VERY INTERESTING EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Faced with the massification of ICE Barcelona, London responds with LCG, a ‘more personalised alternative'

1. What is the main motivation behind launching the London Casino & Gaming Expo just before ICE Barcelona?

The London Casino and Gaming Show (LCG) is going to be an integral part of the well-established EAG show. The EAG show is always held on the same dates in January which just happens to BE four days before the ICE show IN BARCELONA.


2. How does the LCG plan to differentiate itself from other industry events, particularly ICE Barcelona?

The LCG show is going to be purely aimed at land-based Casino and Gaming operations in the UK and Europe. It is not intended to be a direct competitor of the ICE show. We intend to present a boutique event with the quiet ambience of a casino operation. We want our guests to feel comfortable in pleasant surroundings with great coffee. This will enable them to meet and discuss their requirements without the need for long walks between halls.


3. What are your expectations for attendance and participation in this inaugural edition of the LCG?

Ideally when you plan a new show you have at least eighteen months to strategise and to then deliver. When we heard that ICE was moving to Barcelona and then picked up the mood music from Casino and Gaming operators that they wanted to continue to visit an event in London we had to move fast. On that basis we are not being bullish about visitor numbers, but we are already getting strong positive feedback from both exhibitors and guests and that is giving us confidence about LCG. We believe that all the principal industry ‘movers and shakers’ in the UK will be at Excel and that many of the European operators will be there too. We also believe that Transatlantic visitors en route to Barcelona will also visit the London show and stop over to enjoy London itself before moving on to Barcelona.


4. The LCG focuses exclusively on land-based casinos. How do you see the future of this category compared to the growth of online gaming?

In 1998 I was one of the first operators in the UK to provide an on-line gaming site. My view is that the on-line sector is now stable and now it is consolidating. On-line can never replicate the theatre, fun and entertainment of a live casino but there is certainly room for both products in the market and as such we are very confident that there will continue to be strong demand for a land-based Casino and Gaming exhibition. The size of the on-line sector, as it appears at ICE, will have the effect of spreading and diluting the land based exhibits. Land based is our focus and it appears that this approach is being welcomed.


5. What were the main challenges in organizing an event of this scale in London, and how did you overcome them?

BACTA, who are the owners of the EAG show have many years of experience in the exhibition business. We originally developed and operated the ICE show before selling it about 14 years ago. As such we did not feel that there were any significant challenges in establishing the LCG show alongside EAG and that has proven to be the case. We have a highly experienced Show Director in Nikki Lazenby, and she has expanded her team to cover the additional demands that the LCG show has brought. Our EAG show is established at Excel, therefore it was only necessary to expand it physically to incorporate the Casino event.


6. How important is the participation of major brands like Novomatic, Merkur, and Inspired to the success of the LCG?

We were delighted to have full support from these three major brands from the moment the LCG was planned. They all see the opportunity for a more boutique event in London particularly with significant deregulation just around the corner and of course our European operators are also keen to come to London and participate. But there is no question that these giants of the industry will provide a firm foundation for lateral expansion around them.


7. In your opinion, what role do service providers such as payment systems and security play in the success of a land-based casino today?

We are eager to attract exhibitors that represent all the ancillary support services required by every Casino and Gaming operator. Whether it is the company that provides uniforms, or signage, or security systems, you can’t operate at the top of your game without any of them so of course we are keen to see them participate in the inaugural LCG show next January. We strongly believe that those ‘ancillary’ product providers are essential if we want a show that is a ‘one stop shop’, in other words a well-rounded event for the sector.


8. What complementary activities and live events can we expect at the LCG that will make it stand out as a unique event?

We are planning some relevant seminars and also hoping to soon announce an exciting live event but as we haven’t finalised the details you will have to be patient… If our plans come off, then LCG will in time become a big international focus for many of the professionals in the business.


9. How have you worked with associations like Bacta and Euromat to ensure the support and success of the LCG?

I am a Past President of BACTA and was delighted to be asked to get involved as the LCG ambassador. The National Council at BACTA is very much a team effort and everyone helps in all the Associations events, the EAG and LCG shows are good examples of this. We are also delighted to have the support of Euromat and as we move into the autumn, we will be spending more time with Keiran O’Keefe and Jason Frost to ensure that all their members are kept fully informed about the show. These people know the industry intimately and will make a positive contribution to LCGs success.


10. Do you believe that London can maintain its relevance as an epicenter of the gaming industry in the long term, especially in the face of competition from other European cities like Barcelona?

As I have said before, our plan is not to try to go ‘head-to-head’ with ICE but to present an interesting alternative in a fabulous city. As I have said I am hearing that to potential US guests it makes good sense to come the LCG show, spend time enjoying London and then flying on to Barcelona. As far as London is concerned I need only say to you that London is a leading global tourism destination because of ‘Bond street, the West End, the Theatre district, Harrods, Chelsea ,80 Michelin star restaurants and some of the finest casinos in Europe. Need I say more…