As gaming continues to expand its purview beyond slot machines and table games, the Global Gaming Expo is evolving to keep pace by giving attendees a glimpse into the newest innovations in gaming and the latest trends in integrated resort development.
The 2017 G2E will feature the first-ever Integrated Resort of the Future stage on the tradeshow floor from Tuesday through Thursday inside the Sands Expo and Convention Center. More than 25 half-hour presentations on marketing, hospitality, entertainment and other aspects the emerging field will be featured on the stage.
The venue, devoted to showcasing thought-leaders and new ideas in the IR space, will be housed at booth #5829 in the Integrated Resort Experience section of the show floor and include sessions on everything from culinary innovation and the experiential economy, to workplace diversity and how to handle a medical emergency on your property.
Each day will focus on a new theme. Tuesday will focus on technology and its impact on customer experience, Wednesday will highlight “next-generation service” and Thursday will touch on emerging trends like e-sports.
The show marks the second year of the American Gaming Association’s Innovation Lab. Launched as an experiment in 2016 to bring an educational forum to the show floor, guest lecturers gave 15 minute “Ted Talk” type presentations on a wide array of topics touching on the evolution of the industry.
The concept was well-received by presenters and is being rolled out as a permanent feature. Located at booth #2848, the Innovation Lab features 22 presentations on topics such as optimizing your music selection, green infrastructure, cloud computing and big data.
“I’m so excited now that we have the integrated resort sessions,” said Eileen Moore, a regional vice president with Caesars who oversees three Las Vegas Strip properties, countless restaurants and over 5,000 employees.
Moore deals with everything from selecting cocktail server uniforms and slot machines to point-of-sale terminals and mobile gaming devices. She said having all the new ideas on display in all these areas is of substantial benefit.
“The industry is so dynamic in what we do, and the fact that G2E is able to provide all of that over one four-day period is pretty phenomenal,” Moore said.
Advancing both innovation in gaming and integrated resort concepts at G2E is a key pillar for the industry’s overall evolution, explained Geoff Freeman, AGA’s president and CEO.
“The gaming industry has evolved to encapsulate so much more than just the casino floor. G2E has long served as the gaming industry’s premier marketplace to debut new ideas,” he said.
“The Integrated Resort of the Future takes this one-step further, extending the tradition to account for new ideas and trends that move beyond the gaming floor to include hotel hospitality, food and beverage, leveraging technology to improve marketing efforts and the customer experience, e-sports, security and more.”
