Why go to gaming fairs such as SAGSE, G2E, ICE…

During the times that I was an executive director for Cirsa in Colombia, Peru, Argentina and Panama, I had to argue to the CEO why was it convenient that both me, as Country Manager, and the Operations Director, were able to attend the gaming fair, particularly, the one in Las Vegas, the Global Gaming Expo (G2E). If attending to that one failed, the best alternative option was to go to Sagse (South American Gaming and Suppliers Expo) that is hosted at the Conventions Centre of Costa Salguero, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

For the corporation, it seemed to be an expense, but for me, it was an investment. Nowadays, I still think the same.

 

The convenience of attending expositions of the gaming sector

 

I have already 20 years of experience working in the gaming sector, and I keep on learning new things every time I attend a fair. Every time I visit Las Vegas, or every time I go into a big casino (or smaller ones but well managed).

At that time, those visits allowed me to clearly realize that, even though having the last generation of machines is extremely important and can be relevant against casinos operators that are not updated; what will really differentiate you from your competitors is having the whole package, which necessarily includes the interior design and layout, the marketing perimeter, and the management of, what is called in some countries, the supplementary services, i.e. the bar and the entertainment. Some will say that the service (the quality of the staff) is fundamental, but that is stating the obvious. This very logical conclusion is perhaps not applicable when you do not have a lot of competition or the location of your casino is the best. Nonetheless, it is still very valuable to maintain high revenues in the long term.

 

How to make the most of the events in the gaming world to improve your business?

 

In conclusion, we must attend the fairs to be able to learn, so we can later transform our business back home.

Currently working as a Casino consultant, I buy less machinery, and the fair is the place to be, it is the place where networking and, especially, innovation, happen.

By innovation, I am not talking about the latest manufacturers’ platform, the one that allows graphics and sound improvements, faster computing, interconnected jackpots, curved and 3D screens. I am talking about those innovations that will allow us to optimize the operation, marketing software, CRM, bar and restaurant management, that link the different areas of the casino to improve the surveillance and avoid internal fraud. I also hope to see new variations of table live games that will allow us to revive this department.

At London’s gaming fair, ICE, Online Gaming already has a bigger presence than the on-site ones: there are more exhibitors that offer games design, platforms, payment gateways, auditing and compliance, fraud surveillance, etc. When will there be a convergence between virtual and material gaming? The truth is, they still seem two different worlds today, perhaps with some common aspects, such as games that are successful in both sectors, or very few global companies that are feasible both on the online as well as the on-site. But we must be there to witness it, because, at some point, the convergence will cease to be theoretical.

Not always it is possible to go to Las Vegas, whether it is for its cost, dates or distance. But regional fairs tend to be good alternatives. In the pre-Kirsher era, the SAGSE Exposition in Buenos Aires was the best fair in Latinamerica, to the extent that they created a subsidiary in Panama, Sagse-one. We hope that this next edition, which will be the 26th, and the 3rd of the Macri era, will host as many visitors as the ones before 2010. They were quite an event and the party, organized by Giorgio and his team, was a must. Remember the dates: 11th, 12th and 13th of September of 2018.

We (TTH Gaming) will attend the upcoming events.

If you wish so, we can talk about how to increment your casino’s sales through changing the marketing strategies: going from traditional player tracking and promotions to clienting and one-to-one marketing.