It’s mid-November. For the gaming industry, this typically means only one thing: G2E, or the Global Gaming Expo. The trade show of all trade shows. The gathering of casino vendors and operators, sharing ideas and showing off new products. But not all major gaming companies follow that path. In fact, some do their own thing, completely separate from G2E and the company that puts it on, Reed Exhibitions. And for one company in particular, this decision has proven to be a very successful and worthwhile practice.
That company is TCSJOHNHUXLEY, manufacturer of innovative table games and equipment. For a company that had exhibited at G2E since its inception 10 years ago, 2009 was the first time they made the bold move to do an off-site show. And since last year was so successful, they are hosting another event this year. Dubbed “Access All Areas,” it will be held Nov. 16 and 17 at the Ghostbar located at The Palms.
Though TCSJOHNHUXLEY’s major showcase and networking opportunities will be taking place outside the Las Vegas Convention Center, that isn’t to say they won’t be present at G2E. “In addition to this exclusive event, we will also have a presence on one of our product partners’ stands, Novomatic/AGI, in order to ensure that we get to see all visitors to Las Vegas,” Tracy Cohen, marketing manager for TCSJOHNHUXLEY, said.
The reason for their off-site decision? Historically, gaming shows have proven to be an effective way to showcase new products and meet key decision makers, Cohen explained. “However, escalating costs and a significant downturn in attendance led us to re-evaluate how this investment could be focused more effectively. The change of format to a more intimate and exclusive venue allows us to focus on the most important factor—the customer!”
Last year’s event exceeded all of the company’s expectations. They saw extremely high visitor numbers, and customer feedback was very positive. TCSJOHNHUXLEY transformed the venue into an upscale casino, showcasing the latest and most revolutionary products, and thereby provided a relaxed atmosphere in one of Las Vegas’ most spectacular locations. All this enabled them to spend quality time, one-on-one with key decision makers away from the flashing lights, ringing jackpot buzzers, booming PA voices and other usual distractions.
This was the logic behind extending visiting hours in 2010—to maximize on the number of customers coming through. “Already, interest in our event from operators has exceeded last year’s figures,” Cohen shared.
This year, the company plans to show off several exciting new products. Up at the Ghostbar, you will find a few key showcases. One of these will be the TouchTable MultiPLAY™. Throughout the past year, powerful enhancements were made to the award-winning platform that is able to identify individual players and specific bets with its patent-pending Touch ID technology. TouchTable MultiPLAY now boasts fully automatic and cashless configurations in addition to live roulette, Sic Bo or craps.
Another game on display will be Gaming Floor Live, a unique revenue optimization system for table games. Gaming Floor Live harvests data from the roulette wheel and the Chipper Champ 2 and allows operators to determine the optimum game speed, number of players, number of tables open and price of play to maximize revenues.
A new roulette game will be out as well. Double Action™ Roulette offers a unique variation to the traditional game of roulette, delivering two winning numbers from a single spin.
Though some will likely argue there are downsides to doing an off-site show during another major trade show, Cohen argued the downside is “none.” “Every event is different, and it could be said that by not being at G2E we would not pick up new contacts or customers not already known to us,” she said. “However, last year’s response was so positive, our visitor numbers on the first day exceeded the total of what we experienced over three days at G2E.”
Cohen continued: “One of the main decisions for staging this event was due to the high level of spend incurred at trade shows. We have always believed that the main focus should be meeting our customer’s needs, and would prefer to channel our investment-producing solutions that offer flexibility and variety for players, but most importantly efficiency and profitability for operators.”
With that said, TCSJOHNHUXLEY hopes you have the time to come on over and see what they’re offering upstairs at The Palms. And after that, stay tuned for the company’s trade show plans in 2011.