space, and officially introduce an awards ceremony to foster the new prestige and legitimacy that comes as an additional utility to the prize itself. Many other initiatives are being considered with regards to extra prize utility, some of which will be seen at an event very soon.
Initially, the idea to host the awards ceremony for the integrated resort sector grew out of a necessity to appreciate the hard work and contributions of senior managers, directors, and C-level executives. In previous years, these employees have fallen through the cracks and gone unnoticed. It was only the higher-level founders, owners, and CEOs that were earning the recognition and landing their names on top 50 lists.
As the first awards ceremony of its kind, it seems only right that the inaugural awards ceremony will be a blockbuster event with all the glitz and glamour that the casino business has in abundance. There will be plenty of other opportunities in coming down the line at this event, which is due to launch at the Londoner Macau on October 12. Sponsored by the notorious Sands China Ltd, invites will be open to all individuals who have worked in the Asian casino sector for at least two years.
Two Categories Being Awarded
Despite being in the works for several years already, the Integrated Resorts Academy Awards are getting off to a limited beginning. The slow start will manifest itself in a couple of nomination possibilities, with the first two prizes being the Industry Rising Star and Industry Icons. Members of the academy can nominate themselves for an award or be referred by another member.
The Industry Icon category is only awarded to individuals with a date of birth 1981 or older, and there is a maximum of five awards available for the prize. The Rising Star award is for younger candidates with a date of birth 1981 or earlier, and again there are five prizes up for grabs. The shortlist of nominees will be published on September 27 following a round of preliminary voting, and winners are chosen by popular vote before being announced at the awards evening in Macao.
The Integrated Resort Academy Awards have been considering launching the initiative for several years but wanted to wait until after the pandemic for the first ceremony to take place. Given the financial pressures the industry is facing in 2021, and with a new threat looming from Chinese regulators, the event will be completely free of charge for all eligible attendees. The first event will surely be a low-key affair, with a growing guest-list expected in the future, the awards are aiming to become the benchmark of quality in the integrated resorts casino movement.
