Norwalk, CT,
December 20, 2001

    Global Gaming Expo 2001 (G2E), the new trade show and conference organized jointly by the American Gaming Association and Reed Exhibitions, released its audited attendance counts today. Official numbers state that a total of 8,653 people attended G2E, with 6,524 people visiting 375 exhibitors and 2,129 attending conference sessions.

    Expomark, the exhibition-auditing unit of the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC), audited G2E 2001 numbers, verifying the show's attendance. G2E 2001 debuted October 1-3 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, its primary venue through 2020. 

    “From the start, our objective with G2E has been to provide exhibitors with factual, straightforward information about pricing, location, quality of attendees and other important elements of the show,” said AGA president and CEO Frank J. Fahrenkopf,
Jr. “Sharing these attendance figures, which are audited and not self-serving estimates, is part of our ongoing commitment to producing a show that benefits everyone involved in the gaming industry.”

    “We promised the gaming industry that we would attract the highest caliber of attendees in significant enough numbers to make G2E a successful investment for exhibitors. We also promised to be candid about the results,” said Rick White, president and CEO, Reed Exhibitions. “The release of audited numbers clearly demonstrates the integrity of G2E and solidifies our position as the pre-eminent business-to-business marketplace of the gaming industry.”

    The attendee profile included thousands of senior-level purchasing executives including Bill Fishman, director of casino operations, Isle of Capri, Biloxi, MS; Kathy Decker, director of purchasing, MGM Grand Detroit, Detroit, MI; Tom Mikulich, vice president, slot operations, The Mirage, Las Vegas, NV; and Lou Crescenzo, senior vice president of slot operations, Trump Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, NJ. In addition, there were 126 conference speakers representing the highest echelons of gaming industry professionals, equipment manufacturers and industry organizations. 

    The debut event also had broad international support, with attendees hailing from such countries as Argentina, Australia, Colombia, France, Japan, Korea, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Russia, South Africa and the United Kingdom. 
 

    “We exhibited at G2E because we were impressed with the panel of manufacturers that chose to exhibit at the show, and we knew that our target audience of casino property representatives was planning to attend,” says Jason S. Seelig, executive vice president of sales & marketing, A.C. Coin & Slot Service Company, Atlantic City, NJ. 

    “I was impressed by the level of international interest we saw in our technology at G2E,” says Victoria Erickson, director, marketing and public relations, DigiDeal Corp., Spokane, WA. “Given the political flux going on in the world and uncertainties about travel, it was clear that most of those international buyers had G2E on their radar screen for a long time. They knew they had to be there. That showed the kind of gravity G2E had with these folks.”

    Erickson notes that DigiDeal signed a Letter of Intent at G2E with Universal de Casinos S. A., Bogota, Colombia, for a minimum delivery of 20 digital/virtual table games.

    To date, 6,204 gaming industry professionals have pre-registered for G2E 2002 and all of the industry’s major manufacturers have reserved booth space. More than 137,000 net square feet out of a target of 155,000 net square feet has been sold for the 2002 event.
 

    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 Exhibitions is a world leader in creating high profile, targeted industry events where buyers and suppliers come together to do business. Every year, Reed events bring together some 160,000 suppliers and over nine million buyers worldwide. Today, Reed events are held in 35 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia/Pacific, and are organized by 30 fully staffed offices. Its portfolio of 470 events services 49 industries in 12 key sectors. 
 

    The second annual Global Gaming Expo will take place September 17th - 19th, 2002, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. To learn more about G2E or pre-register for 2002, visit www.globalgamingexpo.com. 

To download photos from the event, visit www.einzig.com/g2e