Korbi Carrison of Reed Exhibitions knows the Global Gaming Expo inside and out.
That should be expected, since she’s event director for this year’s G2E, overseeing every aspect of the mammoth show opening Monday at the Sands Expo and Convention Center. But her experience with the show goes far beyond that.
Carrison, who began a gaming-connected career in 1994, has participated in every G2E – 15 times as an exhibitor and twice as an exhibitor-appointed contractor.
She said G2E’s offerings, from panel discussions on hot-button gaming issues to casual conversations at the welcome reception, help the more than 26,000 attendees and participants do business at G2E by fulfilling three main goals:
- Exploring and discovering new products and services;
- Reconnecting and networking with others in the industry;
- Learning about issues and trends affecting the industry, including advice on career development.
G2E, the world’s top international gaming show, began in 2001. The American Gaming Association presents it, and Reed Exhibitions organizes it. This year’s education sessions will be Monday through Thursday, and the trade show will be Tuesday through Thursday. Carrison said the show will have almost 90 education sessions, including keynote speeches, with more than 250 speakers in panel discussions or solo presentations.
“It’s a bit of a different look this year,” Carrison said. “We freshened up the brand a bit.”
This show features the industry’s first sports-betting symposium, with seven panel discussions on related topics plus an interview style keynote presentation featuring ESPN anchor Scott Van Pelt and Sara Slane, the AGA senior vice president who helped lead organization’s campaign to extend legal sports betting beyond Nevada. Another presentation will provide an interactive tour of sports-betting exhibitors on the trade show floor.
In addition to examining the changes brought about by the U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing states to regulate sports betting, the conference will focus on innovation within the industry. The schedule includes G2E’s first “Innovation Incubator” keynote session, on Thursday, and three days of 15-minute presentations, similar to TED talks, at the AGA Innovation Lab.
In the incubator keynote, three judges – Kevin O’Leary and Daymond John from ABC’s “Shark Tank,” and Sprout CEO Cindy Eckert (Whitehead) – will hear quick pitches about four gaming and hospitality innovations chosen from applications received throughout the summer. The judges will quiz finalists about their products and select one to receive $10,000 cash plus a free booth at the 2019 G2E.
Carrison said a “customers’ choice,” chosen in a vote of those attending the keynote, will receive a free booth at next year’s G2E. Six more of the top submitters will make presentations throughout the day Thursday at the AGA Innovation Lab, Booth 5833 on the show floor.
This is the third year for the Innovation Lab, and the first year it will focus on a specific topic each day: Tuesday, big data and analytics, with 11 presentations; Wednesday, new terrain and emerging markets, 10 presentations; and Thursday, innovation incubator, six presentations. Each presentation is scheduled for 15 minutes.
“In today’s world, people are more apt to digest information in quicker doses,” Carrison said. “When the program was developed, it was with that in mind.”
Carrison began her gaming career with a now-defunct Las Vegas company that provided player-tracking and slot accounting systems for casinos. She also has worked for WMS Gaming, IGT, Spectrum Gaming Group, and Everi Holdings. In a brief stint outside the industry, she worked for a trade show booth provider that wanted to expand its gaming client list
She said networking and re-establishing contacts within the industry are an essential part of any G2E. This year’s session offers multiple opportunities, including the Welcome Reception on Tuesday, the Global Gaming Awards luncheon on Monday, the National Indian Gaming Association lounge and Global Gaming Women events on Wednesday and Thursday.
Carrison said the thousands of G2E participants have a hand in shaping each G2E. Surveys after each education session and after the show seek comments about what attendees like and didn’t like.
“Surveys have a huge impact,” she said. “We take them very seriously. We respond to a lot of them personally.”
The in-depth analysis of sports betting’s impact and the emphasis on innovation illustrate how the conference grown in importance and value over the years.
“As the industry evolves,” Carrison said, “G2E evolves along with it.”
