A year ago, anticipation for the Global Game Expo was muted by the specter of the COVID-19 pandemic, causing organizers to present the event online.
This year’s G2E, with COVID not quite vanquished, presents new challenges. But demand for the convention is palpable, according to Meredith Pallante, Vice President of Global Events for the American Gaming Association, the event’s organizer. And given the record revenue being generated – according to the AGA, the first seven months of 2021 brought in commercial gaming revenue of $29.70 billion, nearly matching the $29.98 billion generated in all of 2020 and 17.8 percent ahead of the same period in 2019 – there is reason for optimism.
“We are an industry that went from one of the worst periods in our history to what we’re now seeing, which is maybe one of the best ever,” Pallante says. “And I think we here at AGA, and everyone else, is excited to celebrate that. I do feel there is some pent-up demand just to get back in person, to reconnect to see each other.”
The Global Gaming Expo, known as G2E, takes place Oct. 4-7 at the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas.
Arguably the most important gathering of gaming interests in the world, G2E, now in its twenty-first year, has become a marketplace for new technology, inventions, and ideas. It is the ultimate networking opportunity for gaming professionals and a celebration of the industry.
This year’s G2E takes place as seismic changes are occurring. From the explosion of sports betting to the increase of cashless payment technology, the gaming industry is brimming with possibilities as it continues to rebound from the pandemic.
“We’ve been thinking about this show and curating the content,” Pallante says. “We’re taking a step back and thinking about what just happened and talking to leaders in the industry about what they just went through.”
The roster of speakers includes Hard Rock International Chairman Jim Allen, MGM Resorts International CEO Bill Hornbuckle, and Matt Maddox, CEO of Wynn Resorts, as keynote speakers; AGA President and CEO Bill Miller; and Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak and U.S. Representative Dina Titus of Nevada.
They, like all other attendees, will have to provide proof of vaccination to attend G2E.
Korbi Carrison, event director of G2E for Reed Exhibitions, says there’s been little resistance to the vaccine mandate.
“It’s important for us to get our health and safety provisions absolutely as top-notch as they could be and that’s why we put it at the forefront,” Carrison says of the vaccine requirement. “The attendees who are coming to G2E are the casino operators and many other gaming constituents who understand what it takes to make their venues safe. They have no problem with coming to G2E in that same manner.”
Carrison said the State of Nevada’s guidelines, such as a mask mandate for fully vaccinated individuals in public settings in counties with high transmission rates (including Clark County, where Las Vegas is located), have reinforced the need to take precautions.
“We have to make this event the safest it possibly can be,” Carrison says. “It’s what our attendees expect, it’s what our exhibitors expect and that is what we’re doing.”
A group looking forward to being on the exhibition floor at G2E are members of the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers. The non-profit trade association represents manufacturers and suppliers of electronic gaming devices, systems, table games, and other products that are best experienced in person. AGEM Executive Director Marcus Prater admits that 2020’s virtual event wasn’t the best format for the association.
“We lost a year of working together with the gaming industry,” Prater says. “It’s time to open the doors of the show again and see if we can show off the new technology that people haven’t had a chance to see firsthand since 2019.”
Prater also is hopeful that some of the record revenue gaming operators are generating in 2021 will be invested in new products and innovations.
“While it might not last at this rate forever, it certainly indicates that casinos are able to buy,” Prater says. “We feel that G2E, the timing is such that it’s perfect for these buyers to come and spend some of the revenue they’ve been enjoying the last nine months or so.”
Because last year’s event was virtual, the AGA is hosting G2E Connects, a reception and kickoff event on Monday, Oct. 4, to celebrate
“It’s important for us to be together,” Pallante says. “It’s important for us to convene and see each other and champion each other and hold each other up. Vegas is a very resilient town, a very special town, and we’re excited that it’s our home for this show, to open our doors again and welcome back those who have been coming for 20 years and those for whom it’s their first time.”
