Organizers of the 14th annual Global Gaming Expo are promising the biggest show floor in five years, with more than 450 exhibitors from around the world, as well as a stellar lineup of keynote speakers and a host of conferences delivering insights and information on a variety of industry topics.
The expo’s main event—the gaming industry trade show at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas—will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30 and Wednesday, Oct. 1, and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2. Throngs of gaming industry attendees are expected to traverse the aisles of this massive expo, seeking out the latest and greatest in gaming devices, systems, security, ticketing, marketing and much more, according to event organizers American Gaming Association (AGA) and Reed Exhibitions.
A welcome reception for G2E attendees is slated for 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 30 at TAO Las Vegas. Open to only those 21 and over, attendees must show valid government-issued photo ID and G2E badge for admission.
G2E expo attendees also have the opportunity to attend two State of the Industry keynote addresses. On Sept. 30, the State of the Industry: Operators keynote will feature Jim Murren, chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International, and James Allen, CEO of Seminole Gaming and chairman of Hard Rock International. On Oct. 1, the State of the Industry: Suppliers keynote will feature IGT CEO Patti Hart; Jamie Odell, CEO and managing director of Aristocrat Leisure Limited; Novomatic AG CTO Thomas Graf; Amaya CEO David Baazov; and Multimedia Games CEO Pat Ramsey.
In addition, G2E features five days of seminars, including the three-day NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction, which starts Sunday, Sept. 28, and intensive one-day seminars on Monday, Sept. 29, including the iGaming Congress; the Hotel Seminar; the Compliance, Law and Regulatory Institute; the Security and Surveillance Seminar and much more. In addition, as always, G2E also will feature its three-day seminar program, which includes presentations and panels on a variety of subjects from Sept. 30 through Oct. 2.
Organizers noted in a news release that G2E’s seminars and expo have been improved based on industry feedback. “G2E has always been an event ‘by the industry and for the industry,‘” said Mike Johnson, industry vice president at Reed Exhibitions. “The improvements brought to this year’s seminars and exhibitions are a direct response to meet the needs of the diverse gaming industry.”
One of the additions to this year’s G2E was the first Hotel Show in partnership with the Nevada Hotel and Lodging Association. The show, which will include a full complement of non-gaming amenities, products and services, will be located in a dedicated ballroom easily accessible from the G2E exhibit hall.
Another way G2E organizers have enhanced the seminar portion of the event is by offering a flexible pricing plan for seminars, allowing seminar attendees to choose from a variety of options for attending seminars. In addition, Las Vegas Sands Chairman Sheldon Adelson and Wynn Resorts Chairman Steve Wynn will give separate keynote addresses exclusively to G2E seminar attendees. Adelson’s address will take place Tuesday, Sept. 30, while Wynn will deliver his keynote on Thursday, Oct. 2.
In addition, the American Gaming Association recently announced this year’s inductees to the Gaming Hall of Fame with the selection of the late gaming law expert Bob Faiss; former Las Vegas mayor and current Caesars Entertainment executive Jan Jones Blackhurst; Nevada Gaming Control Board pioneer Patricia Becker; and the second-ever tribal gaming leader to be selected, Ernie Stevens Jr. The 2014 class will be inducted into the Hall of Fame during a ceremony hosted by MGM Resorts International in Las Vegas on Sept. 29 as part of the expo’s events.
“We’re proud to recognize these men and women who have led the gaming industry as it’s become a job-creating and economic development machine in Las Vegas, around the country and across the globe,” Freeman said in announcing the inductees. “Bob, Jan, Patty and Ernie have moved gaming forward by guiding the industry through a period of incredible growth, by blazing a path for more women to assume leadership positions, and by advocating on behalf of tribal communities across the nation. I look forward to celebrating their tremendous careers and contributions to gaming.”