“The Colombian market will have a high profile at Juegos Miami”

(Exclusive interview).- Clarion Gaming talked with Focus Gaming News about the upcoming Juegos Miami.

US.- Greg Saint, Event Director, Clarion Gaming (responsible for Juegos Miami and GiGse) discussed with Focus Gaming News the key subjects for Juegos Miami 2018.

The upcoming edition of Juegos Miami will feature panels about responsible gambling. Do you expect the event to introduce new regulatory discussions on the national agenda?

Essentially we serve as a facilitator for the sectors that we serve and responsible gaming is a key feature across all of our events. We research the key topics that interest our stakeholders and we respond with content and initiatives that progress the debate and where possible provide solutions. In addition to the numerous panels on the subject of responsible gaming, we will also have the Juegos Miami Country Roundtables which we know from our delegate research are vitally important in giving C-Level decision makers direct access to regulators and the opportunity to engage rather than just listen to a speaker. This initiative will connect delegates with key decision makers and regulators from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay who will provide expert insight and the very latest updates on their jurisdictions, including current thinking, market dynamics, issues of regulatory concern and the likely timetable for change. Corporate Responsibility is a culture that exists as part of the DNA of a business or organisation so it’s not something that you can turn on or turn off. Our job as event organizers is to provide the right chemistry to help owners respond positively to key business and social issues.

Our job as event organizers is to provide the right chemistry to help owners respond positively to key business and social issues.

Two months before the event you revealed that registration was up by over 40 per cent, setting once again the status as the region’s most influential gaming networking opportunity. Does the feedback from the attendees help you improve the show to further increase the number every year?

It’s very encouraging to be able to report such strong figures two months ahead of any event. I should stress that the Juegos Miami delegate profile is amongst the most senior that we have attending across our entire portfolio of events anywhere in the world and the registration figures, alongside strong support from exhibitors and sponsors reflects the continued interest that exists in what is one of the most exciting and dynamic emerging markets in the world. Compared to the situation a year ago, our only measure is to gauge the response we are receiving to the event. The number of delegates registering for Juegos Miami tracked higher than 57 per cent up year-on-year, which is clearly a really positive sign not just for the Juegos Miami brand but for the industry. What’s equally encouraging is that registrations are coming from throughout the region and not just from a handful of countries and this kind of data will no doubt help us to continue to improve the show for future editions. When you’ve worked on events over a period of time you tend to pick up on some of the intangible and difficult to measure indicators. Certainly the mood music and the enthusiasm for Juegos Miami is all very positive, factors that go hand in hand with a buoyant market.

Pan-Latin America and Caribbean markets can learn a lot from the pioneering attitude of Colombia.

Do you think that Colombia’s growing market will help other countries kick off their online industries? How do you assess the rest of South America?

The Colombian market will have a high profile at Juegos Miami with Clarion Gaming set to present the country with the title ‘Jurisdiction of the Year’. In addition, key Colombian regulators will be taking part in a Country Roundtable and there will be two separate streams focusing on the successes and regulatory steps which have taken place in Colombia over the past year. I think in this respect it’s clear that Pan-Latin America and Caribbean markets can learn a lot from the pioneering attitude of Colombia and its focus on progress within a responsible and transparent framework. Evert Montero, President of Colombian trade body, Fecoljuegos, said recently that it was his intention for Juegos Miami to become ‘a space for reflection and analysis of what’s going on in Latin American gaming industry’ and we look forward to providing that space to aid the development of every country in the region.

Our aim is to maximise the opportunities attendees have to engage with the leading games creators and service providers.

This year Juegos Miami will also feature Personal Shopper-style exhibition tours, can you tell us more about it?

The newly introduced personal shopper style curated tours will provide key insights to what is available in the meeting rooms and the exhibition hall as well as encouraging visitor flow throughout the Juegos Miami footprint and including the various networking opportunities that exist alongside the co-located GiGse event in Miami this year. The tours will be led by Juegos Miami Conference Producer, Layla Ali, and our aim is to maximise the opportunities attendees have to engage with the leading games creators and service providers who are part of the Juegos Miami stakeholding community. Reflecting the international credentials of Juegos Miami, the tour commentaries will be conducted in both English and Spanish in order to maximise the business opportunities that Juegos Miami delivers.

What do you think the hot topics will be at Juegos Miami this year?

Our team has worked hard to create a powerful strategic, tactical and hands-on content program which will reflect the importance of the region at this time so it’s hard to single out one particular topic. To quote Juegos Miami’s President, Evert Montero: “Juegos Miami attendees cannot miss a single session.”