In the midst of one of the toughest economic landscapes in recent history, more than 26,500 gaming professionals from 89 countries across the globe flocked to Global Gaming Expo 2008 in November to see the latest products, participate in expert-led conference sessions and network with industry colleagues.

According to G2E’s organizers, the American Gaming Association and Reed Exhibitions, while overall attendance was down approximately 12 percent from 2007, the 2008 event continued to attract the industry executives and key decision-makers exhibitors are always looking to reach.

“Since its inception, G2E has been the international gaming industry’s premier forum for creating and strengthening business partnerships, exploring the latest trends and expanding professional knowledge—and this year’s event lived up to that legacy,” said Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., president and CEO of the AGA.

“G2E 2008 once again confirmed itself as the top show in the world for the gaming industry,” said Ed Rogich, vice president of marketing for International Game Technology. “Even in a down year, crowds were strong and top decision-makers turned out to see our products and participate in the conference sessions.”

“G2E is always an outstanding show for Bally, and this year was no exception,” added Gavin Isaacs, chief operating officer of Bally Technologies. “Because of the challenged economy we expected slower traffic in our booth, but what we found instead was increased booth traffic and a very high caliber of attendee.”

G2E 2008 attracted a total of 724 exhibitors, including 117 exhibitors from countries outside the U.S., showcasing their products in 335,480 square feet of exhibit space, the largest square footage in the history of G2E. A few of the specialty areas of the show floor experienced particularly strong participation. New to this year’s show floor, the Entertainment Arena at G2E sold out completely, as did the Casino Design and Technology pavilions.

“Even in a tough market, G2E was still able to pull the top executives from the industry to attend the event,” said Sean Evans, senior vice president of sales for Aristocrat Technologies, Inc.

G2E 2008 also saw a significant increase in international attendance, attracting 3,901 attendees from 89 different countries, an increase of 11 percent over 2007 international attendance numbers.

G2E 2009 will be held November 17-19 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, with the G2E Training & Development Institute, G2E Leadership Academy and Casino Design all being held November 16. For more information, visit the G2E website at www.globalgamingexpo.com.

By GGB Staff

Staff writers for Global Gaming Business magazine. Las Vegas, Nevada.