LAS VEGAS (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — In the midst of one of the toughest economic landscapes in recent history, more than 26,500 gaming professionals from 89 countries across the globe flocked to Global Gaming Expo (G2E) 2008 last month to see the latest products, participate in expert-led conference sessions and network with industry colleagues. G2E 2008, the world’s premier trade show and conference event for the gaming industry, was held Nov. 18-20 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
“G2E 2008 once again confirmed itself as the top show in the world for the gaming industry,” said Ed Rogich, vice president of marketing for IGT. “Even in a down year, crowds were strong and top decision-makers turned out to see our products and participate in the conference sessions.”
According to G2E’s organizers, the American Gaming Association (AGA) and Reed Exhibitions, while overall attendance was down approximately 12 percent from 2007, the 2008 event continued to attract the industry executives and key decision-makers exhibitors are always looking to reach.
“Since its inception, G2E has been the international gaming industry’s premier forum for creating and strengthening business partnerships, exploring the latest trends and expanding professional knowledge – and this year’s event lived up to that legacy,” said Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., president and CEO of the American Gaming Association. “While it’s true that the current economic downturn is a challenge the likes of which our industry has not seen before, the positive feedback we have received from our exhibitors and attendees is evidence that G2E 2008 has been a real success story.”
“G2E is always an outstanding show for Bally, and this year was no exception. Because of the challenged economy we expected slower traffic in our booth, but what we found instead was increased booth traffic and a very high caliber of attendee,” said Gavin Isaacs, chief operating officer of Bally Technologies, Inc. “We were able to showcase our products to most of our key customers from around the world, and there was a heightened level of excitement among operators looking for the newest games and systems technologies to drive play and gain operating efficiencies at their casinos.”
G2E 2008 attracted a total of 724 exhibitors, including 117 exhibitors from countries outside the U.S., showcasing their products in 335,480 square feet of exhibit space, the largest square footage in the history of G2E. A few of the specialty areas of the show floor experienced particularly strong participation. New to this year’s show floor, the Entertainment Arena at G2E sold out completely, as did the Casino Design and Technology pavilions.
“Even in a tough market, G2E was still able to pull the top executives from the industry to attend the event,” said Sean Evans, senior vice president of sales for Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. “We experienced very high traffic flow for the entire show, and most of the attendees were the decision-makers within their organizations.”
G2E 2008 also saw a significant increase in international attendance, attracting 3,901 attendees from 89 different countries, an increase of 11 percent over 2007 international attendance numbers. This year’s attendees hailed from countries such as Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Ecuador, Finland, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Latvia, Malaysia, New Zealand, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Russian Federation, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and more.
G2E 2009 will be held Nov. 17-19 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, with the G2E Training & Development Institute, G2E Leadership Academy and Casino Design all being held Nov. 16. For more information, visit the G2E Web site at www.globalgamingexpo.com. –by CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
