Organizers expect more than 15,000 to attend G2E

Monday, Sept. 15, 2003 | 10:53 a.m.

Gaming executives from around the world will gather in Las Vegas this week to get a first look at new casino products and discuss issues relevant to the industry in the four-day Global Gaming Expo.

The event -- known in the industry as G2E -- is expected to attract more than 15,000 people to the Las Vegas Convention Center today through Thursday. The event is sponsored by the American Gaming Association and Reed Exhibitions, a British trade-show organizer.

More than 100 panel and speaker sessions will review a variety of industry topics, from casino floor management to problem gambling. New gaming venues and products and policies that will change the way the industry operates will be among the topics discussed in 13 conference tracks.

Three keynote speakers also are on the G2E agenda. On Tuesday, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist George Will will deliver the opening keynote address. He'll be followed Wednesday by a state-of-the-industry panel be moderated by Emmy Award-winning talk show host Larry King. Panelists will include American Gaming Association President and Chief Executive Frank Fahrenkopf and several chief executives from gaming companies. On Thursday MSNBC pollster Frank Luntz will discuss public attitudes about the gaming industry in his keynote speech.

More than 700 gaming industry suppliers will exhibit products at a trade show being conducted in conjunction with the event. Organizers say dozens of new products will be displayed in the 223,261 square feet of exhibits.

The trade-show floor will have three areas focused on industry growth sectors with special pavilions dedicated to security and surveillance products, bingo and interactive gaming.

Several celebrity endorsers will make appearances on behalf of some of the products being unveiled at the show. Among the big names scheduled to appear are "Gilligan's Island" cast members Bob Denver, Dawn Wells, Russell Johnson and Tina Louise; "I Dream of Jeannie" cast member Barbara Eden; "Laverne and Shirley" cast members Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams; comedians Jeff Foxworthy and Rip Torn; "Dating Game" and "Newlywed Game" show host Jim Lange; "Saturday Night Live" cast member Kevin Nealon; "M*A*S*H" film star and television show cast member Gary Burghoff; music and television icon Dick Clark; and cartoonist Scott Adams, creator of the "Dilbert" series.

Executives from several gaming companies also will present updates about their respective operations in the two-day Gaming Investment Forum, sponsored by Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank. International Game Technology is expected to unveil some 150 new slot machine games while Shuffle Master Inc. will introduce new table games.

The AGA Opportunity Expo, scheduled Thursday, will offer a forum for disadvantaged and minority- and women-owned businesses to meet face-to-face with executives from several companies.