“G2E Asia saw a 16 percent increase in attendance”

 How was G2E Asia 2013 for Reed Exhibitions? What would you rate as its highs and lows?
We were extremely pleased with this year’s event having seen a 16% increase in attendance, as well as a 19% increase in exhibit space - figures that are now in their final stages of audit by BPA Worldwide, the global leader in third party event auditing. At Reed Exhibitions, transparency to our customers on the performance of our events is critical which is why third party audits are so important. That said, the true success of any show is not determined by the organizer or auditor, but by the audience and I’m pleased to report that G2E Asia 2013 saw a 13% increase in satisfaction amongst attendees this past year.
 As for highs, we were delighted to introduce our Mobile App technology which Reed continues to pioneer across our events, allowing customers the convenience to navigate and search the show from their own mobile devices. We were also pleased to debut “G2E TV,” offering live interviews with industry leaders right from the show floor. Those interviews can now be found on our website at www.G2EAsia.com, along with others that are planned between now and next May. Finally we were thrilled to introduce our global “Targeted Attendee Program” to G2E Asia this year in the form of our G2E Asia “Players Club.” This initiative supports our shows by recruiting the most qualified buyers to attend the event from all of the industry’s existing and emerging markets. In 2013 we recruited almost 400 key decision makers from Macau, Singapore, Philippines, Australia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Cambodia, and many others, proving that G2E Asia is much more than just a Macau-centric event. My colleagues and I continue to visit and maintain relationships with our key buyers across the globe to carefully understand their needs and reflect upon them with content in the show.

 Constructively, there are a few logistical matters that we’re working to tighten up, but one significant challenge for event organizers is always the high cost for WIFI access to keep visitors online during shows. In 2014 I’m pleased to report that we’ll have full WIFI available for everyone at G2E Asia to ensure maximum productivity.
 From your vantage point as organizers, how do you see the Asian industry evolving over the short and medium term?
The Asian gaming industry continues to see remarkable growth as we all know, with many analysts predicting the region is still far from penetrated. In Macau specifically, the growth of mass surpassing that of VIP in recent months is quite interesting, as is the increased importance of non-gaming amenities amongst operators. In the short term it will be interesting to see how those two trends take shape, and in the medium term all eyes are on Japan to see if the recently submitted casino legalization bill will be passed in 2014. Certainly if that market comes online it will without question create a huge opportunity for operators and suppliers alike.

 What market segments have greater growth potential for you and why?
The core gaming segments of table games, electronic tables, slots, and related peripheral technology continue to see strong growth within G2E Asia with many manufacturers continuing to take larger stands to accommodate additional product launches. As mentioned earlier however, non-gaming and iGaming are two areas where we are seeing the greatest amount of growth and interest outside our core. Macau has made it clear that non-gaming is an important part of the next wave of developments in Cotai and Henquin, so G2E Asia will strategically seek to reflect on those areas with more content in the future via exhibitors and seminars. As for iGaming, that segment represents the fastest growing audience demographic for G2E Asia as operators, affiliates, and suppliers look to capitalize on the Asian markets.

 What’s in the pipeline for next year? What are your targets?
Like every year our overall goals are to ensure we meet the latest needs of our exhibiting and attending customers to facilitate business in an enjoyable environment. On the exhibit side, our sales team has done a fantastic job having already sold out 90% of our show floor with five months to go, and we’re excited to introduce some new high profile companies, as well as many new products from our loyal exhibitors. Our “Players Club” team is working hard as always to ensure we’re recruiting the most appropriate and sought after decision makers from all regional markets as G2E Asia is meant to be THE place where the entire industry comes together as one. On the conference side we’re working closely with our Advisory Board to shape content and recruit speakers which I’ll be able to talk more about in the coming months, and we’re also close to announcing details on an Investment Forum that will be co-located with us in 2014 and organized by one of the industry’s leading investment banks. Our overall goals are to ensure we provide the appropriate content and forum to continue fostering business for the industry we serve, across three of the most important B2B days on the global calendar.