If there is one conference you need to be at if you work in iGaming, it’s G2E – and this year was more impressive than ever.
It was a quick one for me this year, flying out for Monday and Tuesday only, but based on what I heard from my colleagues and friends who stayed at the event all week, it was quite something!
The this year’s G2E, the 23rd edition, took place last week in Vegas, and attracted more than 25,000 gaming professionals from around the world. From what I gathered, there were over 100 education sessions and 368 exhibitors and companies, including 128 new ones this year.
The next G2E event, G2E 2024, is scheduled to be held from October 7-10, 2024, also in Las Vegas. See you there?
What people had to say
I asked some of the folks I bumped into about what they thought about this year’s conference.
Russell Karp, Vice President, Media and Entertainment at DataArt, said that his experience at G2E2023 “was truly exceptional and filled with captivating discussions showcasing the gaming industry’s remarkable growth and innovation. I was delighted to partake in illuminating conversations and gain insights into cutting-edge technological advancements especially around AI. The conference was a testament to the industry’s forward momentum and the exciting opportunities ahead of us.”
Russell makes a good point – the momentum we are seeing in the US markets especially is truly remarkable. I am looking forward to seeing the online casino space industries expand alongside betting in the next coming years.
Chris Shreeve from Locker Room Labs – who I interviewed not too long ago – told me he had an experience that was a little overwhelming but positive:
“G2E was an absolute whirlwind for myself and the Locker Room Labs brand. Everything we have done to date has been leading up to G2E because we have heard that is where real business in the space occurs.
As a first time attendee, it was certainly overwhelming being on the floor and trying to go from meeting to meeting. Luckily, the G2E app had a maps feature that showed you how to get from one booth to another. Sometimes it would take 15 minutes to get from one meeting to another…
Where I felt the majority of great business conversations occurred was off the floor at breakout rooms, happy hours and after parties. So many companies put on great events throughout the week like GeoComply, SCCG Management, SBC, AWS, The Conexus Group and more. Here, you could get away from the slot machine noise and focus on building the foundation for future partnerships.
For me, getting to meet the many new connections I have made in person was a huge impact. Sometimes someone can just be a profile on LinkedIn or a face on the other side of Zoom but getting to look someone in the eye and shake their hand is the way business should really be done.”
The conference was a testament to the industry’s forward momentum and the exciting opportunities ahead of us.
I remember my first conferences when I represented USBettingReport.com: the amount of business, products, people, music, sounds… it was all a lot to take in. That said, if you’re launching a new product and want to spread the word, G2E is one of those conferences you just HAVE TO be at. SBC is another good one but more focused on sports betting.
I also spoke to Jonathan Sprung of Media Troopers (who, btw, is someone I worked with when he was at Pointsbet – overall a nice guy so connect with him if you haven’t yet). Here is what he told me:
“G2E truly pulled out all the stops for our industry this year, including a full stage in the main exhibition hall dedicated to iGaming. This was a nice touch, considering iGaming has been a bit of an afterthought in recent years.
Many engaging panels on important topics like AML, RG, and AI are bringing the future of the industry to the masses. I hope this is a trend that continues next year”.
So there you have it folks. For those of you who attended, let me know what you think about the conferences and what they could do more/less of next time. For me, I don’t have many negative things to say at all.
Something that would be nice to see would be a section of cheaper stands for new product owners to showcase their stuff for a few hours. I think that would add a nice touch to it – just some thoughts. Like in the pic above (but less messy).
See you next year!
