Inside Asian Gaming

inside asian gaming November 2017 16 We believe that the most important thing is that we maintain professionalism during the good times and the bad and we have been working with the primary aim of supporting our members. This has worked well over the past 12 months. At the end of the day, we are a business association and our hope is to drive business, so maintaining such integrity at all times has been very important, particularly in the past 12 months. BB: The theme of this year’s MGS Entertainment Show is Smart City – Innovation and Interactive. Can you talk about this Smart City concept and why MGS has adopted it for 2017? JC: The Smart City theme of this year’s show and summit is meant to bring focus to the major changes in the way our economies and communities function. The MGS Entertainment Show isn’t just about entertainment; it’s about the way we live day to day. Macau has recently signed an agreement with Alibaba Cloud to upgrade public services like the medical and transportation systems. This affects everyone – residents and tourists, workers and students – so businesses need to coordinate their growth plans with the changes to the structure of the economy. Aside from the growth of cloud computing, which has already radically changed cities around China, we’re seeing robotics and biometrics and surveillance improving at a fast pace. What does this mean for communication between people? It’s going to feel very different when robots do security screenings and can speak 20 languages to travelers at airports. When machine learning gets incorporated into these tangible products, we’re really going to be interacting with our cities differently. We want MGS to be forward looking and to help introduce businesses and the public to this future. BB: Macau is obviously a very unique place given the significant contribution the gaming industry makes to its finances. How does that affect the relationship industry bodies such as the MGEMA can have with the government? JC: I wouldn’t think the government is looking at the MGEMA any differently than any other major associations or entities in Macau. As I said, our aim is to help Macau and to promote the “Made in Macau” brand and we don’t focus just on the gaming industry but on all the related industries too. In a way, I’d like to say that the government is giving a lot of support, but I think the support comes not because we are an industry body but because we are actually doing things that help the city. BB: What initiatives would you like to see the Macau government implement to aid the gaming industry over the next 5-10 years? Cover Story “Moving forward, I think [manufacturers] will need to refine our offerings and provide something that’s not just more, but something that’s better – more high-tech, more customer friendly and more suitable for tech-savvy young people.” Cloud computing is the way of the future