Inside Asian Gaming is pleased to announce the first 60 judges confirmed to lend their expertise on the Judging Panel for the 2025 IAG Academy IR Awards.
The Awards will be held at the Manila Ballroom at Manila Marriott Hotel, Newport World Resorts, on the evening of Tuesday 9 September, and consist of 23 Awards categories plus a special induction ceremony as part of the IAG Academy Hall of Fame, which will include Rising Stars, Industry Icons and the Industry Legends award.
All categories for the 2025 IAG Academy IR Awards will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information on the Awards, please visit iagacad.com and navigate to the “IR AWARDS” menu.
The 60 confirmed judges comprise some of the most experienced minds in the business representing a variety of sectors including operators, suppliers, lawyers, consultants, media and more. The full list of confirmed judges so far is as follows:
- Andrew W Scott, (judging panel Chairman), Vice Chairman and CEO, Inside Asian Gaming
- Sérgio de Almeida Correia, ACS Lawyers and Private Notary
- Sandy Amida, Chief Gaming Officer, Newport World Resorts
- Dennis Andreaci, Senior Vice President Casino, Hann Resorts
- Ben Blaschke, Managing Editor, Inside Asian Gaming
- Harmen Brenninkmeijer, Managing Partner, NYCE International Ltd
- Daniel C Cecilio, Senior Vice President, PAGCOR
- Charles M Choy, Co-Chairman, Macau Beer Company Ltd
- Carlo R Climaco, Vice President, Integrated Resorts, Belle Corp
- Carlos Eduardo Coelho, Partner, MdME
- David Croft, SVP Gaming Optimisation & Strategy, Tangam Systems
- Rui Pedro Cunha, Director and General Manager, C&C Lawyers
- Robert Dijkstra, Manager of Business Development Asia Pacific, AMATIC Industries
- Scott Fisher, Managing Partner, Convergence Strategy Group
- Ashley Fong, Senior Product Planning & Strategy Manager Asia, Aristocrat
- David Green, Gaming and Governance Consultant
- Fredric E. Gushin, President and CEO, Spectrum Gaming Group
- Antonio Benigno V Gutierrez, Branch Manager, PAGCOR
- Maria Victoria M Gutierrez, Assistant Vice President, Slot Machine Department, PAGCOR
- Ryan Ho, Lecturer at Centre for Gaming and Tourism Studies, Macao Polytechnic University
- Michael Hu, President – Asia Pacific, Interblock Asia Pacific
- Florence Ian, President, Executive Board of International Tourism Professionals Development Association, Macao
- Brett Ingram, Assistant Vice President – Event Development & Management, Sands China Ltd
- Katrina Mae De Jesus, AVP – Resort Marketing and Business Development, NUSTAR Resort and Casino
- Keijiro Kan, President, Angel Global Business Co Ltd
- Herris W Kocibelli, Founder & Managing Director, HWK Trading Co Ltd
- Joji Kokuryo, Managing Director, Bay City Ventures Ltd
- Michael Krispli, Vice President – EGM Operations, NUSTAR Resort and Casino
- Matthew Lai, Business Development & Operations Advisor, Aruze Gaming Global
- Buddy Lam, Director of Corporate Affairs, Galaxy Entertainment Group
- Desmond Lam, College Master and Professor, University of Macau
- Kevin Lee, Director of Sales, Asia, Sega Sammy Creation
- Mike Lei, Secretary General, Macao Association of Young Employees in the Gaming Industry
- Marcus Lim, Founder, Vault Corporation
- Richard Longhurst, Senior Director, Galaxy Entertainment Group
- John Lucas, Chief Hospitality Officer, Newport World Resorts
- Shigeki Machida, Managing Director, Matsui Asia Ltd
- Atty Walter L. Mactal, Senior Vice President and Chief Legal & Administrative Officer, Newport World Resorts
- Jeff Mann, Managing Director, MegaSportsWorld
- Shaun McCamley, Founder and Managing Partner, Euro Pacific Asia Consulting
- Greg Meares, Vice President, Engineering and Facilities, MGM China
- Scott Messinger, Chief of Staff, Inside Asian Gaming
- Niall Murray, Chairman, Murray International (Macau) Co Ltd
- Ma. Vina Claudette P Oca, Assistant Vice President, PAGCOR
- Joe Pisano, Founder and CEO, Jade Sportsbet
- Lloyd Robson, Vice President of Sales & Operations, Asia, Aristocrat Gaming
- Trevor Ross, Senior Sales Director – Asia, Light and Wonder
- Chen Si, President, INSPIRE Entertainment Resort
- Paul Simmons, CEO, Kairos Gaming
- Dave Smith, Director, ADIUL Trading Co Ltd
- Angel Sueiro, COO, PH Resorts
- Danny Tang, Vice President and General Manager, Sands Macao
- Kel Telford, Consultant – Technology (Integrated Resorts)
- Alan Teo, CEO, Hoiana Resort & Golf
- Francis Valenzuela IV, Account Manager – Philippines, IGT
- Rutger Verschuren, Area Vice President – Macau Operations, Artyzen Hospitality Group
- Antonio Lobo Vilela, Lawyer, Lobo Vilela Advogado · Lawyer
- Samuel Wilson, CEO, TKHS Holdings
- Ian Wood, Business Development and Senior Sales Manager, Dallmeier International (Macau) Ltd
- Betty Zhao, Senior Vice President of International Operations, Aruze Gaming Global
The call is still out for more judges to join the official Judging Panel for the 2025 IAG Academy IR Awards.
Judges will have their name, title, organization and brief profile featured on the Awards website at iagacad.com/ir-awards-judges.
Judges do not need to attend the Awards ceremony and do not even need to be in Manila during the voting process.
They will also be entitled to attend the gala dinner on Tuesday 9 September free of charge (value US$250) in return for their judging and voting efforts.
Anyone interested in being a Judge should carefully review the following eligibility criteria:
- Judges must have a minimum of 10 years IR industry experience:
- At an integrated resort (IR) or legal land-based gaming operator in a gaming or non-gaming function, or
- At a manufacturer, vendor or supplier selling goods or services to IRs or legal land-based gaming operators in Asia (either directly or further back in the supply chain), with those sales representing a significant part of their or their employer’s business, or
- As an accountant, academic, analyst, banker, consultant, financier, government official, investor, lawyer, politician, regulator, researcher, trainer or other professional with a significant part of their or their employer’s work or business relating to the IR or legal land-based gaming industry, or
- At a non-IR hospitality or other business with functions typically found in integrated resorts such as a hotel, F&B outlet, retail outlet or other front of house service, or HR, IT, facilities or other back of house service, but with a minimum of two years direct IR industry experience.
- At least 5 years’ experience must be in the Asia-Pacific region (from the Middle East to the International Date Line inclusive).
- If no longer employed in the industry, and the judge or potential judge has been out of the industry for five years or more, they must self-declare that they take a continuing and active interest in the APAC IR industry.
The final decision on Judging Panel eligibility rests with the Chairman of the Judging Panel.
Judges may be presented with PDFs of up to three pages and videos of up to one minute in length relating to official nominees and may also use their own personal knowledge and experience of official nominees in casting their votes. Judges will be asked to cast their votes electronically between Sat 30 August and Sat 6 September 2025, as described in iagacad.com/ir-awards-awards-process.
Things to note about being a judge:
- Judges do not need to attend the Awards (or even be in Manila) on 9 September.
- Judging is very easy: all information is sent and all voting is conducted entirely online.
- Judges can commit as little or as much time as they wish to the judging process.
- Judges only need vote in categories they feel comfortable with expressing an opinion on.
- Judges will be automatically recused from categories involving themselves or their employer.
- Judges can recuse themselves from as many categories as they wish (up to and including all categories).
- Special discounted hotel room rates at a wide range of Newport World Resorts hotels will be available.
- All judges can attend the Gala Dinner on 10 September completely free of charge! (value US$250)
If you meet the eligibility criteria and wish to be a member of the judging panel, please contact Judging Panel chairman Andrew W Scott at ceo@staging.asgam.com. Please make contact without delay as IAG may institute a cap on the size of the Judging Panel.
Visit iagacad.com for more information.
The 2025 IAG Academy IR Awards are part of the “IAG EXPO” taking place at Newport World Resorts from 8 to 10 September 2025. In addition to the Awards, IAG EXPO will also include for the first time the IAG Exhibition – a full-scale exhibition with raw space exhibition stands and shell scheme booths – as well as the IAG Academy Summit and networking social Manila After Dark.
For sponsorship inquiries, please contact:
Jadeson Ho
+853 2875 2959
jh@staging.asgam.com
Caroline Iau
+853 2875 2959
ci@staging.asgam.com
For media, production and event enquiries, please contact:
Dorothy Loi
+853 6802 1905
dorothy@staging.asgam.com
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