New Developments at The Global Gaming Expo
Among the largest gaming expos with an estimated 27,000 guests, G2E will bring together the biggest names in the industry to show off the latest developments.
The Global Gaming Expo (G2E) is all set to take off this year from October 14-17 at the Las Vegas Sands Expo. With a full schedule of events and networking opportunities, it can be difficult to know what to see and do in a city already known for its wealth of entertainment.
The Ainsworth and Novomatic stands often gain a lot of attention © Yogonet
A Robust Experience
American Gaming Association (AGA) Vice President of Industry Relations Allie Barth was happy to discuss how this year’s event would bring both exciting news en masse to all attendees at the conference, as well as fostering a more intimate atmosphere. “This edition of G2E includes best-in-class educational sessions, exciting keynotes and industry updates, with new opportunities for attendees to have smaller, more intimate roundtable discussions with gaming leaders,” said Barth.
Behind every massive event like this one, there is always someone at the top doing their best to make sure everything goes according to plan. This year that was the G2E Event Director Korbi Carrison overseeing the operations for the three action-packed days. “G2E’s robust program line-up, combined with cutting-edge tech advancements on and around the show floor, will equip attendees with the tools necessary to maximize their G2E experience,” said Carrison.
Technology, Technology, Technology
What are the new advancements for this year? As you might expect from any industry in 2019, much focus has been placed on new technology to help this event run smoothly. The app for the expo, which is making a reappearance this year, will now offer GPS-enabled directions to help attendees navigate between booths on the 300,000-sq. ft. show room.
Konami will be sponsoring Hot Hits
This isn’t all though. G2E Asia is growing each year, and many of its innovations are overflowing into the west as well. One successful program called Hot Hits, also available through the G2E app, will allows guests to see a real-time ranking of the most popular showcases from G2E exhibitors. This feature, sponsored by Konomi, will give the visitors the option to “Like” products, generating this Hot Hits list live. You will now be able to get a real-time sense of what presentations are really effective.
G2E aren’t the only ones proud of their technological advancements, however. Wells Gardner, a company that specializes in displays, is excited about showing off its advancements in OLED technology at the expo. The CEO of Wells Gardner, Wally Sa’d, believes this new technology, which stands for organic light-emitting diode, will become widely used in the next three years. This new type of display has the advantage of a much better contrast ratio and a wider viewing angle compared to LCDs, along with a deeper black level. This improved picture quality is complimented by a much faster response time than traditional LCDs.
“We are definitely helping our customer to attract younger players by providing the latest technology available,” said Wally Sa’d.
Extravagant Presentations
As always, there will also be a few more theatrical displays this year. The company Alpha Street, the exclusive KGM Gaming distributor in the US market, is excited to showcase all of its products inside of a booth that is built to resemble a stadium. They hope this grand effect will wow customers over to their new products. However, this stadium will have to compete for the attention of attendees with the ActionBook Kiosk, which is set to use the giant video wall for a high-visibility presentation along with choreographed content. The company considers their presentation a success at ICE in London and is excited to bring this extravagant style to the US expo.
The expansive IGT showroom floor © SBC Americas
An International Focus
As we all know, gambling is a world-wide phenomenon. It is only set to grow as the world becomes more interconnected through technology. G2E has always been an internationally-focused organization with events like G2E Asia happening in Macau annually. At this year’s G2E, this international aspect has gained a notable focus.
Although not the largest in the world, the Latin American gambling market is a growing topic of discussion. G2E this year will offer a special panel on sports and online gambling in Latin America: “Sports Betting in Latin America: Let’s Talk about the Promised Land.” This panel is scheduled in the Exhibition Center for Thursday, October 17 at 10 a.m.
This discussion, led by a panel of gaming experts in the region, will be held in Spanish. The session will be moderated by Pablo Zuppi, Director, Latin American Editor & Partner at Yogonet.com. The panel will include such voices as Victor Araneda, Director of International Business Development, Gaming1; Gonzalo Pérez, CEO & Partner, Apuesta Total (Peru); and Juan Ignacio Juanena, iGaming Latin American Consulting and Business Manager – Interactive Gaming, Enjoy.
The purpose of this panel will be to help those in the industry interested in the region to gain a better understanding of the market. This may be especially interesting for people who wish to know about the regulatory status of these emerging markets. Columbia, the largest gambling industry in the region, will be of primary importance, but there will also be talk of Brazil and their first steps towards permitting wagers at sporting events.
This panel isn’t the only way G2E is reaching out to the Latin American community this year. There will also be a Latin American VIP Program for distinguished delegates. This program will include a private tour of The Venetian, Downtown Grand and Red Rock Casino. At each of these locations the attendees will receive a briefing at each location by an executive. This all-inclusive event includes private transportation, lunch at Grand Lux Café Palazzo, and networking happy hour at Chica. If you are coming from Latin America to visit G2E this year, you can access this free, limited availability event through their website. The Tour will take place on Monday, October 14, 2019 from 11:00am – 5:00pm Pacific.
