With COVID-19 having delayed the debut of Asia’s newest gaming industry trade show and exhibition, ICE Asia and SiGMA Manila are going digital instead.
Breaking the ICE in Asia
With the inaugural ICE Asia postponed until 2021, the ICE brand will instead make its Asian debut online with ICE Asia Digital set to take place from 8 to 10 June 2020.
If there is one positive to come from the devastation COVID-19 has wreaked on the global gaming industry, it’s undoubtedly the innovation so many companies have shown in navigating these troubled waters. The events scene is proving to be no different.
While the inaugural ICE Asia, originally scheduled to take place from 8 to 9 June 2020 in Manila, has been postponed until next year, organizer Clarion Gaming wasted no time in announcing a digital summit, ICE Asia Digital 2020, to fill the void.
Running from 8 to 10 June, ICE Asia Digital is a free online event offering three days of unique content focusing on gaming in Asia, including a specific focus on topical subjects such as tech innovation, the future of gaming and how the market will recover post-COVID-19.
ICE Asia Digital 2020 will open with a keynote discussion by Andrea Domingo, Chairman and CEO of Philippine gaming regulator PAGCOR from one of the jurisdictions hit hardest by COVID-19 lockdowns.
2nt8 Ltd’s Alidad Tash, former Galaxy Entertainment Group Chief Marketing Officer Kevin Clayton and Sanford C. Berstein analyst Vitaly Umansky will host a panel examining the state of the market and what regional recovery might look like, while Jamie Nettleton of Addison, Ranjana Adhikari of Nishith Desai Associates and Lau Kok Keng of Raja & Tann Singapore will explore the regulatory impact of COVID-19 on the different gaming sectors around Asia.
Day 2 will include contributions from Steve Wolstenholme, Acting CEO of Suncity Group’s Vietnamese casino Hoiana, as well as by Jose Angel Sueiro, Chief Operating Officer of PH Resorts – which is currently developing casino resorts in Cebu and Clark – and by Michael Sarquis, Executive Director of the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation in Queensland, Australia.
The second half of Day 2 will feature an in-depth look at the latest developments in Japan following the shock withdrawal of Las Vegas Sands from the race to win an IR license and rumors that Tokyo may soon throw its hat into the ring. Chaired by Brendan Bussman of Global Market Advisors, the panel discussion will center around the timeline for casino development in Japan and be discussed by Ayako Nakayama of the Japan IR Association, Kazuaki Sasaki of Toyo University and Toru Mihara, Chair of the National Council on Gaming Legislation.
To register for free to ICE Asia Digital 2020, visit www.ice-asia.com.
A fine time for online
SiGMA Group continues to make its mark on the global gaming industry with the launch of two virtual conferences in June – SiGMA Asia Focus and SiGMA Deep Tech.
Originally set to partner with Clarion to jointly present the inaugural SiGMA Manila/ICE Asia conference and exhibition this June, Malta’s SiGMA Group is also turning digital in response to COVID-19 with the debut of two brand new virtual conferences.
SiGMA Asia Focus and SiGMA Deep Tech will both take place from 8 to 10 June, delving deep into the hot topic of iGaming in Asia and the growing opportunities the sector presents.
Running from 4pm to 8pm Macau time (10am to 2pm CET) each day, SiGMA Asia Focus will kick-off with a keynote address from PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Andrea Domingo, followed by a panel discussion on how the Philippines became the undisputed hub for iGaming in Asia.
Other topics throughout the conference will include spotlights on specific jurisdictions across the region – namely Australia, Japan, India, Macau and Southeast Asia – a fascinating discussion on potential M&A activity in the post-COVID era, the eSports opportunity and Asian marketing trends.
Following SiGMA Asia Focus each day will be SiGMA Deep Tech, a conference designed by Techies, for Techies. SiGMA Deep Tech will shine a spotlight on expert tech leaders, CTOs and developers, including topics such as AI, Big Data, UI, open-source versus licensed tech and more.
“In line with SiGMA Group’s commitment to facilitating new business opportunities for key players in the global iGaming and emerging tech sectors, the digital conference will embrace the difficulties we are facing at a time when working together has never been more important,” said SiGMA Group CEO, Eman Pulis. “COVID-19 has provided a unique opportunity to rethink how we live and work.”
SiGMA Deep Tech will run from 8.30pm to 12.30am Macau time (2.30pm to 6.30pm CET) each day.
For more information and to register for either or both virtual conferences, visit sigma.com.mt.
