Following a long pandemic hiatus, the revamped Global Gaming Expo Asia (G2E Asia) will return to Macau for a three-day event starting today, now as part of an updated conference centred on non-gaming offerings of integrated resorts and in line with local government efforts to tout economic diversification.
The Asian IR Expo + G2E Asia, organised by RX (Reed Exhibitions) and presented by the American Gaming Association, will be held at the Venetian Macao on July 11–13, with more than 100 exhibiting companies present in a 15,000-square-metre-plus floor space.
The two shows are expected to draw over 5,000 buyers and trade visitors from 80 countries and regions.
Exhibitors of the Asian IR Expo will be divided into four major areas, including travel, technology, sports and esports, and art and entertainment.
The three-day conference program to offer talks and panel discussions focused on the travel economic outlook, the post-Covid era of tourism development, art and entertainment tourism, and sports and health tourism.
The G2E Asia event proper will start on July 11 with a keynote speech by Sands China President Wilfred Wong, centered on the latest trends and developments in Macau’s non-gaming industry.
The talk sets the theme for a gaming conference where the development of gaming itself is minimized in favor of issues such as regulatory oversight of gaming and casino operations; challenges facing IR operations in Asia; e-sports; and the use of AI in gaming.
The same day will see a talk on future trends and challenges for IRs and casino
development, including the COO of Mohegan Inspire Entertainment Resort,Chen Si;
the President Global Development in MGM Japan, Ed Bowers; the President and Chief Operating Officer of MGM China, Hubert Wang; and the Chief Operating Officer for Melco Resorts & Entertainment, David Sisk.
The second day of the conference will focus on the the potential of AI to help maximize operational efficiency, with the third and last day centered on how to use esports as a tourism generator.
Other featured speakers along the three-day event will include Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director of Macau Government Tourism Office; Leong Wai Man, president of the Cultural Affairs Bureau; Naomi Mano, CEO of Luxurique Inc., Goh Kok Beng, chairman of AGM, Pacific Asia Travel Association; and others.
In a previous press conference, Yip Je Choong, Senior Vice President (Commercial), APAC of RX (Reed Exhibitions) stressed that the new Asian IR Expo component aims to “contribute to the transformation of Macau into an integrated resort city, offering a diversity of experiences for visitors worldwide”. He added that tThe collective strengths of both events will be propelling the gaming and integrated resorts sector forward, fostering innovations, driving business growth, and shaping the future of industry development.”
The expo announced talks include, for example, roundtables on the “convergence of art and hotels in the creative economy” and how to develop a popular sports tourism destination.
The return of Asian IR Expo + G2E Asia in Macau next month follows the conclusion of the three-day G2E Asia Special Edition: Singapore 2023 on June 1. The gaming trade show was first held in the Southeast Asia city-state last year, as COVID-related travel restrictions prevented the hosting of any international and regional expos in Macau in the past three years.
“There are a lot of non-gaming components and sectors [in the event] in Macau. In Singapore, it’s 100 percent gaming related,” Mr Yip said, addressing the different positions of their expos in the two places.
Another trade show, the Greater Bay Area Hotel and Cultural & Creative Industry Expo — organised by Nam Kwong International Conference and Exhibition Co Ltd, a Chinese state-owned affiliate in Macau — will also be held in the same location at the Venetian Macao on July 11–13, alongside the Asian IR Expo + G2E Asia.
Other activities available at the Asian IR Expo + G2E Asia include the Privileges Programme, a networking opportunity for over 500 serious buyers and decision makers with purchasing power in gaming and non-gaming segments; the invitation-only Presidents’ Reception cocktail for senior executives of industry stakeholders; and the ArtBiz Networking Cocktail to foster connections between the arts and cultural industry and the integrated resorts in Asia.
Macau Business and Macau News Agency are Official Host Publications of Asian IR Expo + G2E Asia
