As September comes to a close and October is only a week away; many professionals from all over the gaming industry will flock to the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) – for those who don’t know – G2E is the international gaming trade show and conference “by the industry and for the industry.” Organized by the American Gaming Association (AGA) and Reed Exhibitions, G2E made its debut in fall 2001 and has become the largest gathering of gaming professionals since.
With over 450 exhibitors showcasing new gaming products, services and the latest in technologies; we’ll see everything from slot machines, VR, skill-based gambling machines, tournament solutions, iGaming, and so much more. There will also be industry experts speaking on a variety of trending topics relevant to the gaming world, bringing new and emerging business opportunities to the forefront of the industry.
Earlier this month, MMW had the chance to speak with some industry leaders on what they want to get out of attending G2E this year. Here is what they had to say:
MMW: At G2E this year, what are you looking to accomplish or expecting to take away from the conference?
Comment by Michael Carpenter, CEO at Ruby Seven Studios Inc.
Michael: For me, G2E brings an efficient way to see the newest R&D (research & development) efforts of the game manufacturers and to see the trends in new content. We license a lot of content from real money game designers, whether that is the indie developers that provide games to IGT and Bally’s or with companies like Konami and Everi that we have direct relationships with.
At the last G2E we actually met with the team from Inspired Gaming, who are a world leader in the field of virtual sports. That meeting helped solidify a content agreement for our social casinos.
Comment by Seth Schorr, Chairman at the Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino
Seth: Many of the companies I’m involved with will be promoting at G2E this year. Game Co. is one of these companies, and this will be their third year at the show. We’ll have a very large exhibit where Game Co. will showcase our videogame gambling machines (VGMs) and all of the new games/features; which we’re all very excited about.
In terms of the Downtown Grand, we’re always looking to continue to show our involvement in eSports. We focus on being a forward thinking property, providing new experiences for our guests.
Comment by Steve Neely, Chief Marketing & Operating Officer at Casino Del Sol Resort
Steve: I’ve had a lot of success with seeing vendors at G2E and similar shows. I like to get a feel for what’s new in technology that can benefit us, and finding effective ways for it to help our business. I’m really pleased with the success that we’ve had in that direction in the past. I want to continue down that path with a focus on mobile.
The main thing when it comes to mobile is how much further we can take it, without it becoming burdensome to our guest. It’s very complex for my in-house team to handle; adopting technology that can create a solution and make their efforts more efficient will be on my radar. More than anything else, I’m looking for what the potential is. What I’m not doing now or what I can be doing; then I can start finding the right people that can deliver it.
Comment by Derek Stevens, Owner of The D Las Vegas and Golden Gate Hotel & Casino
Derek: I will definitely be in attendance at G2E. I go every year, and always visit with a high degree of curiosity to find out what’s new and where the trends are going. It really impacts your thought process as a casino owner to see the latest innovations in the gaming industry. There were a number of interesting games and potential applications last year. Interestingly enough, most of the things we saw last year haven’t even hit the market yet, so I look forward to seeing what’s changed.
Comment by Andrew Cardno, Founder & CTO at VizExplorer
Andrew: We will be exhibiting at G2E as we have in the past, bringing with us a set of new and in development solutions intended to drive the gaming industry and its technology capabilities forward.
We are growing our technology ecosystem with tableViz™ with ChipVue™ powered by ARB LABS, an industry-leading bet tracking and table game analysis solution we’ll showcase publicly at G2E for the first time. If you come by our booth, we can tell about our plans for a new application for any hospitality industry business looking to cut labor costs while ensuring quality guest services and positive revenue impact. And with the latest version of our player development tool hostViz™, we’ll introduce the next generation VizExplorer technology platform built for performance, stability and portability.
As always, we’re most excited for G2E because it gives us the opportunity to talk face to face with industry leaders and get in touch with customers to learn about their unique business challenges.
This year’s event will be held October 2-5 at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas. To learn more, click here.
