Operator News

China – Novomatic chooses Macao Gaming Show

By Phil - 4 January 2016

Following the recent Macao Gaming Show (MGS) Novomatic announced its intention to take the lead in making a decision which currently all major companies that exhibit each year in Macao are facing: Namely, choosing one or the other of the two current annual Macau shows as the ideal vehicle for the promotion of the company’s B2B objectives.

Following a period of evaluation, Novomatic has made its decision to commit to the Macao Gaming Show for the next three years.

The recent Macao Gaming Show (MGS) provided an excellent opportunity for Novomatic, working once again in close co-operation with its trusted Asian partners, Jade Entertainment and Gaming Technologies, Inc. and their partner in Macao, Laxino Systems Ltd., to demonstrate its wide horizons across the Asian market segment. The show attracted a wide spectrum of visitors not just from its own home market but also from far and wide across the Asian region. With a broad range of Novomatic products being demonstrated to an enthusiastic audience on the joint stand of Laxino and Jade Gaming there was significant news for the many followers of the Austrian company’s steady progress in Asian markets. Significantly, Novomatic now has Macao standards approvals in place, with DICJ approval for the NovoLine game pack, and Jade Gaming’s CEO, Joe Pisano, was confidently expecting to see several new product placements in major properties during the coming months.

Next year’s Macao Gaming Show 2016 will retain its traditional position on the annual trade show calendar, from November 15 to 17, a date that places the show at a comfortable timely distance from G2E Las Vegas for visitors from across the entire Asian region and beyond.

International trade shows are often described as the ‘lifeblood’ of the gaming industry, providing clear opportunities for exhibiting companies not only to display their latest product innovations but also to meet with both existing and potential customers. But, in a time of cost consciousness, it is clear that making a choice between the two events currently based in Macao (a market that is now universally acknowledged to only require one show per year) is on the current agenda of the majority.

Therefore Novomatic has taken the decision to swing its weight behind MGS, based purely on an extensive evaluation of visitor demand as well as future growth potential and market significance of the trade show. The company has opted for a three year commitment to exhibit together with its Asian partners but with its own show presence at the Macao Gaming Shows 2016-2018.

Novomatic CEO Harald Neumann said: “I believe that Novomatic has once again taken an industry lead by making a correct and well informed choice to support MGS with a three year commitment.”

Welcoming the Novomatic announcement, Jay Chun, Chairman of the influential trade association MGEMA, stated: “This is a significant step forward for the Macao Gaming Show. If you want to drive your aspirations for growth and development on, there can be no better partner than Novomatic. MGS has a clear vision to deliver Asia’s ‘one stop shop’, not just through the exhibition but also through the conference and the various new initiatives by the organisation designed to link the international business community with the vibrant commercial scene in Macao and throughout Asia all-year round.”

He added: “Novomatic’s confidence in MGS reflects the hard work that we have put in over the years to bring the Macao SAR Government on board as vital supporters and sponsors of our show, as well as the backing of the leading 100 gaming and entertainment companies in Macao and Asia. This announcement heralds the beginning of the next and most crucial stage of MGS’s development: working with our partners – the Macao SAR Government, Novomatic’s, Macau’s concessionaires and MGEMA members – in opening up the Asian industry to the world.”

This progressive work started in earnest at the 2015 MGS last month. The third edition of MGS proved a ‘major success’, with the MGEMA confirming that all the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) showed a positive year-on-year trend. This year’s attendance numbers rose to 13,186 from 11,987 in 2014, an increase of 10 percent; the number of exhibiting companies rose to 168 from 146 (+15 percent); and the number of exhibiting countries represented at MGS increased from 20 to 22.

Mr. Chun concluded: “We have wide support from the Macau and Asian marketplace, where there is a genuine interest in MGS working to expand the trading routes between Macau, mainland China, Asia and the world. We have the crucial and valued backing of our key government departments – Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ), Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), Macao Foundation, Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO), and the biggest manufacturing, gaming and entertainment companies in the region.

“We have stated over many, many months, that if international companies want to do business in Asia, then they should do so with the support and assistance of people who know the region best – organisations like the MGEMA and the Macao Gaming Show. This is such an exciting opportunity, and we’re delighted that Novomatic have made this decision to partner with us and help drive our vision forward.”