Vendor Focus

G2E Asia offers access to the latest machines and the people who produce them

One of the highlights of G2E Asia is its ability to offer opportunities not only to see the latest gaming machines and systems on the exhibition floor, but also to allow those registered as conference delegates to hear the suppliers and their customers debating current industry topics in discussion groups.

One of the panels on the second conference day of G2E Asia 2009 on 3rd June is Excellent Equipment: Vendors Roundtable. Acquiring equipment that is both high quality and appropriate to a specific Asian market is of intense interest to casino managements in the region, at a time when slots in some markets have been bucking the downward revenue trend seen in the table games sector. Speakers announced for the session are: Ken Jolly, General Manager, Asia Pacific, Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited; Cath Burns, Vice President & Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Bally Technologies, Inc.; Kurt Quartier, Vice President International Casino Markets, International Game Technology (IGT); and Kent Young, General Manager, Executive Vice President, Aruze Gaming America, Inc.

The session will focus on some of the cutting-edge technology that will be on display on the exhibit floor at G2E Asia. Vendors will describe how this equipment will spur more play, more time-on-device and create a buzz that spreads through the casino industry. Panellists also will discuss differences in play and the learning curve required for developing and marketing games in the Asian market. The session moderator Marcus Prater, Executive Director, Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers, will lead the discussion.

Growth in Games: Slot Directors’ Roundtable, is also part of the same seminar track headlined The Gaming Floor, covering table games and slot technology applications, operations and IT. Slot Directors’ Roundtable will feature some of the leading executives among the operators in the slots sector including: Matt Hurst, Vice President, Gaming Machines, City of Dreams; Peter Johns, Director of Slot Operations, MGM GRAND Macau; and Tammy Ng, Deputy Manager, Slots, SJM Corporate Slots Division. They will discuss the preference and playing habits of Asian customers and look at the possible future of the slot segment in Asia.

Another topical subject, this time on the third day of the conference on Thursday 4th June under the Challenge & Opportunity track is A Delicate Balance: Budget, Staff and Customer Service. Speakers will discuss how to weigh each line item on a budget to best determine where cuts can be made with least detriment to the customer’s experience. Suggestions on how to reduce staffing levels while maintaining the morale of remaining employees also will be reviewed in the session.

Finding Finance: Capital Expenditures in a Difficult Market, also held on Thursday, will bring together financial experts and industry executives, including Robert Drake, Group Chief Financial Officer, Galaxy Entertainment Group, and Andrew Zarnett, Managing Director, Deutsche Bank Securities, to discuss the available options. The session will be moderated by another expert with first hand experience of fund raising for casino projecs—Adam Rosenberg, Managing Director, Head of Gaming Group, Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Educational

The G2E Asia Gaming Management Certificate programme is back by popular demand with an overall theme this year of Managing Today’s Operations and Planning for the Future. This executive programme, produced in partnership with gaming professors at the University of Macau and the University of Nevada Las Vegas Singapore, includes educational workshops designed to help new casino managers in Asia further their knowledge of current gaming trends in Macau.

During a full day of interactive educational workshops led by gaming experts and professors, attendees will learn about: increasing customer service; developing leadership skills; enhancing employee satisfaction; creating casino marketing plans; and understanding the importance of responsible gaming programmes in Asia.

Attendees will receive an official certificate of their achievement from both sponsoring universities as well as G2E. The programme is limited to 100 registrants, and is a separate purchase from the overall G2E Asia Conference Program.