With the rapidly changing gaming and casino world, more opportunities arise for gambling companies on both global scale and on domestic one, here in Canada. The new opportunities and technological innovations, however, bring more challenges, as well, and one of the purposes of the annual Canadian Gaming Summit is to gather industry representatives who can share their opinion and experience on these issues.
This year, the event will be held for three days at the beautiful Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada. The summit includes a conference for gaming professionals and a trade exhibition, where Canadian-based and even foreign companies can present their new products and services. The three-day event is traditionally organized by the Canadian Gaming Association and MediaEdge Communications and it kicks off May 18 at the Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls. It brings together dozens of companies from the gambling, hospitality and gaming industries, as well as top executives and professionals that specialize in lotteries, gambling regulation and compliance, gaming technology, casino operations, charitable gaming, etc.
The 2018 edition of the summit will feature eight educational tracks and presentations, all centred around the main theme “Technology Holds the Key”. Last year, the event focused on the technological advancements and the challenges that faced by companies in their attempt to stay up-to-date when adopting them. Indeed, with the prominence of digital and online gaming in the past few years, the previous theme “Rapid Pace of Change” did sound adequate. But this year, organizers will be highlighting the importance of technology in the physical security and the customer experience.
Attendees can expect expert opinions shared by senior execs at private operators and provincial lottery corporations. Among the keynote speakers this year are Paul Lauzon, Senior Vice President of market research company Ipsos and Paige Schoenfeld, Ipsos’ Associate Vice President. Another prominent speaker will be Anthony Lacavera, Chairman of Globalive, which is a Canadian communications and investment company. There will also be a seminar on marketing by Stowe Shoemaker, Ph. D., Dean of the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration at UNLV (University of Nevada, Las Vegas).
Technological Advancements Driving the Gaming Industry
Casinos today are incredibly different from what they used to be two decades ago, but the same can be said for casino patrons, as well. And while operators are largely equipped to modernize their facilities and introduce online and mobile gaming, they need to make extra efforts to stay up-to-date with what their customers want. One of the panels during the summit will aim at educating companies on how to implement technologies such as voice commands, mobile access to room features, and robotization.
Along with the discussions on in-room technology, there will be presentations on blockchain technology and facial recognition, both emerging technologies which are making a real revolution, including in the gambling industry. And both innovations offer tremendous advantages while at the same time, they come with certain risks that need to be understood. Of course, the summit also features an exciting exhibition with tens of businesses presenting their latest services and products.
Cutting-edge technologies will also be presented, as well as partnerships between representatives of different sectors. The exhibitors’ list includes software development companies, food and beverage firms, suppliers of automated transaction solutions, marketing and research firms, communication companies, businesses specialized in robotics, and more. In addition, the Annual Gaming Industry Awards will be held during the summit. They are split into two major sections, the Canadian Gaming Industry Awards and the First nation Gaming Awards.
