SUPPLIER SPECIAL REPORT 42
AGE 2018
AGE revamps seminars, adds new features Industry leaders from across the globe are flocking to Sydney, Australia for the 29th edition of the Australasian Gaming Expo.
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he three-day exhibition is a ‘must-attend’ for buyers and sellers in the hotels, clubs and casinos sector, with technological innovation, international networking opportunities and education seminars on offer. Since moving back to the newly renovated International Convention Centre (ICC), the expo has seen a dramatic increase in visitors and exhibitors. Last year, exhibitors welcomed over 6,000 attendees across the 19,000 m2 of exhibition space. Key exhibitors include Ainsworth Game Technology, Aristocrat Technologies, Aruze Australia, Atlas Gaming, IGT, Independent Gaming, Interblock Asia Pacific, Konami Australia, Maxgaming, Paltronics Australasia, Scientific Games, Tabcorp, Utopia Gaming Systems and Wymac Gaming. The organizers are touting some very exciting new additions to the expo this year, including a Networking Zone, a new First Timers Program, and a revamped AGE Seminar program, produced by Asia Gaming Brief. The Networking Zone will be the heartbeat for the event where business networking and meetings take place, with suites also available for private bookings. “We’re making it easier than ever to make valuable business connections, with a range of networking opportunities and a dedicated Networking Lounge to bring together the whole gaming and hospitality community,” said Ross Ferrar, CEO of Gaming Technologies Association. A First Timers Program will welcome newcomers to the event, with easily identifiable lanyards, a guided show floor highlights tour and an exclusive networking event to help guests visiting for the first time get the most out of the show.
Asia Gaming Briefings | August 2018
“It’s valuable opportunities like these that help our attendees do a lot of their business for the year at the Expo,” said Ferrar. The exhibition will also provide visitors with an expanded emphasis on education and professional development. This year, the AGE has partnered with Asia Gaming Brief to produce its successful seminar program, which first made its debut in 2017. The seminars will include three full days of sessions covering issues in technology, gaming, hospitality, marketing, media, events, and F&B and much more. “We’ll be introducing new educational sessions to the event, with almost three full days of seminars on offer. That’s a whole extra day more than last year, with almost double the content,” Ferrar adds. Among the famed speakers includes Justin Baird, who is a leading innovationist and technology futurist with expertise in digital, media and marketing futures. The program also dives into the “Gaming Product of Tomorrow”, discussing disruptive technology in the gaming product space, such as virtual reality, skillgames, AR-technology and will ask the regulators how they are responding. The AGE Seminar also features a half-day IMGL Masterclass™, covering international and domestic legal trends of relevance to the Australian gambling industry, including operators, regulators, venues and other stakeholders. For those in the hospitality sector, the seminars will also cover topics related to food & beverage, events, esports and much more. Australasian Gaming Expo is the world’s third largest hospitality and gaming tradeshow and the biggest event of its type in Australia.
