NEWS
Show us the money: why we love expos
Despite the Net, doing business (and learning) face-to-face remains a priority for casino folk
Online may be the growth area for gaming, and as we reported in our last issue some casino suppliers are experimenting with B2B e- novelties like Facebook to market their products too. But the sector remains wedded to trade shows, in a big way. Why? In part, it may be because the products that land-based casino operators buy are hefty, and need to be seen physically (try getting a sense of a slot or a Roulette table from a little JPEG). Plus, investments are large too, so making the right decision justifies a few plane tickets and minibar bills. And of course, there’s social networking – the face-to- face kind.
So despite the downturn, casino trade fairs and conferences continue to flourish around the globe. Some are mega, like the recent G2E Asia in Macau, and the sector’s spend on them reflects their dominance. At G2E, for example, Aristocrat Technologies even offered an iPhone/iPad app, in both English and simple Chinese, to let visitors browse its product and book meetings with the vendor. “We created this first-ever G2E app to ensure Aristocrat’s stand is every attendee’s first stop on the trade- show floor,” said General Manager Asia Pacific David Punter. Those big, big shows are often held in gaming capitals. Las Vegas is home to many, of course, and Novomatic even suggested in a recent comment on G2E Asia that “the show succeeded, not
Panama may not be a
Macau-scale destination, but location and air links are important
under the usual criteria of exhibitors and visitors, but largely because of the huge new wave of enthusiasm generated by the recent opening of one of the finest gaming venues on earth, Galaxy Macau”. But there’s also a lively ecosystem of smaller, more specialist or
regional events. Fancy the Casino Marketing Conference (Las Vegas, July)? Or iGaming in Russia (Moscow, October)? Or maybe you’ve already been to Panama for SAGSE – not a Macau/Vegas-scale destination, but one whose location betwixt the Americas, with good air links to both continents, reflects the importance of geography. And while many are primarily showcases for new kit, others focus on
learning. The recent four-day Slot Summit in Nova Gorica, Slovenia, for instance, grew out of the Slot Academy training firm’s realisation that not all operators want on-site courses. Said organiser Lucien Wijsman: “The idea of a single venue that they could travel to instead was more appealing. I think the blending of theory and practical experience was the best aspect – the opportunity for delegates to learn practically how to design a slot floor and then being able to talk about the issues often over lunch or dinner.” It’s likely to be repeated in Germany, France and Italy next year. Email, e-learning and the like notwithstanding, it seems that hands-on time – not to mention those lunches and dinners – still counts for a lot in the casino business. Venue change for ICE Totally Gaming: see p6.
4 JULY 2011 INBRIEF
FAST WORK Swiss Casinos Group has won the licence for the new casino in Haus Ober. It is expected to build an 11,000-square-metre gaming complex opening in autumn 2012.
SALES DEALS TCSJohnHuxley is to sell DigiDeal’s multiplayer card-game products. Meanwhile, Australia’s Transcity is to distribute TransAct Technologies’ printers in that country, New Zealand and Macau.
LISTEN UP Touchscreen maker Elektrosil has hired International Brand Gaming to promote its entry into the gaming market.
GOING WEST DEQ Systems has been awarded a licence to supply gaming services in the Canadian province of British Columbia.
GOING EAST Inspired Gaming’s Sabre terminal is now available in Asia with content including Roulette and Baccarat.
GOING SOUTH Simplicit-e Gaming Solutions has become an approved service centre for JCM Global products in Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands.
ANOTHER G Rank Group launches its G Casino Cardiff this summer following a £1.6m ($2.6m) refurb.
RESPONSIBLE GOLFING The 13th annual AGEM/AGA Golf Classic, presented by JCM Global in Boulder City, Nevada, raised $100,000 for the National Center for Responsible Gaming.
OOH-LA-LA France’s Magic Casinos Jackpot has paid out nearly €1.9m winnings to a customer at Casino Emeraude in Saint-Jean-de-Monts.
DECISIVE MOMENT Illinois’ Governor can approve or reject a bill, passed by the legislature, that would allow four more casinos in the state.
MIAMI PLANS Genting Malaysia Berhad has bought 14 acres of land for a development called Resorts World Miami. But it would require a change in Florida law for a casino to be included.
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