SUPPLIER SPECIAL REPORT 38
RECOVERY INTRO
Adapting to change and coping with crisis The world is now about six months into the coronavirus crisis, which is having a deeper, longer and further-reaching effect on the global economy than anyone anticipated at the start of 2020.
T
he land-based gaming industry, together with tourism and events have been brought to their collective knees, with borders restrictions, grounded airlines and mandatory quarantine periods. It’s still far from certain when any of these measures may be lifted and it’s not a stretch to forecast that they will be some of the slowest areas to return to normal. Our supplier special section of this magazine would normally have been dedicated to new products to be showcased at Macau’s G2E Asia gaming show, one of the key events on the region’s gaming calendar. It has now been pushed back to December, joining the majority of others in scrambling to reschedule. In place of our normal format, we have asked
Asia Gaming Briefings | May 2020
suppliers to highlight how their businesses and working practices have changed as a result of the pandemic. What measures have they taken and will they remain in place once the crisis has passed. The clear majority stress that the digital solutions that have been put into place to ensure work can continue from home do have some advantages, but will never replace the face-to-face meetings and staff interactions that spark the creative juices. Humans are social, as we have heard in the pages of this magazine, and we all look forward to being able to intermingle at networking events. There are also some key takeaways from suppliers in the need for flexibility in business practices. Those able to adapt and learn will hopefully come through the other side stronger.
