Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING FEBRUARY 2018 6 The magic of the “wow” moment www.asgam.com I T’S been a little over a decade since I first began working in and around the gaming industry and in that time I’ve never ceased to be amazed by the sheer magnitude and grandeur of the world’s iconic integrated resorts. Let’s face it, who didn’t marvel the first time they walked the Las Vegas Strip, or wandered the epically vast expanses of the Venetian Macao? What has always intrigued me most, though, isn’t so much the actualization of these buildings – which are some of the most unique, diverse and innovative on earth – but the fact that someone ever thought of them in the first place. “Who comes up with this stuff?” I inevitably find myself asking. If you’ve ever been to Galaxy Macau, Solaire in Manila, Vietnam’s The Grand Ho Tram Strip, Sydney’s revamped The Star or the recently opened Naga2 in Cambodia, then the man who “came up with it” is the man on the cover of this very edition of Inside Asian Gaming , Paul Steelman. Steelman is, of course, one of the most respected and accomplished casino architects in the world, having first stepped into casino design working with Steve Wynn on The Mirage in Las Vegas before reshaping the entire industry with the stunning success of Sands Macao. And listening to him discuss his past and present projects with our Editor-at-Large Muhammad Cohen, it quickly becomes clear why he and his team are so highly sought after by operators across the globe. Steelman seems to possess an incredible understanding of people. Yes, he knows all about casino metrics too and naturally his designs incorporate the tried and true tricks of the trade that are known to boost a casino’s profitability. But he also knows what makes people tick – what they want to see, what they want to do, how they want to do it – and with that in mind develops concepts with the goal of making customers feel good about themselves. Who knew that simply brightening up Macau’s StarWorld as part of a 2009 renovation might lead to a vastly more successful casino? Steelman also discussed his thoughts on Japan and although we will save those particular insights for our Japan special edition in the coming months, he caught my attention with the sheer clarity of his Japanese vision. As readers of IAG Breakfast Briefing will have read recently, that vision includes developing a cluster of casinos in a single location which together could create a world- class tourism destination on par with Las Vegas. I often wonder if such ambitious imagination might in fact hinder, rather than help, efforts to win over local lawmakers in countries like Japan, India and Thailand, where “casino” has long been a dirty word. Perhaps their preconceptions of what a casino resort would look like are so far-removed from the revolutionary ideas proposed by Steelman and his ilk that they simply can’t comprehend? But for the likes of Las Vegas, Macau and Singapore who have embraced the dream, the results are nothing short of remarkable. And if Japan does decide to join them by opening her arms to IRs I can’t wait to be wowed once again. Ben Blaschke Managing Editor We crave your feedback. Please email your comments to [email protected]. EDITORIAL