"There is a huge appetite for Juegos Miami amongst C-Level industry opinion formers throughout the region"

What is Juegos Miami all about? What makes this event different from others in the Latin American region?

Our research has shown that the region needs an event that brings together all of the top decision makers. This is not to say that the existing events don’t have a place in their respective markets, but for some time, major suppliers have been asking for something that they can use across the whole region. The market has been extremely clear about the importance of attracting the key operators, the legislators, the big buyers, the business owners and their most trusted and influential decision-makers to a single prestigious event.  We have received a very straightforward brief from our stakeholders and that is to create a branded event which is the Who's Who of Pan-Latin American and Caribbean gaming.  

How would you sum up the proposal offered by Juegos Miami?

Prior to launch we had been looking at this for over a year, engaging with all sectors of the gaming industry active in Pan-Latin America and the Caribbean. Most importantly, we have listened to the market in order to understand exactly what it wants from an event.  I think some people may have assumed that we would simply take the successful ICE template and apply it to this part of the world – but that could not be further from the truth.  It's absolutely clear that one size does not fit all – you can't lift the London experience and recreate it in Miami and if you attempted to, it probably wouldn't see its' second birthday!  

If I had to be especially concise I would describe Juegos Miami as being an intimate gathering allowing networking and relationship building for the Pan-Latin America and the Caribbean market in one place. It offers a refreshing mix of product, learning, knowledge-exchange, training, networking and socializing, all delivered in a professional and dedicated environment. From an exhibitor perspective, the plug and play pricing structure makes Juegos Miami incredibly cost effective, with the only additional cost being shipping and flights. 

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I would characterize our audience not so much by geography but by seniority

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Unlike the homogenous North American market, Latin America is characterized by its diversity.  Who is the core audience?

The region is very different to other areas of the gaming world. It is made up of different countries with different market needs, many travelling at different regulatory and cultural speeds. The global supplier market however, is looking for a cost effective way to target this vast region and this has allowed us to create a truly bespoke event that our research indicates both operators and suppliers will engage with. I would characterize our audience not so much by geography but by seniority. There is a huge appetite for Juegos Miami amongst C-Level industry opinion formers throughout the region. Specifically, we are talking about top decision makers, the senior management teams of casino operators, legislators, major buyers and business owners.

This is Clarion's first time organizing an event in the US which is specifically designed for LatAm companies.  What would you say are the challenges of undertaking such an initiative?

Juegos Miami is a joint initiative between Clarion Events and Urban Expositions, in which we are a majority partner. Between us we organize ICE Totally Gaming, EiG, GiGse – which is located in San Francisco - and of course NIGA. By pooling our respective skill sets, I believe that Juegos Miami will benefit from the marketing excellence, the investment, organization and the local knowledge that we are able to bring to this fantastically exciting project.

Bearing in mind that there are numerous gaming conferences and trade shows in LatAm, what are you going to do to stay competitive?

Throughout our discussions with the community of stakeholders, we made it clear that our vision was to create an event which met the very specific needs of business in what is a vitally important region for gaming. Part of that commitment has seen us create the post of non-executive Chairman which has been filled by Marcelo D'Amato. I am delighted that someone of Marcelo's standing accepted the position. As well as being President of the Chilean Casino Association, a post he has held since July 2014, he is also Executive Director of casino and hotel developer/operator, Latin Gaming and is a Finance and International Business graduate of Florida International University. Our strategy is to work with the market to understand their requirements and fashion the format and personality of Juegos Miami accordingly.  Marcelo is part of that process of working in partnership with the market and I am extremely confident that his support and his insight will contribute significantly to the success of Juegos Miami.

What role will the Conference program play?

Learning is an increasingly important part of most successful b2b events and Juegos Miami will be no exception. The program will feature keynote speakers and include sessions covering lottery, bingo, casino, street games, sports betting, regulation as well as crime and security for both online and land-based verticals.  Whilst the agenda will be focused on the Pan-Latin American and Caribbean markets and developed by experts in their jurisdictional fields, we will also provide delegates with an international perspective on how to create a powerful regulatory framework, the benefits gaming can bring to local economies and the importance of new trends and available technologies.
Alongside the learning program you can also book to attend the Totally Gaming Academy, a one-day, bite-size masterclasses covering the key fundamentals of casino performance improvement and online gaming business development.

What are your projections for the future of Juegos Miami?

We have worked extremely hard to take on board the views of influential figures in the industry to create the type of event that they and by extension the market wants.  Providing that we do our job and execute everything in a professional manner, there's no reason why Juegos Miami should not become a successful and firmly established date on the industry calendar, after all, both Clarion and Urban have the experience and relationships necessary to deploy this type of specialized, bespoke event.  

To find out more, click here: www.juegosmiami.com