Producers of the new virtual Global Gaming Expo will kick off the conference on Oct. 14 with a complimentary online session featuring three gaming industry leaders to discuss the path to reopening and strategies for success during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The full two-day virtual G2E will take place Oct. 27-28 with a program that includes keynote addresses, education sessions, pre-planned meetings, and networking opportunities.
G2E is produced by the American Gaming Association and Reed Exhibitions.
“G2E always brings the gaming industry together to learn, share innovation, and conduct business that will chart the future of gaming,” AGA Senior Director of Strategic Communications and Responsibility Cait DeBaun said in a statement. “While we all wish we could be together in Las Vegas, we’re excited to bring some of the G2E experience to attendees and exhibitors all over the world.”
The virtual G2E is replacing the annual three-day event in Las Vegas that was canceled by organizers in July due to global travel restrictions and currently unknown guidance on large public gatherings during the pandemic.
G2E’s two-day program will assemble thought leaders to share perspectives on pressing gaming industry topics, including COVID-19 recovery, modernization of payments, tribal gaming, and the expansion of legalized sports betting in America.
G2E’s virtual platform will also enable exhibitors and buyers to conduct business through virtual showrooms, product demos, AI-driven matchmaking, and one-on-one meetings.
“As the industry continues to navigate reopening, G2E’s virtual offering will reconvene the G2E community to advance our collective recovery,” G2E Event Director Korbi Carrison said in a statement. “This platform allows us to bring the G2E experience directly to attendees wherever they are, providing access to education, and enabling the connections that make the in-person event special.”
Participants in the Oct. 14 kick-off event and the full schedule for the Oct. 27-28 event will be announced at a later date. Additional details can be found at https://www.globalgamingexpo.com/virtual-event/. G2E organizers are also planning a series of virtual sessions throughout the rest of the year and into 2021
G2E, the casino industry’s largest conference and tradeshow, was planned for October 5-8 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas. Current Nevada state regulations ban public gatherings of 50 people or more and the state also saw a spike of COVID-19 infections during the summer.
The coronavirus pandemic caused a nationwide shutdown of the gaming industry beginning in mid-March when governors, regulators, and tribal governments ordered the closures of nearly 1,000 casinos in 43 states in an effort to slow the COVID-19 spread.
Casinos began reopening in late May and more to 85% of the gaming industry has reopened according to the AGA.
G2E attracts nearly 30,000 attendees annually from across the globe, including top executives and managers from the industry’s largest manufacturers and gaming equipment providers. The world’s top casino operators, sports betting companies, and FinTech and digital payments facilitators, are often represented at G2E.
Organizers said they have scheduled the 2021 G2E from October 4-7 at the Sands Expo.
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgaming.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
