American Gaming Association Announces Plans to Host Industry Trade Show

-AGEM to Exclusively Endorse G2E-

LAS VEGAS - The American Gaming Association (AGA) announced today that it is planning the first industry-hosted trade show and convention for the gaming industry and that the trade group representing the nation’s top manufacturers has agreed to exclusively endorse the show. Global Gaming Expo (G2E), which will debut Oct. 1-3, 2001, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, will showcase the leading products and services for operators worldwide.

“As we embark on a new century, the time has come for a trade show that’s hosted by the industry and for the industry,” said Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., president and CEO of the American Gaming Association. “Suppliers and operators alike will benefit from a show that reinvests revenue for their own industry’s lobbying, education and outreach activities.”

The Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM), whose members include leading manufacturers AC Coin & Slot Service Company; Alliance Gaming Corp.; Anchor Gaming; Aristocrat Leisure Limited; International Game Technology (IGT); Mikohn Gaming Corporation; Shuffle Master, Inc.; Sigma Game Inc.; Silicon Gaming, Inc.; and WMS Gaming, voted today to exclusively endorse AGA’s new trade show.

“AGEM recognizes that the best way for us to achieve our goals as manufacturers is to work together with our casino customers,” said T.J. Matthews, CEO of Anchor Gaming. “The AGA represents our best customers and is, therefore, extremely important to us and to our future. We are excited about the G2E forum that is provided to us by the AGA. We look forward to presenting our products there and expect to be active participants in next year’s debut show.”
 
The AGA will be partnering with Reed Exhibition Companies (REC), a world leader in trade show management, to create a state-of-the-art show that focuses on the needs of all exhibitors.

“Our mission is to make G2E as fair and representative as possible,” said Rick White, president and CEO of Reed Exhibition Companies-North America. “With a new office in Las Vegas and our existing presence worldwide, Reed Exhibition Companies, working together with the AGA, plans to make this the must-attend show for the gaming industry in the United States and around the globe.”

One of the ways REC plans to balance the needs of a diverse industry is to solicit input from all industry stakeholders and make decisions through an advisory committee. It also plans to implement a lottery system to assign exhibitor space.

 “We believe that when an industry creates and manages its own trade shows, the strategic needs of all participants are considered from the very beginning”, said Phil Satre, chairman and CEO of Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. “I know Harrah’s will do well from its participation in G2E, as will our colleagues, exhibitors and vendors, regardless of size. That’s why, as a member of the AGA Trade Show Subcommittee, I supported this initiative.”

The genesis of this decision came from the AGA’s board of directors, which emphasized the benefits of an industry-run trade show.
 
“We look forward to being a part of Global Gaming Expo and sharing all the benefits among our industry,” said Charles Mathewson, chairman and CEO of IGT and chairman of the AGA board. “We welcome the AGA’s leadership in creating an industry-focused trade show that will bring value to suppliers and operators alike.”

The creation of this industry trade show is another step in the evolution of the AGA, which was formed in 1995 to represent the commercial casino entertainment industry on federal legislative and regulatory issues.

“Our job is to serve the needs of the gaming industry, and this show will help us accomplish that in a new way,” Fahrenkopf said. “With a partner like Reed, a commitment from the major manufacturers, and a mission to reinvest within the industry, we feel that all the pieces are in place to turn this into a reality.”

The American Gaming Association represents the commercial casino entertainment industry by addressing federal legislative and regulatory issues. The association also serves as a clearinghouse for information, develops educational and advocacy programs, and provides leadership on industry-related issues of public concern.

Reed Exhibition Companies is one of the world’s leading organizers of trade and public shows, with a current portfolio of over 400 events servicing 45 industries in 11 key sectors in 24 countries across five continents. Over 135,000 exhibiting companies take advantage of REC’s marketing opportunities, which attract 5.5 million buyers globally. Reed Exhibition Companies is part of the Reed Elsevier plc group, a world leading provider of information-driven services and solutions. It employs 1,500 people in 24 fully staffed offices around the world.