"The emphasis of sports betting through growth of G2E's exhibitors is significant"

Could you share your key expectations for G2E Las Vegas 2019, regarding attendance, special activities, networking, partnerships, etc.? What will be this year's edition's novelties, highlights and focus, from your perspective?

Each year, G2E organizers work tirelessly to create a show that matches the caliber of the audience we bring together. This year there are more than 90 new exhibitors, and out of our nearly 400 exhibitors, there are dozens of new product launches happening at G2E. We’re also on track for a great year by all metrics. Attendance numbers are trending up and are on goal to hit if not exceed last year’s numbers. With more than 170 journalists from the top global business, gaming and sports publications and 27,000 industry professionals from 30 countries, G2E is truly the world’s premier gaming event. What sets us apart is our quality education tracks, innovative experiences on and off the show floor, and putting our attendees’ needs first.

As the gaming landscape continues to shift, this year’s educational content focuses on disruption, spotlighting the convergence of technology with gaming and innovative thinking that has been the foundation of our industry. Over the course of four days, education attendees will have the opportunity to ­­­­­­­participate in any of the nine education tracks, ranging from iGaming Congress, to Optimizing Gaming Operations, to Security, Surveillance and Compliance .

In an effort to provide new forums to network with peers on important topics such as technology and leadership, influencers from the education tracks will lead Roundtable Talks to provide a more informal and interactive environment for discussion on the top issues. Open to all attendees with an education badge, these roundtables will provide the opportunity to roll up your sleeves, asks questions in an intimate environment and dive deeper into topics discussed previously in sessions with panelists and moderators ranging from discussion subjects like “How to Future-Proof Brand YOU!” to “Artificial Intelligence Across Gaming.” The Roundtable Discussion Tech Talks will take place in Bellini 2101; Roundtable Discussion Leadership Talks will be held in Bellini 2103; Roundtable Discussion FinTech Talks will be in Bellini 2002 and Roundtable Discussion Sports Betting Talks will be in Bellini 2004 on Wednesday, October 16 from 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. PT.

Our goal is to make our attendee experience as seamless as possible, using new, interactive technology. We are excited to launch several new enhancements including personalized recommendations based on behavior, geo-location capabilities and attendee-to-attendee messaging at G2E 2019 and fully immerse our attendees over the course of the week with our G2E Mobile App powered by Konami.

The G2E Mobile App, powered by @KonamiGamingInc, brings personalized exhibitor and education session recommendations directly to your mobile device. Stay organized, discover new companies and search for everything G2E. Download the app today! https://t.co/A8VTvvEZtS #G2EMobile pic.twitter.com/zpuRSZQ1pD

— Global Gaming Expo (@G2Eshows) October 4, 2019

What changes can you tell from the list of exhibitors and/or speakers as compared to previous editions, possibly reflecting new trends in the gaming industry? 

Innovation and disruption continue to dominate the conversation in this industry and will be reflected in various ways at G2E. Last year, G2E focused on what will happen in the industry. This year’s event will focus on what has happened, what it means, and how our industry has learned from it. This year, FinTech and Sports Betting are two prevalent themes throughout the show floor.  G2E 2019 will spotlight the hardware and skill gaming exhibitors that are creating and manufacturing experiences that engage players. Video displays, celebrations, and other activations with hardware and other experiences—from slots to video game boards— that respond to operators who want stronger rates of engagement and more entertaining experiences for patrons on the casino floor.

Sports Betting has seen rapid expansion across the U.S. and many more jurisdictions considering it nationally. This year, the emphasis of sports betting through growth of exhibitors in the expo hall is also significant. Compared to last year, there are an additional 12 sports betting exhibitors. Together, with returning exhibitors, and in increase of 4,000 square feet, or 17,000 total of exhibit space is dedicated to sports betting. 

In what ways could you say the Innovation Lab has evolved this year, and what can visitors expect from that space? What new demands and needs do you find among gaming industry stakeholders, aimed at drawing new generations of players, and how does G2E address them?

Now in its fourth year, the Innovation Lab, located at Booth #5833, has evolved to inspire conversation and spark creativity for operators and industry stakeholders to seize new opportunities and keep up with innovation in all forms of customer engagement. This year’s program is organized across the following themes to address the ever-changing demographic of the game goer: Disruptive technology (Tuesday, Oct. 15); New uses for existing technology (Wednesday, Oct. 16); and Emerging trends (Thursday, Oct. 17). Each day, attendees will have the opportunity to learn about cutting-edge technologies and how they impact the industry from well reputed figures in the industry from Bryan Kelly, Senior Vice President, Game Development at Scientific Games; to James McCaffrey, Research Software Engineer at Microsoft Research Labs.

What special role do you think the G2E Sports Betting Symposium could have this year in particular, with over a dozen of states running legal sports betting and many more to come? What specific contributions could this activity bring to this fast-growing market and the discussions around it?

Last year, industry-wide revenue from sports betting grew to $430.2 million in 2018, up from $261.3 million in 2017. As U.S. states rapidly embrace sports betting, the top sportsbook operators will be eager to demonstrate new partnerships and platforms for the sports betting enthusiasts, both in states that have embraced mobile betting and others solely focused on on-property placement of bets. This year’s Sports Betting Symposium will feature exclusive sessions on innovative business strategies, as well as accompanying educational content, access to sports betting exhibitors and top industry speakers at the forefront of sports betting globally. We’re also excited to welcome Gary Bettman, Commissioner of the National Hockey League (NHL) to discuss new business partnerships with Joe Asher, CEO of William Hill US; Greg Carlin, CEO of Rush Street Gaming; and Matthew King, CEO of FanDuel. This exciting session will be taking place on Wednesday, October 16 at 10:30 a.m. PT on the Special Events Stage. 

What would you highlight in advance from the other education sessions and the National Center for Responsible Gaming Conference?

The gaming industry promotes responsibility every day. Industry and academic, clinical, and community stakeholders collaborate year-round to ensure that those who need or require resources to address problem gaming, have such tools within reach. G2E has a strong partnership with National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) and collaborates with the organization to heighten interaction between industry leaders, researchers and clinicians. New this year, G2E is promoting an exhibitor-led Fun Run, The Return to Player (RTP) 5k Fun Run for Responsible Gaming – Powered By: Novomatic and supported by: G2E, AGA and AGEM. The exciting event – the first of its kind during G2E– will take place on Monday, October 14, at 7 p.m. PT at the Springs Preserve, and it will raise money for NCRG research programs.